Chapter 532 - 182: Standing Up for Master

He felt he had benefited immensely, as if a brand-new door to the world of martial arts had been opened for him. He was certain that when he returned to his training, his progress in the three True Skills would advance by leaps and bounds.

Bai Bing’s robes draped elegantly as her cool, clear voice slowly echoed through the hall. "That is all for today’s instruction. You may leave. Once you return, be sure to review and solidify everything I have told you."

Filled with gratitude, Yang Jing quickly bowed. "Thank you, Master, for your dedicated instruction!" he said respectfully.

With that, he bowed deeply once more before turning to leave the Lingxi Great Hall.

The doors to the hall closed softly, and silence once again descended upon the Lingxi Great Hall, leaving only Bai Bing seated upon the high seat.

She slowly closed her eyes, reopening them a moment later. Her eyes narrowed, and a flash of unconcealable surprise finally broke through her usually placid, indifferent gaze.

Because of her initial bet with Peak Master Zhenyue, Bai Bing had started paying closer attention to Yang Jing.

She later discovered that while Yang Jing’s innate aptitude wasn’t high, his talent in other areas was exceptional. This greatly piqued Bai Bing’s interest, and she took him in as her disciple.

Even now, driven by curiosity, Bai Bing would often secretly observe Yang Jing.

She had discovered that his cultivation speed was astonishing. In a remarkably short time, he had broken through to the Qi Eating Realm with two core True Skills: the Mountain-Breaking Seal and the Indestructible True Skill.

Such talent and perseverance were exceedingly rare, even within the entire Xuanzhen Sect.

It was precisely because she understood Yang Jing’s current strength that she dared to set such demanding terms for her bet with Peak Master Zhenyue, Qin Gang.

She was confident that with Yang Jing’s current strength, he had an excellent chance of reaching the top eight of the Fushan tournament, and even possessed the potential to vie for a higher ranking.

However, Bai Bing also knew that as strong as Yang Jing was, he wasn’t the only prodigy in the Xuanzhen Sect.

Chu Yunhai of Celestial Derivation Peak, Bai Ziyu of Thunder Peak, and Lu Shaohua of Qingxu Peak were all top figures on the Hidden Dragon List. Each had cultivated more than one True Skill to the Qi Eating Realm, and their foundations were frighteningly solid.

Furthermore, they had spent far more time honing their skills in the Qi Eating Realm than Yang Jing. They had long since cultivated at least two True Skills to the Peak of Qi Eating Realm. Their Inner Qi was abundant, their techniques were flawless, and their combat experience far surpassed that of Yang Jing, who had only recently achieved his breakthrough.

In Bai Bing’s estimation, Yang Jing could likely break into the top five by relying on his two Qi Eating Realm True Skills, combined with his own perceptiveness and tenacity. But as for cracking the top three, his chances were extremely slim—next to none, in fact.

Yet, while instructing Yang Jing just now, Bai Bing had been startled to discover that his progress on the *River-Crossing Art*—a new, mid-grade Body Technique he had recently acquired—was also astonishingly fast.

It was clear Yang Jing had invested considerable effort into this particular art.

An even deeper glint of surprise flashed in Bai Bing’s eyes as a bold, almost outrageous thought surfaced uncontrollably in her mind.

’Yang Jing is steady by nature. He wouldn’t waste his efforts on something useless. Why would he pour so much energy into the *River-Crossing Art*? What is he trying to achieve?’

’Could he... could he be planning to master the *River-Crossing Art* to the Qi Eating Realm before the Fushan tournament finals?’

The moment the thought occurred to her, even Bai Bing herself found it incredible.

’But if he can truly pull it off... with three Qi Eating Realm arts at his command—the Indestructible True Skill for defense, the Mountain-Breaking Seal for offense, and the *River-Crossing Art* for movement—his offense and defense would be perfectly integrated. He could advance and retreat as he pleased.’

’At that point, even against the likes of Chu Yunhai, Bai Ziyu, and Lu Shaohua, Yang Jing would be their superior. He would even have a real shot at taking first place in the Fushan tournament!’

But at this thought, Bai Bing slowly shook her head, the anticipation in her eyes gradually giving way to reason.

She had gone through that stage herself and knew full well how tenacious the bottleneck before the Qi Eating Realm could be.

For a prodigy, that threshold wasn’t insurmountably difficult, but it was by no means easy to cross. It required not only a deep foundation but also a flash of insight or a moment of epiphany.

Even with Yang Jing’s exceptional talent and profound foundation, breaking through with two True Skills in such a short time was already astonishing.

Trying to push a third True Skill to the Qi Eating Realm in such a short span was nothing short of a pipe dream. It was simply too difficult.

...

「The next day.」

As day broke, Fushan Square was already a sea of people, with banners and flags fluttering in the wind.

Disciples from the various peaks had gathered early in their designated areas. The air, filled with discussion and cheers, was even more electric than during the previous two rounds.

After all, the further into the tournament, the more the matches became clashes between masters, and the more spectacular they became.

The matches proceeded in an orderly fashion, one after another. Fierce winds howled across the arenas, and the deafening sound of fists and feet colliding echoed continuously.

Soon, it was time for the tenth match. Steward Xue stepped onto the arena and announced loudly, "The tenth match: disciple Yang Jing of Lingxi Peak versus disciple Li Mao of Thunder Peak!"

Hearing the announcement, Yang Jing walked to the foot of the arena, then leaped up, landing steadily in the center.

The opponent he faced in the third round was an old acquaintance: the Inner Sect Disciple from Thunder Peak, Li Mao.

Li Mao had the same tall, slender build as before. He held an Iron Rod, pitch-black from end to end. The rod’s shaft gleamed with a cold light, a clear sign that it was forged from refined iron.

The man’s rod style was cunning and vicious. The shadow of his weapon flickered erratically as he specialized in striking his opponents’ openings. Among disciples at the Peak of Internal Strength Realm, his abilities were truly impressive.

The two had crossed paths before during the Cyan Qilin Battle. At that time, Yang Jing was still in the Inner Strength Realm, yet he had defeated Li Mao with ease.

Now, however, Yang Jing had long since broken through to the Qi Eating Realm. With his abundant Inner Qi, his strength was on a completely different level than before. Naturally, Li Mao was no longer a match for him.