Chu Wuyue

The battle at Blazing Peak shook the True Disciples.

With three punches, Duan Tianlang was crippled. In four days, he leaped from seventeenth to seventh. The name Qin Yuan was no longer just a codename for a newcomer in the True Disciple rankings; it had become a presence that inspired dread.

The following days were surprisingly peaceful.

No one from Seventh Peak came to provoke them again, and Elder Li also ceased his activities, as if those schemes and machinations had never happened. The other peaks in the True Disciple area maintained a subtle distance—neither too close nor deliberately distant.

Everyone understood that this was not the end, but the calm before the storm.

At the summit of Blazing Peak, Qin Yuan sat cross-legged within a reinforced Spirit Gathering Array.

The array patterns were personally etched by Elder Xu of Fifth Peak. The efficiency of drawing Spiritual Energy from the spiritual veins had increased by thirty percent compared to before. The Spiritual Energy of the entire mountain converged towards the main hall like a tide.

Lin Qing'er, Zhou De, Zhao Tiezhu, and others were cultivating in their respective courtyards on the mountainside. The current Spiritual Energy concentration on Blazing Peak was twenty times that of the Outer Sect and more than ten times that of the Inner Sect. With every breath, they could feel their cultivation slowly growing.

"Is this the cultivation environment for True Disciples..." Lin Qing'er opened her eyes, feeling the increasingly abundant Spiritual Energy within her body. A complex emotion flickered in her eyes.

She recalled that three months ago, she was still on Third Peak, arguing with someone over a bottle of Qi Gathering Pill.

Now, having followed Qin Yuan to Blazing Peak, she received three times the resources of an Inner Sect disciple each month, and the cultivation environment was worlds apart.

"It's all thanks to Brother Qin Yuan..." she looked towards the summit, feeling both gratitude and an indescribable sense of loss.

The gap was widening at a visible rate.

Inside the main hall at the summit, the System panel floated before Qin Yuan:

[System of Gaining Forty Years of Cultivation Per Day]
[Current Level: 3 (0/10000)]
[Cultivation Storage: 0/200 years]
[Today's Cultivation Not Extracted]

After upgrading to Level 3, the daily cultivation infusion increased from twenty years to forty years. The storage limit also rose from sixty years over three days to two hundred years over five days.

However, the difficulty of cultivating in the Golden Core stage was far beyond imagination.

From the advanced stage to the peak of Golden Core, it seemed like only a small realm difference, but the actual Spiritual Energy accumulation required was more than the sum of the early to advanced stages.

Qin Yuan had claimed eighty years of cultivation from two days. Combined with the rich Spiritual Energy of Blazing Peak, he had only managed to push to the advanced peak, still a step away from the true Golden Core peak.

"From the middle stage to the advanced stage of Golden Core is indeed a chasm," Qin Yuan realized. "No wonder Golden Core cultivators are considered experts in the sect, and Nascent Soul cultivators are rarely seen. Talent, comprehension, resources, time... none can be lacking."

But for him, time was the least lacking.

One day was equivalent to forty years. Five days meant two hundred years.

With two hundred years of cultivation piled up, let alone the Golden Core peak, even attempting to break through to Nascent Soul might not be impossible.

"Continue accumulating."

Qin Yuan closed his eyes and entered deep cultivation once more.

The Spiritual Energy concentration on the top five peaks in the True Disciple rankings was several percent higher than on Blazing Peak.

Fourth Peak, "Cold Ice Peak," and Fifth Peak, "Mysterious Iron Peak," were adjacent. Their peak masters were the fourth-ranked True Disciple Han Bing and the fifth-ranked Tie Zhan, respectively.

At this moment, in the main hall of Cold Ice Peak, the two sat opposite each other.

Han Bing was a stern-faced young man in white, exuding a faint chill that seemed to freeze the very air. Tie Zhan was a muscular strongman with iron-like skin and a presence as steady as a mountain.

"Qin Yuan..." Han Bing tapped lightly on the ice jade tabletop. "He's seventh now."

If you find this book good, remember to add it to your bookshelf to avoid losing it next time.

Tie Zhan rumbled, "Four days, from seventeenth to seventh. Such speed is unheard of."

"What's even more terrifying is his combat power," Han Bing's eyes flashed with seriousness. "You and I both know Duan Tianlang's strength. He was at the peak of advanced Golden Core, had cultivated the Blood Wolf Battle Art for many years, and possessed rich combat experience. And the result? Three punches, and his cultivation was completely crippled."

