Longevity Martial Arts: I have a Mysterious Water Snake Avatar
Chapter 66 - 65 Woo woo woo... Hong Yuan, don’t quit the competition! (Seeking investment and followers)

Chapter 66: Chapter 65 Woo woo woo... Hong Yuan, don’t quit the competition! (Seeking investment and followers)

While Hong Yuan was leading a colorful and fulfilling life, Xiao Youjun, who constantly thought of him, was also on an unstoppable winning streak.

「Five Elements Blessed Land.」

Primitive Forest Region.

Xiao Youjun, along with her Bamboo Leaf Green, Silver Ring Snake, and other various snake-like wild and Demon Beasts, frantically swept through the forest, amassing a wealth of points.

Next to her, Xu Haisheng watched her with growing concern. Even his ambition to control the Crimson Fire Bear, gain points, and make a name for himself had diminished.

Over the past few days, his Junior Sister had become like a different person. Her smile grew colder, and her once coquettish demeanor was almost entirely gone. Xu Haisheng could even hear her murmuring Hong Yuan’s name as she killed Demon Beasts, as if she were treating these beasts as Hong Yuan to exact her revenge!

"Senior Brother, cover me!" Xiao Youjun shouted, immediately leading her Bamboo Leaf Green and Silver Ring Snake to press forward, intending to kill the group of Bush Leopards.

Bush Leopards were a First-Rank Demon Beast species, swift and skilled at using the power of plants and trees to hunt stealthily.

This group of Bush Leopards quickly climbed to different positions on the giant trees, coldly staring down at Xiao Youjun and Xu Haisheng from the branches.

The breeze swept through the forest as Xiao Youjun’s short hair fluttered.

She activated her spell, and the Bamboo Leaf Green and Silver Ring Snakes shot up from the undergrowth, coiling around the giant trees, seeking to strangle the Bush Leopards.

"ROAR!"

The leopards’ roars echoed through the forest. Suddenly, green vines grew out from many of the giant trees. These green vines, controlled by the Bush Leopards, lashed out at the Bamboo Leaf Green and Silver Ring Snakes, knocking them from the trees.

"Die! Just die!" Xiao Youjun gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with rage.

In her eyes, these Bush Leopards were no longer just Demon Beasts, but the detestable face of Hong Yuan.

She had to rank high enough in the first phase of the competition so she and her Senior Brother could comfortably deal with Hong Yuan!

Anger doesn’t solve problems.

Xiao Youjun’s tamed beasts were still too weak; they were no match for the Bush Leopards.

Sigh... Xu Haisheng internally sighed upon seeing this, quietly urging his three Crimson Fire Bears to help Xiao Youjun out of the predicament.

In Xu Haisheng’s heart, his Junior Sister’s mental state worried him more than the thought of taking revenge on Hong Yuan.

Just one major defeat, and he hadn’t expected his Junior Sister to suffer such severe aftereffects...

WHOOSH!

The sound of the wind intensified, causing the Bush Leopards’ bodies to tense.

The Crimson Fire Bear was a Demon Beast Xu Haisheng had asked a True Transmission Senior Brother to capture specifically for dealing with Hong Yuan’s peculiar insects. Its strength was, needless to say, extraordinary.

Once the Crimson Fire Bear, a powerful Second-Rank Demon Beast, made its move, the Bush Leopards fell from the trees like dumplings, and it began dispatching them with a single palm strike each.

Outside, on the Xuantian Mirror’s ranking board, Xu Haisheng’s rank skyrocketed, surpassing Lin Yiru’s 30th place and replacing her. Xiao Youjun also entered the top 250.

"Devour them," Xiao Youjun said softly.

The surviving dozens of Demon Snakes slithered towards the dead Bush Leopards, devouring them to enhance their own strength.

Under the setting sun, a morbid smile touched Xiao Youjun’s lips.

As long as she encountered Hong Yuan again, she was absolutely confident that she and Senior Brother Xu could teach Hong Yuan a lesson, make him fall into hell, never to recover!

...

While Xiao Youjun and Xu Haisheng were winning everywhere, making a killing, the situation for Le Congsheng and Tang Baiwei was not so wonderful.

Even though Le Congsheng and Tang Baiwei had been cautious and trying to survive, their five-person team had already lost three teammates, leaving only the young couple struggling to continue.

On the desert land, Le Congsheng was trying to carry Tang Baiwei towards an oasis ahead, hoping to escape an impending sandstorm.

"Sheng," Tang Baiwei gently wiped the sweat from Le Congsheng’s forehead. "Put me down," she whispered. "I’m already content to have made it this far."

Their journey, though perilous, had allowed her to see and affirm Le Congsheng’s character. She was already deeply satisfied to have won his affection.

HUFF. HUFF.

Le Congsheng breathed heavily, continuing towards the oasis ahead.

His steps, though heavy, were incredibly determined.

"Don’t say such foolish things; I will never leave you behind," Le Congsheng said decisively.

Even though this trial made his scalp tingle and question life itself, Le Congsheng had never considered abandoning Tang Baiwei to advance alone.

