Chapter 10 Sect Competition Begins (2)

The Thousand Shadows Sect is widely known among the lower realms for its unparalleled mastery of shadow techniques.

Their reputation as silent assassins and expert trackers makes them a feared force across the martial world. Highly skilled in pursuit and stealth, they are often hired for assassin work in murim, operating as unseen hunters who leave no trace of their presence.

Their information network is vast, reaching into the depths of many sects, giving them an edge in gathering intelligence. Members of the Thousand Shadows Sect are said to strike like shadows - swift and deadly, with their victims never knowing where the attack came from. Rumor has it that, in the presence of a disciple from the Thousand Shadows Sect, even one's own shadow might turn against them, making escape or survival nearly impossible.

Seeing the Mo Sect send out Mei Ling, the Thousand Shadows Sect countered by sending Xue Ying, a 10th-level Foundation Establishment expert.

Though it appeared they were treating the Mo Sect with respect, in truth, Xue Ying was the weakest among the participants, showing that the Thousand Shadows Sect didn't view the Mo Sect as a serious threat. Mei Ling began the battle with her Frost Sword Technique, but her strike missed and Xue Ying seemed to vanish instantly. Suddenly, a sword appeared from behind, forcing Mei Ling to narrowly dodge the attack using her Whispering Breeze Step, catching Xue Ying off guard as it was the first time somebody escaped her assassin attack.

After several exchanges, Mei Ling suffered a few minor injuries. She was at a disadvantage due to her lower Qi reserves compared to her opponent, knowing she needed to finish the fight quickly. Determined, Mei Ling used her Frost Sword Technique to freeze the entire arena.

That's when she noticed something strange - the opponent in front of her, who always seemed faster, left no footprints on the ice. At the same moment, she spotted faint footprints slowly appearing behind her. Xue Ying had been using a Shadow Clone Technique—the figure in front was merely a clone, while the real Xue Ying had made herself invisible, silently preparing to strike from behind. 

Once Mei Ling realized the truth, the battle became much easier. She ignored the clone in front of her and instead focused on the footprints forming behind her. Without hesitation, she unleashed her Frost Sword Technique at the exact spot where the footprints appeared. In an instant, the shadow clone vanished, and the real Xue Ying was revealed, frozen in place by the ice, trapped by Mei Ling's swift and decisive strike, and knocked her opponent out using Serene Lotus Palm.

The Judge announced Mei Ling as the winner.

The Thousand Shadows Sect members were stunned by the unexpected turn of events. They had anticipated an easy victory, but Mei Ling's quick thinking had shifted the outcome entirely.

Among the spectators, a seasoned expert from the Royal Clan silently admired Mei Ling's performance.

Drawing on his experience from countless wars, he recognized her exceptional battle sense. It wasn't as simple as it seemed—being able to devise a new strategy while at a disadvantage was no small feat.

She had skillfully used her surroundings to her advantage, something usually developed only after years of combat experience, especially when facing a sect specializing in stealth and deception.

In his eyes, Mei Ling was a promising talent, a "good seedling" for real warfare. He believed she would thrive and progress even faster in the chaotic crucible of battle, where only the sharpest minds and strongest wills endure. Unlike duels, there are no one-on-one fights on the battlefield; it's complete chaos.

Your opponent could come from any direction, and focusing solely on one target would spell certain death. To survive and excel, one must adapt quickly, anticipate threats from all sides, and act decisively amidst the unpredictability of war. Mei Ling, he felt, had the instinct to do just that.

Xiao Chen has been watching and was using AI to analyze the Opponent's techniques and also noticed this peculiarity of the shadow technique, though it looks faster than Whispering Breeze Step, In reality, it is composed of tricks and deception rather than real speed.

Their actual moment technique Shadow steps is much slower than Whispering Breeze Step. Then there is a huge drawback in the Shadow clone technique, Though it makes almost invisible real bodies and creates clones as they blend to surrounding, they can't use any movement technique during that period.

Thus, once he figured it out, Xiao Chen concluded that the Thousand Shadows Sect would be sitting ducks for any opponent who recognized and exploited the flaws in their technique. If they continued to rely on the same shadow techniques without addressing their inherent weaknesses, they would leave themselves vulnerable to skilled adversaries who could easily turn their own methods against them.

