Chapter 373 - Paramita Divine Flower

Many elite disciples were in a state of unrest after this round of battles ended.

Chen Fan defeating Burning Incense Valley’s Ren Yihang had caused a small sensation within some circles.

“What? Ren Yihang lost in the second round?”

“Didn’t he stumbled upon an ancient opportunity and mastered the Grand Tiger's Might Cultivation Technique? That’s a lower-earth tier cultivation technique! It can unleash the formidable strength of a ferocious tiger and captivate others' minds. It's powerful enough for him to challenge those with higher cultivation levels. And he was defeated?”

“Hoho, hidden dragons and crouching tigers are everywhere in the Tianwu Continent. Ren Yihang is undoubtedly among the elite disciples, but there's always someone stronger. Who is to say there isn’t an elite disciple stronger than him?”

“Tch, I heard that he was defeated by someone from the Spring Autumn Sect who is pretending to be an elite disciple. He is actually as strong as core disciples.”

“......”

Ren Yihang had gained some renown among the four major sects. He was hailed as a genius and had come across many fortuitous encounters in the past.

One such stroke of luck was mistakenly entering an untouched ancient ruin and acquiring its legacy. Since then, his cultivation had soared, making him formidable. Very few among those in the same cultivation level were a match for him.

He was a rising star—a true genius.

The members of Burning Incense Valley had placed high expectations on Ren Yihang.

However, he suffered a swift defeat early in the second round. The defeat had been so swift that he didn't even come close to touching Chen Fan's robes before his token broke.

If Chen Fan hadn’t shown mercy, he would have died right there.

Of course, the vast difference in strength between him and Chen Fan was a significant factor.

“What, Ren Yihang lost?”

This loss sent shockwaves through the hearts of Burning Incense Valley's grand elders seated high in the stands. Their faces were filled with disbelief.

After all, they had been confident Ren Yihang would fight his way into the battles of the core disciples as an elite disciple. Losing in the second round seemed utterly implausible.

“What exactly is going on?”

The elders were bewildered, but soon someone reported, “It’s an elite disciple from the Spring Autumn Sect by the name of Chen Fan. He defeated Ren Yihang cleanly. Here are the images copied earlier using the Shadow Form Technique.”

The images of Ren Yihang’s defeat appeared in front of the many elders once more.

Ren Yihang unleashed his cultivation, appeared behind Chen Fan, and executed the move Black Tiger Rips Heart. However, Chen Fan suddenly unleashed his cultivation. A terrifying force burst out from him and spread out, shattering Ren Yihang’s cultivation and token at once. It was simply unbelievable. He did not even lift a finger.

“This...” The elders were dumbfounded.

The expressions of several elders from the Burning Incense Valley darkened. They looked toward the Spring Autumn Sect, and one of them said, “Hoho, fellow Daoist brothers, from what I saw, this disciple named Chen Fan is at least at the eighth level. He’s only an elite disciple with that kind of cultivation?”

The Spring Autumn Sect’s elders looked at one another, unsure of how to respond.

Chen Fan's strength had indeed been beyond what one would expect from an elite disciple.

He defeated a genius like Ren Yihang with just the shockwaves produced by his surging cultivation. It truly made no sense.

“

Cough, cough

...” Wei Buyu coughed dryly and said hesitantly, “That... Brother Fengyun, that kid has been cultivating outside the sect. He only returned recently and hasn't undergone the examination to be promoted to a core disciple.”

“Hmph, what a feeble excuse!” The Burning Incense Valley’s Fengyunzi snorted coldly.

Wei Buyu responded, “There are hidden dragons and crouching tigers everywhere in this martial arts competition. I saw that all four sects have some people at the level of core disciples but have yet to be promoted themselves.”

An elder from the Spring Autumn Sect said, “Chen Fan's cultivation surpasses Ren Yihang's by a significant margin, making his victory seem effortless. So, this isn’t anything big. I doubt his dominance will last long. Sooner or later, someone else will defeat him.”

This elder wasn’t any random person, but Chen Muyang, Chen Changfeng’s grandfather.

Wei Buyu’s eyes flashed. Chen Muyang belonged to the sect’s neutral faction.

“Chen Muyang, are you implying my disciple will be defeated soon?” Wei Buyu asked.

“Of course.” Chen Muyang answered, “Perhaps he'll last a dozen or so rounds, advancing to the level of core disciples, but he won’t get to the end. He probably won’t even enter the top hundred.”

“Oh? If you are that confident, why don’t we make a bet? I bet that Chen Fan will at least reach the top three in this competition!” Wei Buyu declared boldly.

“What? Wei Buyu, do you think this is a dream? Hidden dragons and crouching tigers, have you forgotten? Many participants are at the ninth level, and there are ten in the Illusory Core realm. Where did you find that confidence of yours to believe he’ll enter the top three!” Chen Muyang snorted.

The grand elders from the sect leader’s faction shook their heads one after another, also disagreeing with Wei Buyu.

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

“Hoho, I also heard that this child repelled Zhang Tao with a single strike; he seems to have decent strength. Still, he should be at the ninth level at most. When considering all the core disciples from the four great sects, he just doesn't stand out," said an elder from the sect leader’s faction.

The elders from the other three great sects engaged in discussions among themselves, scoffing at Wei Buyu's claims.

"Exactly. There's no shortage of potential among the core disciples. We have over ten in the Illusory Core realm," another elder added. “Not only that, Yuan Kun, Yan Hong, Li Wangsheng, and Shangguan Yuhai all have sixty to seventy percent solid illusory cores. They can exchange blows with Core Formation realm experts for a short period.”

“Wei Buyu, thinking your disciple can overwhelm a sea of geniuses... That’s just blind arrogance. Are you just trying to cause a stir?”

“And why should we believe him when even the elders from his sect don’t agree? Ignore him, I say.”

“......”

“Hmph!” Wei Buyu snorted coldly. It contained immense power that filled the entire space, shocking the crowd. “Cut the crap. Do you dare to bet, Chen Muyang?”

Before his voice fell, Wei Buyu flipped his palm, and a bowl-sized flower appeared in it. The entire space almost lost its colors.

A profound energy pulsed across the surface of the freshly bloomed flower. Its petals gleamed with a golden hue, reminiscent of pure gold but slightly softer. Anyone who laid eyes on this flower would feel as if they had transcended spiritually.

Nestled within the center of the flower petals appeared to be a minuscule living creature.

“Paramita Divine Flower!” [1]

The crowd in this space nearly shot up to their feet.

“This ancient divine flower can help Core Formation realm experts cultivate a divine nascent, thereby enhancing their chances of advancing to the next realm. They were incredibly rare even during ancient times. How did you obtain it?”

1. Pāramitā or pāramī is a Sanskrit word. It is a Buddhist term often translated as ‘perfection’. ☜