"As the Second Young Master, I can afford to act arrogantly. Despite Wu Kang's grandfather being an Elder, there are several others, whereas there is only one Clan Head. I can leverage my position to suppress him. And to top it off, I will soon become a disciple of the sect!" Wu Yang shamelessly entertained these thoughts.

As Wu Yang contemplated his next words, Wu Li was thinking on whether or not to reveal his true level of cultivation.

"This Young Master will let Wu Li take part in the tournament. Even in the Blue Sky Mortal Realm, many geniuses can fight those from higher realms. I believe Wu Li is such a genius." Wu Yang said meaningfully.

Then, he continued, "However, if Wu Li brings shame upon our clan, then this Young Master will have to deal with the consequences."

Wu Kang clenched his teeth in fury, feeling powerless against the Second Young Master's superior talent and status.

Wu Kang whirled around to face Wu Li, his voice seething with anger. "Hmph! You may have won this time, punk, but don't get too cocky. Remember, anything can happen in the arena, so watch your back," he warned, his eyes narrowing menacingly. "Or else, you'll regret it!"

Wu Li's aura of deadly intent enveloped Wu Kang, causing him to tremble with fear. With an air of arrogance, Wu Li retorted to Wu Kang's threat, "Indeed, accidents can happen in the arena. Be careful, even you need to be cautious when you face me. If we cross paths, I might have to unleash my full strength, and you might end up with injuries so severe, you'll never recover!"

Wu Li's icy voice echoed across the hall, causing many to question his sanity. Despite being aided by the Young Master, it seemed that he had become too conceited to acknowledge Wu Kang's threat.

"He's lost his marbles," they whispered amongst themselves.

"The Young Master must have taken pity on him because of his past deeds. Now he's acting like a madman. He has no idea of his current standing!"

The audience, including Wu Bailian, the girl from Black Petal River City, sneered at Wu Li, their gazes filled with scorn and ridicule.

Wu Li's heart sank as he caught sight of Wu Bailian's amused expression. Two years ago, his cultivation had taken a sharp decline, and with it, his beloved childhood sweetheart had vanished. She had left him for Wu Kang, and the pain of rejection still stung like an open wound.

To make matters worse, everyone in Black Petal River City had once praised them as the perfect match, both in looks and talent.

Wu Li had sharp sword-like eyebrows, pitch-black curly hair, and eyes as bright as the stars. His talent was also top-notch, second only to Wu Yang.

He had always thought of Wu Bailian as innocent and delicate, with a shy personality that made her the object of many young men's affection. Her extraordinary beauty only added to her allure. But now, Wu Li couldn't help feeling bitter and resentful.

He had lost everything, and it seemed that even the one person he thought he could count on had deserted him.

"Stop it, enough!" Wu Yang exclaimed, his voice stern. "I won't tolerate any violence within our clan. Neither of you can intentionally harm the other. If you do, there will be severe consequences." Wu Yang wanted to make his position crystal clear. He knew that if he hadn't intervened, their threats would have gone unchallenged.

Once he finished speaking, the crowd dispersed, leaving only Wu Bailian, Wu Yang, and Wu Li.

Turning to Wu Bailian, Wu Yang said, "Thank you for guiding me. Now, you can focus on preparing yourself for the upcoming tournament."

Wu Bailian nodded in response before quickly taking her leave.

As Wu Yang was preparing to depart, Wu Li approached him with a look of gratitude. With a humble bow and cupped hands, he said, "Thank you, Young Master! I will surely repay your kindness one day!"

Wu Yang shook his head and replied with a gentle smile, "No need to thank me, Brother Li. Your past deeds for the clan cannot be erased so easily. It's the clan's failure for not supporting you when you needed it."

Wu Yang's expression grew solemn as he continued, "But tell me, Brother Li, do you have the confidence to earn one of the two spots?"

"Rest assured, Young Master! Wu Li will not let you down," the confident youth replied, careful not to address Wu Yang as "brother" just yet.

Wu Yang smiled and nodded, "Brother Li's words put my mind at ease. I have high hopes for you."

With that, Wu Li nodded and left to prepare for the tournament. The competition was intense, with only Wu Li being the exception to those in the early stages of Foundation Building. The rest were all highly talented individuals who had built at least six pillars!

In the Foundation Building Realm the number of pillars you condensed determines your level.

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Those who have built between zero to six pillars are at the early stage of Foundation Building.

Those who have built between six to twelve pillars are at the middle stage of Foundation Building, while those who have built between twelve to eighteen pillars are at the late stage of Foundation Building.

Finally, those who have built all eighteen pillars have reached the peak stage of Foundation Building, which is the realm that Wu Yang wants to achieve.

As the crowd dispersed, Wu Yang made his way to one of the rooms designated for him.

