Chapter 62: Strength Proved and All Doubts Dispelled

The light of the crystal ball illuminated half of the mysterious figure's face, hidden beneath a black veil, pale and sinister.

Slowly channeling spiritual energy into the crystal ball, the entity within it immediately projected a series of blurred images—precisely the moments of Yun Yao interacting with Xiao Bai during the competition, though they had been edited and tampered with to make it appear as though Yun Yao had secretly manipulated Xiao Bai to achieve an irregular victory.

"Everyone, look! This is the proof of her cheating!" the mysterious figure said in a cold, gloating voice tinged with triumph.

At a single glance, Yun Yao saw right through these fabricated images. The editing traces were as crude as a child's play, practically an insult to her intelligence.

She let out a cold laugh inwardly, but maintained an expressionless composure on the outside, letting the flickering light shine upon her face, which only made her appear more aloof and proud.

"Evidence? These are merely pieced-together illusions." Yun Yao's voice was crisp and forceful, carrying an unquestionable firmness. "What on earth is your motive in going to such lengths to forge evidence?"

Taking a step forward, she gazed directly at the mysterious figure, her formidable aura causing the other to instinctively take a step back.

The surrounding murmurs gradually subsided as people began to doubt the mysterious person's motives.

Clearly flustered, the mysterious figure had not expected Yun Yao to expose his tricks so directly.

"You... you're talking nonsense! I saw this with my own eyes!"

"Saw it with your own eyes?" Yun Yao chuckled lightly with a hint of mockery. "Since you saw it with your own eyes, why don't you dare show your true face?"

Rendered speechless by Yun Yao's words, the mysterious figure subconsciously touched the black veil on his face, his eyes shifting nervously.

Whispers broke out among the onlookers, and a growing number of people began to believe that Yun Yao had been wronged.

Elder Su stepped forward to firmly back Yun Yao up, pointing at the mysterious figure as she demanded, "Fellow cultivator, you dare to slander a young disciple like this—do you have concrete proof?"

Realizing his plot had been exposed, the mysterious figure cursed inwardly, searching for an excuse to slip away, when Yun Yao's cool voice rang out once more: "There is no need for you to put on a ghost show any longer. Now, I shall let everyone witness the true strength of Xiao Bai and myself!"

Yun Yao turned around, her gaze falling upon Xiao Bai.

Xiao Bai wagged its tail excitedly, eager to try.

Taking a deep breath, just as she was about to begin the demonstration, Yun Yao sensed an unusual wave of spiritual energy emanating from the crowd.

Almost simultaneously, Xiao Bai's movements suddenly slowed, a noticeable pause interrupting its otherwise fluid motion.

Her heart sinking, Yun Yao traced the source of the spiritual energy fluctuation and locked her gaze upon Senior Brother Lin in the crowd.

He was looking downward, yet the corners of his mouth curled into an imperceptible, cold smirk.

"Senior Brother Lin, what is the meaning of this?" Yun Yao's voice was icy, carrying a warning undertone.

Senior Brother Lin raised his head, feigning a look of complete innocence. "Junior Sister Yun, what are you talking about? I don't understand."

"Feigning ignorance?" Yun Yao sneered. With eyes as sharp as torches, she stared intently at Senior Brother Lin. "Do you really think your little tricks could escape my notice?"

His expression shifting slightly, Senior Brother Lin had not anticipated that Yun Yao would be perceptive enough to detect his covert manipulation.

Gritting his teeth, he forced a facade of composure and retorted, "Junior Sister Yun, you are slandering me!"

Ignoring his sophistry, Yun Yao took a deep breath and suppressed the rising anger within her.

This was not the time to settle accounts; first, she had to prove the strength of herself and Xiao Bai.

"Xiao Bai," Yun Yao whispered gently, her voice tender yet laced with an undeniable determination, "show them our true strength!"

Xiao Bai lifted its head, its eyes flashing with resolute light.

With a long roar toward the skies, a powerful surge of spiritual energy burst forth from its body, causing the surrounding air to seemingly freeze...

"You..." Senior Brother Lin's face drained of color as he pointed a trembling finger at Xiao Bai. "This is impossible..."

A flash of white light enveloped Xiao Bai, and its form rapidly expanded, transforming into an imposing and majestic white tiger!

It roared to the heavens, a deafening sound that shook the firmament and made the nearby leaves tremble violently.

Before this overwhelming pressure, the interfering spiritual energy that Senior Brother Lin had cast upon Xiao Bai shattered into nothingness, like insignificant dust.

Moving with breathtaking agility, Xiao Bai leaped into the air, tracing an elegant arc across the sky.

It tumbled, swooped, and spiraled, every movement fluid, graceful, and brimming with power and beauty.

Exhaling frost from its jaws, it condensed crystal-clear ice flowers in mid-air, which drifted down in flurries like winter snow, ethereal and dreamy.

