"Audacious! Lu Yuan, you've gone too far. It's a rule of the sect for Li Xiaoyao to receive the Inner Sect token upon entering the Inner Sect. How dare you defy it?" Elder Xue Yue said coldly.

"Elder Xue," Li Xiaoyao abruptly called out, interrupting Xue Yue mid-sentence. Xue Yue turned to look at him, puzzled.

"Today, I came to collect the Inner Sect token, but Elder Lu refused and even scolded me to leave. Elder Xue, you witnessed this yourself, didn't you?" Li Xiaoyao asked.

"I did," Xue Yue nodded, still unsure of Li Xiaoyao's intent.

"Then that's enough." Li Xiaoyao smirked coldly. "It's not that I, Li Xiaoyao, am unwilling to join the Inner Sect, but rather that the sect has abandoned me."

With that, Li Xiaoyao turned sharply, lifted his feet, and walked away gracefully with Han Kui. Everyone was left dumbfounded, unable to understand the meaning behind his words.

"Hmph! Don't think you can escape death just because Elder Xue is protecting you this time. The next time I see you, I will kill you," Mo Water declared, knowing full well that with Xue Yue present, he wouldn't have the opportunity to kill Li Xiaoyao. However, as long as Li Xiaoyao remained in the Canghai Sect, his death was inevitable.

"I'll be waiting," Li Xiaoyao's voice lingered as his figure gradually disappeared.

Xue Yue furrowed his brows tightly, casting a cold glance at Lu Yuan. He said angrily, "Lu Yuan, you will regret this, without a doubt."

With that, Xue Yue flicked his sleeves and left. How laughable of Lu Yuan to think that currying favor with Mo Water was useful. He had no idea of Li Xiaoyao's importance to Elder Bei. Otherwise, he would have thought twice about today's actions.

"I, Lu Yuan, never regret my actions," Lu Yuan replied disdainfully, glancing at Mo Water. "Too bad we let him get away."

"It's alright...., he'll die sooner or later," Mo Water said, his eyes venomous like a snake's as he stared into the distance. After Li Xiaoyao left, Zhao Xinyi had followed him. To Mo Water, who had just declared Zhao Xinyi as his woman, this was an utter humiliation.

...

"Li Xiaoyao!" Zhao Xinyi caught up to Li Xiaoyao and called out.

"Haha, I just remembered something important. I'll head off with Lei Jun first," Han Kui laughed heartily as he and Lei Jun walked away, showing no sign of the injuries he had sustained.

Li Xiaoyao rolled his eyes. This guy... how did he suddenly become so clever?

"Li Xiaoyao, you must be careful in the future. Avoid Mo Water whenever you see him. He's very dangerous," Zhao Xinyi warned, knowing that Mo Water had already set his mind on killing Li Xiaoyao.

"Shouldn't you hate me? Why are you suddenly so concerned about me?" Li Xiaoyao seemed to ignore her warning, smiling as he spoke.

Zhao Xinyi was speechless. This guy still had the audacity to joke. She knew full well how terrifying Mo Water could be.

"I just don't want someone who's about to join the Ice Moon Sacred Palace to die," Zhao Xinyi said with a glare.

"Is that so? I don't recall ever agreeing to join the Ice Moon Sacred Palace," Li Xiaoyao replied. "By the way, earlier you said you're my woman?"

"I just said that casually!" Zhao Xinyi glared fiercely at Li Xiaoyao. How could he bring that up again? She had only said it to get rid of Mo Water and make him give up.

"Is that something you can say casually?" Li Xiaoyao rolled his eyes and extended his hand toward Zhao Xinyi.

"What the hell are you doing?" Zhao Xinyi instinctively stepped aside, warily eyeing Li Xiaoyao. This guy...

"You're already my woman, so of course, I should exercise some of my rights as a man." Li Xiaoyao's eyes glimmered with a mischievous smile as he leaned toward Zhao Xinyi.

"You scoundrel, keep dreaming!"

Zhao Xinyi's face turned slightly red, her frustration evident. She stormed off angrily, leaving Li Xiaoyao behind.

This bastard... What did he mean by "exercising a man's rights"? And he claims he's not a lecher?

Watching Zhao Xinyi's graceful figure disappear into the distance, Li Xiaoyao's lips curved into a faint smile. He realized his initial bad impression of her was fading, even gradually vanishing. In fact, she was rather adorable... Not to mention, she was stunningly beautiful and incredibly alluring.

"How did I not notice before?"

