Chapter 544 - 185: Su Muyuan 2

Hearing this, Steward Zheng couldn’t help but burst out laughing. He pointed at Yang Jing and said, "I thought you were going to say it was a fluke again!"

At his words, the nearby Zhang Hengyi, Zhao Xuexiang, and the others couldn’t help but laugh as well.

They all remembered how Yang Jing, every time he defeated an opponent in the past, would always say it was just a fluke.

However, they all knew that while Steward Zheng’s words were an exaggeration, given the talent and potential Yang Jing was now displaying, his future achievements would be limitless.

Putting aside the level of a Pill Realm expert like a Peak Master, he had a great chance of at least breaking through to the True Qi Realm and becoming one of the Sect Elders.

When that time came, if Steward Zheng still hadn’t managed to cross that threshold and break through to the True Qi Realm, his strength would naturally fall short of Yang Jing’s.

The laughter gradually died down. Steward Zheng composed himself, his expression turning serious.

He looked at Yang Jing and said slowly, "Your next opponent is Su Muyuan of Celestial Derivation Peak."

Yang Jing nodded. In the latest top-twelve rankings, he was placed fifth and Su Muyuan was eighth. According to the tournament’s matchmaking rules, his next opponent was indeed Su Muyuan of Celestial Derivation Peak.

Steward Zheng looked at Yang Jing and asked, "How much do you know about Su Muyuan?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Jing’s expression also grew serious. He slowly said, "He’s very strong. He comes from the Su Family, one of the three great families of Jintai Prefecture City, and he’s a direct-line son. He cultivates the Su Family’s ultimate art, the Top-grade True Skill, *Flowing Cloud Sword Technique*. His sword moves are agile and elegant, completely unpredictable. He was once ranked fifth on the Hidden Dragon List, but was automatically removed after the three-year time limit expired."

Yang Jing had hastily gathered all this information from Lin Ziheng and the others right after learning that Su Muyuan would be his opponent.

The Lin Family, to which Lin Ziheng belonged, was also one of the three great families of Jintai Prefecture City, alongside the Su Family. Naturally, they were quite familiar with the Su Family’s affairs.

After listening, Steward Zheng nodded slowly, his gaze grave.

He looked at Yang Jing and said, word by word, "Su Muyuan’s strength is far greater than his current ranking suggests. In my opinion, he has the power to challenge for the top three in the Fushan Grand Tournament."

Hearing this, the expressions of Fang He, Ma Qiang, and the others nearby changed slightly. The smiles vanished from their faces, replaced by a shared gravity.

They knew, of course, that Su Muyuan was formidable. To easily secure the eighth spot in the top twelve and to have once been fifth on the Hidden Dragon List meant his reputation was no empty boast.

But they never expected Steward Zheng’s assessment of him to be so high—that he had the strength to challenge for the top three.

For disciples like Yan Chenglong and Fang He, who had already been eliminated in the fourth round, just reaching the top ten of the Fushan Grand Tournament was an insurmountable chasm.

They were all in the Qi Eating Realm, yet the gap in strength between them could be as wide as the difference between clouds and mud—they themselves were the best example of this.

The standard of the Fushan Grand Tournament’s top five was on another level entirely. The flow between techniques and the sheer abundance of Inner Qi were far beyond what disciples at the bottom of the top ten could match.

As for the top three, they stood at the very pinnacle of the younger generation, beings whom countless disciples could only look up to in awe.

For Steward Zheng to now say that Su Muyuan had the strength to challenge for the top three... that was a level far beyond the reach of Fang He and the others.

Yang Jing simply gave a slight nod upon hearing this, showing little surprise on his face.

He had previously watched Su Muyuan’s matches from below the stage and already had some understanding of the genius disciple from Celestial Derivation Peak’s strength.

Su Muyuan wielded his longsword with sublime skill. His sword moves were as graceful and fluid as shifting clouds, with no fixed form.

As the ultimate art passed down through the Su Family, the *Flowing Cloud Sword Technique* was renowned throughout Jintai Prefecture.

A single strike could conjure a sky full of sword images, and its power was immense.

In his previous fights, Su Muyuan had maintained a calm and composed demeanor from start to finish. Showing no trace of impatience, he seemed to defeat his opponents effortlessly, and that very composure was a testament to his unfathomable depth.

Recalling Su Muyuan’s figure on the arena stage, Yang Jing’s expression grew a little more serious, and his brow furrowed unconsciously.

Steward Zheng noticed the change in Yang Jing’s expression. He patted him on the shoulder and said in a steady voice, "You don’t need to worry too much. With your strength, you still have a good chance of defeating Su Muyuan. Although the Top-grade True Skill he cultivates is powerful, Top-grade True Skills are far more difficult to cultivate than Mid-grade True Skills, and breaking through to new levels is even harder."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "As far as I know, Su Muyuan has devoted himself entirely to the *Flowing Cloud Sword Technique*. He has focused solely on this one martial art, wanting to use it to polish his Inner Qi to the absolute limit and break through to the Qi Absorption Realm in one fell swoop.

"The *Mountain-Breaking Seal* you cultivate may only be a Mid-grade True Skill, but in terms of offensive power, it’s not the least bit weaker than the *Flowing Cloud Sword Technique*.

"The *Flowing Cloud Sword Technique* might have a slight edge in agility and unpredictability, but the gap between them isn’t that large. After all, the power of the *Mountain-Breaking Seal* is already close to that of a Top-grade True Skill."

"Although you haven’t yet mastered the *Mountain-Breaking Seal* to the Peak of the Qi Eating Realm, and there’s some disparity in the quality of the martial art compared to the *Flowing Cloud Sword Technique*," Steward Zheng’s tone shifted as his gaze fell on Yang Jing, a hint of approval in his eyes, "but from what I can see, the second martial art you’re also cultivating has already broken through to the Qi Eating Realm, hasn’t it?"

At this, a flicker of curiosity crossed Steward Zheng’s eyes, and he pressed on, "Which martial art are you cultivating on the side? When I watched you fight Ma Guoliang, your physical strength was formidable. It seemed like a True Skill for body tempering, didn’t it?"