Was it you that night?
Chapter 183 - 181: Advancing Triumphantly!

Chapter 183: Chapter 181: Advancing Triumphantly!

Dongfang Wuya instantly regained his aloof demeanor, casting a cold glance towards Wu Ke. "She is a disciple of Sky Pole Sect. Isn’t it very normal for this lord to be concerned about her safety?"

"Just keep being stubborn!" Wu Ke said gloomily.

Just moments ago, everyone had watched the way Dongfang Wuya instructed Shen Qinghe. Although Shen Qinghe was still wearing a veil hat, dressed so plainly, Dongfang Wuya’s tender look when gazing at Shen Qinghe took everyone by surprise.

He was certain that the veil hat Shen Qinghe wore had been enchanted by Dongfang Wuya so that other cultivators couldn’t see her face, but Dongfang Wuya could.

But what was the use of Dongfang Wuya making such an unnecessary move?

When Shen Qinghe would take the stage later, she would have to lift her veil hat anyway, for it would hinder her during the martial arts competition. Thanks to Dongfang Wuya’s interference, everyone now knew that the person exuding a strong rural aura was Shen Qinghe.

The rumors about Shen Qinghe had already spread throughout South Desolate Continent, and even before the competition began, Shen Qinghe had become even more famous.

If Shen Qinghe stood out in this competition, she would become a signature figure of South Desolate Continent in the future.

At this moment, drawing lots would depend on who had worse luck, potentially facing a cultivator at the Golden Core Full Completion Stage.

Interestingly, at the start of the drawing of lots for Golden Core cultivators, two pairs of cultivators at the Completion Stage faced each other prematurely, and all four cultivators found this strange.

When Shen Qinghe heard this news, she felt it was because Nan Sheng, the Fated Female Protagonist, was in this group, which meant misfortune for the others.

Based on her past experiences, she expected to face a cultivator at the Completion Stage in the first round, but oddly, her luck in the first round of drawing lots turned out quite well, facing a female cultivator who had just entered the Golden Core Stage.

Over at Nan Sheng’s side, it was clear that she too was blessed with good fortune, having also encountered a female cultivator at the Golden Core Initial Stage.

The first round of the platform competition was for Golden Core cultivators, and cultivators of other levels waited to see what Shen Qinghe looked like.

Shen Qinghe didn’t dare to be lax, she was about to remove her veil hat when Dongfang Wuya’s voice suddenly reached her ears, "Do not take off the veil hat!"

Shen Qinghe was astonished. Wouldn’t it be impolite to face someone like this?

"This lord will say it once more, you are not allowed to remove the veil hat!" Dongfang Wuya repeated.

Shen Qinghe was on the verge of tears. Would her opponent think she was being arrogant?

The female cultivator facing Shen Qinghe had long heard of Shen Qinghe’s reputation. She figured she would be eliminated quickly, so she eagerly anticipated Shen Qinghe removing the veil hat.

Who knew that the match was about to start, and Shen Qinghe still hadn’t taken it off. She couldn’t help but ask, "Fairy Qinghe, will you not remove your veil hat?"

"This veil hat is quite special. I won’t need to remove it," Shen Qinghe made up an excuse on the spot.

The female cultivator asked incredulously, "Are you sure?"

To tell the truth, she was also very curious about what Shen Qinghe looked like, for her to keep her face hidden so thoroughly.

Shen Qinghe responded with a wry smile. She wasn’t sure at all, was she?

"Fairy Sister, shall we begin?" Shen Qinghe struggled to smile.

The female cultivator, being called Fairy Sister by Shen Qinghe, felt elated.

Knowing she was just a filler participant, she sincerely said, "Little Sister Qinghe, please go easy on me, my cultivation base is quite mediocre."

The cultivators below the stage were dissatisfied with Shen Qinghe not unveiling her veil hat; their interest waned as the two women addressed each other with sisterly terms, and they turned to watch Nan Sheng’s competition instead.

