Cultivation starts from simplifying the exercises

Ma Chi was not tall, even somewhat lean, but his arms were long and powerful. He was standing at the edge of the training ground, more than a hundred miles away from Cao Feiyu.

He held a longbow that was entirely azure blue in his hand. The bowstring was neither gold nor silk, but shimmered with a silvery-white light, and faint sounds of wind and thunder lingered around it.

"Senior Sister Cao, watch out!"

Ma Chi let out a low shout, his eyes locked onto the dark figure a hundred miles away. He knew how terrifying Cao Feiyu was in close combat; the sword energy of the Heavenly Sword Technique was by no means easy to deal with, and once she got close, his advantage would vanish.

Before he finished speaking, Ma Chi leaned back slightly, his left hand gripping the Rift Wind Bow firmly as if supporting a mountain, while his right index and middle fingers were joined together to loosely tap the bowstring.

He didn't take an arrow from his quiver, but as the bowstring vibrated, a deep blue arrow, formed entirely from pure elemental energy and fierce gale force, appeared out of thin air and was nocked on the bowstring.

The bow is drawn to its fullest extent, and the arrow flies like a shooting star!
"Whoosh!"

The azure Yuan energy arrow shot out of the bowstring, instantly transforming into a blue rainbow that stretched across the sky. Its speed was so fast that it was difficult for the naked eye to catch. Wherever the arrow passed, space was mercilessly torn apart, leaving behind a trail that lingered for a long time.

Furthermore, a sharp aura that locked onto Cao Feiyu's soul left her firmly pinned down, with no way to avoid it.

Once the arrow was released, Ma Chi's hands did not stop, and the bowstring vibrated continuously.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Five azure rainbows, almost indistinguishable in sequence, connected end to end, enveloped Cao Feiyu's vital points from different angles.

Cao Feiyu remained expressionless, raised her right hand holding the Autumn Water Sword, and then gently swung it forward.

The movements were slow and natural, merely brushing away a speck of dust from the sleeve.

A dark golden sword aura, only a foot long but containing the power to cleave everything, shot out from the tip of the sword and struck the sharpest point of the azure arrow without missing a beat.

"Ding!"

A crisp, melodious sound echoed throughout the training ground.

That azure arrow, with its astonishing power, shattered and vanished inch by inch from its tip, transforming into the purest primordial energy of heaven and earth, dissipating into nothingness.

First arrow, broken!
Immediately afterwards, Cao Feiyu slightly turned her wrist, and the Autumn Water Sword met the four subsequent azure rainbows with successive strikes.

"Ding!"

The four crisp, almost consecutive sounds of the Nine Arrows of Rending Wind were easily extinguished by Cao Feiyu. From beginning to end, she did not move an inch, and even the hem of her black outfit remained unmoved by the gale-force winds whipped up by the arrows.

This is the epitome of effortless mastery.

At the same time, a magnificent sword intent from the heavens silently spread out from Cao Feiyu's center.

This sword intent was not aimed at the physical body, but directly at the soul. An invisible sky enveloped the entire training ground, and naturally also enveloped Ma Chi, who was a hundred miles away.

Under the influence of this sword intent, Ma Chi felt as if he had become a tiny mortal, looking up at the supreme heavens. A sense of unease and oppression from the depths of his soul arose involuntarily.

His movements of drawing the bow and shooting arrows were affected by something invisible, becoming less fluid and natural.

What alarmed Ma Chi even more was that the sword intent behind each of Cao Feiyu's sword strikes had not completely dissipated. Instead, it appeared silently in the void around his body, like a brand, condensing into a faint sword mark.

Ma Chi forcibly suppressed the palpitations and unease in his heart. He took a deep breath, and his internal energy surged like a celestial river, pouring it all into the Wind-Splitting Divine Bow in his hand.

On the azure bow, the sound of wind and thunder from the bowstring grew ever louder.

Nine arrows cleave the wind, chasing stars and the moon!

Ma Chi's eyes were sharp as lightning. He concentrated his energy and spirit to the peak, locked onto Cao Feiyu, and slowly drew back the bowstring.

