AGM 0107 – Deliberate Target
Qin Wentian sat cross-leggedly on the stone stage as the gazes of the other elites landed on his body. The words of Qiu Mo somehow reminded them; was the rumored heaven-defying painting really personally created by Qin Wentian?
If he really could inscribe 3rd level Divine Imprints at the young age of 17, what sort of extraordinary fortuitous encounters did he have?
“Qin Wentian possesses many secrets.” This thought arose in many of the spectators’ hearts as they seriously contemplated Qin Wentian.
Qin Wentian could clearly feel the gazes riveted onto him, while a hint of anger blazed in his heart. He was extremely infuriated, naturally, he did have the reason to be so.
Today was the first time he met Qiu Mo. If Qiu Mo merely questioned his qualifications, he could still accept that. But very obviously, Qiu Mo’s malicious intent could be felt hiding under the layers of honey-sounding words, spoken with a caring smile and gentle features. What was his motive exactly?
Glancing at the calm eyes of Qiu Mo, Qin Wentian forcefully stilled his emotions as he replied, “I don’t really agree with the words of Senior Brother.”
“Oh?” Qiu Mo laughed as he continued, “Could it be that Junior Brother Qin still wishes to depend on fortuitous events and has no intention to work hard in cultivation based on your own efforts?”
“Fortuitous events are a type of luck, and luck only comes naturally and infrequently. Naturally, I would not intentionally seek after something so illusory like that. However, don’t you feel that luck is also a type of strength?” Qin Wentian smiled at Qiu Mo as he continued, “Now, if there was a 4th level Divine Weapon, or a heavenly graded innate technique randomly lying on the ground in front of you, would Senior want them or not?”
“I would want them.” Qiu Mo replied.
“Oh? This doesn’t seem to match the logic Senior Brother had expounded on earlier. Why doesn’t Senior Brother depend on your own capabilities instead of fortuitous events to obtain them?”
Qiu Mo looked at Qin Wentian, his expression filled with slight contempt, “Your answers are naught but specious arguments, and total nonsense.”
“Specious arguments?” Qin Wentian continued unperturbed, “The path of cultivation is fraught with numerous dangers. Those that stands at the top, which of them hadn’t experienced countless life and death experiences? Without luck, how would they be able to turn peril into safety, finding their way out of a predicament? And how would they constantly acquire stronger cultivation arts and innate techniques? For those that stands at the top, other than their own talent and hard work, they also need a certain amount of luck. Does Senior agree?”
“Agreed. That’s why I said, fortuitous events are secondary things. The most important thing is to depend on oneself. Why must Junior Brother be in such a hurry to defend yourself?” Qiu Mo laughed.
“The 3rd Prince of Chu, Chu Tianjiao, his birth, to him, isn’t it also a kind of fortuitous event? Born into the royal clan, which allows him to enjoy an almost unlimited amount of cultivation resources. But yet, people of Chu were filled with respect and reverence, and still referred to him as the Heaven’s Pride of his generation. Does Senior dare to stand right in front of Chu Tianjiao’s face, telling him that – your accomplishments today were all the result of you being born into the royal clan. You must remember that you should not depend on fortuitous events but instead depend on your own abilities for cultivation?”
Qin Wentian, feeling neither joy nor anger, tranquilly continued. The atmosphere on the stone stage also subtly underwent a change.
The spectators naturally could feel that Qiu Mo was deliberating targeting Qin Wentian. After all, he was the senior, and also ranked 4th among the 10 prodigies of the Royal Capital. Despite his deliberate targeting of Qin Wentian, one almost couldn’t pick up any fault in his words. But who would have thought that Qin Wentian actually used the example of Chu Tianjiao to refute Qiu Mo directly.
“Ridiculous, do you think you have the qualifications to compare yourself with the 3rd Prince?” A cold-sounding voice rang out. Qin Wentian shifted his gaze to the one who spoke and discovered that it was none other than the youth standing beside Qiu Mo! Jiang Xiu was also part of the 10 prodigies in the Royal Capital, but was ranked the last among them. To those who ranked above him, he naturally had respect for their abilities. Not to mention the 2nd ranked Chu Tianjiao.
