On the elders' platform—
The three old men sat upright, their eyes gleaming as they observed the dazzling clash below.
"Hmmmm…" The Second Elder's touched his chin thoughtfully. "That movement technique… it does not belong to our sect. Yet, for some reason, it felt oddly familiar."
The First Elder's brows furrowed slightly. "You sensed it too? I've seen something similar before, but the memory slips away—like mist through one's grasp."
The Third Elder's gaze deepened, a trace of awe in his tone. "No need to ponder further. That's no ordinary footwork. I'd wager it's at least a High-Grade Spirit Rank technique. Even among the Inner Court disciples, only a handful could master something of that level."
"Hah? What are you old fogies mumbling about again?"
The three turned their heads in unison.
Lan Yaoye sat in her seat, arms folded beneath her chest, a faint frown creasing her delicate brows as if utterly lost in their discussion.
Thinking had never been her strong point—she was the very embodiment of that old saying: beauty often outweighs wisdom.
The three exchanged subtle glances, none bothering to offer an explanation.
After all, their junior sister was far more skilled at shattering bones than at analyzing techniques.
"It is indeed our sect's technique," Chief Elder Hu Feng said slowly, his voice calm yet carrying hidden weight.
"However, what he displayed is no ordinary movement technique —it has been forged by weaving together countless low-tier movement arts, refined into a seamless whole."
His words instantly drew the attention of the other elders.
"What?" The three elders exchanged startled looks. In that moment, realization dawned on them.
No wonder it felt familiar—it contained traces of their own sect's techniques. Although they themselves never practiced such inferior techniques, they had seen outer disciples use them countless times.
So that's it. The reason it felt familiar was because the boy had taken fragments of their sect's basic arts—and fused them into one.
"This disciple…" the Third Elder murmured, eyes gleaming with astonishment, "is a genius of comprehension. To forge such a high-grade art from mere fragments of low-tier techniques—such insight is truly terrifying."
Even the three of them, veterans who had walked the Dao for centuries, could not claim to have done the same. To create something powerful from what was useless—this was the path most arduous. Every flaw had to be reforged, every motion refined anew.
To elevate trash into treasure was a task far more difficult than crafting something new.
The Third Elder slowly exhaled, awe flashing across his wrinkled face. "To take a handful of crude stones and turn them into a divine jade… truly, such talent cannot be taught."
Then, his expression shifted, a hint of greed flickering beneath reverence. His lips curled into a smile.
"Brothers," he said with a feigned calm, "I believe you wouldn't object if I were to take him as my direct disciple, hmm? A comprehension like this is heaven-sent for studying arrays and formations. The boy belongs under my tutelage."
The First Elder's brows shot up instantly. "You dare say that aloud before me?" he barked. "A mind like that should not be wasted drawing circles in the dirt with you. He should cultivate martial technique under me!"
The Third Elder chuckled coldly. "Hah! Martial technique? With your temper, you'll scare him into mediocrity before he learns anything. Leave the delicate mind to me."
"Delicate mind?" the First Elder's beard bristled. "Your tongue is delicate, that's all! I, at least, have the heart of a true teacher!"
The Second Elder, who had been watching the bickering with half-lidded eyes, suddenly spoke up. His tone was smooth but sharp as a blade.
"Both of you should stop pretending. Heaven has already decided—this child's fate is aligned with me. I could feel it from the moment I saw him."
"Destiny, my foot!" roared the Third Elder. "You just want to steal him while we argue!"
The First Elder folded his arms, sneering. "Heh, fate you say? Then I, too, feel a heavenly pull. Shall I call it destiny as well?"
The Second Elder's eyes narrowed. "You can feel the pull of my fist if you wish."
"Try me, old fox!"
"Enough! You two wouldn't even recognize talent if it slapped you in the face. The boy will come to me whether you like it or not."
The First Elder leaned forward, eyes glinting dangerously. "Over my dead body."
"Then prepare your coffin!"
Their argument began spiraling into chaos, voices rising and falling like quarrelsome crows.
Lan Yaoye , who sat beside them, rubbed her temples in disbelief. "Ancestors above… these three old fogies are about to demolish the viewing platform over a single disciple…"
Her lips curled into a grin. "But if they're fighting this fiercely, that brat must really be something…"
She rose from her seat, her voice ringing with confidence.
