Chapter 164: Only One Chance (Combined Edition)

If it were merely winning first place in the youth division or the adult division, the sensation caused would certainly not have been this massive.

However, capturing first place in both divisions simultaneously carried a completely different significance. The effect of winning both was far greater than one plus one equaling two; it was greater than three, greater than four! The subsequent impact would vastly exceed all imagination.

Of course, at that moment, Tang Mubai was not looking that far ahead. Defeating Sun Mingyuan and claiming first place in the adult division brought a minor surge of excitement, but he quickly calmed down. Given Tang Mubai's strength, winning was within the realm of reason—losing would have been abnormal!

As for Sun Mingyuan, who had been knocked out of the ring, while he did not display murderous intent as overtly and unreservedly as Xu Zhaolong, the gloomy expression on his face and the lingering aura of shame and anger radiating from his body were equally palpable. Clearly, he, too, now harbored a grudge against Tang Mubai!

The grandmaster-level martial artists whom Tang Mubai had defeated previously had maintained a rather gracious attitude. But when it came to Sun Mingyuan and Xu Zhaolong, their demeanor immediately shifted. One could only say that people are different; where some possess a broad mind, others naturally harbor narrow ones.

Tang Mubai was not afraid; his only concern was what kind of petty tricks they might attempt. Fortunately, the reward for first place was awarded by the Martial Artists Association on the spot. A bank card, a martial arts manual, and the precious weapon known as the "Vajra Ring" were once again safely in Tang Mubai's hands.

Upon returning to the spectator seats, he found that an "acquaintance" had joined them and was chatting cheerfully with Lin Huafeng.

"Xiaobai, let me introduce you. This is Grandmaster Di Xiaochuan!"

Lin Huafeng stood up and introduced the acquaintance to Tang Mubai with an excited expression. "Grandmaster Di says he has something to discuss with you and hopes you will consider it." As he spoke, he kept flashing winks at Tang Mubai.

Tang Mubai understood immediately. Pretending not to recognize Di Xiaochuan, he asked with a puzzled expression, "I wonder what business Grandmaster Di has with me?"

Di Xiaochuan did not speak immediately, merely smiling as he looked Tang Mubai up and down. For no apparent reason, Tang Mubai felt a slight creeping sensation under that scrutiny. He gave a light cough and asked again, "Grandmaster Di?"

"Haha, Leader Xiaobai, there's no need to be nervous. By the way, may I call you Xiaobai?" Di Xiaochuan asked with a hearty laugh.

"……Of course you may." Tang Mubai smiled, reaching out to pat the head of his little cousin beside him. The little girl had been wanting to bounce up and cheer, but constrained by the rules, she was sitting rigidly, making faces and rolling her eyes instead. She swatted playfully at Tang Mubai's hand in a secret contest of wills.

"Leader Xiaobai's archery and lightness skills are truly extraordinary. One cannot help but admire them." Di Xiaochuan watched the interaction between the siblings and smiled broadly. "Youthful geniuses like Leader Xiaobai are far too rare. In Red Leaf City's nearly century-long history, there has been and only ever will be one—and that is you, Leader Xiaobai!"

"This... I merely had a bit of better luck." Tang Mubai smiled modestly.

"Hahaha!" Di Xiaochuan burst into laughter. "Whether it was luck, everyone has seen for themselves. Leader Xiaobai, there is no need to be overly modest. The reason I sought you out is to ask: would you be willing to join our 'Sage Heart Sect'?"

"The Sage Heart Sect?" Tang Mubai wondered, feeling like he had heard the name of this sect somewhere before.

"Yes, the Sage Heart Sect. Perhaps you have heard of it, or if not, you can look it up later."

Di Xiaochuan smiled gently. "A youthful genius like Leader Xiaobai fits the recruitment criteria of our 'Sage Heart Sect' perfectly. I hope you will consider it. Within three days, if you are willing, you may give me a call. This is my contact information."

With that, Di Xiaochuan took out a business card and handed it to Tang Mubai. Then he stood up, patted Tang Mubai on the shoulder, and smiled lightly, "I very much look forward to working with you!"

With those words, he strode away.

The moment he left, the little cousin immediately bounced up, circling Tang Mubai while jumping and shouting with joy. Xu Dali and Fang Shuixian were also filled with excitement.

Even more excited was Lin Huafeng, who practically grabbed Tang Mubai's arm and shook it, exclaiming, "Xiaobai, what is there to consider? Just agree right away! Countless people wish to enter the 'Sage Heart Sect' and fail. Since you have the opportunity to join, what else is there to hesitate about?"

"Uh, I didn't say I wouldn't join. It's just that I can't quite recall the background of this 'Sage Heart Sect'. I feel like I've heard of it before, but the details slipped my mind." Tang Mubai scratched his head.

"Hey, of course you've heard of it!"

Lin Huafeng slapped his own thigh in anxiety. Suppressing his excitement, he took a deep breath and said, "The reputation of this 'Sage Heart Sect' is immense! Last year when I was drinking with your father and the others, you were right there beside us, and we discussed how wonderful it would be to join the 'Sage Heart Sect'. No matter what matter you are dealing with, as long as a sect member is involved, it can basically be resolved."

