Transmigrated into a Total Shou Novel as a Cannon Fodder, but Ended Up 1v1-ing the Male Lead | Chapter 39 | The Soul Transformation Master | Novela.app

Once all the important figures had arrived, Jiang Baixiang, the Sect Leader of the Pinyin Pavilion, made her appearance. Jiang Baixiang was currently the only female Soul Transformation cultivator in the cultivation world. Although she was approximately eight or nine hundred years old, she maintained the appearance of a young woman in her early twenties. She was tall, slender, and possessed a graceful, charming bearing. Even though Jiang Baixiang did not release any spiritual pressure, the chasm-like gap in their cultivation levels meant that even if the men present had an eye for beauty, not one dared to look her up and down. *So this is a Soul Transformation cultivator...* Nie Shiyun lowered his head slightly. This was the first time in this life he had come face-to-face with a Soul Transformation cultivator. If the transition from Golden Core to Nascent Soul was a massive hurdle capable of exhausting half of all cultivators to death, then advancing to the Soul Transformation stage was exponentially more difficult. Otherwise, the number of known Soul Transformation ancestors in the cultivation world would not be countable on a single hand. "I thank you all for taking the time to come to the Pinyin Pavilion." Jiang Baixiang’s words, infused with spiritual transmission, entered the ears of everyone present with crystalline clarity. Her voice was ethereal and cold, yet possessed a majesty that couldn't help but make one's skin crawl with goosebumps. She then proceeded to deliver a series of polite opening remarks. Nie Shiyun’s mind wandered slightly, thinking it was truly a trick of fate that such a master could produce a disciple as boisterous as Qi Miaohan. The rules of the Cultivation Conference were well-known to the disciples of these sects; the explanation was primarily for the benefit of the rogue cultivators standing below the dais. The auditions would begin this afternoon and continue until the following afternoon. A total of three rounds would filter fifty people from the hundreds present, who would then be allowed to enter the preliminary rounds alongside the sect disciples. Even though many of these rogue cultivators felt extremely slighted, they could only endure such unfairness. The formal competition would begin on the third day, continuing for three days in a one-on-one elimination format. The prizes were exactly as the previous rumors had suggested: the first-place winner would receive the Spirit-grade treasure, the Frost Sword; the top four would receive Spirit-grade Bone-Refining Pills; and the top eight would be allowed into the herb garden to obtain Spirit-grade herbs. The final day was more of a closing event for the conference. The Pinyin Pavilion would set up an official auction house and a sales exhibition for pills and talismans on this outer pavilion square. Simultaneously, a random auxiliary profession exchange competition would be held, with the specific craft decided by drawing lots. However, seeing as it was merely an exchange competition, there weren't any particularly grand prizes. Nie Shiyun remembered that in the original novel, the exchange competition on the final day was talisman-making. He wondered if the Pinyin Pavilion, which excelled in talisman-making, had rigged the draw. Thinking it had nothing to do with him regardless, he hadn't paid it much mind. "The content of the final day's exchange competition..." Jiang Baixiang raised a palm before the disciple holding the lot container, and a spiritual slip manifested out of thin air. "...shall be artifact-refining." "...?" Nie Shiyun was stunned. This was different from what was written in the book. The eyes of the group from the Yunqing Pavilion lit up. Several of them, who had originally come just to go through the motions, suddenly felt a surge of fighting spirit. Although the exchange competition carried no formal titles, it was still good to show their faces in front of other sects and demonstrate their primary trade. "It must be Sister... I shouldn't have complained so carelessly the other day..." Qi Xuan'er muttered to herself in a voice as quiet as a mosquito. Nie Shiyun lowered his head. "What did you say?" Qi Xuan'er was a bit nervous, her expression tinged with a hint of regret. "No... it's nothing." Realizing this was not the place for conversation, Nie Shiyun did not press further. However, he guessed that this change might be related to Qi Miaohan, intending to ask for the details once the gathering ended. Jiang Baixiang was concise. After a few more polite words of encouragement, she departed gracefully, leaving the subsequent tasks to the sect's disciples. As the Soul Transformation master left the scene, the cultivators present visibly relaxed, no longer keeping their spirits so tightly strung. The following day had nothing to do with the sect disciples; they could choose to watch the auditions or rest on their own. Most people were too lazy to join the bustle and decided to head down the mountain for fun or return to their rooms to cultivate. As the crowd gradually dispersed, Qi Miaohan looked around and finally spotted the group from the Yunqing Pavilion standing still. She immediately abandoned her senior sisters and ran over. "Xuan'er!" "Sister, was it you...?" Hearing Qi Xuan'er's question, Qi Miaohan gave a cheeky grin and winked at her. Qi Xuan'er sighed and said repeatedly, "I just hope you don't get scolded by your sect..." "I won't, I won't." Nie Shiyun stood to the side, watching the two