Wu Yang is waiting for the disciples to arrive inside one of the rooms prepared for him. He is diligently cultivating, not daring to slack off.

After hours of diligent cultivation, there was a knock on Wu Yang's door. He heard an errand boy say, "Young Master! The esteemed guests have arrived. The First Elder and the Third Elder are accompanying them. The tournament is about to begin."

Wu Yang sighed but knew he had to attend to his duties. He replied, "Thank you for informing me. I will be there shortly."

He quickly got ready and left the room. As he walked towards the tournament area, he thought to himself, "These guests will be my seniors in the future. I need to show them respect."

The errand boy guided Wu Yang to the Jade Room, where he would be watching the tournament alongside other cultivators.

Upon entering, Wu Yang saw four well-dressed people engaged in a discussion about Dao and sharing their insights. Among them were the First Elder, Wu Cheng, and the Third Elder, Wu Tie, both of whom were wearing the Wu Clan's uniform.

The two long-awaited disciples of the Extreme Jade Sword Sect are also present in the Jade Room. They are young and full of vitality, but surprisingly, their cultivation is in the early stage of Core Formation!

This is impressive given that they are only one year older than Wu Yang, who is fifteen.

As he approached them, Wu Yang greeted the two with a respectful bow, "Senior Brothers, it's an honor to meet you both. I hope the journey was pleasant."

Chen Yu, one of the two disciples, smiled warmly and responded, "You must be Junior Brother Wu Yang. Brother Liu Shizi and I have been eager to meet you and see your talents for ourselves. It's a pleasure to see that you not only possess great talent but also a striking appearance."

The high praise from Chen Yu towards Wu Yang brought smiles to the faces of the two Elders. "You are indeed the most talented youth of the Wu Clan," Wu Cheng remarked.

Liu Shizi, who appeared more reserved, added, "Indeed, your talent is not to be underestimated."

As Wu Yang sat down beside them, Chen Yu asked him a question, "Junior Brother, who do you think will be the two victors?"

Wu Yang turned his gaze towards the participants. As the five people were in the Jade Room, their conversation was unheard by the other participants.

He observed the fifteen youths, including Wu Li, Wu Bailian, Wu Kang, and another fifteen young cultivators who were all products of the Wu Clan's nurturing.

"I cannot speak for everyone else, but I believe that Wu Li will undoubtedly secure one of the spots," Wu Yang responded straightforwardly.

The Third Elder, Wu Tie, expressed his doubt about Wu Li winning one of the spots. "But he's a cripple. I remember he made a mistake during his cultivation resulting in him not being able to cultivate anymore."

Wu Tie then suggested, "I reckon Wu Kang has a good chance of winning one spot. He has mastered the third layer of the Ancient Wind Venerable Secret Art, which alone can secure him one of the spots. But in addition to that, he has also achieved Minor Success in the Hundred Swords Controlling Technique."

The First Elder shared his opinion, "In my opinion, Wu Bailian should also be one of the winners! Her Lightning Cloud Steps are at the Minor Success stage. She is also cultivating the Ancient Wind Venerable Secret Art, but her comprehension of the third layer is behind Wu Kang's."

Cultivators have 5 stages of technique mastery: Rudimentary Understanding, Minor Success, Major Success, Profound Success, and Return to Genesis.

There are also four categories of cultivation techniques: Yellow, Black, Earth, and Heaven. The disparity between each grade is immense.

The Ancient Wind Venerable Secret Art is a lesser Earth Grade cultivation technique.

As experienced cultivators of the Extreme Jade Sword Sect, they have heard of many techniques. Although the sect library doesn't have the Ancient Wind Venerable Secret Art, they are aware of its power but consider it average compared to other options.

The Wu Clan's core technique was created by the Ancient Wind Venerable, a Soul Palace powerhouse.

The Wu Clan's decline can be attributed to the fact that they lacked successors as talented as their ancestor, the Ancient Wind Venerable.

"Back then, that Wu Li kid was almost as talented as the Second Young Master! It's a pity he made a mistake during his cultivation and ended up being a cripple. Nevertheless, he had achieved Minor Success in both the Hundred Swords Controlling Technique and the Lightning Cloud Steps two years ago,"

The two outer disciples were shocked to learn that Wu Li had achieved Minor Success in both the Hundred Swords Controlling Technique and the Lightning Cloud Steps, two supreme Black Grade techniques.

"It's a pity for such a genius to fall!" Liu Shizi thought silently.

Until the Core Formation Realm, Yellow Grade techniques are usable. Black Grade techniques are usable until the Soul Palace Realm. Earth Grade techniques are usable until the Mortal Extremity Realm.

Heaven Grade techniques are very hard to find and only used by Mortal Extremity Realm powerhouses or their descendants.