Chapter 453 - 160: Result of the Bet, Fortuitous Opportunity
She knew all too well that breaking through this chasm required far more than just hard work. It demanded sufficient talent, fortuitous opportunities, and the full support of the sect’s resources.
Given the talent Yang Jing had shown, combined with their master’s favor and the sect’s nurturing, Si Jiawen was confident that Yang Jing had a great chance of breaking through to the Qi Eating Realm in the future and becoming one of Lingxi Peak’s elite pillars.
But she never would have imagined that Yang Jing could break through so quickly.
From winning first place in the Cyan Qilin Battle to now stepping into the Qi Eating Realm, it had only been a few short days!
This was just too fast.
So fast that it felt unreal to Si Jiawen, as if she were in a dream.
Yang Jing watched Si Jiawen’s stunned expression, her features frozen in shock, and pursed his lips slightly.
It was the first time he had ever seen such a blank look on the face of his usually aloof and composed Senior Sister. It was a cute, stark contrast to her normal demeanor.
He hesitated for a moment before asking softly, "Senior Sister, are you all right?"
Si Jiawen finally snapped out of it. She took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the tempest raging in her heart, and tried to compose her expression.
She slowly lowered her raised hand and shook her head gently, her voice still tinged with a hint of lingering astonishment. "I’m fine. I was just a little surprised. I didn’t expect you to be so... fast."
As soon as she finished speaking, Si Jiawen reached out and seized Yang Jing by the wrist.
Her touch was warm. Caught completely off guard, Yang Jing’s heart skipped a beat. Before he could even react, an irresistible force shot up from his wrist as Si Jiawen pulled him into a full-blown sprint.
The wind howled past his ears as they raced down the stone path. Yang Jing stumbled to keep up with her pace and couldn’t help but ask, "Senior Sister, where are we going? What’s happening?"
Si Jiawen didn’t break stride. Instead of slowing, she actually sped up, her clear voice trailing behind her in the wind. "I’m taking you to Lingxi Hall to see the Master!"
At that moment, numerous disciples in the Training Room area witnessed the scene.
One disciple, just stepping out of a Level C Training Room and wiping sweat from his brow, looked up at the exact moment Si Jiawen rushed past, clutching Yang Jing’s wrist.
Others, gathered around the Affairs Department to register for something, glanced over casually and froze in place.
One by one, the disciples stood stunned, their faces etched with disbelief.
They had just seen their perpetually cold and distant Senior Sister leaving, hand-in-hand with Yang Jing, the recent champion of the Cyan Qilin Battle!
The next moment, the entire Training Room area erupted in an uproar.
A tide of discussion surged through the crowd. Even disciples who normally weren’t prone to curiosity or gossip were left gaping in astonishment.
"My heavens! I’m not seeing things, am I? Was that Senior Sister and Yang Jing?"
"Senior Sister actually took Junior Brother Yang’s hand? That’s... that’s unbelievable!"
"I know, right? We’re talking about Senior Sister! She’s the unreachable flower of our Lingxi Peak! Countless senior brothers in the sect admire her from afar, too intimidated to even speak a word to her. And today, she actually..."
After all, these weren’t just any two people.
As the Senior Sister of Lingxi Peak, Si Jiawen’s Cultivation was profound and her status revered. In the hearts of many, she was a sacred, untouchable figure.
And Yang Jing was the sect’s rising star, his fame having skyrocketed recently. He had crushed all competition to take first place in his very first Cyan Qilin Battle and was currently the center of attention.
For these two to be together, and in such an intimate manner, how could it not be shocking?
Neither Si Jiawen nor Yang Jing noticed the commotion they had left in their wake.
With Si Jiawen’s hand clamped around his wrist, Yang Jing could only feel her astonishing strength. He couldn’t break free, so he had no choice but to let her drag him as they sped toward the summit of Lingxi Peak.
The two of them sped along, flashing past the bamboo forest at the mountain’s waist and onto the stone steps leading to the peak.
They encountered many disciples along the way. Upon seeing Si Jiawen pulling Yang Jing along, their expressions turned exceptionally strange, and whispers rose and fell in their wake.
Halfway up the mountain, Si Jiawen finally realized something was amiss.
Catching the looks on the surrounding disciples’ faces from the corner of her eye, she belatedly realized that she had been clutching Yang Jing’s wrist the entire time.
A faint, almost imperceptible blush crept up to the tips of Si Jiawen’s ears. She hastily let go of his wrist, but she didn’t slow her pace in the slightest. She continued to lead the way, her expression as coolly aloof as ever, betraying no sign of embarrassment.
Yang Jing rubbed his wrist, which was a bit sore from her grip, and quickened his pace to follow her. He couldn’t help but sigh to himself.
He knew that once the news of his breakthrough to the Qi Eating Realm got out, it was bound to cause a sensation on Lingxi Peak and even throughout the entire Xuanzhen Sect.
After all, the gap between the Qi Eating Realm and the Inner Strength Realm was simply enormous.
Take what just happened, for example. Even his perpetually calm and composed Senior Sister had lost her composure upon learning of his breakthrough, immediately dragging him off to Lingxi Hall.
As Yang Jing watched Si Jiawen’s retreating figure, his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.
’Breaking through to the Qi Eating Realm this quickly will inevitably cause a stir and attract a lot of attention.’
’Furthermore, my subsequent cultivation requires the advanced Cultivation Technique for the Mountain-Breaking Seal, which I’ll have to apply for at the Talent Pavilion.’
’At that point, it will be completely impossible to hide the news of my breakthrough.’
’Even if I wanted to hide my strength, it would be completely unrealistic.’
’I can’t delay my own cultivation just to stay low-key. That would be getting my priorities completely backward, an act of sheer foolishness.’
’Besides, the sect’s resources have always favored the strong.’
’Only by increasing my strength will I gain greater recognition from the sect and be able to vie for more precious Cultivation Resources. And with the help of those resources, my strength will grow even more, and even faster.’