Chapter 120: Adults, Times Have Changed

Chu Zhongtian offered comfort, “It seems Xiao An suffered due to his lack of combat experience. We shouldn’t be too harsh on him; after all, his performance just now was already a pleasant surprise.”

Qin Wanru still couldn't help but say, “Initially, I truly didn’t have much hope for him. No one could have imagined he possessed such miraculous footwork. But since he has such ability, victory wasn’t impossible. Who knew he would only gain verbal advantages from beginning to end, even having the leisure to set up some bizarre background music? Now that his opponent is serious, how can I not be angry?”

In her opinion, if Zu An had exploited this information gap from the start to catch his opponent off guard—for example, by using his elusive footwork to place a weapon on the opponent’s vital point—he might have already won.

Instead, he merely slapped his opponent twice. While this certainly humiliated the Yuan family, it also thoroughly enraged the opponent. When a fifth-rank master becomes serious, it’s not something that can be resolved by mere footwork alone.

The outcome of this competition was incredibly significant for the Chu family. If Zu An had conceded at the beginning, she wouldn’t have been so distressed. But now, knowing there was a chance to win and watching it slip away, the sheer disappointment was enough to drive one mad.

Chu Zhongtian sighed, “He is still young. Experience is the best teacher, and he should understand after this incident. For now, we must be ready to rescue him at any moment, lest he truly dies by Yuan Wendong’s sword.”

Chu Huanzhao, standing nearby, couldn't help but say, “Father, Mother, why are you so lacking in confidence in him? I believe Brother-in-law can definitely do it.”

Hong Xingying finally found an opportunity to speak, “Second Miss, the difference between cultivators across major cultivation realms is like a chasm. If a fifth-rank cultivator could be defeated so easily, they wouldn’t be universally acknowledged as masters.”

He considered himself loyal to the Chu family, but if forced to choose between the Chu family losing the competition and Zu An winning, he would still prefer the Chu family to lose.

To let a worthless person he always looked down on steal the spotlight, especially after he himself lost and had previously showered him with ridicule, was a humiliation few in the world could accept.

Chu Huanzhao’s smile froze. Although she disliked cultivation, how could she not know such basic common sense? “Hmph, Brother-in-law will definitely succeed, won’t he, Sister?”

Her tone weakened slightly, and she had to turn to her sister to reinforce her conviction.

“Perhaps,” Chu Chuyan replied indifferently, her beautiful eyes fixed thoughtfully on the figure on the stage.

At this moment on the arena, Yuan Wendong watched the swords and blades floating everywhere in mid-air, and his heart immediately settled. “Zu An, I must admit, your footwork was a great surprise. If you had attacked aggressively from the start, you might have had a chance to defeat me. It’s a pity you didn’t seize it. Now, all of this is over.”

Feeling confident, he was in no hurry to make a move. He preferred to play a game of cat and mouse, hoping to see an expression of regret and remorse on his opponent's face.

Zu An looked at him with a strange expression. “If I had beaten you right away, wouldn't that be letting you off too easily? After how you treated Xiao Zhao just now, if I didn't get it back from you, how could I avenge her?”

Below the stage, Chu Huanzhao looked surprised and delighted. She quickly tugged at her parents’ sleeves and said, “I told you! Brother-in-law must have a reason for doing this.”

Chu Zhongtian and Qin Wanru frowned slightly, feeling that this reason was too childish. However, since the opponent was standing up for their daughter, they found it hard to say anything.

“Who does he think he is?” Hong Xingying thought, his heart raging with jealousy that Zu An had not only married the eldest miss but was also so close to the second miss. “If he can defeat a fifth-rank master, I’ll eat this table right here!”

Chu Huanzhao snorted and turned her head away, no longer bothering with him.

At this moment, Yuan Wendong on the arena was so enraged he laughed instead. “Hahaha, so you intentionally held back just now because you wanted to avenge your sister-in-law? Hahaha, that’s the funniest joke I’ve heard in years!”

Rage points from Yuan Wendong: 666!

“That’s the funniest joke you’ve heard?” Zu An shrugged. “That just shows how limited your understanding is, Young Master Yuan.”

Yuan Wendong: “…”

Rage points from Yuan Wendong: 250!

He truly couldn't fathom how this guy’s mind worked, discussing jokes at a time like this.

He worried that if he continued speaking to his opponent, he would be so enraged he'd cough up blood. “I can't be bothered to waste words on someone like you. Let me show you what a fifth-rank cultivation truly means, and what the gap between you and me truly is!”

He waved his hands forward, and the swords and blades suspended in mid-air shot towards his opponent like a torrential downpour. His eyes were filled with madness and hatred. “Suffer, wail, then all of you, die!”

The opponent's footwork was indeed elusive, but now the entire arena was filled with blades and swords, an indiscriminate saturation attack. No matter where he dodged, he would be shot like a porcupine.

“Brother-in-law, be careful!” Chu Huanzhao was so startled that she sat bolt upright, but the pain from her injuries instantly made her collapse back onto the stretcher.

Chu Zhongtian and Chu Chuyan looked grim, ready to intervene and rescue him at any moment.

Shi Kun on the platform secretly frowned. This Yuan Wendong was still too impetuous. He went for a lethal blow right away. Chu Zhongtian would surely intervene to rescue the person later, so he might not succeed in harming the guy as he wished.

At this moment, Zu An unhurriedly called out, “Xiao Pingping!”

“Aye!” Cheng Shoubing, who had been waiting near the arena, responded and then threw a bizarrely shaped shield he held in his hand.