The previous three teammates hadn’t been very close to him, so their loss was one thing. But if he couldn’t even protect Tang Baiwei, Le Congsheng felt he would have failed the treasure Yuan had given him.

Yuan had paid a huge price so he could achieve a good result in the Sect’s Grand Competition!

Thinking of Hong Yuan, Le Congsheng felt a new strength surge through his limbs, propelling him forward with large strides.

Le Congsheng thought with regret, If Yuan were here, with his help, we’d surely enter the central area easily and rank within the top 300. It’s just a pity Yuan is so honest by nature, dislikes fighting, and only knows how to cultivate relentlessly.

In his eyes, everything about Hong Yuan was good, except he was too honest!

...

...

「Two days later, the ten-day preliminary round of the Sect’s Grand Competition ended.」

The participating disciples stood on the Blue Stone Square before the Sect’s Grand Hall, gazing up at their rankings projected on the Xuantian Mirror.

At this moment, Hong Yuan stood beside Senior Brother Zhu, congratulating Lin Yiru, Zhao Gonghe, and Yang Sen, and wishing them success in the next round.

Lin Yiru held her head high with pride, accepting Senior Brother Zhu’s praise, and even gave Hong Yuan an occasional disdainful glance. It was as if she were saying, "I can rank at the top without your help."

She had indeed done so; her first-round ranking was 30th among all competitors.

She had become an arena master for one of the platforms, able to wait for other disciples to fight for the chance to challenge her.

Although this included assistance from the other four members of her team, Lin Yiru truly possessed a measure of strength.

Hong Yuan didn’t care about Lin Yiru’s attitude, nor did he pay much attention to Zhao Gonghe’s subtle look of smugness.

He was focused on the rankings.

First place: Chu Tianjiao, Disciple of the Talisman Array Hall

Second place: Guan Lan, Disciple of the Book Pavilion

...

Eleventh place: Xu Haisheng, Disciple of the Spirit Beast Hall

Twelfth place: Li Jianxiang, Disciple of the Talisman Array Hall

Thirteenth place: Mo Kuangren, Disciple of the Talisman Array Hall

...

Twenty-first place: Zhang Tianyuan, Disciple of the Martial Stage

...

Thirtieth place: Lin Yiru, Disciple of the Elixir Refining Hall

Ninety-third place: Zhao Gonghe, Disciple of the Refining Equipment Hall

Ninety-fourth place: Yang Sen, Disciple of the Elixir Refining Hall

...

207th place: Xiao Youjun, Disciple of the Spirit Beast Hall

258th place: Le Congsheng, Formal Disciple of the Enforcement Hall

293rd place: Tang Baiwei, Formal Disciple of the Talisman Array Hall

...

The Xuantian Mirror rankings only listed the top 300 disciples. Hong Yuan noticed that most on this list were Cultivation Disciples, with only a few being Formal Disciples.

That his "close friend" Le Congsheng had actually managed to break through, and even brought Tang Baiwei onto this list, astonished Hong Yuan.

Hong Yuan thought to himself, Incredible. Is this the power of love? I only made a simple investment.

Although the participants in the Sect’s Grand Competition were mostly young disciples who had joined in the last year or two, Le Congsheng actually withstanding the pressure to break into the top 300 was something Hong Yuan hadn’t anticipated.

And that was without mentioning he had carried a dead weight along!

「Elsewhere.」

Xiao Youjun was frantically searching for Hong Yuan’s name, her heart brimming with perverse satisfaction.

Hong Yuan, you are mine. I will make sure you fall into hell, into hell!

From top to bottom, Xiao Youjun thoroughly scanned the rankings.

After the first pass, she didn’t find Hong Yuan’s name and assumed she had overlooked it.

No matter, I’ll check it again, one name at a time.

Xiao Youjun remained unfazed, craning her neck to continue scrutinizing the names.

Soon, the second pass was complete, yet she still hadn’t found Hong Yuan’s name.

Xiao Youjun’s expression changed drastically. Her body tensed as she checked the names yet again.

With Hong Yuan’s strength, he absolutely couldn’t have been eliminated here. My eyes must be playing tricks on me again. This time, I’ll use a brush and paper to mark down each name.

Xiao Youjun took a brush and paper from her Storage Bag. Under the curious gazes of others, she began to make tally marks for each name on the list.

CLACK!

When she finished checking the very last name, the brush and paper slipped from Xiao Youjun’s grasp, falling onto the snowy ground and disappearing into the snow.

Hong Yuan’s name was not on the ranking!

Hong Yuan had not participated in the competition!

Upon realizing this, Xiao Youjun’s face contorted grotesquely, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

"How could you not compete? How could you not compete?!"

Hong Yuan, you are mine, you are mine! Don’t run away, don’t run away—

WHIMPER... WHIMPER... WHIMPER...

Xiao Youjun’s expression alternated between manic joy and profound sorrow.

She wailed and sobbed, like a grief-stricken, resentful woman.

Her mood turned as frigid as the winter weather, chilling her to the bone.