Xiao Chen believed that such an obvious flaw in their core technique could only be for lower-level cultivators, who started learning techniques. He believed that as one reached a certain stage of mastery or advanced their cultivation, these shortcomings would likely be addressed and mitigated in some other ways.

Otherwise, the Thousand Shadows Sect would not have been able to thrive and maintain its status in the present day. 

He appreciated her swift battle presence mind of Mei Ling when she never encountered the Shadow technique before.

Mo Clan now has 2 victories and others started noticing them.

The next opponent for Mo Clan is the Dragon's Claw Sect. 

Dragon's Claw Sect doesn't have much standing as it doesn't have any grand history. It was made by a bunch of loose cultivators by brotherhood, who once found some partial inheritance of some Dragon martial clans somewhere and started a sect.

The Dragon's Claw Sect is regarded as one of the weaker factions among the lower sects, even considered inferior to the Mo Sect. Their limitations are evident, as they possess only one core technique: the Dragon Claw Art. While they have some basic movement techniques, these are nearly ineffective compared to genuine movement skills, and they lack any defensive techniques at lower levels of mastery. However, it is said that at the highest levels, their practitioners can develop skin akin to dragon scales, which grants them notable defensive properties.

Currently, the sect is on the brink of collapse. Acknowledging the difficulty of winning in the lower-sector competition, the members believe that simply establishing a visible presence is crucial for gaining recognition. This visibility could turn their situation around, potentially attracting more resources or sponsorship from merchants and higher powers, particularly from the Royal Clan. The hope for recognition remains a vital driving force for the Dragon's Claw Sect as they strive to secure their future.

The Royal Clan has always sought to maintain a balanced status quo of power while simultaneously requiring more strength to defend against invasions from other empires or demonic forces. If they identify potential in a new sect, they are likely to nurture it.

However, this sponsorship comes with its drawbacks. Such sects risk becoming puppets of the Royal Clan, manipulated for various purposes, including court politics or internal conflicts within the clan itself. This duality of support creates a complex dynamic, as the sects must navigate the fine line between gaining power and losing their autonomy.

They send Long Wei, their 8th foundation establishment participant for this match. Similarly, the Mo clan sent the Yan Rong.

Yan Rong employed the Moonlit Ribbon Art, a whipping technique that allowed her to maintain a distance advantage. From the start, Long Wei found himself at a disadvantage, as his attacks couldn't reach her while her movement techniques easily outpaced his. The only advantage he had was his higher cultivation realm. However, feeling overconfident, Yan Rong dropped her guard, which gave Long Wei the opening he needed. He launched an attack, and although Yan Rong attempted to evade with the Whispering Breeze Step, she was only partially successful; it was too late, and she sustained a minor injury from Long Wei's Dragon Claw attack. Though it was a singular technique, its power was undeniable when executed correctly.

This incident taught her a valuable lesson about underestimating her opponent. Regaining her focus, Yan Rong became vigilant and exploited her distance advantage, ultimately knocking Long Wei out of the arena.

Xiao Chen observed this match and noted the lesson Yan Rong learned about her opponent's capabilities. While the Dragon Claw technique displayed a semblance of draconic might, he sensed that it lacked depth in its technique. To him, it appeared to be a set technique that fell short without accompanying techniques to support it. In his opinion, it might be wiser for Long Wei to abandon this technique in favor of more versatile training methods. As it was not a part of his own skill set, he didn't dwell on it too much but recognized the potential for improvement.

Currently Mo sect in 3rd Win

Though core techniques are often foundational techniques passed down from the sect's origins, some sects lose these origin techniques during crisis or disaster and thus use derived techniques later. Xiao Chen knew that the Mo Sect once had many powerful techniques, but had lost most of them over time. He noticed that there seemed to be no true core technique in use anymore in the Mo sect as in other sects.

The Mo Sect's founding figure, Mo Xuan, lived eons ago, and much of the sect's knowledge had been lost. Curious, Xiao Chen asked Elder Le about it.

"We did have such a technique," Elder Le said. "Our foundation was once built upon a technique known as the 'Eternal Sutra.' But we lost the sutra along the sea of time. Many of the techniques you see today were created by seniors at that time after studying the Sutra"