101: Chapter 101 A Draw? The Elder's "Holding Back" and His Recognition

The Aftermath of the Battle in the Martial Arts Arena

The setting sun at the Xingyi Sect branch dojo bathed the martial arts arena in a warm golden hue, casting long shadows of Chen Wu and Zhao Lie across the bluestone floor.

The two men remained locked in their final collision pose. Pale black Baji Energy and dark gold Yijin Energy intertwined at the point of contact, resembling a solidified, two-toned ribbon of light. The surrounding Five Elements totems and the "Ji" totem illuminated simultaneously, forming a rotating "Hard-Soft" symbol in mid-air—the global livestream camera slowly zoomed in, clearly showing a faint redness on Chen Wu's palms and slight swelling on Zhao Lie's knuckles, yet neither man retreated.

"Let's call this spar… a draw." Zhao Lie suddenly withdrew his fist, his pale black hard energy receding like a tide. He rubbed his knuckles, a complex smile appearing on his Face. "Your Yijin Energy combines hardness and softness perfectly. Although my Baji Fist is fiercely powerful, it can do nothing against you. To continue would only result in mutual injury—it's pointless."

His gaze swept over Zhang Hao and Love at the edge of the arena, both of whom remained ready to provide support, while the Elders of the Eight Great Sects were gathered around the livestream screen, brows furrowed, seemingly arguing about something.

Lin Mo's tactical tablet suddenly displayed a System notification: " 'Qi Energy Trial' result determined: Draw. Triggered side quest 'Interpretation of Holding Back'—Investigate the deeper meaning behind Elder Zhao Lie's draw. Quest Reward: 800,000 Legacy points + Baji Sect 'Holding Back Energy' manual, enhanced decryption permissions for the underground Yijin Pavilion."

The boy's fingertips flew across the virtual keyboard, beads of sweat from his forehead dripping onto the touchpad. "The number of live viewers is still holding at 32 billion! The Baji Sect fans spamming 'The draw is reasonable' and the Xingyi Sect fans spamming 'Chen Wu should have won' are about to start a fight. Even Mr. Su from the Xuanshui Pavilion has sent a barrage comment asking, 'Did Elder Zhao hold back?'"

The tablet suddenly popped up a slow-motion comparison image of the final strike: Zhao Lie's peak fist energy suddenly dropped by 15% 0.1 seconds before impact, while Chen Wu's Yijin Energy maintained a peak of 1200 kilograms, clearly indicating an anomaly.

Grandpa Wang's dry tobacco pipe tapped out a muffled sound at the edge of the arena. The old man pulled out the "Records of Martial Virtue" left by his grandfather. Inside the yellowed pages was a handwritten note from 1955—the "Principles of Holding Back" recorded by Chen Wus Great-grandfather: "When Martial Artists spar, stop before causing injury. Do not be arrogant in victory, nor discouraged in defeat. Holding back is not admitting defeat; it is leaving a path for the younger generation and preserving the Legacy for the Dao of Martial Arts."

The pipe bowl pointed to the highlighted symbols on the note. "When your Great-grandfather sparred with Elder Zhao back then, the other party also held back on the final move. Today's situation is exactly the same as it was back then!"

A bronze fragment of Baji Fist suddenly flew out of the camphor wood chest. Engraved on it was a subtle fist mark. Pale black Qi Energy spread along the fragment, tracing a "Qi Energy Decay" trajectory on Chen Wu's palm.

In the Flower Girl's basket, the gold and black petals of the inheritance grass suddenly emitted a faint glow. Dewdrops rolled on the leaves, reflecting the flow of Zhao Lie's Qi Energy during his final strike—a stream of pale black Qi Energy at his Dantian suddenly flowed backward before contact. This was the characteristic of the Baji Sect's "Holding Back Energy," which could instantly reduce fist energy by 30% without being detected by outsiders.

