Martial Sage from the Vajra Skill

Chapter 319: Chapter 180: Humiliation (2)

The expressions on Su Zhe and Su Man’s faces changed drastically.

From behind Li Songhe, Liu Jinghe rose, leaped down from the high platform, and walked to stand before Su Man. "Miss Su," he said impassively, "please leave. You are not welcome in the Purple Sun Sect."

Su Man didn’t dare utter a word. No matter how dense she might be, she knew she had no choice but to leave.

The one who had given the order was Li Songhe—a man even her father couldn’t afford to provoke, much less her. With a deathly pale face, she had no choice but to depart.

Xu Yang also stepped down, leaving the ring open.

"Junior Brother Xu, brilliant job!" Sun Tao said, walking over with a thumbs-up.

Zhang Yong looked aggrieved. "You knew all along that Xu Yang had reached Marrow Cleansing?"

And here he’d been, thinking he and Xu Yang were at the same level and even wanting to challenge him, only to find out he’d already reached Marrow Cleansing.

Sun Tao replied, "I just guessed. Lu Ren reached Marrow Cleansing; did you really think Junior Brother Xu would be any less capable?"

His words left Zhang Yong speechless, and Lu Ren, who was standing nearby, was also at a loss for words.

"Brother Xu, you certainly know how to make a stunning debut."

Zhou Zhichao, who was on fairly friendly terms with Xu Yang, came over and clasped his hands in a smiling salute.

His own strength was considerable—evidenced by the fact that he’d dared to ally with Xu Yang in the past—and he too had made it into the top twenty.

"Congratulations on reaching Marrow Cleansing, Brother Xu!"

"Congratulations on achieving true proficiency in the Martial Dao, Brother Xu!"

...

Acquaintances and strangers alike came to congratulate Xu Yang. Even people like Han Feng and Xiong Kun approached him.

To achieve Marrow Cleansing at the end of the three-year term meant that, regardless of current rankings on the Ten Heroes List, it was anyone’s guess who would go further in the future.

Not far away, Qin Ze and Liu Qian both wanted to come and speak with him, but after a moment’s hesitation, they held back, watching with envy as Xu Yang was surrounded by the crowd.

"You really are full of surprises!"

Lu Ren also walked over, his body radiating with fighting spirit.

No matter how many masters or geniuses were on the Ten Heroes List, the one he most wanted to fight was Xu Yang.

Xu Yang smiled. "After all this time, you’re still not used to it?"

At his words, the smile on Lu Ren’s face instantly froze.

It seemed he could never beat Xu Yang, whether in cultivation or a battle of wits.

Lu Ren snorted. "You’re as cunning as ever, never revealing your true cultivation until the critical moment."

Han Feng and the others nodded in agreement. When they had broken through to Marrow Cleansing, they had all announced it publicly.

Only Xu Yang had hidden his Marrow Cleansing cultivation for two days during the grand competition before revealing it. He was truly a master of lying low.

Soon, the first round of matches was over. After an hour’s rest, the next stage began: the matches to decide the top fifteen.

Zhang Yong was defeated once again and failed to make it into the top fifteen. Zhou Zhichao didn’t make it either.

Next up were the matches for the top ten!

Xu Yang went up to draw lots and pulled number B-7. When his turn came, his opponent wasn’t one of the Ten Heroes geniuses, but a Martial Artist merely at the Gang Qi Perfection level.

Upon seeing it was him, the man conceded immediately, giving Xu Yang a smooth entry into the top ten.

On the other rings, no major showdowns between members of the Ten Heroes occurred either.

Su Zhe, on the other hand, was a different story. Perhaps his internal injuries from being enraged by Xu Yang were too severe, as he was defeated by a Gang Qi Perfection opponent after a grueling battle of over a hundred moves, coughing up blood right there on the ring.

If he wanted to break into the top ten, he would have to fight his way through a second-chance match.

However, everyone could see that his Martial Dao Will had crumbled. He was completely listless, with almost no fighting spirit left.

Xu Yang’s blow to him was not merely physical; it was a devastating psychological strike.

Just like Qiao Yong before him, his will to fight was almost entirely gone.

Sure enough, he was defeated again in the second-chance match. He failed to even make it into the top ten, becoming the only member of the Ten Heroes to do so.

His face ashen, he walked down from the ring, his body trembling.

"Fraud!"

"So you were the one who was all talk."

"You couldn’t even beat Xu Yang, and now it turns out you can’t even beat people who aren’t Ten Heroes."

"You’re a disgrace to the Ten Heroes! Defeated by someone from outside their ranks... you’re the first in the entire history of the Purple Sun Sect."

"I guess that’s one way to go down in history."

...

All the taunts he had once thrown at Xu Yang now turned into sharp blades stabbing back at him, making his heart ache with every word.

The top ten!

He hadn’t even made it into the top ten. He’d been defeated by two consecutive opponents who weren’t even among the Ten Heroes. Not only had he failed to prevent the Su Family’s downfall, he had now become its greatest shame.

