The Elders: "Why Is Shang Wu So Confident", The Ice Block's First Battle

"Wind Slash!"

A furious roar echoed through the air.

At the critical moment, the broken sword in Xiao Qin's hand was abruptly retracted under his control, not only blocking his opponent's strike but also unleashing a surge of dense inner energy.

A faint green aura radiated from the broken sword, sweeping outward in a fan-shaped arc.

"Energy Manifestation!"

The term flashed through the minds of many spectators.

Xiao Qin had clearly just broken through to this level—a technique most inner energy martial artists could only achieve at the Jade Liquid Realm.

Gasps of astonishment erupted across the arena.

On the elevated platform.

"This Xiao Qin isn't bad, though his realm is still a bit low."

"He must be one of the top disciples of this generation in the Qingyuan Sect."

The arrogant young man from the Crimson Whale Gang spoke indifferently.

"An inner energy cultivator at the Condensed Qi Realm at eighteen or nineteen—his talent is already exceptional."

"Of course, he’s still far behind you, Yu'er."

The middle-aged scholar in Confucian robes smiled faintly.

The disciples of the Crimson Whale Gang showed some surprise, though not much. Most of those who had come to the Qingyuan Sect hailed from prestigious backgrounds, and to them, Xiao Qin’s only commendable trait was his combat prowess.

The members of the Crimson Whale Gang, however, were far more excited. Many of them had risen from the martial world and admired Xiao Qin’s relentless fighting spirit, with quite a few cheering him on.

"Wasn’t Xiao Qin previously an outer disciple?"

Qian Bufan had some recollection of the young man.

"Yes, he’s one of those who rose unexpectedly. Perhaps he stumbled upon some fortuitous opportunity."

"He’s also on good terms with my grand-disciple, Li Mo."

Xue Jing stroked his beard with a chuckle.

The elders nodded slightly.

Given Xiao Qin’s performance, regardless of the outcome, he had already earned the qualifications to become an inner disciple.

The battle in the arena continued.

By now, young Li Mo could no longer be considered a novice in martial arts.

Thanks to his time spent between the "ice block" (Ying Bing) and the "little Jiang Princess," as well as his beauty of a master who loved to ramble about all the people she had beaten while drunk, Li Mo had developed a keen eye for combat.

Watching the two figures clash on the stage, Li Mo shook his head slightly.

"Old Xiao’s chances of winning aren’t high."

Xiao Qin had only managed to hold his own against an opponent a full minor realm above him by using Energy Manifestation—a technique that drained his energy rapidly.

Xie Ailan was clearly no fool when it came to combat and had already noticed this, opting to rely on her superior movement techniques to wear him down.

Ying Bing withdrew her gaze and sipped her tea.

"Three breaths."

No sooner had she spoken than—

Exactly three breaths later—

Xiao Qin suddenly slackened, his face pale as he clasped his fists.

"Senior Sister, I admit defeat."

Xie Ailan halted her movements, not even sparing him a glance.

Without a word, she stepped off the stage and began meditating alone.

Qian Bufan’s booming voice resounded across the arena.

"Xie Ailan, victorious!"

"Xiao Qin, relegated to the loser’s bracket! One more loss, and you’re out."

To ensure fairness, the Nine Peaks Tournament did not eliminate participants after a single loss. One had to lose twice in a row, guaranteeing a relatively reasonable outcome.

Of course, if someone ended up facing two opponents far stronger than themselves in succession, that was just bad luck.

With such an intense opening match, the atmosphere grew even more heated.

Qian Bufan patted the bronze beast statue again, causing two more name tokens to drop from its ox-like mouth.

"Next match!"

"Inner disciple Lu Bai versus..."

"Ruyi Peak’s Lin Jiang!"

---

This was a battle with little suspense.

If one had to describe it, it served as a stark reminder of the gap between inner disciples and true inheritors.

Lin Jiang’s spear strikes were like a dragon’s fury, his blood and qi surging overwhelmingly.

His opponent used the same techniques but was swept off the stage by Lin Jiang’s spear in less than ten exchanges.

After saluting his opponent, Lin Jiang didn’t glance at the high platform but instead looked toward the seating area for disciples.

Only when he spotted a familiar figure did a smile appear on his face.

"Old Lin’s made a lot of progress lately."

