Cultivation starts from simplifying the exercises

"The Divine Weapon Breaking Army is indeed an unparalleled treasure, originating from the same source as the Divine General Technique I obtained. If I can fully control it and unleash its full power, even with my current cultivation level, I am confident that I can fight against the peak of the Tai Cang Realm."

"Unfortunately, this weapon is too malevolent, its spirit is unruly, and it contains a trace of the incomplete ancient battle spirit's will. Although I have gained the inheritance's approval and have initially refined it, it will take time before I can control it like an extension of my own arm. Right now, I can only unleash a fraction of its power."

Xu Ziqian looked at Liu Ruxu, his tone regaining its previous calm and rationality: "Junior Sister, divine weapons are indeed good, but they are ultimately external objects. The essence of cultivation lies within oneself. Over-reliance on external objects can easily lead to losing one's true self and hindering one's path."

"In tomorrow's battle, I will use my own Divine General Technique to test its effectiveness. As for the Breaking Army... I will not use it lightly unless absolutely necessary, or against a truly worthy opponent. It is too early to discuss using it to suppress Chen Fei."

Upon hearing this, Liu Ruxu's eyes flashed with disappointment, but it was quickly replaced by understanding.

She knew her senior brother was proud and ambitious, and would never be satisfied with winning by relying on the advantage of divine weapons. What he wanted more was to defeat all his opponents fairly and squarely with his own strength and prove himself.

"Senior brother is right to reprimand me; Ruxu was short-sighted."

Liu Ruxu respectfully replied, "However, I believe that with Senior Brother's abilities, even without using divine weapons, he will surely be able to suppress all enemies tomorrow. Moreover, he will shine brightly at the Grand Tournament of Ten Thousand Sects two months from now!"

Liu Ruxu's respectful compliments did not cause Xu Ziqian's expression to change much, but there were two burning flames in his eyes.

"The Grand Tournament of Ten Thousand Sects..." Xu Ziqian repeated these four words in a low voice, his tone filled with an indescribable longing and fighting spirit.

He slowly turned around, facing southeast, the direction of the capital of the Yan Yang Immortal Dynasty and the battlefield of the Ten Thousand Sects Grand Competition. The night wind blew his long hair back.

"Yes, there are still two months left..."

He seemed to be speaking to Liu Ruxu, yet also to himself, "Two months from now, the Grand Tournament of Ten Thousand Sects. That will be the real battlefield for geniuses. Only by defeating powerful enemies from all directions on that stage, which gathers billions of geniuses from the Immortal Dynasty, can you prove yourself and truly win glory for your sect."

His voice gradually rose, carrying a long-suppressed pride: "Senior Brother Feng is a genius, consistently ranking first among the true disciples for so many years, making outstanding contributions to the sect. I, Xu Ziqian, respect him and admire him. But..."

Xu Ziqian changed the subject, and a soaring fighting spirit rose to the sky: "But the glory of Danchen Sect should not be tied to one person alone. How can we only have Feng Butong to show for it? In the Grand Competition of Ten Thousand Sects, sects need more geniuses to stand up and more voices to resound throughout the Immortal Dynasty."

He clenched his fist tightly, and the dark golden battle patterns on the back of his hand reappeared. An even more powerful battle intent surged around him, causing low moans to be heard from those around him.

Liu Ruxu was infected by the boldness and domineering spirit in Xu Ziqian's words. Her pretty face flushed with excitement, and she nodded vigorously, saying, "Senior Brother will definitely succeed. When the time comes, I will definitely let those people who only know how to fawn over Senior Brother Feng see that my senior brother Xu Ziqian of Huangshan Peak is no less impressive than anyone else."

Xu Ziqian took a deep breath, slowly calming his surging emotions, and regained his cool and composed demeanor. He glanced one last time at the main peak, as if he could already see himself displaying his divine power on the Inquiry Platform the next day.

"Tomorrow, I'll first acquire those sixteenth-grade top-rank spiritual materials to solidify my foundation and prepare for the complete refining of the divine weapon." He turned and walked towards his cave dwelling.

