Cultivation

Su Yu and the other two had barely left the arena when two graceful figures blocked their path.

Su Yu frowned, thinking they were more challengers, but a closer look revealed two young women.

One, a pretty girl, smiled brightly at them. The other, dressed in white as pure as snow, was breathtaking.

Her delicate features looked carved from ice and jade. Her cool, distant air made her seem untouched by the mortal world, and no one would dare approach her lightly.

"You're amazing! I'm Ye Xuan."

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

"This is Sister Yunxi. She's the most beautiful woman in the outer sect!"

"Do you need something?"

Su Yu's tone was calm, though his gaze lingered on Yunxi despite himself.

Yunxi said, "Zou Lintian is one of Lu Zi'ang's men."

Su Yan, standing nearby, shrugged. "Then we'll beat up Lu Zi'ang too!"

"Don't underestimate him."

Yunxi shook her head slightly, her cool eyes fixed on Su Yu.

"You defeated Zou Lintian in an instant, so you certainly have what it takes to compete for a place among the Top Ten Outer Disciples. But Lu Zi'ang ranks second. His strength is unfathomable, and he never lets a slight go unanswered. You injured one of his men today. When you meet in a match, he won't show you mercy."

She paused, her voice growing graver. "But you need to be even more wary of Yuwen Jie. He has held first place in the outer sect for years, and his strength is in a league of its own. Rumor has it he once killed a warrior at Spirit Condensation Realm Level 1."

"He killed someone in the Spirit Condensation Realm?" Su Mei gasped, covering her mouth.

A flicker of surprise crossed Su Yu's eyes as well.

Months ago, he had defeated Lin Tian after Lin Tian had forcibly raised his cultivation to the Spirit Condensation Realm. But there was still a vast gulf between that and a true Spirit Condensation Realm expert.

Even now, Su Yu might not win against someone genuinely at Spirit Condensation Realm Level 1, much less kill them.

"Thank you," Su Yu said solemnly.

Back in the courtyard, Su Yu sat quietly and regulated his breathing, Yunxi's warning echoing in his mind.

Now that he had decided to enter the selection for the Top Ten Outer Disciples, clashes with experts like Lu Zi'ang and Yuwen Jie were inevitable.

He did not fear a challenge, but he understood the need for caution. His most pressing task was to grow stronger as quickly as possible.

For the next month, Su Yu set himself a grueling training schedule:

At the first glimmer of dawn, he practiced the Lone Peak Sword Art in the courtyard.

Where his blade passed, it was sometimes as steady and weighty as a mountain, sometimes as fierce and forceful as thunder.

The sword art demanded extraordinary insight. Every day, Su Yu climbed the solitary peak behind the mountain to watch its contours and contemplate the essence within them.

Though he had not yet reached Great Accomplishment, his sword strikes were more focused than they had been a month ago. Every stroke bore the crushing pressure of a mountain.

Under the blazing midday sun, he turned to Fleeting Light Shadow.

He darted and wheeled through the courtyard, now like a breeze brushing willow branches, now like a fleeting shadow flashing past.

This movement art called for the body to follow intent and intent to follow the heart. Su Yu had deliberately set up a wooden-stake Formation in the courtyard to practice twisting and turning in tight spaces.

Progress was somewhat slow, but his movements had grown noticeably more nimble.

At dusk, he first practiced the Wind-Swept Flowing Cloud Sword.

In his hands, this sword art had reached a sublime state. One move in particular was so refined that a mere thought was enough for the sword strike to take shape.

As the Sword Light flowed, fallen leaves in the courtyard stirred without wind, gathering into a small whirlwind around his blade.

He then switched to Thunderclap Fist. Each punch struck like thunder, setting off sharp booms throughout the courtyard.

When the moon reached its zenith, he sat cross-legged in the Quiet Room and circulated the Qi Nurturing Technique to steady his spiritual energy.

Though he had reached the peak of Qi Refining Level 9, the barrier to the Spirit Condensation Realm remained utterly unmoved.

Even using Beast Cores to replenish his spiritual energy had done no good. It seemed breaking through this realm would ultimately depend on his own understanding.

After a month of arduous training, Su Yu's bearing had grown sharper.

In his hands, the Wind-Swept Flowing Cloud Sword had reached Great Accomplishment. Even a casual stroke carried astonishing force.

He had refined the sword art so extensively that it could almost be considered half his own creation, and wielding it now felt effortless.

The Lone Peak Sword Art had not advanced to the next stage, but it was more powerful than before.

Thunderclap Fist had improved most dramatically. It stood just one step from Great Accomplishment.

Only Fleeting Light Shadow had progressed more slowly. Movement arts were difficult to master quickly, though, and even this much improvement was rare.

Tomorrow was the selection for the Top Ten Outer Disciples.

Su Yu sheathed his sword and looked toward the blood-red setting sun.

One day.

In a dim room, Zou Lintian lay on a bed, his face deathly pale and his chest wrapped in thick bandages. His breathing was weak.

He had once enjoyed some renown in the outer sect. Now he could barely get out of bed; his injuries were plainly severe.

The door was shoved open, and a stern figure strode in, radiating suffocating pressure. It was Lu Zi'ang, ranked second in the outer sect!

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

Zhang Hao, who stood nearby, hurried forward and lowered his head. "Senior Brother Lu, it was that new disciple, Su Yu! He..."

At the sight of Lu Zi'ang arriving in person, Zou Lintian's dull eyes suddenly lit up.

He struggled to prop himself up, his face contorted with pain and hatred.

"Senior Brother Lu!" Zou Lintian said through gritted teeth, anger straining his voice.

"That day, outside the arena, I heard Su Yu running his mouth with my own ears."

He paused, his breathing growing ragged. "He said the Top Ten Outer Disciples were nothing special. He even mocked us for spending years in the sect without breaking through to the Spirit Condensation Realm..."

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

His voice rose with agitation. "I couldn't stand it, so I went to confront him. Who would have thought..."

His expression suddenly twisted. "In the arena, he caught me off guard and launched a sneak attack!"

Finally, his voice sank, thick with resentment. "I... let my guard down for a moment, and he injured me this badly."

Zhang Hao's eye twitched as he listened. Could you make it any more ridiculous? He sent you flying with a sword strike straight to your face. What sneak attack?

But Zhang Hao did not dare expose the lie. He could only keep his head down and say nothing.

When Lu Zi'ang had heard everything, killing intent flashed in his eyes. Spiritual energy surged faintly around him, and the room seemed to turn cold.

"What an arrogant newcomer," he said icily.

"The selection for the Top Ten Outer Disciples is in a few days. If he dares to show up, I'll teach him what a real gap in strength looks like!"

A glint of satisfaction flashed through Zou Lintian's eyes. Zhang Hao, meanwhile, silently feared for Su Yu. Lu Zi'ang was nothing like Zou Lintian. If he made a move, Su Yu would likely be in grave danger!