It's over just like that?

Spiritual energy depleted, Jiang Liu didn't leave the 1-7 stage. Instead, he turned and sparred sword techniques with the Lingyun Sect Elder.

Sword techniques, footwork, movement techniques.

With a punching bag-like sparring partner, Jiang Liu's practical combat experience soared. From being suppressed initially to achieving a counter-kill, it only took a few moments.

When his spiritual energy recovered, he used the Lingyun Sect Elder to practice the accuracy of Heart Piercer Drop.

When his spiritual energy was depleted, he used the Lingyun Sect Elder to practice sword techniques, footwork, and movement techniques.

The Lingyun Sect Elder was a true mentor!

One hour, two hours, three hours.

Jiang Liu's initial delight turned into impatience. After killing the Lingyun Sect Elder dozens of times, he delivered the final blow and resolutely entered the 1-8 story stage.

The mentor died because of me. I should let him go.

Realizing the Lingyun Sect Elder was becoming less helpful, Jiang Liu unhesitatingly abandoned him and embraced the 1-8 stage.

However, the 1-8 stage wasn't the combat stage he expected, but a story stage.

The scene shifted.

The protagonist, who had killed the Lingyun Sect Elder with the Dragon Swimming Sword in the City Lord's mansion, was now a prisoner.

Jiang Liu found himself immersed in a prisoner's cart, shackles on his hands, his mind full of questions.

[You killed a Lingyun Sect Outer Elder. The City Lord was furious and ordered three hundred elite soldiers to capture you. He also sent word to the Lingyun Sect, who dispatched several disciples to escort you to their sect's base.]

Jiang Liu: "?????"

What kind of dogshit story is this?

The Lingyun Sect's daughter was killed, I avenged her, and you sold me out in return?

Is this NPC just asking for a beating?

Jiang Liu didn't even want to go through such a trash story. He directly chose to skip it.

Skipped stage 1-8, entering stage 1-9.

The scene shifted again.

In stage 1-9, Jiang Liu found himself being escorted into a bronze hall. Around him were over a dozen white-robed Lingyun Sect disciples. In front of them stood the Lingyun Sect Master and several elders, discussing how to deal with him.

[How dare he kill someone from our Lingyun Sect! Such a villain must be publicly executed to demonstrate our sect's might!]

[Execution is too easy for him! A thousand cuts!]

[Why not imprison him in the Thunder Demon Cave, never to be reborn!]

Good heavens, they weren't discussing how to deal with him, but rather how to kill him.

Skip, skip.

Skipped stage 1-9, finally arriving at the final stage of the first chapter.

It's time to fight the BOSS!

Jiang Liu's heart trembled, and he became fully immersed.

Entering the final stage 1-10, he found himself in a training ground, facing a handsome young man in his early twenties.

Above the young man's head, it read "Lingyun Sect Senior Disciple." After checking his information, Jiang Liu discovered he was only at Qi Refining Layer 9.

For such a large sect, their Senior Disciple was only at Qi Refining?

How embarrassing!

[Knowing you are about to die, in despair, you verbally abuse the entire Lingyun Sect in the Lingyun Great Hall, enraging everyone.]

[Just as the Great Elder was about to kill you on the spot, the Lingyun Sect Master, who had been silent all along, spoke.]

[The Lingyun Sect Master, seeing that you, at such a young age, have reached the Qi Refining Layer 8 Realm, felt a desire to nurture talent. He publicly promised that if you could defeat the Lingyun Sect Senior Disciple, he would spare your life and allow you to become an elite disciple of the Lingyun Sect.]

[Overjoyed, you accepted the challenge, and at the same time, you cast an extremely subtle, hateful glance at the elders, secretly vowing that if you could survive...]

Huh?

Jiang Liu was somewhat disappointed when he saw the earlier part of the story, but when the last sentence appeared, he suddenly perked up, his interest piqued.

What was this leading to?

Joining the Lingyun Sect, and then a great purge?

I like this story!

Let's do this!

