“Change fate?”
Looking at Jian Xingzhi lying in her arms with smoke still coming from his mouth, Qin Wanwan knew he couldn’t explain clearly for the moment. She quickly moved Jian Xingzhi into the room, had Nanfeng fetch water and towels, and found some medicine from 38 specifically for treating electric shock to pour into Jian Xingzhi.
After drinking the medicine, Jian Xingzhi’s complexion finally improved. His hair became smooth and lustrous, and his scorched black face turned snow white.
Qin Wanwan wiped his face for him. Seeing him improve, she sat down beside him to catch her breath.
Watching Jian Xingzhi gradually recover his appearance bit by bit, she sighed.
She understood now—Jian Xingzhi needed to maintain his beauty to maintain his health.
She waited for Jian Xingzhi to recover. Xie Gutang and Cuilu had also returned. The two entered the room to see Qin Wanwan and Nanfeng sitting inside.
Qin Wanwan looked up at them and immediately asked: “What did Jian Xingzhi take you to do?”
Xie Gutang and Cuilu exchanged glances. Xie Gutang lowered his head, Cuilu turned away fanning himself. Qin Wanwan thought for a moment, then sat to the side looking very upset: “You’re all keeping things from me, treating me like an outsider. Fine, if you won’t tell me, you won’t tell me. You all look down on me anyway.”
“No, it’s not that,” Cuilu and Xie Gutang had never encountered this kind of situation before. Cuilu quickly explained: “We didn’t. At night he took us to fight.”
“Fight who?”
Qin Wanwan immediately looked up, her expression serious. Cuilu choked, glanced at Jian Xingzhi lying on the bed with his eyes closed playing dead, and coughed lightly: “Well, Shen Zhiming.”
“Shen Zhiming?!”
Qin Wanwan was shocked. She suddenly stood up: “He was already at the tribulation stage, and just consumed Jun Wuyuan. The three of you going to find him…”
Qin Wanwan stopped talking. All three were here, so it seemed they hadn’t suffered any injuries. So she changed her words: “Then where is he?”
“Dead.” Xie Gutang finally found something he could answer.
Qin Wanwan was dumbfounded. She stuttered: “De… dead?”
Dead so quickly, so suddenly?
“Are you sure? He was at the tribulation stage.”
Qin Wanwan found it inconceivable.
Jian Xingzhi couldn’t listen anymore. He sat up from behind her: “What’s so scary about a mere tribulation stage cultivator? Never mind that he just consumed Jun Wuyuan and definitely had chaotic spiritual power with injuries—even if he were at his peak, I wouldn’t be afraid!”
Hearing Jian Xingzhi speak, Qin Wanwan turned around with a cold face: “You’re awake?”
Seeing Qin Wanwan’s expression, Jian Xingzhi coughed lightly and lowered his head: “Well, time’s almost up. You should hurry to the arena.”
Qin Wanwan looked at the sky and knew Jian Xingzhi was right. She took a deep breath, decided not to argue with Jian Xingzhi at this time, and stood up: “Let’s go.”
Jian Xingzhi sensed Qin Wanwan was in a bad mood and didn’t dare provoke her. He consciously got up and followed behind Qin Wanwan with everyone else as they rushed to the arena.
Qin Wanwan didn’t speak the whole way. Jian Xingzhi felt uneasy. He kept glancing at Qin Wanwan, thinking about it, and tried to chat with her: “You must be careful today.”
“Mm.”
“When you win, I’ll treat everyone to a meal!”
“Where’s the money coming from?”
Qin Wanwan glanced at him indifferently. Jian Xingzhi said cheerfully: “I got it from the tomb! I’m rich now. When we get a chance, we can dig another tomb… oh no,” Jian Xingzhi remembered, “let’s hurry back. I have lots of spirit stones in the immortal realm.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t be angry anymore,” Jian Xingzhi nudged her with his elbow. “Next time I’ll listen to you. I won’t kill anyone you don’t want me to kill, okay?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were going?”
Qin Wanwan was unhappy and glared at him: “Are you hiding something from me?”
