Arena (4k)

Li Yu was filled with amazement after hearing the explanation.

From that description alone, he could tell that the Taiqing Mystic Sect’s Formless Sword Qi would qualify as a heaven-tier cultivation method even in the Galaxy Alliance.

But Mountain Sea was not the Galaxy Alliance. If a sect's cornerstone inheritance leaked out here, they would surely hunt the culprit down until one side was dead.

The crucial point was that Li Yu had not asked for it. The Lesser Clarity sword had given it to him of its own accord, without giving him a chance to refuse.

He had been terribly wronged.

Li Yu was not a Sword Cultivator, and he had yet to properly master the Taiyi True Explanation. At most, he could only admire the Taiqing Mystic Sect’s Formless Sword Qi.

Besides, what the Lesser Clarity sword had given him was incomplete. The Sword Art had only twelve levels, enough to cultivate to Nascent Soul Formation at most. As for the rest, he had no idea whether the Mount Lao Sword Sect kept it hidden or whether one needed to wield the Taiqing Divine Sword to obtain it.

For now, Li Yu was simply grateful that the Lesser Clarity sword could not speak.

But he could not be certain whether Xu Wei would learn about this once her cultivation advanced and she established spiritual communion with the Lesser Clarity sword.

At that thought, Li Yu glanced at Xu Wei beside him.

Her severed arm had already been reattached. It was now wrapped in bandages and suspended from her neck, but Sun Yuanji was not a professional physician. Once they reached shore, she would need to return to her sect immediately to prevent any imperfect reconnection of her meridians or other tissues from affecting her dominant arm.

The Mount Lao Sword Sect had an elder renowned among the Mystic Sects as a divine physician.

Li Yu worried that, after Xu Wei returned, an expert from Mount Lao would notice that the sword intent within the Lesser Clarity sword had weakened, investigate closely, and discover what had happened.

Since the person who sharpened the Lesser Clarity sword was presumed to be the future wielder of the Taiqing Divine Sword, half a strand of sword intent would be imparted at the instant its edge was awakened, together with the Taiqing Mystic Sect’s Formless Sword Qi.

Li Yu was not particularly interested in the Sword Art, but he placed great importance on that half-strand of sword intent.

In the Galaxy Alliance, there was an unconventional form of immortal path foundation establishment called "heart sword foundation establishment." During illumination, a cultivator had to use their own essence, qi, and spirit to refine a sword force from the universe that best matched their Dao heart, forming it into a sword heart.

When these sword geniuses established their foundations, their sword hearts would transform into intent. This was "heart sword foundation establishment."

Now that Li Yu possessed the half-strand of taiqing sword intent given to him by the Lesser Clarity sword, he effectively already had a "heart sword." Though it was not his own, he believed the Great Evolution Academy would have a way to bleach that half-strand of taiqing sword intent clean and turn it into his own heart sword.

"May I ask, fellow Daoist, what are the twelve taiqing sword intents?" Li Yu asked Qin Jian the question that concerned him most.

He wanted to find out the true nature of the taiqing sword intent within the Lesser Clarity sword.

"Life, Death, Obscurity, Clarity, Illusion, and Annihilation, each divided into yin and yang. Together, they make up the twelve taiqing sword intents." Qin Jian concealed nothing and told him what he knew.

For instance, the Death Sword Sun Yuanji cultivated was divided into "yin death sword intent" and "yang death sword intent." As for the precise differences, Qin Jian had never studied the Taiqing Mystic Sect’s Formless Sword Qi himself, so he could not explain them in detail.

Then which taiqing sword intent was inside the Lesser Clarity sword? Li Yu badly wanted to ask, but that would have seemed a little too deliberate, so he turned to questions about the Taiqing Divine Sword instead.

After returning to the Zhao Kingdom, Li Yu was an important witness, so Zhao Qian arranged for him to stay in a courtyard in Haо City with tier-three spiritual qi.

