Nie Shanshan’s eyes narrowed, and she unconsciously held her breath.

Yan Yaoyang’s expression turned stern, a hint of solemnity clouding his features.

He had initially dismissed newly-promoted Chief Disciples like Li Wang and Chen Qing as unworthy opponents. It was clear now that his disdain had blinded him—he had gravely misjudged.

Chen Qing’s profound mastery of spear technique was something he could no longer afford to underestimate.

Meanwhile, Peng Zhen shot to his feet, his eyes glued to the Cloud-Coiling Spear in Chen Qing’s hand. His face was a mask of utter disbelief!

Having been immersed in the Spear Path for decades, he knew better than anyone that mastering a Superior Spear Skill to the Great Success stage was already incredibly difficult. To reach the Realm of Perfection, even a genius would need ten years of arduous effort.

In the seven-hundred-year history of the Wutai Sect, every person who had reached this realm before the age of thirty had gone on to become a titan of the Spear Path, renowned throughout Yunlin. A few had even forged legendary reputations on the Fenghua Path!

But the key was... Chen Qing was only twenty! Such talent was nothing short of miraculous!

Du Lingchuan was no longer in the mood to mock Peng Zhen. His gaze was like a torch, locked tightly onto Chen Qing.

The realm Chen Qing had just displayed shocked these two Spear Path experts from Yunlin Prefecture far more deeply than anyone else.

After a few moments of dead silence, the air erupted with a sudden burst of discussion.

"Brother Chen won?! He... He actually sent Brother Li Lei flying?!"

"Perfection! That’s the Perfection Realm of the Mountain Prison-Suppression Spear! Heavens! How old is he?!"

"Driving an Earth Element Ultimate Skill with Cyan Wood True Qi, and he reached Perfection?! How... how is that possible?!"

"Am I dreaming? The Chief Disciple of the Cyan Wood Institute... is this powerful?!"

...

The Heart and Spirit of every disciple present was violently shaken.

The outcome of this match completely overturned their understanding of the world.

Who was Li Lei?

He was the disciple whom Master Peng Zhen of the Kun Earth Institute had poured all his effort into cultivating, a figure who had been surrounded by a halo of glory since the day he joined the sect.

Although he wasn’t listed among the Five Heroes and Seven Talents, he was still a top-tier existence among the younger generation.

Yet now, he had lost. Lost to the new Chief Disciple of the Cyan Wood Institute.

The disciples of the Kun Earth Institute stared at each other, lost and bewildered.

Was the Spear Technique of the Cyan Wood Institute’s Chief Disciple actually more refined than their own?

This was simply defying the natural order of things!

In stark contrast to the dejection of the Kun Earth Institute, the disciples of the Cyan Wood Institute were all uncontrollably excited. The gloom that had weighed on their chests was swept away, and they could finally hold their heads high!

From this day forward, who would dare to call the Cyan Wood Institute weak?

The Kun Earth Institute, at least, no longer had that right!

Yu Bao’er gazed at the back of the figure standing there with his spear, her eyes sparkling with a strange light.

Luo Xinya’s heart trembled.

’So that day, the strength our Chief Disciple displayed was just the tip of the iceberg.’

’This is his true power!’

Xu Qi, meanwhile, was secretly relieved, realizing he had nearly stepped into an abyss of eternal damnation.

With Chen Qing’s current strength, two or three cultivators at the Mid-stage Embracing Pill Power would be no match for him. It would likely take a joint effort from two or three at the Late-stage Embracing Pill Power to even stand against him.

Chu Jinyun’s brow was tightly furrowed in thought.

Seeing this, Tan Yang couldn’t help but sigh. "Master Li, you’ve truly found a rare, uncut jade."

He had always prioritized Root Bone above all else when choosing disciples. While the overall strength of his students was considerable, not a single one of them had managed to practice a Superior Martial Arts to the Realm of Perfection.

"Perfection?!"

Sang Yanping’s teacup paused mid-air, a look of astonishment on his face.

He knew full well how difficult it was to cultivate a Superior Martial Arts to Perfection; it was not something an ordinary person could achieve.

Seeing this, He Yuzhou laughed heartily. "It seems Junior Martial Uncle Li has indeed put forth great effort this time. How else could he have carved such an outstanding disciple?"

Though his voice was not loud, it carried clearly to the ears of the several Deans beside him.

Strange expressions immediately appeared on the faces of the Deans.

They knew far more about Chen Qing’s background than He Yuzhou. He was a disciple who had been filtered out during the cross-audits and had only managed to enter the Cyan Wood Institute after ’a hefty price’ was paid.

Who didn’t know Li Baichuan’s temperament?

He spent all his days engrossed in the Yellow Emperor’s Skill. When had anyone ever seen him sincerely teach a disciple?

Naturally, no one would be so foolish as to point this out.

To speak up would be to admit that they had been blind and had missed out on a great talent, wouldn’t it?

Li Baichuan beamed, stroking his beard as he replied, "Sect Leader, you flatter me. This is merely my duty."

Inwardly, however, Hong Yuandong sighed with regret.

’If this boy had entered my Li Fire Institute back then, not only would it have bolstered the institute’s prestige, but I would have also gained a reputation for having a discerning eye for talent. Wouldn’t that have been wonderful?’

Peng Zhen slowly sank back into his chair, the smug smile of a victor’s master that had been on his face now completely frozen.

He had indeed admired Chen Qing before, but it had only been admiration.

He had never imagined that a disciple from the Cyan Wood Institute could, in just two short years, master the "Mountain Prison-Suppression Spear"—the core ultimate skill of their Kun Earth Institute—to the Realm of Perfection!

He whipped his head around to look at Du Lingchuan beside him. His lips moved, but not a single word came out.

Peng Zhen’s mind recalled the one million taels of silver Junior Martial Uncle Li had once mentioned to him.

’Could it be that Junior Martial Uncle Li had noticed Chen Qing from the very beginning? Was he not just spouting nonsense and demanding an exorbitant price?’

Du Lingchuan simply patted his shoulder in silence.

「On the other side.」

Granny Ling Shuang’s eyes were fixed on Chen Qing as she spoke, her voice filled with a mixture of shock and doubt. "A Perfect Spear Realm? And with Cyan Wood True Qi... Could that old codger Li Baichuan really have taught such a disciple?"

Beside her, Ye Qingyi’s elegant brows were slightly furrowed, her mind still replaying and analyzing the two stunningly brilliant spear strikes from moments ago.

The more she broke them down, the more alarmed she became!

’That Spear Technique is almost flawless. The only way to defeat it would be with brute force.’

He Yueting, for his part, sighed with sincere admiration. "This boy’s future is limitless!"

’Why isn’t a peerless talent like this a disciple of my Qixia Manor?’ he lamented inwardly.

He Lanxin’s gaze shifted between Chen Qing and Yan Yaoyang, as if she were silently comparing them.

And on the outskirts of Lake Heart Island, the roar of discussion surged like a tide, showing no signs of stopping for a long time.