The Urban Cultivation Grandmaster

Chapter 35: Beating Up the Head of the Jin Family

He wouldn’t rest until he’d made a shocking statement! Mu Tian’s words sent shockwaves through the entire hall. Those who understood the full story knew exactly what was going on: Mu Tian was seeking revenge and asserting his authority! Moments earlier, the Jin family’s eldest daughter had provoked and humiliated Mu Tian, yet he had shown no reaction. Everyone had assumed he was timid by nature and afraid to cause trouble, but now it was clear—he was the kind of dog that bites without barking, striking with a single, fatal blow. Mu Tian’s move was simple: he intended to drive the Jin family out of the competition. In the cultivation world, the strong survive and the weak perish; fall even slightly behind others, and you’ll be left in the dust in an instant. The strong grow stronger, and the weak grow weaker; the Matthew Effect is a universal truth in the cultivation world. Ousting the Jin family from the scene isn’t exactly difficult, but it’s not exactly easy either; the most crucial factor is the power of the person carrying it out. When everyone saw the smile on Mu Tian’s face—as if his earlier words had been a joke—they were instantly taken aback. When Mu Tian first arrived in Tianjiang City, the incident involving the rampaging pet cat in Shixi Residential Complex had led many to speculate that he might be a being who had surpassed the Condensed Vein Realm. However, after further observation, they realized he was nothing special—his victory over the seemingly invincible, mutated pet cat in the Condensed Vein Realm had merely been a stroke of luck. However, due to Mu Tian’s astonishing performance in Daowen, no one sought to revoke his resource allocation quota. Later, various factions generally assessed Mu Tian as having extraordinary Daowen Inscriptions but mediocre cultivation. But now, everyone was taken aback once again. Had they underestimated Mu Tian all along? “Xiao Yueyue, look at your Mu Tian! Wow, just now I thought he’d chickened out, but I never expected him to go straight after the Golden Phoenix girl’s dad—that’s so badass!” Ke Ping screamed. Lu Yue quickly covered Ke Ping’s mouth, her expression a mix of emotions as she watched Mu Tian in the center of the hall, commanding the scene. The Golden Phoenix, meanwhile, looked utterly terrified, cold sweat streaming down her face. Only now did she finally realize just how big a mess she’d gotten herself into. “Sis Feng, what’s going on? You didn’t happen to offend Master Mu, did you?” Wei Zhenlei looked utterly astonished. He instantly realized what had happened and turned to ask the pale-faced Golden Phoenix. “I… I…” The Golden Phoenix explained the situation to her three older brothers, naturally shifting some of the blame onto herself and playing up her sense of injustice as she asked, “What should we do? What do we do now?” The three Wei brothers were at a loss upon hearing this. “We’ll have to wait and see,” they said helplessly. “Master Mu probably won’t be too hard on your family—at least Uncle Jin won’t be in mortal danger. But I’m afraid your family might end up being used as an example to scare others.” Upon hearing how serious the situation was—and that her father’s life was in danger—the Golden Phoenix slumped, her body going limp as she looked nervously toward the arena. On the stage, Jin Bo said angrily, “Master Mu, I respect you enough to call you ‘Master,’ but don’t push your luck. You’re just a young upstart—don’t get too cocky. My Jin Family Martial Arts School may not be top-tier, but we’re not pushovers either.” Mu Tian shook his head, standing with his hands behind his back. An intangible ripple radiated out from him, and as this aura slowly swept outward, he spoke: “Your daughter just shared quite a few profound truths with me, from which I’ve benefited greatly. She told me that in the cultivation world, the strong reign supreme, and everything else is illusory. I quite agree. Now, I’ll return those words to you.” “In my eyes, your Jin Family Martial Arts Hall is nothing but second-rate!” Instantly, the entire hall erupted in an uproar. Jin Bo immediately realized that Mu Tian was deliberately targeting him, and that the source of this was none other than his own daughter. Though he cursed that little brat inwardly, the situation was urgent, and he had no time to dwell on it. Steeling himself, he said, “You young upstart—you short-lived brat—you may be small