This time, what was gathered on the bowstring was no longer an invisible arrow of elemental energy, but a physical arrow that was concentrated with the power of stars.

Before the arrow was even released, a terrifying aura of relentless pursuit and death had already spread out, firmly locking onto Cao Feiyu.

This is one of the deadly moves in the Nine Arrows of Rending Wind. It is a Star-Breaking Arrow made by mixing one's life essence with special arrow materials. Combined with a unique arrow technique, it is incredibly powerful.

"Whoosh!"

The bowstring vibrated to its limit, emitting a piercing shriek that tore at the eardrums.

Ignoring spatial distance, the Star-Piercing Arrow instantly appeared in front of Cao Feiyu. The silver light at the tip of the arrow burst forth with dazzling brilliance, threatening to pierce through any defense in the world.

A subtle ripple finally flickered in Cao Feiyu's usually cold eyes.

She held the Autumn Water Sword, which was pointing diagonally, upright in front of her.

Sword energy erupted from the Autumn Water Sword, condensing in front of her into a dark golden sword shield woven from countless fine sword patterns.

Above the sword and shield, illusory images of mountains and rivers flow, and the sun, moon, and stars rise and fall, exuding an indestructible and vast artistic conception.

Supernatural power, Heavenly Sword Wall!

"clang!"

The blue-silver arrows slammed into the dark-gold sword wall, unleashing a deafening roar.

At the moment of impact, the silver light of the arrowhead shattered, the arrow shaft was covered with cracks, and finally, with a "bang," it exploded into countless points of light.

Just as the arrows and shields clashed, Ma Chi flicked his left hand across the bowstring, and three Xuanbing arrows, radiating a chilling aura, were nocked. The bow was drawn to its fullest extent, ready to unleash a three-shot barrage at the slight opening Cao Feiyu had made while defending against the Star-Breaking Arrow.

However, before Ma Chi could even fire his arrow, dark golden sword marks suddenly erupted around his body.

The oppressive feeling that went straight to his soul was like the real sky constantly pressing down, shaking his mind and making it difficult for him to concentrate.

Ma Chi tried to move to avoid the sword marks, but he couldn't.

Attacking these sword marks is futile; they seem illusory and cannot be touched.

This phenomenon only occurs when Cao Feiyu far surpasses Ma Chi in terms of artistic conception.

Cao Feiyu flipped her longsword, and in the blink of an eye, the number of dark golden sword marks around Ma Chi had reached eighteen.

They were not randomly distributed, but rather formed a mysterious three-dimensional sword formation, firmly trapping Ma Chi at its core.

At this moment, Ma Chi's face had turned as pale as paper. His Yuan energy was struggling to circulate in his meridians. The sword intent emanating from the eighteen sword marks wove together into an invisible net, tightly binding his soul, making his thoughts sluggish and his mind uneasy.

It fell from the sky!

Cao Feiyu parted her red lips slightly, and as her voice fell, the eighteen dark golden sword marks floating around Ma Chi suddenly burst forth with an unprecedentedly dazzling light.

At the center of the sword formation, Ma Chi, whose face was already pale, suddenly felt a terrifying sword intent that seemed to overturn the heavens and rage against the heavens erupt.

The mighty power of Heaven descends upon the world, judging all things.

"Boom!"

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a deafening roar that struck the very depths of the soul.

Ma Chi, who was at the core of the sword formation, didn't even have time to react. He only felt a terrifying force, as if the heavens and earth were collapsing, slamming into him.

"puff!"

As if struck by a heavy blow, Ma Chi could no longer suppress the urge to cough up blood. The protective energy around him shattered inch by inch, as if made of paper.

Like a kite with a broken string, he was lifted off the ground completely out of control, crossed the boundary of the training ground, and crashed heavily to the ground.

Upon landing, Ma Chi let out another "waaaah" and vomited a mouthful of blood, his face ashen.

He struggled to sit up, but felt as if his bones and muscles were about to break, and his soul was being pierced by thousands of steel needles, causing unbearable pain and his vision to go black.

