Seeing Mu Bingling charge, Chen Qing had no time to wonder about the red ring of light beneath her feet. He instinctively raised his hand and struck with a Dragon Claw Hand—a move that was always exceptionally vicious.
But Mu Bingling merely gave a slow wave of her arm. The seemingly sluggish strike landed perfectly on Chen Qing's joint. With a dull THUD, Chen Qing felt his arm go numb, and his own attack was deflected.
The first exchange over, Mu Bingling's graceful figure lunged forward. She dipped low, then drove her right elbow upward in a strike aimed at Chen Qing's chest. The attack was lightning-fast; Chen Qing was struck while his arm was still recoiling. Then, something astonishing happened: the force of Mu Bingling's blow launched Chen Qing two meters into the air.
But it wasn't over. As Chen Qing was launched upward, Mu Bingling leaped and spun like a Spirit Butterfly, matching his altitude. Her arm shot out with a sound that tore through the air, smashing into Chen Qing's back. Unable to control his center of gravity in mid-air, and with Mu Bingling's strike angled perfectly, Chen Qing was knocked out of the arena before he could even cry out.
The entire sequence was executed flawlessly. Mu Bingling landed lightly on the stage, her expression cold and indifferent as she looked out at the crowd in silence.
From start to finish, Chen Qing had only made a single move. The entire match hadn't even lasted five breaths. The previously undefeated Chen Qing had lost to this young woman in what amounted to an instant kill.
"It seems the Mu Family is finally going to rise." Fengze, who had been observing from the side, chuckled to himself. He knew all too well the immense benefits a genius could bring to a family.
"Hey, that red ring of light just now was a Martial Artist's Martial Ring, right?"
"Looks like it."
"You've got to be kidding me! The Mu Family has a genius like that? A Martial Artist at twelve or thirteen... Even in the entire Xuanling Empire, she would be considered a peerless talent."
Once one person started the discussion, the entire plaza erupted into a clamor of voices in no time.
"Silence!" A voice like a great bell instantly resounded throughout the plaza. Infused with Primordial Power, it was exceptionally clear, and the clamor of discussion came to an abrupt halt. The speaker was none other than the competition's host, Elder Yan, and in this moment, his value was on full display.
"I declare that for this match, the winner from the Mu Family... uh..." Elder Yan trailed off, glancing awkwardly at Mu Bingling.
Mu Bingling's expression remained cold as she stated flatly, "Mu Bingling."
Elder Yan cleared his throat. "The winner is Mu Bingling."
The crowd erupted.
With Elder Yan's announcement, the surrounding spectators were finally certain that they hadn't been seeing things: this stunningly beautiful young woman was a genuine Martial Artist.
"For the next match, is anyone willing to come up and challenge the champion?" Elder Yan's voice remained sonorous, but his words were met with a wave of silent curses from the crowd. 'Even Chen Qing, at the Peak of Nine-Ring Martial Disciple, was beaten, and so utterly at that. You old fool still want us to go up? That's just asking us to get killed! Are you nuts? To hell with you!'
Unsurprisingly, no one from the crowd was willing to step forward. Elder Yan had anticipated as much—the question had been a mere formality. All that remained was for him to make the final announcement.
Elder Yan cleared his throat and declared loudly, "Very well! Since no one wishes to issue a challenge, I hereby announce that the final victor of this clan competition is... the Mu Family of Luofeng City!"
ROAR!
The moment Elder Yan's words landed, every disciple of the Mu Family leaped to their feet, ecstatic. They had been suppressed and stifled for too many years. Their sudden, explosive cheer was so powerful that it instantly made the Mu Family the dazzling focal point of the entire plaza.
Even Mu Gu Tian, seated with the other Patriarchs, had tears streaming down his face. The pressure he had endured over the years had been immense. Today, they had finally wiped away their past humiliations, and his heart was bursting with cathartic joy. Not only that, but the Mu Family had also produced a peerless young genius. He was certain Mu Bingling would be accepted into the Xuanling Imperial Academy as an Official Disciple. With her talent, she might even be promoted to a Core Disciple within a few years. When that happened, the Mu Family's status would rise with her, like a ship on a rising tide. He could already see the hope of the Mu Family's resurgence.
The three Mu Family Elders also straightened their posture, their faces filled with arrogance, as if the credit for the family's achievement belonged entirely to them. The gloom they had felt moments ago was utterly wiped away.
After a short while, the cheering showed no signs of dying down; in fact, it only grew stronger. Seeing this, Elder Yan hastily cleared his throat, and his voice, infused with Primordial Power, once again cut through the noise.
"Everyone, please quiet down! I know you are all very excited, but there is something even more important to announce."
