"Alright, the competition is about to begin. You should hurry back to your judge's seat." Jian Xi ushered him away, as she had just belatedly noticed the inquisitive gazes around them.
Ye Ze also sensed it, and his body tensed up a bit. Then he nodded, as he had been preoccupied with finding his junior sister and ignored the surrounding people!
He didn't say much more and quickly headed towards the judges' platform.
Jian Xi watched Ye Ze's stiff back as he walked away, her lips curling into a slight smile.
After Ye Ze left, Tang Xingyou straightened her hunched body and asked Jian Xi, "Little Seven, you and the Immortal Ye, you two..."
As soon as she said this, everyone nearby pricked up their ears, wanting to hear the gossip.
Knowing what she meant, and since there was nothing to hide, Jian Xi told her about her relationship with Ye Ze, "He's my second senior brother, we're from the same sect."
Holy crap!!!
This was explosive news - the president of the Metaphysics Association actually had a junior sister!
And his junior sister had even joined the Special Security Bureau!
Suddenly, everyone's attention was drawn to Jian Xi, as they all wanted to see what kind of ability this junior sister of the legendary Immortal Ye possessed.
After all, Ye Ze had practically said outright earlier, "You've left some leeway for others."
There was no way to cheat in metaphysics, so no one was worried that Ye Ze would give Jian Xi any special treatment. Everyone relied on their own skills, and the level of one's martial arts could be easily seen once they started fighting.
The competition began, and Jian Xi told Tang Xingyou they would talk more later before going on stage to await her turn.
After Jian Xi went up, Nie Xiujin also returned from the restroom, looking a bit unwell with a sickly pallor on his face.
Seeing him return, Yang Tian's eyes blazed with anger, "Nie Xiujin, did you already know that your consultant girl was Ye Ze's junior sister? I'm telling you, the bet is off. How could Ye Ze's junior sister be weak!"
Nie Xiujin looked utterly confused. Ye Ze's junior sister?
Before he could react, the first round of the competition was announced to officially begin.
The venue was divided into five arenas, with ten people paired up in one-on-one matches. Jian Xi's opponent was a tall man nearly 1.9 meters in height.
One punch would determine the winner - whoever took more steps back would be the loser.
It was simple, as they were comparing internal force rather than fancy martial arts moves.
With a 'ding' sound, the match began!
Jian Xi cupped her fists, her sweet voice carrying no sense of intimidation, "My apologies."
As she spoke, she put her right hand behind her back and clenched her left fist, channeling her energy.
Her opponent, the tall man, also cupped his fists in salutation before clenching one hand into a fist.
Guo Yulin, the observer, looked at Jian Xi's fist, then at the man's, and saw there was a difference of at least twice the force!
Although he knew they were comparing internal force, he still couldn't help but feel concerned.
Half of the audience's attention was on Jian Xi's match, and everyone was quite tense.
Tang Xingyou's heart was also hanging in suspense. She sneaked a glance at Ye Ze on the judges' platform, but he wasn't looking at Jian Xi. Instead, he was watching Jian Xi's opponent!
But what was that look in his eyes? Tang Xingyou wasn't sure at first, but after another glance, she confirmed it - sympathy!
"Bang!" The two fists collided, and then quickly separated.
Jian Xi's body merely swayed a bit, but her feet remained firmly planted.
As for her opponent, the tall man nearly 1.9 meters in height, he staggered back seven or eight steps. He stared at Jian Xi in disbelief, realizing she had only used about seventy to eighty percent of her force. More importantly, she had used her left hand!
Setting aside the fact that she used her left hand, if she had used her full force, he would have likely been knocked out of the ring.
Steadying himself, he said to Jian Xi, "I concede defeat." Then he turned and retreated to the spectator area.
Guo Yulin raised his hand, signaling that Jian Xi had won the first round.
"Yay! Little Seven is awesome!" Tang Xingyou cheered loudly.
Up on the judges' platform, the corner of Ye Ze's mouth curved into a proud smile, his eyes flashing with pride. Of course my junior sister is the best, even stronger than me!
The results of the other four matches also came out in quick succession, with Nie Xiujin persevering through his physical ailment to advance to the second round.
In the second round, there were five remaining contestants: Yang Tian, Nie Xiujin, Jian Xi, and two others from different cities.
One person would sit out the fifth match, determined by a random draw. The one who drew the bye was one of the two contestants from the other cities.
Then the big screen randomly generated the matchups: Jian Xi against Yang Tian, and Nie Xiujin against the remaining contestant.
"Miss Jian, I won't be going easy on you, I'm afraid," Yang Tian said.
Jian Xi curved her lips. "Captain Yang, I won't be going easy either. Please impart your guidance!"
As before, she put her right hand behind her back and clenched her left fist, meeting Yang Tian's right fist. With a resounding "bang," even those outside the ring felt a powerful burst of force.
Seeing that her left foot had taken a step back, Jian Xi's brow furrowed slightly. It seemed she had indeed been a bit lax lately. After this, she would have to join He Qingchen for morning practice every day!
In this exchange, Jian Xi had used the same amount of force as in the previous match, not going all out. She only needed to ensure she didn't lose; there was no need to use her full power.
Yang Tian wasn't naive; he could sense it. But instead of feeling dejected by his defeat, he had a bold idea!
Two meters away from where he had just stood, Yang Tian cupped his fists and said, "Miss Jian is formidable. I have lost."
Jian Xi also cupped her fists in return. "Not at all, I just got lucky."
After the courteous exchange, Jian Xi turned her attention to Nie Xiujin on the other arena. She knew he wouldn't win this round, not because his opponent was stronger, but because Nie Xiujin had been unwell and spent a restless night, likely leaving him with little energy.
Sure enough, the winner was decided within seconds. Nie Xiujin took three steps back, while his opponent only took two.
Nie Xiujin and Yang Tian both retreated to the spectator area.
Now, only Jian Xi and the one who had just defeated Nie Xiujin remained on stage.
Tang Xingyou was excited and yelled out without regard for any awkwardness, "Go, Little Seven!"
Jian Xi flashed her a sweet smile and gave her an "OK" gesture.
Up on the judges' platform, Ye Ze glanced at Tang Xingyou again. Hmm, no matter how he looked at her, she seemed foolish!
In the next two matches, Jian Xi easily and overwhelmingly won, securing the first place in the exchange event!
The rankings were announced on the spot, and the rewards were given out immediately - a gold medal and an honor certificate as individual awards.
Of course, Jian Xi's gold medal didn't end up around her neck, as Ye Ze had directly taken it off her. She only received the certificate.
Jian Xi looked at Ye Ze pitifully, clutching the medal that was larger than her palm.
Wuwuwu, she couldn't keep it.
Seeing her dejected little face, Ye Ze chuckled softly. During the photo session, he quickly said, "Don't worry, after the competition is over, I'll give all of this to He Qingchen and have him keep it safe for you!"
