Overbearing

Overbearing

A hushed silence fell over the crowd as Qin Wentian executed a jaw-dropping move. Jiang Xiu's smug grin vanished, replaced by an expression of sheer disbelief. It was as if they had all witnessed a magician pulling a rabbit out of an empty hat.

"Did you see that?" whispered one spectator to another, their eyes wide with amazement.

"Incredible! Qin Wentian's movement technique is like a fish in water," replied his friend in awe.

The drama in the air was palpable, and it was about to get even juicier.

Qin Wentian wasn't content with just shocking everyone with his agility; he followed up with a perfectly timed attack that left Jiang Xiu dumbfounded. It was as if Qin had choreographed the entire sequence in his mind, including Jiang Xiu's reaction.

Jiang Xiu's face contorted into an unsightly mask of defeat. The battle, stripped of the crutches of their cultivation bases, revealed the true essence of their abilities. It was a test of innate technique proficiency, senses, and talent. And Jiang Xiu had just failed spectacularly, his earlier arrogance now echoing in everyone's ears.

With a sly grin, Qin Wentian decided to rub salt in the wound. "I'm not much of a cultivator, you know. Just a lucky guy, I guess."

His calm demeanor only made his words sound more sarcastic to Jiang Xiu. Shallow cultivation base? Only a few innate techniques? Jiang Xiu couldn't believe his ears. The fact that he had lost to Qin Wentian, according to Qin himself, was sheer luck.

Jiang Xiu gritted his teeth and pushed Qin Wentian's weapon away from his neck, demonstrating his strength. Qin Wentian's arms trembled from the force.

"One move doesn't prove anything," Jiang Xiu retorted, struggling to save face. "It could be luck, or maybe I was just careless. You both have a deep understanding of innate techniques. Especially Jiang Xiu, he's mastered countless greatsword techniques. If we weren't restricted, he'd wipe the floor with Qin Wentian in no time. His cultivation base alone would crush Qin's pathetic defense."

Qiu Mo chimed in, as if he'd rehearsed his speech for this very moment. His words had a certain logic to them. Jiang Xiu's attacks had been lethal, and the lack of cultivation base support had dampened their power. In a real fight, Qin Wentian might not have stood a chance.

However, viewed from another angle, Jiang Xiu had clearly lost. Despite this, Qiu Mo persisted in defending him, weaving a web of twisted words and illogical arguments.

In the midst of this, an unexpected voice echoed through the crowd, disrupting the tense atmosphere. A stout figure made his way toward the stone stage, placing his hands on his hips and giving Qiu Mo a direct stare.

"Hey, Senior Brother Qiu Mo," the stout man called out, his tone dripping with cheekiness. "If they were to reevaluate the rankings of the ten prodigies, I'm pretty sure you'd be number one."

The crowd fell into a hushed silence, curiosity etching across their faces. Many recognized the newcomer as Fan Le, Qin Wentian's close friend.

In the past, Fan Le and Qin Wentian had stood together in the arena, first defeating Orfon and later facing off against formidable opponents like Murong Feng and Du Hao. His talent was indeed remarkable, but it often went unnoticed because he was always in Qin Wentian's shadow. However, those who paid attention knew that Fan Le had been frequently seen in the Dreamsky Forest, where his martial prowess had skyrocketed at an astonishing rate.

Rumors even circulated that Elder Mustang, who usually didn't show much interest in Qin Wentian's training, had been closely supervising Fan Le due to his notorious laziness.

"Why?" asked Luo Huan, intrigued by Fan Le's statement.

"I've heard that Senior Qiu Mo holds the fourth position among the Royal Capital's ten prodigies," Fan Le began, his tone deadpan. "Now, we won't even discuss those ranked below him. As for the three ahead of him, if they were to face Senior Qiu Mo, I bet they wouldn't stand a chance. Even if they somehow won, it'd probably be down to sheer luck, and luck can't determine a true ranking. Those three probably stumbled upon their cultivation breakthroughs thanks to some miraculous stroke of fate. They can't be compared to Senior Qiu Mo, who achieved everything through sheer hard work. He's the only one who rightfully deserves to be the uncontested number one. Breaking into the Yuanfu realm purely through one's own efforts—that's true dedication."

Fan Le spoke with such conviction that it left the crowd bewildered. This guy was spewing nonsense with a straight face, but everyone understood the underlying message.

"What kind of logic is this?" Qiu Mo furrowed his brows, sensing the sarcasm behind Fan Le's words.

