Chapter 139: Feng Yuxiu, Born Under an Unlucky Star; The Fourth Leader Position Canceled

Chapter 139 – Feng Yuxiu, Born Under an Unlucky Star; The Fourth Leader Position Canceled

Watching the transformation surging within Su Tian, Feng Yuxiu offered a thin smile and withdrew his stance.

“You have found your own path. In this exchange, I admit defeat.”

Hearing those words, Su Tian’s aura stilled as he ceased his movement.

“You have triumphed today, but you have surrendered your tomorrow.”

Faced with Su Tian’s sharp remark, Feng Yuxiu merely smiled again before retreating into the crowd.

The gathered disciples of the Purple Mansion Holy Land radiated contempt for Feng Yuxiu’s surrender without a final struggle, yet within the pavilion, Chen Changsheng’s interest was piqued.

He had watched every breath of the exchange; Feng Yuxiu’s actual prowess was far superior to Su Tian’s.

Even though Su Tian had grasped the hidden laws of the Heavenly Constellation Body Tempering Art, his current state and cultivation base offered him no true hope of defeating Feng Yuxiu in a life-and-death struggle.

Feng Yuxiu had conceded only because the duel had lost its purpose.

The man was nearing the absolute limit of his current form; his innate talent—his spiritual root—acted as a ceiling that he could not shatter.

The current world was filled with a thousand different paths, yet apart from the “Body Cultivation” Chen Changsheng had proposed, most remained shackled to the tyranny of “spiritual roots.”

By his estimation, Feng Yuxiu possessed, at most, a Low Grade spiritual root.

Even if he crushed Su Tian today, he would never be a match for a Peerless talent like Gongsun Huaiyu.

As Su Tian continued to ascend, the day would inevitably come when Feng Yuxiu would be left behind in the dust.

Since he could never hope to witness the scenery at the peak of the Dao, he chose to grant a favor, acting as a whetstone for another’s growth.

Simply put, Feng Yuxiu was born under an unlucky star; had he lived in a different epoch, his achievements would have been staggering.

Thinking of this, Chen Changsheng whispered to himself, “Truly, the chaos of the world birthed monsters. A casual stroll and I stumble upon such a rare find.”

“If Feng Yuxiu were to cast aside his current path and transition to a new framework of cultivation… would he soar to the firmament and crush the Chosen of this era beneath his heel?”

“A fascinating thought. It warrants a deeper deduction.”

……

Su Tian’s battle had concluded, but Ye Hensheng’s struggle raged on.

Unlike Su Tian’s desperate breakthrough, Ye Hensheng fought with a steady, unrelenting foundation.

Though he remained constantly pressured, his fist techniques were beginning to resonate with a deeper, more ancient rhythm.

Against Yang Feng’s gale of relentless strikes, Ye Hensheng actually began to project an aura of suppression.

With every punch thrown, Ye Hensheng felt the fog in his mind dissipate.

He realized his flaw: he was not wielding a boxing style that belonged to him. He was merely mimicking the “Undefeated Daoist.”

To truly grasp the essence of this art, he had to achieve a state where the man and the strike became one.

The fist was his soul, and his soul was the fist.

His second master had forged his obsession into his strikes, making them fierce, overwhelming, and indestructible.

Chen Changsheng, however, had forged his past into his fists—incorporating the sight of ten thousand mountains and the scars of a thousand loves and hates.

He had compressed the weight of an eternal life into a single, modest fist.

When he struck, the force was like a primordial tide, an unstoppable collapse of reality.

No one in the mortal realm could look upon the experiences of a long-lived sovereign without trembling, for immortality is a pain that defies description.

“Bang!”

Ye Hensheng and Yang Feng collided once more, the impact sending both men reeling back several paces.

At that exact moment, the final grain of sand trickled through the hourglass.

“Cease!”

Chen Changsheng rose from his seat in the pavilion.

“Yang Feng’s challenge has failed. However, Ye Hensheng failed to defeat all challengers within the allotted time. Therefore, the position of the Fourth Leader is canceled.”

“This vanguard shall have three leaders: Gongsun Huaiyu, Zi Ning, and Su Tian.”

“I grant all disciples of the Purple Mansion half an hour to prepare.”

“Secure your weapons and your Pills. Decide now which leader you shall follow.”

“If you fear the lethality of this mission, you may leave now and never return.”

“Do so, and you may spare yourselves the judging eyes of your brothers.”

Chen Changsheng dismissed them with a casual wave.

Yang Feng and the others offered a deep salute before turning to depart.

The assault on Mad Dragon Fort was no trivial matter; even the most gifted among them risked the chance to Perish. Vigilance was the only currency of survival.

Once the crowd dispersed, Gongsun Huaiyu and the other three subordinates approached Chen Changsheng.

Under his calm gaze, they felt a prickle of guilt; after all, the commotion they had caused was significant.

He drew in the scent of the tea, a look of serene enjoyment crossing his face.

“Why are you four standing there like statues? The march begins soon. Have you nothing to prepare?”

Zi Ning spoke up tentatively, “Sir… are you not angry with us?”

“Why should I be? Clearing the missions of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion was a display of your own capability.”

“A cultivator’s path is to defy the heavens. We must contend with the firmament, with the earth, and with our fellow man.”

“The chaos that erupted today was merely a result of your current lack of reach.”

“As the Holy Son, it is my burden to temper these troubles. To blame you for events that exceeded your current power would be needlessly cold.”

He paused, looking at the four of them with a thin, sharp smile.

“However, there is a lesson you must master: you must learn to clean up the fallout of your own subordinates, just as I do for you.”

“I lead the entire generation of the Purple Mansion now. I can no longer handle every minute detail on your behalf.”

“I am certain you understand this. Nalan Jing, Wan Yan Yue, Zuo Xinghe…”

“They are sovereigns of their own domains. Do you think they possess the leisure to oversee every triviality within their sects?”

“Likewise, when the war commences, I cannot watch every blade. That task falls to you.”

“If you fail, it is not your pride that will bleed, but the lives of those who placed their faith in you.”

“Do not worry about my anger. Worry about whether you will have the face to look upon the survivors once the blood has dried.”

The weight of his words settled over the four like leaden armor.

They had led teams before, but always under the watchful eyes of Elders who controlled the board. There had always been a safety net.

Now, they were becoming the Elders they once relied upon. They had to become the ones who provided the safety net.

When a crisis emerged, they had to forge a solution, regardless of their own readiness.

The facts would judge them. If they erred, the cost would be measured in the corpses of their brothers.

The pressure was more immense than any mountain.

Chen Changsheng watched their grave expressions, his lips curling slightly.

True growth was only forged in the crucible of blood and tears. Without it, they would remain nothing more than children playing at war.