Chapter Fifty: On the Eve of the Contest, Each Reveals Their Thoughts

"Why are you so eager to have him propose to Wang already? We've only just begun; isn't this too soon?" Lanwu, ever thoughtful, interrupted the conversation. She had noticed the troubled look on Xiaoyin’s face and realized everyone was rushing things. Clearly, he wasn’t ready to join their lives together yet. While she did want to settle their relationship, she didn't want it to be forced. What meaning would there be in a union that was compelled? All she wished for was a love where both hearts beat as one.

"Why would you say that? Do you not want to marry me at all?" Xiaoyin was displeased by her words. He turned her toward him, forcing her to meet his gaze. He had intended to tease this foolish girl, but he never imagined she would say something like this. Did she truly want to be with him, or did she only see him as a kind soul who offered help in her hour of need, staying with him merely out of gratitude? Did she really have no desire to marry him?

"How could I not want to?" Lanwu bowed her head, her voice choked with emotion. "It's just that you looked troubled and seemed to avoid the question. I thought you didn’t want to marry me! I just don’t want my happiness to be built on your pain—how is that any different from forcing you? What meaning would that kind of relationship have?" In her grievance, Lanwu cast aside all restraint, wanting only to lay bare her feelings to him.

"Silly girl, have you forgotten that I’ve already promised you a future together? How could I ever cast you aside and ignore you? In fact, I wish I could marry you right away, so no one else could covet you and steal away my good wife!" Xiaoyin pulled her into his arms, comforting her. He never imagined that the usually willful and bold Lanwu would care for him so deeply, willing even to sacrifice her happiness for his freedom. In his eyes, no beauty, no harem of favored consorts, could compare to this foolish girl—she was all he needed, forever inseparable.

"So that means we won't be parting anytime soon, and we can continue our lively, joyful days together!" Meng Youyuan exclaimed with delight, forgetting there was someone who would not be leaving with them, someone who would remain at the Academy to do what Lan Bingxian should have done. Perhaps it was intentional forgetfulness—one last wound for him. She knew that as long as he stayed with her, he’d remain entangled. It was better to part completely, never meet again, so he could finally forget her and abandon his love.

"You all never stop talking! It's already midday, and none of us rested well last night. Why don’t we all take this time to return to our rooms and recuperate?" Yin Boxuan, who had been left out for some time, suddenly suggested. He clearly wanted some peace and solitude to settle his heart. He realized that in Meng Youyuan’s words of reluctance, there was no place for him. After their contest, they would remain a close group, while he would continue to be alone in this Misty Orchid Academy.

"Why do you always pop up with a remark and startle me? Were you so tormented by me just now that you’ve gone dumb, staring blankly outside?" Yan Xuesu, relentless as ever, teased Yin Boxuan yet again, as if the others all knew she had someone else in her heart, otherwise they might think she’d fallen for him.

"Indeed, you’ve exhausted me. I must return and recuperate. Don’t waste your energy either; tomorrow is important, and you’ll need all your strength!" Yin Boxuan warned. Without his reminder, they might have forgotten what tomorrow held.

"Yin is right; tomorrow is the day we face the world’s strongest in the arena. We truly must take care of ourselves and prepare. If we lose because we were careless these past days, that would be a true regret!" Yu Shang agreed, realizing they should not be so heedless. He had a feeling tomorrow would be a bloody, fierce battle.

"If you hadn’t mentioned it, I’d have forgotten that tomorrow is our day to fight with all our might. Still, there's no need to be so tense. I don’t believe any great figures will show up—just some small fry trying to make a scene. Even though I’m not back to my former strength, I should be more than enough to deal with them," Xiaoyin remarked nonchalantly, clearly unconcerned about their opponents. He had every reason to be confident; once, he was a mighty force, unshaken by any rival. Why should he fear these newcomers?

