When Life Runs Out, the Fun Begins-Chapter 40 – This... this isn't in the script?

At the center of Lan Yun Terrace, the battle had reached a fever pitch.
A figure in icy blue moved like a phantom—that was Leng Yunjian. Each of her movements was swift and precise, her slender ice crystal dagger slicing through the air, leaving trails of chilling light, like an ice spirit dancing. Her attacks were cunning and lethal, each strike targeting her opponent's weaknesses. Wherever the cold aura passed, even the hard black crystal surface of the arena would freeze with a thin layer of frost. Nourished by the mid-grade Qi-Gathering Pill specially prepared by Mu Xiaochuan, and through these days of intense competition, her control over her power had become more adept. Her speed and mastery of ice power had already surpassed the ordinary Ninth Level of Qi Refining.
Her opponent was none other than the little witch of the Elixir Hall, Ye Lingxuan!
At this moment, Ye Lingxuan had long lost the embarrassment and arrogance from being slapped in the face a few days ago. Her delicate face was tense, her eyes solemn, wearing a finely crafted red robe that was clearly a high-grade defensive spiritual artifact. She wielded a crimson whip, runes flowing along its length, with flames faintly flickering. Each swing brought forth waves of heat and a piercing sound, like an angry fire serpent, viciously striking at Leng Yunjian!
What was even more astonishing was Ye Lingxuan's agility. Sometimes she advanced like a blaze, other times she flickered like a ghostly flame, always narrowly avoiding Leng Yunjian's ice daggers while continuously releasing various corrosive or paralyzing powders and poisonous mists, trying to disrupt Leng Yunjian's movements and vision.
This was clearly an ultimate showdown of ice and fire! A peak collision between the two great forces of Heaven Vault Pavilion and the Elixir Hall!
Leng Yunjian represented the hope of a strong rise for Heaven Vault Pavilion, calm, precise, incredibly fast, and her freezing power was terrifying.
Ye Lingxuan bore the reputation of the Elixir Hall and her master Mu Qingyao. She was unruly but formidable, with bizarre cultivation techniques and numerous tricks, supported by a deep background.
The two exchanged blows, ice daggers and fire whips intertwined, cold and heat clashed, spiritual energy surged, light and shadow flickered, fighting to a standstill, thrilling and splendid! The audience below watched in rapt attention, exclamations and cheers rising and falling!
"What speed! Leng Yunjian's agility is incredible!"
"Ye Lingxuan isn't weak either! That fire whip is wielded with such mastery and even carries poison!"
"Ice counters fire, but Ye Lingxuan's flames seem special, not much afraid of the cold?"
"This is the strength of the top disciples of the Inner Sect! Absolutely amazing!"
On the viewing platform, Ye Qingyu and Mu Qingyao watched the battle intently. Ye Qingyu nodded in admiration at each of Leng Yunjian's brilliant attacks, while also sweating for her narrow escapes. Mu Qingyao appeared calm, but her tightly gripped armrest with whitening knuckles betrayed her inner tension.
Only Liang Yichen had a faint, elusive smile on his lips.
On the arena, the fierce battle continued. Leng Yunjian, with her superior speed and exquisite control over ice power, gradually gained the upper hand. Her ice daggers, like relentless shadows, repeatedly broke through Ye Lingxuan's whip defenses, leaving shallow wounds on her body. The cold invaded, slowing Ye Lingxuan's movements and paling her complexion.
"Damn it!" Ye Lingxuan gritted her teeth, a flash of ruthlessness and unwillingness in her eyes! As the favored daughter of the Elixir Hall, when had she ever been pushed to such a state?! Especially by someone from Heaven Vault Pavilion, whom she had previously looked down upon!
"Go!" Ye Lingxuan suddenly shouted, retreating several steps to distance herself from Leng Yunjian.
With a flick of her wrist, a peculiar artifact appeared in her palm, shimmering like a delicate pagoda, yet burning with fierce crimson flames!
"That's... a high-grade spiritual artifact of the Profound Rank? The 'Burning Heart Exquisite Scarf'?" an elder on the viewing platform exclaimed in shock!
