Chapter 556 - 188: Defeating a Strong Enemy, Another Breakthrough

The Grand Elder looked at his crestfallen figure, a complex expression flashing in his eyes—a mixture of regret and a certain relief.

He took a soft breath, stepped forward, and patted Su Muyuan’s shoulder. His voice was steady. "Mu Yuan, you are still too young. You must understand that victory or defeat in a single match is merely a temporary affair. The path of the Martial Dao is long and arduous; the true contest is not about a momentary victory, but about who can walk the longest and farthest."

He paused, his gaze turning distant as he continued, "This was also the very reason your father gave you the name Mu Yuan.

"Though you lost this match, you must remember that your understanding of the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique is exceptionally deep, and your foundation is far more solid than most. Yang Jing may be in the limelight now, but he is still a ways from the Peak of the Qi Eating Realm, and even further from breaking through to the Qi Absorption Realm."

The Grand Elder’s voice was gentle and persuasive. He looked into Su Muyuan’s eyes and said, word by word, "Perhaps by the time you are breaking through to the True Qi Realm, he will still be trapped, struggling at the Peak of the Qi Eating Realm. For a Martial Artist, the ultimate measure is one’s realm. Do you understand?"

Hearing the Grand Elder’s words, Su Muyuan felt a weight lift from his heart. The roiling feelings of resentment and dejection slowly receded like the tide.

He slowly lifted his bowed head. The confusion in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a newfound clarity.

’He suddenly understood. Just as the Grand Elder had said, the ultimate contest between Martial Artists comes down to their Martial Dao realm.’

’Even if you master two, three, or even five different martial arts and are unmatched within your realm, you are still utterly powerless against a Martial Artist from a higher realm.’

’The chasm between realms is not something that can be bridged by unorthodox shortcuts.’

’I may have lost to Yang Jing in this match, but in the long run, my potential is greater.’

’I specialize in the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique. My foundation is solid, and I’m already on the verge of reaching the Qi Absorption Realm.’

’Yang Jing, on the other hand, for all his current fame and dual-cultivation, is still just honing his skills within the confines of the Qi Eating Realm.’

’Give it time, and I will definitely surpass him on the Martial Dao path.’

’Perhaps, many years from now, I’ll have long since broken through to the True Qi Realm and become a powerful Elder in the Xuanzhen Sect. I might even break through to the Pill Realm and take charge of an entire peak as a Peak Master.’

’And by then, Yang Jing might just be some insignificant Steward, a position he only got because of his seniority.’

With these thoughts, Su Muyuan’s composure quickly returned. He bowed deeply to the Grand Elder, his tone sincere. "I understand now, Mu Yuan. Thank you for your guidance, Grand Elder."

A gratified smile appeared on the Su Family Grand Elder’s face. He chuckled softly and nodded.

He had been worried that this defeat would shake Su Muyuan’s resolve. Seeing him recover so quickly, he grew even more satisfied with the young man’s mental fortitude.

...

Time ticked by, and under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the sixth match on the arena stage came to a close.

Cui Yuan of Zhenyue Peak faced Gu Changfeng of Yunxi Peak. Both were Martial Artists known for their defensive prowess, and their fighting styles were steady and methodical. They exchanged nearly two hundred moves.

In the end, Cui Yuan’s more profound Inner Qi gave him a slight edge, and he knocked Gu Changfeng off the arena with a heavy hammer blow.

Steward Xue stepped onto the arena and loudly announced the result of the sixth match—Cui Yuan of Zhenyue Peak was victorious.

He then turned, walked off the arena, and gathered with Chief Elder Ouyang Jingxuan and the other Main Peak Elders to quietly discuss the new rankings.

On Fushan Square, the many disciples gathered in small groups, excitedly whispering about the six matches that had just concluded.

Chu Yunhai’s nonchalant victory, Lu Shaohua’s domineering display, and Yang Jing’s stunning defeat of Su Muyuan—all became hot topics of conversation.

Just then, Sun Ningxiang, who was in the crowd, hesitated for a moment before walking over to Yang Jing.

Seeing this, Fang He, Yan Chenglong, Lin Ziheng, and the others nearby immediately understood the situation. Suppressing their laughter, they all shuffled away, intentionally creating a small, private space for the two of them.

Sun Ningxiang noticed the teasing glances from the surrounding disciples, and a blush crept onto her cheeks. Even the tips of her ears turned a faint shade of pink.

But she still mustered her courage to look at Yang Jing and ask softly, "You weren’t injured just now, were you?"

As she spoke, her eyes couldn’t help but scan him from head to toe.

During the match between Yang Jing and Su Muyuan, she had clearly seen Su Muyuan’s longsword strike Yang Jing’s body again and again. Her heart had been in her throat the entire time.

Hearing this, Yang Jing looked down at his training robes, which were slashed by the sword strikes, and couldn’t help but smile. "I’m fine. My clothes are just a little torn up, full of little rips, but there isn’t even a scratch on me."

Only then did Sun Ningxiang finally relax completely. Her eyes curved into crescents as she said softly, "That’s good. I finished sewing two new robes for you a few days ago. I’ll bring them over tonight."

As the two spoke in low voices, it didn’t take long for the Main Peak Elders to finalize the new disciple rankings.

Steward Xue strode onto the arena, holding a sheet of rice paper covered in names.

His gaze was sharp as it slowly swept over the crowd below. The once-raucous Fushan Square quickly fell silent. Thousands of pairs of eyes landed on him in unison, filled with anticipation.

Steward Xue cleared his throat, channeled his Inner Qi, and announced in a resonant voice:

"The new disciple rankings for the Fushan Grand Competition are as follows—"