Chapter 2297 Sadness, We Lost

"The cultivation world is incredibly cruel; fair battles are rare. Although my actions were inappropriate, I have ultimately won. Fellow disciples, don't you agree?"

Xiao Junchou turned to look at everyone, his voice booming.

The crowd remained silent, their eyes filled with disdain.

"Junior Brother Yu, what do you think?"

Since no one else agreed, Xiao Junchou had no choice but to call on someone.

Suddenly, Yu Chenran became the center of attention.

Yu Chenran cursed inwardly, realizing he only wanted to watch the excitement for a while and didn't want to get involved.

"I do not know."

Feeling the gazes directed at him, Yu Chenran gave a perfunctory response.

"Junior Brother Sun, did I win this exchange of sparring and discussion?"

Immediately afterwards, Xiao Junchou shifted his gaze to another person.

An elderly man dressed in a dark brocade robe, his face grim, stammered, "This... I don't know."

He didn't want to offend Xiao Junchou, and even less did he want to provoke Yan Ximeng. Therefore, playing dumb was the best approach.

Xiao Junchou asked several people in a row, but all of them gave perfunctory answers.

Faced with this situation, Xiao Junchou was prepared and remained calm, showing no anger. He glanced at the crowd and said righteously, "The facts are right in front of you, yet you refuse to acknowledge them. What's the point?"

Several black lines appeared on the faces of Yu Chenran and the others: "..."

Strictly speaking, Xiao Junchou did win. However, the way he won was rather ugly and despicable.

"The outcome is decided, no further words are needed. Senior sister, do you accept it?"

Other people's opinions don't matter; what matters is Yan Ximeng's attitude.

Knowing the effects of the medicine were about to wear off, Xiao Junchou stared directly at the beautiful woman in front of him, their eyes meeting, filled with emotion.

Yan Ximeng pursed her lips tightly and remained silent.

The atmosphere was quiet, and the situation was unclear.

After waiting for several breaths, Yan Ximeng still didn't speak. A hint of sadness flashed across Xiao Junchou's eyes as he thought, "Fine, let's leave it at that!"

After persisting for so many years, it still ended in failure.

This life is destined to be filled with regrets and never to be fulfilling.

In that brief moment, Xiao Junchou thought about many things. His energy and spirit seemed to have been drained, and another strand of frost appeared at his temples.

"Disperse!"

Xiao Junchou waved his sleeve.

The overwhelming sword intent that had been imprisoning Yan Ximeng receded like the tide.

The effects of the medicine hadn't worn off yet; there were still at least several dozen breaths left. However, Xiao Junchou stopped trying to persuade him and withdrew early, as if to preserve the last bit of his dignity.

Xiao Junchou gazed deeply at Yan Ximeng, as if it were the last moment of his life.

Reluctant to part, filled with affection.

After all these years of dragging things out, it's time to end this.

The falling flowers are full of affection, but the flowing water is heartless. Continuing this entanglement will only be torture for both of us, and will only increase our sorrow.

Ah! Life!

Many thoughts raced through Xiao Junchou's mind as he reminisced about the past and lamented the meaning of life. He had already made up his mind to leave Dao Yi Academy soon and go to a place unknown to anyone to live in seclusion, cultivate, and end the rest of his life.

As they parted, Xiao Junchou took one last look at the beauty he had loved his entire life, engraving her face deeply into his mind, a memory he would never forget, even as his life came to an end.

Hey!

Having sheathed his swordsmanship and supernatural abilities, Xiao Junchou said no more and slowly turned to walk into the distance.

As they watched his receding figure, the contempt in their eyes gradually diminished.

"If he weren't deeply in love, why would Senior Brother Xiao have gone to such lengths?"

Someone muttered something under their breath.

"Yes! Senior Brother Xiao resorted to such underhanded tactics to defeat Senior Sister, even though he knew it would affect his lifelong reputation."

Perhaps seeing Xiao Junchou's lonely and desolate figure touched everyone's hearts. After putting themselves in his shoes, they asked themselves if they could do the same.

"We're not young anymore, we can't afford to wait any longer."

An elder sighed softly as he recalled the details of Xiao Junchou's pursuit of Yan Ximeng.

Although the whispers of the crowd reached Yan Ximeng's ears clearly.

In fact, without needing anyone to remind her, Yan Ximeng understood how deep Xiao Junchou's feelings for her were.

Especially the look in Xiao Junchou's eyes before he turned around was very indifferent.

The more mundane something is, the more it reveals.

Based on Yan Ximeng's understanding of Xiao Junchou, this guy will most likely leave this place and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, will not return.

The thought of never having Xiao Junchou by her side again caused Yan Ximeng's heart to ache.

When it comes to matters of the heart, how could Yan Ximeng not understand? If she didn't have Xiao Junchou in her heart, how could she have stayed by his side all this time?

Yan Ximeng was a very proud woman. In her youth, she made a bold promise that her future partner must be better than herself. She even made a bet with Xiao Junchou, agreeing to become his Daoist partner and stay together until old age if he won.

Unfortunately, Xiao Junchou has never succeeded. He has been dragging it out until now, his youth has passed, and his temples are gray.

Their remaining lifespan is less than ten thousand years.

"My skills are not good enough, and I failed to see through your tricks. I have indeed lost."

Perhaps it was a calm acceptance of success or failure, or perhaps it was an unwillingness to let the person in front of her leave, but Yan Ximeng broke her silence, gazing at Xiao Junchou's back, suppressing all her emotions, and speaking in a calm tone.

Tick ​​tock!

These words, like a drop of water falling from the sky, landed in the heart of Xiao Junchou, causing ripples to appear on the calm surface.

What appears to be an admission of defeat actually contains a deeper meaning.

Xiao Junchou stopped in his tracks, the gloom in his eyes vanished, replaced by unprecedented surprise and excitement.

He suddenly turned around and met Yan Ximeng's gaze from afar.

After looking at each other for a long time, he said, "Senior sister, if you lose, will our agreement still stand?"

Yan Ximeng was not at peace inside, but her face remained indifferent: "In my entire life, I have never broken a contract."

The implied meaning needs no explanation.

Having received a definite answer, a myriad of emotions surged within Xiao Junchou. His body trembled uncontrollably, his lips quivered, and his eyes reddened slightly.

He has finally waited for this day!

If it weren't for the large crowd, Xiao Junchou would probably have already walked up to Yan Ximeng and shamelessly reached out to hug her.

Time seemed to stand still at this moment; the two looked at each other, and everything was understood without words.

The figures of the past and the present overlap, a glance spanning eternity, a snap of the fingers.

The two had shed their youthful naiveté, their eyes now filled with the vicissitudes of life.

Those present witnessed this scene and couldn't help but smile, offering their sincere blessings.

Some people say, "Although the process was a bit rough, the ending was still pretty good."

Just when everyone thought the matter was over and everyone was happy, Yan Ximeng's eyes suddenly turned sharp, and she questioned, "Such methods definitely weren't your doing. Tell me the truth, who was helping you?"

Yan Ximeng admitted defeat, but that doesn't mean the matter is over.

Each code should be kept separate and not confused.

Xiao Junchou was stunned, unsure how to answer: "Uh... this..."