Chapter 170: One Should Not Be Too Arrogant

Entering the area where inner disciples cultivated, Lin Fan noticed it was much quieter than usual, lacking its typical liveliness.

On some steep cliffs and beneath roaring waterfalls, he could see disciples engaged in intense training. Observing these hardworking inner disciples, Lin Fan chose not to disturb them.

As Lin Fan made his way toward the sect leader’s peak, Zong Hentian approached from the opposite direction.

“Master Lin,” Zong Hentian greeted with a smile upon seeing his senior. It had been a while since they last met, ever since returning from the recent raid.

“Junior, seeing you so relaxed, I suppose you must be confident about the upcoming competition for the title of Supreme Prodigy,” Lin Fan said with a smile.

Zong Hentian chuckled awkwardly, “Senior, please don’t flatter me like that. I came out here precisely because I lack confidence and needed to clear my head.”

“You haven’t even started the competition yet, so why so discouraged?” Lin Fan asked.

“Senior, truly, I have no confidence,” Zong Hentian replied, his pressure evident. Some juniors within the sect were overly confident about the upcoming contest, but Zong himself knew the truth—he had absolutely no confidence.

Three years ago, he had participated once and was utterly defeated by a prodigy from the Jiuxiao Sect, treated like a plaything. Since then, he had trained relentlessly, making significant progress, yet still dared not claim he could win.

“Just do your best. By the way, tell me, what exactly is this competition for the title of Supreme Prodigy?” Lin Fan and Zong Hentian sat on a stone bench, continuing their conversation.

“Senior, to explain properly, we have to go back three thousand years. At that time, the sect leader of our Holy Sect and the leader of Jiuxiao Sect were close friends, even brothers in arms. When they were still disciples, they met during a trial in the forbidden zone and became close confidants. However, according to records, one day they argued fiercely over whose disciples were superior. Neither would back down, so they established this competition—the Supreme Prodigy Battle—which has continued until today,” Zong Hentian explained.

“So what’s the prize for winning?” Lin Fan asked.

“There isn’t one,” Zong Hentian shook his head.

Lin Fan was momentarily stunned. No reward? He couldn’t help but shake his head in disbelief. “What’s the point then? Without incentives, how can the disciples stay motivated?”

Zong Hentian immediately corrected him, “Senior, that’s not quite right. Although there’s no reward, this competition is crucial for the sect’s honor. We absolutely cannot lose.”

Observing Zong Hentian’s expression, Lin Fan felt helpless. It seemed this Supreme Prodigy Battle had originated three thousand years ago from two stubborn elders who couldn’t agree on anything, and their descendants had continued this tradition until now, which was truly a pity.

“Alright then, do your best. I’m rooting for you,” Lin Fan said, patting Zong Hentian’s shoulder before preparing to leave.

“Yes, Senior. I will do my best,” Zong Hentian nodded in agreement.

…

At noon, a massive warship appeared above the Holy Sect.

Disciples of the sect gazed up, whispering among themselves.

For some disciples, it was their first time seeing Jiuxiao Sect’s warship. However, for those who had experienced the previous Supreme Prodigy Battles, Jiuxiao’s disciples were nothing but annoying.

Standing among the crowd, Lin Fan couldn’t help but marvel—no one said sects didn’t care about appearances, and Jiuxiao Sect was clearly obsessed with showing off.

Their warship was several times larger than the Holy Sect’s. If both were floating in the sky, the Holy Sect’s would look like a dwarf compared to a giant.

This time, the reception was led by Elder Wuya, the sect’s senior elder.

“Elder Wuya, it’s been years. Your Holy Sect’s territory seems to have shrunk. We don’t even have space to park our Jiuxiao warship anymore,” a white-bearded elder from the warship joked with a smile.

Watching the scene unfold, Lin Fan thought the old man was quite bold. His words carried a clear edge.

“Elder Yichu, it’s been years. You’ve aged quite a bit. Now that you’re here, why not come down and chat?” Elder Wuya smiled and shook his head.

“Fine,” Yichu replied. With a wave of his sleeve, Jiuxiao’s warship shrank in size, and Elder Liang Yichu, the Jiuxiao Sect’s senior elder, gracefully descended from the ship, landing before Elder Wuya.

Only now could Lin Fan clearly see the Jiuxiao Sect’s senior elder.

He wasn’t tall, with a slightly round figure like a roly-poly doll, and a large belly that seemed as if he were pregnant.

The two senior elders exchanged glances, their calm eyes filled with an unspoken bond.

“Haha!” After a long moment, both burst into laughter and embraced warmly, as if their friendship ran deep.

The Holy Sect and Jiuxiao Sect shared a long-standing history. Three thousand years ago, their two founders became close friends, and over time, their bond grew stronger.

Of course, this was only true for the older generation. The younger disciples held a completely different view.

“Alright, everyone, come down,” Elder Liang Yichu waved his sleeve. One by one, dozens of Jiuxiao Sect’s prodigy disciples gracefully descended from the warship.

Each of them wore an air of arrogance, scanning the Holy Sect with sharp, condescending gazes.

“Elder Wuya, what do you think?” Liang Yichu smiled. He was clearly proud of this generation of Jiuxiao disciples, having brought them here partly to show off.

Elder Wuya looked on, stroking his beard for a long time without speaking, before finally saying, “Not bad, not bad. There are several promising talents here.”

“Elder Wuya, you’re being too modest. Surely they’re more than just ‘promising talents’?” Liang Yichu teased.

Elder Wuya smiled without responding, though inwardly he was somewhat displeased. He had to admit, some of these disciples were indeed exceptional.

But compared to the Holy Sect’s own prodigy from three years ago—Mie Qiongqi—well, sigh.

Lin Fan observed the dozens of Jiuxiao disciples and couldn’t help but admire their strength.

But something about these Jiuxiao disciples felt… off.

Each one carried themselves with their noses in the air, as if they were the supreme beings of the world. Especially those disciples, standing with their hands behind their backs, pretending to be aloof sages.

Their cold, arrogant expressions made people want to punch them.

The Holy Sect disciples around murmured among themselves.

“Look at that guy’s expression. I really want to beat him up.”

“Yeah, and that one over there. He looks like he doesn’t even consider our Holy Sect worth mentioning. So annoying.”

“Hmph, let them act all high and mighty now. During the upcoming Prodigy Battle, our inner sect seniors will definitely teach them a lesson.”

…

“Elder Wuya, let me introduce my personal disciple, Xin Feng, to you,” Elder Liang Yichu called out to a disciple behind him.

Among the Jiuxiao disciples stood a refined-looking young man named Xin Feng. With a calm expression, he slowly stepped forward. Each step was deliberate, yet in an instant, he stood beside Elder Liang Yichu.

He had mastered the advanced technique of “Shortening the Earth,” an extremely profound cultivation method.

“Xin Feng, pay your respects to Elder Wuya,” Liang Yichu instructed.

“Hmph,” Xin Feng simply nodded slightly toward Elder Wuya, barely acknowledging him.

“Elder Wuya, forgive him. He’s always like this. No matter how I try to correct him, he won’t change,” Liang Yichu smiled, but his tone clearly said, “My disciple is just naturally arrogant. What can I do?”

Elder Wuya merely smiled and shook his head, showing no offense.

Lin Fan, watching this, was fuming inside. This guy was even more arrogant than himself. He would definitely need to teach him a lesson.

It was time to remind him that one mustn’t be too much like Xin Feng—too full of oneself.