Old Xue provided the answer: “She is the legitimate daughter of the Nangong family, named Nangong Huan. She has had black spots on her face since childhood, and the head of the Nangong family has been searching for ways to treat her.”

Of course, Nangong Jieming had once sought Old Xue’s help for this child, but Old Xue, with his limited knowledge, couldn’t discern the cause of her condition.

“It’s a pity,” Song Xiran echoed, for who doesn’t love beauty? “I hope she can restore her appearance one day.”

Old Xue chuckled, stroking his small beard. “They say you can’t judge a person by their appearance. I heard that just a couple of days ago, this Nangong Huan slapped a bunch of disciples in the Lingling Pavilion, and she was quite arrogant about it.”

“Oh? There’s such a thing?” Song Que was also intrigued.

Old Xue revealed a gossiping smile, saying, “The ones who got hit the hardest were those two ninth-level geniuses. So I feel that this year’s disciple trial will surely be entertaining.”

“Truly, you can’t judge a person by their appearance,” Song Xiran nodded in agreement, a familiar feeling lingering in her heart, though she still couldn’t recall where she had seen Nangong Huan before.

However, Song Que’s expression darkened slightly as he said, “If the Purple Star is Nangong Qian’er, then Nangong Huan is bound to get into big trouble.”

The existence of the Purple Star affected the fortune of Feng Xuan Kingdom; no one was allowed to bully the Purple Star!

Old Xue and Song Xiran fell silent; the matter of the Purple Star was indeed not to be underestimated. A nation with the Purple Star would have a bright future.

Anyone who dared to harm the Purple Star should be prepared for dire consequences!

Meanwhile, Nangong Qian’er and Wei Yuguang had approached Nangong Huan, smiling lightly as they said, “Sister, I won’t go easy on you in the disciple trial.”

“If we meet, I won’t hold back either,” Wei Yuguang added coldly, still remembering the grudge from the Lingling Pavilion a few days ago.

Ye Wanjun felt angry upon seeing these two. Thinking about how close he had come to being cursed by a bug made him despise them even more.

“You two are so impressive; why don’t you just fly up to the heavens?” Ye Wanjun scoffed, as if anyone could make threats like that.

Nangong Huan smiled sweetly, saying innocently, “Then how about we make a bet?”

The moment the word “bet” was mentioned, Nangong Qian’er and Wei Yuguang’s expressions changed instantly.

The psychological shadow from a few days ago still loomed over them.

“Don’t say that, Ah Huan; they definitely can’t afford to bet,” Ye Wanjun rolled his eyes, unsure if he was provoking them or genuinely mocking them.

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This statement pierced the pride of the two like an arrow.

“Who says we can’t afford to bet!” Wei Yuguang’s face twisted as he recalled the three loud slaps, causing a dull ache in his forehead.

“I’m afraid the one who can’t afford to bet is you, sister,” Nangong Qian’er smiled gently, but her eyes were filled with malice, unwilling to lose face in front of Nangong Huan.

Nangong Huan spread her hands and said, “How could I not afford to bet? I’m just afraid that some people might not honor their debts.”

Nangong Qian’er was so furious that her chest heaved with anger. Why was it that suddenly she was at a disadvantage against this ugly girl? Why could this ugly girl overshadow her?

“We always act fairly and openly. Qian’er is kind-hearted and has always yielded to you. It’s clearly you who are willful and unruly, refusing to change!” Wei Yuguang shouted angrily at Nangong Huan. “It’s a good thing I backed out of our engagement; otherwise, I’d be embarrassed by you!”

His voice was loud enough to attract many onlookers, especially since he and Nangong Qian’er were the “big favorites” of this trial.

But Nangong Huan suddenly changed her demeanor, appearing like a frightened little beast, her eyes shimmering with tears as she clasped her hands to her heart and said, “Why? Why do you have to treat me this way? I’ve already wished you happiness; do you really have to slander me like this?”

Playing the weak? Who can’t do that?

In an instant, the crowd turned their eyes toward the unfolding drama.

Nangong Qian’er was nearly driven to laughter by Nangong Huan’s acting, trembling in rage. This ugly girl’s words nearly shattered her carefully crafted image!

Just as Nangong Qian’er was about to salvage her reputation, Nangong Huan continued, tears flowing as she said, “Qian’er, Yu Guong, I know you two are in love. I’ve even supported you. Why must you insult me in front of me? I truly wish you happiness!”

As she cried, she clutched Ye Wanjun’s sleeve, wiping her tears on it.

Ye Wanjun looked at the dampness on his sleeve, his mouth twitching. Couldn’t she use her own clothes?

Those who had heard some gossip sighed. Nangong Huan had already made concessions; she had even supported them. Why were they still forcing her to be the villain?

On the judging panel, Song Xiran and the others were also gossiping, enjoying the spectacle.

The crowd’s reaction left Nangong Qian’er feeling utterly humiliated and furious. Wei Yuguang’s face turned pale as he realized he might have said something wrong, allowing Nangong Huan to seize the opportunity.

As Nangong Huan continued to cover her face and cry, she secretly stuck her tongue out at the two, further infuriating them. They nearly charged at her but managed to restrain themselves with their rationality.

A glint of malice crossed Nangong Qian’er’s eyes. Once they entered the forest, she would unleash her mother’s curse; she wanted Nangong Huan to suffer unbearably!

Just as the atmosphere grew awkward, the city lord suddenly stood up, putting an end to the farce.

Clearing his throat, the city lord spoke loudly, “Children, I’m very happy to see you all; it feels like I’m witnessing the future of our Jianglou City...”

After some pleasantries, the city lord finally got to the point: “I believe everyone is already aware of the rules of the competition. Each of you has received a red ring. If you find yourself in life-threatening danger and wish to end the trial early, you can activate the red ring, which will take you away. However, the red ring can only be activated once; once used, it means your trial is over.”

“The time limit is three days. We will track you with the red rings, so please do not cheat; otherwise, you will be disqualified and your results canceled. The forest is fraught with danger, and the judging panel will not interfere with your lives; you must prioritize your own safety.”

While this sounded somewhat ruthless, in a world where strength was paramount, no one cared about the life of a small fry.

To ensure fairness in this competition, a large crystal panel was placed in front of the judging panel, allowing everyone present to monitor the status of each disciple at any time.

The content of the disciple trial was to retrieve flags from the bodies of marked spirit beasts. Different spirit beasts bore flags of different colors: yellow for one spirit, blue for two spirits, and red for three spirits. The winner would be determined by the number and level of flags collected.