Chapter 585 - 195: Conclusion of the Grand Competition, Final Rankings

Yang Jing was taken aback for a moment. He watched the astonishing transformation occurring in Chu Yunhai, his expression instantly becoming incredibly grave.

Chu Yunhai truly lived up to his reputation as number one on the Hidden Dragon List, the most celebrated prodigy in all of Jintai Prefecture. ’Had he really not been using his full strength during that fierce battle just now?’

...

「At the same time.」

On the high platform, the expressions of the Sect Leader of Xuanzhen Sect, Cao Zhen, and the seven Peak Masters changed in an instant.

All eyes snapped toward the arena, filled with utter shock.

Celestial Derivation Peak Master Huang Zhen had the most extreme reaction. He shot up from his seat, his eyes wide as he stared in utter astonishment at Chu Yunhai, whose aura was now surging. His lips moved, but for a moment, he was utterly speechless.

Cao Zhen’s eyes narrowed. His sharp gaze pierced through the churning waves of qi on the arena, landing on Chu Yunhai, whose own qi and blood were now surging.

He turned to the discomposed Huang Zhen beside him, his voice low and tinged with gravity. "Peak Master Huang, did you know that your disciple possesses a War Body?"

In the world of martial arts, a Martial Artist’s potential has always been classified by their Root Bone, which is graded from First to Ninth Grade. Ninth Grade is the lowest, and First Grade is the highest.

However, the grade of one’s Root Bone does not entirely determine a Martial Artist’s future or their prospects on the Martial Dao.

Besides the Root Bone, the mainstream standard for evaluating a Martial Artist’s potential, numerous other factors can shape a Martial Artist’s path on the Martial Dao.

These include hidden talents such as a comprehension that far surpasses the ordinary, unyielding willpower, and a uniquely innate affinity for a certain category of martial arts. Then, of course, there is the possibility of a Martial Artist being born with a special constitution.

Generally speaking, even if one’s Root Bone talent is not outstanding, possessing a special constitution makes the path of the Martial Dao much smoother. Their cultivation speed and fortuitous opportunities become comparable to those of a genius with one of the upper three grades of Root Bone.

And if one already possesses a high-grade Root Bone in addition to a special constitution, they are truly blessed by the heavens. Barring any unforeseen accidents, as they mature, they are almost guaranteed to become powerful figures who dominate their respective regions.

And the War Body that Chu Yunhai was now revealing was precisely one of these special constitutions.

Besides being highly beneficial to one’s own cultivation by subtly tempering the muscles and bones and widening the meridians, this constitution also allows its user to activate the War Body in combat. This can increase their combat power by a large margin for a short period, making it a constitution truly born for battle.

Previously, the upper echelons of the Xuanzhen Sect had only known that Chu Yunhai possessed a Second-Grade Root Bone and had exceptionally high comprehension, giving him a cultivation speed comparable to a prodigy with a First-Class Root Bone. They had never known that Chu Yunhai also possessed such a special constitution.

Upon hearing this, Celestial Derivation Peak Master Huang Zhen numbly shook his head, the look of astonishment still lingering on his face. His voice was laced with a mixture of shock and pleasant surprise. "Sect Leader, I... I truly had no idea."

As the Peak Master who had personally mentored Chu Yunhai, he knew his disciple’s situation intimately. Yet he had never detected the slightest hint of a special constitution. How could he not be shocked?

Possessing a special constitution was completely different from one’s Root Bone.

A Root Bone could be forcibly examined through bone-reading, its grade immediately obvious.

But a special constitution could not be examined this way. It lay hidden deep within a Martial Artist’s bloodline, muscles, and bones. It was so well-concealed that many people never even knew they possessed such a great fortune before their constitution was activated.

Only on a specific day—perhaps during a life-or-death crisis or through some fortuitous coincidence—could one’s special constitution be activated, and only then could its true power be unleashed.

Special constitutions that were present from birth and required no subsequent activation were exceedingly rare.

It was for this very reason that so many legends had been passed down through the Martial Arts Realm, from ancient times to the present, of mediocre Martial Artists rising against the odds to become peerless masters.

These legends inspired generation after generation of Martial Artists with poor Root Bones. Even knowing the path ahead was difficult, they refused to give up easily, determined to risk it all for a chance to glimpse the scenery from the higher realms at the peak of the Martial Dao.

Cao Zhen looked at Celestial Derivation Peak Master Huang Zhen shaking his head in a daze, took a deep breath, and let his gaze fall back upon Chu Yunhai in the arena. He felt a mixture of excitement and frustration.

He was excited that Chu Yunhai actually possessed a War Body.

His Root Bone and comprehension were already top-tier. The combination of the two gave him a cultivation speed comparable to that of a prodigy with a First-Grade Root Bone.

Now, with the immense fortune of a War Body, his future on the Martial Dao was bound to be even more brilliant. The Xuanzhen Sect’s future, it seemed, truly had a worthy successor.

What frustrated him was that this kid, Chu Yunhai, had hidden it too well. He had kept the entire sect in the dark, completely unaware that he possessed such a special constitution.

Of course, it was also possible that Chu Yunhai had only just recently activated his War Body.

Seeing the qi and blood surging around Chu Yunhai on the arena, Cao Zhen noticed that while the youth’s aura was potent, it was also faintly chaotic. His control over the War Body still seemed somewhat clumsy and unpracticed. This led Cao Zhen to believe that this latter possibility was highly likely.

Cao Zhen looked at Chu Yunhai, whose battle intent now soared to the heavens. Then he glanced at Yang Jing on the other side of the arena. Despite his grave expression, Yang Jing remained as steady as a mountain. A sense of relief washed over Cao Zhen.

’Thank goodness I pushed past all the opposition and insisted on holding this Fushan Grand Competition,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, I’m afraid these disciples would still be hiding their true abilities, refusing to show their real strength.’

’Yang Jing was one thing, but who would have thought Chu Yunhai was also hiding his power so deeply?’

A smile unconsciously tugged at the corners of Cao Zhen’s mouth as he mused to himself.

’These young rascals are all as slippery as eels. They would never show their trump cards under normal circumstances.’

’Only by dangling tempting enough bait—like the rich rewards of the Fushan Grand Competition, or the honor of being named number one in the sect—will they finally liven up, fight with all their might in the arena, and reveal their true potential to the sect.’