A high-grade spiritual artifact of the Profound Rank! Such a treasure, with its immense value and power, would make even Foundation Establishment cultivators envious! Ye Lingxuan, a mere Qi Refining disciple, actually possessed such a treasure?!
This revelation shocked not only the disciples below but also the elders on the viewing platform, including Yun Wange and Ye Qingyu! Mu Qingyao had truly spared no expense for her disciple!
Mu Xiaochuan raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself, "As expected, she had a backup plan!"
"Leng Yunjian! Die for me!" Ye Lingxuan, appearing almost crazed, poured all her spiritual power into the 'Burning Heart Exquisite Scarf'!
"Buzz—!!!"
The flaming scarf suddenly blazed with intense light, flying out of her hand, rapidly expanding in the air, transforming into a vast fire cloud that threatened to engulf everything, even scorching the soul, as it descended upon Leng Yunjian!
The speed, the scope, the power—far exceeded any previous attack!
Leng Yunjian's face changed dramatically! She could clearly feel the terrifying power contained within the fire cloud, something she absolutely could not withstand! Even her space to dodge was completely locked!
Yet, at this critical moment, lacking combat experience, Leng Yunjian forgot to admit defeat.
"Not good!" Ye Qingyu exclaimed, standing up abruptly!
At this moment of life and death!
Mu Xiaochuan moved!
He immediately stood up, his right hand swinging forward!
A dark green streak of light, like lightning tearing through the void, appeared instantly in front of Leng Yunjian, faster than the fire cloud! It was the seemingly ancient yet supremely powerful Azure Dragon Soul-Suppressing Wood!
"Boom—!!!"
The Azure Dragon Soul-Suppressing Wood struck the overwhelming fire cloud with pinpoint accuracy!
There was no earth-shattering explosion, only an extremely dull thud! It was as if an ancient divine mountain had collided with a meteor from the heavens!
That arrogant, soul-burning fire cloud, upon contact with the Azure Dragon Soul-Suppressing Wood, seemed to meet its nemesis, the flames instantly dimming and retracting, the terrifying pressure dissipating like a punctured balloon!
Then, with a flash of dark green light, the Azure Dragon Soul-Suppressing Wood, as if possessing a mind of its own, flew back into Mu Xiaochuan's hand.
The entire process was incredibly fast! From Ye Lingxuan unleashing her artifact to Mu Xiaochuan's intervention, it was all over in a flash!
When everyone came to their senses, only wisps of smoke remained above the arena, along with a pale-faced, collapsed Leng Yunjian, and a similarly stunned Ye Lingxuan holding the now dull scarf.
Silence! A deathly silence!
Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events!
Elder Mu... actually... actually intervened in the Inner Sect finals in front of everyone?!
"Mu Xiaochuan!!!"
A roar filled with boundless anger and joy exploded like thunder!
Liang Yichen stood up abruptly, his eyes bloodshot, staring at Mu Xiaochuan with a twisted, sinister smile: "Good! Well done, Mu Xiaochuan! Openly violating the competition rules, interfering in a disciple's match! The evidence is irrefutable! Unforgivable! Someone, seize this scoundrel for me! Take him back to the main peak's Law Enforcement Hall for severe punishment!!"
He had waited too long for this moment! Mu Xiaochuan delivering himself was truly a heaven-sent opportunity!
Several disciples from the main peak, standing by, immediately responded, exuding a chilling aura, ready to apprehend Mu Xiaochuan!
"Hold on!!"
Yun Wange's icy voice rang out as she too stood up, her aura rising, facing Liang Yichen: "Vice Sect Master Liang! Although Elder Mu's actions were inappropriate, he intervened to save a life! Ye Lingxuan unleashed a high-grade Profound Rank spiritual artifact, far exceeding the norm. Leng Yunjian would have been severely injured if she hadn't dodged! In urgent situations, exceptions must be made!"
"Exceptions must be made?" Liang Yichen laughed in anger, "Peak Master Yun! Rules are rules! Interfering in the competition is a grave offense! As a peak master, are you going to bend the rules for personal gain?"
"Vice Sect Master Liang, you're being too harsh!" Ye Qingyu also stood up, her tone firm, "Elder Mu's actions, though questionable, had good intentions! Leng Yunjian is the future hope of Heaven Vault Pavilion; we cannot stand by and watch her be destroyed! We must protect Elder Mu!"
