This celestial master cultivates both physical and magical arts; why did you provoke him?

Xia En paused for a moment, then asked, "And then?"

"Then, young disciples from various sects arrived. Maoshan, Qingcheng, Wudang, Emei, Kongtong, Quanzhen..."

"There are more than a dozen sects and hundreds of disciples. They all want to see you."

"Why do you want to see me?"

Zhang Jingqing smiled bitterly.

"Let's see just how strong you really are. They've all seen that video of you punching through a monster. Some people aren't convinced and want to challenge you."

"Some admire you and want to become your apprentices. Others are curious and want to see you for themselves. In short, they all want to meet you."

Xia En remained silent. "Can I not see you?"

"No. You are the host, the Celestial Master of the Celestial Master's Mansion. If you don't come out, where will the Celestial Master's Mansion's reputation be?"

Xia En sighed. "Okay. I'll go tomorrow."

After hanging up the phone, Xia En put the lollipop back in her mouth and closed her eyes. "Fang Zijian."

"Um?"

"The Taoist martial arts tournament is tomorrow. Are you going?"

Fang Zijian's eyes lit up. "Go! Of course I'll go! How can I not go to such a big event!"

"Take your camera with you."

"Everything was ready long ago!"

Ma Xiaoling stopped practicing and looked at Xia En. "Senior brother, how are you planning to fight tomorrow?"

"What? How do you fight it?"

"You are the Celestial Master of the Celestial Master's Mansion. Those who challenge you must be the best of the younger generation from various sects. How much of your strength do you intend to use?"

Xia En thought for a moment.

"It depends on the situation. If it can be solved in one move, then we won't use two."

The next day, at Longhu Mountain, the Celestial Master's Mansion.

The training ground on the back mountain has never been so lively.

Hundreds of young Taoist priests filled the area around the site, some wearing gray robes, some wearing cyan robes, and some wearing white robes.

The costumes of each sect were colorful, like a Taoist painting. Their expressions were all different.

Some were excited, some were nervous, some were unconvinced, and some admired.

In the center of the venue, Zhang Jingxuan sat in the main seat, with elders from various factions beside him.

Zhang Jingqing stood to the side, holding a list in her hand.

"In the first match, Li Qingyun of the Maoshan Sect challenges Xia En of the Celestial Master's Mansion."

A young Taoist priest emerged from the crowd. He was in his early twenties, with a handsome face and a refined demeanor.

He walked to the center of the field and bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

"Li Qingyun of the Maoshan School requests guidance from Master Xia."

Xia En stood up from the wicker chair.

He moved the rattan chair to the edge of the training ground, lay down on it and waited for a long time before his turn finally came.

He handed the lollipop to Ma Xiaoling, walked to the center of the field, and looked at Li Qingyun.

"What will you use?"

Li Qingyun pulled a peach wood sword from his sleeve.

"Swordsmanship."

Xia En nodded. "Make your move."

Li Qingyun took a deep breath, swung his peach wood sword, and a blue light shone from the blade.

His movements were light and agile, his swordsmanship elegant, and every strike carried the righteous spirit of Taoism.

He charged toward Xia En, his peach wood sword aimed straight at Xia En's chest.

Xia En didn't dodge; he stood there, watching the sword get closer and closer.

Then he raised his right hand, extended his index and middle fingers, and pinched the tip of the sword.

"clang!!!"

The peach wood sword stopped in mid-air, completely still.

Li Qingyun was stunned. He tried to pull the sword out, but couldn't.

No matter how hard he tried, he still couldn't pull it out.

His face turned bright red, and veins bulged on his forehead.

But the sword remained motionless, as if it were welded to Shane's fingers.

"You lost." Xia En released her fingers.

Li Qingyun took a few steps back and looked down at his peach wood sword.

There was a faint fingerprint on the tip of the sword.

His face turned pale.

"I...I lost?"

You lost.

Li Qingyun paused for a moment, then bowed deeply.

Thank you for your guidance.

He turned and walked out of the venue, his back view looking somewhat lonely.

The sidelines fell silent.

Then a huge uproar erupted.

"One move! He won in one move! He caught Li Qingyun's sword with just two fingers!"

"Li Qingyun is the strongest swordsman of the younger generation of the Maoshan Sect, yet he couldn't even withstand a single move?"

"Is this...is this the power of the Celestial Masters of the Celestial Master's Mansion?"

Zhang Jingqing read out the next name.

"In the second match, Chen Ruoshui of the Qingcheng Sect will challenge Xia En of the Celestial Master's Mansion."

A young female Taoist priest emerged, dressed in a blue Taoist robe, her hair tied in a Taoist bun, and holding a whisk in her hand.

She walked to the center of the venue and bowed with her hands clasped in greeting.

"Chen Ruoshui of the Qingcheng Sect requests guidance from Master Xia."

Xia En looked at her. "What are you using?"

Chen Ruoshui raised his whisk. "A talisman."

Xia En nodded. "Make your move."

Chen Ruoshui took out a stack of talismans from her sleeve and tossed them into the air.

A dozen or so talismans were arranged in a complex magic circle in the air, with golden light flowing within the circle.

