Chapter 17
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Chapter 17: Title
Perhaps due to recent cultivation efforts or other reasons, Ye Qingshang only saw Mu Huaiyun on the day the Ten Sects Discussions began.
Based on her past life’s experience, her opponent in this Ten Sects Discussions was Mu Huaiyun.
Unlike the Illusionary Battle Arena, the Ten Sects Discussions was a refined contest using a scoring system. After completing challenges, sect leaders awarded points, and the highest total score determined the winner.
The challenges fell into two categories: literary and martial, each with three tasks. Participants drew lots to decide whether to start with literary or martial challenges.
In her past life, Ye Qingshang and Mu Huaiyun had been evenly matched, tying the first five rounds. Only in the final literary challenge did she lose, watching Mu Huaiyun pick first from the spiritual weapons in the Divine Hall and select the finest one—Qianyu.
Ye Qingshang had coveted Qianyu for ages. Losing it to someone who’d opposed her worsened her opinion of Mu Huaiyun.
\"The inner competition begins. Participants, enter. Fifth group: Frostbite Sect’s Ye Qingshang versus Yunshan Sect’s Mu Huaiyun,\" a voice announced outside.
Ye Qingshang lowered her gaze and stepped into the arena.
She drew first—a martial challenge.
This task stuck in her memory because it wasn’t physical combat but a battle of wills.
With her deep cultivation and martial skill, plus knowing Mu Huaiyun’s past-life moves, she’d planned to counter each one. Yet at the last moment, he altered his technique. She had to surge her spiritual power to hold focus, ending in a tie, just like before.
Mu Huaiyun raised an eyebrow, brimming with youthful pride.
Ye Qingshang thought: *A tie. Why so smug?*
The next four challenges—two martial, two literary—all tied, mirroring her past life.
Ye Qingshang thought: *He’s not using the same moves as last time. Unbelievable…*
\"Final challenge. Yunshan Sect’s Mu Huaiyun, draw your lot.\"
No need to look—it would be literary.
\"Literary challenge: If a monster slays a thousand to save a hundred, and lies gravely wounded, should an immortal sect disciple spare or kill it?\"
Mu Huaiyun answered first: \"Slaughtering a thousand is an unforgivable crime, worse than any beast. Saving a hundred can’t redeem it. Execute it immediately.\"
Ye Qingshang said: \"I argue the monster’s nature is unclear. We must investigate why it killed and saved before judging.\"
Yunshan Sect’s leader, Mu Shezhi, pressed: \"Monsters excel at deceit and manipulation. How can you trust what you see? And if it killed a thousand, it’s powerful. If you delay until it heals, how will you survive?\"
Ye Qingshang replied: \"First, immortal sects possess truth-revealing artifacts and spells. Second, since Sect Leader Mu admits its strength, seniors would accompany juniors on such a hunt. At minimum, we could capture it, deliver it to Sparrow Prison Tower, and kill it only if proven evil.\"
Mu Shezhi hadn’t expected her to exploit the question’s loophole. Flustered, he muttered: \"Youthful arrogance.\"
Ye Qingshang met his eyes across the distance. \"Thank you for your guidance, Sect Leader Mu.\"
Yu Songshang, seated beside Mu Shezhi, noticed his expression. Smiling, he questioned Mu Huaiyun: \"Killing a thousand may be worse than beasts, but how can you be certain slaying a thousand is purely evil or saving a hundred purely good?\"
Mu Huaiyun responded: \"Consider our ancestors’ war against monsters. Records mention a vanguard breed called Xi—bloodthirsty brutes. After destroying them, our ancestors found a hundred infant Xi descendants, unaware and moldable.\"
\"With guidance, sixty to seventy percent might have stayed innocent. But fearing the thirty to forty percent who might turn evil, our ancestors slaughtered them all. For the Xi young, this was evil. For humanity, it was good. Yet our ancestors paid an arm and a third of their cultivation as penance.\"
\"Applying this to the question: even if killing a thousand served some good, it planted evil. The monster must bear the consequences of its own actions.\"
Yu Songshang chuckled awkwardly, \"Mu Huaiyun is quite eloquent. Sect Leader Mu, you have a good son!\"
Mu Huaiyun humbly replied, \"Sect Leader Yu flatters me; I dare not accept such praise.\"
This question ended in a tie between Ye Qingshang and Mu Huaiyun, frustrating both sect leaders and making their smiles look forced.
But Ye Qingshang felt relieved that the final result was still a draw.
After all competitions, Ye Qingshang and Mu Huaiyun ranked highest, both sharing first place.
This meant they could pick spiritual weapons together, and the Qianyu that Ye Qingshang longed for might finally get a new owner this time.
\"A\’shang, A\’shang, look! Second place is… it\’s Qiao Zhu!\" Qiu Huayi pointed at the ranking in surprise.
\"It\’s her…\" Why was Qiao Zhu so skilled? Why hadn\’t Ye Qingshang heard her name in her past life?
Ye Qingshang asked, \"Huayi, what do you know about her?\"
Qiu Huayi answered, \"Not much…\"
\"Qiao Zhu excels in healing and is the top disciple of Elder Feng from my Medicine Hall. Her talent matches ours,\" Mu Huaiyun said, appearing behind them.
\"Then why didn\’t I notice her in the Illusionary Battle Arena?\" Ye Qingshang asked.
Mu Huaiyun explained, \"She wasn\’t fifteen yet, so she couldn\’t compete. Even if she had, her results would likely have been average. Her fighting skills aren\’t as good as others her age. For today\’s talks, which were mind battles, she handled it fine. But in real fights like the Illusionary Battle Arena, she wouldn\’t do well.\"
So it was all talk, Ye Qingshang realized.
She turned and saw Mu Huaiyun still standing there. \"Aren\’t you leaving?\"
Mu Huaiyun replied, \"I came to find you.\"
\"Find me? Why?\"
Mu Huaiyun gave her a look. \"Tomorrow, we pick spiritual weapons. Before that, the top three from the Ten Sects Discussions must go to the Clear Pool to clear their minds. Didn\’t you know?\"