This was also an inn, operated by a royal clansman of the Rizhao Hao Clan. Each courtyard was protected by an independent formation, and only someone holding its lodging talisman could enter or leave, making it highly secure.

The cost was naturally high as well, but Zhao Qian charged it all to the Five Lotus Sect.

Staying next door to Li Yu was none other than Yuan Hao, who was under house arrest.

Had Zhao Qian not sealed Yuan Hao's cultivation, Li Yu would certainly have protested vehemently and demanded a different courtyard.

That day, after getting a clear grasp of his situation and finishing his Purple Glow Art cultivation, Li Yu eagerly entered the Metaverse and headed to the Great Evolution Academy for class.

"I thought you'd stopped coming after just one lesson." Su Wen's avatar materialized, and his face lit up with delight when he saw Li Yu in the classroom.

The Great Evolution Academy's adult education program was not managed as strictly as its regularly admitted university students. Attendance was entirely up to the students. The exams would remain just as difficult regardless.

Moreover, most people who enrolled in adult classes had little talent. Once they recognized their own level, they would grow discouraged, put off one lesson after another, and eventually stop coming altogether.

Su Wen had rather high hopes for Li Yu. At least, throughout all the Galaxy Alliance's papers he had read, he had never encountered an example like Li Yu.

Even if Li Yu could not transform the Taiyi True Explanation into the Taiyi Divine Scripture, every additional step forward would represent progress in the Galaxy Alliance's research into this heaven-tier cultivation method.

Thus, Su Wen had been looking forward to observing this student. Who could have expected Li Yu to disappear for two months after his first class?

This made Su Wen regret not taking the initiative to add Li Yu as a friend.

"Are you having difficulties in your real life? You can tell me about them. Let's add each other as friends first..." Seeing how warmly Su Wen treated him, Li Yu was rather moved.

As expected of a Great Evolution Academy teacher, caring so much about his students.

Compared with this, what the hell was the Five Lotus Sect?

"Teacher, you know I come from a remote star region. Civilization there is still at a primitive stage. A while ago, my sect ordered me to purge its ranks, and I only just found the time to attend class." Li Yu explained why he had missed two months of lessons, making it clear that he loved studying and that fighting and killing had never been his wish.

"Next time something like that comes up, put it off if you can. Have you seen how pitiful your cultivation is? Once you establish your foundation, I'll teach you a few simple protective formations, as well as how to craft puppet avatars..." From his own perspective, Su Wen rebuked Li Yu for his reckless behavior.

In the Galaxy Alliance, someone at whirling illumination would only be an elementary school student.

Children like that needed to be carefully protected and allowed a happy childhood. How could they be sent off to fight and kill?

"This student's cultivation is low, and when a sect steward gives an order, I have no choice but to obey." Li Yu aired his grievances too, declaring that he was a peace-loving person who only wanted to study diligently at the Great Evolution Academy.

"Given your real-life circumstances, it seems I'll need to unlock the Arena for you." After hearing Li Yu's description of the local customs, Su Wen understood that, in uncivilized lands outside the Galaxy Alliance's jurisdiction, he really did need to cultivate some means of fighting and killing.

"The Arena? What's that?" Li Yu looked bewildered.

Su Wen snapped his fingers, removing the first-year material he had intended to teach that day from the screen behind him and replacing it with information about the "Arena."

The so-called Arena was, within the Metaverse, a place for cultivators of every major realm to hone their combat abilities-

a virtual combat platform established for that purpose.

"After the Galaxy Alliance was founded, wars still occasionally broke out between the various planetary powers. But with the prevailing trend favoring peace, they all began avoiding battles in real interstellar space as much as possible. Yet disputes still needed settling, and so the Arena came into being."

"Later, the Alliance evolved Lord Immortal Spirit, and Metaverse technology advanced by leaps and bounds. The Arena was therefore opened to more cultivators, allowing them to hone newly learned spells, divine abilities, formations, and other skills through virtual battles."

"For example, when I gain insight into a new formation, I go on the offensive in the Arena. After a few dozen matches, my handling of the formation goes from awkward to practiced. Along the way, I can also earn some virtual currency."

