Chapter 192 - 184: Unstoppable

Chapter 192: Chapter 184: Unstoppable

To struggle when you knew you were outmatched would only result in more severe injuries, a greater loss of Primordial Qi, and a longer recovery time.

It was better to concede and cut his losses. After all, he would only drop from eighty-ninth to ninetieth place. A single-rank difference wasn’t that important to his cultivation path.

Song Zhen stood on the high platform, watching Hua Guanzhi’s back as he moved through the crowd and finally disappeared around a bend on the main peak’s path.

A glint of admiration flashed in his eyes. From his vantage point on the high platform, he could see with perfect clarity that the gap in their strength was immense. It was a disparity that couldn’t be bridged by sheer grit, Secret Techniques, or willpower.

Hua Guanzhi’s Willow Catkin Following the Wind Step had reached a state of Perfect Harmony. He had also practiced the Spirit Containing Technique for many years, and his Swordsmanship was steady and composed. On the Cyan Cloud Ranking, he was definitely a troublesome opponent.

But Chen Yue’s overwhelming power, speed, and Sword Intent rendered all of Hua Guanzhi’s refined techniques futile.

Had he persisted, Hua Guanzhi’s fate would have been no better than Ji Wanting’s before him.

Song Zhen looked away and cleared his throat. His voice echoed across the spacious Martial Arts Arena.

"Chen Yue wins!"

As Song Zhen’s words fell, the crowd below the Martial Arts Arena, which had fallen into a brief silence at Hua Guanzhi’s sudden concession, instantly erupted.

Hua Guanzhi’s concession had caught all the disciples off guard.

It felt like settling in to watch a spectacular clash of titans, only for one fighter to walk out of the ring in the third round.

The main reason was that Ji Wanting’s match had been fought to the bitter end. Furthermore, previous Cyan Cloud Ranking challenges had almost always ended with one of the combatants being severely injured.

Those no-holds-barred battles were the impression of the Cyan Cloud Ranking challenges that most disciples had.

More importantly, although Chen Yue hadn’t been at the Panshi Sect for long, all of his fights had ended with one party either severely injured, at best, or dead, at worst.

Before his duel with Hua Guanzhi, all the disciples had already come to accept a certain fact: when Chen Yue fought, someone was bound to be grievously wounded.

For today’s match to end so peacefully felt almost surreal to many of them.

Chen Yue cupped his fists at Song Zhen, then turned and left the Martial Arts Arena.

Once Chen Yue’s figure had disappeared, the discussions around the Martial Arts Arena grew louder and more fervent.

The words that had been caught in their throats by the fight’s abrupt end now burst forth, weaving into a buzzing cacophony.

Some loudly analyzed Chen Yue’s Sword Intent, while others quietly speculated on the extent of Hua Guanzhi’s injuries. Some argued over whether Hua Guanzhi could have made a comeback if he had kept fighting, and others simply shook their heads in silence.

Many wondered just how high Chen Yue would climb on the Cyan Cloud Ranking before he finally stopped.

Seventy-ninth? Sixty-ninth? Or even higher?

At the same time, rumors about the feud between Chen Yue and the Liuyun Sword Sect, which had previously been confined to small circles, began to spread like wildfire.

The whispers flowed through the crowd, fanning the flames of excitement to a new peak.

Atop an old pine tree by the cliff’s edge, Mo Ciqiu glanced at Meng Yu Jin, who nodded in return.

In the next instant, they both pushed off with their feet and shot into the sky. Like two great birds soaring over the mountains, they traced smooth arcs through the air, gliding in the direction Chen Yue had gone.

While those in the Innate Realm could not yet truly fly, they could already glide for long distances.

Aided by the terrain, wind currents, and control over their own Primordial Power, Innate Realm experts could glide for several miles—or even farther.

In the eyes of an ordinary person, this was no different from witnessing a terrestrial immortal.

Chen Yue walked along the mountain path toward the Affairs Hall. The trees on either side cast dappled shadows in the morning light, and a few dry leaves, carried by the wind, lay scattered on the bluestone steps.

He walked at a steady pace, his mind already calculating his next opponent and planning the timing of his challenge.

Suddenly, Chen Yue stopped, as if sensing something.

He instinctively looked up at the sky. Two figures, like leaves carried on the wind, drifted down to land lightly on the path a short distance ahead, not stirring a single speck of dust.

It was Meng Yu Jin and Mo Ciqiu.

Chen Yue froze for a moment, then hurried forward a few steps, cupping his fists in a salute. "Greetings, Master. Greetings, Elder!"

He hadn’t expected Meng Yu Jin to come find him directly from the sky. Her method of arrival had certainly taken him by surprise.

Meng Yu Jin looked at Chen Yue, her eyes filled with satisfaction. A faint smile played on her lips, lending a soft radiance to her usually stern and dignified face.

"This is Mo Ciqiu, Elder Mo." She stepped aside slightly, bringing Mo Ciqiu to the forefront.

Chen Yue cupped his fists and greeted her again, "Greetings, Elder Mo!"

Mo Ciqiu had a smile on her face, one more brilliant than Meng Yu Jin’s. It held the kind of fond appreciation an elder has upon meeting an interesting junior.

Her gaze swept over Chen Yue from head to toe before she nodded. "Little Chen Yue, that was a fine fight just now. No wonder you dared to accept the Liuyun Sword Sect’s provocation."

Chen Yue bowed his head slightly. "You flatter me, Elder Mo."

"Are you heading to the Affairs Hall to continue challenging your way up the ranks?"

Meng Yu Jin asked, looking at Chen Yue. She knew her disciple’s personality. As soon as one fight was over, he was already thinking about the next. He never stayed in one place for long.

Chen Yue nodded, not hiding his intentions. "Yes, I want to challenge the senior brother ranked seventy-ninth to get the Contribution Points."

Every rank he climbed earned him one hundred Contribution Points. Advancing ten ranks meant one thousand points, enough to cover his cultivation expenses for quite some time.

Hearing this, Mo Ciqiu chuckled softly.

"Little Chen Yue, you’re really something else. It’s been many years since we’ve had someone sustain their cultivation by earning Contribution Points from the Cyan Cloud Ranking like this." Her tone was teasing, but it was filled more with good-natured admiration.

Chen Yue grinned but didn’t reply.

"No more challenges for now. Blades have no eyes in the Martial Arts Arena, and you can’t guarantee you won’t get injured. You have a Life and Death Decision with the Liuyun Sword Sect in a month, so you can’t afford any mishaps before then."

Meng Yu Jin said, her gaze fixed on Chen Yue as she shook her head.

Chen Yue’s brow furrowed. Just as he was about to speak, Mo Ciqiu’s voice cut in.

"You don’t need to worry about Contribution Points. Your master has already spoken with Dan Peak. From now on, the Contribution Points for any Elixirs you redeem will be deducted from her account."

Chen Yue was stunned. His gaze shifted from Mo Ciqiu to Meng Yu Jin, his eyes filled with clear surprise and emotion.

He opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to refuse.

He was used to relying on himself, to using his own Alchemy and fighting skills to obtain the resources he needed for cultivation. He was used to not being indebted to anyone—not even his master.