Chapter 550 - 187: Underestimated Him

At the same time, the grand competition was also an opportunity to display the strength of the Xuanzhen Sect’s younger generation to the other powers and families of Jintai Prefecture—a clear show of force.

It seemed his goal had been achieved.

Cao Zhen’s eyes narrowed slightly. His gaze swept over the eager young figures below the stage as he wondered, ’I just don’t know if the other disciples in the sect will bring me any more surprises.’

...

On the secondary dais.

The Xuanzhen Sect Elders, the lead disciples of the various peaks, and the Grand Elders from the Hong, Lin, and Su families who had come to spectate all focused their attention on Lu Shaohua, their expressions varied.

Lu Shaohua had already gained great fame in Jintai Prefecture for killing the Flower-Picking Thief, Li Zhikai, and the major families had long since taken notice of him.

Now, seeing him defeat Zhang Yunhao so quickly with such a ferocious and domineering display, the Grand Elders of the Hong, Lin, and Su families couldn’t help but exchange a glance. In each other’s eyes, they saw a deep gravity.

In their opinion, Lu Shaohua’s fierce fighting style and formidable strength might even surpass that of Bai Ziyu.

...

Below the arena.

Standing among the disciples of Lingxi Peak, Yang Jing’s gaze was fixed on the figure on the stage, who exuded an imperious and domineering aura. His own expression was grave and solemn.

He could clearly sense the undisguised edge radiating from Lu Shaohua—a sharpness honed by countless battles, the kind that only grew keener when facing a powerful opponent.

’Lu Shaohua’s strength is simply terrifying. If I face him in a later match, he’ll definitely be a formidable foe.’

’As I am now, my chances of winning against him are slim.’

...

Just then, Steward Xue’s voice once again echoed across the square, announcing the start of the fourth match. "The fourth match of the Fushan Grand Competition’s fifth round: Jiang Lin Yuan of the Main Peak versus Lin Jinghong of Qingxu Peak!"

Two figures simultaneously swept onto the arena stage.

Jiang Lin Yuan wore the cyan robe of a Main Peak Disciple and carried a long spear, his demeanor calm and steady.

Lin Jinghong, in contrast, was dressed in martial attire with a sword at his waist, his gaze sharp.

This match, however, was not a one-sided steamroll like the previous three.

The two exchanged blows, spear shadows weaving and sword light flashing. Every move was sharp and carried lethal intent.

Jiang Lin Yuan’s spearmanship was fierce and domineering, while Lin Jinghong’s swordsmanship was agile and elegant. Each had their own strengths, and they were evenly matched.

The disciples below watched with rapt attention, occasionally bursting into cheers.

Finally, after a fierce exchange of more than eighty moves, Jiang Lin Yuan exploited an opening in Lin Jinghong’s defense. With a flick of his spear, he sent his opponent’s sword flying and won the match.

Steward Xue Kun walked back onto the arena stage and announced in a clear voice, "The winner of the fourth match is Jiang Lin Yuan of the Main Peak!"

Upon hearing the announcement, Jiang Lin Yuan gave a respectful salute to Steward Xue, then retrieved his spear and stood tall. He turned and walked off the stage, his expression as placid as if he had just finished a routine sparring session.

Steward Xue’s gaze swept slowly over the crowd below, pausing for a moment on Yang Jing among the Lingxi Peak disciples. Then, he raised his voice and announced, "The fifth match of the Fushan Grand Competition’s fifth round: Yang Jing of Lingxi Peak versus Su Muyuan of Celestial Derivation Peak!"

As the announcement ended, Yang Jing took a deep breath, reining in the battlelust surging within him. He stepped out of the crowd and walked steadily toward the arena.

Behind him, the encouraging shouts of Fang He, Yan Chenglong, Ma Qiang, and others rose up. Many more disciples from Lingxi Peak spontaneously began to chant Yang Jing’s name.

Yang Jing was the only one from Lingxi Peak to have made it into the top twelve. At this moment, all the Lingxi Peak disciples—whether they knew him personally or not—were united as one, wholeheartedly hoping he could continue to advance and bring glory to their peak.

...

On the high platform, the gazes of Sect Leader Cao Zhen and the seven Peak Masters all turned toward Yang Jing in unison.

It had to be said that Yang Jing was undoubtedly the biggest dark horse to emerge from this year’s Fushan Grand Competition.

From being a complete unknown at the start to fighting his way into the fifth round, every single one of his performances had been astonishing.

Yang Jing’s performance had undoubtedly caught the eye of the Xuanzhen Sect’s upper echelon.

In the coming battle, win or lose, Yang Jing would receive the full backing and resources of the Xuanzhen Sect for his development.

Of course, the further he advanced in the Fushan Grand Competition, the more he would prove his potential, and the greater the sect’s investment in his training would become.

On the secondary dais, the Su Family Grand Elder’s gaze rested on Yang Jing for a moment before turning to the other side, where Su Muyuan was slowly ascending the stage.

His gaze toward Su Muyuan was filled with unconcealed confidence.

As the Su Family Grand Elder, he had watched Su Muyuan grow up. He knew this future leader of the Su Family all too well.

Although Su Muyuan had only cultivated a single technique, the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique, his strength was in no way inferior to that of top experts who had mastered two True Skills and reached the Qi Eating Realm.

In fact, it was precisely because Su Muyuan specialized in a single martial art, free from distractions, that his study of the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique had reached an extremely profound level.

What outsiders didn’t know was that Su Muyuan was utterly devoted to the sword. He had long ago practiced this top-grade True Skill to a point of breathtaking, almost supernatural, mastery.

What was even more remarkable was that Su Muyuan had once attempted to break through to the Qi Absorption Realm.

Although he had been far from succeeding, he hadn’t suffered any severe injuries from the failed attempt.

This was proof enough that Su Muyuan’s path of specializing in a single martial art was not a mistake.

As long as he continued to pursue his studies with such single-minded focus, he was certain to break through to the Qi Absorption Realm and step into a higher state of the Martial Dao far sooner than those other disciples who scattered their energy just to raise their present strength.