"Stop, all of you old fossils! He's mine!"
For a brief second, the three elders froze and turned toward her.
Their gazes held identical meanings-childish.
To them, Lan Yaoye wasn't competition—she was a junior sister who couldn't even teach a chicken to peck grain properly, let alone guide a genius disciple.
After a single glance, all three turned away in perfect synchronization and continued bickering as if she had never spoken.
Lan Yaoye 's smile stiffened. A vein pulsed on her forehead.
"You three—!" she gritted her teeth, fists tightening. The urge to lift her chair and smash those old men half to death surged within her, but she forced herself to smile instead, though her knuckles creaked audibly.
On the Arena,
Xu Feng narrowed his eyes, realizing that Lin Chen's dodging speed was annoying beyond belief. Each time he charged, that slippery figure vanished like mist, leaving behind only faint afterimages that mocked his strength.
His lips curled into a grin, yet a faint vein twitched at his temple. Looking at Lin Chen, he didn't seem tired at all, but he himself was growing weary of this endless chase. His muscles ached from strain. Essence Qi churned chaotically within him.
"If you can't run, let's see how you dodge then," he muttered.
He suddenly stomped down.
BOOM!!!
"Mountain smash!"
His foot struck the platform like a falling boulder. A deafening crack tore through the air as spiderweb fractures raced across the arena floor. Krrr-Shhh! Stone slabs shattered, rising into the air like broken teeth.
The entire platform trembled violently.
Lin Chen halted his steps, the ground beneath him unstable. Dozens of floating chunks of shattered arena drifted upward, glowing faintly from the impact's heat.
Xu Feng's roar echoed. "Stone crushing palm!"
He lunged forward, his palm wrapped in dense orange Essence Qi. The air hissed—fwuuuuh!—as his figure became a blur of brute force.
Lin Chen's eyes flashed sharply. So, he wanted to finish this ... fine, let's see who finishes who.
He raised his sword. Azure arcs of lightning danced along the blade with a crack-crack-crack! Sound, flickering wildly. The lightning that had been loosely coiling around the sword began to condense, gathering along its edge.
Moments later, the scattered sparks merged into a single, blinding current. What was once a faint layer of lightning now fully enveloped the weapon.
"Lightning Arts—Fourth Form: Severing Slash!"
He swung, and his sword hummed with raw energy.
ZAAAAAAP!!!
A massive lightning arc shot forth from the blade, slicing through the air with a roar like thunder ripping the sky apart. The ground exploded beneath its path, and fragments of stone turned to dust as the attack surged forward.
Xu Feng's eyes widened. Fast!
BOOOOM!!!
He halted his charge mid-step, Essence Qi swirling madly around his body. His palms clapped together, forming a makeshift defense. Orange energy condensed instantly, flaring like molten rock trying to withstand a storm.
"Not good!"
The Chief Elder's expression changed in an instant. He leapt from his seat, robes fluttering like a streak of shadow across the air.
BOOOOM!!!
The arc of lightning struck down, and the arena erupted in a blinding explosion of light. Thunder roared, and a wave of raw power spread in all directions.
The force tore through the air—crack-crack!—stone fragments flew like arrows, and a dazzling sea of lightning swallowed everything.
The shockwave rolled outward, shaking the protective barrier around the arena. For several breaths, no one could see through the storm of dust and crackling arcs.
When the light finally dimmed and the haze began to fade, everyone's eyes widened.
Standing before Xu Feng's half-kneeling figure was the Chief Elder, his face calm yet stern. The faint glow of Essence Qi still lingered around him—evidence that he had intercepted Lin Chen's lightning slash at the last instant.
Xu Feng's face was pale, his body trembling slightly. His pupils shrank as he looked at the Chief Elder's back.
Just now… if the Chief Elder hadn't intervened—his instincts screamed in warning—he would have been cleaved in two. Even his famed iron-like skin, resilient against countless attacks, would have offered no protection against the sheer, overwhelming force of that strike.
"Disciple Lin Chen is the winner!"
*****
A/N: If you enjoy my novel and want faster releases, please consider supporting with Power Stones!
Also, if you have any ideas or suggestions for the story, feel free to share them in the comments — I'd love to hear your thoughts.
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