Sandalwood incense curled through Lingxi Hall, lending it a quiet solemnity.
Bai Bing stood on the dais, her cool gaze resting on Yang Jing as he stood respectfully below. She spoke slowly, her tone carrying approval and relief.
"Even after defeating your opponent, you could still acknowledge his strength without arrogance or conceit, impatience or recklessness. Such composure is exceedingly rare."
Yang Jing lowered his eyes and listened, his expression respectful.
He knew perfectly well that he had been nowhere near comfortably overpowering Li Tai or winning with ease.
That final showdown had been the most perilous battle since he first set foot on the Martial Path.
Had desperation not forced out his latent potential, had a moment of sudden enlightenment not allowed him to fully integrate his Three True Arts, unify his true qi, and send his combat strength soaring, the outcome would inevitably have been defeat beneath Li Tai's saber, with the championship forever beyond his reach.
After all, before entering this competition, he had already honed his foundations to an extraordinary depth.
He had advanced the Mountain-Splitting Seal, Indestructible True Art, and Crossing the River to the True Qi Realm. Their three streams of true qi supported one another, covering each other's weaknesses and uniting offense, defense, physique, and movement into one whole.
The Mountain-Splitting Seal was domineering and deadly, its power rivaling an upper-grade true art and its offensive might unrivaled among his peers.
The Indestructible True Art offered incomparably resilient defense.
Crossing the River made his movements nimble and graceful, allowing him to advance or retreat at will.
With three true arts combined, he should have effortlessly crushed cultivators at the same level. Yet against Li Tai, he had been checked at every turn and suppressed in every exchange, remaining on the back foot throughout