Chapter 526: Chapter 171 Ji Wu, Wu Ji

Before, Zhou Yan thought Hou Chen was only worried about him when he spoke, but now, seeing Hou Chen like this, Zhou Yan realized that Hou Chen had a terrifying Emperor Blood Inheritance—the bloodline inheritance from the peak moment of the Emperor Qi Sword Body, which surely endowed him with exceptional abilities. Therefore, his concerns were likely genuine.

Only this explanation could shed light on the deeper reason why the Holy Daughter wanted such a grand affair for her recruitment of a suitor.

Zhou Yan’s expression didn’t change much, but he took Hou Chen’s words to heart.

“Chenchen, rest assured, Master understands what you mean. Chenchen, you be careful too. You messed up the Evil King pretty badly, and he definitely won’t let it go. Why not spend some time in intense training in Master’s Secret Realm?”

Zhou Yan suggested.

“Master, don’t worry about Chenchen’s matters. As an Emperor Qi Sword Body, just like Master, capable of overcoming adversities, I naturally will not back down in the face of troubles. Besides, after all, the Evil King is just a minor character; if Chenchen regains the power of the Emperor Blood Divine Skills, killing him would be as easy as crushing an ant.”

Hou Chen’s tone was very assertive and full of absolute confidence.

Looking at this young boy, barely five or six years old yet full of burgeoning talent, Zhou Yan felt an indescribable sense of gratification.

As the old gives way to the new, seeing his disciple grow in such a manner, Zhou Yan even felt an odd sensation of being aged.

Zhou Yan deeply understood that if he went back to the past, he would probably be no match for his disciple’s capabilities. Hou Chen’s rise had been smoother and more spectacular than his own.

However, if compared at the same realm, even though Hou Chen was powerful, Zhou Yan, with his experience and hidden strategies, could still defeat him ten out of ten times in fights! This also showed that excessive ease had not made Hou Chen’s foundation particularly formidable.

These were the areas where he, as a Master, needed to compensate for Hou Chen.

“Mmm, to have such invincible confidence is comforting to Master. Yet, your growth has been too smooth, somewhat impetuous, without truly settling down. A powerful inheritance is merely superficial. Going forward, you need to focus more, delve deeper into understanding.

Including the Dragon Form Sword Dao Profound Meaning, the Path of Incompletion, and the Law of Dao Sheng Yi that Master has passed on to you—all must be profoundly understood and made your own. That is the only way you will find your own Tao.

Your Emperor Qi Dragon Transformation represents your Tao, yet it lacks profound meaning, so you still need to strive.”

“Although you are nearly invincible below the Sword Tribulation Realm now, the gap between you and the true strong ones is still vast. Moreover, your strength relies on the robust Emperor Blood and the vast resources you devoured from the Evil King, not particularly on your innate talents. Any genius, given such an inheritance, would perform nearly as well as you do. If Master, Wu Ji or Feng Jiu Immortal Queen Hou Ling had your opportunities, they would definitely surpass you.

This isn’t to say your strength is weak or your talent inferior; rather, your full potential has not yet truly manifested.

People never truly know their limits until they push themselves to the brink…”

“Chenchen, Master is going to begin the competition now, you enter the Secret Realm and diligently train. When you come out, Master will then impart to you the profound essences of Break Nine, the profound meaning of the Original Tao. By that time, you will be qualified to comprehend this true Tao; that will be your moment of true transformation.”

Zhou Yan looked firmly at Hou Chen and said.

Hou Chen listened intently, then bowed respectfully and said, “Master, your disciple hears you. I will shed my impetuousness, wash away the superficial and achieve the great Tao.”

Zhou Yan nodded in satisfaction, then waved his hand to open the Purple Flame Void, sent Hou Chen in, and then entered the Thunder Expansion Sacred Land himself. After that, he calmed his mind and looked towards various array platforms on the Battle Platform, his expression cool and calm.

Before Zhou Yan spoke with Hou Chen, Xiao Wuji had not arrived.

And after Hou Chen entered the Yuan Ci Secret Realm, Zhou Yan realized that in the Void, there was a man in white, his face calm and cold like an ice sculpture.

His eyes held no regard for anyone’s existence.

He just stood there, as if indifferent to all matters.

Such demeanor, such temperament, truly daunting.

He was Wu Ji, the brother of Ji Wu.

Ji Wu had died, having made Wu Ji his successor, handing over everything for Wu Ji to bear.

Ji Wu was a coward, but the actions he took in the end were extraordinarily cruel and insane. By his own death, he favored his brother, yet burdened him with endless disgrace, responsibilities, and even derision.

By his death, he let his brother learn from disgrace and take on the hatred and glory of Ji Wu.

Compared to Ji Wu, the responsibilities and pressure Wu Ji had to bear were undoubtedly like a heavy mountain, suffocating him.

Yet in reality, he seemed to care about nothing and hold nothing dear.

Even when he saw Zhou Yan, it was as if he didn’t recognize him, as if he didn’t see him at all.

Not considered in his eyes, or perhaps, he had never regarded Zhou Yan as a contender.

Such a character, even if an adversary, still shocked Zhou Yan.

