Seven Mysterious Spaces: My Rise to Power in the Cultivation World

After Elder Zhang left, Zhuang Yu sat down cross-legged and began to circulate his internal energy to regulate his breathing.

Wang Yao stood quietly by his side, her eyes filled with worry.

"Brother Zhuang Yu, are you really alright?" she asked softly.

Zhuang Yu opened his eyes and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. It's just a little trick, it can't do anything to me."

A few days later, the sect competition continued.

Zhuang Yu stepped onto the dueling platform again and found that his opponent was Zhou Ming once again.

Zhou Ming looked at Zhuang Yu, a sinister glint in his eyes, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"What a small world, Zhuang Yu." Zhuang Yu felt a chill run down his spine; he knew Zhou Ming definitely had ill intentions.

Although there was no evidence pointing to Zhou Ming in the last attack, Zhuang Yu intuitively felt that he was involved.

"A defeated opponent is nothing to boast about." Zhuang Yu replied calmly, his face expressionless, but inwardly he was on high alert.

The bell rings to start the game.

Unlike last time, Zhou Ming did not rush to attack. Instead, he moved quickly around the arena, his hands forming hand seals, and wisps of gray mist spread out, quickly enveloping the entire arena.

"What is this?" Exclamations of surprise came from the audience.

Zhuang Yu felt his divine sense was being disturbed, making it difficult for him to perceive the surrounding situation.

This is a kind of illusion that conceals one's aura, capable of blocking divine sense detection, making one feel as if they are in a fog, unable to discern directions.

Wang Yao watched anxiously from the audience, but she knew she couldn't help and could only silently pray that Zhuang Yu would be safe and sound.

Zhuang Yu found himself in a maze, his vision obstructed, and everything around him became blurry.

He tried to use his divine sense to investigate, but found that his divine sense was suppressed and he could only detect a very small area around him.

Zhou Ming's figure was hidden in the mist, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Zhuang Yu knew that he had to find a solution as soon as possible, otherwise he would be put on the defensive.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and began to carefully sense the fluctuations of spiritual energy around him...

"Heh, are you looking for me?" A cold voice suddenly rang out behind Zhuang Yu.

Zhuang Yu turned around abruptly, only to see a hazy gray mist.

"Come out, Zhou Ming, I know it's you!" Zhuang Yu shouted coldly.

"Hehe, you are indeed very clever." Zhou Ming's figure slowly emerged from the mist, holding a dagger that gleamed coldly in his hand.

"Unfortunately, his cleverness backfired..." Before Zhou Ming could finish speaking, he flashed forward like a ghost and pounced on Zhuang Yu.

"Prepare to die!" The dagger in Zhou Ming's hand gleamed with a cold, eerie light, pointing directly at Zhuang Yu's heart.

A faint black aura swirled around the dagger, clearly indicating that it had been coated with a potent poison.

"It's over, Zhuang Yu!" Zhou Ming grinned maliciously, as if he could already see Zhuang Yu lying in a pool of blood.

"Is that so?" Zhuang Yu's lips curled into a disdainful smile.

He had long anticipated Zhou Ming's sneak attack amidst the illusion and had been on guard in secret.

Just as the dagger was about to pierce him, Zhuang Yu swayed and narrowly dodged the fatal blow.

Zhou Ming's attack missed its mark, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his ferocity.

"You reacted quickly, but do you think you can escape my grasp like this?" Zhou Ming lunged forward again, his dagger transforming into afterimages that enveloped Zhuang Yu.

Zhuang Yu dodged left and right in the maze, temporarily avoiding Zhou Ming's attack, but his situation remained extremely dangerous.

He understood that this couldn't go on forever; he had to find a way to break through the impasse as soon as possible.

As Zhou Ming attacked, he taunted, "What, are you scared now? Where did your arrogance go?"

"Provocation won't work on me." Zhuang Yu snorted coldly, but his mind was quickly searching for a solution.

He suddenly remembered a magical object he had obtained in the mysterious space called the "Barrier-Breaking Pearl," which was said to be able to dispel any illusions.

Thinking of this, Zhuang Yu was overjoyed.

Taking advantage of the moment when he was dodging Zhou Ming's attacks, he quietly took out the Barrier-Breaking Spirit Pearl from the mysterious space.

The spirit pearl feels warm to the touch and emits a faint fragrance.

"What is this thing?" Zhou Ming noticed the spirit pearl in Zhuang Yu's hand, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

Zhuang Yu ignored Zhou Ming's question and instead poured his spiritual power into the Barrier-Breaking Spirit Pearl.

The spirit pearl suddenly shone brightly, and a dazzling white light spread out instantly, completely dispelling the gray mist that shrouded the arena.

“You…” Zhou Ming’s expression changed drastically when he saw that his carefully laid trap had been broken.

“Now, it’s my turn.” A sharp glint flashed in Zhuang Yu’s eyes, and a long sword appeared in his hand without him even noticing.

Lightning flashed across the sword's blade.

When Zhou Ming saw that his carefully laid trap had been broken, his panic was on full display. His previously confident smirk froze on his face, making him look particularly ridiculous.

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhuang Yu seized the moment when Zhou Ming was stunned, and his longsword blazed with lightning, unleashing a barrage of sharp sword energy that swept towards Zhou Ming like a storm.

"Thunderclap Sword Technique!" Zhuang Yu shouted, his swordplay becoming increasingly fierce.

This sword technique was obtained from a mysterious space, and its power far surpasses that of ordinary sword techniques that cultivators of the same level can master.

