Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Finally Meeting

After a month of competition, the Gu Ma preliminary round had finally reached its eighth round.

From an initial pool of over fifty thousand contestants, only less than four hundred remained.

In the next round, half of these would be eliminated, leaving behind those who would advance to the Gu Ma secondary selection!

The decisive moment of the Gu Ma preliminary round had arrived!

This time, however, Ye Xiyao's luck had run out. Three days later, in the eighth round draw, she finally encountered her archrival, Shen Feiyan!

Shen Feiyan's number for this round was 1078. Though it was relatively high in terms of strength, her Fire Element Tier 4 talent boosted her position. More importantly, with the support of the Shen family and the ruthless tactics she displayed in the previous match, no one dared to underestimate her despite her low ranking among the remaining four hundred.

Compared to Ye Xiyao, the fool and waste of the Ye family, Shen Feiyan was a genius among geniuses, an undeniable victor.

Thus, on the day of the match, the moment Ye Xiyao arrived, she immediately drew the attention of everyone present.

"Hey, hey, hey, look over there! That's Miss Fool from the Ye family! I have to say, she's really pretty. The young ladies from noble families can't hold a candle to her."

"Prettiness is worthless if she's still an idiot, isn't she? I've heard she's regained her sanity, but alas, even so, she's still a good-for-nothing without a spirit root! Look at her registration number, 56699 - the very last one. If I were her, I'd have withdrawn and returned home to avoid embarrassing myself here."

Indeed, the Ye Family has gone mad. To dote on her so openly, knowing full well that she's good for nothing... Tsk tsk tsk, Old Marquis is truly blinded by affection...

At this moment, tens of thousands of spectators filled the Lingyun Platform, and in an instant, a flood of whispers inundated the area. Mocking, indifferent, disdainful, and sympathetic voices... In short, among all the myriad words spoken, not a single one held any optimism for Ye Xiyao.

The other Ye family members, especially Ye Hong, had faces as dark as charcoal. But all that needed to be said had been said, so before his granddaughter ascended the Cloud Soaring Platform, Ye Hong couldn't help but give her one last, worried reminder.

"Yao'er, listen to your grandfather. Don't be too headstrong. If you sense anything amiss, step down or concede immediately. Above all else, preserving your life is paramount. Besides, the Shen family has always been despicable. Don't let them provoke you into a quarrel. Leave everything to Grandfather once we're off the Lingyun Platform. I'll ensure justice is served for you, do you understand?"

In the decade since the end of days, Ye Xiyao's heart had grown too long accustomed to solitude. Thus, despite Ye Hong's words having been iterated over countless times during their journey, she remained undaunted by their repetition, obediently nodding in response.

When Ye Hong finished speaking, his uncle Ye Jingtian and little cousin Ye Wuchen also offered their advice. Then, it was the turn of the Ye Family's guards who had accompanied them... After all the Ye Family members had their say, Li Cheng, who hadn't been seen for many days, unexpectedly pushed his way through the crowd and whispered to Ye Hong.

"Miss Ye, my lord is unable to attend due to prior commitments. He has specifically instructed me to extend his warmest congratulations on your triumphant debut and wish you immediate success."

Since Luo Jiutian's departure, he hadn't shown up again. Ye Xiyao intended to ask Li Cheng a few questions, but considering the upcoming competition, she merely nodded slightly as a greeting before ascending the Cloud Soaring Platform directly. However, upon reaching the platform, she heard Shen Feiyan's voice ringing out.

"Ye Xiyao, you've finally arrived. As I mentioned before, I vowed to make your blood stain the Lingyun Platform, leaving no room for surrender... Ahaha, Ye Xiyao, have you already forgotten my words?"