After Being Reborn a Hundred Times, I Refused to Be the Villain - Chapter 52:

Chapter 52: Reunion

On Dao Enlightenment Peak, banners fluttered in the wind. The arrival of the ten great sects instantly pushed the atmosphere to its peak. Everyone knew the Ten Sects Grand Competition was about to begin. Many were eagerly anticipating how many young geniuses would emerge this time, and who would ultimately rise above all and claim the title of champion.

“As expected, the ten great sects are full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. I truly underestimated them before,” Qu Feixian muttered with a solemn look in his eyes as he scanned the disciples from the other sects. The sharp perception granted by his Flying Immortal Physique allowed him to sense several extremely powerful individuals among the sects, some of whom even posed a real threat to him.

“The younger generation is truly formidable. It seems the future really does belong to you youngsters,” Qu Feixian’s master said as he stroked his beard, a hint of admiration in his tone. He had also once believed that with Qu Feixian’s Flying Immortal Physique, he would be unmatched among his peers. Unexpectedly, the other sects had secretly been nurturing equally terrifying talents.

In the Heavenly Dao Sect’s camp, Lin Chuan immediately noticed Qu Feixian from the Flying Immortal Sect. His eyes narrowed slightly. He could sense a faint but undeniable threat from Qu Feixian, which darkened his expression.

He had thought that with the Soul Devouring Pearl and his greatly improved cultivation, Qu Feixian would no longer be his match. But the opponent’s strength had also grown significantly. Still, he quickly understood why—it was only natural for someone like Qu Feixian, the most favored disciple of the Flying Immortal Sect, to progress so quickly with the entire sect backing him.

But so what if the other improved quickly? Lin Chuan held the Soul Devouring Pearl, a supreme treasure. What right did Qu Feixian have to challenge him?

Just then, another figure entered Lin Chuan’s line of sight. Upon seeing this person, a chill exploded from the base of his spine and surged straight up to his crown.

Among the crowd, Qu Feixian was scanning the disciples of the other sects, trying to identify formidable opponents. Suddenly, a familiar figure caught his eye.

“Brother Ling, he really came! Of course he would—how could someone like him miss such a grand occasion?” Qu Feixian quickly stepped away from the crowd and walked toward Ling Yun.

“Brother Ling, you really came!” Qu Feixian stood in front of him.

“Brother Ling, I didn’t expect you to be here as well!” At that moment, another voice rang out beside Qu Feixian. A sword-bearing man also stepped up to Ling Yun.

“This person… he’s strong. I might not be a match for him!” Qu Feixian looked at the man standing beside him with slight surprise in his eyes.

“Li Xiaoyun, I didn’t think I’d see you here,” Ling Yun said with a hint of astonishment on his face.

That’s right, the sword-bearing man was none other than Li Xiaoyun. He had just descended from the Three Swords Severing Immortal Peak. After learning about the Ten Sects Grand Competition, he came to see what kind of outstanding peers might appear and also to gather information.

He hadn’t expected to run into Ling Yun here.

“Brother Ling, are you here to participate in the competition?” Li Xiaoyun asked with curiosity.

“No, I’m just here to observe,” Ling Yun replied calmly, shaking his head.

In truth, he had participated in the Ten Sects Grand Competition more than once in previous cycles of reincarnation. But this was the first time he was watching it as an outsider, as a bystander.

“Haha, good thing you’re not participating, Brother Ling. Just looking at you would’ve crushed my fighting spirit!” Qu Feixian joked before extending an invitation. “By the way, Brother Ling, our Flying Immortal Sect has secured some good spots. Why don’t you and your friend come join us? I recently learned a new secret technique—I’d love for you to evaluate it.”

Ling Yun nodded in response.

The prime viewing spots on Dao Enlightenment Peak had already been taken by the ten great sects. Finding a good position to watch the battles wasn’t easy. With Qu Feixian’s invitation, they could effortlessly secure a proper vantage point.

“That person… is that Xu Aozi?” Lin Chuan’s eyes widened as he stared at Ling Yun’s back.

He never expected to see such a familiar figure here.

“No… no, he shouldn’t be Xu Aozi. The shadow guard had no reason to lie to me. Besides, no one could survive after their jade token shattered. Most importantly, that man’s aura and demeanor are completely different from Xu Aozi’s.”

Lin Chuan quickly calmed down, convinced the man couldn’t be Xu Aozi. After all, if he really were Xu Aozi, how could he be standing and conversing with Qu Feixian from the Flying Immortal Sect?

One had to remember—during the previous two competitions, Qu Feixian had brutally beaten three geniuses from Snow Moon Peak. For Xu Aozi to now be seen engaging in friendly conversation with Qu Feixian would be nothing short of a twisted joke from hell.

“Heh, looks like the pressure’s really getting to me. I’m even starting to mistake people,” Lin Chuan shook his head. “Still, since that man seems close to Qu Feixian but doesn’t appear to be from the Flying Immortal Sect… maybe I can use this somehow?”

Lin Chuan’s full attention was now on Ling Yun. He was pondering whether Ling Yun could be used as a leverage point against Qu Feixian. Naturally, he didn’t notice that someone else—someone he should have been wary of—had also appeared in the crowd and was now with Ling Yun.

However, Li Xiaoyun had noticed Lin Chuan the moment he appeared.

“That man, what sect is he from?” Li Xiaoyun asked Qu Feixian.

“He’s a disciple of the main peak of the Heavenly Dao Sect. His name is Lin Chuan. His methods aren’t anything special, but he has a bit of strength. He’s a rather tricky opponent,” Qu Feixian replied.

“Not much in terms of technique, but decent strength… that sounds about right,” Li Xiaoyun nodded, clearly keeping the information in mind.

Now that he knew who Lin Chuan was, his next course of action became a little clearer.

Lin Chuan had no idea that another troublesome opponent had already set his sights on him. It seemed the days ahead for him would be anything but peaceful.