I Became a Peak Master With No Disciples?!
Chapter 40: Clash of Geniuses

Chapter 40: Clash of Geniuses

The central floating arena hummed, its defensive barriers glowing with pale blue light.

"The final match of the Group Two!" the referee elder’s voice boomed across the valley. "Lin Yuying of Heavenly Cloud Peak versus Lin Yao of White Lotus Peak. Step forward!"

A heavy silence fell over the mountains. Thousands of spectators leaned forward, their eyes locked on the two figures rising from their respective seating galleries.

From the grand center gallery, Lin Yuying stepped onto the platform. She was serene and aloof, her posture carrying the quiet dignity of the Sect Master’s personal disciple. She carried no steel weapon; instead, cold white fog drifted around her sleeves, condensing and evaporating in rapid cycles.

From the desolate side gallery, Lin Yao stepped forward. She wore simple white robes, her hand resting on the hilt of her standard disciple sword.

They stood ten paces apart on the white stone. Though they shared the same surname Lin, they were complete strangers, meeting face-to-face for the very first time.

At the recruitment ceremony three months ago, they had stood miles apart.

Lin Yuying was the glittering prodigy claimed by the Sect Master, while Lin Yao was the unnoticed girl chosen by a useless peak.

Lin Yuying looked at Lin Yao, her eyes cool and calm. Her motivation was simple. As the Sect Master’s disciple, she carried the pride and standard of Heavenly Cloud Peak. She would test this dark horse from the abandoned peak and show the absolute difference in power.

Lin Yao met her gaze with an unyielding coldness of her own. Her motivation was simple as well. She would prove that her master’s choice of selecting her was not a mistake, and that White Lotus Peak, and that Su Ming’s guidance stood second to none.

Lin Yao stepped forward first. She cupped her hands, bowing formally. "White Lotus Peak, Lin Yao, greets Senior Sister."

Lin Yuying cupped her hands in return, her voice serene and clear. "Heavenly Cloud Peak, Lin Yuying, greets Junior Sister."

"Begin!" the referee elder shouted.

Lin Yuying moved first, activating the Heavenly Frost Scripture. With a simple wave of her sleeve, the temperature on the platform plummeted. She did not draw any weapons; instead, using the Frost Sword Seal, three sharp, crystalline ice swords materialized directly, hovering in the air before shooting forward like arrows. At the same time, she stamped her foot, sending a rapid wave of white frost cracking across the stone floor toward Lin Yao.

Lin Yao did not retreat. She stepped forward, her body blurring as she unleashed the Cloud Chasing Sword Technique. Her blade flashed, striking with absolute, razor-sharp precision.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

With three rapid, precise strikes, she shattered the flying ice swords into glistening snow. She glided sideways, her boots scraping the frosted stone as she slipped past the freezing wave, her sword cutting a clean line through the cold fog.

Lin Yuying’s eyes narrowed slightly. She formed a hand seal, and a flurry of frost spells erupted. Dozens of ice shards materialized around her, firing in rapid succession, while she shaped two larger ice blades in her hands, stepping forward to clash directly.

The battle became a blur of silver and white. Lin Yuying’s 10th-stage Foundation Establishment base was massive, her Qi radiating a pure, physical cold that would normally freeze a cultivator’s blood and paralyze their meridians. However, due to her own unique cultivation and hidden nature, Lin Yao was completely immune to Yin and cold energy attacks. The biting chill did not bother her at all. She moved through the freezing air with absolute freedom, her swordplay displaying a flawless, supreme execution.

"The Tenth Perfection of the Cloud Chasing Sword?" in the grand gallery, one elder of Heavenly Sword Peak sat up, his eyes widening. "She has actually mastered a basic outer peak technique to the ultimate perfection! How is that possible at her age?"

"Unbelievable," another elder muttered, shaking his head. "But what a waste of raw talent. To spend years cultivating a basic outer technique to Tenth Perfection... its ceiling is too low. If she had been given a High-Grade sword technique, her achievement would be terrifying. She has completely wasted her talent on a basic technique under White Lotus Peak."

"What? It’s been only three months since she joined the Sect?" The elder’s expression suddenly turned odd.

However, the realm gap began to show. As the Glacial Phoenix Domain expanded, Lin Yuying summoned massive, physical walls of ice and flying frost shards. While the cold energy itself could not affect Lin Yao’s body, the sheer volume of solid physical blockades began to restrict her movements and slow her speed. Her boots scraped against the thick ice sheet, and her chest heaved as she barely parried a heavy ice blade strike that sent a jarring shock through her shoulders.

Realizing she would be physically pinned down if she held back, Lin Yao let out a sharp breath, her eyes turning icy. She dropped all restraint.

With a mental click, she unleashed her Nether Flames.

Freezing black flames erupted from her blade, flaring outward in a dark, silent wave. Unlike ordinary fire, this flame carried no heat. It was a dark force of cold that actively absorbed heat from the environment, spreading a deathly, withered chill that devoured spiritual energy.

The arena became a battlefield of two opposing forces of cold. Lin Yuying’s crystalline, physical frost vs. Lin Yao’s devouring, heat-absorbing cold black flames.

When the black flames collided with the ice blades, there was no steam or melting water. Instead, the dark fire burned directly on the ice, devouring the frost Qi and causing the ice constructs to crack and crumble into black ash. In response, Lin Yuying’s white frost surged, trying to encase the black flames in layers of solid ice.

