Cultivation starts from simplifying the exercises

The disciples, still savoring the moment, continued their conversation as they made their way to their respective mountain teahouses.

The details of today's key battles, along with various exaggerated versions, spread at an astonishing speed to every corner of the Dan Chen Sect as the crowd dispersed.

Inside the dining hall, people thronged and the noise was deafening. The usual discussions about cultivation difficulties and sect missions were almost entirely replaced by topics about the grand competition.

"Have you heard? Senior Brother Chen Fei, just two punches. Just two punches, and he sent Senior Sister Wu Nianjiao, the Fairy of Sorrowful Sound, flying!" A disciple exclaimed, gesturing wildly as he spoke, having witnessed it firsthand.

"Tch, that's all outdated. When Senior Brother Chen Fei faced off against Senior Brother Zhong Ming of Tianzhen Peak, guess what happened? Senior Brother Zhong Ming used the Eternal Void Time Array and the Undying True Light Mirror, but Senior Brother Chen Fei countered with his own array and directly suppressed Senior Brother Zhong Ming."

"Really? Isn't Senior Brother Chen Fei from Cuiping Peak? Isn't his body refinement ridiculously strong? How come his formation skills are so powerful too?"

“It’s absolutely true, I was there at the time. The array patterns and the technique were definitely at the grandmaster level. Senior Brother Zhong Ming was completely convinced of his defeat.”

"My god... both physical body and array formation are unparalleled? Is this even fair? Is the empowerment from the ancient Heavenly Court ruins really this outrageous?"

“Hey, you guys say Chen Fei is amazing, but Senior Sister Cao Feiyu is just as impressive.” Another disciple joined the discussion.

"The ninth level of the Heavenly Sword Technique, the sword intent is solidified and follows you like a shadow. This is the true genius of swordsmanship."

"Who said that Senior Sister Cao only got her position because of Senior Brother Chen Fei... cough cough, never mind."

"These two are too strong. They've only recently broken through to the late stage of the Tai Cang Realm, yet they seem even more powerful than those veteran experts?"

Similar conversations were constantly taking place in the tea houses, squares, and even outside the meditation rooms and skill transmission pavilions throughout the Danchen Sect.

Chen Fei and Cao Feiyu, two names that were initially questioned in pre-match predictions due to rumors of breakthroughs and unstable foundations, have instantly become the most talked-about and hottest topics in the entire Danchen Sect after several rounds of battles today.

The label they had recently broken through did not become a weakness; on the contrary, it highlighted their terror and monstrous nature.

"Are the ancient Heavenly Court ruins really that powerful?" This is a question that lingers in the minds of countless disciples.

"Although Senior Brother Zhong Ming lost, his array formations are profound. If he has good luck in the draw tomorrow, he may still have a chance."

"And there's Li Jue from Tiandao Peak, whose swordsmanship is incredibly fierce. Yan Jin from Xuanhuo Peak, whose fire control technique is divine... None of these twenty are easy opponents."

"Tomorrow's draw is crucial; what if Chen Fei and Cao Feiyu are drawn together early on..."

"That would be incredibly exciting, but I think the sects will try to balance things out a bit and prevent the strongest players from meeting too early, right?"

"Who knows? It's a single round, it all comes down to luck and skill."

As night deepened, the heated discussions within the Dan Chen Sect continued unabated. From ordinary disciples to elders of various peaks, and even some reclusive elders, everyone was focused on the upcoming duel.

Night had fallen, and the moonlight, like a ribbon, gently spilled across the rolling peaks of the Danchen Sect, draping the bustling sect in a tranquil silver veil.

While not the highest or most unusual peak in the Danchen Sect, Xu Ning Peak is renowned for its serene elegance and vibrant spiritual energy. The peak is adorned with many rare flowers and exotic plants, and is perpetually shrouded in mist and clouds, resembling condensed cotton, hence its name.

Most of the disciples on the peak are skilled in alchemy and cultivating spiritual herbs, and are generally gentle and calm in nature. However, there is one exception: the chief disciple of the true lineage, Feng Butong, who is widely recognized as the number one person in the Taicang region of the Danchen Sect.

The different cave dwellings are located in a secluded valley behind the Xu Ning Peak, far from the disciples' living area. The entrance to the valley is concealed by a natural formation, making it difficult for ordinary disciples to find.