“No!”
Jian Xingzhi immediately denied it: “I just thought he would definitely come find you and harm you later, so I was afraid he’d escape. I took care of him in advance to eliminate future troubles.”
As he spoke, Jian Xingzhi made a chopping gesture, his face full of pride: “And don’t worry, I didn’t fight him head-on. I know you’re worried about me, so I called Cuilu and Xie Gutang to help me set up a formation. I also moved the Heavenly Sword Sect’s Sword Repository over and set up the Ten Directions God-Slaying Formation for him. It won’t affect my consciousness sea.”
“Who’s worried about you!”
Hearing his shamelessness, Qin Wanwan scolded lightly: “Shameless!”
“If you’re not worried about me, what are you angry about?” Jian Xingzhi frowned. “You’re so hard to pacify.”
“You…”
Qin Wanwan was about to speak when she heard a heated wave of cheering from the crowd and realized they’d already arrived at the arena.
“Wanwan!!”
Someone in the crowd screamed: “Fairy, do your best!!”
Seeing she had so many fans, Qin Wanwan’s heart swelled, but she told herself to be a steady female immortal. She maintained her smile, nodded at everyone with great poise, and walked in along the red carpet.
There were only four people in the finals. Yan Wushuang wouldn’t be coming. Now only three people remained. Qin Wanwan walked along the red carpet to the waiting area, turned to say goodbye to Jian Xingzhi and the others who’d escorted her: “Alright, go find a seat. I’m going to the waiting area first.”
“Good.”
Cuilu nodded: “We’ll all watch you win! Go for it, sister!”
With that, Cuilu raised her hand to call everyone back. Jian Xingzhi walked two steps, felt something stir in his heart, and quickly turned back to call her: “Wanwan.”
“Mm?”
Qin Wanwan turned around to see Jian Xingzhi hurrying forward. He raised his hand and placed a spiritual consciousness mark into her consciousness sea, speaking quite seriously: “If anything happens, remember to call me.”
“What could happen?”
Seeing him worried about her, Qin Wanwan couldn’t help but soften her tone: “Won’t you be watching from below?”
“Mm.”
Jian Xingzhi nodded: “Right, I’ll be watching from below.” He glanced at the waiting area. “Go on.”
Qin Wanwan was seen off by Jian Xingzhi to the waiting area. After she sat down, she discovered the waiting area was completely empty—not a single person had come.
After a while, finally a black-robed man walked over. He sat down in the spot farthest from Qin Wanwan, his aura cold, saying nothing.
Clearly a big shot.
Qin Wanwan instinctively moved one seat over, putting more distance between herself and the big shot.
After the contestants were ready, the host jogged onto the stage. As this was the finals, the venue was very elaborate, and the host was dressed exceptionally formally. After greeting everyone on stage, he spoke with great emotion: “Time flies. The decennial Gentleman’s Sword Selection Competition has finally reached its final conclusion. From tens of millions of excellent sword cultivators, through strength evaluation, we have selected the four strongest to compete for this decade’s Gentleman’s Sword. The ultimate winner of the Gentleman’s Sword in this competition will receive three free questions provided by the event organizer, Carefree Young Master, as well as a gift list worth ten thousand spirit stones provided together by Wang’s Gold Shop, Zhao’s Blacksmith, Jiang’s Silk and Satin, Zhang’s Flatbread, and other establishments!”
At these words, everyone applauded enthusiastically. Nanfeng got excited and turned to Jian Xingzhi excitedly: “Daoist Jian, ten thousand spirit stones! Our master is rich!”
“Mm,” Jian Xingzhi nodded, quite calmly. “Not bad.”
When he had no money before, he’d go compete. Ten thousand spirit stones—just not bad.
But thinking about it, this was what Qin Wanwan earned. She could get ten thousand spirit stones from competing…
Jian Xingzhi suddenly sat up straight and began applauding: “Good! Wanwan is amazing!”
“To give our contestants ample space to perform, Carefree Young Master specially opened a small secret realm as the battle venue. The small secret realm has special viewing artifacts that will record complete battle scenes in a safe state. Although we can’t enter the realm, it won’t affect viewing this competition!”