Qin Wentian used Chu Tianjiao as an example, which also meant that he placed Chu Tianjiao at the same level as him. Naturally, Jiang Xiu felt extremely unhappy about this.
Today, Qin Wentian was merely there to listen and observe the exchange of pointers among the senior elites. But who would have thought that Qiu Mo would have deliberately singled him out to be his target. As a hotblooded youth, in the face of these countless provocations, how could he not be angered? Qin Wentian coldly snorted a reply, “And may I ask, why not?”
“The 3rd Prince, Chu Tianjiao, already stepped into Yuanfu one year ago. And you, what is your level of cultivation?” Jiang Xiu gazed at Qin Wentian, and a cold intent flashed in his eyes.
“I’ve only been in the academy for a year, stepping into the 6th level of Arterial Circulation from Body Refinement within this short span of time. Defeating the sophomore Yanaro, easily able to hold my own against those at the 7th level of Arterial Circulation. And lastly, how many youths under 20 in the Chu country are able to inscribe 3rd level Divine Inscriptions? How am I not comparable to him? Although now I’m not the equal of him, it doesn’t mean this will be the case forever.”
The pride in Qin Wentian’s heart ignited as he looked straight at Jiang Xiu, refuting him mercilessly. “Based on your logic, those who are weak would never dare to compare themselves with those stronger than them. Could it be that you think weaker cultivators should only compare themselves with people weaker than them? How laughable. If one doesn’t even have the guts to chase after those stronger than them, how could they ever improve? No wonder you are ranked the last out of the 10 prodigies, so this was the reason.”
“Impudent!” Jiang Xiu was extremely agitated by the words of Qin Wentian, he roared in anger, a cold light flickering in his eyes.
The words spoken by Qin Wentian weren’t polite at all, and even went all out to slap Jiang Xiu in the face. Jiang Xiu wasn’t as restrained as Qiu Mo, and he involuntarily shouted out. As a member of the 10 prodigies, whenever he appeared in the academy, he always enjoyed looks of respect from others. But at this moment in front of so many students, Qin Wentian as a new student, actually humiliated him to such an extent. Naturally, he felt that he has lost all of his face.
“Impudent? What impudent? Those that pursue the path of cultivation, shouldn’t they have unwavering wills and determination, seeking to be the strongest? And as students of the Emperor Star Academy, who would bear to be under the pedestal of others? Today, the reason why Senior Qiu Mo could ‘lecture’ me with his speech is very simple. All because he is stronger than me.”
Qin Wentian slowly continued, causing the crowd underneath the stone stage to agree with him. The words of Qin Wentian were like a needle drawing blood. Qiu Mo could afford to speak to him like this, all because he was ranked 4th within the 10 prodigies while he himself, Qin Wentian, only had a cultivation at the 6th level of Arterial Circulation.
Just like what Qin Wentian had said. If it was Chu Tianjiao, Qiu Mo wouldn’t dare to speak in this way. The reason was simply that Chu Tianjiao was stronger than Qiu Mo.
But naturally, if Qiu Mo had kind intentions and merely sought to remind Qin Wentian of the pitfalls, he wouldn’t be so angry. But Qiu Mo was obviously deliberately targeting him, harbouring malicious intentions.
The atmosphere became more and more awkward as Qiu Mo’s expressions flickered. He did not think that Qin Wentian’s rebuttal would be so sharp.
But finally, it was Qiu Mo who broke the silence.
Qiu Mo displayed a smile on his face, as an intermittent pressure began blasting forth. His body slowly began to float up in the air, as an intense Yuan Energy emanated from him.
Gradually, the sitting cross-leggedly Qiu Mo floated up into the air, causing the hearts of the spectators to tremble.
“Yuanfu Realm!”
“Senior Brother Qiu Mo has stepped into Yuanfu. How powerful!”
In the rankings of the 10 prodigies last year, Senior Qiu Mo was 4th whilst Immortal Drunken Wine was ranked 3rd. Now that Immortal Drunken Wine had yet to break into Yuanfu, this year, Senior Qiu Mo would obtain his ranking for sure.
In an instant, discussions erupted within the crowd as many were still in shock.
