Chapter 12: If You’re Not Good Enough, Practice More; If You Can’t Handle Losing, Don’t Play!
“Just woke up not long ago, so... about an hour earlier than you.” Li Wudao thought for a moment, grinning widely.
At first, upon hearing this, Qi Xingyu breathed a sigh of relief, but by the end of it, his face darkened.
“You mean to say you understood that incomplete manual in just fifteen minutes?”
Qi Xingyu’s mouth twitched at the corner.
“Yeah, if you don’t believe me, ask Xiao Churan.”
Li Wudao shrugged.
“You’re talking nonsense! With your aptitude, how could that be possible? Clearing it in fifteen minutes is outright blasphemy!”
Hearing him address her so familiarly, Qi Xingyu’s jealousy flared, the urge to kill rising within him.
Jiang Churan’s heavenly-level aptitude was evident; it was understandable she surpassed him in comprehension. But Li Wudao’s aptitude was on par with his—how could he possibly outpace him by an entire hour?
The difference was as vast as that between a human brain and a pig’s—absurdly huge.
Qi Xingyu wanted to involve Jiang Churan to verify the truth, but the girl barely glanced at him, completely ignoring his presence.
Helpless, he turned to Elder Wu and asked, “Elder Wu, how long did it take Li Wudao to clear the trial?”
Elder Wu pondered left and right before finally replying, “About fifteen minutes.”
“What?!” Qi Xingyu doubted his own ears, his face full of disbelief.
“I don’t believe it. This incomplete manual is a top-tier Yellow Rank technique. Even I can’t finish reading and memorizing it in fifteen minutes, let alone fully grasp it. How could this guy have comprehended it?”
“To my knowledge, the highest aptitude disciple in the sect’s history took an entire hour for this trial…”
He ground his teeth in anger, pointing at Li Wudao. “Elder, I strongly suspect this guy had already understood this incomplete manual beforehand. He’s cheating! I beg you to revoke his qualification!”
The room fell into stunned silence.
The outer disciples watching gradually realized what Li Wudao’s fifteen-minute completion implied.
An unnatural prodigy!
“A top-tier Yellow Rank manual comprehended in fifteen minutes? That’s a fairytale. If he’s not cheating, then what is he?”
“Exactly, I’m currently practicing a top-tier Yellow Rank technique myself. It took me half a year to grasp its essentials.”
“I used to think this guy was a genius in comprehension, but now it seems I was overestimating him. He’s just a despicable scoundrel!”
“...”
The clear-headed disciples whispered among themselves, casting disdainful glances at Li Wudao.
Cheating was despicable enough, but doing so in a first-rate sect’s entry trial, especially for a disciple with true inheritance aptitude, stirred nothing but contempt.
“I thought Li Wudao was going to rise strongly. What a relief it was just a false alarm.”
“Do you think it’s possible he tampered with the first trial too, deceiving the talent stone’s detection?”
“That’s very likely. That guy couldn’t even beat me before—he was a pure waste. There’s no way he has earth-grade aptitude. Otherwise, how could we have bullied him?”
Several disciples from the Sun family sighed with relief, reverting to their previous mocking demeanor.
“Can’t believe even a waste like you has learned to cheat and got caught in public. You’re just stupid!”
Listening to their jeers, Sun Qian smiled coldly.
She had known Li Wudao for seven or eight years—what character he had, she understood well.
He had been easily manipulated by her since childhood, believing anything she said, utterly foolish and single-minded.
Such a loser—how could he possibly possess true inheritance potential?
This explained his earth-grade aptitude perfectly: all fabricated, merely fooling everyone.
At this moment, Jiang Churan’s expression grew somewhat uneasy.
In truth, she had, to some extent, cheated too, as this was her second time comprehending the manual.
But how on earth did Li Wudao manage it?
Could it be a fluke that he happened to practice that manual?
Meanwhile, Elder Wu was at a loss facing the rumors and doubts below.
“Sect Master, what do you think...?”
He glanced at Murong Yan with a probing tone.
Because the second trial’s technique was always personally placed by the sect leader to ensure fairness.
Now, however, he began to harbor suspicions.
Did Li Wudao have some connection to the sect master and was given prior knowledge of the manual?
The other elders and peak leaders looked at Murong Yan strangely, silently speculating.
Could Li Wudao be the sect master’s illegitimate son or something, secretly brought back and nurtured?
“Stop imagining things. This kid has no ties whatsoever with me.”
Murong Yan furrowed his brow, exasperated.
These old men were really disrespectful, daring to think of anything.
Recalling what Xia Gucheng said, he strode onto the stage.
At this point, only he as sect master could resolve this.
“Ahem, quiet down.”
Murong Yan looked toward the white-clad youth below, his gaze sharp.
“Li Wudao, they all suspect you of cheating. Do you have anything to say?”
All eyes turned to Li Wudao, eager to hear his defense.
The youth stood casually, smiling lightly.
“Genius are always envied; it’s normal for mediocrities to fail to understand.”
Hearing this, many disciples twitched at the mouth, barely restraining the urge to strike him.
Is this even human speech?
“Li Wudao, you cheating scoundrel, how dare you speak so shamelessly!”
Qi Xingyu’s anger exploded; seeing someone act more arrogantly than him was unbearable.
“Trash, shut up.”
Li Wudao flicked up his middle finger.
“You little brat, you’re crossing the line!”
Qi Xingyu fumed, clenching his fists, ready to rush forward and beat him senseless—his noble demeanor utterly lost, no different from a street thug.
Jiang Churan, seeing Qi Xingyu so rattled, couldn’t help but curve her lips into a crescent smile.
She suddenly realized Li Wudao wasn’t so hateful after all.
Since he stopped being a sycophant, it was like he’d transformed, reborn even; even she, the Empress Qingyao, found him unpredictable.
[Notification! Jiang Churan’s favorability +5, current favorability 15.]
Hearing the system’s voice, Li Wudao was slightly stunned. Why did this girl suddenly gain favor for him?
He couldn’t figure it out, but in any case, it was a good thing.
“Enough! Do you know where you are?”
Murong Yan’s cold voice cut through, exasperated with the two.
Then, he took a deep breath and said gravely:
“This incomplete manual was personally placed by me, a newly created technique fragment that no one else knows besides myself.”
He glanced at Qi Xingyu.
“Therefore, it’s impossible for Li Wudao to have prior knowledge of the manual’s content.”
The room fell utterly silent.
What?!
The disciples stood dumbfounded, unable to believe it.
The sect master said so—could Li Wudao really possess such an extraordinary aptitude?
They all sighed deeply, their hearts heavy with frustration.
This was too disheartening.
Damn it, that kid was really something!
“This... can’t be…”
Qi Xingyu’s face turned ashen, utterly disbelieving.
There had to be some mistake—such a disparity was impossible.
At that moment, Li Wudao stepped forward, patted his shoulder meaningfully, and said:
“If you’re weak, practice more. If you can’t accept losing, then don’t play, got it?”