Geniuses Are as Common as Carp Crossing a River

"You..."

Wan Guiyun widened his eyes in disbelief.

The ultimate sword technique he had unleashed, his most powerful strike, had actually been caught by someone using only two fingers?

That strike, which condensed his lifelong cultivation and drained every ounce of his internal energy and blood, a strike capable of piercing through iron plates, was as fragile as a child's toy between Chen Xuan's two fingers.

"Your sword technique is good," Chen Xuan looked at him and said indifferently, "but your power is insufficient, and your cultivation is too weak. No matter how exquisite a sword technique is, it must rely on powerful cultivation to unleash its true potential; otherwise... it is just flashy and hollow."

As his voice fell, Chen Xuan gave his two fingers a light twist.

"Clang!"

A crisp sound of snapping metal echoed throughout the arena.

The blade broke on cue. That ancient, simple longsword that had accompanied Wan Guiyun for many years was as brittle as a withered branch between Chen Xuan's fingers.

The broken half of the blade flipped in the air, tracing a desolate arc before finally embedding itself into the ground at the edge of the arena. The hilt hummed and trembled, emitting a mournful sound of resentment.

Wan Guiyun stood frozen on the spot, holding only the broken hilt.

This was a situation he had never encountered before.

Within Ten Thousand Sword Villa, relying on three perfected top-tier sword techniques at the Body Tempering realm and one ultimate technique, he had remained undefeated among his peers.

Whether they were collateral disciples or direct descendants, as long as they were of his age, none could help but bow their heads in submission before his sword.

The elders of Ten Thousand Sword Villa praised him as a once-in-a-century sword prodigy, claiming he was a strong contender for the future Sword Son and that his path in the way of the sword would surely be brilliant.

He believed them.

He thought he had already reached the pinnacle among his peers, believing that in this vast world, there were no rivals left for him among his generation.

He had come to Tiannan Prefecture this time because his mastery of sword techniques had reached a bottleneck.

With top-tier sword techniques at the perfection stage and an ultimate sword technique at the great completion stage, he had reached the end of the road at the Body Tempering realm. He needed more real combat, true life-and-death struggles, and the need to comprehend the essence of the sword amidst blood and fire.

He chose Tiannan Prefecture because it was chaotic, dangerous, and possessed enough opponents to temper him.

But he never imagined that at his very first stop in Tiannan Prefecture, and in a small place like Lianshan City, he would actually be defeated.

Defeated so thoroughly, so decisively.

It was not a narrow loss after a bitter struggle, nor a regretful outcome after an evenly matched fight, but a crushing defeat—an absolute gap in levels.

His strongest sword move had been caught by the opponent with two fingers.

His ultimate sword technique had been dismissed by the opponent as flashy and hollow.

This blow was heavier and more deeply etched into his heart than any physical injury.

At this moment, Wan Guiyun could not help but recall what his master, an elder of the family, had said to him when he left Ten Thousand Sword Villa.

"Guiyun, although you have exceptional talent in practicing sword techniques, there are as many geniuses in this world as there are carp crossing a river. Without sufficient experience and the tempering of one's character, it is difficult to climb to the pinnacle. Your sword technique is refined, but it lacks the experience of true life-and-death combat. As you go to Tiannan Prefecture, I hope you can cast aside your past pride and face every battle with a humble heart."

Wan Guiyun had only nodded in agreement at the time, but in his heart, he had disagreed.

Ten Thousand Sword Villa was a hegemon-level power ruling over several prefectures; with no one among his peers able to contend with him, who in this world could be his match?

Those so-called geniuses were nothing more than worthless rabble before him, not worth mentioning.

He thought his master was being too cautious, too conservative.

In a chaotic place like Tiannan Prefecture, it was the perfect stage for him to show his edge and accumulate prestige.

However, today, Chen Xuan's two fingers were like a wake-up call, making him realize that the sword technique he was so proud of was nothing more than a trivial trick before a true powerhouse.

In martial arts cultivation, powerful techniques are certainly important.

However, the true foundation of a martial artist is still their cultivation realm.

Although the Yiyuan Sword Art was an ultimate-level technique, his cultivation was only at the Body Tempering realm, making it difficult to unleash its true power.

Only by reaching the Zhuqi Realm could an ultimate sword technique display its true brilliance.

"Chen Xuan, I will remember you."

Wan Guiyun slowly raised his head, his gaze becoming clear and firm once again.

He sheathed the broken half of his sword; although the sword was broken, the dignity of a swordsman could not be lost.

"I lost this match," Wan Guiyun's voice was calm, without a trace of resentment or unwillingness. "But when I break through to the Zhuqi Realm, I will come back to challenge you again. Next time, I will let you know the true power of an ultimate sword technique."

After speaking, Wan Guiyun turned and walked off the arena.

His back was as straight as a sword, his steps steady. Although he had lost this match, he did not show a hint of dejection.

On the contrary, a fiercer flame burned in his eyes—that was fighting spirit, longing, and the pursuit of a higher realm.

Victory and defeat are common occurrences for a martial artist; he could afford to lose.

More importantly, he had seen his own shortcomings and the path ahead from this battle.

Recognizing one's own deficiencies was more precious than any victory.

"Next time."

Chen Xuan smiled.

