Chapter 633 - 258: Zhong Ming

On the Seven-Star Platform, a dead silence persisted for several long moments.

Then, a monstrous wave of commotion erupted.

"Brother Lu... lost?!"

"Oh my god! Chen Qing won! He actually won!"

"A fusion of Three True Astrals! He managed to fuse Three True Astrals too! And that Buddhist Sect Body Refining Secret Technique! How long has he even been in the Sect?!"

"A new True Disciple has been born! It’s Chen Qing of the True Martial Lineage!"

...

The clamor of discussion formed a massive sound wave, crashing into every corner of the Seven-Star Platform.

In that instant, the power structure of the Sect was completely upended.

All eyes, burning with intensity, were fixed on the figure upon the platform.

Chen Qing, from the declining True Martial Lineage, had seized a True Disciple’s seat with the force of a lightning strike.

Zhu Yu’s face was flushed red with excitement. He pumped his fist and shouted, "He won! Brother Chen won! He’s a True Disciple now!"

True Disciples were, without a doubt, the most outstanding disciples of their generation. In the future, they were all destined to become the true core leadership of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect.

Their status was self-evident!

Beside him, Shang Lujing, Wang Bo, Zhuo Xiaoyun, and the others were also dumbstruck.

Even those like Tian Pingning and Qiu Qixing, who hadn’t known Chen Qing well, were now reeling in shock.

Among all the geniuses selected from the Hundred Sects of Xu Wang Mountain, Chen Qing hadn’t initially stood out to them. Yet now, he had surpassed them all to become a True Disciple of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect.

How could anyone not be shocked? How could they not be amazed!?

Wu Anren stared blankly at the platform. "Three True Astrals... Perfect Spear Technique..."

Luo Qianjue shook his head and sighed. "It’s unbelievable. I originally thought He Shuang would be the first to become a True Disciple."

The composed smile on Wan Shangyi’s face had vanished, replaced by an expression of immense gravity and even a hint of lingering fear.

He whispered to Qian Baole beside him, "We were all mistaken... This man is destined for far greater things."

Qian Baole drew in a sharp breath, forgetting even to wave his fan. "Three True Astrals... He hid his strength too well!"

Meanwhile, Han Xiong stood in a corner, his expression a mixture of complex emotions.

He had once been defeated by Chen Qing and still harbored some resentment, but after witnessing this battle, that last shred of bitterness vanished completely. All that remained was relief that he had backed down early and avoided making a mortal enemy of such a person.

He then couldn’t help but sneer inwardly, ’The Shen Family is truly blind!’

’If the Shen Family had possessed the foresight to recognize his talent and invested in Chen Qing decisively, it would have undoubtedly been one of their most successful ventures.’

’To trade the backing of the insignificant Wutai Sect for a True Disciple... the return on that investment would have been a thousandfold, if not more.’

’But now, everything was different.’

Han Xiong could already imagine it: once word of this got out, the Shen Family would become the laughingstock of Celestial Treasure City.

Elsewhere, Meng Qianxue’s beautiful eyes were wide, her slender hand covering her red lips. The shock she felt was immense.

Having personally experienced the full extent of Lu Chenming’s power, she understood better than most just how significant Chen Qing’s victory was.

Ruan Lingxiu also watched Chen Qing on the platform, remarking slowly, "The Wutai Sect... actually produced such a True Dragon."

She, more than most people present, could appreciate just how difficult it had been for Chen Qing to get to where he was today.

She was backed by the Ruan Family and had abundant resources.

Behind Chen Qing, however, there was only the insignificant Wutai Sect and the Shen Family, which had never truly valued him.

He was practically on his own, earning this position as a True Disciple through nothing but his own blood and sweat every step of the way.

At this thought, Ruan Lingxiu’s heart stirred.

The Jiuxiao Disciples stared in disbelief at the unconscious Lu Chenming on the platform and the long saber that lay on the ground beside him.

Their pride and joy, Brother Lu, had been defeated by Chen Qing of the True Martial Lineage!

"How can this be..." one disciple muttered, unable to accept the reality of the situation.

Several disciples close to Lu Chenming rushed onto the platform to check his injuries.

Up on the high dais, the experts from the Nine Heavens Lineage all wore faces as dark as storm clouds.

Lu Chenming’s defeat was not just a personal failure; it was a blow to the entire Nine Heavens Lineage.

The brief silence was shattered by a volcanic eruption of ecstatic joy.

Many from the True Martial Lineage were so excited their faces flushed red, and some were even moved to tears.

The True Martial Lineage had languished in obscurity for too long. It had been ages since they’d had a moment of such glorious triumph.

Qu River’s tightly clenched fists slowly relaxed. He let out a long sigh, a smile of both relief and immense gratification spreading across his face.

He looked at Chen Qing on the platform, his eyes filled with admiration. "Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Junior Brother, you’ve truly given me a wonderful surprise!"

Zhao Ganjun, Hu Jiuyuan, and the other senior disciples who had previously harbored doubts now exchanged glances, their discontent melting away into sincere admiration.

Zhao Ganjun took a deep breath and said to Hu Jiuyuan with a wry smile, "Junior Sister Hu, I am now utterly convinced. The Vein Master and Brother Qu have a foresight that is truly beyond our own."

Thinking back to his earlier complaints, he felt ridiculous.

Hu Jiuyuan mulled it over for a moment before replying, "You can’t be blamed, Senior Brother Zhao. Who could have possibly imagined this?"

Before today, anyone who claimed Chen Qing could defeat Lu Chenming and join the ranks of the True Disciples would have been dismissed as a madman spouting nonsense.

After all, no one had been optimistic about his prospects.

That was precisely why the shock of the outcome was so intense, making it all feel like a dream.

An irrepressible smile spread across Elder Deng Ziheng’s face. He looked to the conflicted Gong Nansong beside him and stroked his beard. "Elder Gong, it seems my True Martial Lineage is about to welcome another True Disciple."

Gong Nansong sighed with deep emotion. "The younger generation is truly formidable. Truly formidable! A fusion of Three True Astrals, a Perfect Spear Technique, Profound Body Refining... This young man’s potential likely far exceeds anything you or I could have imagined."

It now appeared that the Spear Technique was merely one of his innate talents.