"Mutual aid, sharing, and solidarity—those six words are the tenet of the 'Sage Heart Sect'. Once you join, you become a part of the 'Sage Heart Sect', and as long as you are a member of the 'Sage Heart Sect', even Grandmasters need no longer be feared! Because—"

"I remember now!"

Hearing this, Tang Mubai slapped his head and said happily, "Uncle Lin, you don't need to explain. I remember the origins of the 'Sage Heart Sect'!"

The Sage Heart Sect, also known as the "Peace of Mind Sect."

That's right, it meant a state of being worry-free! Because this sect was not a traditional martial arts sect in the conventional sense; it was more like a loose organization and trading platform where members enjoyed a very high degree of freedom.

Mutual aid, sharing, and solidarity formed its tenets.

The "mutual aid" referred to "fair trade." For instance, a member might desire a special martial arts technique but lacked the funds to acquire it. Coincidentally, another member possessed that very technique and had no urgent need for money. In such a scenario, both parties could negotiate and achieve the transaction through alternative means. The party without money could offer physical labor, assist with a specific task, or substitute other items of value. The exact terms depended on the nature of the transaction.

Regardless of the deal, the Sage Heart Sect never took even a half-cent commission!

Meanwhile, "sharing" referred to "information sharing." As long as one was a member of the Sage Heart Sect, they could access information and data uploaded by other members within the internal sharing network. Anyone could upload, and anyone could browse. The crucial rule was that the information could not be falsified, nor could those who viewed it spread it externally. If a leak occurred and was traced back to someone, they would be immediately expelled from the sect.

This aspect touched upon personal integrity, which was why the Sage Heart Sect placed such a heavy emphasis on "solidarity." Before official induction, a detailed background investigation was conducted on candidates.

Thus, although Di Xiaochuan had extended an invitation to Tang Mubai, it did not mean Tang Mubai could join immediately. Prior to that, relevant personnel from the Sage Heart Sect would investigate Tang Mubai.

Individuals guilty of heinous crimes or extreme wickedness were barred from passing under any circumstances. Minor flaws did not matter, for after all, no one is perfect. But no member of the Sage Heart Sect would ever recommend someone with truly grave issues.

Indeed, gaining entry into the Sage Heart Sect required a recommendation from an existing member to acquire eligibility for the background check. Only after passing the investigation could one officially enter.

The single requirement of internal recommendation alone filtered out ninety percent of outsiders. Because if a recommended person committed an offense after joining, the person who made the recommendation would be implicated and expelled from the sect alongside them!

This principle of collective accountability served as a clear message to all internal members: keep your eyes wide open when making recommendations! Do not grant entry qualifications just to anyone.

Ever since its establishment, the Sage Heart Sect had adhered to an elite path. Its members were either powerhouses in their own right or possessed limitless potential. This resulted in an abundance of top-tier experts within the Sage Heart Sect!

This was the reason behind Lin Huafeng's claim that joining the Sage Heart Sect meant no longer fearing Grandmasters. Because once inside the Sage Heart Sect, one could request assistance from Grandmasters within the sect. Such assistance was entirely free of personal favors—it required only the completion of a transaction.

Take Di Xiaochuan, for example. If Tang Mubai joined the Sage Heart Sect, he could negotiate the conditions for Di Xiaochuan's assistance. Generally speaking, Di Xiaochuan would not demand overly harsh terms because he was the one who had recommended Tang Mubai, and he held high hopes for Tang Mubai's potential!

And that was just within Red Leaf City.

Members of the Sage Heart Sect were scattered throughout the entire Greater Xia Federation, present in virtually every territory. If Tang Mubai traveled to other territories on business, he merely needed to give advance notice, and local members would almost always prepare hospitality, truly achieving the ideal of having friends all over the world.

The Sage Heart Sect's sole restriction was that whenever beast tides, insect plagues, or demon descents erupted, members residing locally or in neighboring regions were obligated to go forth and block them!

As for the lack of network connectivity between different territories, that was not an issue. Contact between Sage Heart Sect members did not rely on mobile phones, but rather on precious weapons! It was a special kind of precious weapon specifically crafted for transmitting information and relaying alerts.

Tang Mubai did not know how others felt about this particular restriction, but as far as he was concerned, he welcomed it eagerly! With his current strength, if things truly went south, escaping was absolute child's play. And beast tides, insect plagues, and demon descents represented massive amounts of vitality! If such an event occurred, he would be the first to charge in.

Therefore, all things considered, joining the Sage Heart Sect was overwhelmingly necessary!

Compared to the Sage Heart Sect, Canghe Martial Arts School was completely unworthy of mention. Moreover, Kong Lingxia's attitude had severely diminished Tang Mubai's favorable impression of the school. If not for Di Xiaochuan's invitation, Tang Mubai might have tolerated it, but now that he had the chance to join the Sage Heart Sect, what did Canghe Martial Arts School even matter?

As for the background investigation prior to entry, they were welcome to conduct it. Tang Mubai's identity records and past actions were open to whatever scrutiny they desired. If his past acts of hunting ferocious beasts were uncovered, it was no big deal. And if even "Grandmaster Hong" were somehow exposed, Tang Mubai would simply acknowledge it.