Don’t be fooled, Nan Sheng’s pretty face was innocent, but her figure was sizzling. Armed with the Thousand Shadows Sword, her movements were graceful when she launched her attacks, truly a sight to see.

Many people flocked to watch Nan Sheng’s matches, and living up to her reputation as a once-in-a-millennium cultivation genius, she quickly won her first round.

By the time the audience shifted their attention to Shen Qinghe’s arena, her battle had already concluded. Those who had not witnessed it firsthand were curious about Shen Qinghe’s combat prowess. However, those who had seen her fight shook their heads, stating that Shen Qinghe’s sword moves were weak and that her victory was merely due to luck.

Both Nan Sheng and Shen Qinghe advanced smoothly to the next round, and interestingly, both were fortunate enough to draw easy opponents, allowing them to progress to the second round without difficulty.

Eerily, of the eight Golden Core cultivators at the Completion Stage who had faced off in the first two rounds, only four remained for the third round.

During the draw from forty-eight to twenty-four, Nan Sheng’s luck held strong, as she was paired against a Golden Core cultivator at the Initial Stage.

This cultivator was from Rice Fragrance Valley and practiced Wood Element Techniques, having also defeated a Golden Core cultivator at the Initial Stage in the previous round.

Seeing this, Nan Sheng knew that her advancement was secured for this round; among the forty-eight advancing Golden Core cultivators, she had encountered the one with the weakest cultivation base.

In contrast, Shen Qinghe’s luck plummeted as she faced off against a male Golden Core cultivator at the Completion Stage. This cultivator hailed from Soul-Seizing House, specializing in controlling the souls of other cultivators—this type of opponent was the most difficult to deal with and as terrifying as a cultivator from Thousand Dreams Retreat.

But Shen Qinghe was not intimidated.

It was because she had learned the Soul Capturing Technique. Although she didn’t know which sect the Soul Capturing Secret Manual given to her by Mr. Wuya came from, she believed that all soul capturing and soul snatching techniques were based on the same principle: controlling the opponent’s mind required either a higher cultivation base or visual contact.

Interestingly, the veil hat given to her by Mr. Wuya could block the gazes of other cultivators, so she had no reason to fear this opponent.

When the male cultivator from Soul-Seizing House learned he was facing Shen Qinghe, he was initially elated, but then he began to worry because Shen Qinghe’s veil hat was peculiarly effective, and even with his cultivation base, he couldn’t see Shen Qinghe’s face.

Without seeing her face, naturally, he could not see her eyes, and how was he supposed to control her soul?

Frustratingly, the rules of the tournament did not prohibit wearing a veil hat.

Luckily for him, Shen Qinghe’s cultivation base was several minor realms lower, so even without using the Soul Snatching Technique, he assumed that defeating her wouldn’t be too difficult.

Given the significant disparity in their strengths, Shen Qinghe’s match drew a large crowd of cultivators.

Over the past two years, Shen Qinghe’s fame had grown, and she had advanced to the Mid-stage of the Golden Core just the day before the competition, which was only a few months after her Core Formation success.

Aside from Shen Qinghe’s beauty, her fortuitous encounters also captivated the crowd’s attention.

The male cultivator from Soul-Seizing House did not dare underestimate her and, after exchanging pleasantries, launched a powerful assault intended to overpower Shen Qinghe and take the match.

What he didn’t anticipate was the astonishingly powerful might of the seemingly ordinary Spirit Sword in Shen Qinghe’s hands. With a seemingly casual swing of her sword, he felt the piercing Sword Intent surging from all directions, enveloping him completely in Sword Qi.

Moreover, Shen Qinghe’s sword moves were too fast, and he couldn’t clearly see how she launched her attacks before he felt the pain.

By then, Shen Qinghe had already sheathed her sword.

He looked down at himself and saw several holes torn in his disciple’s clothing by the Sword Qi.

If Shen Qinghe had intended to kill him, those holes would have been cuts in his body.

His hands and feet turned icy cold, a chill spreading from the depths of his heart to every limb.

At that moment, Shen Qinghe gave him a salute, "Thank you for letting me win!"