"You dismissed the fact that Qin Wentian created third-level Divine Inscriptions and suggested he lucked into them," Fan Le retorted, his voice dripping with mockery. "He reached the sixth level of Arterial Circulation in just a year, and you called him a fallen genius who couldn't enter the Yuanfu realm. When he agreed to your spar conditions against Jiang Xiu and won, you brushed it off as luck and carelessness. Don't forget, you were the one who proposed the fight without using cultivation bases. And now, you're shamelessly suggesting a real battle. It's truly remarkable."

Fan Le couldn't help but laugh. "In the entire Emperor Star Academy, Senior Qiu Mo is the only one who can claim to have achieved his cultivation base through sheer hard work. The rest, including those above him, have all relied on miraculous events or strokes of luck. I don't quite understand where Senior Qiu Mo's confidence comes from, but I can tell you this: when it comes to shamelessness, Senior Qiu Mo is undoubtedly the reigning champion among the ten prodigies of the Royal Capital."

With that final jab, Fan Le even theatrically bowed in Qiu Mo's direction, leaving Qiu Mo with a hideous expression on his face.

"A win's a win, and a loss is a loss," declared Luo Cheng, unable to stay silent any longer. He had a strong sense of justice, and it wasn't about favoring Qin Wentian; it was just his personality.

The word on the street was that Qin Wentian had some unresolved issues with Luo Qianqiu. As a member of the Asura Faction, Luo Cheng had no intention of helping Qin Wentian intentionally. He was merely fed up with the situation.

"Even if Jiang Xiu of the 10 prodigies had won due to a higher cultivation base, what's there to boast about?" Luo Cheng continued, provoking Jiang Xiu with a dash of sarcasm.

It seemed that, after making progress in his cultivation, Jiang Xiu had dared to dream of surpassing him in the rankings of the 10 prodigies. If Jiang Xiu desired a battle, Luo Cheng was ready to oblige.

"What do I have to fear?" Luo Cheng remained composed, his only aim at the Jun Lin Banquet was self-improvement. Achieving a top ranking would be a bonus, but even if he didn't, he was more focused on honing his skills.

"If you're so eager, let's do it," Jiang Xiu sneered, fixing his gaze on Luo Cheng. His eyes were like sharp swords, and while he was the lowest-ranked of the 10 prodigies last year, he had already reached the peak level of Arterial Circulation after a year of hard work.

"What's there to fear?" Luo Cheng replied calmly, unimpressed by Jiang Xiu's focus on victory or defeat. His purpose at the Jun Lin Banquet was to improve himself, and if fighting Jiang Xiu would help, so be it.

"Fine, prepare yourself. But before our match, I'll teach Junior Brother Qin a lesson in respecting his elders," Jiang Xiu declared, his eyes shifting back to Qin Wentian. He infused his divine weapon with Astral Yuan Energy, making it gleam even brighter and more menacing.

Qin Wentian couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Qiu Mo and Jiang Xiu had been against him from the beginning, and now Jiang Xiu wanted to teach him "respect" for his seniors?

In an instant, Jiang Xiu's sword sent a frigid beam of light hurtling toward Qin Wentian.

Qin Wentian's ancient halberd danced in response, conjuring the Xuanwu Black Tortoise once more. But this time, Jiang Xiu had infused his divine weapon with Astral Yuan Energy, making his attack even more powerful.

Qin Wentian's movements were graceful, his steps like a leaf in the wind as he elegantly dodged the attack.

"The Nine Heavenly Garuda Movement Technique," someone in the crowd exclaimed, recognizing Qin Wentian's technique. The onlookers were impressed by his choice of such a challenging technique and his mastery of it, making him resemble a real Garuda.

Jiang Xiu relentlessly thrust his sword twice more, but each attempt missed its mark. His frustration was evident as he moved again, his sword technique becoming a blur, transforming into a phantom of a tornado of swords.

Qin Wentian reacted by executing the Xuanwu Stance to its utmost limit. But once again, the sword technique shattered his defense, leaving a tear in his robes.

"How shameless," Luo Huan muttered. Suddenly, her whip materialized in the air like a streak of blinding light, coiling around Jiang Xiu's body as if it were a python.

Jiang Xiu was surprised by Luo Huan's strength. Clearly, none of the elite students had wasted their time over the past year.

Qin Wentian, standing to the side, felt his patience wearing thin. Jiang Xiu had pushed him to this point, tearing away the facade of politeness and disregarding decorum. There was no need to hold back any longer.