At this moment, two figures quietly appeared at the entrance of this secluded valley. After a brief pause, they passed through the invisible array barrier and revealed themselves.

Under the moonlight, one could clearly see that they were two distinguished young men. The one on the left was tall and slender, wearing a blue brocade robe embroidered with flowing cloud patterns. He had a refined face, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. He was Ji Siqi, a direct descendant of Tianji Peak.

The man on the right was burly and nearly a head taller than Ji Siqi. He wore a black short-sleeved martial arts uniform that revealed his muscular arms. He walked with a powerful stride, exuding an imposing aura. This man was Ouyang Rui, a direct descendant of Zhenyue Peak.

These two individuals are prominent figures among the late-stage Tai Cang Realm cultivators within the Dan Chen Sect, and are also popular contenders for this sect competition. They are strong contenders with a very high chance of winning the three sets of sixteenth-grade top-quality spiritual materials.

However, at this moment, these two prodigies, who were seen as superior by others, did not show much of the triumph they had achieved during the day. Instead, a faint sense of solemnity and worry lingered between their brows.

They walked toward the bluestone courtyard in front of the bamboo house, their footsteps making soft sounds on the soft soil and smooth bluestone slabs, which carried far in the quiet night.

The medicinal herbs in the herb garden seemed to sense the presence of living people; their leaves moved swiftly without wind, emitting faint light.

Ji Siqi and Ouyang Rui arrived at the simple bamboo house. The gate was made of ordinary green bamboo and looked simple, but upon closer inspection, one could find mysterious patterns growing naturally on the bamboo strips, which were faintly connected to the spiritual energy of the entire valley.

Ji Siqi stopped, straightened his neatly arranged robes, raised his hand, and gently tapped the door of the Green Bamboo Courtyard three times with his knuckles.

"Tap, tap, tap."

As soon as the words left his lips, the bamboo gate slid open silently. At the same time, a calm and gentle voice drifted from within the courtyard:
"Come in."

Ji Siqi and Ouyang Rui stepped across the threshold and entered this courtyard, which was quite legendary in the eyes of the disciples of the Danchen Sect's Taicang Realm.

The courtyard is paved with clean bluestone slabs, bathed in moonlight that casts a cool, luminous glow. The ancient, tranquil tea tree sways gently in the night breeze, casting dappled shadows.

The entire courtyard exudes a tranquil, natural, and serene atmosphere, naturally calming the mind and spirit.

In the center of the courtyard, beneath the tranquil tea tree, a figure sat cross-legged with his back to the gate.

She wore a simple, moon-white coarse cloth robe, its style rustic and devoid of any ornamentation. Her long hair was unbound, held back only by a wooden hairpin, with a few strands falling over her shoulders.

He sat there quietly, his back straight as a pine tree, his breath long and deep, blending seamlessly with the rest of the courtyard.

This is Feng Butong, the number one true disciple of the Danchen Sect in this generation. He cultivates the domineering and unparalleled Dao Xu Gui Zhen Body, and controls his violent power in a gentle and restrained way, returning to his original simplicity.

The two quickened their pace, stopping about ten feet behind the figure. Ji Siqi bowed first and spoke:

"Senior Brother Feng, I apologize for visiting you so late at night and disturbing your meditation."

Ouyang Rui, who was standing next to him, also bowed and said in a deep voice, "Please forgive me for disturbing your peace, Senior Brother."

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the Tranquil Tea Tree, and a few yellowed leaves swirled and drifted down. The figure that had been turned away from them slowly turned around.

Feng Butong's appearance was not particularly handsome, but his eyebrows were sparse and his nose was straight. Under the moonlight, his eyes faintly shimmered with a very faint purple hue.

At this moment, a gentle smile graced his face.

"No need for formalities. Tomorrow is the final round of the competition, a single decisive battle that will determine the ownership of those three spiritual materials. You two should be clearing your minds of distractions and getting yourselves into peak condition. Why aren't you preparing properly, instead of having time to come here?"

His words sounded like a casual inquiry, tinged with concern, but Ji Siqi and Ouyang Rui dared not be negligent in the slightest.

