"Despite his opponent wielding a mid-grade spiritual weapon with ice affinity, he still managed to defeat Ai Xia," Long Wei remarked, staring intently at Madara, who stood on the platform with cupped fists.
"But Brother Long Wei," another disciple interjected, "doesn't he have a bloodline? Maybe he's already awakened it—that could explain his advantage."
He shook his head. "Unlikely. When he was scanned in Taiyuan City, the results showed his bloodline hadn't awakened yet."
He paused, frowning slightly. "Besides... this is the first time I've ever heard of an Uchiha bloodline."
"If that's the case…" Tang Hao asked with curiosity, "then how did he win?"
Long Wei fell silent for a moment, before offering a thoughtful reply: "I believe he won because…"
___
As Madara stepped down from the platform, his expression calm and unwavering, Shen Xiu remained motionless, his gaze fixed intently on Madara's back. Quiet thoughts stirred within him.
"If Ai Xia had been a sword cultivator instead of a weapon cultivator, the outcome might have changed… or so I thought. But even then, with the way she fought today, she still wouldn't have won. Because her sword skills lacked refinement. Against someone like him—someone who has truly grasped the essence of the sword—there was never a chance."
___
"It was a skill gap," Zhou Lei said bluntly, crossing his arms. "Pitting a weapon cultivator wielding a sword against a true sword cultivator… it was doomed from the start. A complete mismatch."
He paused briefly, then muttered inwardly:
"Master was right—within the world of cultivation, there will always be those whose talent and mastery lie far beyond yours."
___
As the echoes of the gong faded, a heavy silence hung in the air. Then, soft murmurs began to ripple through the crowd—whispers of disbelief, awe, and curiosity. The disciples had just witnessed something unexpected.
Luo Feiyan remained still, her gaze fixed on his back. A quiet understanding began to crystallize within her. She had always believed that swordsmanship was about power—about striking first, faster, and harder than one's opponent. But what she witnessed today shattered that belief. For the first time, she grasped the essence of true sword cultivation—not the domination of the battlefield, but the mastery of oneself.
...
On the Elder Platform, the atmosphere was far more composed—yet far more intense.
Elder Xu Feng stood with arms folded, his gaze following Madara's retreating figure. "He didn't just win," he said with quiet conviction. "He dismantled every technique with a level of control that bordered on artistry."
Elder Meng Qi gave a slow nod, her usually gentle expression marked by an uncharacteristic seriousness. "Such composure in a sparring match… He never acted out of pride or emotion. Every response was deliberate, every move executed with a precision rarely seen in cultivators his age."
Elder Liang Zhenyu's expression was thoughtful as he added, "Most disciples tend to overextend themselves or rely on flashy techniques to impress. But him? He held back without hesitation. That restraint—so rare in the young—is what makes him truly dangerous. He doesn't just have potential… he has refined skill."
The three elders exchanged meaningful glances, a shared understanding settling between them.
"He is no ordinary outer sect disciple," Xu Feng murmured. "If guided properly, he could one day surpass even the inner sect elites in swordsmanship."
"Or" Meng Qi added with a faint, knowing smile, "he may well shake the very foundation of our sect in the years to come."
But Liang Zhenyu broke the silence that followed, his voice tinged with realism. "There are just two problems—his spiritual root and bone marrow are both low grades. Advancing in cultivation will be difficult. And besides, the Heavenly Dao Sect has no elder who walks the sword path. Without a proper mentor, he has no reason to remain here."
At his words, the other two elders could only nod in silent agreement, their earlier admiration tempered by the weight of reality.
...
Despite the difference in rank between disciple and elder, those who witnessed Madara's performance in the match reached the same conclusion: Madara has devoted great effort to honing his swordsmanship skills.
As Madara descended and returned to his spot, his mind was already racing with thoughts about how the outcome might have differed if Ai Xia were also a sword cultivator—if she possessed the same level of sword intent as him or at least was skilled in sword use and timing her techniques perfectly.
