Chapter 1986 - 1983: Zhao Ying’er’s Moved Heart

"I’m definitely not going over there!"

Zhao Ying’er slightly parted her lips, her pink lips opening and closing without making a sound, yet Xu Wendong, with his keen observation, managed to accurately read her words from her mouth movements.

Look at her stubborn demeanor, her eyes wide and round, cheeks slightly flushed from excitement, resembling a little bunny who had been wronged.

Since she wasn’t coming over, Xu Wendong started walking towards her proactively.

"What are you doing, avoiding me?" Xu Wendong approached Zhao Ying’er, wearing an intriguing smile.

"You..." Zhao Ying’er began to speak but suddenly seemed choked, unable to get the words out.

A hint of grievance flashed in her eyes, her head slowly drooping, smooth strands of hair sliding down, covering most of her face.

"You kept me up all night yesterday, leaving my legs weak and me wondering how I can compete later!" Zhao Ying’er said, cheeks flushed red with embarrassment, using the Sound Transmission Technique to convey this to Xu Wendong.

Her voice trembled slightly, tinged with a hint of blame and helplessness.

Xu Wendong was slightly taken aback, his previously tense expression instantly relaxing, a trace of realization flickering in his eyes.

So that’s why she was ignoring him!

"But wasn’t it you who insisted on dual cultivation with me? Can’t handle it and blame me?" Xu Wendong shrugged helplessly, his lips curling into a faintly smiling expression.

Zhao Ying’er sighed gently, her chest rising and falling slightly.

She was eagerly looking forward to boosting her cultivation level through dual cultivation to assist in today’s crucial selection tournament.

However, she hadn’t expected that while her cultivation had indeed improved, her body felt as if it had fallen apart, completely uncooperative.

At the moment, she felt sore and weak all over, every move challenging her very limits.

Inwardly, she was worried that she might not perform at her best in today’s selection tournament.

If luck wasn’t on her side and she faced a strong, challenging opponent, she might not make it into the top thirty.

Thinking of this, a flash of anxiety and regret appeared in her eyes.

"It’s all your fault!" Zhao Ying’er glared with a bit of anger, her small pink fist lightly hitting Xu Wendong’s shoulder, seeming angry but actually with a touch of playfulness.

Xu Wendong grinned.

Yesterday, indeed, he employed some special means to break the bottleneck in his cultivation.

Women are indeed as soft as water as the legends say, unable to withstand excessive strain.

However, now that Zhao Ying’er is his woman, he certainly won’t just sit by and watch her fail in the selection.

"Take this; if you encounter a difficult opponent, just throw it." Xu Wendong reached into his chest with graceful and smooth movements.

He carefully pulled out a Netherworld Talisman, its mysterious light shining and runes flickering, precisely his meticulously refined Gold Chaos.

This Fourth Grade Nether Talisman, like a radiant star, contained immense power.

Once thrown, even a Ninth Level of Tongyou Realm expert would have to yield under its might.

With this in hand, Zhao Ying’er should safely secure a place in the top thirty.

"You still have some conscience." Zhao Ying’er said with a flash of delight in her eyes, joyfully reaching out to take the Nether Talisman as if it were a precious treasure.

Her fingers gently caressed the edge of the talisman, upon closer look, her eyes widened with shock. "You... you actually gave me something so precious?"

"A Fourth Grade Nether Talisman, even the Heavenly Nether Sect only has a few pieces, and you just give it to me?"

Her voice trembled slightly with excitement, hardly believing her eyes.

"What’s the big deal? As long as there’s enough talisman paper, however many you want, I’ll give you." Xu Wendong replied casually, yet his eyes were filled with a doting gaze.

Zhao Ying’er felt a wave of warmth flowing through her heart.

She secretly glanced at Xu Wendong, seeing him standing tall, handsome, with eyes sparkling with determination.

Indeed, Xu Wendong truly cared about her.

"Thank you, I might not even need it. Once the selection tournament ends, I’ll return it to you." Zhao Ying’er raised her head, her little face filled with excitement, her lips curling into a sweet smile.

At this moment, Elder Xuanlu stood atop, tightly gripping a sheet of paper.

He furrowed his brow, the furrow like a small mountain locked tightly, then cleared his throat and loudly announced, "Next match, Lin Mo versus Zhou Ran."

These words were like a huge stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring waves.

Everyone’s gaze seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, all focusing on Xu Wendong.

Currently, Xu Wendong ranks eighty-fifth among the Heavenly Nether Sect disciples, while Zhou Ran is a distinguished disciple ranked ninth.

The ranking gap between them seemed extremely vast, akin to an insurmountable chasm.

However, everyone knew inwardly that Xu Wendong’s actual combat strength was far beyond his ranking.

After all, he once single-handedly dealt with an Elder; his combat strength is certainly not to be underestimated.

Xu Wendong was slightly surprised, a trace of astonishment flashing in his normally calm eyes.

He squinted slightly, surprised to face Zhou Ran so soon.

Taking a deep breath, he then gently leaped, like a nimble leopard, gracefully landing on the arena.

By now, Zhou Ran had already been standing quietly on the stage, awaiting his arrival.

"Lin, I never expected to meet you." Zhou Ran remarked with a bitter smile, laced with a hint of helplessness and reflection.

The Heavenly Nether Sect’s selection tournament was extremely harsh, akin to a brutal test of life and death.

Once you meet an unbeatable opponent, it means the end of the selection path, all efforts and expectations turning into nothing.

Therefore, both Xu Wendong and Zhou Ran knew that whoever lost this match would miss out on the mysterious and opportunistic journey to the Nether Ruins.

"Brother Zhou, I didn’t expect to meet you either." Xu Wendong lightly shook his head, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes.

"Seeing we’ve met, let’s not go overboard." Zhou Ran sighed again before loudly asking, "Is the selection tournament only limited to martial combat?"

Li Lingtian and the eight elders were taken aback by Zhou Ran’s question.

A hint of surprise flickered in their eyes as they exchanged glances, seemingly pondering the deeper meaning of the question.

"Certainly not."

"If you agree on another method of competition, as long as a victor can be determined, there’s no ban on any competitive forms." Li Lingtian’s voice boomed, echoing across the Martial Arts Arena,

"In that case, I want to compete with Lin Mo in Nether Talisman!" Zhou Ran laughed heartily.

Zhou Ran was Qi Lechun, the Eighth Elder’s prized disciple, having devoted many years to honing his skills in the Nether Talisman Dao.

In the world of Nether Talismans, he delved deeply, reaching a level of mastery, understanding and applying various Nether Talismans to perfection.

If others were to compete against him in Nether Talismans, they would likely not stand a chance, barely able to catch up.

But Xu Wendong, a talent equally exceptional in the Nether Talisman Dao, how can he possibly lose to him?