The young girl mixed the sap of thorn flowers with snow lotuses. When the gold and black "Energy-Revealing Dew" dripped onto the leaves, the petals suddenly opened in the direction of Zhao Lie: "Elder Zhou said this is 'Holding Back Developer,'" she said, lightly tapping the dewdrop with her fingertip, "It can make hidden changes in Qi Energy visible, just like installing a slow-motion camera for Qi Energy!"

The Section Chief of the Special Incident Response Department walked over, holding a silver detector. The screen displayed the Qi Energy curve of the final strike: "Elder Zhao's fist energy dropped sharply from 1560 kilograms to 1326 kilograms 0.1 seconds before contact, a 15% decay."

She suddenly turned the detector toward Zhao Lie. "This was not a mistake; it was intentional holding back. The Baji Sect's 'Holding Back Energy' requires extremely strong control of Qi Energy; ordinary Martial Artists simply cannot do it!"

The tablet showed that the Technical Department had used AI to reconstruct Zhao Lie's muscle movement trajectory. His forearm muscles had slightly relaxed for 0.2 seconds at the last moment—this was precisely the technique for unleashing "Holding Back Energy." "You did this because you were afraid of hurting Chen Wu, right?"

As Chen Wu's gaze fell upon the detector's screen, the peace lock suddenly resonated with the bronze fragment. Dark gold Yijin Energy spread along his fingertips, forming a rotating sphere of Qi Energy in mid-air—the slow-motion footage of the global livestream showed that the trajectory of the Qi Energy sphere perfectly overlapped with the decay curve of Zhao Lie's "Holding Back Energy." This was the "Qi Energy Resonance" phenomenon that Grandpa Wang had spoken of; it could only be triggered by someone who had experienced the same "Holding Back."

"Elder Zhao, there was no need for you to go easy on me," Chen Wu's voice was sincere, and his palms suddenly glowed with dark gold light. "On that last move, your fist energy could clearly have been 15% stronger. Why did you pull back?"

The Legacy of Martial Virtue in Holding Back Energy

Zhao Lie burst into laughter. The pale black Baji Energy flowed around his body, but it lacked its previous fierce intensity, instead carrying a gentle warmth. "Kid, you really did see it."

He pulled a black cloth bag from his bosom, which contained a rusty iron gauntlet. "This is what I wore when I sparred with your Great-grandfather in my youth. Back then, he also held back on the final move, saying, 'The Dao of Martial Arts is not about killing and fighting; it is about Legacy.' Today, I am merely following his example."

The fist marks on the iron gauntlet perfectly matched the faint red marks on Chen Wu's palms. Pale black Qi Energy spread along the gauntlet, tracing a "Holding Back" trajectory in the center of the arena.

Lin Mo's tablet suddenly displayed the "Holding Back Energy" manual: "System analysis complete! The Baji Sect 'Holding Back Energy' achieves precise decay of fist energy by causing Qi Energy to flow back from the Dantian, combined with a slight relaxation of the forearm muscles. It neither injures the opponent nor causes the younger generation to lose Face; it is the 'Martial Virtue Energy' of the ancient martial arts world."

The barrage comments suddenly exploded with exclamations. For the first time, the pale black comments from Baji Sect fans and the gold comments from Xingyi Sect fans completely overlapped. "So this is the true Dao of Martial Arts!" "Holding back is not losing; it is Martial Virtue!" The messages scrolled rapidly, forming a warm, two-toned river of light in the virtual space.

Grandpa Wang's dry tobacco pipe tapped out a light rhythm at the edge of the arena. The old man flipped to the "Holding Back Chapter" of the "Records of Martial Virtue." The yellowed pages recorded details from 1955: "When your Great-grandfather sparred with Elder Zhao back then, he could clearly have won with his final 'Baji Collapse' move, but he deliberately held back 5% of his energy."

The pipe bowl pointed to the illustration in the pages. "Elder Zhao said at the time, 'I respect you in this life, not for your energy, but for your Martial Virtue.' Today's scene is simply history repeating itself!"