After all, no one would ever discover the existence of the system.

Could they actually uncover it?

No! On this point, Tang Mubai held absolute confidence. With a perception level capped at twenty, the moment any genuine crisis arose, he would know instantly.

Tang Mubai suspected that half the reason Di Xiaochuan recommended him was because he had guessed at his connection to "Grandmaster Hong." Whether it was "Grandmaster Hong" or Tang Mubai, both met the entry qualifications of the Sage Heart Sect. It was simply that because "Grandmaster Hong"'s whereabouts were elusive, they had chosen Tang Mubai instead.

Thinking this through carefully, Tang Mubai could only smile.

……

"Uncle Lin, rest assured, I am definitely joining this 'Sage Heart Sect'!" Tang Mubai reassured the excited Lin Huafeng with a wide smile.

"That's good, that's good." Lin Huafeng let out a breath, rubbing his hands together in extreme excitement. "Hehe, winning first place in both divisions means other benefits come knocking right at your door. Xiaobai, if your father knew about today's events, he would undoubtedly be overjoyed!"

"Indeed," Xu Dali chimed in with a sigh. "The old leader's greatest wish back then was for the leader to grow strong. Now that the leader has accomplished it, he..."

"Alright, alright, let's not speak of this. Since Xiaobai won the championship in both divisions, we should head back and celebrate properly," Fang Shuixian interjected, steering the conversation away.

"Exactly, let's go back and eat something delicious!"

Tang Mubai hoisted his little cousin onto his shoulders, drawing a startled gasp from the little girl followed by bright laughter.

Just as the group was preparing to leave, several figures suddenly approached down the corridor.

Leading them was someone Tang Mubai recognized: Kong Lingxia! Following closely behind Kong Lingxia was Wang Chan'er.

Catching sight of the two, Tang Mubai's gaze shifted slightly, and he instantly guessed the purpose of their visit. However, he let no sign of it show on his face, greeting Wang Chan'er with a wide smile instead, "Good day, Teacher Wang, we meet again."

"Leader Tang truly possesses formidable skills. Winning first place in both divisions is genuinely admirable." Wang Chan'er smiled in return, her heart filled with lingering awe.

When they had met last time, she had already witnessed Tang Mubai's prowess. She had not expected that Tang Mubai still possessed even greater hidden strength, which was only fully revealed today. Regardless of whether it was a tournament setting, being able to defeat third- and fifth-grade grandmasters while at the third-grade professional level—such a person was undeniably a true genius!

"Leader Tang, this is our academy's Dean of the Combat College, Dean Kong Lingxia."

Though filled with internal emotion, Wang Chan'er kept her expression calm as she introduced him to Kong Lingxia.

"Greetings, Dean Kong." Upon hearing this, Tang Mubai looked toward Kong Lingxia and offered a greeting.

"Mm." Kong Lingxia nodded indifferently. "The academy has approved Leader Tang's special recruitment application. Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, Leader Tang may come to the academy for the assessment. Appropriate personnel will be arranged to receive you then. Given Leader Tang's strength, I believe..."

"Um, sorry to interrupt." Tang Mubai couldn't help cutting in. "Regarding your esteemed school's special invitation, I am deeply honored. However, after thinking it over carefully upon returning home, I feel it might be too much trouble, so I'd rather not impose."

"What... what do you mean?" Kong Lingxia paused, startled.

Wang Chan'er felt her heart skip a beat and blurted out, "Does Leader Tang mean you are not participating in the assessment?"

"……Yes."

Tang Mubai nodded with a slightly embarrassed expression. "I am truly sorry. I am afraid I might fail the assessment, which would be embarrassing and humiliating, and I would also burden your school, so I have decided not to participate."

"But, but..." Wang Chan'er was momentarily at a loss for words.

Once Kong Lingxia fully comprehended the statement, his expression turned cold.

"Leader Tang, you may not fully understand this, but our Canghe Martial Arts School's special recruitment is not something just anyone can enter! If you reject this today, you will never have another opportunity!"

Kong Lingxia said in a low voice, "I hope you have thought this through carefully. Opportunities only come once!"

"Thank you for the reminder, Dean Kong, but I have already thought it through."

Tang Mubai smiled. "It is simply my choice to forgo this opportunity, as I lack a bond with your esteemed school. Sorry to have troubled Dean Kong to make this trip."

Kong Lingxia, "..."

"Um, Leader Tang, have you really considered this thoroughly?" Wang Chan'er asked, unwilling to give up.

Judging by Tang Mubai's performance today, there was a ninety-nine percent probability that he would become a Grandmaster in the future. To let such a talent slip through the fingers of Canghe Martial Arts School would be a massive loss for the institution.

"I have considered it thoroughly. Thank you for all your trouble recently, Teacher Wang," Tang Mubai insisted.

Wang Chan'er fell silent.

As for Kong Lingxia, he was so angry he laughed, and sternly snapped, "Fine, fine, very well! In that case, I hope Leader Tang does not live to regret this. Let's go!"