At the stroke of midnight, the rankings were settled. A massive curtain of light erupted in the sky, displaying the names of the top thirty-two practitioners ordered by their points. Though I hadn't held a platform yet, my name was there—twenty-fourth. Some who had successfully defended their platforms were bumped down because their total points were insufficient. However, this rule would no longer apply after midnight tomorrow; by then, whoever stood upon a White Platform would claim that rank, though naturally, anyone capable of holding a platform by then would hardly be lacking in points.
I pouted. "Guarding for a whole day is going to be exhausting. But if I hadn't made my move yesterday, I’d never be able to compete with monsters like you today!"
Wei Qingming gave a faint smile and rose to escort me to my platform.
The person I was replacing was a male disciple from the Ink Feather Sect. He wasn't among the group that had come to the Boundless Sect, so I didn't know his depth. Seeing a beautiful woman coming to take his place, he wasn't annoyed; instead, he approached with a smile, clearly intending to strike up a conversation. A single cold glare from Master Wei sent him scurrying back. I couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him—if he still intended to challenge a platform today, he was almost certainly going to get thrashed by Wei Qingming.
The autumn night was somewhat chilly. A moon, shaped like a fragment of ancient jade, hung in the left of the sky, casting its clear radiance onto Wei Qingming’s porcelain-white arm as she raised it. She draped a fleece cloak over my shoulders. Like Qiao Songlin and Zhu Yixin, we had to gaze at each other across the boundary rope. I leaned playfully against the rope, inching closer, and closer still, deliberately rubbing the tip of my nose against her cheek.
In truth, I was already pressing against the edge of the platform’s array. Several times, Wei Qingming reached out to catch me for a kiss, but I cunningly retreated each time, only to spring back like a mischievous monkey to provoke her again moments later. In the cold night, teasing her made my own blood run hot. To touch me, she would have to reach into the platform’s range, which would be considered a formal challenge. Finally, unable to endure it any longer, her hand tightened on the rope and she stood up abruptly.
I froze and hurriedly called out, "Don't go!"
"I'm going to seize some points," she said in a low voice. "I must enter this platform. I'll simply gift the points to you."
Ever since we had confessed our feelings, Master Wei had become increasingly prone to saying and doing such reckless things. At times, she was no different from a willful child. I found it both hilarious and sweet, and I waved her back. "I'll stop teasing you, alright? What's the rush?"
Only then did she regain her composure and sit back down. I smiled and pressed my cheek against the edge of the array. A faint blue light flickered there, but it did not teleport me out. Wei Qingming finally let out a soft, gentle laugh and pressed a light kiss to my cheek.
We kissed across that beautiful barrier. The blue spiritual light, which had traversed thousands of years of shifting time and space, was as pure and elegant as the founding ancestor’s resolve to protect the world, glowing quietly between us.
Because it was the final day, the most powerful contenders would finally make their moves. Most people knew they couldn't compete with them and had already gathered enough points to wait for the final tally. Consequently, very few of the thirty-two White Platforms were currently seeing any action. My platform was in a remote location, and my performance thus far had been average and unremarkable, so no one came for the entire night.
After talking with Wei Qingming for a while, she drifted off to sleep without realizing it. Leaning against the cold, hard pillar of the platform, her posture remained exquisitely elegant. Her closed eyelashes trembled like plucked strings in the night breeze. The faint shadows under her eyes looked like the pale mist of a breaking dawn, as if a master painter had added two delicate strokes to her flawless face to make her disguise as a mortal more convincing. She hadn't appeared at the tournament grounds at all these past few days; she must have been busy handling some other business.
I carefully shifted her body a few inches, drawing her into my embrace to share a bit of my warmth and softness.
When the sun rose fully, the challengers arrived. The moment the first opponent stepped into the platform's range, Wei Qingming’s eyes snapped open. She instinctively stared in the direction of the newcomer, her gaze brimming with killing intent. It startled the refined female cultivator, who took a step back in shock.
Master Wei had always been respectful and courteous toward women. Her expression softened instantly, and she gave a polite, graceful smile, signaling that the challenge could proceed.
Seeing her smile so elegantly and finding her excessively charming, the female cultivator couldn't help but steal another glance before turning to me to declare her challenge politely. "Tian Xiaoman of the Cuiwei Sect. I ask for this lady's guidance."
I replied with my name, smiling. Wei Qingming asked softly, "Does my presence here hinder your fight?"
"Not at all," I said with a confident nod. "Teacher, just you watch! Your student is going in!"
Tian Xiaoman spoke hesitantly and softly, but her attacks were incredibly explosive. A string of second-grade Raging Wave Talismans shot from her sleeves, quickly surrounding me. A deluge of crashing waves fell toward my head, sealing off all exits. I activated my movement technique, concentrated half my strength into the tip of the Hanguang Sword, and used the true intent of 'Falling Flowers, Parting Rain' to pierce a gap in the water wall, slipping through easily.
My opponent had never seen such a peculiar way to break her technique. Though surprised, she didn't hold back. She struck an Ice Talisman against the water wall, and the waves instantly transformed into an ice dragon that lunged at me with its jaws open. I turned and lunged, using a move from the Wind Hiding Sword called 'Soft Night Breeze.' I pierced the joints inside the dragon's mouth—the points where the talismanic scripts interconnected—and shattered the dragon's head. Fine shards of ice sprayed everywhere, but I had already retreated far away, not a single thread of my clothing nicked.
