"Qing Hong, Sikou Feng, Jia Xing, Huo Yidan..."
The Profound Sword Sect elder's voice rang out, each name carrying the weight of a future transformed. One by one, over a dozen people stepped forward, their faces a mixture of disbelief and elation. They had thought their hopes were dashed, yet here they stood, defying expectations.
Amidst them, Gui Lan remained frozen in place, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. Every fiber of his being was focused on the elder's next words, silently praying for his name to be called.
"Wang Fei!"
The elder's voice echoed, but rather than the relief he had imagined, Gui Lan felt a sudden, sharp shock. His pupils contracted, his gaze snapping towards Wang Fei, standing just a few feet away. The world around him seemed to slow as a strange buzzing noise filled his ears, drowning out everything else.
"Wang Fei?" Gui Lan thought, his heart hammering in his chest. "How is that possible?!"
Wang Fei's lips curled into a smug smirk, and their eyes met in an unspoken challenge. Gui Lan could see it clearly now—the subtle mockery in Wang Fei's expression, the sense of triumph in every line of his face.
"How is it?" Wang Fei chuckled, the sound dripping with pride. "I told you—I'd enter the Profound Sword Sect. I wasn't lying."
For years, in Half Moon City, Wang Fei had lived in Gui Lan's shadow. Whenever the name of Half Moon City's number one genius was mentioned, it was always Gui Lan who came to mind. Wang Fei had never been more than a footnote, a name lost in the background. But now, everything had changed. Now, Wang Fei's entry into the Profound Sword Sect would only deepen the chasm between them.
Gui Lan's mind raced, the bitterness of the moment sinking in. Wang Fei's success was more than just personal triumph—it was a reminder of the widening gap between them, one that would follow them for the rest of their lives.
Not far away, Gui Yiyi stood, her own shock written clearly on her face.
"Yiyi," Wang Fei's gaze shifted towards her, his voice lowering with a false tenderness. "There's still time. If you agree to my proposal, the Gui family's crisis can be mine to handle. Even the Witherwood Sect is nothing compared to the Profound Sword Sect."
His voice dropped even further, laced with self-assured pride. "Do you know why I was selected, even though my ranking was low? It's because our Wang Family has an old connection with an elder of the Profound Sword Sect. As long as you agree, I can call on that elder to help resolve the Gui family's troubles."
Gui Lan's lip curled into a sneer. "So you got in through the back door."
Wang Fei shrugged, unbothered. "So what if I did? Why don't you try getting in yourself?"
His eyes returned to Gui Yiyi, his smile full of arrogance. He waited, certain she would accept his offer. After all, the Gui family was in turmoil. It made sense that she would grasp at any lifeline thrown her way.
Gui Yiyi hesitated, her eyes clouded with indecision.
In truth, she loathed Wang Fei. If it were any other time, she would have never given him a second thought. But now…
Her thoughts turned inward, and she thought of the Gui family, the threat that loomed over them like an unsheathed sword. One decision, just one, could change everything for them. She could feel the weight of it pressing down on her, suffocating her every breath.
A bitter, resigned smile curled at the edges of her lips.
Some things in this world were simply beyond one's control.
She opened her mouth, ready to speak when—
"Gui Yiyi!"
The call rang out, clear and unyielding, cutting through the tension of the moment.
"Eh?"
The entire square fell silent. It was as if time itself had momentarily paused.
Wang Fei froze, his expression faltering. Gui Lan's eyes widened in disbelief. Even the second elder of the Gui family stood motionless, completely dumbstruck.
Gui Yiyi's delicate lips trembled, and for a fleeting second, she thought she had misheard. Her ranking had been among the lowest in the trial. There was no possible way she could have been selected.
Yet, as the shock of the moment hit, reality crashed down upon her.
She had really… been called!
A surge of excitement flooded her chest, so intense it almost made her dizzy. Her heart raced in a frantic beat that threatened to drown out everything else.
Turning to Wang Fei, she found the strength to meet his eyes, her expression suddenly resolute.
"Sorry," she said, her voice clear and unwavering. "I refuse."
Wang Fei's face twisted in fury, as if she had slapped him in front of the entire crowd. His mind couldn't comprehend what had just happened. His plan, his confidence—everything had unraveled before his eyes.
"Impossible!" he spat, his teeth gritted in disbelief. "Why? How could she have been selected?"
Wang Fei's hands clenched into fists, his nails digging into his palms in frustration. He knew how hard it had been for him to enter the Profound Sword Sect, how his family had spent years maintaining a carefully guarded favor with a high-ranking elder. That favor had been his ticket in.
But the moment he entered the Sect, the Wang family's connection would have evaporated. The promise to help the Gui family? A lie, a mere tool to manipulate Gui Yiyi. He had been certain that, desperate as she was, she would have no choice but to accept his offer.
Now, it had all crumbled.
Suddenly, a figure stepped forward, cutting through the tension like a blade through silk.
It was Xuan Yi—the legendary elder, renowned as the strongest in the entire Profound Sword Sect, second only to the three Sect Masters themselves.
A terrifying aura exploded from Xuan Yi's body, flooding the square like a tidal wave, sweeping over everything in its path.
"Why?" Xuan Yi's voice boomed, as though the heavens themselves had spoken. "I am an elder of the Profound Sword Sect! I need no reason to accept a disciple, nor do I owe anyone an explanation!"
The weight of his words hit the crowd like a hammer, and the immense pressure of his Nascent Soul realm power made the entire square shudder. A collective intake of breath echoed from the onlookers as they felt their bodies stiffen under the oppressive force.
It was at that moment that everyone understood.
The elder who had chosen Gui Yiyi was none other than Xuan Yi, the number one elder of the Profound Sword Sect!
The shock that rippled through the crowd was palpable.
Xuan Yi was no mere elder. His influence and power were such that he could rival even a vice sect master. To be chosen by him was a rare honor, one that few could even dream of.
And now, he had personally chosen Gui Yiyi as his disciple.
Whispers spread like wildfire. The onlookers, their eyes wide in awe, began to speculate. Was it her beauty? Was that the reason for Xuan Yi's decision? But the thought was quickly dismissed as ridiculous. A Nascent Soul expert like Xuan Yi could have any beauty he desired with a mere gesture. No, the reason for this choice was far deeper, far more complex.
Gui Yiyi, overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events, struggled to process the magnitude of what had just transpired. Her heart raced, her pulse quickened.
When her name had first been called, she had been elated. But now, as the full reality set in—her master would be Xuan Yi, the strongest elder of the Profound Sword Sect—she could hardly contain the rush of emotions surging within her.
How could this be real? In the trials, her performance had been lackluster at best, her rank among the lowest. She had never expected this.
But as she gripped the hem of her robes, the realization slowly settled in.
Becoming Xuan Yi's disciple was more than just an honor. It meant that the Gui family's looming crisis would be resolved effortlessly. Her future in the Profound Sword Sect was now guaranteed, and with Xuan Yi's backing, her status would soar to heights few could even imagine. She would hold a position higher than most inner disciples.
And so, in that moment, Gui Yiyi was no longer just the girl from the small Gui family in Half Moon City. She was destined to rise, to stand proudly among the very best the Sect had to offer.
The future had just opened before her like an uncharted sky, full of limitless possibilities.