The bronze fragment in the camphor wood chest suddenly resonated with the iron gauntlet. Pale black Qi Energy spread along the fragment, drawing a "Legacy of Martial Virtue" totem on the ground.

In the Flower Girl's basket, the gold and black petals of the inheritance grass suddenly opened like palms. Dewdrops rolled on the leaves, reflecting the flow of Qi Energy at Zhao Lie's Dantian—his "Holding Back Energy" had not only reduced his fist energy but had also quietly injected a stream of gentle Baji Energy upon contact, helping Chen Wu repair the faint red marks on his palms.

The young girl sprinkled the "Energy-Revealing Dew" into the air. The gold and black light fused with Zhao Lie's Qi Energy, forming a huge "De" (Virtue) character in mid-air: "Elder Zhou said this is 'Martial Virtue Light,'" she said, lightly tapping the dewdrop with her fingertip, "The true purpose of Holding Back Energy is not just to reduce force, but to pass on Martial Virtue during a spar, just like giving the younger generation a lesson in the Dao of Martial Arts!"

The Section Chief of the Special Incident Response Department walked over, holding a holographic report. The tablet showed that Zhao Lie's "Holding Back Energy" had been recorded by the System as a "Model of Martial Virtue" and would be included in global martial arts textbooks: "The Elders of the Eight Great Sects were arguing just now, but now they are all convinced."

She suddenly turned the report toward the livestream camera. "Elder Li Xuantong said, 'This is how ancient martial arts should be,' and Young Miss Liang Yue also sent a barrage comment saying, 'Learned something new; Martial Virtue is more important than winning or losing!'"

The tablet showed that Zhang Hao was practicing "Holding Back Energy" at the edge of the arena. His Iron Arm Power suddenly retracted when it made contact with a sandbag; the sandbag only swayed slightly without being damaged. "Even Zhang Hao has learned it, saying that from now on, he will hold back during spars and can no longer fight as recklessly as before."

When Zhao Lie's palm met Chen Wu's, the pale black Baji Energy and the dark golden Yijin Energy suddenly underwent Fusion.

Under the lenses of the global live stream, the two streams of Qi Energy formed the two characters for "Martial Virtue" in mid-air.

The Disciples of the eight major sects suddenly bowed in unison, and the eight-colored Qi Energy—pale black, light brown, light blue, etc.—interwove above their heads, forming a massive "Legacy" totem.

On Lin Mo's tablet, the live stream donation section was suddenly flooded with golden gifts.

Su Chen's donation of "Xuanshui Pavilion Respects Martial Virtue" and Liang Yue's "Wing Chun Sect Studies Martial Virtue" occupied the top spots.

The number of online viewers broke through 33 billion, setting a new record for "Martial Virtue Live Stream."

Interpreting the Meaning Behind the Draw

Night fell, and the assembly hall of the Xingyi Sect branch was brightly lit.

Zhao Lie sat in the main seat, clutching the rusted iron fist wraps.

The Elders of the eight major sects sat on both sides, their gazes focused on Chen Wu.

The global live stream lens was transmitted via holographic projection, and 33 billion viewers were waiting for this "Interpretation of the Draw."

"I held back, not because I couldn't defeat you," Zhao Lie's voice carried a heavy fluctuation of Qi Energy.

He placed the iron fist wraps on the table, with pale black Qi Energy circulating over them.

"It is because I saw the shadow of your Great-grandfather from back then."

He suddenly pointed to Chen Wu's peace lock.

"This lock hides the Martial Virtue of the Tomb Guardian.

Back then, to protect the ancient martial arts Legacy, your Great-grandfather was willing to lose rather than hurt anyone.

Today, you are the same. During our sparring, you never attacked my old injuries.

This heart is more important than winning."

Li Xuantong suddenly stood up, and light brown Xingyi Energy condensed into a Five Elements diagram in his palm.

"Elder Zhao is right."

He fused the Five Elements diagram with Chen Wu's Yijin Energy.

"Just now, during the sparring, Chen Wu had three opportunities to win, but he held back each time.