A talisman cultivator’s strength lies in their quantity. After two exchanges, I knew I would win; her talismans lacked the speed and power to cause me significant harm. Since that was the case, there was no need to let her waste more talismans. I abandoned my usual restraint and used my illusion techniques to rapidly breach her defensive perimeter. She felt my presence vanish for a split second, and by the time she blinked, I was at her side, my sword pointed at her heart.
Tian Xiaoman was greatly alarmed. In her panic, she actually sacrificed her trump card—a first-grade Explosive Talisman. It possessed the destructive power of the Cansha Realm, though it was suppressed to the peak of the Tunyun Realm by the platform's array.
She seemed to realize her reaction was excessive. This talisman was expensive, likely a gift from her elders. While it wouldn't kill anyone within the array, using it now would leave her with nothing for later. A flash of regret and heartache crossed her face.
However, the expected explosion never happened. Under the slowly rising autumn sun, the tip of her opponent's sword reflected countless dancing sparks. It held her Explosive Talisman, presenting it back to her gently. A swelling mass of spiritual energy was being suppressed by that needle-thin sword tip, which was pressed precisely onto the 'talisman eye,' neutralizing the activation of the script's energy with effortless precision.
Tian Xiaoman was even more shocked. She hurriedly reached out to take the talisman, shook it to withdraw the spiritual energy, and safely extinguished it. Then, she bowed deeply to me. "Miss Su’s skill is divine. Xiaoman admits defeat."
I mimicked Wei Qingming’s manner, giving a slight, dignified bow like a grandmaster.
As soon as she left, I immediately beamed with joy and bounced toward Wei Qingming like a proud puppy. My face practically screamed, *'Praise me, praise me!'* Sure enough, Aunt Wei’s tongue was as sweet as honey. She concluded by saying, "Ah-Zhi’s innate talent is truly blessed by the heavens. Even I am starting to feel jealous."
That was an exaggeration. I knew very well that her talent was beyond that of ordinary geniuses, let alone mine. I said, "I was inspired by you! The root of it is still with you!"
That final move was inspired by her using the tip of her saber, Xiaolian, to catch my 'Falling Flowers, Parting Rain.' The principle was to completely predict the trajectory of the opponent's move and then use a gentle 'stick and deflect' motion to break it. It had taken me over a year and a half to grasp the creative intent of 'Falling Flowers, Parting Rain,' and I still didn't dare claim full mastery. Yet, she had never seen the move before and was able to replicate its trajectory on the spot. This was both a sharp instinct honed through countless battles and a manifestation of unparalleled genius. The move I just used was actually much simpler; the trajectory of an Explosive Talisman was just a common flight curve. Catching it was easy, and it couldn't be compared to her effortlessly catching my high-level intentional attack.
I guarded the platform for the rest of the day. Two or three more challengers came, but they didn't have many points. It seemed they had given up on the competition and only came to see what kind of people were on the White Platforms. I swept them aside easily. At noon, Wei Qingming pulled some warm snacks from her robe and handed them to me through the array. Just like in the old days in the capital, she always carried the fresh snacks I liked.
As the sun began to set again, though I was loath to part with her, I urged her to leave. She needed to pick an opponent and finish her fight. It would be a disaster if she delayed past midnight.
Wei Qingming remained lazy and unwilling to move. I had no choice but to lead her into a discussion about the current opponents on the White Platforms, letting her choose. She glanced at the list I had written and pointed randomly. It was a demon cultivator in the late stages of his realm. His name was quite refined—Yan Qing—but he had been notorious for his ferocity long before the Heavenly Mountain Meet. I had seen one of his matches; he was a burly, thick-set brute who relied on the raw strength of his demonic cultivation. He simply slammed and thrashed his opponents. It was a case of 'brute force overcoming all skill'; even Feng Baili had been dazed after being slammed by him.
Knowing Master Wei always had a plan, I nevertheless scolded her helplessly. "Why pick that boor? Buddhist cultivators are slow, and you'd probably be impatient with them. Even if you won't pick acquaintances or hit women, there are still several normal people left to consider..."
"If this man enters the top thirty-two, he will be a nuisance to everyone," Wei Qingming said flatly, her tone turning a few degrees colder, like the frost that had just formed during the night. "Besides, Ah-Zhi wrote his name so elegantly and beautifully, with such lingering sentiment. It is an eyesore."
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It turned out the latter was the primary reason. I instinctively looked down at my handwriting. After a moment of careful thought and comparison, I understood. Blushing, I tugged on her sleeve and gave a mysterious smile. "Master Wei, didn't you think about why I wrote those two characters so well?"
Master Wei shot me a cold, sour look. I didn't dare tease her further and giggled, tracing circles on her chest with my finger. "The 'Sun' component in *Yan*, and the *Qing* component in *Qing*—they are both parts of your name. I've written them thousands of times in my heart and on paper. Of course they would flow naturally and be filled with feeling."
Only then did Wei Qingming break into a radiant smile, like a spring breeze filling her sleeves. Although she was so pleased that the final notes of her words tilted upward, she still said, "In that case, I shall spare him for a few more hours. I'll deal with him at the Hour of the Pig."
...Fine. Persuasion was useless. I figured Master Wei had probably done too much paperwork lately and not enough fighting. Her bones were stiff, and she wanted to take a few heavy blows to loosen her meridians and feel refreshed. I might as well let her be.
***