in stature, but you sure talk big. I’ll see just what gives you the right to call the Jin family subpar.” Instantly, Jin Bo’s aura surged as his Sixth-Level Meridian Condensation cultivation base manifested! This overwhelming sense of power boosted Jin Bo’s confidence immensely; only the strength he held in his own hands was truly trustworthy. He was determined to teach this “short-lived wretch” a lesson. Mu Tian couldn’t care less. Standing with his hands behind his back, he brought one hand forward and said flippantly, “If I say you’re second-rate, then you’re second-rate. I’ll let you have the advantage of one hand. If you lose, the Jin family is out of the running!” “Who do you think you are! Do you think you can just kick the Jin family out of the competition? Did you even ask the others for their opinion?” None of the leaders of the various factions present spoke up. Deep down, they were naturally happy to have one less person competing for a share of the spoils. More importantly, since no one could gauge Mu Tian’s true capabilities, they were naturally reluctant to offend him rashly. Not even the Wei family—who were on good terms with the Jin family—spoke up for him. The Wei family was a prominent clan with numerous descendants and no shortage of skilled cultivators; they commanded considerable prestige. Yet at that moment, Wei Ning, the head of the Wei family, kept his eyes fixed on his nose, his nose on his heart, and his mind elsewhere. While others might not know Mu Tian’s true background, the Wei family was well aware of it. Not even Mayor Li spoke up—neither opposing nor endorsing the situation; he merely frowned and watched the events unfold in silence. Jin Bo knew this was the most terrifying scenario—the fact that everyone was standing on the opposite bank watching meant they had abandoned him. He felt extreme anger and profound despair. However, Jin Bo did not lose heart; after all, the fight hadn’t even begun yet, and he didn’t believe he would lose to this legendary volunteer teacher, whose cultivation was said to be mediocre. Jin Bo practiced the “Thousand Tides and Ten Thousand Waves” technique, and his Mianquan was mastered to perfection; the two styles combined hard and soft. To be fair, his strength was not to be underestimated. Furious, Jin Bo held nothing back, unleashing a Mianquan technique at Mu Tian. To be sure, Jin Bo’s prowess was truly extraordinary. This Mianquan strike appeared soft and powerless, yet it possessed a sustained, unyielding force and concealed surging spiritual energy. If an opponent were caught off guard and even grazed by this punch, they would likely be seriously injured, if not killed. “Gentle as silk, yet with surging undercurrents”—this description perfectly captures that punch. What appeared to bystanders as an astonishing strike was, in Mu Tian’s eyes, merely mediocre—all form and no substance. Although it exhibited the characteristic softness of the Mianquan style, his execution of the “Thousand Tides and Ten Thousand Waves” technique fell short, failing to capture the essence of “Divine.” Cultivation techniques in the Xuan Realm place great emphasis on one’s realm of mastery. Even at the same cultivation level, differing realms result in a vast disparity in combat power. At the level of the “Thousand Tides and Ten Thousand Waves Technique,” Mu Tian—who had mastered the “Divine Might” realm—naturally overwhelmed Jin Bo, who hadn’t even grasped the essence of “Divine.” “Director Jin, watch closely. This is not how the ‘Thousand Tides and Ten Thousand Waves Technique’ is cultivated—you’re way off. It’s subpar, plain and simple. You’re leading your students astray!” With that, Mu Tian flicked his wrist and struck Jin Bo with a palm strike. Instantly, the square was filled with the roar of surging waves. A scene of crashing waves against the shore unfolded right there on level ground! It was truly beyond belief. At that moment, everyone felt a pressure as if a colossal wave were surging and sweeping across the land. It was the overwhelming force of the heavens and earth—utterly unstoppable! Not only that, but in the distance, the lake’s waters churned violently, sending spray flying in all directions. Even before they had made a move, extraordinary phenomena were already unfolding. When Mu Tian’s palm and Jin Bo’s fist collided, the lake waters crashed violently, and towering waves surged in all directions. “Boom!!!” In the next second, Jin Bo was sent flying, spitting blood.