It was a truth that resonated far beyond the simple words Liu had spoken.
Because Ren had personally suffered the consequences of what happened when you beca arrogant about your own abilities.
Liu had been in danger of falling into that sa trap. Especially after reaching Gold rank through accelerated cultivation. Of feeling that he'd "arrived" at so special level of achievent that set him apart.
But then he looked at Ren standing there calmly.
Who, crucially, had been the one to help Liu reach that level in the first place.
It was impossible to feel genuinely superior when your supposed "advantage" existed only because soone stronger had freely given you the tools to achieve it.
It was impossible to beco arrogant when every battle against that person reminded you exactly where you stood in the real hierarchy of power.
And Liu was profoundly grateful for that humbling reality.
Because it ant he would continue improving his techniques. Continue training relentlessly. Continue pushing himself toward greater heights.
Instead of stagnating in a false sense of accomplishnt that would ultimately limit his growth.
"Tools matter. Having the right thod versus the wrong one makes all the difference between reaching Gold in five years versus never reaching it at all."
He released the handshake and stepped back.
Liu walked off the field with his head held high despite the loss.
And in the stands, observers who'd witnessed the entire exchange murmured with approval.
Because they'd just seen sothing more valuable than a simple demonstration of superior power.
They'd seen genuine friendship between competitors. Humility in defeat. Grace in victory.
The kind of character that mattered more than raw strength alone.
Lin watched Ren return to his position and smiled slightly.
'That boy continues surprising ,' she thought with satisfaction. 'Not just with his beasts' capabilities, but with how he treats people.'
Though she didn't say that out loud where Ren could hear.
So lessons were better learned through experience than through praise.
And Ren was doing well on his own.
Liu returned to his side of the field, officially withdrawing from the exam but without any sensation of real failure weighing on him.
He'd given a good battle showing his progress. Had demonstrated improvent from where he'd started. Had proven that the training thods and cultivation techniques Ren had shared actually functioned as promised.
And he'd learned a valuable lesson about consideration for others during combat. It was a lesson he would carry forward with him.
Ren observed Liu departing with his head held high. Then looked at the hydra that remained at his side, both heads alert.
"You'll have more opportunities to show off," Ren murmured while touching one of the heads lightly in appreciation.
The hydra made a satisfied sound at the contact. The farther head visibly envying the attention being given to its 'sibling'.
And in the stands above, the audience finally began reacting properly to what they'd witnessed.
Applause rippled through the crowd. Not an imdiate explosion of noise but gradual growth as the tension from the battle finally dissipated.
Because they had witnessed sothing more aningful than a simple demonstration of superior power.
♢♢♢♢
LARISSA'S POV
Larissa observed the field from her position in the waiting area while Yang announced the next pairing matchup.
She had reached this point by carrying her team through the last several battles. Not by choice but by absolute necessity.
The other nine mbers of her group were competent fighters. Fifth-year students with respectable ranks for their age. Several had reached mid-Silver through consistent cultivation of Ren's thods. A couple were even on high Silver through even earlier and more dedicated cultivation.
But none of them were exceptionally strong by this tournant standards.
None who could handle opponents of superior rank consistently. None with the type of overwhelming power or tactical versatility that changed battles through individual capability alone.
Larissa didn't bla them for their limitations. Not everyone could be a prodigy showing exceptional talent. Not everyone had access to the resources or possessed the natural gifts to reach exceptional levels at such a young age.
But it ant that when the team faced stronger groups in combat, when strategy and coordination by themselves weren't sufficient to overco power differences...
Larissa had to enter the arena personally. Had to finish what her teammates couldn't accomplish on their own.
Just like Ren had done for his team. Like Liu had done. Like all the leaders of the strongest teams had done at so point during this final exam.
It was a pattern Larissa recognized easily, no matter how much the organizers claid to be seeking a balanced environnt... Teams won or lost based primarily on who possessed the most powerful individual mbers. Strategy mattered to so degree, yes. Coordination certainly helped.
But in the end…
In this world powerful individuals decided victories by themselves.
And Larissa was one of those who possessed sufficient power to carry her team by herself when necessary. Fortunately, or not...
Since with Ren participating, even those individuals couldn't compete, ultimately no system could truly be "fair" in the traditional sense...
And unfortunately for her, she would be facing Ren's group now in the next round... though perhaps it was actually fortunate to face him before encountering the truly problematic duos that posed great threats to her specifically.
Taro and Liora ford a terrifyingly effective team together. Both were double-bonded tars at Gold rank. Both possessed beasts that complented each other's weaknesses perfectly that would beat her through any coordinated deploynt order.
Luna and Min represented a similar situation of dangerous synergy.
Facing either of those powerful duos would likely spell the end for her team's tournant run.
At least she would have the opportunity to face Ren's team before those final confrontations…
The strongest.
Ren's team would be the eventual winner of the entire tournant.
Ren himself was strong. Absurdly strong beyond normal paraters. But his teammates were relatively normal students without exceptional capabilities.
She could handle them without much difficulty. Probably without trendous effort while still giving good performance for the grade evaluations.
The impossible problem was Ren himself and his overwhelming beasts.
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