(OLD/NOT CANON) Immortal Ascension Tower

Chapter 90 - Mysterious Fog

Fa Guan said nothing as he stared at his disciple: Dan Yang looked completely calm, like the still water of a pond in a windless day. However, below the still surface, a few ripples could be seen as the boy's hands, hidden by his long sleeves, were curled into fists.

"Little Yang... relax. It is not a matter of life and death, it is a competition." Fa Guan's eyes gleamed sharply as he spoke: "You shouldn't worry about winning or losing. Instead, focus on gathering experience!"

"In this tournament, where the path towards victory has been cut off, what is left is to turn utter defeat into a shallow victory. To turn pain into gain." Fa Guan smiled and patted the younger man's back.

"My disciple, this will be a very important lesson for you. There are times when it is best to accept defeat and understand your opponent, so as to defeat him next time. This is a loss, yet, at the same time, it is your victory..."

Dan Yang listened to his master's teachings without speaking a word. Finally, he asked:

"Master... are Fu Yin and Fang Lu truly such terrifying entities? I know that they are stronger, but they don't seem so far away that they cannot be reached..."

Fa Guan's eyes gleamed then he nodded: "Yes, they are much, much more terrifying than you might think. The proof is exactly that feeling you have. Think about it, your cultivations are about the same, yet, the difference between your techniques is so massive!"

"They do not seem so far away... however, that is only while looking at their cultivation base. Think about it: in a few months, would you be able to accomplish the same feats as them now? What about in a few years?"

Fa Guan nodded: "Unless some kind of divine blessing comes your way, I highly doubt it. Why, you might ask?"

Dan Yang's eyes widened as he seemed to understand something: "I... I think I get it! It's because, even if I could match them in a few years, it wouldn't be in the Superior stage! To have such power in the Superior stage, that is unthinkable for me!

What's more, after such a long time has passed, they would have also rose in rank and increased their strength even further!"

"Correct!" Fa Guan beamed as he revealed a delightful smile to his disciple: "I think of geniuses and monsters such as those two as completely different things. Geniuses are people who defy common sense by having an higher cultivation base than those in the same generation. Zhao Bu was one with such a trait: enormous talent when it came to cultivation! However..."

Dan Yang gave voice to his master's thoughts: "...Monsters such as Fu Yin don't have such a heaven-defying cultivation. On the other hand, they hold much higher power than they are supposed to hold in their current stage!"

"If this was to be carried on in their breakthroughs, they would possess much greater strength, no matter which stage they found themselves in!"

Fa Guan's eyebrows rose in pleasant surprise. He smiled and nodded: "It looks like you understand. Te Rin might not be a monster on such a level, but she has quite good talent as well as the ability to defeat Sou Rou whilst on the same stage: she is definitely above average...-"

"I understand that I might not be able to defeat her, Master!" Dan Yang interrupted. He smiled apologetically: "However, if I did not fight her while trying my best and lost, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night, not knowing how exactly I rank in between 'normal' geniuses!"

Fa Guan's lips arranged into a complicated smile:

My dear disciple, this will be a nice lesson for you: that Te Rin is in no way a 'normal' genius... however, she has an unyielding will that has led her here!