Chapter 442 - 157
Yang Jing returned to where Steward Zheng and the others were, rejoining the group.
The smiles had yet to fade from the faces of Steward Zheng and Steward Wang. Zhang Hengyi, Zhao Xuexiang, and Lin Ziheng gathered around, their eyes filled with envy as they looked at Yang Jing.
This was especially true for Zhang Hengyi and Zhao Xuexiang. They had participated in the Cyan Qilin Battle several times, only to be eliminated early on each occasion. Forget the rewards for the top three—they had never even made it into the top six.
Now, seeing Yang Jing shoot to fame in a single battle and claim the bountiful reward for first place, they were naturally filled with envy.
Now that the Cyan Qilin Battle had officially concluded, the crowd of spectating disciples began to disperse.
People broke off into small groups, heading toward different parts of the sect. Yet as they left, many couldn’t resist looking back, their gazes drawn to Yang Jing.
In this Cyan Qilin Battle, Yang Jing was undoubtedly the brightest star.
He had gone from an obscure disciple of Lingxi Peak to defeating one powerful opponent after another, even beating Yuwen Mingjue into unconsciousness.
Such a performance was enough to ensure everyone would remember his name.
Steward Zheng looked at Yang Jing, gave him a playful wink, and teased with a grin, "Yang Jing, now that you’ve got first place in the bag, shouldn’t you go spend some time with your little girlfriend and celebrate properly?"
Yang Jing froze for a moment when he heard this. Realizing Steward Zheng meant Sun Ningxiang, he quickly waved his hands and tried to explain, "Steward Zheng, you’ve misunderstood. Senior Sister Ning Xiang and I..."
Before he could finish, Steward Zheng cut him off with a laugh and a wave of his hand. "Go on, go on. I get it. You’re young. It’s impossible to hide feelings like that."
Seeing this, Yang Jing could only give a helpless sigh and close his mouth, deciding not to explain any further.
He cupped his hands in respect to Steward Zheng and Steward Wang, nodded a farewell to Zhang Hengyi and the other two, then turned and walked toward Sun Ningxiang.
Not far off, by a railing, Sun Ningxiang stood gracefully. Her light-cyan dress accentuated her slender figure and elegant features.
She was already a rare beauty, but standing there in the crowd, she was particularly eye-catching. Many of the male disciples who passed by couldn’t help but steal a glance.
But Sun Ningxiang’s gaze never left Yang Jing, and she seemed completely oblivious to the attention she was drawing from others.
Zhang Hengyi, Zhao Xuexiang, and Lin Ziheng watched Yang Jing walk toward Sun Ningxiang, and they couldn’t help but exchange a smile filled with a mix of emotions.
All three of them couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy. ’That Yang Jing... he’s truly lucky in love and war,’ they thought. ’Not only did he take first place in the Cyan Qilin Battle, but he also caught the eye of a beauty like Sun Ningxiang.’
Then they looked at themselves—average in strength, and still hadn’t met the right girl. They were being completely overshadowed by Yang Jing.
Yang Jing quickly walked over to Sun Ningxiang. As soon as he stopped, he saw a faint blush appear on his Senior Sister’s cheeks. Her bright eyes were brimming with joy, and the corners of her lips were turned up in a gentle smile.
Even though she was overjoyed, she maintained her gentle and graceful composure, not showing a hint of impropriety.
"Junior Brother," Sun Ningxiang called softly.
Seeing him approach, Liu Rou and Lin Wenxuan, who were standing nearby, quickly stepped forward and bowed. "Greetings, Senior Brother Yang."
Yang Jing gave a slight nod and politely exchanged a few words with them.
Liu Rou and Lin Wenxuan were tactful enough to know when they weren’t needed. After a brief exchange, they took their leave. "Senior Brother Yang, Senior Sister Ning Xiang, we’ll head back now."
With that, the two of them turned and left, leaving Yang Jing and Sun Ningxiang alone.
After Liu Rou and Lin Wenxuan left, Sun Ningxiang’s tense shoulders visibly relaxed, and she seemed much more at ease.
Her personality was naturally gentle and reserved. While she was acquainted with Liu Rou and Lin Wenxuan, they were far from close friends.
With the two of them nearby, she had felt a bit constrained, and even her speech had been somewhat guarded.
Now that it was just the two of them, the smile in Sun Ningxiang’s eyes grew even more genuine.
She looked up at Yang Jing, her tone filled with admiration. "Junior Brother, you actually won first place in the Cyan Qilin Battle! I heard Lingxi Peak hasn’t seen a result like this in many years!"
The words were barely out of her mouth when her brow furrowed with worry. "But Junior Brother, you beat Yuwen Mingjue so brutally. Won’t the Yuwen Family behind him come looking for trouble? Will they try to retaliate in secret?"
Hearing this, Yang Jing couldn’t help but laugh. He shook his head gently and said, "Don’t worry, Senior Sister. I defeated him fair and square on the Cyan Qilin Platform in a sect-sanctioned match. No matter how arrogant the Yuwen Family is, they wouldn’t dare violate the rules of the Xuanzhen Sect. They wouldn’t have the guts to cause trouble for me."
What he didn’t say was that, before long, he would be able to use his rewards to attempt a breakthrough into the Qi Eating Realm.
Once he broke through, his cultivation and status would both rise significantly. At that point, the Yuwen Family would be even less likely to dare to retaliate.
’Besides,’ he thought, ’my journey on the Martial Dao isn’t going to stop at the Qi Eating Realm.’
’As my power continues to grow, the Yuwen Family won’t even register as a threat to me.’
Hearing Yang Jing’s confident words, the weight on Sun Ningxiang’s heart was lifted, and her furrowed brow smoothed out.
A small smile touched her lips, and her tone held a hint of catharsis. "That’s good to hear. Speaking of which, seeing you beat that Yuwen Mingjue so thoroughly that he couldn’t even fight back... it was incredibly satisfying!"
Previously, Yuwen Mingjue had used his family background and his strength to pester her repeatedly within the sect. It had vexed her to no end, but she had been helpless to stop him.
Now, seeing Yang Jing teach him a harsh lesson, Sun Ningxiang felt an immense sense of catharsis.
"I’ll write to my father tomorrow and tell him you won first place in the Cyan Qilin Battle." Sun Ningxiang’s eyes curved into crescents, her voice bubbling with excitement. "He’ll be so happy when he finds out."