With that, the host looked down at the script in his hands: “Now please welcome the first group of contestants, Fairy Jinlü versus Yan Wushuang.”
Silence. Qin Wanwan glanced to the side. Yan Wushuang wouldn’t be coming, but this Fairy Jinlü???
The host called three times, then looked around. After confirming no contestants appeared, he coughed lightly: “Both seem to be occupied. Then we’ll invite the next group. After the next group determines a victor, if Fairy Jinlü and Yan Wushuang still haven’t appeared, we can only regretfully declare them forfeit. Then the next group—”
The host looked toward the waiting area and announced excitedly: “Qin Wanwan versus Xiao Sehan!”
Hearing this, Qin Wanwan stood up. The black-robed man beside her also stood.
The two walked onto the stage together. The sword cultivators below cheered enthusiastically. Jian Xingzhi munched on melon seeds, looking at the black-robed youth above, casually: “Why doesn’t this person even show his face? What’s with all the mystery?”
“Some people are like that.”
Cuilu took melon seeds from Jian Xingzhi’s hand and shared them with Xie Gutang: “They just like attracting attention.”
On stage, Qin Wanwan and Xiao Sehan took out the identity tokens issued for the competition, signed life-and-death waivers, then a lark bird flew over in circles. The lark spread its wings in the air. Its wings suddenly grew enormous. This small bird instantly transformed into a youth’s form, wings still unfurled behind him, half-floating in the air.
“By the will of Carefree Young Master,” the youth’s expression was cold. His hands drew a circle in the air: “Open!”
The circular light gate enlarged and elongated. After falling to the ground, it became an oval-shaped light gate.
“Enter.” The youth spoke. The black-robed man calmly entered the light gate. Qin Wanwan followed behind.
After the two entered the light gate, they disappeared from the spot. After a moment, the scene of the two after entering the light gate appeared in the arena.
Inside the light gate was a cave. Qin Wanwan walked out of the cave and discovered she seemed to be inside something like a volcano. Below her was bubbling magma. Around her were bare stone walls. Directly across from her was a small cave. Like where she stood, outside the cave was a terrace. The black-clothed man stood on that terrace.
She couldn’t see his face clearly. The opponent didn’t move. She didn’t want to attack first, so she observed the opponent.
Jian Xingzhi munched on melon seeds, watching the screen. He felt something wasn’t quite right. Feeling uneasy, he thought about it and suddenly realized something: “Why hasn’t the task failed yet?”
“Huh?”
666 didn’t understand: “What are you asking?”
“I mean,” Jian Xingzhi couldn’t even eat his melon seeds anymore. He suddenly remembered: “As soon as Jun Shu was taken away by Shen Zhiming, my task failed. But I killed Shen Zhiming, and this task of meeting the male lead still hasn’t failed. Why is that? Is this task still proceeding?!”
666 didn’t speak. Jian Xingzhi threw down the melon seeds. Everyone looked over. Jian Xingzhi ignored them and just shouted at 666: “Speak!”
“It’s like this,” 666 steeled himself to explain the rules. “If the system detects the possibility of completing this task is 0, it will declare failure. But if it detects the possibility of completing the task is greater than 0, it will continue to preserve it.”
“So Wanwan might still encounter danger and be saved by that so-called male lead, falling in love at first sight?”
Jian Xingzhi clenched his fists. 666 coughed lightly and couldn’t help reminding him: “Um, host, you need to correct your attitude. Right now your identity is just a tool person helping the female lead find opportunities. Cultivation level, magical treasures, wealth, men—all are opportunities for the female lead. In the end, when you block the blade for her and help her ascend, your task will be complete. When you reach the immortal realm, you can turn legitimate. You can kill the male lead then, and no one can stop you, right? The most important thing now is to complete the plot. The female lead was supposed to have many romantic storylines. Look now—not a single romantic interest around her. There was originally Xie Gutang, but now he’s gone astray too. You should reflect on yourself. You’re not magnanimous enough!”
