SSS rank Mother-In-Law to an Invincible Family-Chapter 480: She’ll Fit In As An Inner Disciple

Ru Fen let out a long breath as she stepped off the stone path and into the shade of one of the larger trees near the outer arena grounds.

Her robe was loose at the collar, and the wind felt nice on her face. The energy from the match was still leaving her body slowly, but the rush had passed.

Her hands had finally stopped shaking.

A soft voice came from behind.

"I knew you’d win."

Ru Fen turned slightly and gave a tired smile. "Barely."

Her friend, Lin Yueqi, walked up with two cups of warm tea and handed her one. Lin had passed her own match just an hour earlier.

Her style was more defensive, slower-paced, but solid. She won her fight with clean blocks and simple counters, wearing her opponent down with patience alone.

"Still counts," Yueqi said, sitting beside her on the low stone wall. "Whether it’s by a landslide or by a hair, a win is a win."

Ru Fen sipped the tea. It wasn’t very sweet, but it was hot and calming.

"Thanks. I wasn’t sure if I’d get past him," she said.

"That Jin Kai guy?"

Ru Fen nodded. "He doesn’t move much, but he sees everything. You make one wrong step, and it’s over."

Yueqi hummed. "Mine was the opposite. She tried to overwhelm me early on. No plan, just speed. I just blocked until she ran out of breath."

Ru Fen looked over. "Did she even land a hit?"

"One," Yueqi said with a shrug. "Kicked my leg once. Didn’t change anything though."

They both took another sip, sitting in silence for a few seconds.

Around them, the crowd was still active. The inner matches were slowing down, but the outer disciple stages were still going strong. Dozens of names were being called, one match after another.

A loud cheer came from a nearby stage.

Ru Fen tilted her head in that direction. "You want to watch one? I kind of want to see how the newer ones are doing."

Yueqi stood and stretched. "Yeah. Let’s pick a good one, though. I don’t want to sit through someone who forgets their own footwork."

They started walking toward the fifth arena, where the crowd was large but not too packed. They found a place along the side wall where they could see clearly but weren’t in the way.

The next match was just starting.

"Outer disciple advancement round. Stage five. Lian Bei versus Chen Tao."

Two young disciples walked onto the stage, both wearing simple outer robes. Their belts were tied a little too tight, and their weapons were not perfectly balanced, but they had confidence in their steps.

Ru Fen crossed her arms. "I think I sparred with that Lian girl before."

"Was she any good?" Yueqi asked.

"She was... alright. Not the fastest, but she keeps calm. Doesn’t get flustered easily."

The referee stepped back. The match began.

Chen Tao made the first move, rushing in with a staff swing aimed at Lian Bei’s shoulder. She blocked it with her forearm, twisted sideways, and went for a quick jab to his ribs.

It missed.

He countered with the bottom of his staff, striking low.

Lian Bei jumped back, resetting her stance.

"Hmm," Yueqi said, sipping her tea. "He’s aggressive, but not reckless."

"Yeah," Ru Fen agreed. "He’s pushing her without going all in."

The match continued. The two exchanged a few more strikes—some clean, some messy. Chen Tao landed a hit on her side, but Lian Bei returned with a sweep that caught his ankle and made him stumble.

A few people in the crowd clapped.

"Not bad," Yueqi said. "They’re green, but not hopeless."

Ru Fen nodded. "She’s holding up better than I thought. Looks like she’s been training since the last time I saw her."

The two fighters circled each other again. Lian Bei breathed harder now, and Chen Tao looked more confident, stepping forward more often.

Ru Fen tilted her head. "She needs to change the rhythm. If she lets him push her back any further, she’s going to hit the stage edge."

Yueqi raised an eyebrow. "Think she notices?"

"Let’s find out."

Chen Tao struck again, this time feinting high before swinging low with full force.

Lian Bei dropped to one knee and spun, dodging the blow completely and jabbing forward at his midsection. The crowd leaned in.

Chen Tao blocked it just in time, but his balance shifted. Lian Bei stood up quickly and pressed forward for the first time in the match.

Ru Fen smiled. "There we go."

Yueqi nodded. "She finally got annoyed."

Lian Bei kept attacking. Her movements weren’t perfect, but her timing had improved. She didn’t give Chen Tao space to reset.

He stumbled once.

She landed a hit—clean, right on his shoulder.

The referee stepped forward.

"Point. Match ends. Victory—Lian Bei."

The crowd clapped, louder than before. Some of the outer disciples near the stage started whispering excitedly.

Ru Fen clapped too, slow but firm.

"She earned it."

"She’ll fit in as an inner disciple," Yueqi said. "She’ll need to tighten up her footwork, but her mind’s in the right place."

Ru Fen looked up at the sky. The sun had climbed higher, and the heat was starting to press down a little harder. She wiped a bit of sweat from her neck with her sleeve.

"Remember when we were at that stage?" she asked.

Yueqi laughed. "Barely. All I remember is tripping over my own weapon and getting hit in the leg."

"You still won."

"Because the other guy fell off the platform by accident. Doesn’t really count."

"It counts," Ru Fen said with a grin. "You advanced. That’s what mattered."

Yueqi chuckled, then looked back at the stage. Lian Bei was stepping down now, walking with quiet pride.

"Think she’ll survive the first core-tier sparring rotation?"

Ru Fen shrugged. "We’ll find out soon enough. But she doesn’t look like the type who gives up easily."

They finished their tea and tossed the empty cups into the collection bin nearby.

Then they kept walking.

Not to train.

Not to fight.

Just to enjoy the rest of the day.

They had both passed.

There was time to breathe.