My Martial Arts Level Never Drops

Chapter 348: Chapter 173: Bad News

”You are...”

Qin Fang looked at the speaker. It was a lean, elderly man, also dressed in an Infinite Star Armor. He was thin and had an immortal-like appearance.

The man offered a gentle smile and nodded. ”Excellent. Your talent is truly outstanding. Not yet twenty, and you’ve already ignited the Other Shore Divine Fire... Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Fan Zhengchu, of the Guiyuan Lineage. I have the humble honor of serving as a Steward Elder in the Hundred Herbs Garden... Qin Fang, you have great talent. Are you interested in joining my Guiyuan Lineage and studying under me...?”

”Senior Brother Fan, I must disagree!”

A clear, sharp voice cut through the air, interrupting Fan Zhengchu.

The speaker was a man in his forties with an upright posture, and he reached them in just a few steps.

He too wore the ”Infinite Star Armor,” but his temperament was the complete opposite of Elder Fan’s gentle nature—

His face was chiseled, his eyebrows angled upwards, and his entire being resembled a drawn sword. Merely standing there, he exuded an invisible sharpness that pressed down on all who were near.

On his back, he carried a longsword of ancient design. Though it remained sheathed, it seemed to hum faintly.

The newcomer’s gaze was like lightning, landing directly on Qin Fang. After a moment of scrutiny, the sharpness in his eyes intensified. ”I watched this boy during the selection. He revealed his full sharpness, yet even under the watchful eyes of the masses, he followed his own path, unperturbed by external factors. It’s clear he was born with a Sword Gall! A disposition and sharpness like this belong in my Wuhui Lineage. Only by nurturing his edge with the sword can we do justice to such an innate gift!”

”The path of Guiyuan is certainly balanced and peaceful, but I fear its gentle nurturing will be excessive, dulling his natural, sharp ambition!”

His words were blunt. He gave a slight bow to Elder Fan. ”Senior Brother Fan, my apologies. My Wuhui Lineage is determined to have this boy.”

He turned to Qin Fang, his gaze burning. ”I am Ling Juefeng, the Sword-Wielding Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall, from the Wuhui Lineage. Boy, the pinnacle of the sword path lies in purity and in pressing ever forward! Are you willing to wield the sharpness in your heart and study the Wuhui sword with me...?”

”Junior Brother Ling, your words only see one side of the coin, not the other.”

Elder Fan Zhengchu remained unhurried, still wearing his gentle smile. He raised a hand and gestured toward Qin Fang.

”At the start of the Martial Arts Examination, this boy was indeed like a blade unsheathed, his sharpness on full display. However, in all his actions since, have you seen even a hint of rashness or impatience? His disposition has shifted from ostentatious and overt to restrained and calm. He knows how to assess a situation and use Power Storage. This ability to transition from motion to stillness, from release to retraction—it is an insight that only one with great perseverance can attain.”

His gaze shifted to Qin Fang, his admiration growing even stronger. ”It is easy to show one’s sharpness, but difficult to preserve one’s strength. My Guiyuan Lineage seeks precisely this kind of composure—’a blade hidden in its sheath, drawn but not fired.’ The Path of Wuhui is certainly of unparalleled sharpness, but to blindly pursue a naked edge is to be brittle. Such a path would be a misfortune for a talent like his.”

”Hahaha, what Senior Brother Fan and Junior Brother Ling say is all very reasonable, but this boy’s solid foundation is truly rare. He should join my Nine Hell Lineage! To establish the Way through power—that is the true path!”

Elder Lei, the one with the gourd hanging from his waist, walked over with a laugh.

”His foundation is deep, his True Essence is already formed, and the Path of Jinghong is open to him. If he joins my Jinghong Lineage, he can immediately convert his potential into actual combat strength... Boy, my Jinghong Lineage is the one true path!” Elder Lu had also arrived.

”Hmph. The path of Martial Arts is fraught with thorns. One must use slaughter as a plow to clear away all obstacles!”

A cold, harsh, and raspy voice cut in, interrupting Elder Lu of the Jinghong Lineage.

It was a middle-aged man in dark red martial attire, his body as lean and hard as forged iron.

His face was grim, and a long, deep scar ran across his left cheek and past the corner of his eye, adding to his murderous aura. He was not wearing an ”Infinite Star Armor,” but his condensed, deathly presence was something no one present dared to underestimate.

Even Qin Fang was secretly alarmed.

His gaze stabbed toward Qin Fang like an icicle, his voice devoid of any warmth. ”The Luzhan Lineage does not cultivate finesse, nor does it seek stability. It is defined by two words: ’kill or be killed’... A flower from a greenhouse, no matter how brilliantly it blooms, cannot withstand a single washing from a true battlefield of blood and fire... I am aware of what happened at the Post House with those people around you. I have observed your actions. You are cunning, you are decisive, and more importantly, you have a hidden ruthlessness! Only in the Luzhan Lineage can that ruthlessness be forged into true fangs. Join my lineage, and I guarantee that in three years, you will be able to kill any opponent of the same realm in a true life-or-death battle!”

”Bullshit! How can we let such a fine talent be turned into a butcher with nothing but slaughter on his mind?!”

”The Guiyuan Guard is the path to longevity.”

”The Wuhui Sharpness is what breaks the heavens!”

”Nine Hell Refining Power is the one true path!”

”The Jinghong Illusion...”

And so the Elders began to argue, each one’s face flushing red with fervor. The competition for a disciple was gradually escalating into a doctrinal dispute, on the verge of breaking out into an all-out brawl...

The surrounding Inner Sect Disciples watched, dumbfounded.

Qin Fang also sucked in a sharp breath...

’These five lineages clearly each have their own characteristics,’ he thought. ’According to Senior Brother Luo, they are paths that lead directly to the Sect’s Six Great Supremes Inheritance...’

’But...’

’...what about Celestial Martial?’

One of the biggest reasons he had joined the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect was to find his senior sister.

And his senior sister... was in the Celestial Martial Lineage!

Thinking of this, Qin Fang hesitated for a moment before asking in a low voice, ”What about... Celestial Martial?”

His question about Celestial Martial instantly silenced the scene.

The Elders all turned to look at Qin Fang with strange expressions.

Before they could speak, a delighted voice called out, ”Over here! Over here!”

Everyone turned to see a woman in Inner Sect disciple attire hurrying over from the edge of the crowd, an expression of undisguised delight on her face.

She had a delicate, oval face, fair skin, and a pair of exceptionally bright, clear eyes. Her long hair was simply tied up with a wooden hairpin, with a few stray strands falling beside her cheeks. Her figure was slender.