communicate in riddles, and had a rough guess in his heart. Qi Miaohan definitely had a hand in changing the exchange competition to artifact-refining. The exact reason was unknown, but it was likely just to look out for Qi Xuan'er. This plot point did not exist in the original work. Nie Shiyun thought about it and realized why; at that time, Qi Miaohan had been blinded by her infatuation with Xu Yehua. Hearing that Xu Yehua and Duan Mingyu were intimate and inseparable day and night upon arriving at the Pinyin Pavilion, she had been driven mad with rage. She wouldn't have had the presence of mind to pull such insignificant strings. At the other end of the square, Zhai Bairong saw the crowd thinning out. Seeing that the people beside him showed no signs of leaving, he knew they would be sticking together today as well. He instructed the other disciples of the Yueying Sect not to cause trouble and then dismissed them. In the end, only he, Duan Mingyu, Xu Yehua, and Rong Lü remained. The group discussed whether to watch the auditions in the afternoon or continue sightseeing down the mountain. Zhai Bairong’s heart was not in it, and he did not participate in the conversation. His gaze began to wander, scanning through the crowd. *There.* Zhai Bairong’s expression remained calm, but in his heart, he almost blurted out those three words. In the cultivation world, it was common not to see someone for years or even decades. Zhai Bairong understood this, yet he felt that separation had never been so grueling. Everything that happened in Fanhua City seemed wrapped in a beautiful sugar coating. After being abruptly pulled back to the Yueying Sect, Zhai Bairong was often in a daze, feeling as though those memories were merely a dream. He only wanted to see Nie Shiyun again as soon as possible, to touch him, and to tell himself that it was all real. Nie Shiyun, who had been listening to the conversation between Qi Xuan'er and Qi Miaohan, suddenly turned his head as if sensing a soul connection. For a moment, Zhai Bairong felt as if time had stopped. The surrounding noise was filtered out, leaving only the sound of his own heartbeat. Seeing Zhai Bairong staring at him blankly, Nie Shiyun couldn't help but smile. It seemed it wasn't the time to talk yet. However, with just this distant glance, he knew the other's heart. Although in front of Duan Mingyu and the others, Zhai Bairong had transformed back into that peerless, elegant Chief Disciple of the Yueying Sect—shining even brighter than before—he was still *his* Zhai Bairong. "Senior Brother, what's wrong?" Duan Mingyu’s sudden inquiry broke Zhai Bairong’s reverie. Zhai Bairong felt a moment of tension but immediately replied, "I just saw someone I recognize." Duan Mingyu followed his gaze. Nie Shiyun had not yet looked away. Seeing Duan Mingyu look over, he didn't hide, but instead smiled broadly and nodded in greeting before turning back to speak with his sect members. "It's him. I didn't expect him to come too," Duan Mingyu said in surprise. "Who is that?" Rong Lü seemed to have no memory of Nie Shiyun. Xu Yehua narrowed his eyes, his tone carrying a hint of danger. "I still remember. He's the one from the Misty Secret Realm, named Nie Shiyun... Mingyu mentioned later that the man used to pursue him." Seeing Rong Lü’s expression sour, Duan Mingyu quickly tried to smooth things over. "That was ages ago; I rejected him long ago. Right, Senior Brother?" Zhai Bairong hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "It was indeed a long time ago." Recalling the scene he had caused at the Yunqing Pavilion back then, Zhai Bairong wished he could delete that memory. "Then why was he smiling at you?" Rong Lü pressed. Duan Mingyu thought back to Nie Shiyun’s expression just now. He felt he saw a wealth of affection in it. Recalling the time they spent together in the Misty Secret Realm, he suddenly felt that this person wasn't as annoying as he had been at the start. "It was probably just a polite greeting. After all, we are all from major sects..." Duan Mingyu shook his head, but his heart was somewhat unsettled. Zhai Bairong looked down and saw Duan Mingyu’s demeanor, knowing the other had likely misunderstood. Although he should be relieved not to be suspected, he hadn't expected Nie Shiyun to be remembered by Duan Mingyu in such a way. At this moment, he couldn't jump out and argue that the man was clearly smiling at *him*. No matter how Zhai Bairong thought about it, he felt extremely stifled. Xu Yehua pulled Duan Mingyu close in front of everyone, saying half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Stay away from that guy. I have a very bad feeling about him." "I know, wait, there are so many people watching..." Duan Mingyu glared at him, attempting to push Xu Yehua away. The latter enjoyed seeing him like this and became even more rowdy. Finally, it was Zhai Bairong who felt that continuing this would truly damage the Yueying Sect's image and spoke up to stop them. Nie Shiyun was entirely unaware that his graceful gesture had caused Duan Mingyu to misunderstand. If he knew, he would likely be full of questions. He had intended to return to his room, but Qi Miaohan grabbed him and refused to let him go. Qi Miaohan and Qi Xuan'er had seen many interesting things in the artifact shops down the mountain a few days ago and were thinking about whether to buy them for fun. But Qi Xuan'er’s artifact-refining skills were not yet up to par, and she couldn't make up her mind. Thus, they decided to bring along Nie Shiyun and Nie Xing'an, the two seniors, to go together and make a decision after an appraisal.