Cultivating

Su Yu and the other two had not walked far from the martial arts arena when they suddenly saw two graceful figures blocking their path.

Su Yu frowned slightly, thinking they had encountered more challengers. He looked closely and saw they were two young women.

One of the beautiful young women was smiling at them, while the other, dressed in snow-white, was even more stunning.

Her exquisite features were like carved ice and polished jade, and her cold demeanor made her seem otherworldly, as if she didn't eat mortal food, deterring anyone from approaching casually.

"You're amazing! My name is Ye Xuan."

The lively young woman spoke first, then pointed to the white-clad girl beside her.

"This is Yunxi Jie Jie. She's the most beautiful girl in the Outer Sect!"

"Is there something you need?"

Su Yu's tone was calm, but his gaze involuntarily lingered on Yunxi for a moment longer.

Yunxi spoke, "Zou Lintian is Lu Zi'ang's man."

Su Yan, standing nearby, scoffed dismissively, "Then let's beat up that Lu Zi'ang too!"

"Do not underestimate your enemy."

Yunxi shook her head slightly, her cool eyes meeting Su Yu's directly.

"You can instantly kill Zou Lintian, which certainly qualifies you to compete for the Top Ten Disciples. But Lu Zi'ang ranks second, his strength is unfathomable, and he holds grudges. You injured his subordinate today, and he will certainly not hold back when you compete in the future."

She paused, her tone growing more serious. "Even more concerning is Yuwen Jie. This person firmly holds the first rank in the Outer Sect, his strength is in a league of its own. Rumor has it he once killed a Martial Artist in the first level of the Spirit Condensation Realm."

"Killed someone in the Spirit Condensation Realm?" Su Mei exclaimed, covering her mouth.

A flicker of surprise also crossed Su Yu's eyes.

Although he had defeated Lin Tian a few months ago, who had forcibly advanced to the Spirit Condensation Realm, the gap between them and a true Spirit Condensation Realm expert was still vast.

Even he, in his current state, might not be able to defeat a true first-level Spirit Condensation Realm cultivator, let alone kill one.

Su Yu said solemnly, "Thank you."

Back in his courtyard, Su Yu sat quietly to regulate his breathing, Yunxi's warning echoing in his mind.

Since he had decided to participate in the selection for the Top Ten Outer Disciples, clashing with powerhouses like Lu Zi'ang and Yuwen Jie was inevitable.

While he did not fear challenges, he also understood the importance of acting cautiously. The immediate priority was to improve his strength as quickly as possible.

Over the next month, Su Yu formulated a rigorous training plan:

As dawn broke, he would practice the Lone Peak Sword Art in the courtyard.

Where his sword edge passed, it was sometimes as stable and heavy as a mountain, and sometimes as sharp and fierce as thunder.

This sword art demanded extremely high comprehension. Su Yu would ascend the Lone Peak behind the mountain every day, quietly observing the mountain's changes and comprehending its artistic conception.

Although he had not yet reached Greater Accomplishment, his Sword Intent had become more condensed than a month ago, with each strike carrying a mountain-like oppressive force.

When the sun was high in the sky, he would switch to practicing Fleeting Light Shadow.

His body would move and weave within the courtyard, sometimes like a willow swaying in the breeze, sometimes like a fleeting shadow.

This movement technique emphasized the body following the mind's intent, and the intent following the heart's will. Su Yu had deliberately set up a wooden stake formation in the courtyard, practicing evasive maneuvers and turns in a confined space.

Although progress was slightly slower, his movement technique was now three parts more agile than before.

In the evening, he would first practice the Wind-Swept Flowing Cloud Sword.

This sword art had reached perfection in his hands, especially one move, where it was almost at the stage of his will alone activating the Sword Intent.

As his sword light flowed, fallen leaves in the courtyard would move without wind, forming small whirlwinds with the sword's momentum.

Afterward, he would switch to practicing the Thunderclap Fist, his punches sounding like thunder, exploding with loud booms in the courtyard.

When the moon was high in the sky, he would sit cross-legged in his quiet room, circulating the Qi Nurturing Technique to regulate his Spiritual Power.

Although he had reached the peak of Qi Refining Level 9, the bottleneck to the Spirit Condensation Realm remained unmoved.

Attempts to use Beast Cores to nourish his Spiritual Power were also futile. It seemed the breakthrough to this realm would ultimately depend on his own comprehension.

After a month of arduous training, Su Yu's aura became even sharper.

The Wind-Swept Flowing Cloud Sword had reached the Greater Accomplishment realm in his hands. Any casual sword strike carried astonishing power.

This sword art, improved by him, could almost be considered a semi-self-created martial skill, making it exceptionally easy to use.

Although the Lone Peak Sword Art had not broken through, its power had surpassed its previous level.

The Thunderclap Fist had made the most significant progress, just one step away from Greater Accomplishment.

Only the Fleeting Light Shadow had progressed slightly slower. However, movement technique martial skills were inherently difficult to master quickly, and such progress was already remarkable.

Tomorrow was the day of the Top Ten Outer Disciples selection.

Su Yu sheathed his sword, gazing at the blood-red sunset on the horizon.

One day.

In a dark room, Zou Lintian lay on the bed with a deathly pale face. Thick bandages wrapped his chest, and his breath was weak and dispirited.

He had once been somewhat renowned in the Outer Sect, but now he could barely get out of bed, clearly suffering from severe injuries.

The door was violently pushed open, and a stern figure strode in, exuding a suffocating pressure—it was the Outer Sect's second-ranked disciple, Lu Zi'ang!

"Who did this?" he asked, his voice low, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Zhang Hao, standing nearby, quickly stepped forward and said with his head bowed, "Senior Brother Lu, it was that new disciple, Su Yu! He..."

Seeing Lu Zi'ang arrive in person, Zou Lintian's previously dim eyes suddenly lit up.

He struggled to prop himself up, his face a mixture of pain and resentment.

"Senior Brother Lu!" Zou Lintian gritted out, his voice laced with suppressed rage.

"That day outside the arena, I personally heard Su Yu spewing nonsense."

He paused, his breathing becoming rapid. "He said the Top Ten Outer Disciples were nothing special, and he even mocked us for not breaking through to the Spirit Condensation Realm after so many years..."

At this point, Zou Lintian's fists clenched involuntarily. "He called us all trash!"

Zou Lintian's voice grew more agitated. "I couldn't stand it, so I stepped forward to reason with him. Who knew..."

His expression suddenly turned ferocious. "In the arena, he took advantage of my carelessness and launched a surprise attack!"

Finally, his voice lowered, filled with unwillingness. "I... was careless for a moment and was severely injured by him."

Zhang Hao's eyelids twitched as he listened, cursing inwardly, Could you be any more ridiculous? He clearly cleaved you with a frontal sword strike, where did this surprise attack come from?

But he didn't dare expose the lie and could only keep his head down.

After listening, Lu Zi'ang's eyes flashed with killing intent, his spiritual power surging faintly around him, as if the temperature in the room had plummeted.

"What an arrogant newcomer!" he said coldly.

"In a few more days, it will be the selection for the Top Ten Outer Disciples. If he dares to show up, I'll let him know—what a real gap is!"

Upon hearing this, a hint of success flashed in Zou Lintian's eyes, while Zhang Hao secretly broke out in a cold sweat for Su Yu.

Lu Zi'ang was no pushover like Zou Lintian. If he made a move, Su Yu would likely... be in grave danger!