Chapter 30(1/2): Reward

Chapter 30(1/2): Reward

Yao Shen’s expression was tranquil as he applied the finishing touches to his sketch, neatly rolling the papyrus scroll before pocketing it. He gently waved his right hand, causing the Fire Qi that Zhengwei was channeling to instantly flicker out. A wave of immutable force separated the two disciples by a few meters, and then Yao Shen withdrew his divine sense.

The two disciples immediately felt control over their body return to them. Longtian Cui sheathed his sword before clasping his hands behind his back, his bearing the very epitome of composure as he met his defeated foe’s gaze.

As Zhengwei felt Yao Shen’s restrictions upon his movement loosen, he realized that his hold over his scimitar was lightly trembling, from the sheer disbelief he felt at his loss. Even now, he could perfectly recall the burst of exhilaration that flowed through his veins as he pushed the young master of the Cui Family with a scimitar technique that he, a mere qi-formation disciple had created. Yet, the reversal came so suddenly, with such swiftness that Zhengwei could barely come to terms with the situation. In mere moments, his chance at obtaining an immensely valuable artifact had been lost, the opportunity seized by one who had no need of it.

Zhengwei could not accept it.

Longtian Cui concealing his abilities was within his prerogative, a stratagem that Zhengwei himself had utilized on multiple occasions. That was not what bothered him. So far, Zhengwei had been operating under the belief that he had accurately assessed his adversary’s capabilities; for he had not won duel after duel without knowing how to choose his battles carefully. However, only now did he realize the sheer extent of his error.

Zhengwei’s gaze flickered to the throng of spectators that had quietened down their cheers, observing the sympathetic glances a few offered him; as if he had somehow been wronged.

‘The fools,’ Zhengwei thought, sheathing his scimitar with a flick of his wrist. Not once had Longtian Cui’s placid expression changed, not even a glint of emotion visible in his damnable amber eyes as the Grand Patriarch had announced the name of the victor. That was not the gaze of a cultivator who relied on something as fickle as luck to win his battles. What even was luck, but the envy of the spectators and the rationalization of the defeated?

No, from the moment Zhengwei had stepped on the Sparring Stage, this was the outcome Longwei Cui had envisioned. Longtian Cui’s feigned weakness followed by that ruthless counter was all a smokescreen to conceal his real objective— it galled him to admit it, but Zhengwei had never expected his adversary to defeat him by utilizing the very rules of the Sparring Stage itself. Perhaps that was exactly why he had chosen to do so.

How frustrating.

In that moment Yao Shen’s thought crystallized, his objective behind observing the duel between two disciples, one a legacy family disciple and the other an ordinary mortal who had ascended to something greater, met.

Outer Disciples.

Inner Disciples.

Core Disciples.

These distinctions had originally been created to foster competition between disciples, to incentivise them to continually hone their skills and improve their cultivation or face the consequences. For there was no greater nightmare for a cultivator than to be left behind by his peers. Forgotten. Disregarded.

They also served a more pragmatic purpose, for no sect or clan, no matter how powerful, could claim to have infinite resources. On the continent of Ionea, strength had always been the yardstick to measure worth, and the segregation of disciples by their performance had not only ensured that the majority of the resources went to the most talented amongst them, the true future of the sect; it also pushed disciples who desired the lucrative resources beyond their limits, creating anomalies like Yao Shen who defied both expectation and reason.

However... this archaic system had outlived its usefulness. The Azlak Plains were in decline, and yet, even though Yao Shen was subconsciously aware of the faults with this tiered system, the thought of overhauling it had never crossed his mind. Not until now. Not until he saw a young, talented outer disciple fail to reach his potential, because the outer sect was not worthy of the same quality of instruction as the inner sect.

If Yao Shen had learned anything in his decades of experience as Patriarch, it was that change always came with resistance. There were many uncertainities, and whilst it was easy to point out the faults of existing systems, replacing them seldom turned out as rudimentary or simple. Any good leader would hesitate when confronted with a choice that had the potential to change existing socital structures, and regardless of whether the outcome was beneficial or disasterous, history would remember him for it.

Nevertheless, it was time.