[Battle Start]

The moment the countdown ended, Jiang Liu raised the Sunrise Sword in one hand and performed Heart Piercer Drop with the other, aiming directly for the Lingyun Sect Senior Disciple's heart!

Having practiced countless times with the Lingyun Sect Outer Elder, he could now hit any target with Heart Piercer Drop. This strike was enough to pierce the heart of anyone below Qi Refining Layer 8!

However.

He missed.

The Lingyun Sect Senior Disciple flickered, his feet moving in an unknown footwork technique. His physical body shifted through three afterimages, easily dodging the Heart-Piercing Drop and appearing before Jiang Liu in the blink of an eye.

The distance of a few meters vanished in an instant.

Jiang Liu's practical combat experience had improved somewhat. He wasn't too surprised that the Heart-Piercing Drop was easily dodged. Just as he was about to step back, the three afterimages pressed in rapidly, their speed making his scalp tingle.

So fast!

So many!

He had only ever sparred with Lingyun Sect elders. When had he ever been ganged up on by three enemies?

What kind of movement technique is this, to split into three?

In a daze, amidst a flurry of panicked actions, the battle ended.

[Combat Failed]

[Young Hero, please start over]

Kicked out of the storyline, Jiang Liu stared silently at the final stage, 1-10, which flashed with a bright red light.

He had even been mocking internally, thinking how the Lingyun Sect Senior Disciple was just a Qi Refining trash. Although he was one Realm higher than Jiang Liu, he didn't believe he would lose.

He had eight magic tools on him. Could a Senior Disciple from such a small, broken sect be richer than him?

Now look at him. He couldn't even last three moves and had become the trash.

"How can the gap be so big?"

Jiang Liu scratched his head, utterly perplexed.

He had practiced with the Lingyun Sect elder for several hours in stages 1-7!

His practical combat experience had greatly improved. Whether it was his sword art, movement technique, or footwork, it had all taken shape. He had already figured out a fighting style that suited him.

Yet, he was almost instantly killed!

It wasn't a gap in Realm, nor a gap in Equipment. It was purely a gap in combat experience!

After deep thought, Jiang Liu quickly had an epiphany and sighed softly.

He had been too arrogant.

"My practical combat experience is only a few hours. What right do I have to compare myself to a Senior Disciple from a sect in the Cultivation world?"

Jiang Liu gave a wry smile and shook his head. A few hours of practical combat experience?

The other party had years, even decades, of practical combat experience!

To try and clear it in one go with such a massive difference was simply wishful thinking.

"Once the Immersive Experience function is activated, I can't treat the Cultivation Era like a game anymore."

Jiang Liu muttered softly, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration. If that's the case, could he win without the Immersive Experience?

Curiosity piqued, he clicked into stage 1-10 again.

This time, he didn't activate the Immersive Experience. It was normal mode.

In stage 1-10, two paper figures stood opposite each other, one on the left and one on the right.

The turn-based battle began.

Round 1.

Jiang Liu's paper figure used Heart-Piercing Drop on the Lingyun Sect Senior Disciple. The Lingyun Sect Senior Disciple failed to dodge and was hit.

The Lingyun Sect Senior Disciple used the Three-Body Technique, splitting into three bodies.

Round 2.

Jiang Liu's paper figure used Heart-Piercing Drop on the Senior Disciple's clones. The clones died.

The Senior Disciple and his clones attacked Jiang Liu simultaneously. The clone's attack was blocked by the Spirit Rhinoceros Pendant.

Round 3.

Jiang Liu's paper figure killed another clone.

The Senior Disciple used Lingyun Sword Art on Jiang Liu and hit.

Round 4.

Jiang Liu's paper figure used Heart-Piercing Drop on the Senior Disciple. He was hit.

The Senior Disciple used Lingyun Sword Art on Jiang Liu's paper figure. He was hit.

Round 5.

Jiang Liu's paper figure used Heart-Piercing Drop on the Senior Disciple. The Senior Disciple's health bar was depleted.

[Combat Victory]

[Gained cultivation value.]

Please follow my brothers!