"Indeed!" Liu Ruyan unhesitatingly stood by Mu Xiaochuan's side, her beautiful eyes filled with determination as she glared at Liang Yichen, "Even if Elder Mu is at fault, it should be handled internally within Yunqi Peak!"
In an instant, three influential female elders of Yunqi Peak stood up to defend Mu Xiaochuan!
What Liang Yichen didn't expect was—
"Ahem... Vice Sect Master Liang, Peak Master Yun's words do hold some truth." The Hall Master of the Elixir Hall, Mu Qingyao, also spoke slowly, glancing at the still-frightened Ye Lingxuan on the arena, her tone calm, "Lingxuan, that child, is impulsive. Using such a powerful spiritual artifact was indeed... excessive. Elder Mu's intervention, though inappropriate, prevented a tragedy."
"Indeed," even the usually aloof Hall Master of the Technique Transmission Hall, Li Ruoxu, stroked his beard and spoke, "While rules are strict, human feelings also matter. I believe this matter should be dealt with leniently to avoid harming the camaraderie among fellow disciples."
Liang Yichen was completely dumbfounded!
Yun Wange, Ye Qingyu, and Liu Ruyan defending Mu Xiaochuan was one thing, given the rumors of their close relationship with him. But Mu Qingyao was Ye Lingxuan's master! And Li Ruoxu was known for his rigid adherence to rules! How could they also...?
What he didn't know was that the resources Mu Xiaochuan had previously gifted had quietly paved the way for his network. While Mu Qingyao cherished her disciple, she also yearned for a breakthrough in her cultivation; Li Ruoxu, though rigid, had also benefited from Mu Xiaochuan's favors (grateful disciples naturally spread the word).
Liang Yichen, seeing the almost unanimous "protective" stance, was furious to the point of bursting! Yet he clung to the irrefutable evidence of Mu Xiaochuan's interference: "Hmph! So much for camaraderie! So much for exceptions! Rules are rules! If Mu Xiaochuan isn't severely punished today, how can we convince the masses?! Where is the sect's authority?! As Vice Sect Master, I will see this through! Anyone who dares to obstruct is opposing the sect's rules!"
He was determined to seize this opportunity to crush Mu Xiaochuan completely!
The tension was palpable, the atmosphere on the brink of a conflict among the elders!
Just then—
A weak yet clear voice came from the arena.
"Wait... wait..."
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It was Leng Yunjian! Though her face was pale, her eyes were exceptionally resolute.
"Vice Sect Master Liang... esteemed elders... I... I had already... admitted defeat... before Elder Mu intervened..."
What?!
Her words caused another uproar!
"You and your Hidden Heaven Pavilion are in cahoots!" he shouted, "I didn't hear it, who else could have? Ridiculous, right, Ye Lingxuan, did you hear it?"
"I... I heard it!"
On the arena, Ye Lingxuan raised her small hand, her face pale, her eyes a bit evasive, but she mustered the courage to speak:
"Yes... yes! Vice Sect Master Liang! I... I did hear Senior Sister Leng admit defeat! It's just... just that my 'Burning Heart Exquisite Scarf' was newly refined, its power too great, I... I lack the skill to control it... I almost... almost accidentally harmed Senior Sister Leng! Thankfully... thankfully Elder Mu intervened in time! Otherwise... otherwise, it would have been a disaster! Thank... thank you, Elder Mu!"
After speaking, she even bowed deeply to Mu Xiaochuan below the arena!
If Leng Yunjian's words surprised everyone, then Ye Lingxuan's statement was like a nuclear bomb dropped on a calm lake!
Ye Lingxuan... the supposed arch-enemy of Mu Xiaochuan, sided with him at the crucial moment!
This... how could this be?
Liang Yichen was utterly stunned! It was as if he had been struck by lightning, frozen in place, his mouth agape, his expression shifting from rage to shock, then to bewilderment, finally blank!
"Leng Yunjian is on my side, covering for me is understandable... but Ye Lingxuan, this little witch... she... she also...?" Mu Xiaochuan was equally dumbfounded, "This... this isn't in the script?"