Chapter 1032: Chapter 1032: Startled When Saw Her In That State

The buy-in was set at ten contribution points per vote. Participants simply had to choose and lock in the name of the fighter they firmly believed would win if the two powerhouses ever met in open battle.

The atmosphere across the school instantly became incredibly lively. Many ordinary students who did not know Bai Xifeng personally chose Yan Linkai without a single moment of hesitation. From their perspective, it was simply the only logical, safe choice to make.

Yan Linkai had been universally recognised as one of the absolute strongest, most untouchable students in the school for years. Meanwhile, Bai Xifeng had only enrolled a short while ago. No matter how monstrously talented she proved to be, many older disciples firmly believed she could not possibly surpass someone of Yan Linkai’s calibre so quickly.

However, the specific group of people who knew Bai Xifeng personally made a completely, radically different choice. Without any hesitation or doubt, they threw all their points and voted for Bai Xifeng. They had witnessed her terrifying, logic-defying strength firsthand. Among them, Ning Shoukai and the prominent members of the Xie Family were especially confident in her abilities.

In fact, Ning Shoukai publicly and loudly announced to the crowd that he fully intended to place multiple premium votes on her name. Naturally, he was not doing it solely because he blindly believed in Bai Xifeng’s victory.

He was also actively scheming to earn a massive windfall of points for his own future cultivation resources. Whether Bai Xifeng ultimately won or lost the tournament, he fully intended to profit handsomely from the chaos somehow.

Meanwhile, Bai Xifeng remained completely and utterly unaware of the massive gambling ring forming behind her back. She had already sprinted all the way across the campus, heading straight back to the safety of the Inscriber Division.

When Ji Yuan saw her current, ragged state, the colour immediately drained from his face. Without a single second’s thought or hesitation, he moved, rushing toward her at a blinding speed.

Bai Xifeng was genuinely startled by his sudden movement. One brief moment, Ji Yuan had been standing completely frozen in the far distance of the room. The very next millisecond, he was suddenly standing right in front of her face, his breathing shallow.

"What on earth is going on?" Ji Yuan demanded, his voice dropping low. "What happened to you out there? How did you allow yourself to end up in this state? Are you severely injured anywhere?!"

The frantic questions came flying out one after another without a single pause for breath. Before Bai Xifeng could even properly process his words or react, Ji Yuan had already firmly grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her closer as he carefully and frantically scanned her from head to toe. For perhaps the very first time since she had ever met him, his usually calm, completely detached face showed obvious, raw worry.

"Teacher Ji, calm down, I am completely fine." Bai Xifeng quickly reassured him, raising her hands to pat his arm. "I am not actually injured anymore. I already drank several high-grade healing elixirs before walking back."

Even as she answered his frantic questions, she could not help but observe him closely. Something about him felt entirely different right now. Very different. Normally, Ji Yuan was aloof, stoic, and emotionally distant from everything around him. Yet right now, looking into his eyes, she could clearly see multiple intense, turbulent emotions reflected in his pupils.

Fear. Absolute worry. Deep-seated pain.

The sight genuinely surprised her to her core. She could not easily understand what could have possibly caused her usually detached, emotionless teacher to react this strongly to a few superficial cuts.

"Are you absolutely sure you are fine?" Ji Yuan asked again, his voice tight as his grip on her shoulders tightened slightly, as if checking to ensure she was real.

"Yes, I am sure." Bai Xifeng nodded firmly, meeting his gaze.

Only after hearing her explicit confirmation did the immense tension leave Ji Yuan’s frame, and he finally seemed to relax.

"I see..." Ji Yuan slowly released the heavy breath he had been holding. "Then go and change into a fresh set of clothes first. Come right back here afterwards."

As he spoke, he gently let go of her shoulders and stepped back.

"Alright." Bai Xifeng nodded obediently. "I also happen to have something important I want to ask you, Teacher Ji."

After saying that, she immediately left the main hall and headed back to her private room to wash up and change out of her torn, bloodstained clothes.

Ji Yuan remained standing completely still where he was in the centre of the quiet area. After Bai Xifeng’s figure fully disappeared from his sight, he slowly took a deep, shaky breath, closing his eyes. His hands unconsciously clenched into tight, trembling fists at his sides.

Seeing Bai Xifeng covered in fresh blood and jagged wounds had violently triggered traumatic memories he had long tried to bury deep within his soul. Memories of a loss that he had never truly been able to forget. And tragic memories that still relentlessly haunted his steps to this very day.

After changing into a fresh, clean set of clothes, Bai Xifeng returned to the main hall to meet Ji Yuan just as she had promised him earlier. As soon as she arrived, she immediately noticed him sitting completely quietly in his usual spot.

Ji Yuan’s gaze was fixed intently on the bamboo forest in the distance. However, his eyes seemed entirely unfocused, as though he were looking straight through the swaying bamboo rather than actually at it. It was glaringly obvious to her that he was lost deep in thought.

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