“Shut up!”
Jian Xingzhi suddenly stood up. Everyone collectively shrank back. Jian Xingzhi pushed through the crowd and charged toward the arena edge, cursing at 666: “Has not having romantic storylines delayed her ascension?!”
666 didn’t dare speak. Jian Xingzhi reached the arena edge. He looked up at the blue spirit bead guarded by the lark youth in the high position. The spirit pearl was slowly rotating, clearly operating. Jian Xingzhi speculated this should be the secret realm itself.
He glanced at the screen on the arena stage. In the image, Qin Wanwan was waiting for the person across from her. Jian Xingzhi quickly used the spiritual consciousness mark he’d left in her consciousness sea to call her: “Wanwan, something’s wrong with this person. Find a way to get out!”
Hearing this, Qin Wanwan froze, then asked in a low voice: “What’s wrong?”
“Last night I killed Shen Zhiming, but the system is still warning that you’ll encounter danger,” Jian Xingzhi looked around, taking out treasures he’d obtained from Lin Yanzhi’s tomb. While thinking of a solution, he spoke: “Forfeit first!”
Hearing this, Qin Wanwan fell silent. After thinking, her voice was very soft: “No, I won’t forfeit.”
With that, she raised her head and looked at the black-robed man across from her: “I want to see Carefree Young Master. I want to win.”
She wanted to know where her parents had gone.
With that, she hesitated no more. She looked up at the black-robed youth across from her: “Daoist Xiao,” she spoke calmly. “I apologize in advance.”
Saying this, Yuan Ning traced an arc of light from her waist. She leaped toward the opposite side. At that very instant, the black-robed youth slowly raised his head, revealing a face grotesque with blood and flesh.
His face could no longer show its original features, but one could vaguely discern that it wasn’t one person’s face at all—two faces pieced together, half Jun Shu, half Shen Zhiming.
He opened his mouth, twisting his head, calling Qin Wan’s name unclearly: “Wan… Wan…”
Qin Wanwan’s pupils contracted sharply. Before her sword light arrived, the opponent, fast as a ghost, suddenly appeared before her, grabbing toward her!
At that very instant, the image on the arena suddenly disappeared.
The lark youth standing in the high air showed no expression, as if everything was within his expectations.
The host came up apologetically: “There’s a small problem, a technical malfunction! Everyone don’t worry, we’re working hard to repair it!”
He said it was a small accident, but those with discerning eyes clearly knew this was no small accident.
“That Xiao Sehan…” Cuilu frowned. “What kind of thing is he?”
“Cuilu, Xie Gutang,” Jian Xingzhi’s voice came. Cuilu and Xie Gutang looked over and heard Jian Xingzhi say calmly: “Help me block people. I’m going to steal the secret realm.”
The instant those words came out, Jian Xingzhi suddenly drew his sword and viciously hacked open the arena barrier, leaped high, grabbed that blue pearl, and charged toward the distance!
At that very moment, in the cave, the black-robed youth’s claw grabbed toward Qin Wanwan. Just as it was about to reach her face, the cave suddenly tilted left. Qin Wanwan grabbed a rock. The youth was violently thrown off, brushing past her side and crashing hard into the wall.
Qin Wanwan immediately pursued with her sword. The moment the sword was about to pierce through, the cave violently jolted to the left again, directly knocking her back into the cave.
After being knocked back into the cave, the black-robed youth chased after her. Qin Wanwan didn’t hesitate and turned around, sprinting toward the depths of the cave.
Outside the secret realm, Jian Xingzhi grabbed the blue pearl and stuffed it in his chest. Throwing down a smoke talisman, he transformed into a beam of light and fled outward.
“Don’t run!”
The lark youth chased closely. However, Jian Xingzhi never intended to let him go. The one running ahead was just an illusion. The instant the youth chased and revealed an opening, Jian Xingzhi appeared at his side, pointed with two fingers at the youth’s cervical vertebra, and the youth instantly transformed back into a lark. Jian Xingzhi grabbed it and ran.
