These Peak Masters' disciples are really hiding their capabilities deep, aren't they

The disciples of Qingyue Peak were the first to react, their waves of cheers almost lifting the roof.

The silence on the viewing platform only lasted for a moment before it was broken by Ye Guying's furious glare.

He snapped his head to look at Shi Wanshan: "Good on you, old man Shi! Your two disciples were just getting beaten into the ground by my Mu Chenyu a while ago. How long has it been, and they've already been completely reborn? Did they get some heaven-defying benefit? Spit it out right now!"

Shi Wanshan shrank his neck under the glare, but then straightened his back, picked up his teacup, and took a slow sip.

"What are you saying, Senior Brother Ye? The disciples are willing to put in the hard work on their own, what does that have to do with me?"

Despite his words, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were piled high. His expression of "I'm just not going to tell you" angered Ye Guying so much that he almost drew his sword.

Seeing him like this, Ye Guying suddenly thought of something and raised his hand to set up a soundproof barrier.

His gaze swept sharply toward Gu Changge next to him.

Seeing the other party looking down and studying the patterns on his teacup, he immediately gave a cold snort.

"Good on you, Junior Brother Gu! You are clearly playing favorites! I was wondering why old man Shi's two disciples, who were usually just average, suddenly seemed to have attained enlightenment. You must have been secretly giving them special tutoring behind our backs!"

As soon as these words came out, the other Peak Masters were like awakened monkeys, turning their heads in unison to look at Gu Changge.

The Peak Master of Feiyun Peak rubbed his hands together, his eyes shining like searchlights: "Junior Brother Gu has hidden it quite well. If you had a way to improve cultivation, why didn't you say so earlier?"

The Peak Master of Luoxia Peak also nodded along. The Peak Master of Zhenyue Peak looked like he wanted to press his face right up against Gu Changge's, his gaze swirling around Gu Changge, making them look like a group of bears that had discovered a honeypot.

Gu Changge felt a chill run all over his body under the intense stares of these dozen or so fiery gazes, almost dropping the teacup in his hand.

He muttered in his heart: I just came here to quietly watch a show, how did I suddenly become the target of public criticism?

That old geezer Shi Wanshan climbed up my Zizhu Peak in the middle of the night to secretly learn my skills, what does that have to do with me?!

Everyone started talking at once.

Gu Changge's head swelled from listening to them, and he wished he could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.

He secretly tugged at Xuanyangzi's sleeve: "Sect Master, save me! I'm going to be eaten alive by these old guys. Hurry up and tell the disciples below to continue beating the gongs and continue the martial arts competition!"

Looking at Gu Changge's appearance, Xuanyangzi held back a laugh and cleared his throat.

"Ahem, the results of the semifinals are set. It is time to prepare for the finals."

But how could the smile in his eyes be hidden? He was clearly enjoying Gu Changge's predicament.

When the crisp sound of the gong rang out, Gu Changge finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Ye Guying still glaring at him, and the gazes of the other Peak Masters were still glued to him.

He immediately felt a chill on his back again—it seemed he couldn't hide from this commotion even if he wanted to.

Taking a deep breath, he said: "Alright, stop crowding around. After the Grand Competition is over and I finish dealing with the matters at hand, you can bring your disciples to find me. I will naturally give guidance where it is due."

As soon as these words came out, the noisy viewing platform instantly quieted down. Ye Guying immediately released his grip on his sword hilt, and the Peak Master of Feiyun Peak stopped rubbing his hands. Everyone's eyes revealed a look of expectation.

Gu Changge finally breathed a true sigh of relief, but thinking about the scene he would have to face after the Grand Competition ended, he couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

As soon as the gong for the finals sounded, Li Xuanfeng and Lin Mochen stood in the center of the arena.

The two exchanged blows back and forth, frequently using various techniques. Seeing that he couldn't take down Lin Mochen, who had already revealed his Late Core Formation Realm cultivation, in a short time, Li Xuanfeng's spiritual energy suddenly surged. The coercion of the Late Core Formation Realm spread out, shocking the disciples below the stage into gasping for air.

"I knew Eldest Senior Brother was definitely hiding his strength!"

A disciple slapped his thigh fiercely, his voice full of the certainty of "I knew it."

"I felt something was wrong when he beat Senior Sister Su earlier. How could a Mid Core Formation Realm cultivator suppress a Late-stage cultivator so easily?"

Someone nearby immediately agreed: "Exactly! This makes sense. How could the Sect Master's personal disciple only have Mid-stage cultivation!"

The two fought for another few dozen rounds. In the end, Lin Mochen was still one move short. With Li Xuanfeng's longsword pressed against his throat, he cleanly and decisively admitted defeat.

The wave of cheers below the arena almost overturned the ceiling of the martial arts field: "Senior Brother Li is mighty!"

"Late Core Formation Realm! He truly is the outstanding talent of our sect's younger generation!"

The gong for the third-place match was a bit quieter than the finals, but it still captured the hearts of many.

