It Falls to Us to Lose Every Last Scrap of the Sect's Face

The sect did not keep Chu Xinghe waiting long.

Soon, word came from Haotian Palace.

The moment he received it, Chu Xinghe set off for Haotian Palace.

Outside the Haotian Grand Hall, he ran into Wan Lin and Ma Liang.

"Senior Brother Xinghe!"

The two smiled and greeted Chu Xinghe with a bow, and the three entered the Haotian Grand Hall together.

The sect master, the grand elder, and the chief elders of every palace were all present in the Haotian Grand Hall.

"Greetings, Sect Master and elders..."

After the three bowed, the grand elder spoke first. "I assume you already know that Martial Emperor City and the Heavenly Medicine Palace are coming. So you should also know why we summoned the three of you."

Hearing this, Chu Xinghe nodded calmly, without a ripple in his heart.

Wan Lin and Ma Liang, however, widened their eyes, and then their faces lit up with wild delight.

The visit from Martial Emperor City and the Heavenly Medicine Palace was hardly a secret. Nearly every palace had heard about it.

As for the Heavenly Medicine Palace, there was no question that Senior Brother Xinghe would be chosen. No one in the entire Vast Heaven Sect would doubt that.

But what about Martial Emperor City?

Three people would compete in total. Senior Brother Xinghe would probably be one of them, and he had only one possible opponent: Zheng Yu, who was said to possess the Seven-Colored Glazed Body. But who would the other two spots go to?

Everyone had been discussing it. After all, whoever was chosen would have the approval of the sect master and the elders, marking them as at least the most outstanding among this intake of three thousand disciples.

When Wan Lin and Ma Liang were summoned, their hearts had actually been full of anxiety.

Especially when they saw that Senior Brother Xinghe had also been summoned, the two of them seemed to realize something.

But even after hearing it from the grand elder himself, they could not contain their excitement.

As the two rejoiced, the sect's many great figures were watching them.

On one side was Chu Xinghe, as still as an ancient well; on the other were Ma Liang and Wan Lin, their joy plain on their faces.

Seeing the contrast, both the sect master and the elders had to admit that Xinghe really was extraordinary.

Mature beyond his years and unhurried in the face of events, he was truly composed.

To possess such bearing at so young an age—heaven truly favored Vast Heaven!

"Once you three return, make sure you prepare well. The people from Martial Emperor City and the Heavenly Medicine Palace will arrive in three days. These contests concern the sect's face, so remember, you must not be careless in the slightest!"

When the grand elder spoke, the excitement vanished from Ma Liang's and Wan Lin's faces, replaced by the nervousness and anxiety brought on by tremendous pressure.

But Chu Xinghe... remained unruffled!

The elders nodded once more. Unmoved by honor or disgrace, Xinghe really was remarkable!

It was understandable that Xinghe might already have expected to represent the Vast Heaven Sect, and so was neither particularly surprised nor excited. But what the grand elder had just said had put considerable pressure on him.

Just look at Ma Liang and Wan Lin. Neither could so much as smile after hearing it, yet Chu Xinghe showed no change at all in the face of such pressure.

The elders truly saw this child in a new light.

The grand elder did not put any more pressure on them. After a few brief words, he let the three leave the Haotian Grand Hall.

Once outside, Ma Liang and Wan Lin each grabbed one of Chu Xinghe's arms, one on either side. Without even looking, Chu Xinghe could tell from the sensation alone that Junior Sister Wan Lin was on his right. The pressure was immense!

"Senior Brother Xinghe, what do I do, what do I do...? I'm nervous to death right now. I'll be representing the sect, and if I lose, won't I disgrace it...? I... I'm..."

Wan Lin was somewhat incoherent.

"Senior Brother Xinghe, I guessed what this was about on the way here. At the time, I was too busy being happy that I'd actually stood out among three thousand disciples. But just like you said, Senior Brother Xinghe, with great ability comes great responsibility. We're representing the sect, and if..."

Ma Liang, the lucky general, did not continue, but everyone understood what he meant. What would they do if they lost?

Nervous and anxious to the extreme, the two looked at Chu Xinghe. Seeing Senior Brother Xinghe's heart as still as water, they were filled with admiration.

As expected of Senior Brother Xinghe. Did he simply not know what it meant to be nervous?

"Senior Brother Xinghe, aren't you even a little..."

Wan Lin began, but Chu Xinghe cut her off before she could finish. "No!"

"The reason you feel anxious and nervous is that you're worried you'll perform poorly and lose. You're just afraid of losing, but I'm not. If a person doesn't even have the courage to face defeat, how can they ever win?"

Chu Xinghe wore an unfathomable expression, but there was nothing wrong with what he said.

Why were these two nervous? To put it plainly, they were afraid of losing...

They had been chosen from three thousand disciples, and there was no denying they were outstanding. But if they went out there and lost... wouldn't they become sinners of the sect?

That was why the pressure was so great.

But what the hell did he have to feel pressured about?

You're under pressure because you're afraid of losing and want to win. Why the hell would I be under pressure? I'm here to lose. I don't want to win at all!

I just want to lose. I'm lying flat. No matter who my opponent is, there's no pressure!