It was as if he was not seeing a contemporary genius, but a young version of a Supreme from the Ancient Times.

Zhou Yan withdrew his gaze, calmed his mind once more, and stepped through the Void towards his array foundation.

“Gentlemen, this match, I, Ji Wu, admit defeat and voluntarily let Zhou Yan win the first place.”

Xiao Wuji suddenly spoke up at this moment.

He had abandoned his name and replaced his ‘Wu Ji’ with ‘Ji Wu’, considering himself an ‘extension’ of Ji Wu.

This was giving up his own self, his own life, living only for his elder brother.

It was also a terrifying choice, a kind of madness.

There were few who knew of Wu Ji’s existence.

Thus, Wu Ji’s words did not arouse others’ suspicion.

However, many cultivators just thought Wu Ji had been intimidated by Zhou Yan, his words immediately drawing contempt, disdain, and even disappointment from those cultivators who once adored him passionately, shaking their heads involuntarily and sighing in frustration.

“Wu Ji, your lack of strength doesn’t mean everyone else lacks it too.”

“Wu Ji, haven’t you stepped out of your shadow yet?”

“Wu Ji, just admit defeat, you don’t have to announce it so loudly, everyone already knows you are no match for Zhou Yan.”

“Wu Ji, how can you give up like this? You are really disappointing.”

…

There was a chorus of hisses, and many reveled in his misfortune.

The figure once worshiped as a male idol, when he publicly humiliated himself by mishandling his own situation, shattered his grand and idolized image, becoming a laughingstock in everyone’s eyes.

But other than Zhou Yan and a few other cultivators, no one knew that Wu Ji could have avoided these scandals under the identity of ‘Wu Ji,’ yet he chose to appear as ‘Ji Wu,’ bearing all the shame and infamy.

Even so, Wu Ji still managed to remain undisturbed and calm in the face of honor or disgrace.

Perhaps the curses were meant for Ji Wu and not for him, but every time Wu Ji took on the curses due to Ji Wu’s death, he was destined to suffer even more. Ji Wu must have thought of these, choosing to sacrifice himself to make his brother Wu Ji a tool for his revenge.

But what Ji Wu couldn’t possibly imagine was that Wu Ji felt neither jealousy nor anger, only calmness.

His gaze was calm, his spirit equally tranquil.

So calm, that everything seemed irrelevant to him.

“I give up the contest because, in terms of proficiency in arrays, I am indeed not as good as Zhou Yan, so there’s nothing wrong with admitting defeat. If any friend thinks they are stronger than Zhou Yan, they might as well give it a try themselves; what difference does it make?”

Wu Ji’s words were very calm, as if admitting defeat was an honorable thing.

After speaking, he silently looked at Zhou Yan, his gaze steady.

Then he turned away, saying, “I hope Zhou Yan can give his all in the coming contests of weapon refinement and alchemy Dao, so we can have a proper comparison.”

His parting words were calm, not provocative, because they were delivered in tranquility.

His only trait was his calmness.

Apart from being calm, he hardly had any other distinctive quality.

Yet it was this very calmness that made others wary.

Zhou Yan observed the cultivators’ Ancient Arrays around him, each change in the runes of the array carried mysterious records of the Heavenly Dao, as if any array deployed could be replayed within the Sword Illusion Realm, existing eternally.

A thought struck Zhou Yan, he suddenly realized that Wu Ji’s aloofness, was also because he saw that the array competition was a special recording of the Sword Illusion Realm, thus he didn’t want to become someone else’s ‘tool’ by giving up this contest. He was named ‘Ji Wu’ perhaps just to fulfill a wish for his brother, not live for his brother.

He was a genius with a true self.

He was really, not simple.

“Although I’m confident in taking first place, having seen everyone’s arrays, I now also have to withdraw, leaving the first place to Spring and Autumn.”

Zhou Yan’s gaze swept around, recognizing that Zhuge Chunqiu’s proficiency in arrays was also exceptional, no less than the Ancient Runes he had studied initially. Such capability made it easy for him to surpass other genius cultivators.

Therefore, to prevent the secrets of the Netherworld Runes and the Primordial Magnetic Ancient Array from leaking, and to protect the secrets of the Twelve Magnetic Ancient Array of the Soul Killing Divine Stone, he also decided to withdraw from this round.

Zhou Yan had calculated, in the first round neither he nor Ji Wu took first place.

In the second round, he came first while Ji Wu nearly perished.

In the third round, Ji Wu gave up, and if Zhou Yan withdrew too, he would still rank above Ji Wu.

In the fourth and fifth rounds, unless Ji Wu took first place in both, he wouldn’t qualify to compete in the sixth.

Otherwise, Ji Wu would have no chance to take the ultimate first place.

And in the fourth and fifth rounds, Zhou Yan was nearly certain of victory. Even if he truly lost, with the marriage gift contest in the sixth round, Zhou Yan was sure of winning.

Because no ‘marriage gift’ could be more precious than that ‘treasure’.

Moreover, with ‘Ji Wu’ confidently withdrawing while at a disadvantage, Zhou Yan naturally wouldn’t contend for a disputed first place only to lose face. Based on these considerations, Zhou Yan likewise decided to withdraw from this competition.