The first was the 'Coiling Spear Style' where he didn't coil the spear shaft to death; the second was the 'Double Fist Strike' where he didn't counterattack the tiger's mouth; the third was the 'Mountain-Leaning Strike' where he didn't counter-push against my old injury.

This isn't a lack of strength; it is sufficient Martial Virtue!"

On the walls of the assembly hall, slow-motion footage of the three instances of holding back was suddenly projected.

Every detail was clearly visible, and the comments section was flooded with a uniform "Chen Wu, King of Martial Virtue."

Grandpa Wang's dry tobacco pipe knocked a muffled sound against the table.

The old man flipped to the last page of the *Records of Martial Virtue*.

On the yellowed page, "Three Realms of Martial Virtue" was written in cinnabar: "First Realm: Do not hurt people.

Second Realm: Do not win against people.

Third Realm: Do not lose to people."

The pipe bowl pointed in Chen Wu's direction.

"Your Great-grandfather reached the Second Realm back then.

Today, you have reached the Third Realm—clearly able to win, yet choosing a draw.

You gave Elder Zhao Face while not losing Face for the younger generation.

This is the highest Martial Virtue!"

The bronze fragments in the camphor wood box suddenly resonated with the peace lock, and pale golden Qi Energy spread along the fragments, drawing a trajectory of the "Three Realms" on the table.

In the Flower Girl's basket, the golden-black petals of the inheritance grass suddenly bore fruit.

Dewdrops rolled on the fruit, reflecting a real-time image of the Yijin Pavilion in the underground palace.

Beside the lock of the pavilion door, a "Martial Virtue" totem suddenly appeared, perfectly matching Chen Wu's Yijin Energy.

It was clearly a hidden mechanism triggered by the "Holding Back Energy."

The young girl sprinkled "Energy-Revealing Dew" onto the fruit, and the golden-black light fused with Chen Wu's Qi Energy, condensing into a miniature "Martial Virtue Lock" in his palm.

"Elder Zhou says this is the 'Martial Virtue Key'."

Her fingertips lightly tapped the fruit.

"Only those who understand Martial Virtue can open it.

It is more important than any previous key!"

The Section Chief of the Special Incident Response Department walked over, holding a holographic report.

The tablet showed that the "Martial Virtue Lock" of the Yijin Pavilion in the underground palace had been activated and could only be opened by Chen Wu's Yijin Energy.

The Qi Energy field of the eight major sects resonated with the "Martial Virtue Lock."

Tomorrow, they could go directly to the core area upon entering the underground palace.

"All remaining forces of the Grey Shadow have been completely cleared," her voice carried excitement.

"We have prepared 'Martial Virtue Supply Packs' at the entrance of the underground palace.

They contain Medicinal Pills that can enhance Martial Virtue Energy, ensuring that Chen Wu can successfully obtain the full volume of the Muscle Tendon Change Classic!"

The tablet showed Zhang Hao and Love practicing "Martial Virtue Energy."

The former's Iron Arm Power became gentle, and the latter's Taiji Power appeared more inclusive.

Both said they would protect Chen Wu as he enters the Yijin Pavilion tomorrow.

A New Journey of Martial Virtue Legacy

As Chen Wu and the Elders of the eight major sects walked out of the assembly hall, eight-colored light suddenly erupted in the courtyard of the Xingyi Sect branch.

Pale black Baji Energy, light brown Xingyi Energy, light blue Mystic Water Energy, and other Qi Energy interwove in mid-air, forming a massive "Martial Virtue" totem.

The final scene of the global live stream froze on the moment Chen Wu held the "Martial Virtue Key," with dark golden Yijin Energy and eight-colored Qi Energy circulating around him like a river of light guarding the Legacy.

Lin Mo's tablet suddenly popped up the System settlement interface: " 'Interpretation of Holding Back' mission completed.

Rating: SSS.

Obtained 800,000 Legacy points, Baji Sect 'Holding Back Energy' manual, and enhanced access permissions to the underground palace Yijin Pavilion."