Li Xiaoyao chuckled to himself. When he first arrived in this world and experienced its indifference, he had pursued power with unshakable determination, staying entirely focused.

Now, as he grew more accustomed to this world, his personality began to relax. Sometimes he was unrestrained, sometimes flamboyant—living as he pleased without weighing himself down.

Of course, Li Xiaoyao's unyielding heart, dedicated to the pursuit of martial arts and strength, remained as steadfast as ever. In this lifetime, he was determined to wield his sword above the heavens, conquer the Nine Skies, and live freely and boldly.

...

A soft, warm glow illuminated the land, and the clear skies stretched endlessly.

Today, the Canghai Sect felt particularly desolate, with many areas sparsely populated.

However, one place stood in stark contrast to the somber atmosphere: the Valley of Winds.

The Valley of Winds was bustling with people today, densely packed around ten Life-and-Death Arenas.

The sect elders, both inner and outer, were not observing from the cliffs as usual. Instead, a grand viewing platform had been constructed in the valley. From there, one could overlook every detail of the Life-and-Death Arenas.

The platform, entirely built from massive stones, was intricately designed and awe-inspiring. Li Xiaoyao couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of power. This platform was even grander and more spacious than the stadiums in his previous life, yet it had been completed in just a few days by the sect's disciples.

It wasn't for nothing—this structure was meant to show everyone how much importance the sect placed on this tournament.

The sect tournament's second round was underway. The ranking battles for outer disciples would determine the top one hundred; for inner disciples, the top eighty-one; and for core disciples, the top thirty-six.

However, everyone understood that the outer disciple rankings were mostly ceremonial. Once the best outer disciples advanced to the inner sect, the ranking battles for outer disciples lost much of their appeal. It was the inner disciple and core disciple rankings that everyone truly anticipated.

Every year, the ranking battles revealed the disciples' strengths and, by extension, the sect's overall power. After all, the disciples represented the future of the sect.

At that moment, the sect leader, Nangong Shang, rose from his seat at the head of the viewing platform. Instantly, the once noisy valley fell silent.

Nangong Shang smiled faintly, just about to speak. But at that moment, his gaze froze slightly, and his brows furrowed deeply.

His eyes turned toward the distance, where rolling clouds churned violently. From afar, a powerful current surged, as if the vast Canghai was tumbling forward like waves crashing onto the shore.

"Brother Nangong, I, Chu of the Moon-Light Sect, have come to visit with my entourage."

A booming voice swept through the air, reverberating throughout the canyon. The clear and resonant tone pierced the ears of everyone present, reaching deep into their hearts.

"So powerful!"

The crowd trembled in awe, raising their heads to see a group of people stepping on the clouds, exuding an air of unmatched elegance.

At the same time, a chill engulfed the heavens and the earth. The once-clear sky suddenly filled with a white mist. Soon after, frost blanketed the land, and snowflakes began to drift down from above.

"Han Xuetian of the Ice Snow Villa has come to pay a visit."

A deep, resounding voice emerged from within the snow and ice, accompanied by the falling snowflakes. The voice was clear yet carried an unmistakable chill that seemed to seep into the bones of those who heard it.

Han Xuetian, the lord of Ice Snow Villa.

"Xiao Hongchen and Teng Shan, here to visit."

Two more voices echoed through the sky. A wild, domineering gale swept forth, sending snowflakes swirling and howling through the heavens. The crowd could feel a bone-chilling cold spreading through their bodies, freezing them to the core.

What made it even more terrifying was the overwhelming sword aura intertwined with the frigid wind—a sharpness so intense that it seemed capable of cutting through anything.

In the distance, a colossal black beast flapped its massive wings, creating powerful whirlpools of wind around it.

This massive black creature stretched dozens of meters long and spanned three or four meters wide. A group of figures stood atop it, their robes fluttering in the fierce winds.

It was a Kun Mang, a fearsome beast capable of both flight and deep-sea diving. Its black scales shimmered, resembling a mix between a fish and a serpent. Strangely enough, it also bore a pair of enormous black wings, which stirred the air so powerfully that the very sky seemed to tremble with its movements.

"What a terrifying beast!"

The crowd's hearts pounded as they stared in shock at the approaching Kun Mang. It exhaled clouds of mist as if it could swallow mountains and rivers whole.

Even more astonishing was the sight beside the Kun Mang—a monumental sword aura, vast and boundless, as if it could pierce through the heavens.

There, a colossal sword roared through the skies. And upon this enormous sword stood another group of figures, riding the blade with an air of unparalleled confidence, their laughter ringing out across the skies.