Chapter 141: True Genius
When Nan Yuchen steadily walked toward the center of the martial arena, the Golden Core cultivators from the various sects and clan families carefully observed this prodigy with their Divine Sense.
After only a mont, an astonishnt that was hard to suppress rose in all their hearts.
Not only had this child truly reached Foundation Establishnt Third Layer, but even more shocking was that his foundation was solid—clearly built through steady, painstaking cultivation during the Qi Refining stage.
This discovery far exceeded their expectations.
There were many with Heavenly Spiritual Roots in this world who also claid to have reached Foundation Establishnt within a few years.
Yet most of them had relied on dicinal pills and fast-track cultivation arts to cut corners.
Their foundations were unstable, and in ti they faded into diocrity, wasting their talent in vain.
However, this Nan Yuchen before them cultivated the standard Nine-Xia Qi-Guiding Art and Nine-Xia Body-Tempering Art.
The ridians and acupoints throughout his body were complete and immaculate—clearly a standard hundred-day top-grade Foundation Establishnt.
He was absolutely not one of those inferior cultivators who had rushed upward through pills and opportunistic techniques.
Compared to those so-called geniuses who possessed nothing but talent, the youth before them—whose temperant, willpower, and comprehension were nearly flawless—caused many of the prodigies present to feel a trace of jealousy.
An elder from Guanghan Sacred Land secretly shook his head and sighed,
“This Nan Yuchen may be even more terrifying than Fang Wuqi. The most helpless thing in this world is when soone more talented than you is also more hardworking than you.”
After the wave of cheers gradually subsided, Long Tao continued introducing the other contestant.
“Nan Yuchen’s opponent is no simple figure either. He is Senior Brother Lu Wenjie from Liucai Peak. Senior Brother Lu is the Foundation Establishnt disciple most valued by Peak Master True Person Liuxia. We can see he has already leapt into the arena. As expected of True Person Liuxia’s direct successor—his appearance and bearing are so flawless that even I, a man, must admit it. I think I can already see the expressions of many senior sisters, junior sisters, and female fellow Daoists changing a little.”
He deliberately paused before continuing,
“But unfortunately, according to insider information, Senior Brother Lu already has soone in his heart. You’re all too late!”
Although Lu Wenjie felt slightly dissatisfied with Long Tao’s obviously biased introduction favoring Nan Yuchen, he could not help but curl his lips faintly when he heard the praise of his appearance—that was the aspect he was most confident in.
However… who had revealed that he already had soone he loved? And why was such a private matter being brought up during the Grand Competition?
Even so, Lu Wenjie could not resist glancing toward a certain section of the audience.
The one he loved was watching from there. No matter what, he had to perform well.
In the arena, the two contestants ford a stark contrast. Lu Wenjie wore a brocade robe patterned with flowing clouds and held a jade-boned folding fan, every bit the noble young master of a prestigious clan—radiant with aristocratic elegance and strikingly handso.
Nan Yuchen, by contrast, wore simple training garnts, like a boy next door. Quite a few female cultivators who had originally been cheering for Nan Yuchen quietly changed their allegiance.
“Senior Brother Lu, please instruct .” Nan Yuchen respectfully cupped his hands in salute.
Lu Wenjie gracefully closed his folding fan and nodded lightly. “Junior Brother Nan, let say this first—even if this is your first Grand Competition, I will not hold back. After all, you know that the one my Master dislikes losing to the most is True Person Mingzhu.”
“That would be best.” Nan Yuchen smiled faintly. “I was worried Senior Brother might restrain himself because of my youth.”
Seeing that both were prepared, the elder at the side—having already overseen too many matches—had no patience to wait for them to finish their exchange.
He directly deployed the True Essence Protective Barrier and announced the start of the match. The sound-isolating barrier unfolded once more.
Long Tao’s eyes glead as he imdiately seized upon the key information revealed in their exchange and said excitedly to the Speech Pivot Pearl,
“Oh! Did everyone hear that? This match is not rely a contest between two n—it is also an open and secret rivalry between two female True Persons!”
His words instantly ignited the curiosity of the entire audience.