Zhou Ming hastily responded, wielding his dagger with impenetrable speed, but still could not withstand Zhuang Yu's storm-like offensive.

Each sword aura contained powerful lightning force, which made Zhou Ming's arm go numb and his tiger's mouth split open.

"How is this possible! How could you be so strong!" Zhou Ming stared wide-eyed in disbelief. He clearly remembered that Zhuang Yu's cultivation level was the same as his, both being in the early stage of Core Formation. Why was there such a huge difference in their strength?

The surrounding audience gasped in amazement as they watched Zhuang Yu so easily thwart Zhou Ming's scheme and launch a counterattack.

"Wow, amazing! Senior Brother Zhuang Yu is so strong!" "It seems we all underestimated him!"

Seeing that defeat was imminent, a ruthless glint flashed in Zhou Ming's eyes. He gritted his teeth and took out a black disc from his storage bag. The disc was engraved with strange runes and exuded a chilling aura.

"Die, Zhuang Yu!" Zhou Ming roared, frantically pouring his spiritual power into the disc.

The disc suddenly shone brightly, transforming into a black streak of light that rushed straight towards Zhuang Yu.

Zhuang Yu felt the powerful pressure and his heart tightened; he dared not be negligent.

He quickly mobilized his spiritual power, forming a golden shield in front of him.

"boom!"

The black light collided with the golden shield, producing a deafening roar.

The surrounding air fluctuated violently, and the arena trembled slightly.

Zhuang Yu grunted and was knocked back several steps by the powerful impact, but he still stood firmly on the dueling platform. Although the golden shield was dim, it was not broken.

Zhou Ming's face turned even uglier when he saw this.

He hadn't expected Zhuang Yu to be able to block the attack from his hidden magic weapon.

This magic weapon was obtained at a great cost by him, and its power was enough to severely injure a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator, yet it failed to harm Zhuang Yu in the slightest!

Just as Zhou Ming was in astonishment, Zhuang Yu's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He seized the opportunity, reached out and grabbed the black disc in his hand.

"Now, it's my turn to return it to you!" Zhuang Yu sneered, channeling his spiritual energy into the disc, and then threw it at Zhou Ming.

Zhou Ming was unable to dodge in time and was struck by his own magic weapon. He let out a scream and was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the edge of the arena. He coughed up blood and his face was as pale as paper.

Zhuang Yu, holding a long sword, walked step by step toward Zhou Ming, saying, "What other tricks do you have up your sleeve? Show them to me."

Zhou Ming struggled to get up, but found himself completely powerless, unable to even move a finger.

He watched Zhuang Yu approach step by step, his eyes filled with fear...

"You...you can't kill me..."

"Why can't I?" Zhuang Yu stopped and looked down at Zhou Ming, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Seeing Zhuang Yu's bravery, Wang Yao's eyes were filled with love and admiration.

She exclaimed excitedly, "Brother Zhuang Yu, you're the best!" Hearing her voice, Zhuang Yu's lips curled up slightly, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

He turned to look at Wang Yao and gave her a confident smile.

Just then, Elder Zhang flew down onto the dueling platform and announced, "Zhuang Yu wins this battle!" He gave Zhuang Yu a deep look, his eyes filled with admiration.

This young man was even more outstanding than he had imagined.

Zhou Ming was carried away by the sect disciples, his fate unknown.

Zhuang Yu sheathed his longsword, turned around, and walked off the dueling platform.

The disciples around him made way for him, their eyes filled with awe.

The good-for-nothing they once mocked and ridiculed has now displayed such formidable strength that they have to take notice.

"Zhuang Yu, you did very well." A deep voice sounded in Zhuang Yu's ear.

Zhuang Yu turned his head and saw a middle-aged man in a blue robe standing behind him, looking at him with a smile.

This person is the sect leader and a renowned expert in the cultivation world.

"Sect Leader!" Zhuang Yu quickly bowed.

"No need for formalities." The sect leader waved his hand. "I have seen your performance. You are a rare genius. I hope you will continue to work hard and live up to the sect's expectations."

"This disciple will certainly do his utmost!" Zhuang Yu replied respectfully.

The sect leader patted Zhuang Yu on the shoulder, then turned and left.

Zhuang Yu watched the sect leader's retreating figure, his heart filled with fighting spirit.

He must become stronger to protect those around him and make those who once looked down on him regret it!

In the following matches, Zhuang Yu swept through the competition, advancing to the finals.

His performance shocked the entire sect and also attracted the attention of other sects.

On the eve of the final, Zhuang Yu sat cross-legged in his room, silently adjusting his breathing.

Wang Yao prepared spiritual tea for him, her eyes full of tenderness.

"Brother Zhuang Yu, the finals are tomorrow, you must be careful," Wang Yao said softly.

"Don't worry, I won't let you down." Zhuang Yu opened his eyes and gave Wang Yao a reassuring smile.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Zhuang Yu got up and opened the door, only to see a disciple dressed in black standing outside.

"Senior Brother Zhuang, the sect leader requests your presence," the disciple in black said respectfully.

Zhuang Yu's heart skipped a beat. Could it be something important?

He followed the disciple in black to the sect leader's room.

Besides the sect leader, there were several sect elders in the room.

When they saw Zhuang Yu enter, they all revealed meaningful smiles.

"Zhuang Yu, you've arrived." The sect leader gestured for Zhuang Yu to sit down.

"What business does the sect leader have with me?" Zhuang Yu asked.

The sect leader pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke: "Tomorrow is the final, and your opponent is..." He paused, looking intently at Zhuang Yu, "Li Hao."