Chapter 218 - 186: Arrogant Words, When the Master is Shamed, the Vassal Dies

Chapter 218: Chapter 186: Arrogant Words, When the Master is Shamed, the Vassal Dies

Xie Yuan watched from near the guest platform, witnessing the results of all five matches. His expression turned somewhat serious.

His thoughts were no different from the other disciples. He had figured that even if the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect was slightly inferior to the Sword Storage Pavilion, they wouldn’t suffer such a crushing defeat—after all, it was just a few External Training disciples.

He had experienced Huang Zifeng’s strength firsthand. Back then, Huang Zifeng hadn’t been much weaker than him, his strength at the peak of the Fourth Training.

And these few disciples from the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect were on par with the Huang Zifeng of back then, yet they were defeated so utterly!

Those disciples from the Sword Storage Pavilion were flawless in their Blood Qi, internal breathing, and Swordsmanship, a clear demonstration of the training standards of the world’s number one sect. These disciples were practically perfect prototypes for a Swordsman. They were slightly stronger than their Cloud Mountain Sword Sect opponents in every aspect, which added up to a one-sided victory.

’If I were back at the Fourth Training, I fear I’d be at their level at best,’ Xie Yuan thought with a shudder.

These External Training disciples from the Sword Storage Pavilion were all meticulously nurtured and carefully selected. Compared to his past self, his fundamentals weren’t necessarily better, and he was even at a great disadvantage in areas like footwork and Body Technique.

This was the undeniable gap between a self-taught practitioner and someone raised by a truly top-tier Major Sect from a young age. Xie Yuan had dominated the External Training scene of Yunzhao with his Cultivation Techniques, especially his unique Inner Power, but these disciples from Major Sects wanted for nothing when it came to Cultivation Techniques. They had everything he had, and theirs was more refined. If his past self had really fought them, he probably would have had to use his three signature moves to even guarantee a win.

But the current Xie Yuan was different. Setting aside his Cultivation Realm, he had undergone meticulous training and guidance from Mu Chaoyun, Situ Qin, and the Grandmaster behind them. In just a few short months, his combat approach and use of Cultivation Techniques had become orthodox and structured. He no longer fought with the unrestrained freedom of a self-taught practitioner—which was, to put it bluntly, just flailing about. To a Major Sect with a true heritage, both the Ironclad Gate and the Longteng Escort Agency were nothing more than backwater methods.

These were improvements not reflected in tangible progress, but Xie Yuan had benefited immensely. With his fundamentals now solid, Xie Yuan was not the least bit weaker when compared to Major Sect disciples of the same realm.

As for tangible progress: setting aside his Cultivation Realm and the profound Cloud Dragon Step, and focusing solely on his recently perfected Cloud Mountain Sword Form—a basic Swordsmanship—even these disciples from the Sword Sect and Sword Storage Pavilion couldn’t necessarily match his comprehension of the Sword Dao. Furthermore, with his initiation into the Nine Cloud Dragon Forms, his swordsmanship alone was so advanced that he would be hard-pressed to find an equal, not just at the Qi Blood First Transformation, but even at the Second Transformation. If a fight came down to pure technique, the likelihood of Xie Yuan defeating a stronger opponent and triumphing against the odds was extremely high.

The current Xie Yuan, though not yet fully polished, would now appear to have the training of a famous master if he faced these disciples from prestigious sects. After all, one-on-one tutelage from not just one, but multiple Grandmasters, was naturally the best kind of guidance.

But while Xie Yuan could compete, these disciples from the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect could not. Thus, they suffered a crushing defeat on the very first day, and the faces of many disciples and their masters turned grim.

Xie Yuan stole a glance and saw that even the Grandmasters looked displeased. Only Sect Leader Li Xingtuo remained composed, still chatting and laughing with Wei Dong as they commented on the matches.

"The little ones performed well. The Qiyun sword moves are solid, but they lack agility. That’s no cause for alarm; it will naturally improve as their experience and realms increase..."

"Ziyan, your skills are good, but you were too impatient. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have lost so quickly. This is a fatal flaw. Remember this lesson; everything else was fine..."

"Sun Feng, your victory was clever, hehe. It seems you have a bit of luck on your side. Keep up the good work..."

"And to the several esteemed disciples of the Sword Storage Pavilion, your skills are exquisite and your fundamentals solid. It was a refreshing sight to see..."

Li Xingtuo publicly commented on several disciples. After offering a bit of guidance, he mostly encouraged those who lost, not thinking them too poor. As for the one who won, he frankly attributed it to luck, not making a big deal of it at all.

After commenting on his own disciples, he also offered guidance to the disciples of the Sword Storage Pavilion. While generous with his praise, he also pinpointed each of their problems with a single sentence, hitting upon the very difficulties they faced in their cultivation. The disciples hadn’t expected Li Xingtuo to be so magnanimous and free of sectarian prejudice. Receiving guidance from such a Grandmaster, they all grew excited, bowed earnestly, and began to carefully ponder his words.

Wei Dong saw Li Xingtuo’s composed and cheerful demeanor and said calmly,

"Sect Leader Li’s broad-mindedness is admirable. You lot, make sure you remember Sect Leader Li’s guidance. This is your good fortune."

"Yes!"

Li Xingtuo smiled and waved his hand, saying casually,

"Not at all. When disciples are brave and diligent, it brings joy to us masters as well."

Wei Dong nodded and said calmly,

"In that case, I cannot appear to be treasuring my own worn-out broom, either."

He extended a finger and lightly drew a line in the air. A score mark suddenly appeared on the ground of the arena between the two teams of disciples. The mark seemed to move, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, completing its path in a moment and stretching from the feet of the first disciple to the fifth.

Looking closely, the score mark was subtly different at the feet of each disciple. It even differed on the left and right halves, corresponding to the disciples of the two sects. The disciples on the platform were stunned for a moment, then looked down to examine it, gradually becoming dazed.

"Look for yourselves. How much you grasp depends on your own destiny."

Wei Dong withdrew his hand and said impassively.

Li Xingtuo sighed with a smile.

"Thank you, Pavilion Master Wei. This single move will be enough for these disciples to study for decades."

"Not at all. If the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect produces another peerless talent like Sect Leader Li, they would reach this level of cultivation long before decades have passed,"

Wei Dong said seriously.

Li Xingtuo looked young, but his temples were streaked with silver. In truth, he wasn’t old, having just passed the age of forty—nearly a full generation younger than Wei Dong. He was a rare genius, the likes of which the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect had not seen in many years. Not only did he achieve rapid breakthroughs in his own cultivation, but the sect had also grown increasingly powerful under his leadership.