While Xu Ziqian made his grand pronouncements atop the mountain, discussions and speculations about the final showdown the next day and the ownership of the three sixteenth-grade top-quality spiritual materials that could change one's destiny were in full swing throughout the Danchen Sect, becoming almost the only topic of conversation that night.

Inside a heavily guarded cave on Tianzhen Peak, Zhong Ming sat cross-legged, his face still somewhat pale, but his eyes no longer held dejection; instead, they shone with a profound light.

The scene of being crushed by Chen Fei with array formations during the day replayed repeatedly in his mind. Was it humiliation? Of course! But more than that, it was an enlightenment and longing that arose after being impacted by a higher level of array formation.

At Cuiping Peak, Cao Feiyu was quietly wiping the Autumn Water Longsword in her hand, the blade reflecting her calm and serene face.

At Tian Dao Peak, Li Jue stood on the edge of a cliff, holding his sword, letting the fierce wind of the blade blow over him.

He had become one with the long sword in his arms, exuding a fierce sword intent that could cut through everything and destroy nothing.

“Chen Fei…Xu Ziqian…and others…” Li Jue slowly opened his eyes, a glint of steel flashing in them. “I hope your skills are worthy of my blade.”

At Xuanhuo Peak, Yan Jin stood in the fiery cave, his body surrounded by quietly burning azure flames that scorched the surrounding rocks, causing them to warp slightly.

He held a wisp of leaping, blazing sky-burning glass flame in his palm, his eyes burning with intensity.

"Invincible in body refinement? Profound swordsmanship? Before my Heaven-Burning Glazed Flame, all will be reduced to ashes." He chuckled coldly, and the flames suddenly surged up, illuminating his wild and unruly face.

At Lingzhi Peak, Qinghe was strolling through her medicinal garden. With a light tap of her fingertips, each spiritual plant stretched out its branches and leaves, exuding vitality.

Her expression was gentle, with a faint smile on her lips. The Wood element is long-lived, capable of nourishing all things, but also capable of annihilating everything.

Zhenyue Peak, Shenshe Peak, Luoxia Peak, Tingchao Peak... In every cave and courtyard, some people tossed and turned, some sat quietly to regulate their breathing, some sharpened their knives, and some secretly made deductions.

Excitement, tension, anticipation, trepidation, resentment, ambition... all sorts of emotions intertwined and fermented in the night of Danchen Sect.

Everyone was waiting, waiting for dawn, waiting for the moment that would decide their fate.

……

Time slipped away quietly amidst anxious waiting and heated discussions, and the first rays of dawn appeared on the eastern horizon.

As the morning light bathed the nine peaks of Danchen, the atmosphere of the entire Danchen Sect reached its peak.

The main peak of the Nine Peaks of Martial Arts, the Asking-the-Quest Peak, was already packed with people and filled with a deafening roar.

Yesterday, the competition was held separately in the various peak training grounds, but today, the final showdown to determine the ownership of the three sixteenth-grade top-rank spiritual materials will all take place on the main peak.

The disciples of the Nine Peaks, regardless of their cultivation level, gathered here whenever they had free time. Even some elders who were usually in seclusion and detached from worldly affairs quietly appeared, hiding in the clouds or on distant cliffs, silently watching.

At the summit of the main peak, an incredibly vast platform was carved out with immense Yuan power—this is the Inquiry Platform. On this platform, there isn't just one martial arts arena, but three arenaes arranged side-by-side.

The reason for setting up three training grounds is naturally to improve efficiency. Although there are only twenty people today, duels in the Tai Cang Realm can sometimes take a lot of time.

The three training grounds operate simultaneously, avoiding long waits and allowing spectators to enjoy more exciting battles at the same time.

At this moment, all three training grounds were empty, but the solemn yet murderous atmosphere had already permeated the air.

All eyes were fixed on the three battle stages where glory would be decided, and on the twenty figures sitting or standing at the edge of the stages, their auras heavy with concentration.

"Look, that's Senior Brother Chen, the one who defeated Senior Sister Wu Nianjiao with two punches yesterday."