The youth's fingertips danced on the virtual keyboard, integrating the "Holding Back Energy" with the "Unity of Hardness and Softness" Mind-Cultivation Technique.

The System prompted: "After Fusion, you can precisely control your energy in actual combat, neither hurting people nor failing to win.

Unlocked new ability 'Martial Virtue Energy,' which can break all traps related to Martial Virtue in the underground palace."

In the live stream comments, a uniform "Martial Virtue First, Legacy Endures" was finally typed out.

For the first time, fans from different countries and sects reached a complete consensus, and the message was simultaneously lit up by 33 billion viewers.

Grandpa Wang's dry tobacco pipe knocked out a brisk rhythm on the edge of the courtyard.

The old man flipped to the addendum of the *Records of Martial Virtue*.

On the yellowed page, the ten characters "Martial Virtue spreads for ten thousand generations, Martial Dao flows forever" were written in cinnabar, with the joint signatures of Chen Wus Great-grandfather and Zhao Lie left beside it.

"The Martial Virtue Legacy that your Great-grandfather didn't complete back then, you have completed today."

The pipe bowl pointed at the signatures.

"This record should be passed to you from now on.

Every page inside is a model of Martial Virtue in the ancient martial arts world."

The bronze fragments, iron fist wraps, and peace lock in the camphor wood box suddenly merged into one.

Pale golden, pale black, and dark golden Qi Energy spread along the objects, drawing a route map of "Martial Virtue Legacy" on the ground.

In the Flower Girl's basket, the fruit of the inheritance grass suddenly split open.

Countless tiny seeds carrying eight-colored Qi Energy flew into the air and landed on the shoulders of every Martial Artist—Chen Wu's Yijin Energy gained a halo of Martial Virtue, Zhao Lie's Baji Energy appeared gentler, Li Xuantong's Xingyi Energy became more inclusive, and even Zhang Hao's Iron Arm Power became less rigid.

The young girl sprinkled the last drop of "Energy-Revealing Dew" into the air, and the eight-colored light formed a "Legacy" character in mid-air.

"Elder Zhou says these are 'Martial Virtue Seeds'."

Her fingertips lightly tapped the seeds.

"They can make Martial Virtue take root and sprout in every Martial Artist's heart.

Just like this draw, it is not an end, but a new beginning!"

The helicopter of the Special Incident Response Department hovered over the courtyard.

The Chief of the Execution Division walked over, holding a silver box containing a set of "Martial Virtue Protective Gear," engraved with the totems of the eight major sects.

"This was specially made by the Technical Department based on Martial Virtue Energy."

She handed the protective gear to Chen Wu.

"It can enhance your Martial Virtue Energy and protect you from the invasion of evil energy in the underground palace."

The tablet showed that all preparations were ready.

Tomorrow morning, everyone could set off for the underground palace to obtain the full volume of the Muscle Tendon Change Classic and complete the ultimate mission of the Tomb Guardian.

As the moonlight spilled over the Xingyi Sect branch, the "Martial Virtue" totem in the courtyard and the "Hardness and Softness" totem on the martial arts practice field slowly merged, forming a brand new "Dao" character.

Chen Wu suddenly understood: this "draw" was never about "failing to determine a winner," but about "winning Martial Virtue"—true Martial Dao is not about whose energy is harder, but whose virtue is thicker; true Legacy is not about winning every sparring match, but letting Martial Virtue be passed on in every contest.

The final screen of the global live stream stayed on the moment the Disciples of the eight major sects swore an oath together.

Their fists pressed against each other, and the eight-colored Qi Energy formed a "Martial Virtue Alliance" logo in mid-air.

The "Martial Virtue First, Martial Dao Flows Forever" typed in the comments section was lit up by 33 billion viewers simultaneously, like a river of light crossing mountains and seas, flowing forever above the Xingyi Sect branch, illuminating the ultimate journey of the underground palace exploration, and illuminating the new future of the ancient martial arts Legacy.