Tian Xiaolu's choice!
It all hinged on what she decided. But, regardless of whether she chose to remove the shared property status of the Pure Excellence Cauldron, Qingye Ying had lost all rights to her inherited legacy! A disastrous outcome that left many speechless.
Like mortals in a mortal city governed by a mortal government, very few cultivators were deeply aware of the intricate rulings and wordings of the Endless Voyage Realm's laws, the realm otherwise known as the World Between the Fold. It was obscure at times, convoluted in certain places, and heavily open to interpretation. Most of the time, these laws simply didn't apply or affect them their entire lives.
Just the concept of shared property was something everyone avoided. As cultivators, greed and desire were intricately woven into their mentality, and sharing was as disease-ridden of a concept to them as a plague.
At the moment, Wei Wuyin carried the faintest of frowns. °Strange. But this does support my original theory.° Having abruptly lost his chance to possess the Pure Excellence Cauldron, Wei Wuyin's heart didn't ravage itself with a sense of loss or irritated frustration, only accepting that this was Tian Xiaolu's opportunity, and Qingye Ying was merely a delivery tool.
After all, even he felt something was off without any outside influences warning him, yet Qingye Ying wasn't even given a warning that made her hesitate to surrender. While she wasn't a Blessed, perhaps she didn't have the key to the legacy, and he was overthinking it. Her job was done, and the Heavenly Daos no longer needed her.
Wei Wuyin's thinking here wasn't abnormal given what he understood of the Heavenly Daos, but it was wrong. The Heavenly Daos' influence wasn't omnipotent, and a person's will could be terrifyingly powerful to ignore any lingering hints or feelings instilled into them by these forces. To put it simply, Qingye Ying was warned, but she wasn't willing to listen.
She only wanted to share the Pure Excellence Cauldron with Wei Wuyin to repay a debt of gratitude she held strongly in her heart. Not even the Heavenly Daos was strong enough to divert that emotional willpower, and it didn't have nearly enough time to expend Tian Xiaolu's Karmic Luck Value to affect the situation.
As for warning Wei Wuyin to challenge Tian Xiaolu instead? The Heavenly Daos had limitations, and one of those prevented it from deliberately pitting two of its Blessed against each other. This type of 'resisted' interference occurred with Long Chen, Lin Ming, Yuan Longshi, Jing Jiu, and even Wei Wuyin whenever he met other Blessed. They had all acted using their own will, merely given the slightest warning due to having less Karmic Luck than the other Blessed. But this warning was not very strong, and it was like a casual itch that could be easily dealt with using one's fingernails—insignificant and immemorable.
"..." Tian Xiaolu was in the spotlight. She was now given a choice that would determine if two others, excluding Qingye Ying, would have the right to fight for a third of the ownership of the Pure Excellence Cauldron or be its sole owner until Qingye Ying was given another opportunity to claim it through an official challenge. A challenge that couldn't be taken for a few years!
Of course, many knew what she would choose, but the blazing hope in their hearts remained constantly throbbing. What if…just what if? Qiao Leng's eyes were wide with a barely concealed pleading hope to the heavens that Tian Xiaolu wasn't selfish, that her benevolence was as outstandingly heaven-defying as her beauty!
Please!
Liu Suyin's indifferent eyes glazed with an icy chill suffused with dissatisfaction. That elf had essentially ripped Wei Wuyin's opportunity out of his hands! She didn't know why she was worked up about it, but she couldn't resist feeling a dislike towards this elf.
While everyone else had their own thoughts, Qingye Ying was feeling the most shaken. Her ears were ringing with a sound of pounding regret. She only meant to help Wei Wuyin, to allow him to share in the inheritance, but she had instead taken it out of both of their hands! If she had only taken time to think! She had felt that something was wrong, that something might happen, but she ignored it because she wanted to help.
The road to hell was always paved by good intentions for others and oneself.
Now, Qingye Ying would have to wait years to challenge Tian Xiaolu. Unfortunately, Tian Xiaolu now had access to the Pure Excellence Cauldron, and she was older, stronger, was a human, and would definitely be given all sorts of care from people unwilling to allow her to reclaim the cauldron.
A few years?
She might never reclaim it!
She barely eked out a tie after giving it her all! She wasn't a fool…the chances of retaking the cauldron in her lifetime were non-existent unless Tian Xiaolu died…
She had an urge to cry, but no tea-wait…her eyes were already wet and glistening. She was on the verge of crying!
Suddenly, she felt a rush of wind by her. She lifted her head to see a handsome face that seemed to exist only in stories about immortals, carrying a comforting smile and an at-eased expression. That person didn't say anything, merely touched her shoulder lightly and gave a soft nod and a light exhale.
She didn't know why, unable to fathom it at all, but her heart that felt as if it was filling with lead by the second got lighter, and her eyes blinked themselves dry. She deeply inhaled, straightened her posture, and inhaled out a turbid breath.
A single touch, a single smile, and a single breath had allowed her to regain her confidence.
In truth, Wei Wuyin still didn't know about Qingye Ying's gratitude, but he understood her feelings of regretting an action that was made with only good will and intentions. While she lost her chance at her inherited legacy, Wei Wuyin lost his entire family.
And as expected, shattering the hearts of the top experts, Tian Xiaolu declared: "I'll dissolve the shared property title for the Pure Excellence Cauldron." That was it. Enough to drain the hopes from Qiao Leng and the other Mortal Sovereign Alchemists' eyes. There was no avenue left to fight for it. The cauldron would belong to Tian Xiaolu until Qingye Ying won it through the only official way allowed.
The three judges conferred with each other for a long moment before nodding in agreement and acceptance. "Then, the conclusion of this challenge has come to an end!" Their voices were unified, harmonious, and sonorous. The hype in everyone's hearts died down, and the crowd with things to do began to leave.