Chapter 15: The Hidden Depths of a Genius

Despite the perplexing expressions on everyone’s faces, Qin Yangjun rose to his feet, a smile gracing his lips as he spoke:

“Sister, you jest,” he demurred. “I merely got lucky with my guess; it’s something any of you could achieve. The competition is about to begin, so I’ll just go freshen up.”

With those words, he descended from the spectator stands, leaving the elders exchanged bewildered glances.

A hearty laugh boomed from the Fifth Elder.

“Hahaha, who would have thought? Jun’er was the one hiding his true depths, completely deceiving us all.”

A profound sigh escaped the Second Elder, his face etched with a mix of awe and resignation.

“Penetrating Insight (TL Note: A rare spiritual ability allowing one to perceive subtle details and predict actions.),” he murmured, his voice laced with wonder. “I’ve delved into its mysteries for decades, yet never glimpsed its threshold. To think Jun’er has awakened it at such a tender age… this… alas.”

This protracted sigh seemed to mourn the inherent unfairness of fate, a sentiment readily understood by the others, who remained respectfully silent.

The Grand Elder offered a gentle pat on his shoulder.

A soft smile then graced the Third Elder’s lips.

“It speaks volumes of the Sect Master’s excellent tutelage,” she remarked. “For Jun’er to possess such formidable strength at such a young age, his future potential is truly boundless.”

In unison, the elders turned their gaze toward Mu Xianxian.

Yet, Mu Xianxian’s brow was deeply furrowed, her expression betraying a hint of bewilderment.

Her mind, too, was currently awash with questions.

The battle below hadn’t even concluded, yet her younger brother already knew the outcome, clearly indicating his awareness of Yueyao’s breakthrough.

She hadn’t informed him, and the elders were hardly the type to blabber secrets.

How, then, had he discerned Yueyao’s secret technique?

Furthermore, after knowing, he had maintained such a nonchalant demeanor. Could it be that he already possessed a countermeasure?

An increasing number of questions began to intertwine within Mu Xianxian’s mind.

Mu Xianxian had always believed she knew her younger brother inside and out, so intimately that she felt she even knew the color of his underwear today.

Now, however, it seemed her brother was harboring secrets.

Once the competition concluded, she resolved to get a clear explanation from him.

Observing Mu Xianxian’s contemplative expression, the elders couldn’t help but exchange surprised glances.

A new thought began to blossom in their minds.

‘Could it be unrelated to the Sect Master? Was Qin Yangjun truly a genius with such profound depths?’

Meanwhile, the two combatants, having just concluded their match, sensed an unusual atmosphere outside the arena, though their intense focus on the battle had left them oblivious to the cause.

Jiang Yanfeng, having suffered defeat, wore a deeply displeased expression.

The oppressive silence of the surroundings exacerbated his discomfort, making him feel as though everyone was whispering about his failure.

The collective gaze of the crowd, witnessing his defeat, coupled with his earlier provocation of Qin Yangjun, made him feel utterly humiliated.

With a furious stride, he stormed off the stage, vanishing into the throng of spectators in the blink of an eye.

As she watched Jiang Yanfeng depart, Yueyao’s face betrayed little joy.

While victory was hers, the challenges that lay ahead were far more significant.

Only after Jiang Yanfeng’s departure, gleaned from the hushed exchanges among the surrounding disciples, did she fully grasp the situation that had unfolded.

Yueyao’s heart tightened considerably, having read numerous ancient texts, she began to form a hypothesis.

‘Predicting moves.’

‘She never imagined Senior Brother possessed such a technique. Could it be the legendary Penetrating Insight?’

As she mused, the Grand Elder’s voice transmitted directly into Yueyao’s ear:

“That Qin boy is far from simple,” he conveyed. “It appears we were all misled by his former demeanor. This final match will likely be exceedingly challenging, but fear not. Your master believes in your strength; simply give it your all. Ultimately, victory or defeat is not of paramount importance.”

While her master’s words were meant to encourage her, Yueyao could discern from his final remark that he was already mentally preparing her for a potential defeat.

A faint sigh escaped Yueyao’s lips.

‘It seemed Senior Brother had indeed awakened Penetrating Insight.’

Yueyao had, of course, heard tales of such a rare spiritual talent, knowing that with it, engaging in battles beyond one’s cultivation level became a common occurrence.