"Is that woman in black next to me Senior Sister Cao? Such sharp sword intent, I can feel it even from this distance."

"Look, that's Senior Brother Li Jue from Tian Dao Peak. I've heard that his sword always draws blood when it's drawn."

"Senior Brother Xu Ziqian is here too. I heard he defeated his opponent yesterday with almost no effort..."

“Senior Brother Ji Siqi and Senior Brother Ouyang Rui are standing together. They also performed very strongly yesterday.”

"Senior Sister Qinghe is still as gentle and serene as ever, but I've heard that her Yi Wood Longevity Technique is incredibly terrifying..."

A cacophony of voices rose and fell, exclamations of surprise and admiration filling the air. Everyone's emotions were heightened, eager to witness the earth-shattering clash that would erupt from these rarely seen prodigies in this final showdown.

When the sun fully emerged from the sea of ​​clouds, pouring its golden rays down upon the summit of Wendao Peak without reservation, the clamor and noise that had enveloped the entire mountain instantly quieted down.

All eyes turned to the high viewing platform directly in front of the platform.

Several figures were already seated on the high platform.

Their auras were either as deep as the sea or as sharp as a sword. Although they deliberately restrained themselves, the pressure they naturally exuded still made countless disciples below the stage tremble and dare not look directly at them.

At the very front of the platform, an elderly man dressed in a moon-white Taoist robe slowly rose to his feet.

"quiet!"

Just two words silenced the previously slightly noisy atmosphere completely. Everyone tensed, knowing that the main event was about to begin.

This old man was none other than Elder Qingxu, the chief executive of this sect competition, the deputy hall master of the Transmission Hall, and a powerful figure at the Xuanqiong Heavenly Monarch realm.

Elder Qingxu's gaze swept slowly over the twenty main figures of the day below the stage, then he turned to the thousands of disciples and spoke in a clear voice:
"The time has come. The final round will determine the top three. The rules are as follows:"
1. The winner advances, the loser is eliminated, and fellow disciples from the same peak will avoid being matched with each other.

Second, during the duel, no one may intentionally cause injury or disability. A party who concedes defeat, falls off the training ground, or loses the ability to resist is deemed to have lost.

"Now, let's begin the draw."

As soon as Elder Qingxu finished speaking, without any visible movement from him, twenty jade slips shimmering with soft white light suddenly appeared in the void in front of the platform. On each jade slip, a name appeared, representing the twenty disciples who had made it to the final round.

The jade slip spun rapidly, its speed increasing until it finally transformed into a blurry blur of light and shadow.

The twenty people involved stared intently at the light and shadow.

The light and shadow suddenly stopped, and twenty jade slips, arranged in two rows, floated in the air. Next to each jade slip, the name of another jade slip appeared.

The matchup list is out.

Elder Qingxu glanced at the battle diagram in the void, nodded slightly, and then announced loudly:

"Jia-character Martial Arts Arena: Ji Ling Shuang vs. Zhao Wu Hen".

"The Class B Martial Arts Arena: Ma Chi vs. Zhou Zhi".

"Ci Character Martial Arts Arena: Ouyang Rui vs. Fu Ciyuan."

As Elder Qingxu finished speaking, the six people whose names were called had different expressions.

Ji Ling Shuang remained calm, and with a swift movement, transformed into a streak of light and landed in the Jia-character martial arts arena. His opponent, Zhao Wuhen of Luoxia Peak, was a disciple with a delicate and feminine demeanor, wielding a peculiar long whip. At this moment, his expression was slightly solemn.

At the Yi-character martial arts arena, Ma Chi, the Divine Archer, was defeated by Cao Feiyu's sword yesterday. His face was still a little pale, but his eyes were unusually firm. He needed a victory to regain his confidence.

His opponent, Zhou Zhi of Tingchao Peak, was a gentle and graceful woman with a jade flute hanging from her waist. She gracefully entered the arena with a slight bow.

In the Bingzi Martial Arts Arena, Ouyang Rui let out a low roar, his burly body like a small mountain crashing into the arena, his fighting spirit blazing.

