I Just Wanted To Live but I Somehow Became Better Than the Protagonist

Back and forth, perhaps it’s best to let things unfold naturally. The will of heaven is inescapable; one can dodge the first day of the month but not the fifteenth. Rather than planting hidden dangers for the future, Ye Yong preferred to resolve the issue now.

After a few more rounds, when the Qin Empress took the stage, the crowd suddenly came alive, especially the male cultivators. It wasn’t that there hadn’t been female disciples on stage before, but in terms of appearance and aura, none could compare to the Qin Empress.

Her opponent was a male cultivator, his face flushed with shyness, unable to meet Qin Shiming’s gaze.

Qin Shiming wore a blank expression, possessing celestial-level heart techniques, and with the resources she had obtained, she had already cultivated to the eighth layer of crystallization. Since Ye Yong had crossed over, it had only been half a year; from the sixth layer of foundation to the eighth layer of crystallization, a significant leap. The female protagonist was also a main character; without external limitations, her growth rate was terrifyingly fast. This was still the result of her deliberately delaying breakthroughs to solidify her foundation; otherwise, her realm would only rise.

With no unnecessary moves, the duel began. Qin Shiming unleashed a frost-cold sword aura, sending her opponent, who was only at the fourth layer of crystallization, flying out of the arena.

The speed of the conclusion left everyone stunned; by the time they reacted, Qin Shiming had already turned and left.

“Such a fast and domineering sword aura! Qin Shimei must have comprehended the Golden Core Sword Intent; her cultivation is above the sixth layer of crystallization,” one sharp-eyed senior brother commented.

“Who do you think is stronger, her or Ye Yong?”

“Without a doubt, it’s Qin Shimei.”

“Nonsense! It’s clearly Ye Shidi!” a senior sister retorted.

“Long hair, short sight. Qin Shimei is a direct disciple of Elder An! Ye Yong is merely a practitioner of sound and painting; in the presence of true sword cultivators, he’s nothing!”

“I can’t just pretend I didn’t hear that!”

Among the new male and female disciples, Ye Yong and Qin Shidream stood at the forefront, and it was only natural for them to be compared.

However, the argument didn’t last long before they saw Qin Shidream walk towards Ye Yong and sit beside him. In that moment, they suddenly realized that debating this was utterly unnecessary.

—

13 The Joy of the Yellow-Haired

The relationship between Qin Shidream and Ye Yong was somewhat known among the disciples of Tianluo Sect. It was a tale of family engagement followed by a broken betrothal. While the reasons for the annulment remained unclear, it seemed that their bond had deepened significantly afterward. Qin Shidream visiting Ye Yong at the Sound and Painting Hall was not a rare occurrence; during the Spring Festival, she even stayed as a guest at the Ye family for several days.

As for rekindling an old flame after a broken engagement? Such things were uncommon, yet there had been precedents, so no one could be certain of how Ye Yong and Qin Shidream would fare. From the current perspective, a trend was already emerging.

“It’s been quite a while since we last met,” Ye Yong remarked. He had been in seclusion for two months, and so had Qin Shidream; there was a time difference between them. Some cultivators, let alone two months, often went years or even decades without seeing one another.

“Mm…” Qin Shidream sat down beside him, simply wishing to avoid the discussions around her and Ye Yong, for she was well aware of who was stronger and who was weaker.

The senior sisters and younger sisters of the Sound and Painting Hall were also aware of her closeness to Ye Yong, so they consciously made space for her.

“What’s your current cultivation level?” Ye Yong set up a barrier formation between them; it was necessary for him to understand Qin Shidream’s situation well.

“Crystal Stage, Level Eight.” Qin Shidream did not hold back in front of Ye Yong.

“Wow, that’s quite high.” Ye Yong felt a wave of pressure. In the novels, Qin Shidream had only reached Level Six during her competitions within the sect. Although the reality wasn’t far off, Ye Yong knew that she must have been suppressing her growth speed; otherwise, she would have reached the Golden Core stage long ago. Even now, at Level Eight, he believed she could hold her own against early-stage Golden Core opponents.

“And you?”

