He became more agitated as he spoke, his wounds seemingly reopening as cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He was oblivious to it all, his gaze locked on Sun Yong, eyes burning with the flames of hatred.

Watching the agitated Lin Yue, Sun Yong’s brow, which had just relaxed at the news of Yang Jing’s ranking, furrowed sharply.

His expression darkened, and his voice grew stern. "Nonsense! The trials are a matter of life and death. Fists and feet have no eyes; injuries are commonplace. In every trial, there are countless Martial Artists with broken arms and legs. Some have even died on the spot. You were only seriously injured. It’s a blessing you’re still alive, yet you dare to stand here screaming about a fight to the death?"

He walked to the side of the bed, his gaze piercing. "The path of the Martial Dao is fraught with thorns. If you can’t even withstand a setback like this, how do you expect to ever achieve greatness?"

Though chastised by his master, Lin Yue remained defiant, his face pale but stubborn. "Master, I’m not afraid of getting hurt! It’s just... the timing of this injury is terrible! I’ll be bedridden for at least half a year, and this is a critical time for my progress. I can’t imagine how far I’ll fall behind because of this delay... That bastard Li Mengchao, he was clearly trying to kill me! His methods are too vicious!"

Sun Yong sighed. His tone softened slightly but still carried an unshakeable authority. "I’ve already had it investigated. While Li Mengchao’s ruthlessness was partly due to competition, the more important reason is likely that you’ve grown too close to the Xiao Family."

Lin Yue froze.

Seeing Lin Yue’s confusion, Sun Yong continued, "The Li Family and the Xiao Family have been generational rivals, fighting openly and in the shadows for over a century. You’re just a disciple from a Martial Arts Hall. Why must you involve yourself in the conflicts of the six great families? Are you not courting death? They see you as a pawn of the Xiao Family, so of course they wouldn’t tolerate your rise."

"The six great families of Yuhe County have deep, tangled roots and are rife with internal conflict. Any outsider who recklessly interferes will only end up a sacrificial lamb."

Sun Yong’s voice grew grave. "As of today, this matter is closed. Once you’ve recovered, focus on your training at the Martial Arts Hall and cease all dealings with the Xiao Family. With your talent, if you can just settle down and apply yourself, I will personally guide you. Breaking through to the next realm won’t be difficult. Why do you insist on wading into those murky waters?"

Humbled by his master’s words, Lin Yue no longer dared to show his agitation. The heaving of his chest slowly subsided, but his eyes still held a hint of defiance and injustice.

’Is Master afraid of the Li Family? I was beaten to a pulp, but instead of seeking revenge, he’s blaming me for my association with the Xiao Family?’

But he didn’t dare to defy his master, so he only mumbled, "I... I just wanted to bring some honor to our Martial Arts Hall."

He looked at Sun Yong, his voice thick with resentment. "I know our Martial Arts Hall hasn’t had a disciple make the trial rankings in over a decade. Everyone out there is laughing at us, saying you have no worthy successor... I was just so anxious. I wanted to win back some pride and show everyone that a disciple from Sun’s Martial Arts Hall is second to none!"

"If I hadn’t been injured by Li Mengchao, there would have been a disciple from Sun’s Martial Arts Hall on the trial rankings this year!" Lin Yue’s eyes reddened as he spoke, filled with indignation at his injuries and anguish over the lost opportunity.

Hearing Lin Yue’s words, the last vestiges of Sun Yong’s anger over his disciple’s impulsiveness mostly faded away.

’This boy may be arrogant, but it seems he genuinely cares for the Martial Arts Hall. His heart is in the right place.’

His tone softened, and he spoke with a measure of gratification and solace. "You don’t need to be so hard on yourself. Someone from our Martial Arts Hall did make the rankings in this year’s trials."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue froze completely. His pupils constricted, his mind blank for a moment.

"Master... what did you just say?" He suspected he had misheard; his voice sounded faint and distant. "Someone from our hall made the rankings? Besides me... who else is there?"

’My mind raced. There are only a handful of Dark Energy disciples in the Hall. Senior Brother Xu Hong lost in his bid for the top spot of his ring, and Zhao Wenzheng, Qi Yun, and the others didn’t even get that far. So how could it be...?’

Suddenly, a name leaped into his mind—Yang Jing!