At his words, all the Mu Family disciples stopped cheering and sat down, though the excitement in their eyes didn't diminish in the slightest. Elder Yan could only shake his head in resignation before quickly continuing, "Next up is the most important event. I'm sure you are all aware that distinguished guests from the Xuanling Imperial Academy have graced us with their presence. Now, let us welcome the recruitment representative of the Xuanling Imperial Academy, Miss Yan Ruoshui!"
As he finished speaking, all eyes in the plaza turned southward, to the seats elevated above the Patriarchs. Only the three people sitting there were complete strangers to the crowd. A woman in a green dress slowly stood up. Her serene beauty instantly stunned the audience. That, combined with her mature aura and voluptuous figure, immediately captured every eye in the plaza.
"What's with today? It's a festival of beauties."
"Heh, look at that lecherous expression on your face. So those three are the recruitment team from the Xuanling Empire. No wonder they were so arrogant earlier."
"The Xuanling Imperial Academy... I'm so envious."
"People of Luofeng City, I trust you are already aware of our purpose here, so I will not elaborate. The Imperial Academy is the place to which all Martial Artists in the Xuanling Empire aspire, because there are no weaklings there. I have watched your clan competition, and I did not expect that a place as lacking in resources as Luofeng City could produce such a talented Martial Artist. It seems I have been too narrow-minded."
The speaker was Yan Ruoshui. Her voice was melodious, yet it held an undeniable authority. Her gaze swept over the crowd as she continued, "This time, the Imperial Academy has allocated three positions for Official Disciples and two probationary candidates for Special Recruitment to me. I will now announce the names of those selected. Official Disciples: Mu Bingling, Chen Qing, and Wang Junyao. Probationary candidates for Special Recruitment: Wang Xihai and Mu Rongxuan. Those whose names I have called will accompany us to the Xuanling Imperial Academy tomorrow morning. We will come to your respective families to escort you. Furthermore, those who were not chosen should not be discouraged. This is not the only selection method for the Xuanling Imperial Academy. There is also an annual open registration, about which you will be notified in due time."
After speaking, Yan Ruoshui nodded to Tang Hao and the black-robed elder. With a flicker of her form, she vanished from sight. By the time the crowd understood what had happened and looked back, the seats where the three had been were completely empty, as if they had never been there at all.
Only then did everyone understand why the Xuanling Imperial Academy's recruitment team had been so arrogant. That feat alone was something no one present could possibly replicate.
Although no one understood why Wang Junyao from the Wang Family had been chosen as an Official Disciple instead of Wang Xihai, they assumed the Imperial Academy had its reasons. Rewards were usually distributed after the clan competition, so everyone still needed to wait around for quite some time.
Mu Bingling had never cared for such formalities. After telling Mu Gu Tian she felt unwell, she left the plaza. Mu Gu Tian would naturally collect her rewards on her behalf.
Walking home, Mu Bingling felt an inexplicable sense of agitation. She had a persistent feeling that something was about to happen—and that it would not be a good thing.
Since most of the town's residents had gone to the plaza for the clan competition, the streets were clear. With heavy steps, Mu Bingling went directly to Mu Chen's room. The door was shut tight. She knocked softly.
"Mu Chen, are you in there?" Mu Bingling called out twice, but there was no response. She suddenly grew anxious and pushed firmly on the door, only to find it unlocked.
She walked into the room. It was empty. Almost instinctively, her eyes were drawn to the wooden table. A sheet of yellow paper lay there, weighed down by an emerald-green Jade Pendant.
Mu Bingling picked up the Jade Pendant and unfolded the letter. The ink on the page was stark and clear. "Sister, by the time you read this, I'll be gone. Don't miss me, and don't worry. I won't do anything foolish; I just want to find my own path. Heh, I know you'll worry about me even though I say this. So all I can say is, trust me. Trust Chen'Er."
"You must be the final winner of the clan competition, Sister. Don't ask how I know; your little brother is special, I can feel it! First, congratulations on being accepted as an Official Disciple at the Xuanling Imperial Academy. Your little brother doesn't have much to give you, but this Jade Pendant is something I've worn since I was a child. I'm giving it to you now, Sister. Please don't lose it, okay?"
"I know you, Sister. You would definitely give up this rare opportunity for my sake. But please, you mustn't. It would make me feel like I'm your burden. I don't want that. I don't want to live in your shadow forever. I'm a man. I want to stand on my own two feet. I want dignity. I... want to protect my only sister. Trust me. Trust Chen'Er."
"I know that leaving without a word will break Dad and Mom's hearts. But I believe that after their grief, they will understand and forgive Chen'Er for being selfish this one time. I will take care of myself. I'm no longer that little kid who only knew how to hide. I will be strong and keep on living. This isn't goodbye forever. Sister, in two years, three at the most, Chen'Er will come find you. When I do, I promise I'll give you the shock of your life. Don't you forget about me by then, Sister, or you'll make me sad. Trust me. Trust Chen'Er. Wait for me for three years."