Martial Saint with Passives

Everyone stood frozen, as if under an Immobilization Technique. They stared blankly at the figure on the arena—the one slowly pulling back his fist, his expression calm. Their minds were a complete void.

Defeated...

Fang Muye, at the Peak of the Refining Organ Realm, whose power had surged after taking the Secret Medicine.

Had been... utterly crushed!

Fang Muye lay sprawled on the cold ground.

Although the Treasure Armor had blocked Jiang Che’s fatal blow.

Although he was completely unharmed.

But he made no move to get up.

He slowly raised his head, looking at the figure standing in the center of the arena, bathed in an aura of glory.

He finally understood that the gap between himself and Jiang Che could no longer be measured by Realm alone.

It was a difference in...

...the very essence of the Martial Dao!

On the path of the Martial Dao...

...the other man had gone much, much farther than him!

’So the Sect Leader had seen it all along.’

’So my desperate attempt to prove myself just made me look like a clown to everyone else.’

He gave a bitter laugh. In that instant, all the pride, indignation, and jealousy in his eyes turned to dead ashes.

He let himself lie there sprawled on the ground, an ugly, undignified heap. All hope had died within him.

...

After a moment of dead silence, the crowd erupted like a lit powder keg!

In an instant, cries of shock, fervent discussions, and sharp gasps filled the entire Martial Arts Plaza.

"He... he won?! Chief Jiang won?!"

"My heavens! One punch! Just one punch! He beat Chief Fang after he took that medicine?!"

"That’s... that’s terrifying! What kind of Fist Technique was that?!"

The seating area for the Yunhai Courtyard disciples had already become a sea of jubilation!

Senior Brother Xiao Mingqian’s face was flushed with excitement. He pumped his fists, roaring hoarsely, all his usual warmth and composure gone.

Chen Shi and the others were jumping and shouting, hugging each other as if they were the ones who had won the match!

On the high platform.

Situ Zhen, the head of the Thunder Shock Courtyard, was dumbfounded, muttering, "...A monster..."

Xu Qingshan, on the other hand, wore an ’I knew it all along’ expression and said coolly:

"Not bad. The kid’s starting to look a bit like I did back in my day."

But his eyes held a glimmer of pride and satisfaction he couldn’t quite suppress.

As for Feng Zhuyun, the head of Liufeng Courtyard, his face was a chaotic palette of colors, shifting between green and white.

He looked down at his prized disciple lying on the ground like a dead dog, and his own face burned with humiliation.

It was as if Jiang Che’s punch had flown through the air and smashed him squarely in the face!

He shot to his feet, flicked his sleeves, and stormed away.

A gratified smile appeared on Ye Lianzhen’s face.

Watching the tall, straight figure on the arena, she couldn’t help but be reminded of a young Luo Kun.

’Senior Brother Luo, with a disciple like this, you should have no regrets...’

Gu Qingxuan clutched her sword, quietly watching the figure on the arena.

Her eyes, usually as calm as thousand-year-old ice, now burned with a certain heat.

She suddenly felt that the upcoming "Young Alliance Leader" conference might not... be so boring after all.

Wang Zhenhai and Shi Poyue had already shot to their feet in shock, staring at each other.

"...I didn’t see that wrong, did I?" Wang Zhenhai asked, his booming voice filled with disbelief.

Shi Poyue swallowed hard and nodded bitterly. "That punch... it was more than twice as strong as when he fought me..."

Elsewhere.

Tang Qiaoqiao, Liu Qing, and Su Wan were already hugging each other in excitement.

"I knew it! I knew he would win!" Tang Qiaoqiao shrieked excitedly, her little face flushed red. As she looked at Jiang Che, a special light sparkled in her eyes.

Meanwhile, in a corner, Yun Weiwei watched Jiang Che on the arena in silence, her expression incredibly complex.

She suddenly realized the distance between them had grown so vast... that even looking up to him felt difficult.

...

Fang Muye’s crushing defeat left the entire Cangyun Sect reeling once again from the shock of Jiang Che’s power!

If receiving True Master Bai Yi’s inheritance had only made people acknowledge his potential,

while some still felt his immediate combat strength wasn’t convincing enough,

then this time, by honorably defeating a Fang Muye who had taken a Secret Medicine,

he had finally shown everyone his true strength!

Even in terms of immediate combat power, he was at the very top!

From this day forward, no one dared to question his right to represent the Sect in battle!

...

「Vice Sect Leader’s Courtyard.」

Deep within the courtyard, in a spotless study, sandalwood incense smoke curled in the air.

Xie Songnian, dressed in a long, grayish-blue robe, held a Purple Hair Brush and was slowly tracing an ancient, intricate character onto a sheet of pristine white paper.

His movements were unhurried, his expression focused and calm.

A trusted disciple hurried in from outside, stopping at the study’s entrance. His expression was complicated, and he seemed hesitant to speak.

"Speak." Xie Songnian did not turn around. The tip of his brush remained steady as he spoke coolly.

"Re... Reporting to the Vice Sect Leader," the disciple swallowed, his voice hoarse as he reported, "The match at the Martial Arts Arena... is over. Fang Muye... lost."

After speaking, he immediately lowered his head, not daring to look at Xie Songnian’s reaction.

However, to his surprise, the study remained silent, filled only by the faint sound of the brush tip scratching against paper.

After a long moment, Xie Songnian slowly completed the final stroke and gently placed the Purple Hair Brush on its stand.

On the paper was a single, powerfully written character: "Endure."

He turned around, his face showing no hint of surprise, not even a ripple of anger.

"Understood."

He merely said a single word, as if he had just been told of some trivial, insignificant matter.