The elder's eyes remained fixed on Mu Zi in the arena, astonished by her talent for martial arts.
Having taught martial arts for half her life, she was secretly proud of her successes.
The people of the Mu clan were brave and skilled in combat. Although she didn't say it out loud, in her heart, the elder attributed the credit to herself.
Upon discovering a talented student in Mu Ye, she invested all her strength in him, one might say, she bet everything on him.
The higher Mu Ye's achievements, the brighter her glory shone.
But Mu Ye, her pride, suffered a devastating defeat in his very first fight, and his victor was a girl just a little over fourteen.
Mu Zi's brilliant performance seemed to reduce the elder's half-century of pride to nothing. She did not want to admit that the girl had won honestly thanks to her talent.
Otherwise, wouldn't she, who had forced Mu Zi to accept a marriage, become a pathetic laughingstock?
In her confusion, the elder lost her self-control. Tensing her wrinkled face, she pointed a thin finger at Mu Zi in the arena.
"You cheated!" she screamed.
"How could a first-rank martial art suppress a second-rank art? There's clearly something fishy going on!"
"I demand her results be annulled!"
Her words instantly clouded Mu Yun's face. He angrily retorted:
"That's slander! Everyone saw how Zi honestly defeated Mu Ye!"
The elder, no longer in her right mind, stubbornly insisted:
"Ye Lan was on the verge of victory! If she hadn't enchanted him, would he have lost?"
"Enough, be silent!" Mu Tao, who had been silent until then, suddenly roared.
The elder stared at him angrily:
"Mu Tao, do you dare speak to me like that?"
Mu Tao, having lost his patience, fiercely unleashed his Heavenly Yuan aura, directing it at the elder.
"Don't forget, I am the Clan Head here!"
The elder, weakened by age, could not withstand the power of Heavenly Yuan. She collapsed to the floor, her eyes filled with terror.
For many years, she had prided herself on her seniority, but at this moment, she remembered the harsh law of the jungle.
Watching the scene, Mu Zi remained unfazed and even slightly amused.
Summer insects do not know about ice. A narrow view sees only the bottom of the well.
Some people live in a cramped world, mired in petty squabbles.
But not Mu Zi.
Her gaze is not limited to the Great Yan Dynasty. Her enemy is the Demon Emperor, her goal is the peak of martial arts!
How can a sparrow understand the dreams of a swan?
But that doesn't mean Mu Zi is indifferent to insults.
"You said I cheated?" she asked calmly.
Her voice sent a chill down the elder's spine.
Looking into Mu Zi's eyes, she seemed to see a deity looking down from the heavens, from which nothing could be hidden.
But in the next moment, blinking, the elder saw only the girl next door, as if everything had been an illusion.
However, the fear of Mu Zi was deeply rooted in her heart. Trembling, she opened her mouth but couldn't make a sound.
Mu Zi suddenly smiled, as if the sun had come out after a thunderstorm.
Although the elder had been shamed, her words could confuse others. To prove her honesty and earn the highest grade, Mu Zi wasn't going to stop.
Turning, Mu Zi addressed the elder:
"I want to fight a ninth-level Body Temperer."
The elder, already numb from the day's events, asked:
"Which examiner do you choose?"
Casting a lively gaze around the hall, Mu Zi stopped at the man who had previously felt up Mu Tian and others.
"Uncle Mu Gang, I ask for your guidance!"
The hall erupted. The crowd, which had quieted down due to the tense atmosphere in the main seats, buzzed again upon hearing Mu Zi's decision.
"Did I hear that right? She wants to continue?"
"Enough, young lady, we believe you didn't cheat!"
"Seventh level against the ninth—am I witnessing a miracle?"
"Could someone get the highest grade today?"
Mu Gang went up to the arena, looking at Mu Zi with a complex expression. This fourteen-year-old girl had stunned him today.
But even so, he didn't believe she could win.
The difference between the seventh and eighth levels of Body Tempering was small, but the ninth level was an almost insurmountable chasm.
Upon reaching the ninth level, a cultivator unlocked their dantian, which in terms of Yuan Li capacity far surpassed the Yuan Li seed. With such power, every gesture and blow was incomparably stronger than at the eighth level.
In the original story, Lin Dong, at the eighth level, fought Lei Li, who was at the ninth. Even with his "Ten Claps" fist, Lin Dong received a minor injury from Lei Li's normal strike. If he had used a martial art, the son of that world would have suffered a crushing defeat.
If the eighth level was so weak, what could be said about the seventh?
But in Mu Zi's eyes, confidence shone. For her, this was not insurmountable.
Standing opposite, Mu Gang said:
"Young lady, I won't use martial arts yet. If you can't hold on, surrender."
Mu Zi replied indifferently:
"As you wish."
"Whoosh!"
Mu Gang rushed toward Mu Zi, his fist, enveloped in Yuan Li, thrusting forward.
Mu Zi squinted, twisted her waist, putting power into her strike, and her "Nine Claps" fist merged into a single movement.
Clap!
An unusually clear sound rang out when their fists collided.
Thump-thump!
Mu Gang, slightly trembling, took a step back and stood his ground, while the girl staggered back three steps.
But even so, the spectators' eyes flashed with amazement.
"She managed to block it!"
Mu Tian, puzzled, muttered:
"Why only one clap? And this power... something's not right."
Indeed, against a stronger opponent, Mu Zi wouldn't use an incomplete "Nine Claps" fist.
"That's not a normal clap," a raspy voice suddenly rang out.
The elder, shocked, seemed to have realized something.
"I don't know how it happened, but this single clap is stronger than nine!"
Astonished by Mu Zi's mastery, the elder gave her evaluation. Casting aside her prejudices, she finally applied her many years of experience in martial arts.
On the arena, Mu Gang was shocked. He hadn't held back his strength, but the power of the girl's strike exceeded his expectations.
Before he could process what was happening, Mu Zi rushed forward, her hands a blur of rapid strikes.
Clap-clap-clap-clap-clap!
Five claps merged into one, and a fist, enveloped in Yuan Li, crashed down on Mu Gang. He hastily held up a palm to meet it.
"Boom!"
A muffled roar sounded as fist and palm collided.
Mu Zi retreated three steps, keeping her balance, and looked at her opponent. This time, Mu Gang staggered back, stopping only at the edge of the arena.
"Oh!"
The hall erupted in astonished shouts. A ninth-level Body Tempering examiner was at a disadvantage!
Rubbing her slightly sore hand, Mu Zi smiled dazzlingly:
"Don't underestimate me, Uncle!"
"If you don't use a martial art, you'll lose!"
Her clear, spirited voice echoed through the hall, and the entire test hall boiled with excitement.
...
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