"If you don't even have the courage to face defeat, how can you ever win...?" Senior Brother Xinghe's words echoed over and over in Wan Lin's and Ma Liang's ears.

Much of the anxiety on their faces faded.

The two understood that Senior Brother Xinghe was telling them not to feel any pressure. When you were not even afraid of losing, what was left to fear? When representing the sect, you should not always be thinking about how to win.

Instead, they should consider how they could possibly lose. Senior Brother Xinghe was reminding them to find every factor that could lead to defeat. Once all those factors had been eliminated, there would be no way they could lose!

Sure enough, Senior Brother Xinghe was Senior Brother Xinghe. He had long since seen through it all!

The three parted and returned to their respective palaces.

What they did not know, however, was that the sect master and the elders inside the Haotian Grand Hall had heard every word of their conversation outside.

"Without the courage to face defeat, how can one win? This boy... he's remarkable." Sect Master Gu Mingchao's face was full of gratification.

The grand elder and the other elders all nodded in agreement.

"In all these years of competing with Martial Emperor City, every disciple chosen has been anxious and nervous without exception. Xinghe is the first to see victory and defeat so clearly."

"Only by not fearing defeat can one win. This child sees it more clearly than any of us!"

The old fellows nodded to themselves.

Spirit Crane Palace.

"Today is a good day! Everything I wish for will come true..." Chu Xinghe hopped along, humming a song!

What? This song is unlucky!

That was before!

In this encounter with Martial Emperor City, there would be three matches, and he would face Zheng Yu, the chief disciple of Martial Emperor City's current generation. It would be a one-on-one duel.

With no outside factors interfering, under those circumstances, just how was he supposed to lose?!

In high spirits, Chu Xinghe returned to the Medicine King Palace.

News of the three selected disciples soon spread throughout the Vast Heaven Sect.

There was no need to say much about Chu Xinghe. His strength had long since been acknowledged by everyone among the three thousand newly admitted disciples.

Ma Liang had ranked first among the three thousand disciples in the entrance assessment, which was also why he had felt unconvinced when he went to the Spirit Grotto with Chu Xinghe.

As for Wan Lin, although she had not ranked particularly high in the entrance test for the three thousand disciples,

the trip to the Spirit Tomb had gained her a spirit weapon united with her soul. Later, on the trip to the Spirit Grotto, she had advanced straight to the peak of the second rank. Soon after returning to the sect, she had broken through again. Moreover, rumor had it that Wan Lin seemed to have learned the Hill Forest Palace's supreme technique, the Ruyi Staff Technique, which was also why she had been able to stand out.

Thus, hardly anyone thought there was anything inappropriate about the three being chosen.

At Spirit Crane Palace, everyone had naturally expected Chu Xinghe to be selected, but his senior brothers' enthusiasm still moved him.

"Junior Brother Xinghe, this is all the information I helped gather for you on Zheng Yu..."

"Junior Brother Xinghe, though I've never seen Martial Emperor City's supreme art, the Seven-Colored Glazed Body, I found you a general account of it in a secret chamber of the Technique Repository Tower. You can use it as a reference."

Even the grand elder had not been idle. After summoning Chu Xinghe, he told him some of what he knew about Zheng Yu as well.

Chu Xinghe did not listen closely to what the grand elder actually said. After all, his goal was to lose to Zheng Yu, so why listen to his weaknesses?

I don't reckon there's any need for that...

The grand elder's account of Zheng Yu could be summed up in two words—exceptionally strong!

According to the grand elder, Martial Emperor City called Zheng Yu an unparalleled genius who appeared once in a thousand years. His various attribute panels were all maxed out, and he had even comprehended Martial Emperor City's supreme art, the Seven-Colored Glazed Body. Martial Emperor City had already boldly declared to the world that Zheng Yu would sweep through the Vast Heaven Sect this time.

The grand elder naturally acknowledged Chu Xinghe's abilities, but he still instructed him not to slack off under any circumstances.

Chu Xinghe nodded emphatically.

He really could not slack off!

Zheng Yu was so strong that if he simply lost to him, people might not find it entirely unacceptable.

If everyone came forward to plead for him again and the sect master's heart softened, giving him another three months of confinement, wouldn't all his efforts be like drawing water with a bamboo basket?

So, after learning how formidable Zheng Yu was, Chu Xinghe realized that he was still too young. This time, he not only had to lose, he had to lose with style and make it humiliating enough!

Losing every last scrap of the sect's face was a duty his generation could not shirk!

The grand elder then spoke about the Heavenly Medicine Palace. It seemed they were coming with Martial Emperor City this time because their palace had produced an unparalleled genius who wanted to lock arms with the Vast Heaven Sect's Spirit Crane Palace.

As for the contest with the Heavenly Medicine Palace, the grand elder did not even consider anyone else.

And for that contest, the grand elder had only one demand: not only did they have to win, they had to win with style and bring themselves enough glory! They must not disappoint the sect!

Chu Xinghe nodded vigorously after hearing this. Rest assured, Grand Elder. When it comes to disappointing people, I never disappoint!

Three days passed in a hurry, and Martial Emperor City and the Heavenly Medicine Palace arrived as promised...