Wan Guiyun's temperament is quite good.

To be defeated without losing heart, to quickly adjust one's mindset and turn failure into motivation—these are the qualities a true genius should possess.

But Chen Xuan knows.

Time will not close the distance between them; it will only stretch it further. By the next time they meet, the gap between them will only be greater.

This is because he possesses the Zhaoxi Bizheng fate, gaining Zhaoxi Value every day, which allows him to increase his cultivation by a year in a single day. While Wan Guiyun has exceptional comprehension, that only aids in mastering sword techniques; breakthroughs in cultivation realm still depend on one's innate bone quality.

By the time Wan Guiyun breaks through to the Zhuqi Realm, he might already be at the third or fourth level of the Zhuqi Realm, or perhaps even higher.

Time is on his side.

Chen Xuan withdrew his gaze and turned to walk off the arena.

"Division Master Chen is mighty!"

"Two wins in two matches, both achieved by crushing his opponents—too strong!"

"Even a direct disciple of Ten Thousand Sword Villa who has mastered supreme techniques is no match for him. Division Master Chen is truly formidable."

The cheers surged like a tide. The disciples of the Red Sun Gang surrounded him, their eyes filled with admiration and awe.

"Gang Leader, I have fulfilled the mission!"

Chen Xuan walked up to Sun Tianxing and bowed slightly.

"Hahaha, good!" Sun Tianxing stood up, laughed heartily, and patted Chen Xuan heavily on the shoulder. "Chen Xuan, you have brought great honor to our Red Sun Gang today."

"The Gang Leader is too kind."

Chen Xuan smiled slightly.

"Not too kind, not at all." Sun Tianxing turned his head toward the direction of Wan Zhenshan and deliberately raised his voice. "Master Wan, I accept your concession. The sixty percent share of Baishui Town now belongs to our Red Sun Gang."

"Gang Leader Sun, congratulations." Wan Zhenshan struggled to maintain his facial expression, barely squeezing out a sentence. "It is truly enviable that your gang has such talent."

"Hahaha, Master Wan is too polite." Sun Tianxing laughed even more heartily. "It was merely luck. Although Chen Xuan has good talent, he still needs more tempering. I intend to let Chen Xuan take the position of Division Master of Baishui Town; I assume Master Wan has no objections?"

"Naturally, I have none."

Wan Zhenshan said nothing more and turned to leave.

The elders and disciples of the Iron Sword Sect hurriedly followed, and the group soon disappeared into the crowd.

"Chen Xuan, this victory is entirely your own merit. Everyone has seen it, so you shall take the position of Division Master of Baishui Town." Sun Tianxing said, "After we return, I will also request a reward for you from the sect. You not only won the match but also defeated a direct disciple of Ten Thousand Sword Villa, which has greatly boosted our sect's prestige. A single major merit is certainly not enough."

"Thank you, Gang Leader."

Chen Xuan cupped his hands in gratitude.

"What is there to thank? This is what you deserve." Sun Tianxing waved his hand and then said, "Chen Xuan, I will leave the management of Baishui Town to you. I believe you can handle everything there. From now on, you will be fully responsible for the resource allocation and personnel arrangements in Baishui Town.

Of course, the medicinal fields in Baishui Town are a lucrative prize. The Iron Sword Sect will likely send a Deputy Division Master later to assist in managing the fields, but given your strength, I believe that even if they send someone, they won't be able to stir up any major trouble.

As for the Blood Wolf Gang, they shouldn't take drastic action in the short term, but you must not let your guard down. Qin Sihai is a ruthless man who seeks revenge for the slightest grievance. Now that he has lost the Baishui Town branch, he certainly won't let it go."

"Gang Leader, rest assured, I will guard Baishui Town well."

Chen Xuan nodded.

"Good." Sun Tianxing nodded with satisfaction and turned to look at Zhao Yuanshan. "Yuanshan, you stay behind to help Chen Xuan for a few days until he has smoothed out the affairs in Baishui Town before returning."

"Yes, Gang Leader."

Zhao Yuanshan cupped his hands and replied.

An hour later.

In Beicheng of Lianshan City, at the headquarters of the Blood Wolf Gang.

Qin Sihai was sitting on a tiger-skin chair, listening to the report from his scout.

"A single person, catching several sword techniques that had reached the perfection stage from Wan Guiyun with his bare hands, and even supreme-level sword techniques couldn't injure him?"

After hearing the report, Qin Sihai's eyes became sharp.

"Yes, Gang Leader." The scout replied, "Your subordinate saw it with his own eyes."

The iron balls in Qin Sihai's hands stopped rotating.

"Catching a sword with bare hands... he must have acquired the Vajra Technique." Qin Sihai's iron balls stopped moving as he muttered to himself, "It seems the destruction of the Baishui Town branch was indeed the work of this Chen Xuan."

"Whether it was you or not, it is better to kill the wrong person than to let one go."

A cold glint flashed in Qin Sihai's eyes.

However, he could not take action personally.

The Three Great Sects were locked in constant struggle and bloodshed within Tiannan Prefecture, but there were still some unwritten rules—namely, that the strong should not bully the weak.

Therefore, if he wanted to kill Chen Xuan, he would have to borrow someone else's knife.