Transmigrated into a Waste Who Married the Villain.

Chapter 20: The Competition ✨

As the scent of flowers lingered in the air, Lu Fanzhi poked Luo Jinxiao and whispered, "Jinxiao, how did you get so close with Senior Aunt Qu?"

Luo Jinxiao snapped out of her thoughts, shook her head, and replied, "Not really close. I just wanted to thank her for helping me."

She no longer feared the woman known later as the demoness. Perhaps it was because Qu Weiyin had never shown the malice the rumors claimed; she was just eccentric and enigmatic.

Since joining the Wuhui Sect, Qu Weiyin had consistently assisted her. The descriptions of her as murderous and bloodthirsty seemed more like labels imposed by others.

What had she endured to become the terrifying figure of her previous life, driven to madness?

Luo Jinxiao admitted her feelings toward Qu Weiyin were complex, mingling fear with gratitude and curiosity.

The thoughts were fleeting. Soon, her focus shifted to winning the competition without revealing her current cultivation level. In her past life, she never obtained a satisfactory spiritual weapon. Now, given a second chance at life, she couldn’t pass up such a golden opportunity.

In the days leading up to the competition, Luo Jinxiao attended classes with others but retreated alone to the secluded mountains for training. The Wuhui Sect proved to be a blessed place for cultivation, rich in spiritual energy. Though her Yin-aligned spiritual veins were hard to cultivate, she gradually mastered the technique of merging her two types of spiritual energy, making them more fluid and versatile.

In her free time, she snuck into the library, poring over piles of cultivation manuals just like in her previous life, losing herself in study without disturbance.

The competition day arrived quickly. Luo Jinxiao rose early while the sky was still a deep blue, and the morning mist had yet to lift. Upon reaching the training platform, the vast white jade stage lay shrouded in mountain fog, resembling a heavenly realm.

Some disciples were already there, nervously sparring with each other. Among them was Baili Qingzhou, muttering strange incantations while wielding a sword.

Luo Jinxiao watched with interest but couldn’t make sense of his actions. "Jinxiao, why are you here so early?" Lu Fanzhi asked, appearing behind her, brimming with excitement rather than nerves.

"Couldn't sleep, so I came early. How's your preparation going?" Luo Jinxiao replied with a smile.

Lu Fanzhi shook her head, rubbing her shoulders. "I'm not aiming for a spiritual weapon anyway. My master seems more anxious than I am, drilling me in swordplay since yesterday until I was exhausted."

Luo Jinxiao looked up to see a gentle-looking man nearby, constructing the platform for the competition with spiritual power.

"Today, my master is overseeing things, but I hear some elders and senior brothers and sisters are coming to watch, so be careful," Lu Fanzhi warned, her eyes filled with concern.

Luo Jinxiao patted her shoulder, reassuring her.

As more people arrived, the mist dissipated with the sunrise, and warm light filtered through the clouds, enveloping everyone in a cozy glow. The once vast white jade stage became crowded.