’But he immediately dismissed the thought. How long has it been since Yang Jing broke through to the Dark Energy realm? His foundation is still shallow. Winning the top spot in the seventh ring was already his absolute limit. How could he possibly have charged into the top five in the final ranking matches, which were packed with masters?’

’Every one of those opponents was a veteran who had been at the Peak of Dark Energy for years. How could Yang Jing possibly match them?’

Sun Yong saw the shock and disbelief on Lin Yue’s face. A small smile touched his lips as he said slowly, "It was your Senior Brother Yang Jing. The trial rankings were just posted at the County Yamen and the city gates. He placed fourth."

Yang Jing had entered the hall a few months before Lin Yue, so he was, in fact, his senior brother.

Lin Yue stared at Sun Yong’s serious expression. He clearly wasn’t joking. The color drained from Lin Yue’s face, and his expression froze as if he’d been doused with a bucket of ice water.

’Yang Jing?’

’The same Yang Jing I’ve always looked down on? The one I thought had mediocre aptitude and would never amount to anything?’

’He actually made the trial rankings... and placed fourth?’

An indescribable mix of emotions churned in his heart—shock, resentment, and, more than anything, a secret, burning shame.

He had always been conceited, priding himself on being the most talented disciple in the Martial Arts Hall. When had he ever given a second thought to the quiet, taciturn Yang Jing, with his supposedly inferior aptitude?

Yet now, as he lay gravely injured in bed, that senior disciple he had so disdained had achieved the very rank he had coveted...

This felt even worse than losing to Li Mengchao. A great stone seemed to lodge in his chest, suffocating him with a panicked tightness.

These thoughts swirled in his mind, but he didn’t dare let a hint of them show on his face. He could only bite his lip, his fingernails digging deep into his palms.

Zhang Dong, who had been listening quietly from the side, couldn’t help but show his surprise at this news.

He knew Lin Yue was Sun Yong’s most prized disciple and had assumed that with Lin Yue so seriously injured, Sun’s Martial Arts Hall would come away from the trials empty-handed. He never expected such a delightful surprise.

He quickly cupped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute and smiled at Sun Yong. "Congratulations, Hall Master Sun! My sincerest congratulations! I was just thinking you looked exceptionally well today, and now I see it’s because of this wonderful news! You must have been distraught over Lin Yue’s injury. To have another disciple make the rankings now... what a tremendous relief that must be!"

Hearing Hall Master Zhang’s congratulations, the smile on Sun Yong’s face deepened. He returned the salute and said with a sigh of emotion, "You flatter me, Hall Master Zhang. To be honest, even I’m a little surprised that the boy, Yang Jing, managed to make the rankings. I always thought his temperament was too subdued, that he only knew how to bury his head in training without ever participating in real combat. It seems these trials were what it took to finally reveal his true potential. From now on, I’ll have to cultivate his talent properly."

Zhang Dong stroked his beard and chuckled. "Naturally. You can’t neglect a fine seedling like that. Now that he’s on the trial rankings, he has a semi-official status. Countless Martial Arts Halls and families in Yuhe County will have their eyes on him. You’d better be careful, Hall Master Sun. Nurture him well, and don’t let someone poach him from under your nose."

Though he said it in jest, it was the truth. A Martial Artist with proven potential and achievements—and more importantly, with an official status—is a walking advertisement. They’ve always been a hot commodity sought after by all the major powers.

Hearing this, Sun Yong grunted in agreement, his gaze growing more serious.

He understood the logic perfectly. With Lin Yue injured, Yang Jing was now the face of Sun’s Martial Arts Hall. He couldn’t let him be poached by outsiders, no matter what. Besides, most halls wouldn’t dare do something so taboo—unless they had no sense of shame.

Seeing that Sun Yong was taking it seriously, Hall Master Zhang added, "And with a disciple on the rankings, the reputation of Sun’s Martial Arts Hall will soar. He’s a living advertisement! You’ll have a much stronger hand when recruiting new disciples and networking with your peers."

Sun Yong nodded slowly, in complete agreement.

’More than a decade of stagnation, finally broken in one fell swoop.’

’This unpolished gem, Yang Jing... It’s one thing not to have noticed him before, but now that I’ve seen this disciple’s talent, I will, of course, carve him with the utmost care.’