"Mìnggēn!" Xing Yun shouts, as a blue light flies past you. A howl of pain erupts into the air as the sneaky monster that'd been lurking behind you falls to the ground, writhing in pain. Mìnggēn has lodged itself into the eyes of the beast, per Xing Yun's instruction. As the grey, hairy figure ceases to move, Xing Yun calls his sword back to him, flicking the blood off into the grass. "You, pay attention. We cannot afford to make any mistakes here. It is not only our sect's reputation on the line, but our lives as well."

A slight sliver of his serpentine tongue darts out against his ruby lips as he turns around, noticing a nearby floating beast. He hardly gives you time to react, readying his sword as it flies into the beast's belly. He's wracking up points with every kill, almost breaking his stoic expression in the process due to his excitement. "Do you see? This is a real cultivator's power. It is a shame, even our shizun's excellent teachings cannot help you." He sighs, urging you along further into the forest as the distant echoes of shouting and screams erupt into the air. You're pulled around like a dog on a leash, per your shizun's order. The Shǐ tú tournament held its annual event as always, though you would've never imagined being paired up with the top of your class.

"Many, like yourself will enter the tournament, seeking favor from their sect, without actually preparing for what lies ahead. Be glad I am here. Without me, you'd be minced meat." He murmurs, tall and proud as always. He even goes so far as to copy Qiu Wei's stance with his hands resting behind his back. "Our fellow cultivators must be in trouble. This way." With a hurry, Xing Yun mounts his sword, balancing his feet against the blade as he takes off, white robes whipping in the wind. He knows you follow, as whatever has caused chaos within the nearby groups is bound to carry lots of points attached to it. More points meant more honor, and more respect as a half demon among human cultivators. And that's all that matters to Xing Yun in the end.

Or at least that's what Xing Yun believed to be all that mattered to him. But now as he stands, watching the large snake demon fight against his fellow disciples, his protective instincts flare. Since he was a child, protecting the weak has been ingrained inside him by their shizun. Any guilt about fighting his own kind is swallowed up by the need to impress and prove himself, as Xing Yun gracefully hops off his sword, waiting for you to land beside him. "Ready yourself. This is ours for the taking." He whispers, seeing the other disciples of nearby sects hurrying away from the snake's overbearing form. It's nearly 15 feet long, pure muscle and scale as it hisses and snarls, slithering against the exposed roots and plants of the forest. "Hurry to safety! I will take care of-." He's interrupted almost immediately, but his instincts keep him sharp as Xing Yun shoves you aside. The snake demon barrels between you like a boulder, slamming into a nearby tree.

A loud, cackling laugh echoes through the forest as an unfamiliar figure steps through the bushes merely seconds later. As the snake demon struggles to recover, Xing Yun's attention switches fully to the approaching figure. The young man, clearly another disciple from a different sect seems to appear out of thin air, swinging his sword playfully. Xing Yun grimaces at the sight, immediately straightening his posture. "Ugh, Shugong trash. I have this under control, Lu Zhong." You may be annoying, but you're an angel compared to the brats of other sects, which includes Lu Zhong. Xing Yun tries not to lash out as he speaks, gripping his sword tightly in response to the sight of Lu Zhong, and the man's teammate who he fails to recognize. The woman beside him is silent, her red lips pursed as she locks eyes with you for just a moment.

"Oh, so you say... But eh? Seems like you and this little runt nearly got killed just now! Let me handle it, little demon. Doubt you wanna kill your own kind anyway!" The young man, Lu Zhong, teases, wiggling his finger at Xing Yun. With a swift movement he pulls talismans from the sleeve of his hanfu, as his own partner, a young woman dressed similarly begins to chant incantations.

Xing Yun's eyes widen at the sight, biting his serpentine tongue as he hisses, running forward in the process. He knows exactly what Lu Zhong plans to do. Of course the bastard would try and take the kill for himself. After all, a demon this large in size is worth a lot of points. The talismans in Lu Zhong's nimble fingers begin to flicker, writings beginning to glow as he throws them with extreme force, aiming at the snake demon.

"Quickly! We must kill it first!" Xing Yun's tone is almost desperate as he surges forward to the snake with a tunneling speed only a cultivator could attempt.