Chapter 2510

Zhu Yanyi’s expression was serious. "In competitions like the Heavenly Fortune Tournament, casualties are rare. But that doesn't mean it won't affect your Dao heart. You must know that life and cultivation are never smooth sailing. You have been lucky because your masters, uncles, and elders have always protected you. If you were left to fend for yourselves, the results might be very different. Remember, failure is not scary. What is scary is staying trapped in failure forever."

Her gaze was clear. This clarity made Cui Wan and the others feel a pressure they had never experienced before.

Seeing them bow their heads in thought, Zhu Yanyi knew her words had taken root. She pressed on.

"Our Azure Sovereign Qingdi Sect is a wonderful family—warm and harmonious. Your fellow disciples feel like your own flesh and blood. But…" Zhu Yanyi looked at everyone, strengthening her tone. "People outside our sect are different. They have their own views, their own thoughts, their own Dao hearts, and their own persistence."

She spoke slowly, planting a new concept into their minds. "More than three thousand sects are participating in this tournament, perhaps even more. Only the top one hundred will receive the Heavenly Fortune Qi. And only the top ten will truly benefit their sects. The odds are very small. But those ranks also represent the birth of legends."

Zhu Yanyi scanned the ten disciples. "Do you think our sect can be one of them? More specifically, can we surpass them all?"

She spoke the last sentence slowly, word by word. Her voice was not loud, but it deeply affected the disciples' hearts.

The ten disciples had come to the tournament with passion and curiosity. This was their first real battle. But they had never thought about surpassing others. Perhaps they were too stubborn, forgetting that pride and inferiority are two sides of the same coin.

What looked like stubborn pride could easily turn into inferiority. Zhu Yanyi did not want them to become like that.

The Azure Sovereign Qingdi Sect was new. Failure in their first tournament was likely. But now, Zhu Yanyi told them her goal was to surpass all sects and become unique. This shocked them.

"See, you are shocked now," Zhu Yanyi smiled lightly. "But just now, you were smug. You thought you were better than other disciples because you could participate."

"Are you really excellent? I never deny that you are." Zhu Yanyi looked at them gently as they frowned in thought. "But you must know, excellence is not just about high cultivation. Excellence comes in many forms. For example, someone who grows food in a desert where nothing grows is excellent. Someone who has never studied but gives their life to protect scholars is also excellent. So, if you think you are excellent, where is your excellence?"

The question made Cui Wan and the others think deeply.

Where is excellence? They needed to know if they were truly excellent, not just assume it. Excellence is not judged by oneself alone. It is not just about cultivation.

They could be excellent. They were disciples of the Azure Sovereign Qingdi Sect. They had hearts that belonged to no one else. They had a stubborn spirit that refused to lose.

"Master, I understand," Cui Wan said first. "Our ability and cultivation may not be higher than others. But everything we do can show our excellence. Even if we fail, as long as we do not lose our heart, we are victorious. By conquering ourselves, we become the most excellent people."

"Good," Zhu Yanyi smiled. "Understanding is what matters."

Yes, Zhu Yanyi had said all this to help them understand: conquer yourself, and become your own master.

Seeing their understanding, Zhu Yanyi felt relieved. "The competition is in two days. For these two days, relax completely. Do not cultivate. No matter what faces us in two days, do not let yourselves be tense. Tomorrow, let us have a picnic here."

"Master, that’s not right," Cui Wan laughed. "A picnic in the courtyard isn't really a picnic. Let's go outside."

Zhu Yanyi glanced at Cui Wan. "I see you just want to go out and look around."

"Yes," Cui Wan admitted. "It’s good to see the outside world. The world is so big. Enjoying life is the most important thing."

Zhu Yanyi did not refuse. "Alright. We will go out for a picnic tomorrow."

The next day, Zhu Yanyi and her group really did go for a picnic.

Since they lived in the suburbs, they didn’t walk far. They reached a mountain. Zhu Yanyi didn’t need to hunt. Cui Wan and the other nine disciples went hunting together, hoping to catch plenty of wild game to enjoy. Zhu Yanyi and Yan Aohan fished nearby.

Silver Fox went to pick natural seasonings. Hong Lian and Ouyang Tianyun helped build the stove, with Hong Lian acting as Ouyang Tianyun’s assistant.

Originally, Zhu Yanyi should have been the assistant. But with her large pregnant belly, no one would let her move. She was happy to relax and enjoy her leisurely fishing life.

"Master, look what we caught!" Cui Wan and the other nine disciples carried a huge python over. It took ten people to carry it, showing just how big it was.

Zhu Yanyi twitched her lips. "You really did it. You caught such a huge python. Let Uncle Ouyang handle it."

Ouyang Tianyun was speechless at the size. "Couldn't you cut it up and put it in your storage rings?"

"Blood-stained things like that would pollute our rings," Cui Wan shook his head, refusing to use the storage rings.