Seeing that Lin Mochen and Li Xuanfeng had both revealed some of their trump cards, Shi Jingxian felt there was no need for him to hide anymore either.

He similarly erupted with the cultivation of the Late Core Formation Realm, causing another wave of exclamations from the audience.

"Another Late Core Formation Realm! Qingyue Peak is going to defy the heavens!"

The two fought intensely for over a hundred rounds, and in the end, Mu Chenyu unfortunately suffered defeat.

The results of the third-place match were settled, yet the atmosphere in the martial arts arena held an indescribable sluggishness.

A disciple in the front row rubbed his sore jaw and muttered to himself: "I'm numb, I'm truly numb..."

These words acted like a fuse, instantly igniting the discussions around them.

"Ever since Senior Sister Su revealed her Late Core Formation Realm cultivation, my heart hasn't beaten normally."

Someone patted their chest, their tone carrying a trance of disbelief.

"And the result? Mu Chenyu is Late-stage, Lin Mochen is Late-stage, and surprisingly, Senior Brother Li and Senior Brother Shi are too. These Peak Masters have hidden their disciples too deeply. What kind of game are they playing?"

An older disciple nearby rolled his eyes but didn't refute. He had been in the sect for five years and had seen three Grand Competitions. When had he ever seen so many Late Core Formation Realm cultivators appear in bunches?

Having just one Mid Core Formation Realm cultivator would be enough for the whole sect to brag about for half a year.

Now, it was like pulling radishes from the ground, one after another.

Thinking back to a little over a month ago when the Palace Master of the Burning Heaven Palace brought their proud Mid Core Formation Realm disciple to provoke them, he felt embarrassed for Lie Tianxiong.

"Do you think Senior Brother Li's Late-stage cultivation is the ceiling for our younger generation?"

A disciple looked at the arena with a face full of admiration.

"Is there even a need to say?"

The person next to him immediately replied.

"Looking at the entire sect, who could reach the peak of the Late Core Formation Realm at this age?"

Amidst the discussions, Shi Jingxian leaned against a pillar with his arms crossed. Listening to this group of people making a fuss over the "Late Core Formation Realm," he couldn't suppress the upward curve of his lips.

He glanced at Li Xuanfeng, who was surrounded by junior brothers in the middle and was gently answering something.

"If they knew that Li Xuanfeng only used ten percent of his spiritual energy just now..."

These guys were still marveling at the "ceiling," but they didn't know that the true sky was much higher than they imagined.

"Keep guessing slowly."

Shi Jingxian walked briskly toward the seating area of Qingyue Peak.

He imagined the expressions on everyone's faces if they knew the true cultivation levels of their group; their eyes might just pop out of their sockets.

He suddenly felt that the most interesting part of this Grand Competition wasn't the winning or losing, but this group of people being kept in the dark.

They thought they had clearly seen the peak, little knowing that the true summit was still far away.

No wonder Martial Uncle Gu loved hiding so much; this feeling was indeed exhilarating!

At this moment, Xuanyangzi stood up on the viewing platform, his voice transmitting throughout the martial arts arena via spiritual energy: "This year's Sect Grand Competition ends here!"

The clamor instantly subsided, and all gazes converged on the main seat.

Xuanyangzi cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping over the solemnly standing martial arts arena, and announced loudly: "Next, we will distribute the rewards for this Grand Competition."

"First place, Li Xuanfeng of Qingyun Peak—awarded one Heaven-grade weapon and ten Heaven Spirit Pills!"

Li Xuanfeng slowly stepped forward. The moment his fingertips touched the brocade box, purple-green sword qi suddenly surged, weaving into a net with the spiritual light overflowing from within.

He opened the lid. A longsword, shimmering with a flowing luminescence, lay quietly on the velvet lining, the cloud patterns along its spine slowly drifting as if alive.

His fingertips lightly brushed across the blade. Li Xuanfeng's eyes flickered, and as he bowed, his voice carried a rare solemnity: "Thank you for this generous gift, Sect Master."

After he stepped back, Xuanyangzi continued, "Second place, Lin Mochen of Qingyue Peak—awarded one high-tier Earth-grade weapon and five Heaven Spirit Pills!"

"Third place, Shi Jingxian of Qingyue Peak—awarded one mid-tier Earth-grade weapon and five Heaven Spirit Pills!"

"Fourth to tenth place—each awarded one high-tier Profound-grade weapon and three Heaven Spirit Pills!"

The named disciples stepped forward in turn, each bearing a different expression as they received their rewards.

Su Qingyuan gently stroked her Profound-grade longsword, her fingertips lightly rubbing the cord wrapped around the hilt.

Mu Chenyu gripped his new sword tightly, his knuckles turning white, yet his gaze held the sharp vigor of someone who had renewed his resolve.

Once the rewards were fully distributed, the crowd departed one after another.

Gu Changge, who had been looking down and sipping his tea the entire time, gently raised his head. His gaze swept across the hall, and an incredibly faint smile curled the corners of his lips.

It was time to clean out those parasites within the sect...