Going from Arterial Circulation to Yuanfu equated to a stepping across realms. Many geniuses would still need to spend a large amount of time before they could break through to Yuanfu.
Not only that, there were also many geniuses that had outstanding performance in the realm of Arterial Circulation, only to become ordinary after breaking through to Yuanfu. A different realm equals to a different heaven and earth. There was no comparison.
From this perspective, Qiu Mo’s lecture to Qin Wentian wasn’t wrong. Indeed, there were many fallen geniuses about in the world.
Now that Qiu Mo had stepped into Yuanfu, he undoubtedly had the qualifications to lecture Qin Wentian. Because, he had already stepped through the gap separating Arterial Circulation and Yuanfu, thereby proving himself.
He who was ranked 4th among the 10 prodigies, after stepping into Yuanfu would only get stronger and stronger. Gradually, the distance between him and the rest of the elites that hadn’t broke through would only increase. And since Immortal Drunken Wine had not broken through to Yuanfu, the distance between them would only be lengthened.
Naturally, after stepping into Yuanfu, this also meant that Qiu Mo would no longer be able to participate in the Jun Lin Banquet at the end of the year. In comparison to breaking into Yuanfu, the Jun Lin Banquet was not as important. After all, the Jun Lin Banquet was a showdown between the mightiest elites from all over the continent, and only a selected few would be able to obtain the rewards that were given. Stepping into Yuanfu earlier was a more secure path of obtaining power.
And as for Qiu Mo, if he hadn’t broken through to Yuanfu, his cultivation base would have been at the peak of Arterial Circulation. But despite this, he wasn’t confident enough to say that he would be ranked within the top few among all the various geniuses and elites that were going to be attending the banquet. Since he had an opportunity to break through, naturally he would not intentionally suppress it; it was unknown when he would have another opportunity like that again.
“You are right, I do have the qualifications to lecture you. For no other reason than I’m stronger than you.”
Qiu Mo floated in the air as he gazed disdainfully at Qin Wentian. At this moment, his arrogance was overwhelming, with no intention to mask it.
“To think that Junior Brother Qin was so easily angered merely because of a statement, you are still too impatient. In any case, there’s no wrong in my words, there are countless fallen geniuses. Even in the Emperor Star Academy, there are still many that are unable to graduate. Why? Because despite having such a long time, they were still unable to step across the gap into Yuanfu. Now because of fortuitous events, Junior Brother’s path of cultivation has been overly smooth and has not met with any bottlenecks. However, I can tell you for sure if you want to step across the gap to Yuanfu, you will need at least 5 or 6 years. By the time you do so, the disparity between you and others who stepped into Yuanfu earlier will only grow further and further apart. How would you compare with others then?”
Qin Mo’s tone took on the tone of an elder lecturing a recalcitrant child. Him, that had already stepped into Yuanfu, had already unconsciously regarded himself a supreme existence, higher when compared to the other students.
“If Senior Brother truly lectures me for my own good, Qin Wentian would naturally heed your advice. However, from the tone of Senior’s voice, you seemed to have already judged that I only have my accomplishments today due to various fortuitous events, and in your eyes, I’m already a fallen genius. It seems as though you are cursing me.” Qin Wentian looked straight at Qiu Mo as he continued, “I’ve only been cultivating for a short period of time and dared not say that I’ve had any accomplishments. Taking one step at a time on the pathway of cultivation, making each step with a resolute heart. Even though I may have had some fortuitous encounters, my martial heart and intent have never wavered before.”
“What Senior has said is right. After stepping into Yuanfu, naturally you would have the qualifications to lecture me. However, don’t you feel that your attitude is too overbearing for someone just merely at Yuanfu? Those who didn’t know would think that in our entire Emperor Star Academy, only Senior Qiu has broken through to Yuanfu.”
The calm voice of Qin Wentian contained a hint of provocation as he stared at Qiu Mo, “What’s there to be proud of? You merely started cultivation a few years before me.”
As the sound of Qin Wentian’s voice faded, the crowd also went quiet. The words of Qin Wentian became increasingly sharp, as he opposed the words of Qiu Mo with equal harshness!