Pursuers surged behind. Cuilu and Xie Gutang exchanged glances. Cuilu suddenly shouted: “Lecher, don’t run!”
Xie Gutang’s expression stiffened, but he still cooperated with Cuilu and charged toward the pursuers. Cuilu raised her hand and violently swung her fan, instantly blowing away those chasing Jian Xingzhi. She quickly apologized: “Sorry, fanned the wrong people!”
With Cuilu and Xie Gutang causing this disruption, Jian Xingzhi grabbed the lark and ran far away. He rushed into a cave, set up a barrier, pulled out the blue pearl, pressed the lark to the ground, held a sword to its bird neck, and threatened: “Open the secret realm!”
Then Jian Xingzhi suddenly felt this sword was a bit too large for a bird neck. He thought about it, then pulled out a fruit knife and held it to the bird neck, saying angrily: “Otherwise I’ll kill you!”
The lark said nothing, its expression cold.
Seeing the bird wouldn’t cooperate, Jian Xingzhi first tied up the bird, deciding to research it himself. While tying up the bird, he confirmed Qin Wanwan’s situation: “Wanwan.” He tried not to seem too anxious, pretending to be calm: “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine.”
Qin Wanwan barely dodged the youth’s attack. She turned into a long passage, looked up, jumped directly to a high position, and hung in a recessed area of the upper stone wall: “He’s chasing me. This secret realm has mechanisms. It seems to change every so often.”
“Then be careful,” Jian Xingzhi comforted her. “I’ll work hard to save you!”
“Okay.”
Qin Wanwan responded, only saying: “I’m going to ambush him. Don’t talk and distract me.”
“Mm.”
Jian Xingzhi considered himself a sensible man. After confirming Qin Wanwan’s safety, he turned back and looked at the blue pearl on the ground. He picked up the pearl and gazed at it seriously.
At this time, Qin Wanwan held her breath in the high position, listening to footsteps coming from the distance.
“Wan’er…”
The youth spoke. It was Jun Shu’s voice. He seemed very resentful, like a lonely soul: “Come out. You’re mine. I’ll take you away.”
Qin Wanwan didn’t speak. She began thinking about what exactly this ‘Xiao Sehan’ was.
Xiao Sehan slowly walked in, approaching Qin Wanwan’s position. He suddenly became very irritable, violently pounding the cave. It was actually Shen Zhiming’s voice shouting: “Qin Wan! Hand over the dragon pill! Hand over the Exquisite Jade! Qin Wan, return what belongs to me!”
“Wan’er…”
“Qin Wan…”
Jun Shu and Shen Zhiming’s voices alternated. He walked closer and closer until finally, he stopped at the position where Qin Wanwan was hiding.
Qin Wanwan condensed her spell technique on her sword. The opponent suddenly laughed happily.
“Found you.”
He raised his bloody, mangled face and violently clawed upward!
Qin Wanwan also struck with her sword at this moment, the sword flying down.
Outside, Jian Xingzhi stared at the blue pearl. Thinking about it, he suddenly shook it hard!
The two people in the secret realm felt as if the entire space was being violently shaken. The black-robed youth was immediately thrown off. Qin Wanwan grabbed the stone wall. Seeing Qin Wanwan, the black-robed youth screamed and charged over!
At this time, hearing no sound from the blue pearl, Jian Xingzhi simply smashed it hard on the ground!
Inside the secret realm there was another violent up-and-down shaking. In this shaking, Qin Wanwan and the black-robed youth maintained their forms while fighting together.
Jian Xingzhi smashed the pearl dozens of times. Qin Wanwan felt as if she were in a sealed can with someone frantically smashing it.
She suppressed the urge to vomit and fought fiercely with the opponent.
The black-robed youth was extremely fierce, with endless spiritual power. She had to resist the opponent’s pursuit while also resisting this shaking secret realm.
After experiencing violent shaking, this secret realm began to heat up.
She felt the surrounding temperature getting higher and higher, so hot she couldn’t land at all. She used spiritual power to try not to touch the space inside the secret realm, dodging the youth’s claws again and again.
