Lying Low in the Martial World to Become a Saint

"Hm!?"

Luo Ziming whirled around, his gaze instantly locking onto his disciple’s face. "Lu Chenming was defeated? Who defeated him?"

The names of several veteran True Successor Candidates flashed through his mind.

The disciple swallowed hard, his voice filled with disbelief. "It was Chen Qing! The Chen Qing from Xu Wang Mountain! The one from the Hundred Sects’ selection!"

"Chen Qing!?"

Hearing the name, Luo Ziming’s brow instantly furrowed, his face a mask of doubt.

His memory had always been excellent, so of course he wouldn’t forget that name.

He was a new disciple from Xu Wang Mountain, ranked twenty-ninth in the selection. Luo Ziming had personally summoned and tested him over the disturbance at the Celestial Treasure Tower.

In his eyes at the time, this was a young man with a decent foundation and some potential, but his Cultivation was shallow, and he had no other remarkable traits.

He had even casually tried to recruit him, only to be politely refused.

’This kid... defeated Lu Chenming, who has been immersed in Astral Force Perfection for nearly eight years and was hailed as "invincible in Astral Force"?’

’Is this for real?!’

Luo Ziming’s first reaction was that it was absurd, that the information had to be wrong.

It was like hearing that an ant had toppled an elephant—utterly unbelievable!

"Are you certain? Is the source reliable? Explain it clearly, and don’t leave out a single detail!"

Luo Ziming’s voice grew heavy, laced with an authority that permitted no doubt.

The disciple’s Heart and Spirit shuddered under his master’s gaze, and he quickly relayed in great detail the information he had gathered from various sources at the Seven-Star Platform.

"...Master, many Elders and disciples saw it with their own eyes. It’s absolutely true! That Chen Qing, he was hiding a trump card—the fusion of Three True Astrals—and only revealed it at the very last moment! His Body Refining Cultivation is also extremely high. It’s suspected to be the Buddhist Sect’s top-secret technique, the Dragon Elephant Wisdom Vajra Body!"

the disciple concluded, his voice still tinged with a shock that hadn’t faded.

As he listened to his disciple’s account, the doubt on Luo Ziming’s face was gradually replaced by gravity, and a flicker of alarm even crossed the depths of his eyes.

"The fusion of Three True Astrals... the Dragon Elephant Wisdom Vajra Body... True Martial Demon-Vanquishing Spear Perfection..."

He repeated these key pieces of information in a low voice, each one feeling immensely heavy. "What a kid! Truly, what a kid!"

It was only now that he realized—back in that side hall, with the True Words Soul-Calming Incense burning, he had been completely unable to see through to the Three True Astrals hidden deep within the boy!

His ability to conceal his aura and hide his sharpness, coupled with such a patient and forbearing nature, was simply terrifying!

And a person with such talent and such a disposition just had to come from the True Martial Lineage!

This was definitely not a good thing!

Lu Chenming’s defeat wasn’t as simple as losing a True Inheritance spot; it was also a blow to the prestige of the Nine Heavens Lineage.

With the True Martial Lineage gaining another True Inheritance disciple, it was like a welcome rain after a long drought. Their prestige was bound to soar. As one side waned, the other would wax, and in the future...

Luo Ziming’s thoughts raced, instantly grasping the deeper implications, and his expression grew even more grim.

"Master, what should we do now?" the disciple asked cautiously when his master remained silent for a long time.

Luo Ziming took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and ordered in a low voice, "Go to the storehouse at once and fetch my bottle of ’Nine Revolutions Returning Jade Pills’. Take them to Lu Chenming to help him heal. Tell him that victory and defeat are common in battle. He should focus on his recovery and not let this dampen his spirit. The Nine Heavens Lineage will continue to be his staunch supporter."

After all, Lu Chenming was a True Inheritance disciple that the Nine Heavens Lineage had poured immense resources into cultivating. His potential was enormous, and he was only a step away from the True Essence Realm. He couldn’t be allowed to lose all motivation over a single failure. The necessary comfort and support were essential.

"Yes, I understand!" The disciple nodded quickly and turned to leave.

"Wait."

Luo Ziming stopped him again, adding, "After you deliver the Elixir, go to the vicinity of the Seven-Star Platform yourself. Listen to the reactions from all sides, especially any movements from the True Martial Lineage. Also, gather all intelligence on this Chen Qing—his past experiences, every little thing he’s done since entering the sect. I want a new, thorough investigation. The more detailed, the better!"

"Yes!" The disciple accepted the order and hurried away.

Silence returned to the hall, leaving Luo Ziming alone.

He walked to the window again, gazing toward the distant, cloud-wreathed main peak.

"Chen Qing... True Martial Lineage..."

He muttered to himself, the scene of when he first tested the boy surfacing in his mind. The kid’s performance had been flawless back then. Looking back now, it seemed even he had been completely deceived.

’Even if the disturbance my master spoke of had nothing to do with him, this boy is no small fry. He’s probably still hiding secrets we know nothing about.’

Luo Ziming mused, ’I can’t treat him like an ordinary genius anymore... I must make him a priority for observation and keep a close watch.’

One of the goals of the Hundred Sects’ genius selection had been to break the current status quo. It seemed that goal was already beginning to bear fruit.

...

「The Shen Family Estate」

On the stage, the woman from the Ten Great Towers, known as the "Cold Lotus," danced with flowing sleeves. Her every frown and smile was filled with a captivating charm, making her seem like a completely different person from the aloof figure the public usually saw.

The Shen Family Patriarch, Shen Jiuhe, had his eyes lightly closed, savoring this rare moment of leisure.

Suddenly, the sound of slightly hurried footsteps approached from a distance.

Shen Jiuhe did not open his eyes, merely asking faintly, "Little Plate, what is it?"

The newcomer was Shen Pan, a Steward from the Shen Family who had been placed within the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect and also one of the family’s most important spies.

He strode forward, bowed, and said in a voice shaking with unconcealable shock, "Reporting to the Patriarch, the bell of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect has tolled... Chen Qing has succeeded in his challenge on the Seven-Star Platform, defeating Lu Chenming. He is now ranked tenth among the True Inheritance disciples!"

Shen Jiuhe’s hand, which was raising his teacup, froze.

His eyes snapped open, a sharp light flashing within them.

He knew Shen Pan’s character all too well; he was not one to make baseless claims. Besides, news like "a bell tolling for a new True Inheritance disciple" was impossible to fake in Celestial Treasure City.