"You’re always so arrogant! This contest welcomes participants from everywhere, and I’ve heard that even the top experts from other realms will come. The arena will be filled with masters. If you stay this careless, you’ll be beaten for sure," Lanwu chastised, worried. She had seen his strength—it was impressive, but he was not at his peak. If he faced unknown powers with such pride, things might not go as smoothly as he imagined. She didn’t know his true depths, only regarded him as a skilled cultivator. Even if he had lost much of his old power for reasons left unsaid, and had not regained his former awe-inspiring level, she didn’t think much of it. If he underestimated his opponents, how could she not worry?

"Don’t worry. I promise you, even if I fall in battle, he’ll make it back unharmed!" Yu Shang, seeing Lanwu’s anxiety, hurried to reassure her. He spoke the truth—Xiaoyin was a thousand-year-old Crimson Serpent spirit. Not even the invincible god of the Celestial Realm could kill him, let alone these newly risen youngsters.

"Just surviving isn’t enough—I want you to promise to come back from the contest completely unscathed!" Lanwu, earnest, tugged at Xiaoyin’s sleeve. She truly cared for him, worrying about his safety above her own, even though his power was several times her own.

"Alright, I promise you. I won’t let anything happen to myself; I’ll return victorious and safe! But you must also promise me: if you can’t defeat your opponent, don’t force yourself. Your safety is most important!" Xiaoyin was more concerned for Lanwu. Her abilities weren’t weak, but she lacked any fatal moves. Her steady style made him uneasy—tomorrow’s contestants would all fight as if their lives depended on it, desperate to enter that mysterious realm. No one would show mercy; they’d sooner see her destroyed. That old Dean was truly something, insisting they all join the contest to defend the Academy—what were his true intentions?

"I know. How could I get hurt and let you worry for me?" Lanwu replied, satisfied. She knew he cared for her, too.

"How heartwarming—enough to make others envious!" Meng Youyuan joked, watching their tender exchange. Now she understood the meaning of envying lovers rather than immortals; to have someone so concerned for you was the greatest happiness.

"You should worry about yourself tomorrow, not others! If you really can’t win, just surrender. It’s only a contest—winning or losing isn’t that important. No one will laugh at you; they’ll think you wise," Lan Bingxian told Meng Youyuan, offering not encouragement but caution. Nothing was more important than one’s life; what was the point of winning everything if you weren’t alive to enjoy it?

"Don’t worry, Brother Xian, I know my limits and won’t act recklessly. I just want to test myself, not win first place. But you carry the heaviest burden—your victory or defeat decides the fate of the Academy. While you fight, make sure you protect yourself, too!" Meng Youyuan knew he’d never put his own safety first, so she made him promise not to get hurt.

"Don’t you have anything to say to me?" Yu Xiaoran, silent for a long while, finally couldn’t help asking Yan Xuesu, who still hadn’t spoken.

"If I say it, will you give up the contest and be content as a bystander? If I say it, will you promise to return unharmed? Impossible. Since I know it’s impossible, what do you want me to say? But if you insist, then I’ll tell you: live together, die together. If anything happens to you, I’ll do whatever it takes to deal with whoever hurt you, and then I’ll follow you wherever you go," Yan Xuesu’s good mood had turned sour. Perhaps it was because her beloved would be fighting for his life tomorrow that her emotions were so unstable. Yet her words touched Yu Xiaoran deeply. Extreme as they were, they laid her heart bare.

"Silly woman, as long as you’re with me, I won’t let anything happen to myself. I have no intention of making you a widow so young!" Yu Xiaoran laughed. It sounded like a joke, but his words carried a double meaning: for her sake, he’d stay safe, and she was his woman forever.

"Sigh… Is it fate that those without a partner have no one to care about their safety?" Yu Shang, watching the loving couples, put on a pitiful, loveless act. Yet, at this moment, he truly wished he had someone who cared for him as much as they cared for each other. Ever since that woman died, he seemed to have forgotten how to love.

"Indeed, the few of us left out are just left on the side—how bitter!" Yin Boxuan added, his tone exaggerated but his heart genuinely heavy. He envied Lan Bingxian, who could openly care for his beloved and be cared for in return.