Such harsh combat conditions, such a vicious opponent, gradually gave her an ominous premonition.
She gritted her teeth and couldn’t help speaking: “Jian Xingzhi.”
“What?”
Jian Xingzhi, who was burning the blue pearl with True Samadhi Fire, heard Qin Wanwan’s weak voice. His heart panicked: “What’s wrong?”
“I might… might not make it.”
Qin Wanwan spoke hoarsely: “This secret realm is full of mechanisms. I think I’m going to lose.”
“No way!”
Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi immediately increased the fire: “I’m working hard. I’ll definitely open the secret realm!”
It got even hotter around them.
Both Qin Wanwan and the opposite youth were breathing heavily. The opposite youth’s movements also slowed.
This was True Samadhi Fire.
For evil beings like him, this was a natural enemy, like thunder.
While chasing Qin Wanwan, he became somewhat lucid.
Lucidity and evil thoughts intertwined.
He began to feel confused.
Who was he? What was he trying to do?
Qin Wanwan saw the opponent’s movements also slow. She felt that both of them might die in this secret realm.
She couldn’t help feeling sad and began making her last wishes to Jian Xingzhi: “Jian Xingzhi, if I die here, can you do me a favor?”
“You won’t die!”
Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi got anxious. Since True Samadhi Fire didn’t work, he threw the blue pearl aside, raised his hand with thunder and sword, and began frantically hacking at the pearl.
Beside him, the tied-up lark looked at him with an expression like looking at an idiot.
He was completely oblivious.
Qin Wanwan felt dizzy, while simultaneously watching countless thunderbolts surge from outside the cave.
She felt she was even closer to death.
“My parents—I haven’t found them yet. Can you help me find them?”
“I was very happy to meet you. The time with you was joyful.”
“Jian Xingzhi, actually I think you’re really good…”
The more she spoke, the more violently the entire secret realm shook. The black-clothed youth was struck hard by a bolt of thunder, then True Samadhi Fire directly ignited, followed immediately by a wave of extreme cold ice freezing over…
Qin Wanwan watched the lightning and thunder around her, alternating between hot and cold, until finally she was struck hard by a bolt of lightning and fell directly to the ground.
“Jian Xingzhi…”
She felt the surroundings shaking frantically like bird pecking. She resigned herself to lying flat: “Goodbye. I never thought I’d die in such a complex way. This secret realm is too imaginative. Sometimes True Samadhi Fire, sometimes Extreme Yin Ice, sometimes lightning strikes, sometimes spinning, and now it seems there’s also a bird pecking…”
Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi, who was grabbing the lark and frantically using its bird beak to peck the pearl, suddenly realized something.
His movements stopped. Qin Wanwan wearily opened her eyes: “It stopped.”
Her voice held hope: “Jian Xingzhi, did you find a solution?”
Jian Xingzhi didn’t dare speak. He looked down at the lark with a bloody beak. The lark spat out blood and sneered: “This secret realm has no barrier.”
“Uh…” Jian Xingzhi swallowed. “I think I found it.”
Hearing this, a relieved smile appeared on Qin Wanwan’s face.
At this time, a phantom carriage slowly drove into Desolate City territory.
“Young Master,” a youth’s voice sounded. “How goes the fight between the two in the secret realm?”
“Half dead,” a gorgeous youth’s voice responded with a laugh. “Wait a bit longer. If they’re not dead, then a heroic rescue,” the youth turned to look at the white clouds on the horizon, “would be most appropriate.”
—
**Author’s Note:** There’s another update tonight.
**[Mini Theater 1]**
Interview: “What do you think Jian Xingzhi’s role is in this story?”
Jian Xingzhi: “Male lead.”
System: “Tool person male supporting character.”
Qin Wanwan: “Villain! Villain! Villain!! I have to say important things three times!!”
**[Mini Theater 2]**
666: “Do you know why the system thinks you’re not the male lead?”
Jian Xingzhi: “Because I beat it up?”
666: “Because you’re not a magnanimous man!!”
Jian Xingzhi: “Keep babbling and I’ll dismantle you.”