Upon touching the ground, the ice flowers instantly transformed into sharp blades of ice, precisely shattering several spiritual stones that Senior Brother Lin had concealed around the arena.

These very spirit stones were the key components Senior Brother Lin had used to interfere with Xiao Bai; now utterly destroyed, his conspiracy stood thoroughly exposed.

The spectators, who had been holding their breath, erupted into thunderous applause and gasps of amazement.

"Incredible! That Xiao Bai is actually a divine white tiger beast!" "The power of Junior Sister Yun and Xiao Bai is simply unfathomable!" "This is marvelous, a true visual feast!"

With a complexion as pale as paper, Senior Brother Lin never imagined that the strength of Yun Yao and Xiao Bai would be so immense, nor that his plot would be exposed and dismantled with such ease.

Like a stray dog, he cowered to the back of the crowd, not daring to show his face again.

Gazing at Xiao Bai's magnificent performance, Yun Yao felt her heart swell with pride.

Sensing a warm gaze fixed upon her, she turned her head and saw Jun Mohan standing amidst the crowd, clapping gently with a faint smile gracing his lips.

A surge of warmth flooded Yun Yao's heart.

Words were unnecessary between them; a single glance and a gentle smile were enough to convey their profound affection.

Everyone around them could feel the palpable love flowing between the pair, and envious gazes were cast toward the matched lovers.

With a soft smile, Yun Yao opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly sensed a wave of intense murderous intent erupting from the crowd...

"Who goes there?" Jun Mohan bellowed sharply, his gaze sweeping across the crowd like lightning.

The tacit and flawless cooperation between Yun Yao and Xiao Bai had been as smooth as flowing water, winning the approval of the vast majority.

Yet, there were always a few "discordant" notes, buzzing persistently like bothersome mosquitoes that refused to leave.

"Hmph, nothing more than a cheap trick. Who knows if it was drilled in advance?" A harsh, shrill voice pierced through the crowd, shattering the preceding harmony.

The speaker was a woman dressed in opulent attire, her eyes flashing with jealousy and her tone dripping with disdain.

Promptly, another chimed in, "Indeed. The spirit pet competition is about impromptu performance, not a rehearsed show."

Listening to these skeptical remarks, Yun Yao felt a trace of irritation rise within her.

These people were like buzzing flies, droning endlessly and cluttering the mind.

Nonetheless, taking a deep breath to quell her impatience, she maintained a faint, composed smile.

"Since you all believe this was pre-arranged, how about we try a different method?" Yun Yao's crisp voice resonated across the plaza, instantly capturing everyone's attention.

"Oh? What method?" The previously skeptical woman raised an eyebrow.

With a slight smile, Yun Yao swept her gaze across the crowd and slowly stated, "Why don't you all designate Xiao Bai's next moves yourselves? How does that sound?"

An uproar swept through the audience at these words.

Allowing the spectators to dictate the movements undoubtedly raised the difficulty of the challenge, while better showcasing the profound bond between Yun Yao and Xiao Bai.

The crowd murmured amongst themselves; some admired Yun Yao's courage, while others eagerly waited for her to make a fool of herself.

"Very well! I'd like to see what tricks you can pull off!" The woman who had spoken first stepped forward, pointing toward a towering ancient tree at the edge of the plaza. "Make your Xiao Bai climb to the top of that tree, then leap down and catch a jade pendant that I will throw."

This request appeared simple on the surface, but harbored hidden difficulty.

The ancient tree had an exceedingly smooth trunk, making it hard for ordinary beings to climb, let alone a spirit pet.

To leap from the crown of the tree and catch a falling pendant demanded supreme precision and reaction speed.

At this, the corners of Yun Yao's lips curled upward into a confident smile.

Turning to Xiao Bai, she whispered softly, "Xiao Bai, did you hear that?"

Wagging its tail excitedly, Xiao Bai let out a low growl, as if acknowledging Yun Yao's command.

With a single bound, its agile form scaled the tree like a bolt of white lightning, reaching the summit in the blink of an eye.

At the sight, gasps of astonishment rose from the spectators.

Observing the trajectory of the jade pendant from the treetop, Xiao Bai waited for the exact instant it reached its peak and began to fall. Then, launching itself forward like a streak of white light, it swooped down from the crown.

With a soft thud, Xiao Bai landed steadily on the ground, holding the jade pendant firmly within its claws.

Silence descended upon the entire arena, everyone utterly stunned by Xiao Bai's breathtaking display.

At that exact moment, an immortal sect disciple hurried over and whispered a few words into Jun Mohan's ear.

Jun Mohan's expression instantly darkened into solemnity as he turned his gaze toward Yun Yao.

"Yun Yao," Jun Mohan said in a deep voice, "news has just arrived from the higher-ups of the immortal sect..."