“Level Five, Peak.” His cultivation barely kept pace with the mainstream, and Ye Yong felt no pride in it. He knew exactly how he had grown. While others had to comprehend the sword and practice it, he only needed to spend all his time on cultivation, ignoring everything else. With resources aplenty, he had only reached this level. After reaching Level Ten in the Crystal Stage, there would still be another ten levels waiting for him, pulling him further away from the mainstream cultivation path. Just thinking about it was exhausting.

Qin Shidream had heard Ye Yong speak of his situation before and noticed the worry in his eyes. She spoke softly, “There’s no need to worry too much. You possess a foundation far more solid than ordinary cultivators. Below the Golden Core, who would dare to call themselves your opponent? Even early-stage Golden Core foes would struggle to gain an advantage over you. Once you break through to Golden Core, you should possess the strength of the Nascent Soul. Even against early-stage Nascent Soul enemies, you could catch them off guard.”

In simpler terms, it’s like playing the pig to eat the tiger; if it were the protagonist, they’d surely revel in it. The problem is, Ye Yong is the villain. Just look at the enemies he’s stirred up during his crystallization phase—those who can easily reach the Nascent Soul stage, their realms far surpassing his. There’s no dimming of intelligence here; they won’t come one by one to deliver themselves. With enough firepower and numbers, he simply cannot play the pig to eat the tiger.

“Having a higher realm is indeed crucial,” Ye Yong mused, gazing into the future. There would surely be secret realms with cultivation restrictions, like those barring entry to anyone below the Golden Core stage. What if Ye Yong happened to be stuck at the twentieth layer of crystallization? Would he just watch as the protagonist sauntered in to seize all the opportunities? Watching the protagonist grow would be more painful than his own regression in cultivation.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Qin Shiming dreamed of alleviating Ye Yong’s burdens, but she was just an eighteen-year-old girl, her cultivation and experience lacking. She truly didn’t know what she could offer.

Ye Yong glanced at Qin Shiming, pondering for a moment. “If there’s a secret realm I can’t enter in the future… could you go in and retrieve the opportunities for me?”

“Of course! Just say the word, and I’ll set off immediately.”

This was a good plan. Qin Shiming possessed celestial techniques and cultivated quickly. If Ye Yong’s cultivation truly lagged behind in the future, he could use her to cut off the protagonist’s opportunities. But how would the system judge that…? Hmm? Why did it feel like a well-trained heroine was helping the blonde guy, inadvertently setting a trap for the protagonist?

Ye Yong didn’t see himself as the blonde guy; after all, the protagonist hadn’t even interacted with the heroine. The story had ended before it even began. Having read the script was his advantage; he wouldn’t just stand by knowing there was a gold mine ahead, waiting for others to dig it up.

In any case, Ye Yong wouldn’t do something as foolish as that. He chatted with Qin Shiming a bit longer about sword intent, and as the duel approached its climax, a strikingly handsome male cultivator caught his attention.

Without a doubt, this was the relatively low-key prodigy—the one who had claimed first place in the competition.

From the Ming Dynasty, Hou Li Xie of the Hou family.

The Hou family’s overall strength surpassed that of the Ye family, boasting two Void Refinement experts. Hou Li Xie was the son of the current family head, gifted and unassuming. Among a crowd of self-important young masters, he was an anomaly. After defeating the protagonist in the duel, he recognized the protagonist’s potential and became a companion. When the Ye family targeted the protagonist, he even helped in secret.

Unfortunately, despite his admirable character and talent, he ended up walking alongside the protagonist, squandering a bright future.

Unsurprisingly, Hou Li Xie effortlessly defeated his opponent. Perhaps influenced by Ye Yong, these formidable seed candidates didn’t showcase their full strength.

As the fifty rounds of duels concluded, a brief intermission began. The overseers discussed the current levels displayed by each disciple and drafted the list for the next round.

“This Long Tian has some skill; he’s the only outer sect disciple to break into the top hundred.”

“Why is someone like him an outer sect disciple?”

“He only reached the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment during the sect entrance test. Though he has a five-colored foundation, he’s a loose cultivator. Who knows how high his comprehension is? That’s why he was assigned to the outer sect. Regardless of how far he goes or what rank he achieves, once this competition ends, he’ll definitely be an inner sect disciple.”

“Who should he face next? Should we pick someone strong to test his level?”