His opponent, Huang Shanfeng's Fu Ciyuan, also flew into the arena.

"The duel begins!"

With Elder Qingxu's command, the transparent barriers surrounding the three martial arts arenas instantly shone brightly, completely isolating the inside from the outside.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
The explosive sounds of colliding energies, the clanging of metal against metal, and the booming of clashing spells resounded almost simultaneously in the three training grounds. The violent energy fluctuations impacted the energy barriers, rippling outwards in concentric circles.

For a moment, everyone's attention on and around Wen Dao Peak was drawn to the three intense duels unfolding simultaneously, and exclamations and discussions surged up like a tide once again.

Chen Fei and Cao Feiyu stood side by side. Chen Fei remained calm and composed, as if the surrounding roaring waves and the intense, dazzling battle had nothing to do with him.

That composure and calmness were out of place with the tense and excited atmosphere around him, yet he possessed a profound and dignified air that commanded respect.

Cao Feiyu, unlike Chen Fei, had a focused expression on her cool face, her eyes closely following the battle in the arena.

She watched intently, her delicate eyebrows sometimes furrowing, sometimes relaxing, as if she were rapidly analyzing the situation on the field. Her right hand rested unconsciously on the hilt of the sword at her waist, her fingertips occasionally trembling slightly.

Although she made it into the top 20 yesterday, Cao Feiyu knew in her heart that there were no weaklings who made it this far, and everyone had their own trump card.

Her confidence was far less than Chen Fei's. She needed to observe, to learn from the battles of others, and to find possible ways to defeat the enemy.

Chen Fei seemed to sense the subtle tension in Cao Feiyu's heart. He turned his head slightly and looked at Cao Feiyu's focused and slightly solemn profile.

Chen Fei didn't speak, but quietly reached out his left hand and gently grasped Cao Feiyu's right hand, which was hanging by her side.

Cao Feiyu's hand trembled slightly as she felt the warmth from his palm, and her tense heartstrings inexplicably relaxed. She turned her head and met Chen Fei's deep eyes.

When their eyes met, Cao Feiyu saw absolute composure and certainty in Chen Fei's eyes.

Cao Feiyu's tense lips curved slightly upwards into a tiny arc, and the seriousness and tension in her eyes dissipated, replaced by a touch of determination and warmth.

She gently squeezed Chen Fei's hand back and nodded.

No need for further explanation; everything is understood without words.

Just then.

"The victor of the Class B Martial Arts Arena is Zhou Zhi!"

Elder Qingxu's calm and composed voice clearly resonated throughout the entire hall.

Inside the training ground, Ma Chi knelt on one knee, leaning on his bow, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his face ashen. Broken arrows were stuck all around him. Opposite him, Zhou Zhi held a jade flute, her pretty face slightly pale, her breath coming in short gasps, but her posture remained upright.

Ma Chi, the direct descendant of the Divine Archer Peak, was defeated by Cao Feiyu's sword yesterday and fell victim to Zhou Zhiyin's attack today, leaving the stage in dejection. A sigh of regret rose from the surrounding disciples.

Elder Qingxu didn't give everyone much time to reflect; his gaze swept over the battle diagram in the void:
"In the fourth match, Cao Feiyu will face Yan Jin."

As soon as the words fell, all eyes in the room instantly turned to Cao Feiyu.

Yesterday she amazed everyone, and today her first battle is against the equally renowned Yan Jin of Xuanhuo Peak. This duel is undoubtedly full of highlights.

Cao Feiyu took a deep breath, clearing her mind of the last distracting thoughts. She glanced at Chen Fei, who nodded slightly and released her hand.

A gentle smile bloomed on Cao Feiyu's face, like the first melting of ice and snow, and the blossoming of spring flowers.

Immediately, she took a step forward, and in the next moment, she silently appeared in the center of the newly cleaned and repaired training ground.

Dressed in black, his figure was as sharp as a sword, standing aloof and cold.

Opposite her, a blazing figure crashed into the arena—it was Yan Jin of Xuanhuo Peak. A faint, azure-colored flame rose around him, distorting the surrounding space with heat. His eyes, fixed on Cao Feiyu, were filled with fighting spirit.