The two straightened up, exchanged a glance, and Ji Siqi took half a step forward, cupped his hands again, and said with a wry smile:
"Reporting to Senior Brother Feng, it is precisely because tomorrow's duel is of great importance that we are both... truly uncertain, tossing and turning at night, unable to calm our minds. Therefore, we have come to trouble you, hoping to receive your guidance."

"Oh? Not confident?" Upon hearing this, Feng Butong's eyebrows twitched slightly, the faint purple light in his eyes seemed to brighten a little, and the gentle smile on his face also faded a bit.

"With your abilities, while I wouldn't dare say you're guaranteed a top-three finish among your fellow disciples participating in this competition, it's reasonable for you to contend for a top-five position. What person or event could make you both feel so uncertain?"

After returning from the ancient Heavenly Court ruins, Feng Butong has been in seclusion, cultivating and adjusting his state in preparation for the upcoming Grand Competition of Ten Thousand Sects. He has not paid much attention to the specific details of the competition within his sect.

Ouyang Rui took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Senior Brother Feng is wise. There are indeed two exceptional individuals in this competition. We two privately estimate that if we were to meet them in tomorrow's duel, our chances of winning would probably be less than 30%."

"Less than 30%?" Feng Butong's surprise deepened.

He knew Ouyang Rui well; the man was calm, even somewhat taciturn, and never spoke recklessly. If he said the chances were less than 30%, then the actual odds were probably even lower.

"Which two junior brothers and sisters are they? How could they possess such abilities?" Feng Butong leaned forward slightly.

Ji Siqi pursed his lips, a complicated expression on his face: "One of them, Senior Brother may have heard of him. He is Chen Fei, Junior Brother Chen, who recently returned from the ruins, broke through two realms, and entered the late stage of Tai Cang."

“Chen Fei?” Feng Butong repeated the name in a low voice.

He had indeed heard of this name. After all, the speed at which someone could break through from the early stage of the Tai Cang realm to the late stage within a year was rare in the history of the Dan Chen Sect, making it difficult for such a breakthrough not to attract attention.

However, many of his disciples, including himself, had previously held reservations or even questioned the matter.

While the initiation and transmission of knowledge can be achieved quickly, it often results in a weak foundation, limited potential, and a mental state that cannot match the rapid increase in cultivation. In the eyes of true geniuses, such cultivators may be glorious in the early stages, but they lack staying power and are unlikely to achieve great things.

Therefore, although Feng Butong knew his name, he did not pay much attention to him.

"Senior brother, you are unaware of this."

Ouyang Rui picked up the conversation, his personality even more straightforward, a deep wry smile on his face: "If it were merely the initiation stage, it would naturally be nothing to worry about. But after witnessing their competition today... I realize how wrong I was."

"Oh?" Feng Butong's eyes flickered slightly, signaling him to continue.

Ouyang Rui took out an object from his pocket. It was a piece of blue jade, a commonly used photographic stone for recording images.

Ouyang Rui poured his Yuan energy into the recording stone in his hand, and the surface of the blue jade stone shone brightly, projecting a clear light screen that floated in the void in front of the three of them.

On the light screen, images flowed, revealing the scene of Chen Fei and Wu Nianjiao fighting in the daytime martial arts arena.

When Feng Butong first saw Wu Nianjiao use the Seven Emotions Mystic Sounds to evoke the sorrowful sounds of the mortal world, his expression didn't change much. Although Wu Nianjiao's path of sorrowful sounds was indeed strange and difficult to guard against, in Feng Butong's eyes, it was easy to break.

However, when Chen Fei faced the overwhelming torrent of sound waves and unleashed his domineering aura, Feng Butong's eyes, which had always been as calm as a deep pool, finally showed clear ripples.

The pale purple light that had been flowing leisurely in Feng Butong's eyes suddenly became bright and sharp, locking onto Chen Fei's figure in the water curtain.

He looked at it with extreme care, not missing a single detail.

“It’s not just the initial condensation of the true body…” Feng Butong’s mind raced. Comparing it with his own experience of cultivating this technique, the more he looked, the deeper his surprise became.

The images on the water screen continued to play.

Chen Fei broke through the formation with one punch and defeated the enemy with another. In just two punches, he was decisive, swift, and domineering.

The entire battle, from beginning to end, lasted only a few breaths. Chen Fei swiftly defeated Wu Nianjiao, who was among the top in the late stage of the Tai Cang Realm.

