Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

Her opponent, though unharmed, was utterly convinced of her defeat. She clasped her fist in salute and bowed in submission.

The crowd fell silent for a moment before erupting into gasps of astonishment.

"Qiao Qiao! I’ll remember that name! At just thirteen or fourteen, she’s already perfected the Hidden Dragon Fist, and her Blood Qi is far more solid and dense than her opponent’s! She’s a true genius, no doubt about it!"

"You’re just hearing about her now? She’s the newest top genius of the Dragon Mountain Middle Courtyard! She clawed her way out of the mud of the Lower Courtyard, and then, in just twenty days, she condensed her second pillar of Blood Qi!"

"Twenty days? Good heavens, is that for real? At her age, with that kind of talent, her future is limitless!"

"I have to recruit her!"

"Save your breath. A genius like her? We’d never get a chance to recruit her. Just look at Ye Yang’s eyes. He’s looking at her like she’s his precious daughter."

Everyone followed the speaker’s gaze. On the surface, Ye Yang appeared calm, but the bright glint deep in his eyes was impossible to hide.

"And it’s not just Ye Yang. Look at Elder Pang and Elder Wu..."

Someone lowered their voice, jutting their chin toward the two Grandmaster’s Chairs.

Pang Shixun was whispering something to Wu Shannan. Both of their gazes were fixed on Qiao Qiao, not moving for a long moment. Then, they beckoned to an attendant behind them.

After bowing to receive his instructions, the attendant hurried over to the Dragon Mountain Hall delegation, clearly on his way to deliver a message to Ye Yang.

Meanwhile, as soon as Qiao Qiao stepped off the fighting stage, Ye Qiluo rushed to greet her, her face wreathed in smiles. She was like a completely different person from the one who had given Shi Lei such a cold look earlier.

"Junior Sister Qiao, that was a beautiful fight."

Ye Qiluo took Qiao Qiao’s arm, her tone both enthusiastic and sincere.

"Of all the disciples in our Middle Courtyard, you’re the one I’m most optimistic about! You really didn’t disappoint me!"

Qiao Qiao pursed her lips and murmured, "Thank you, Senior Sister Ye," before glancing over toward Chen Cheng.

"What are you looking at?"

Ye Qiluo’s gaze followed Qiao Qiao’s, and the smile on her face stiffened.

"You know that kid? Oh, right... I almost forgot. You both came up from the Lower Courtyard."

Ye Qiluo paused before lowering her voice.

"Qiao Qiao, as your senior sister, I see you as my own flesh and blood, so let me be frank. You’re a true genius, completely different from those types who get by on sheer luck and a mountain of resources."

"..."

Qiao Qiao, her arm held in Ye Qiluo’s tight grip, felt completely ill at ease. But she didn’t dare pull away in public, so she could only lower her head and say nothing.

Ye Qiluo assumed Qiao Qiao had taken her words to heart and was now contemplating her heartfelt advice.

"Good girl, you really are sharp! Listen to your senior sister, and you’ll never go wrong! When the tournament’s over, I’ll treat you to a feast and introduce you to some people who are actually worth knowing!"

Farther away, Zhu Mingyuan pulled his gaze from the stage and let it fall back on Chen Cheng. He chuckled and said,

"The world only knows that Qiao Qiao’s progress is lightning-fast, but they have no idea that you, my junior brother, are far faster! Isn’t condensing the Fifth Pillar of Blood Qi more than ten times harder than condensing the second?"

"It was just a fluke."

Chen Cheng just smiled humbly and didn’t say anything more.

"Cut it out!"

Zhu Mingyuan pursed his lips.

"I watch you train every single day and see how you get stronger! You think I can’t tell whether it was a fluke or not? You got where you are today through sheer sweat and willpower!"

"Never mind anyone else—I tried it myself. I tried to match your training schedule and intensity. The result... I couldn’t even last three days..."

Zhu Mingyuan shook his head, his gaze on Chen Cheng filled with genuine, heartfelt admiration.

"When it comes to you, my friend, I’m completely and utterly impressed!"

"You flatter me, Senior Brother..."

Chen Cheng shook his head, his gaze sweeping over to the fighting stage.

"Let’s watch the tournament. The third match is starting."

As they spoke, the combatants for the third match both stepped onto the stage.

Representing Dragon Mountain Hall was Lin Fengxiao, dressed in white martial arts attire.

It had been no secret for the past month that the Captain’s Mansion was investing heavily in his training.

His Top-Grade Root Bone and Comprehension were being put to full use. His progress was incredibly fast, and even after steadily condensing his third pillar of Blood Qi, he continued to improve.

Of course, the most important thing was that the Captain’s Mansion provided him with unshakeable protection. Even though the Fuchang Trading Company was grinding its teeth in hatred, they could only swallow their anger and didn’t dare retaliate.

As he stood on the stage now, his entire presence—his complexion, his aura—was far better than before. His posture was straighter, and he even looked more handsome.

In the crowd, the gazes of several young women kept drifting toward him, intentionally or not. They would glance at him, look away, and then, a moment later, glance back again. With slightly flushed cheeks and wandering eyes, it was hard to say what was on their minds.

"Zhang Yu, Inner Hall Disciple of the Cloud Platform Middle Courtyard. I ask for your guidance!"

Across the stage from him stood a tall woman with a fine figure and a beautiful face.

She wore a light purple martial arts uniform, cinched tight at the waist, accentuating the graceful curve of her bust. Her long hair was tied in a simple bun, with a few strands escaping by her ears, and her features held a hint of heroic spirit.

"Please."

Lin Fengxiao gave a slight salute, then abruptly pushed off with his feet. In an instant, he was closing in on his opponent.

Zhang Yu’s pupils contracted. He was much faster than she had anticipated.

She dodged sideways and swept out with her right leg, attempting to force him back.

However, Lin Fengxiao simply blocked with his forearm, using his Dragon Scale Shirt to deflect the majority of the kick’s force. Following the momentum, he twisted his body, shot into Zhang Yu’s guard, and drove a right uppercut into her lower abdomen.

BAM!

Zhang Yu’s entire upper body bent double as the air was knocked from her lungs. Her vision swam with black spots.

In the next instant, Lin Fengxiao had already retracted his fist and thrown it again—the same uppercut, aimed at the very same spot.

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