The sheer intensity of their combined cold became monstrous.

The central platform’s defensive barrier began to hum violently. The pale blue light of the energy shield began to glaze over, a thick layer of physical frost creeping across the energy barrier itself, freezing the light solid. Then, under the absolute, constricting cold, the frozen barrier began to fracture, thin cracks spider-webbing across the frosted light as the chill leaked past, sweeping across the grand arena.

Below, the breath of thousands of disciples turned to thick white fog. They shivered, their robes frosting over as they retreated several paces in alarm. Even in the grand gallery, the temperature plummeted. They felt the intense cold creeping onto their skin, forcing them to circulate their own internal Qi to ward off the chill. They stared down at the ring in absolute astonishment.

"What is that black flame?" the Master of Azure Dragon Peak muttered, his brow furrowing as he warmed his hands.

At the center of the gallery, the Sect Master, Jun Tianya, watched silently. On his seat, Su Ming sat calmly, sipping his tea, though the surface of his cup had frozen into a thin layer of ice.

In the arena, both girls were reaching their limits. Lin Yuying’s face was pale, sweat freezing on her temple as she channeled the last of her Qi. She raised her hands, and a massive, soaring ice blade, ten meters long. The Shattering Frost Phoenix Blade materialized above her.

Lin Yao gritted her teeth, her arms trembling as she held her sword. The black flames roared, coiling and rising around her blade as she channeled her ultimate technique, the Nether Dragon Ascension. A spectral phantom of a black dragon, wrapped in freezing Nether Flames, rose from her sword, roaring silently as it prepared to ascend.

"Go!" Lin Yuying cried, throwing her hands down. The massive ice blade descended.

Lin Yao leaped forward, the black dragon soaring upward from her blade to meet the falling frost.

*BOOM!*

The collision of the two cold forces was deafening. The explosion shattered the remaining defensive barrier of the central platform, sending a shockwave of cold wind howling through the valley. The platform itself cracked, white ice and black ash flying in all directions.

When the dust settled, both girls were thrown back to the edges of the platform. They lay on the cracked stone, their Qi completely exhausted, panting heavily as they struggled to even raise their heads. Neither could stand.

A long silence fell, followed by a low murmur from the crowd.

The referee elder stepped onto the ruined platform, looking between the two exhausted geniuses. He turned toward the grand gallery, receiving a silent nod from the Sect Master.

"Both combatants are unable to continue!" the elder announced. "By decree of the Sect Master, this match is a tie. Lin Yuying and Lin Yao are declared joint winners of the Group Two !"

A cheer erupted from the crowd, though it was mixed with stunned whispers. It was the first time in the history of the Grand Disciple Tournament that a joint winner had been declared, let alone one from the desolate White Lotus Peak.

Lin Yao slowly pushed herself up, using her sheathed sword for support. She breathed heavily, her limbs shaking from exhaustion, but her eyes remained steady. She had done it. She had proven her path.

As she made her way back to the seating gallery, several powerful figures descended from the grand gallery. To the disbelief of the entire crowd, the Peak Masters of all 9 Grand Peaks stepped forward, surrounding the ruins of the platform.

"Lin Yao," Yue Lihua, the Master of Illusion Moon Peak, spoke first. "Your focus and talent are extraordinary. Join my peak; we specialize in female cultivation and mental arts. I will personally take you as my disciple and guarantee you reach the Golden Core Realm within five years."

"Hmph, a sword genius belongs to the sword peak," Jian Wufeng, the Master of Heavenly Sword Peak, cut in, his voice sharp. "If you join Heavenly Sword Peak, you will have access to the Sword Pool and all our ancient sword scriptures. I will personally guide you."

"Your body tempering base is still insufficient," Yan Qinghai of Azure Dragon Peak boomed, stepping forward. "My Martial Peak is the best place to hone your combat arts. Choose us."

Huo Lianyi of Vermilion Flame Peak stepped forward as well, her robes radiating a faint heat. "I can provide you with unlimited pills and alchemical resources to refine your cultivation."

"Golden Qilin Peak runs the Enforcement Hall," Bai Yuncheng said, his tone cold and measured. "We can offer you a senior enforcer position and the most lawful, sharp sword techniques in the sect."

"Come to Thunder Heaven Peak, kid!" Lei Zhenwu boomed, crackling with dry thunder Qi. "We will temper your bones with lightning!"

Shen Wuji of Black Tortoise Peak shook his head. "Do not listen to these loud fools. My Peak will provide you with the most stable defensive techniques and protection arrays."

"Crimson Cloud Peak has the Scripture Hall," Xuanyin Zhao whispered, his scholar robes rustling. "You will have access to our forbidden vaults and ancient Qi techniques."

Even Mu Changqing of Spirit Beast Peak smiled warmly. "I can offer you contracts with powerful flying spirit beasts to aid your battles."

The surrounding crowd gasped. Every single grand Peak Master in the sect was openly competing to recruit a single disciple from the desolate White Lotus Peak! Such a sight had been seen in the history of the Heavenly Cloud Sect extremely rarely.

Lin Yao stood straight, ignoring the numbing fatigue in her limbs. She cupped her hands and bowed deeply to the gathered Peak Masters. "Thank you for the kind offers, Peak Masters. But a teacher for a day is a teacher for a lifetime. I am the eldest disciple of the White Lotus Peak. I will not leave."