Afterwards, while instructing Little Yu, the sect leader inadvertently inquired about Su Luo's situation.
Little Yu didn’t hold back and happily shared details about Su Luo with the sect leader.
To the sect leader's surprise, it turned out that Su Luo had once saved Little Yu and had always treated her well.
This had happened before Little Yu's talent was discovered.
It seemed that Su Luo did have some redeeming qualities.
However, from a rational perspective, the sect leader still couldn’t approve of Su Luo.
Given Little Yu's talent, the two of them were bound to live in completely different worlds sooner or later.
If Su Luo were more ambitious, there might still be hope, but judging by his previous attitude, he seemed entirely devoid of dreams.
Not everyone could be like Nangong Xiyun.
Someone like Su Luo would only hold Little Yu back, and in the end, they would inevitably part ways with regrets.
The sect leader had witnessed such scenes countless times before.
Many talented individuals had ended up separated, unable to let go, and spent their days in sorrow.
Thus, the sect leader made a decision.
To prevent Little Yu from being overly heartbroken when she and Su Luo eventually parted ways, he would start now to diminish Su Luo's standing in Little Yu's heart.
The first step was to imitate Su Luo by telling stories to Little Yu.
The goal was to surpass Su Luo's storytelling skills and replace him in Little Yu's affections.
After all, Little Yu often praised how interesting and novel Su Luo's stories were.
The sect leader refused to believe that, with all his years of experience, he could lose to some young brat.
So he began: "Once upon a time, there was a temple, and in the temple lived a monk..."
He went on and on, but the monk remained in the temple, doing mundane chores with no one else to interact with.
It was so dull that it almost put one to sleep.
But Little Yu, being considerate, said she wanted to cultivate instead.
She would rather cultivate than listen to the sect leader's stories, afraid she might fall asleep in front of him.
The sect leader was baffled. The story had been so engaging, and it was only going to get more exciting. Why had Little Yu suddenly decided to cultivate?
The tale was filled with profound truths about cultivation, so why didn’t Little Yu want to listen?
For a moment, the sect leader questioned his life choices.
But he didn’t give up. When Little Yu took a break, he started telling the story again.
Immediately, Little Yu found the motivation to cultivate, and this time with even greater focus.
The sect leader could only console himself, thinking that at least his storytelling wasn’t entirely useless—after all, Little Yu had gained a deeper understanding of the Seven Stars Unity technique.
Helpless, the sect leader gave up, but not entirely.
The newcomer competition was about to begin, and soon Little Yu would see how Su Luo would be defeated by others.
With such a vast gap in strength, problems were bound to arise. By then, he wouldn’t even need to intervene—Little Yu would let go of Su Luo on her own.
Moreover, when Little Yu showcased her brilliance, Su Luo, seeing how exceptional she was, would likely feel inferior.
So there was no need for him to interfere; they would naturally drift apart.
Perhaps he had been overthinking things.
Thinking this, the sect leader felt much better.
......
After watching the sunset and experiencing a spiritual uplift, Su Luo resumed his efforts to improve his cultivation.
Who said he wasn’t striving to grow stronger? He had endured many hardships that were difficult to put into words.
Opening his diary, he wrote:
[The newcomer competition starts tomorrow, and it’s time for me to make a fool of myself again.]
[I’m used to it. To return to reality, I’ll endure it.]
[The newcomer competition lasts two days. The first day determines the top eight, and the second day concludes the event.]
[I, unfortunately, made it to the top eight. Otherwise, there would be no attention on me, and Lin Xuan wouldn’t have a satisfying moment to humiliate me.]
[The rules of the newcomer competition are straightforward: one-on-one matches, and the fight ends when one loses the ability to continue or concedes. The winner advances to the next round.]
[Both the first and second days follow this simple format.]
[In the first round of the top eight, I faced Lin Xuan. After a brief exchange, I realized I was no match for him, so I immediately brought out my newly acquired treasure, the Serpent Scale Whip.]
[The Serpent Scale Whip was practically a divine artifact at the Qi Refining stage, and it completely overwhelmed Lin Xuan, forcing him into a desperate retreat.]
[With such a treasure, what was the point of fighting? The entire audience cursed me, calling me despicable for relying on external power rather than my own strength.]
[But their anger was pointless, as my actions were within the rules, and the match continued.]
[Just as everyone thought Lin Xuan was done for, he pulled off another miracle, skillfully dodging the Serpent Scale Whip’s attacks with agile movements.]
[Then, closing the distance, he unleashed a powerful Eight Extremities Collapse, shattering my Serpent Scale Armor and sending me flying, coughing up blood before I passed out.]
[However, this strike left his right hand unusable for the remainder of the competition.]
[But what did it matter? He was the protagonist. Even with one hand, he effortlessly secured victory, and the subsequent matches went without a hitch until Lin Xuan claimed first place.]
[And so, Lin Xuan became famous overnight, not only defeating me, who had relied on a treasure, but also winning the following matches with just one hand. His bravery was unmatched.]
[Witnessing this, who wouldn’t admire such a newcomer? When Lin Xuan won the final match, the entire arena erupted in cheers, celebrating this miracle-making newcomer.]
[Under the spotlight, with everyone cheering for him, who wouldn’t feel envious?]
[If it were me before I transmigrated, I would have wished to be Lin Xuan. But now, I’ve outgrown that youthful passion. Peace and simplicity are true happiness.]
[Speaking of which, what about Li Siyi? She was a top contender, having cultivated longer than Lin Xuan. How did she lose to him?]
[The truth is, she was too arrogant and lost carelessly in the semifinals. The final was supposed to be between Lin Xuan and Li Siyi, but she ended up losing.]
[However, that was the original plot. The current Li Siyi is so strong that even if she were careless, she wouldn’t lose.]
[In the original story, Li Siyi was only at the peak of Qi Refining, not far ahead of the other newcomers. But now, she’s already at the Foundation Establishment stage. How could she lose?]
[Each cultivation stage represents a nearly insurmountable gap. Not everyone is a protagonist capable of defeating opponents above their level.]
[If Li Siyi were to lose to any newcomer other than Lin Xuan, she might as well give up on cultivation and go home to sleep.]
[But could this affect my plot progression?]
[Should I sneak attack her tonight? Beat her up a bit so she’s injured and can’t perform at her best tomorrow?]
[But I remember Li Siyi is staying near Nangong Xiyun’s place...]
[Sneak attack? What sneak attack? I’d never resort to such underhanded tactics. There’s nothing to fear.]
[Nangong Xiyun? What’s there to be afraid of? If she ever gets in the way of my plot progression, she’ll regret it.]
[Well, forget what I just said. Not like anyone saw it anyway.]
[I guess I’ll just have to let things unfold naturally.]
Closing his diary, Su Luo watched an advertisement to grow stronger. This was his effort for the day—truly commendable.
[Diary completed. Reward: Defense +7, Strength +4, cultivation level increased by one. Current cultivation: Foundation Establishment Peak.]