ng Jingyuan’s face went pale. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and staggered backward.
His Thunder Shocking Saber flew from his grasp, landing on the arena with a CLANG.
The entire arena fell deathly silent.
Everyone stared blankly at the center of the arena.
Xu Wuyi slowly retracted his fist and straightened up.
His sleeves were burned with several holes from the lightning, and there were a few charred marks on his arm, but his breathing was steady and his gaze was clear.
"Thank you for the match," he said calmly.
ng Jingyuan steadied himself, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and looked at Xu Wuyi with a complex expression.
After a few seconds, he gave a bitter smile. "I lost."
Only then did the referee react, announcing loudly, "The winner is—Xu Wuyi!"
The voice echoed throughout the Yanwu Arena.
No one cheered.
Everyone was still reeling from the shock of that last punch.
He used the most basic Body Refining Fist Technique to crush the Thunder Blade Sect’s ultimate move head-on.
What did that even an?
It ant that Xu Wuyi’s foundation was solid to a terrifying degree.
His Qi and Blood Refinent Level, physical strength, and control over his power had far surpassed the standard for his Life Energy Level.
ng Jingyuan took a deep breath, walked forward, and picked up his saber.
He looked at Xu Wuyi and said earnestly, "Your foundation is the most solid I’ve ever seen in anyone. I have no complaints about this loss."
Xu Wuyi nodded. "Your Thunder True Intention is also very strong. It just has explosive power to spare but lacks staying power."
ng Jingyuan was stunned for a mont, then beca lost in thought.
Those words were a wake-up call.
The Thunder Blade Sect’s Saber Technique was indeed fierce and powerful, but it overly pursued instantaneous bursts of power, and it truly was flawed when it ca to protracted battles and fine control.
"I have learned my lesson," he said, clasping his fists in a solemn salute.
Xu Wuyi returned the salute.
As the two left the arena, the crowd finally erupted into thunderous applause and discussion.
"He won! He really won!"
"What was that Fist Technique? It looked so ordinary. How could it be so powerful?"
"What do you know? That’s Returning to the Essence! When you train your fundantals to the absolute limit, it’s more effective than any profound Martial Technique."
"This Xu Wuyi... he’s terrifying."
Tana rushed over excitedly. She wanted to say sothing but was too worked up to speak, so she just clapped Xu Wuyi firmly on the shoulder.
Gu Yang also walked over and sighed in admiration. "Junior, that foundation of yours... how did you train it?"
Xu Wuyi thought for a mont before saying seriously, "Practice every day."
Gu Yang froze, then couldn’t help but laugh.
’Right, practice every day.’
’The simplest principle is the hardest to stick to.’
...
The award ceremony was simple.
Fla Venerable personally descended from the suspended platform and ca to the center of the arena.
He first looked at ng Jingyuan and nodded. "Your Thunder True Intention is already seventy percent developed. But what is too rigid cannot last, and what is too soft cannot defend. Go back and tell your master to teach you the ’Water Born of Thunder’ Technique."
ng Jingyuan trembled and bowed deeply. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior!"
Fla Venerable waved his hand dismissively and turned to Xu Wuyi.
The old Grandmaster, his hair and beard completely white, studied Xu Wuyi carefully with his bright eyes. After a long mont, he finally spoke slowly, "The Hundred Refinents lting Furnace?"
Xu Wuyi was slightly startled. He nodded and said, "Yes."
"What level have you reached?"
"Heart Fire Refining Spirit, but I have not yet reached Perfection."
A trace of approval flashed in Fla Venerable’s eyes. "To begin Refining Spirit when you’re just over level thirty... you’ve got guts. But your foundation is indeed solid, even more so than Han Mo’s back in his day."
Xu Wuyi’s expression flickered. "Senior, you know Teacher Han?"
"I do," Fla Venerable said with a smile. "Twenty years ago, he even ca to the West Desert to find , hoping to ask for guidance on the ’Unity of Heart and Fire’ Technique. Unfortunately, I was in seclusion at the ti and missed him."
