Hearing Mu Chen's words, the Second Elder of the Mu Family sneered, his face dark. "No such thing as a permanent waste? Hmph. The height of arrogance."
The Grand Elder flicked his long sleeve, fuming, "An utter disgrace."
Of the three elders, only the Third Elder remained silent. He was much younger than the other two, so his thinking wasn't as rigid. Pondering Mu Chen's words, he arrived at a different conclusion. 'What could possibly give a cripple who can't cultivate the confidence to say something so arrogant? Either Mu Chen has lost his mind, or he truly has something to back it up.'
At this thought, the Third Elder stroked his beard, his mind drifting elsewhere.
"Brother, who is that?" In the Wang Family's rest area, Wang Junyao asked with curiosity, her gaze fixed on the Mu Family's section.
Wang Xihai mulled it over for a moment before replying, "That guy? His name is Mu Chen. He's the Mu Family's infamous waste. Not only was he born missing an arm, but for some unknown reason, his Dantian was damaged when he was a child, so he can't cultivate Primordial Power. He gets bullied all the time because of it. I think I even helped him out once in the city market a few years back."
Wang Junyao's small, rosy lips parted. She simply said, "Oh," and fell silent. But seeing her dazed expression, Wang Xihai could tell his innocent sister now had something on her mind.
As for Chen Qing, he was thoroughly unimpressed by Mu Chen's words. 'Forget that you're a waste who can't cultivate now,' he thought contemptuously. 'Even if you have some miraculous encounter and regain your ability to cultivate, by then I'll have left you in the dust. Why would I be afraid of you?'
Chen Qing's contemptuous gaze swept over the Mu Family. An arrogant smile played on his lips as he said, "Next?"
As his words fell, all eyes turned to the Mu Family's rest area. They waited in anticipation, eager to see Chen Qing once again crush Luofeng City's bottom-of-the-barrel family under his heel.
"I'll go this time." Watching the mocking gazes of the crowd, Mu Bingling, who had been standing aside with a tranquil expression, took a step forward and spoke slowly. Her voice was soft and distant, so much so that it was impossible to detect the slightest ripple of emotion.
"Little Sister Bingling, don't go! You're no match for him." Seeing that Mu Bingling was about to enter the ring, Mu Rongxuan hurriedly tried to stop her. Having fought Chen Qing himself, he knew just how formidable the man was—especially given his hatred for the Mu Family. His methods were ruthless.
Mu Bingling shook her head and ascended the stage with a graceful stride. The moment she stepped into the ring, her breathtaking beauty instantly captured everyone's attention. Even Chen Qing's composure wavered slightly; the others were completely mesmerized. If Wang Junyao's beauty was a shocking, intense force, then Mu Bingling's was a world-toppling beauty—so pure it was soul-stirring. Her cold expression, in particular, lent her a sacred, inviolable air.
"Let's begin," Mu Bingling said coolly.
Chen Qing faltered, asking in confusion, "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of learning your name, Miss?"
Mu Bingling sneered. "You're not worthy of knowing it."
Chen Qing's mouth twitched, and his expression turned grim. "Hmph, everyone from your Mu Family is more arrogant than the last. It was one thing for that cripple to spout such ridiculous nonsense, but for a mere woman like you to be so brazen... Do you really think you're some kind of fairy?"
"Who did you call a waste?" Mu Bingling's already icy gaze turned even colder, becoming bone-chilling. She didn't care what people said about her, but Mu Chen... he was her Reverse Scale. She would not permit anyone to bully him.
Chen Qing flinched. He sensed an aura of danger from the girl, but he immediately shook the feeling off. 'I'm the number one genius of my generation in Luofeng City,' he thought. 'What is there to be afraid of?' Having rationalized it, the disdainful look returned to his face. He chuckled, "Who? Hmph. The most well-known waste in the city: Mu Chen of the Mu Family."
"Say that again." Mu Bingling's expression suddenly became placid. If Mu Chen had been standing there, he would have known that this version of Mu Bingling was not to be trifled with. She was truly furious.
Chen Qing took a deep breath and bellowed, "The waste, Mu Chen! He's a cripple, a good-for-nothing! I've said it, now what can you do about it?"
"Very good. You've won." Mu Bingling suddenly smiled. It was a beautiful smile, as world-toppling as a ten-thousand-year Snow Lotus in full bloom. However, the instant that smile appeared, she shot forward. Her speed was incredible; in the blink of an eye, she was right in front of Chen Qing. Simultaneously, a dazzling red halo of light erupted from beneath her feet.
Elder Yan was the first to react. He was closest to the stage and had the clearest view. Utterly astonished, he cried out, "That—that's a Martial Ring! The Martial Artist Realm! She's a Martial Artist!"
"Impossible!" In the patriarchs' seating area, Chen Wenfu and Li Zongtang shot to their feet, staring intently at the stage. But the red halo was unmistakable; everyone could see it with perfect clarity.
"I have to say, Old Gu, you're really something else. You old bastard, you hid her well," Wang Mo groused, rolling his eyes. "If I'd known, I would've wondered why you were acting so timid. You really let our Wang Family lose a lot of face."
Little did they know, the most shocked person of all was not one of them, but Mu Gu Tian himself. As the Patriarch of the Mu Family, he hadn't even known his own family had produced a twelve-year-old Martial Artist. He had been truly derelict in his duty.
Mu Gu Tian's expression was awful. Wang Mo caught sight of it, paused in surprise for a second, and then burst into laughter. "Don't tell me, Old Gu, that you didn't know either? In that case, you're a terribly incompetent Patriarch!"
Mu Gu Tian gave a wry smile. "Brother Wang, stop making fun of me. That child, Bingling, has always been very low-key, never one to show off. I don't have enough time to check up on every single person, so she managed to keep it hidden. That girl, honestly..."
In the section reserved for the Xuanling Empire's recruitment team, an old man in black, who had been resting lazily with his eyes closed, suddenly snapped them open. A trace of excitement entered his voice as he said, "Not bad. We've finally found a decent one. Ruo Shui, our academy is claiming this girl."
Yan Ruoshui was also astonished. 'This girl looks to be only twelve or thirteen, yet she's already a Martial Artist! That level of talent is no less than my own was back in the day. No, it might even be greater. I had a great family behind me, providing me with the best Cultivation Resources. But how could a small family from a remote Border City like this possibly have such resources?'
"Elder Yuan, the young lady hasn't stated her name?" Yan Ruoshui was about to write it down when she realized she had no idea what the girl's name was. All she knew was that her surname was Mu.
"It's fine. Just make the announcement directly in a moment," the elder, Yuan Long, replied before turning his attention back to the ring.
Meanwhile, Mu Rongxuan and Mu Xiaotian, who had just been worrying about Mu Bingling, now stood with their mouths agape, their eyes wide with disbelief as they stared at the girl on the stage.
"To advance from a Sixth-Ring Martial Disciple to a First-Ring Martial Artist in just half a year... she's the real number one genius of our Mu Family," Mu Xiaotian muttered to himself.
But beside him, Mu Rongxuan's expression grew sinister. He made a firm decision in his heart. 'I must make Mu Bingling mine...'