Clearly, Cao Feiyu's final burst of sword intent, though controlled in power, was by no means easily withstood, and had already caused him considerable internal and external injuries, especially the impact on his soul, which would require time to heal.

On the training ground, Cao Feiyu slowly sheathed her sword, the Autumn Water Sword returning to its sheath with a clear, resonant ringing sound. The suffocating, dazzling sword intent surrounding her receded like a tide, vanishing without a trace in an instant.

"Cao Feiyu of Cuiping Peak wins!" The elder judge's voice broke the silence and announced the result.

"Senior Sister Cao won again."

"Senior Brother Ma Chi... he was defeated just like that? Without any chance to fight back?"

"The ninth level of the Heavenly Sword Technique, is this the power of the ninth level? The sword intent takes form, following like a shadow, and finally the might of heaven descends."

"Senior Sister Cao's strength is probably even more terrifying than we imagined. Is she really just a late-stage Tai Cang Realm cultivator?"

Exclamations and exclamations of admiration swept across the entire third peak like a tsunami and spread to other peaks at an astonishing speed.

Just as Chen Fei and Cao Feiyu were advancing triumphantly, each defeating their powerful opponents with overwhelming force, causing a sensation throughout the arena, the atmosphere outside another, relatively inconspicuous martial arts arena was rather somber.

In the center of the crowd, a sword cultivator dressed in a moon-white robe slowly walked out of the training ground.

His clothes were somewhat disheveled, and his breathing was weak and unsteady, clearly indicating that he had just gone through a fierce battle with an unsatisfactory outcome.

It was Cuiping Peak, Wei Zhongqian.

He stepped out of the training ground shrouded in light and silently walked to a secluded rock by a stream. With his back to the crowd, he gazed at the babbling water and remained silent.

Just now, he suffered his second defeat in this competition. According to the rules, two defeats mean elimination, disqualifying him from further ranking competitions, and naturally, he also completely loses his chance to obtain those three top-grade level 16 spiritual materials.

For Wei Zhongqian, this result was undoubtedly a blow.

The sense of disparity he felt was even stronger when he saw Chen Fei and Cao Feiyu sweeping across the land with invincible momentum, advancing triumphantly.

"Senior Brother Wei." A concerned voice sounded behind him.

Wei Zhongqian's body trembled slightly. He didn't turn around, but he already knew who it was from the voice. He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, turned around, and forced a somewhat forced smile on his face: "Junior Sister Cao, congratulations on another victory."

"Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war, Senior Brother Wei, there's no need to worry too much," Cao Feiyu comforted him.

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhongqian gave a wry smile and shook his head: "Junior Sister Cao, there's no need to comfort me. Losing is losing; it's because I'm not as skilled as others."

He paused, his gaze fixed on the distant, mist-shrouded mountain peaks, his voice low and deep, "Actually, I know that my chances of winning that top-grade spiritual material in this competition are slim."

"My injuries haven't healed, and I'm not at my peak. It's already quite an achievement that I've come this far, fighting against several strong opponents in a row," Cao Feiyu said in a low voice.

Wei Zhongqian listened to Cao Feiyu's words and remained silent for a moment. The bitterness on his face gradually faded, and he gently exhaled, as if he wanted to expel the pent-up emotions in his chest.

"Junior sister is right." Wei Zhongqian nodded, his tone regaining some of its usual composure, but deep in his eyes, the regret was still hard to completely erase.

"But I still had a sliver of hope in my heart, always feeling that if I were in better shape, I might have gone further... Now that I've been eliminated after two losses, it's good. It's finally the end of that hope, and it allows me to calm down and focus on recovering from my injury."

He spoke frankly, but Cao Feiyu could hear the hint of helplessness beneath his words. As fellow cultivators, who wouldn't want to reach the pinnacle and seize the best resources?

However, some things cannot be forced.

"What about Junior Brother Chen..." Wei Zhongqian changed the subject, looking at Cao Feiyu with a questioning look in his eyes.

“He’s fine.” Cao Feiyu said with a gentle smile.

Wei Zhongqian smiled, this time with a much more genuine smile: "It seems that our Cuiping Peak is really going to make a name for itself this time. You and Junior Brother Chen must fight for that spiritual material for our Cuiping Peak."

