C55 Admit Defeat

Time flew by swiftly.

Before long, four bouts had come and gone.

"Next up, Lin Xuan versus Yan Ziping!"

Following another round, Deacon Zhang's voice echoed from the elevated platform.

A ripple of excitement passed through the crowd as their attention converged on Lin Xuan.

Their eyes gleamed with anticipation.

They were confident in Lin Xuan's victory, and it seemed well within reach for him to break into the top ten, or even the top three.

Yet, they needed to witness it themselves to truly believe it.

The new disciples were particularly thrilled, their cheers ringing out.

Lin Xuan, despite his notable talent and having secured a spot in the top twenty, was still one of their own—a new disciple.

To them, Lin Xuan symbolized the aspirations of all new disciples.

The higher Lin Xuan climbed in the rankings of the Grand Competition, the more prestige it brought to them.

Their joy and excitement were palpable.

Under the watchful eyes of the assembly, Lin Xuan and Yan Ziping, a fellow top twenty disciple with an unremarkable appearance, ascended the stage.

"Let the match begin!"

Deacon Zhang declared.

His gaze swept over Yan Ziping with a touch of sympathy.

Yan Ziping had drawn the short straw in facing Lin Xuan.

Deacon Zhang had already discerned from the previous match that Lin Xuan possessed a prowess on par with the Outer Sect's three most formidable masters.

Yan Ziping's defeat seemed inevitable.

Indeed, he was quite unfortunate.

Across the stage, Yan Ziping's spirits were visibly low, just as Deacon Zhang had anticipated.

Had he been matched with another competitor, his chances of breaking into the top ten would have been tangible.

But against Lin Xuan, his prospects were all but dashed.

The memory of Lin Xuan's swift and brutal takedown of Wang Kui in the last match made Yan Ziping shudder.

He doubted his own abilities measured up to Wang Kui's.

And if Wang Kui had been bested so thoroughly, what chance did he stand?

With this realization, Yan Ziping resolved to bow out gracefully, offering a respectful gesture.

"Senior Brother Lin, your strength is undeniable, and I concede to it.

I forfeit this match."

With those words, Yan Ziping leapt from the stage and retreated into the crowd.

In his mind, defeat was certain, and the top ten was beyond his reach.

He had already done quite well for himself, securing the 100 contribution points reward that came with a top 20 finish.

But if he had pushed his luck, he wouldn't have gained any advantages; instead, he would have been left with severe injuries that could take months to heal, preventing any progress in his strength.

That would have been a significant setback for him.

Given the choice, he clearly knew the better option.

The crowd, witnessing the scene, was initially taken aback, struggling to process what had just happened.

Yan Ziping had just conceded defeat in a top 20 matchup?

Was this some kind of joke?

A few moments later, the spectators snapped out of their daze, and the area erupted into a buzz of conversation.

To have an Outer Sect expert at the Peak of Qi Gathering Stage, ranked in the top twenty, concede defeat was a privilege not even the top three Outer Sect experts might receive.

Lin Xuan, the newcomer, had managed to achieve this, catching everyone off guard.

People were baffled.

Lin Xuan had only been at the beginner level for a month; how could he wield such authority?

Admitting defeat in the Outer Sect Competition was a major blow to one's pride.

Outer Sect disciples, having recently arrived from the secular world, often within just a few years, placed a high value on their reputation.

As such, it was rare for anyone to voluntarily concede in the Large Competition.

Even when defeat was certain, they would still engage in battle to showcase their martial prowess.

Yet today, a disciple had surrendered, and not just any disciple, but one who was among the top twenty, a peak expert of the Outer Sect at the Qi Gathering Stage.

The other disciples found this hard to come to terms with.

However, when someone brought up the previous match, where Wang Kui was severely injured and sent flying, the pieces started to fall into place for everyone.

That explained it.

Yan Ziping had been frightened by Wang Kui's dire end.

Despite being a new disciple, Lin Xuan had shown no restraint in his attacks.

His previous encounters made that clear.

Each of his opponents had been left with serious injuries; such outcomes were the norm for him.

The Martial Arts World was a place of extreme brutality, where life and death could hinge on a single disagreement.

Yet these Outer Sect disciples, hailing from the secular world, had been carefully protected by their respective powers before being entrusted to the sect.

They had never truly felt the harshness of combat.

All they knew was pieced together from various sources.

As a result, their clashes lacked genuine ferocity.

Someone as merciless as Lin Xuan was a rarity in the Outer Sect.

That's why they'd boldly challenge even the top three, rather than concede.

But against someone as unforgiving as Lin Xuan, they cowered.

The disciples realized this was why Yan Ziping had conceded.

Yet, as they regarded Lin Xuan, their eyes reflected newfound respect.

Even those who had hoped to curry favor with him recoiled in fear.

Atop the elevated platform, the Head Elder and Xu Annlan watched Lin Xuan with composed faces, their eyes betraying a touch of esteem.

The martial path is inherently brutal, a constant struggle against heaven, earth, and fellow man, where life hangs by a thread.

Ruthlessness is essential for a warrior.

Without it, the title of martial powerhouse remains elusive.

Lin Xuan, even as a newcomer, had shown this quality, much to the Head Elder's satisfaction. His esteem for Lin Xuan grew.

The other Outer Sect disciples, however, were far too naive.

Did they really think kindness would spare them in this dog-eat-dog world?

True martial might is forged atop the fallen.

With their current mindset, they wouldn't last long outside the sect.

It was clear that more challenging missions were needed to toughen up these disciples, to expose them to the world's true brutality and strip away their naivety.

Otherwise, the sect's investment in them would be a tragic waste should they perish shortly after leaving.

Such a loss would be a blow to the sect, squandering the resources and effort spent on their upbringing.

In the arena, Deacon Zhang declared:

"Lin Xuan is victorious, advancing to the top ten!"

Lin Xuan, upon hearing this, stepped down from the arena and made his way to the area designated for the top twenty disciples.

Yan Ziping's surrender had caught him off guard.

But as long as he made the top ten and secured energy points, that was all that mattered to him. The rest was of little concern.

Upon returning to the crowd, Lin Xuan immediately sensed the subtle ostracism from many disciples. They deliberately kept their distance, treating him as if he were a ferocious creature from ancient times.

Lin Xuan merely scoffed at their behavior, unfazed by their reaction.

Listening to the murmurs around him, he quickly grasped the situation.

But it was of little consequence to him.

With the system at his disposal, he could replicate an array of treasures and rapidly enhance his power.

His time in the Outer Sect was limited; soon, he'd advance to the Inner Sect, rendering the opinions of others irrelevant.

Moreover, his stay at the Drifting Cloud Sect might not even last a few months.

His goal was to depart from the Drifting Cloud Sect, Cangyuan Country, and even the Chiyang Zone as swiftly as possible. By accelerating his strength, he could hasten the search for Lin Shiyun.

Everything else was secondary; his focus was singular.