He shot a glance at the composed Xu Qingshan beside him and said stubbornly, "Hmph! My disciple was just unskilled and careless. Don't you get cocky!"
Xu Qingshan remained as serene as ever, but the faint, barely-there smile on his lips looked undeniably smug.
And this instant-kill victory from Jiang Che caused a subtle shift in how the entire crowd perceived him.
Atop the high platform, Ye Lianzhen watched the young man standing tall on the arena stage, her eyes filled with a gratified smile.
Not far away, Tang Qiaoqiao, Liu Qing, and Su Wan all covered their mouths in astonishment.
"He... H-how did he get so strong?" Tang Qiaoqiao murmured. The bit of indignation she'd felt about Jiang Che becoming the Chief Disciple now vanished like smoke.
Their senior brother, Xiao Mingqian, was so excited he clenched his fists and whispered, "Yes! A beautiful move!"
Soon, the second round of the competition began.