She formed a mudra with her hands and chanted a spell.

"Heaven and earth are boundless, the universe borrows its power—Thunder Talisman, Fall!"

A bolt of lightning struck out from the magic array, heading straight for Xia En.

Xia En stood still, neither dodging nor making a move, nor even shifting his position.

Lightning struck him—"Boom!" Golden light exploded.

Then, everything returned to calm.

Xia En stood there, without a single scorch mark on his body.

A golden aura emanates from the body.

Chen Ruoshui was stunned.

"Are you...you're alright?"

"It's alright. Your lightning talisman is powerful, but not enough."

Shaun dusted himself off. "Again."

Chen Ruoshui gritted her teeth and took out another stack of talismans.

This time there are twenty. The magic circle is larger, and the lightning is more intense.

"Thunder Talisman - Fall!"

Two bolts of lightning struck down simultaneously.

Xia En still didn't dodge.

The lightning struck the golden light of the invincible body, but the golden light remained completely still.

Chen Ruoshui then took out another stack of talismans, thirty in total.

The magic array spread out, its light blinding. "Thunder Talisman - Fall!"

Three bolts of lightning struck down simultaneously.

The golden light remained completely still.

Chen Ruoshui had run out of talismans. She stood there, her hands trembling, looking at Xia En.

"You... what kind of monster are you...?"

Xia En looked at her.

"You're done? Then it's my turn."

He raised his right hand, lightning crackling in his palm. "Palm Lightning."

"boom--!!!"

A bolt of lightning erupted from his palm, not striking Chen Ruoshui, but striking the sky.

Thunder exploded in the air, turning into countless golden arcs of electricity, like a giant net, enveloping the training ground.

Chen Ruoshui's face turned pale.

She lowered her head. "I lost."

Xia En withdrew his hand.

"Your talisman skills are excellent, but your magical power is insufficient. With a few more years of practice, you will become even stronger."

Chen Ruoshui raised her head, her eyes a little red.

"Thanks."

She turned and walked off the field. The murmurs from the sidelines grew louder.

"Another move! Just one more! She used three moves, he only used one!"

"It wasn't just one move; he didn't even make a single strike! He just stood there letting her hit him, and she couldn't even break through his defenses!"

"This is the golden light of the Overlord Body? It's terrifying..."

Zhang Jingqing read out the third name.

"In the third match, Zhang Shouyi of the Wudang Sect challenges Xia En of the Celestial Master's Mansion."

A young Taoist priest emerged, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, tall and with a steady gait. He walked to the center of the area and bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

"Zhang Shouyi of the Wudang Sect requests guidance from Master Xia."

Xia En looked at him. "What are you using?"

Zhang Shouyi assumed the starting stance of Tai Chi.

"Fist techniques."

Xia En raised an eyebrow. "Fist techniques? Are you sure?"

"Sure."

Zhang Shouyi's eyes were serious. "I have been practicing Tai Chi for twenty years and I am confident that I have few rivals among my peers. I want to see whether your fist is stronger or mine."

Xia En looked at him, paused for a moment, and then smiled.

"Alright. Let's make our move."

Zhang Shouyi made a move.

His movements were slow and steady, each step as if rooted to the ground.

But that steady sense of power makes one not dare to underestimate it.

His punch, though seemingly slow, actually contained immense power.

Xia En didn't dodge; he stretched out his right hand and caught the punch.

"Bang--!!!"

The shockwave spread in all directions.

Zhang Shouyi's fist remained motionless in Xia En's palm.

His expression changed, because he felt as if the force of his punch had struck a bottomless ocean.

There was no rebound, no resistance; it was simply swallowed up silently.

"Your boxing skills are very good," Shane said, "but you lack strength."

He released his grip. Zhang Shouyi took a few steps back and looked down at his fist. There was a faint red mark on his fist—a burn from the golden light of Xia En's palm.

"I lost." Zhang Shouyi raised his head and looked at Xia En. "Your punches are stronger than mine."

Xia En looked at him.

"Your Tai Chi intent is very pure, but it lacks practical application. Practice more in the future, and you will become even stronger."

Zhang Shouyi bowed deeply. "Thank you for your guidance."

He turned and walked out of the venue.

The murmurs on the sidelines had turned into gasps of amazement.

"That's the third one! The three strongest young disciples from each sect were all defeated in a single move!"

"It wasn't just one move; he wasn't even taking it seriously! He just stood there letting them hit him, and they couldn't even break through his defense!"

"This...this isn't just a difference in strength, it's a difference in dimensions!"

One challenger after another took to the stage.

The swordsman from the Kongtong Sect thrust out his sword, but it was caught between two of Xia En's fingers.

The Emei Sect's talisman master had spread out talisman arrays all over the place, but Xia En shattered them completely with a single palm strike of lightning.

The Quanzhen School's internal martial arts master threw a punch, but Xia En pushed him away with a palm strike.

The Huashan Sect's sword formation, with three people attacking together, was completely repelled by Xia En's sweeping attack.

Everyone is the same.

It wasn't that Xia En only used one move, but rather that they could only withstand one move.

Because they couldn't handle the second move.