Seizing the montum, Long Tao ignored Fang Wuqi’s wide-eyed stare beside him and continued,
“As everyone surely knows, the female cultivators of our Nine-Xia Heavenly Sect—especially the Golden Core True Persons—are all peerless beauties. Among them, True Person Mingzhu and True Person Liuxia have long been recognized as two of the most beautiful.
For hundreds of years, their admirers have co in endless streams. Yet who is superior? Whether among disciples or in the markets, there has never been a definitive conclusion!”
The audience erupted. This topic was clearly far more stirring than a re match.
Cultivators and mortals alike began whispering animatedly. What could stir excitent more than discussing the sect’s beauties?
“Master! That scoundrel is spouting nonsense again!”
Zhu Huaisu, who had just returned from her father the Emperor, imdiately complained to True Person Mingzhu. Yet she was startled to discover that although her Master frowned slightly, she did not seem particularly angry.
Instead, her gaze subtly drifted toward True Person Liuxia on the other side.
No way! Could it be that Master truly cared about evaluations of appearance? Zhu Huaisu felt her understanding of the world tremble.
anwhile, in the audience, whether mortals or cultivators, honored guests or independent cultivators—even so Golden Core cultivators—joined the discussion.
“Hey! Who do you think is prettier?”
“True Person Mingzhu, I’d say. True Person Liuxia’s makeup is a bit heavy. I prefer sothing more natural.”
“Tch, that’s just how you n are. Makeup and attire are part of a woman’s charm, alright? Just because True Person Liuxia puts effort into her appearance doesn’t an she’s inferior. Besides! A Golden Core’s appearance has already been refined and altered by spiritual power. What even counts as natural anymore?”
“But I heard both of them were already famous beauties before forming their Golden Cores. And True Person Mingzhu does have a more ethereal air.”
As more and more discussions unrelated to the competition filled the venue, the atmosphere beca subtly charged. Dressed in splendid robes and exquisite makeup, True Person Liuxia seed to enjoy the conversation, returning True Person Mingzhu’s gaze with one that appeared calm yet carried a faint hint of provocation.
She then turned her attention back to the arena.
Although many said she chose disciples based on appearance, that did not an her disciples were rely decorative.
Granted, there were a few disappointnts—but… as the representative she had selected, Lu Wenjie absolutely possessed real strength.
…
Although Lu Wenjie was two minor realms above his opponent, he did not dare be careless before a prodigy and imdiately struck first.
With a flick of his jade-boned folding fan, seven-colored flowing lights poured forth from behind him at various angles, instantly illuminating the entire arena in dazzling brilliance and weaving into a vast net.
“Oh! Senior Brother Lu opens with a killing move! One of Liucai Peak’s signature arts—the Seven-Color Flowing Light Art. Such a brilliant technique is rarely seen. I’ve heard many senior sisters strive desperately to join Liucai Peak just to learn this move!” Long Tao exclaid.
Fang Wuqi followed with a serious tone,
“This move is far from simple. The seven flowing lights are ford by altering the vibration rhythm of True Essence into seven distinct patterns. Do not mistake it for a flashy but impractical technique. To defend against it, one must simultaneously withstand seven different types of spiritual energy impact. Targeted defense is extrely difficult. True Person Liuxia is certainly not as superficial as people imagine.”
In the audience, True Person Liuxia’s lips curved slightly, evidently pleased with Fang Wuqi’s comntary.
Even True Person Mingzhu nodded faintly in acknowledgnt.
Just as everyone thought Nan Yuchen would be forced into a bitter struggle, he made an unexpected move.
He neither dodged nor used any defensive technique.
Instead, he slowly raised his right hand, bringing three fingers together, condensing True Essence as he precisely t the seven streams of light.
“Is he trying to…?” Long Tao’s voice trembled with disbelief.
An even more shocking scene unfolded. At the instant Nan Yuchen’s fingertips touched each stream of light, it was as if he had already discerned its trajectory and spiritual energy fluctuations.
The True Essence gathered in his fingers neutralized each stream perfectly.
There was no earth-shattering collision, no dazzling burst of brilliance—only the simplest contact.
Those seven awe-inspiring streams of light were lightly deflected and dispersed, one after another, as though blown away by a gentle breeze, vanishing soundlessly.
In the blink of an eye, all seven formidable streams had disappeared.
And Nan Yuchen… had not even displayed what could be called a formal move.
The entire arena fell into utter silence.
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