"I'll do my best." Cao Feiyu nodded slightly, her gaze fixed on the direction of the main peak.

A moment later, Cao Feiyu took her leave, leaving Wei Zhongqian alone by the stream. He watched Cao Feiyu's departing figure, glanced at the direction of the main peak, and finally turned his gaze back to the murmuring stream.

The stream flows eastward, never to return. But the path of spiritual practice, like this ever-flowing water, meanders forward, never ceasing.

As the sun set, the orange-red glow draped the majestic nine peaks of the Danchen Sect in a splendid veil. The grand competition, which had lasted all day, finally came to an end with the winner determined in the last martial arts arena.

The martial arts arenas at each peak, which had been bustling and exciting all day, gradually returned to calm. However, the excitement, agitation, discussions, and anticipation that filled the air did not diminish at all; on the contrary, they became even more intense as night approached.

Because everyone knows that today is just a warm-up. The real, brutal competition to determine the ownership of those three top-grade sixteenth-rank spiritual materials, enough to drive any late-stage Tai Cang Realm cultivator crazy, will officially begin tomorrow.

At the summit of each peak, the elders in charge of presiding over the competition exchanged information and summarized the results through special communication devices.

Soon, the battle information on the huge light screen that had been floating above the main peak slowly faded away, and in its place appeared twenty golden names.

Each of these twenty names represents a powerful individual who, among the many elite disciples in the late-stage Tai Cang Realm, has emerged victorious after several rounds of fierce battles, remaining undefeated or suffering only one defeat.

The names on the light screen were clearly visible, instantly attracting the attention of all the Dan Chen Sect disciples who were watching the competition.

"Look, the list of the top 20 is out."

"Chen Fei and Cao Feiyu are indeed here."

"Senior Sister Wu Nianjiao also made it. If she hadn't run into Senior Brother Chen, she probably would have been able to enter the top 20 with a perfect record."

"Look, there's also Li Jue from Tiandao Peak, Yan Jin from Xuanhuo Peak, and Qinghe Fairy from Lingzhi Peak... They're all formidable characters."

"Tsk tsk, this will be interesting to watch tomorrow."

The list, once released, sparked a massive wave of discussion. Behind each name lies a story of fierce battles fought today, representing formidable strength and an undeniable status.

"The final round of the competition will be held here promptly at Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow."

"The final round of the competition will be a single-elimination format."

The elder's voice continued, clearly reaching everyone's ears, "The top twenty disciples will draw lots to determine their opponents. The winners will advance, and the losers will be eliminated. Until the very end, the top three will be determined."

It's a single-round elimination system; the winner advances, and the loser is eliminated.

Simple, direct, and brutal!
This means there is no room for complacency, and no room for holding back.

Losing means being completely eliminated and losing all chance to obtain spiritual materials. To reach the end, you must defeat every opponent who stands in your way.

Having said that, the elder judge said no more, slowly closed his eyes, and his figure seemed to merge with the mountain behind him.

As he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence, followed by a burst of sound that was more enthusiastic and surging than ever before.

"The decisive round begins tomorrow."

"We've finally reached the final stage! Three top-grade spiritual materials!"

"I wonder who will be drawn first in tomorrow's lottery?"

"It's a pity we can only watch and not participate... But being able to witness such a grand event makes the trip worthwhile."

Excitement, anticipation, speculation... a variety of emotions spread among the nine peaks.

The stunning performances of Chen Fei, Cao Feiyu, and others today have whetted everyone's appetite to an extreme degree. Everyone is eager to see what kind of dazzling sparks these prodigies will ignite tomorrow.

As dusk settled, the stars began to appear.

After the elders announced that the battle would resume the next day, the crowds gathered around the various peaks' training grounds began to disperse slowly like a tide.

But the departing disciples showed no signs of fatigue; on the contrary, they were all radiant with excitement, their eyes sparkling. They gathered in small groups with their familiar fellow disciples, enthusiastically discussing their day's experiences. Their voices coalesced into a buzzing wave that echoed through the mountains. (End of Chapter)