The images in the water curtain abruptly stopped and slowly dissipated.

Silence returned to the courtyard.

Feng Butong remained silent, his eyes lowered, seemingly still savoring the scene he had just witnessed.

Ji Siqi and Ouyang Rui dared not make a sound to disturb him, knowing that Senior Brother Feng was re-evaluating his junior brother named Chen Fei.

After a long pause, Feng Butong slowly raised his eyes, looked at Ji Siqi and Ouyang Rui, and a smile reappeared on his face: "This Junior Brother Chen... is indeed quite interesting."

"Are you two worried because you saw his fight with Wu Nianjiao today and felt your chances of winning were slim?"

Ji Siqi nodded, his tone grave. "To be honest, Senior Brother, that's true. Wu Nianjiao's Path of Sorrowful Sound is unpredictable and difficult to defend against. Even the two of us would have to be careful. Yet Junior Brother Chen Fei broke through it with just two punches, relying solely on his physical strength..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear. Faced with absolute power and defense, many exquisite spells and formations appear pale and powerless.

Ouyang Rui went even further, asking in a deep voice, "Senior brother, your vision is profound. In your opinion, at what level has Junior Brother Chen Fei cultivated his Dao Void Returning to Truth Body?"

This question is not only Ouyang Rui's question, but also the biggest doubt in the hearts of Ji Siqi, and even everyone who witnessed that battle today.

The Dao Xu Gui Zhen Body is a top-tier body-refining technique that every disciple in the Tai Cang Realm of the Dan Chen Sect can practice. However, very few are truly qualified, capable, and successful in cultivating it.

Feng Butong was the most famous among them, and it was through this achievement that he secured his position as the chief disciple.

Looking at the two people in front of him who were anxiously waiting for an answer, Feng Butong slowly said, "If my observation is not wrong, Junior Brother Chen Fei's mastery of the Dao Ruins Return to Truth Technique should have reached the ninth level."

"The ninth level?" Although they had already guessed, Ji Siqi and Ouyang Rui still couldn't help but gasp when they heard it confirmed by Feng Butong.

Having been in the sect for less than a year, he actually cultivated the Dao Ruins Return to Truth Technique, a top-tier body-refining skill known for its difficulty and obscurity, to the ninth level.

Even with the initiation and inheritance, which directly imprints the understanding of the cultivation method into one's soul, it still requires real time to hone one's comprehension.

Feng Butong seemed to see through the turmoil in their hearts and nodded slightly: "That's right, the ninth level. However, he was quite restrained in today's competition, only using the mysteries and power of the eighth level. Otherwise, Junior Sister Wu Nianjiao's injuries would not be what they are now."

Only the eighth level of profound mystery?

Ji Siqi and Ouyang Rui looked at each other again, both seeing horror and bitterness in each other's eyes.

He defeated Wu Nianjiao with just two punches at the eighth level. What would it be like if he unleashed his full power at the ninth level?

A brief silence fell over the courtyard, broken only by the night breeze rustling through the herb garden, carrying the fragrance of herbs and the slightly heavy breathing of Ji Siqi and his companion.

Feng Butong observed their reactions but offered neither words of comfort nor further explanation. Some facts require time to accept.

After a moment, Feng Butong spoke again, his voice still calm, but the weight of his words was immense:

"This junior brother Chen Fei is very strong."

He gave a simple and direct assessment. The word "very strong" coming from the mouth of the number one person in the Tai Cang Realm of Dan Chen Sect was far more valuable than any other person's praise.

"Given the strength that Junior Brother Chen Fei has shown so far, he should get one of the three 16th-grade top-quality spiritual materials in this inner sect competition."

Feng's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable certainty. This was no longer a prediction, but a fact that was about to happen.

Ji Siqi and Ouyang Rui were startled. Although they had expected it, hearing Feng Butong's assertion still stirred their emotions. A glint of expectation flashed in Feng Butong's eyes as he continued:
"And when he successfully refines that top-grade spiritual material, solidifies his foundation, and makes further progress, Junior Brother Chen Fei will also be able to participate in the Grand Competition of Ten Thousand Sects two months later."

"The Grand Competition of Ten Thousand Sects?"

Ji Siqi blurted it out almost without thinking, his voice rising slightly with excitement. (End of Chapter)