After the battle, Liang Zhenyu began repairing the damage inflicted on the platform during the intense fight between Ai Xia and Madara, carefully resetting the formation. Meanwhile, Elder Xu Feng resumed drawing names from the wooden box he held, preparing for the next sparring matches.
The 18th match featured Luo Feiyan facing Jia Li, with Jia Li emerging victorious. A few matches later, in the 23rd bout, Long Wei went up against Zhou Lei.
Upon hearing this pairing, Long Wei smirked faintly and muttered, "Rematch… hmm." After a fierce exchange of techniques, Long Wei claimed victory.
Several matches later, in the 35th bout, Tang Hao fought Shen Xiu. After a brief exchange, Shen Xiu won decisively.
Hours passed, and as afternoon faded, the last of the 50 matches concluded. Shortly thereafter, the announcements for partner assignments for the upcoming duo mission were made.
Elder Meng Qi drew two scrolls from the wooden box and announced the disciple pairs who would be partnered for their first mission. After calling several names, Meng Qi finally spoke, "Uchiha Madara," then drew another scroll. "His partner will be Luo Feiyan."
When she heard her name, she glanced subtly toward Madara's position. She noticed he showed no reaction—his gaze remained fixed calmly on Elder Meng Qi standing on the platform.
Meng Qi continued drawing names: Long Wei's partner was Shen Xiu; Jia Li was paired with Ai Xia; Tang Hao with Zhou Lei.
Once the partners were announced, Elder Xu Feng addressed the rules and guidelines they must follow during the mission.
After the evening's discussions concluded, Madara promptly made his way to the outer male quarters. After a brief rest and a bite of a yellow apple, he entered his inner realm, ready to train—facing off against nothing but his own wooden clone.
...
Meanwhile, in the Outer Female Quarters, within a quiet, candle-lit room, Luo Feiyan sat cross-legged in deep meditation. Inside her inner realm, her memory sphere displayed her recent duel against Jia Li. The scene played out in third-person perspective, allowing her to analyze every movement, exchange, and flaw with sharp concentration. After replaying it several times, she shifted the projection to the match between Madara and Ai Xia. Her expression grew more focused as she carefully observed every technique and opening, studying both fighters with keen interest.
Elsewhere, in another room of the female quarters, Ai Xia also meditated in silence. Within her own inner realm, she was reviewing her battle against Madara—this time from both first- and third-person perspectives—switching between the two to gain a comprehensive understanding of her performance.
As she watched, a translucent, icy-blue sword floated beside her. Its blade shimmered with silver-white feather patterns, and its guard resembled the elegant spread of phoenix wings. A crystal phoenix adorned its pommel, and from the sword emanated a cold mist, accompanied by drifting snowflakes that danced in the air.
Then, the sword spoke.
"You've spent too much time mastering your Ice Sword Techniques," came a calm, resonant voice—gentle yet firm. "But you've neglected the very foundation of swordsmanship."
It was Bing, her spiritual weapon—the embodiment of her spiritual weapon (sword).
Ai Xia waved her hand, and the battle projection vanished instantly. She lowered her gaze in thought, then responded with quiet conviction. "You're right, Bing. That sparring match made it clear. Without a strong foundation in basic swordsmanship, my techniques will always have limits. I must start again—from the very beginning."
With determination in her eyes, she summoned five tall crystalline warriors. They stood before her—ice-blue constructs clad in phoenix-themed armor, each bearing glowing blue eyes and wielding frost blades in their right hands. The very air grew colder as their presence filled the inner realm with pressure.
Without hesitation, Ai Xia launched herself into battle. Blades clashed, mist swirled, and sharp echoes of ice and steel rang out in her inner world.
After a hard-fought victory, having defeated all five ice soldiers, Ai Xia returned to a seated position. She steadied her breath and activated her Frostheart Breathing Art, a deep and serene technique designed to recover her qi and stabilize her mind.
---Frostheart Breathing Art: technique that allows the cultivator to synchronize their breathing with the flow of cold Yin Qi in nature, particularly effective in snowy regions or near frozen lakes. It steadily converts ambient cold into spiritual essence that nourishes both meridians and the dantian.---