What was truly terrifying was the sheer duration her Senior Brother had managed to conceal this ability.

If he could keep such a profound talent hidden, it was entirely possible he possessed other undisclosed methods.

As this thought crossed her mind, Yueyao lightly bit her lip, a determined glint appearing on her exquisite face.

Having come this far, she was determined to uncover the full extent of her Senior Brother’s hidden capabilities.

An hour later, Yueyao had fully recovered.

By then, the sun was beginning its descent, casting long shadows as its crimson light bathed the training grounds in a thin, blood-red veil, imbuing the arena with an air of solemn intensity.

On the elevated platform, Yueyao stood with her wooden sword, her veil now removed. Her long hair was pulled back into a neat, practical ponytail, and her exquisitely beautiful face was etched with solemnity. The gentle demeanor she typically exuded had been replaced by an aura of resolute capability.

Across from her, Qin Yangjun stood with one hand clasped behind his back, his golden robes shimmering with brilliant light under the setting sun, a dazzling spectacle. His handsome face, too, bore an expression of profound solemnity.

The two stood facing each other, creating a tableau reminiscent of the sun and moon vying for supremacy.

Despite his foreknowledge of the outcome, Qin Yangjun intended to exert his full effort, seeing it as a gesture of respect for both Yueyao and himself.

As the two faced off, the collective breath of the onlookers seemed to catch in their throats, the disciples below fixed their gazes intently upon the stage, terrified of missing even a fleeting moment of the impending clash.

It was then that Yueyao, standing opposite him, suddenly broke the silence.

“Previously, Yueyao gravely misunderstood Senior Brother,” she announced, her voice clear and firm. “I offer my apologies for that. However, I have no intention of surrendering. Today, I wish to truly gauge the extent of the disparity between Senior Brother’s abilities and my own!”

Qin Yangjun found himself utterly bewildered.

‘Misunderstood? What exactly had been misunderstood? And an apology, too?’

‘A “big gap”? Was she attempting to lull him into a false sense of security? Was this truly the moment for psychological warfare?’

For a moment, Qin Yangjun was at a loss for words. To avoid an awkward, nonsensical reply, he simply opted not to engage.

With a light flick of his wrist, Qin Yangjun raised his wooden sword.

“In that case, Junior Sister,” he declared, “pray, begin!”

Without hesitation, Yueyao’s spiritual energy erupted from her body, and she surged forward, charging directly at Qin Yangjun.

Clang!

Their wooden swords met with a resounding clash, unleashing a ripple of spiritual energy that spread outwards.

The referee below seemed on the verge of speaking, then held his tongue.

‘Why did he feel his presence was utterly superfluous?’

Nevertheless, he was quickly captivated by the intense battle unfolding on the stage.

In a mere few breaths, their exchange had already numbered dozens of blows. The wooden swords struck the arena with a resonant clang, each impact accompanied by a visible clash of spiritual energy.

The new disciples below involuntarily swallowed hard; a single blow like that, striking any of them, would surely result in severe injury, if not death.

What’s more, these were merely preliminary probes; neither combatant had yet unleashed their true power.

Having concluded their initial probes, both parties began to exert their full strength. Their spiritual energies surged dramatically, and a flurry of techniques was unleashed.

Yueyao subtly gained an advantage, seemingly poised to suppress Qin Yangjun, yet for some inexplicable reason, all the previous unsettling thoughts continued to flicker through her mind.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that Qin Yangjun was deliberately concealing something, waiting to unleash it at a pivotal moment.

The unknown, she knew, was always the most terrifying.

With every moment that hidden technique remained unrevealed, the sense of oppression intensified, until Yueyao gradually found herself struggling to breathe.

Boom!

Another explosive surge of spiritual energy erupted, simultaneously forcing both combatants apart.

The instant she regained her footing, Yueyao gritted her teeth, her spiritual energy skyrocketing. Her physical form then began to shimmer, growing increasingly ethereal.

The spiritual energy surrounding her seemed to coalesce into a swirling mist, which began to spread across the entire platform.

Concurrently, a profound sense of unease began to stir within Qin Yangjun’s heart.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Desire’s Sole Cultivator

cultivationDramaFantasy

Read Now →
Not interested