He paused, then added, "Your ntor is Han Mo, isn’t it?"
"Yes."
"Not bad," Fla Venerable nodded. "He certainly has a way with teaching students. Only with a firm foundation can one go far in the future."
Then, his tone shifted. "However, Han Mo himself is stuck on the final step, unable to break through for a long ti. Do you know why?"
Xu Wuyi shook his head. "I do not know."
"He is too ’solid’," Fla Venerable said slowly. "The Hundred Refinents lting Furnace cultivation technique centers on Body Transformation Furnace and lting All Things. Han Mo has trained his ’furnace’ to be incomparably sturdy, but he lacks the ’fire’s’ spiritual agility."
"No matter how sturdy the furnace, without a nimble fire, it can only burn firewood. It can’t refine true gold."
"What he’s missing is a spark of ’inspiration’."
Xu Wuyi was lost in thought.
Fla Venerable looked at him and suddenly asked, "Are you interested in studying with for three months?"
As soon as he spoke, the entire crowd was in an uproar.
’A Grandmaster is personally offering to take on a disciple?’
’Even if it’s only for three months, this is a heaven-sent opportunity!’
Tana looked at Xu Wuyi excitedly, frantically signaling him with her eyes to agree.
But Xu Wuyi remained silent.
After a few seconds, he bowed and said, "Thank you for your generous offer, Senior. But I already have a master. I must report this to my teacher first."
Fla Venerable wasn’t annoyed in the slightest. Instead, he laughed.
"Loyal and principled. Not bad." He nodded. "I’ll give you three days to consider. After three days, if you wish to co, find at the Royal Palace East Garden."
As he spoke, he raised his hand and tossed out a crimson token.
Xu Wuyi caught it. The token was warm to the touch. The front was engraved with the character for "Yan," and the back had a fla pattern.
"With this token, you can freely enter and exit the Royal Palace East Garden."
"Yes."
Fla Venerable said no more, turned, and drifted away.
The award ceremony was over.
Holding the prize that symbolized his championship—a crystal recording Fla Venerable’s insights on a certain martial art—Xu Wuyi walked off the arena.
The mont he returned to his seat, Tana asked impatiently, "Are you really going to ’consider’ it? That’s personal guidance from a Grandmaster!"
Xu Wuyi put away the token and said calmly, "I have to ask my teacher."
"Teacher Han will definitely agree!" Tana said anxiously. "An opportunity like this cos once in a lifeti!"
Xu Wuyi glanced at her. "It’s precisely because this opportunity is so rare that I must show my teacher respect."
Tana froze, then she understood what he ant.
’Xu Wuyi is afraid Teacher Han will get the wrong idea.’
’After all, for a disciple to study under soone else, even temporarily, is a form of disrespect to their original ntor.’
"You..." Tana shook her head but didn’t try to persuade him any further.
She knew Xu Wuyi’s character.
...
That night, the Royal Family held a banquet to celebrate.
As the champion, Xu Wuyi was naturally the focus of the banquet.
People constantly ca over to offer toasts and make conversation, wanting to befriend this suddenly risen young genius.
Xu Wuyi handled it all with great difficulty.
He wasn’t good at this kind of social occasion.
Fortunately, with Tana and Gu Yang helping to run interference, he managed to get through it.
Halfway through the banquet, Fu Yun walked over with a wine glass in hand.
"Congratulations," he said with a smile. "Now your ranking within Red Star is going to go up again."
Xu Wuyi shook his head. "It’s just an empty title."
"An empty title is still a title," Fu Yun said, lowering his voice. "The news that you defeated ng Jingyuan has already spread. Before long, everyone in the younger generation circles of the entire Federation will know your na."
Xu Wuyi frowned.
He didn’t like this kind of attention.
Fu Yun saw what he was thinking and smiled. "Don’t worry, fa is a double-edged sword. Once you have a na for yourself, it’ll be much more convenient to accept missions and exchange for resources in the future."
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