"Junior Sister Cao, please!" Yan Jin grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, his smile wild.

Cao Feiyu remained calm, slowly raising her right hand that held the sword. Before the sword was even drawn, a chilling sword intent, as cold as winter, quietly spread out.

The next moment, Yan Jin moved.

He stomped his foot, and the ground exploded, creating a charred crater. He transformed into a roaring, fiery meteor, hurtling straight towards Cao Feiyu. A clear, distorted trail followed in his wake.

Burning Heaven Fist - Meteor Fall!

Endless glazed flames converged wildly at the edge of Yan Jin's fist, carrying an aura of annihilation, and crashed down towards Cao Feiyu. Even before the fist arrived, the terrifying heat and oppressive force caused many spectators outside the arena to turn pale and instinctively retreat.

Cao Feiyu raised her right hand, which was holding the sword, upwards.

"Clang!"

A clear, resonant sword cry, like a dragon's roar, echoed throughout the entire arena.

Heavenly Sword Technique: Severing the Mortal World!
The glass fireball, capable of incinerating everything, collided with the chilling sword intent without any fancy moves.

The anticipated earth-shattering explosion did not occur; the condensed sword intent silently pierced into the blazing fireball. Wherever it passed, the raging, shimmering flames quickly extinguished and dissipated.

"What domineering sword intent!" Yan Jin was secretly shocked, but he was of a fierce nature and grew stronger when facing stronger opponents. Instead of retreating, his fighting spirit intensified. He roared and followed up with his left fist, striking out once more.

Two giant fire dragons, formed entirely from the Blazing Sky Glazed Flame, roared from his fists, one on the left and one on the right, opening their ferocious maws to devour Cao Feiyu.

Cao Feiyu's expression remained aloof; she didn't move her feet, but her wrists flicked.

Swish!Swish!Swish!
With each swing of the sword, a condensed sword intent burst forth, precisely striking the crucial point where the fiery dragon's power flowed. That sword intent was as sharp as a divine blade, carrying an aura of annihilation over all things.

Yan Jin's offensive was like a raging sea, wave after wave. The Burning Sky Glazed Flame in his hands was ever-changing, sometimes turning into a rain of fire covering the entire field, and sometimes coiling and attacking like a serpent, trying to break through Cao Feiyu's seemingly impenetrable sword net.

He transformed into a fiery war god, roaring repeatedly, yet no matter how fierce and violent his attacks were, Cao Feiyu remained as steady as a rock.

Every sword strike precisely targets the weakest point in Yan Jin's offensive, always breaking through the most raging flames with minimal cost.

After ten moves, discerning people could see the clues.

Although Yan Jin's attacks were still fierce, they were no longer as smooth and coherent as before. Often, before he could finish a move, he had to change his moves to deal with Cao Feiyu's sword that was aimed directly at his weaknesses.

In contrast, Cao Feiyu's breathing was long and steady, and her sword momentum was not suppressed. Instead, it became more and more smooth and free, and her sword intent became more and more refined and pure.

"Senior Brother Yan's Heaven-Burning Glazed Flame has been suppressed..."

"Senior Sister Cao's sword intent is terrifying; it can cut through anything."

"Not only is her sword intent strong, but her grasp of the opportunity and control of her Yuan energy are also exquisite."

Outside the arena, discussions were in full swing. Many disciples who had previously had doubts about Cao Feiyu's abilities were now completely convinced.

Yan Jin naturally sensed that something was wrong. He had a fierce personality, and the more adversity he faced, the more ferocious he became.

He roared, his eyes turning bloodshot, and the crystal flames around him suddenly collapsed inward, their color changing from crystal to a deep dark red. The temperature dropped instead of rising, but the destructive energy contained within made everyone with keen senses feel a chill.

Heaven-Burning Glazed Flame!
Yan Jin thrust his palms forward sharply, and a jet-black fireball shot out silently, locking onto all of Cao Feiyu's escape routes. (End of Chapter)