Li Mo met his gaze and returned the smile.

The two had crossed paths occasionally recently, even discussing martial techniques together.

For a moment, young Li Mo felt a strange sense of fulfillment.

Watching those he had helped shine so brightly... it was almost like the satisfaction of a cultivation game?

"Lin Jiang, victorious!"

"Next match..."

---

An hour passed.

During this time, Murong Xiao had also taken the stage, securing a dominant victory and drawing considerable attention and praise.

"He must be the most outstanding genius of this generation, no?"

The arrogant young man from the Crimson Whale Gang grew restless, itching for a fight. Were it not for the rules, he looked ready to leap onto the stage and challenge Murong Xiao himself.

"After the Nine Peaks Tournament, you can seek him out for a spar."

The middle-aged scholar in Confucian robes interjected.

The Crimson Whale Gang’s "Blood-Robed Young Master" narrowed his eyes with interest.

"A Serpent’s Body? And the demonic energy is so well-controlled?"

"That golden hue... the tranquility feels almost like Buddhist martial arts."

"Interesting..."

The Lord of Ziyang Prefecture, noticing his interest, lowered his voice.

"Young Master, this boy is from the Murong family. He’ll likely return to the prefecture city."

"Noted."

The Blood-Robed Young Master nodded dismissively.

Strangely, despite being a mere disciple of the Crimson Whale Gang, he treated the prefecture lord with such casual disregard.

"Han He has trained an excellent disciple."

"Murong Xiao is truly gifted—a fine physique for body refinement. If his forging talent proves exceptional, our Qingyuan Sect may soon have another grand artisan."

"His unique constitution will grow even more formidable when he reaches the Observation Divine Realm. That’s when he’ll truly shine."

Listening to his colleagues' admiration, Elder Han He’s weathered face broke into a smile.

Murong Xiao was indeed the disciple most likely to inherit his legacy.

He’d been fortunate with this one...

"Murong Xiao..."

"That lad who’s always trailing behind my precious disciple, calling him ‘Brother Li’ at every turn?"

An untimely question came from a certain master of Jade Cluster Peak.

"Indeed, he gets along quite well with my grand-disciple," Xue Jing added with a chuckle.

As fellow disciples of Qingyuan Sect, the elders naturally preferred seeing their talented juniors in harmony, united for future trials.

The only one not feeling particularly pleased was...

Creak.

Elder Han He’s grin froze as his grip nearly shattered the armrest of his chair.

The finest disciple of the Divine Armament Peak was Li Mo’s loyal follower.

The peak’s divine weapon was also in that brat’s hands.

The more he thought about it, the more it rankled.

Was this not a form of—

"Hmph! Nephew Shang Wu, don’t celebrate too soon."

"This old man knows you’ve bet on Jade Cluster Peak topping the rankings. I’ve no idea where you found the audacity!"

The moment he spoke,

the elders’ gazes snapped toward Shang Wu, brimming with bewilderment—their expressions screaming:

‘We know you’re usually unhinged, but this is next-level madness!’

‘How dare you?!’

‘My grand-disciple is just a child!’

In truth...

By the time Shang Wu remembered that Little Bing’er wasn’t actually a disciple of Jade Cluster Peak, she’d gone through three stages:

Denial, regret, and finally... resignation.

If the outcome couldn’t be changed, then so be it...

Shang Wu took a casual sip of wine and said airily,

"Because I believe in my precious disciple."

The elders: "!"

Why was she so confident? This wasn’t like her!

Everyone knew Shang Wu prized wealth above all—she never gambled without certainty. Yet she’d staked such a heavy bet on her disciple.

Could it be... that the lone seedling of Jade Cluster Peak truly possessed some earth-shattering advantage?

Elder Han He fell into deep thought.

That brat couldn’t possibly...

have mastered the divine weapon already?

...

Battles between martial practitioners were seldom flashy. When skill gaps existed, outcomes were decided swiftly.

Besides, this was a spar between sect brothers, not a life-or-death struggle.

Another match concluded shortly after.

Qian Bufan patted the bronze bull again:

"Next bout."

"Jade Cluster Peak’s Xie Ailan versus..."

"Qingyuan Main Peak’s Ying Bing!"

(The author will strive to keep every plot segment entertaining. Love to all readers who’ve made it this far—mwah!)