Tie Zhan was silent for a moment. "Do you think he might... challenge us?"

As he asked the question, even he felt it sounded somewhat absurd.

A month ago, Qin Yuan was just an Outer Sect disciple. A month later, he had already reached a position threatening the top five.

But Han Bing did not laugh; instead, he nodded. "It's highly possible. There are only five spots for the Hundred Sects Competition. If he wants to secure one, he must break into the top five."

"But he's only seventh now," Tie Zhan frowned. "There's still Sixth-ranked Ye Qingshuang and Eighth-ranked Su Lie in between. To challenge us, he has to get past them first."

"Ye Qingshuang and Su Lie?" Han Bing sneered. "Do you think they can stop him?"

Tie Zhan fell silent.

Ye Qingshuang was the sixth True Disciple, from First Peak, advanced Golden Core, skilled in ice-element techniques. Su Lie was eighth, from Second Peak, advanced Golden Core, with considerable attainments in the way of the sword.

These two were usually outstanding figures among the True Disciples. But in front of a monster like Qin Yuan...

"It's a shame Senior Brother Chu isn't here," Tie Zhan suddenly said. "If he were, would Qin Yuan have the audacity to be so arrogant?"

A look of reverence flashed in Han Bing's eyes. "Senior Brother Chu and Second-ranked Senior Sister Yun are said to have touched the threshold of Nascent Soul. Their departure from the sect to seek opportunities this time is to attempt a breakthrough to Nascent Soul. When they return, no matter how monstrous Qin Yuan is, he can only be third."

"Third is still good," Tie Zhan sighed. "One month, from Outer Sect to third True Disciple... such a monstrous talent is rare in a century."

Just as he finished speaking, a lazy voice suddenly came from outside the hall:

"Oh? What monstrous talent are you two discussing so intently?"

The expressions on their faces changed, and they abruptly stood up.

The door to the hall had opened silently at some point, and a figure was leaning against the doorframe.

It was a young man who looked to be in his early twenties, with messy black hair, a pale complexion, and a pair of pure white eyes without pupils, exuding a strange sense of emptiness.

He wore a simple black robe, was barefoot, and had two strings of bells tied to his ankles, yet he walked without making a sound.

Number one True Disciple—Chu Wuyue.

"Senior Brother Chu!" Han Bing and Tie Zhan quickly bowed.

Chu Wuyue walked in slowly, his white pupils sweeping over the two of them, the corners of his mouth curling into a half-smile. "As soon as I returned, I heard that our True Disciple ranks had produced a remarkable individual. What was his name again? Qin Yuan?"

"Yes," Han Bing replied respectfully. "Qin Yuan, from Fifth Peak. A month ago, he was still an Outer Sect disciple, and now he's seventh among the True Disciples."

"A month?" Chu Wuyue raised an eyebrow. "A little interesting."

He walked up to Han Bing, the two of them only three inches apart, his white pupils fixedly staring into Han Bing's eyes. "What, you think he's stronger than me?"

Han Bing stiffened, cold sweat instantly drenching his back. "I wouldn't dare! Senior Brother Chu is the foremost among the younger generation of our Xuan Yuan Sect. No matter how monstrous Qin Yuan is, he could never compare to you, Senior Brother!"

"Is that so?" Chu Wuyue tilted his head, then suddenly grinned, revealing his bone-white teeth. "Then do you want to... try challenging me?"

Han Bing's face turned ashen, and he staggered back three steps. "I wouldn't dare! Junior Brother has no such intention!"

Tie Zhan also quickly said, "Senior Brother Chu is joking! How could we dare to challenge you?"

Chu Wuyue stared at the two of them for a long time, then suddenly found it boring. He waved his hand. "Alright, I won't tease you anymore. Tell me about that Qin Yuan, anything else interesting?"

Tie Zhan quickly replied, "Qin Yuan went from seventeenth to seventh in just four days. He defeated Duan Tianlang in only three punches. It's said that his cultivation speed is extremely fast, and he might have a special physique or a fortuitous encounter."

"Defeated Duan Tianlang in three punches..." A flicker of interest flashed in Chu Wuyue's white pupils. "That lunatic Duan Tianlang, while not the sharpest tool in the shed, is not weak. Being able to cripple him in three punches does show some skill."