Seeing Zu An hold the shield in front of him, Yuan Wendong sneered inwardly, thinking, *Do you think I’m as useless as Chu Huanzhao? Your shield might block what’s in front of you, but how will it block your sides and back?*

My awakened ability allows me to control metal; making those flying swords turn is as easy as turning my hand!

Still, this is good. The Chu family will have no reason to interfere.

He let out a sinister chuckle, dividing his attention to split the aerial blades and swords into several streams, sending them hurtling towards his opponent from both sides, behind, and above.

Just then, he suddenly noticed Zu An removing a section from the middle of the shield, leaving a large empty space in the center, making the whole thing look like a U-shape.

What the hell kind of shield is that? It’s absurd!

Yuan Wendong merely assumed his opponent had lost his mind or was signaling the Chu family to rescue him, and he couldn’t help but accelerate the flying swords.

*Huh? What’s going on? Why are some of these blades and swords no longer obeying my command?*

His expression changed dramatically. He saw the blades and swords in mid-air suddenly trembling, as if two forces were clashing.

Suddenly, the blades and swords that had been shooting from all directions seemed guided by another force, converging towards a single point. Finally, dozens of blades and swords all tightly adhered to the strange shield in front of Zu An, not moving an inch, no matter how Yuan Wendong summoned them.

This… How is this possible!

The entire audience erupted in an uproar, utterly bewildered by the sudden turn of events on the stage.

Yuan Wendong’s voice trembled as he stared incredulously at Zu An, who had reappeared from behind the shield. “You… How did you do that?”

Zu An shook his head and let out a long sigh. “Sir, times have changed.”

Ever since he first saw Yuan Wendong demonstrate his sword-controlling ability at the academy, he had been pondering how to counter this move. After all, it was very difficult to dodge swords flying all over the arena, and he didn't possess Pei Mianman's destructive black flames.

And even if he could dodge, it wouldn’t be good enough. The opponent looked so stylish and impressive controlling flying swords, while he would be scurrying around, covering his head and hiding. Where would his dignity be?

Whether the move could win wasn’t important; the key was to be cool!

The first method he thought of was magnets. However, natural magnets had too weak a magnetic force and would find it difficult to resist the control of metal elemental cultivators. Otherwise, metal elemental controllers wouldn’t be able to survive in this world.

Fortunately, Zu An stood on the shoulders of giants, possessing thousands of years of human knowledge from his previous life. He then thought of electromagnets. Electromagnets have immense magnetic properties, making it easy to lift cars and other objects in industrial applications.

The principle of an electromagnet is simple, and it's not complicated to make. He consulted with the rune masters at the Chu family estate, and they easily constructed one for him.

Another bigger issue was electric current. Although this world didn't have electricity, it had lightning-attribute cultivators, and it wasn't difficult to temporarily store lightning power within special formations.

Zu An had money, so he simply hired the family’s rune masters to handle all of this for him. None of it was particularly difficult or highly technical; the rune masters completed it casually, even bothering to report it to the family head.

Little did he know that the combination of lightning power and the pair of opposing coils he had created could generate such immense magnetic force.

At this point, others in the arena also recovered from their shock and turned their attention to the strangely shaped shield in Zu An’s hand:

“Oh, could that be the Chu family’s newly developed secret weapon?”

“I knew it! How could the Yuan family compare to the Chu family’s hundreds of years of accumulated expertise in weapon forging?”

“Chu Zhongtian is truly an old fox. He pretended their spirit spring was destroyed and their weapon quality had declined, unable to compete with the Yuan family. Turns out he planned to openly humiliate the Yuan family during the competition.”

Sensing the amused gazes of Sang Hong and others on the main platform, Chu Zhongtian also looked bewildered. *What in the world is that thing in Xiao An’s hand? I have no idea either!*

At this moment, Yuan Wendong was on the verge of fainting. The series of bizarre events happening today were far beyond his comprehension. Looking at the smiling man opposite him, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

*This guy, who knows how many more tricks he has up his sleeve to deal with me!*

Sensing the shift in his courage, the Wu family head and Yuan family head both changed expressions and simultaneously transmitted their qi:

“Fool! That’s just a new weapon developed by the Chu family. It might be useful against flying swords, but it’s incredibly cumbersome. Can it possibly be used in close combat?”

“Stop controlling the flying swords. Just fight him directly with your swordsmanship. Protect yourself with sword energy. Even if his footwork is extraordinary, the gap in your cultivation levels means he can’t possibly harm you!”

Receiving their guidance, Yuan Wendong’s spirit lifted, and his fighting intent instantly returned. *That’s right! Although Zu An has a bunch of strange gadgets, the difference in our raw power is immense. Even if I don't use elemental power, my cultivation alone is enough to crush him.*

Having thought all this through, he relaxed somewhat and said coldly, “Zu An, I must admit, your peculiar weapon truly surprised me. But this is a testament to the Chu family’s weapon-making prowess, not your own strength. As I told you back at the academy, relying on external power can never last. True strength comes from within.”

Having been repeatedly humiliated by this guy in the arena, he had to seize every opportunity to change everyone's impression of him.

He drew the long sword from his waist and, with a casual flourish, subtly enveloped himself in swirling, translucent sword energy. The crowd in the training ground watched in admiration. He was truly worthy of being a fifth-rank master; his swordsmanship was astonishing, indeed a renowned young genius.

Concurrently, everyone felt that what he said made sense. Although Zu An had captured attention with various peculiar items, he still couldn't win. Once Young Master Yuan recovered his composure, Zu An would ultimately lose.