Finally, no one else went on the field.

Zhang Jingqing held the list and read out the last name.

He put down the list and looked at the hundreds of young Taoist priests on the sidelines.

"Anyone else want to take on the challenge?"

silence.

No one speaks.

Those who were previously defiant, eager to challenge, or impatient to try all bowed their heads and remained silent.

Because they have already seen the gap with their own eyes.

That kind of gap cannot be bridged by effort or by time; it is the sum of talent, hard work, opportunity, inheritance, and mindset.

Xia En stood in the center of the field, looking around.

His expression was calm, without pride, arrogance, or even any emotional fluctuation.

"Is anyone else here?" he asked.

silence.

He nodded, turned around and walked back to the wicker chair, sat down, took the lollipop back from Ma Xiaoling's hand, and put it in his mouth.

"Is it over? Then I'll go back."

Zhang Jingxuan sat in the main seat, holding a teacup, and smiled.

He looked at the silent young Taoist priests, then at Xia En's retreating figure, and shook his head.

"That kid."

The elders nearby exchanged bewildered glances.

The elder of the Maoshan Sect sighed.

"Master Zhang, isn't this Master Xia from your Celestial Master's Mansion a bit too much?"

Zhang Jingxuan took a sip of tea.

"Exceeding the standard? What standard?"

"He's... the standard for the younger generation of Daoist sects. He alone has surpassed all the young disciples from other sects. How can the younger generation of Daoist sects compete with him in the future?"

Zhang Jingxuan put down her teacup and looked at the elder.

Why compare yourself to him?

The elder was stunned.

"He is himself, and others are others. He has his path, and others have theirs."

The elder was stunned.

"He is himself, and others are others. He has his path, and others have theirs."

Zhang Jingxuan stood up. "Everyone has their own path. There's no need to compare yourself to others; comparing yourself to yourself is enough."

"Shane can punch through a demon, that's his way. You can draw a talisman well, that's your way too. There's no high or low in ways, only what's suitable or unsuitable."

He looked at the young Taoist priests.

"Go back. Focus on your cultivation. Don't let temporary victories or defeats cloud your judgment."

Hundreds of young Taoist priests stood up, bowed to Zhang Jingxuan, and then left one after another.

The training ground was empty.

Only Xia En, Ma Xiaoling, Fang Zijian, Liu Ruyan, Shen Ye, and Cuihua remained.

Xia En lay on the wicker chair, a lollipop in his mouth, his eyes closed.

Ma Xiaoling sat next to him, watching him.

"Senior, you look so handsome today."

Xia En opened one eye.

"What's the use of being handsome? Can you eat it?"

Ma Xiaoling smiled.

"Yes. Your performance today is worth at least ten million."

Xia En raised an eyebrow. "Ten million?"

"Yes. You defeated the strongest young disciples from each faction today, and it was a crushing victory. If this video is released, your value will at least triple. You can raise your prices when taking orders in the future."

Xia En thought for a moment.

"You're right. Fang Zijian, did you take the video?"

Fang Zijian held up his phone, grinning from ear to ear.

"We filmed it! We filmed it all! Master Xia, from the first show to the last, not a single one was missed!"

"Go back and edit it. Don't overdo it; make it look realistic."

Fang Zijian nodded.

"clear!"

That evening, Fang Zijian posted the edited video online. The title was:

"Xia En defeated the young disciples of various sects in one move. It's not that you're weak, it's that he's too strong."

In the video, Xia En stands in the center of the arena. The swordsman from the Xiaoyao Sect has his sword caught in one move, the talisman master fails to break through his defense in three moves, and the Tai Chi master catches his punch.

Each person has a unique skill.

The comments section exploded.

"No way? The strongest swordsman of the Maoshan Sect couldn't even withstand a single move from him?"

"The talisman master from the Qingcheng Sect used three thunder talismans, but he stood there without moving an inch."

"A Wudang Tai Chi master, with twenty years of skill, was caught by him with one hand."

"This Taoist priest is way too much, isn't he?"

"It's not that he exceeded the standard, it's that the others were too weak?"

"It's not that others are weak, it's that he's too strong. Strong to the point of being on a different dimension."

When the news reached Maoshan, Li Qingyun sat in his room, looking at his peach wood sword.

The faint fingerprint on the sword tip is still there.

He reached out, touched the fingerprint, and then smiled.

"Is this the power of the Celestial Masters of the Celestial Master's Mansion? I'm still far from that level."

He stood up, picked up his sword, and walked out of the room.

Under the moonlight, he began to practice his sword.

Once, twice, three times. Practiced until dawn.

When the news reached Qingcheng, Chen Ruoshui sat in her room, looking at her empty talisman bag.

She had used up all the talismans; not a single one was left.

She smiled, picked up a brush and cinnabar, and began to draw talismans.

He drew one picture after another until dawn.

When the news reached Wudang, Zhang Shouyi stood on the mountaintop, looking at the distant peaks.

He stretched out his right hand and looked at the faint red mark on his fist.

"Shane, your punches are stronger than mine. But I'll catch up."

He assumed the starting stance of Tai Chi and began practicing.

They practiced again and again until dawn.