SPURT!

The surrounding jeers washed over him like a tide. A sweet, coppery taste filled his throat, and he could no longer suppress his injuries. He sprayed a mouthful of blood.

His vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground.

The jeering crowd was stunned. They hadn’t expected their words to actually make Su Zhe faint. His mental fortitude was appallingly weak.

"Utterly useless. He doesn’t even have the strength of character to accept defeat. You, you there, come carry him away."

The Steward on the platform wore a look of disgust, but still pointed out two disciples from the crowd to carry Su Zhe away.

Many people understood why Su Zhe had ended up in this state. Victory and defeat were normal for a Martial Artist; everyone loses eventually.

But when Su Zhe had challenged Xu Yang, he had put himself on a pedestal, acting as if he were the only one who mattered.

Now, after consecutive defeats, he had lost not only his own reputation and dignity but also the hopes of the Su Family. The backlash was more than he could bear.

With the top ten decided, the morning’s matches came to a close, and the crowd dispersed for lunch.

Xu Yang, Zhang Yong, and Sun Tao squeezed through the crowd, intending to find Xu Qing and Qiu Wenjie to go to the dining hall. Just then, a familiar figure approached, saluting with clasped hands. "Brother Xu, long time no see!"

It was none other than Ding Xu of the Ding Family.

This was the same Ding Xu who had promised to get back to him after discussing things with the person in charge of the Ding Family. A year had passed, but he had never received a reply.

He wasn’t an idiot; he knew this meant the Ding Family had rejected his terms and couldn’t even be bothered to send a reply.

He had conveniently used their silence as an excuse to turn down everyone else who had tried to recruit him since.

"Ah, Brother Ding," Xu Yang said, returning the salute with a smile. "It certainly has been a long time. Over a year, in fact."

Sun Tao, standing to the side, felt his admiration for Xu Yang grow. Anyone else would have blown up after being left hanging for a year, yet Xu Yang was able to greet Ding Xu with a smile. Sun Tao knew he could never do the same.

Ding Xu was remarkably thick-skinned. Xu Yang’s sarcastic tone didn’t faze him in the slightest. He simply smiled and saluted again. "Brother Xu, the Elders of my Ding Family have agreed to your conditions."

Xu Yang’s expression cooled. "Brother Ding, do you take me for a fool? Does your Ding Family really need over a year to discuss such a small matter?"

’They just saw that I’ve reached Marrow Cleansing and are using their previous non-rejection as a pretense to try recruiting me again.’

Even someone as thick-skinned as Ding Xu finally showed a hint of embarrassment. Realizing Xu Yang wasn’t falling for it, he adopted a serious tone. "Brother Xu, I am here today with the utmost sincerity. If you have any other demands, please, state them freely."

"Now that you’ve broken through to Marrow Cleansing, the Ding Family values you much more than before. We can forgo the marriage alliance, and your compensation will be increased."

Xu Yang shook his head. "Brother Ding, since you know I’ve reached Marrow Cleansing, you must also know that entering the Inner Sect will be a simple matter for me. Why would I sell my life to someone else for things that are already within my reach?"

Ding Xu chuckled. "Brother Xu, you’re oversimplifying things. Yes, you’ve reached Marrow Cleansing, but so have Lu Ren, Xie Zhan, Xiong Kun, and Han Feng. If you don’t place in the top three, there’s still another hurdle to clear before you can enter the Inner Sect."

"If my Ding Family pulls some strings for you, not only will you have your pick of the Four Peaks, but we will also help you complete the entrance assessment."

Even though Xu Yang had unexpectedly reached Marrow Cleansing, few people believed he could make the top three. Lu Ren and the others were savage fighters, hardened by year-round battles in the Yunling Mountain Range; they weren’t pampered young masters like Su Zhe.

Even Zhang Yong was tempted by the offer, but Xu Yang remained unmoved. "In that case," he said, "why don’t you wait until the competition is over, Brother Ding. If I fail to make the top three, we can talk then."

"The competition will be over this afternoon anyway. Why the rush?"

Ding Xu was taken aback for a moment, then he saluted. "Very well. We will talk after the competition."

’If Xu Yang fails to make the top three, there will still be room to negotiate,’ he thought.

Ding Xu turned and left. The short delay had been long enough for Xu Qing to find them, with Qiu Wenjie and Tian Li in tow.

"Greetings, Brother Xu!"

The group looked at Xu Yang with excitement. A few of the young women with Xu Qing even spoke up, their gazes so intense it was as if they wanted to devour him whole.

"Brother, they’re my friends. They insisted on coming to meet you," Xu Qing said, rolling her eyes.

Xu Yang chuckled. "A pleasure to meet you, Junior Sisters. Come on, let’s get some food. I still have fights this afternoon, and I can’t do that on an empty stomach."

With that, he took the lead and strode off.