After hearing this, Li Yu's eyes were full of question marks. Many of the terms Su Wen used were completely unfamiliar to him.

"Teacher, what is Immortal Spirit? What is virtual currency? How do you go on the offensive?"

Su Wen answered his questions one by one.

Immortal Spirit was the artificial intelligence responsible for running the entire Galaxy Alliance, housed within a divine artifact. The entire Metaverse had evolved from it.

Residents of the Metaverse could draw on Immortal Spirit's power-its computing capacity-to assist with research into cultivation methods and other subjects.

Virtual currency, meanwhile, was a type of Arena reward.

Winning an attack earned a certain amount of virtual currency based on the Arena's level. This currency could be used to purchase virtual items in the Metaverse and strengthen one's Arena defender.

Finally came attacking, which Su Wen took Li Yu to experience directly.

In the center of the classroom, Su Wen tore open the air with his right hand, and a virtual doorway immediately appeared. Beyond it stood an enormous platform amid a star river in the void.

On that platform stood another Su Wen, clad in full armor, wearing a helmet, and holding a weapon.

"This is my Arena defender."

Teacher Su Wen pointed at the fully armed Su Wen on the platform in the void and began explaining how the Arena worked.

After creating an account, everyone had to use their spiritual sense as a guide to leave behind an avatar possessing their own strength. Equipping it could improve its combat power. This avatar was the guardian of one's Arena platform, commonly known as a "defender."

Once Li Yu posted a defender, people whose strength was close to his could encounter that avatar and choose to fight it. This was attacking.

As long as they won, they could earn virtual currency.

"Not everyone has time to stay in the Arena, so they leave behind these computer-controlled defenders for attackers to grind proficiency and experience. Still, if your skill is high enough and your equipment is good enough, you can earn plenty of virtual currency through defense."

"My defender, for instance, has a full set of level-90 gold equipment and nearly a hundred thousand combat power. Combined with my specially tuned Innate Limitless Grand Formation, it achieves a defensive success rate of almost ten percent every season."

"If your Arena win rate gets high enough, people will even recruit you specifically for team battles. Some big shots pay you directly in Star Coins."

The moment Li Yu heard "Star Coins," he asked, "How much can you earn?"

Su Wen used himself as an example. "The Purple Lightning Team hired me this season. Since their captain is a senior schoolmate of mine, I only charged a token fee of three thousand Star Coins."

Upon hearing three thousand Star Coins, Li Yu decided to do well in the Arena, even though he still did not quite understand it.

"Teacher, how do I fight?"

Under Su Wen's guidance, Li Yu first created his Arena account. When it came time to enter a nickname, he could not be bothered to think of one and casually entered "Taiyi Zhenren" again.

Once the account was created, a platform in a starry sky appeared in the void before Li Yu. It was actually just as large as Su Wen's.

As expected of the Galaxy Alliance. It did not discriminate based on an account's strength.

Li Yu's spiritual sense formed another version of himself on the platform, with specific information and values displayed beside it:

Nickname: Taiyi Zhenren.

Realm: Early whirling illumination.

Equipment: None.

Physique: None.

Innate ability: None.

Skin: None.

Every field had an exclamation mark after it, which brought up a detailed explanation when clicked.

For example, under physique, virtual currency could buy an innate Dao physique, a Sword Spirit physique, a Great Overarching immortal bloodline, and so on. But only one could be applied to a defender at a time.

Su Wen's current defending avatar, for instance, used an innate Dao physique. Combined with his full set of innate equipment bonus traits, it could bring out the utmost power of the Great Evolution Academy's Innate Limitless Grand Formation. With an additional Great Overarching immortal bloodline bonus, however, the formation could rise another tier. In reality, one could spend Star Coins to acquire both an innate Dao physique and a Great Overarching immortal bloodline, but the Arena only permitted choosing one.

Li Yu looked on with great envy, then checked innate abilities.

He discovered that these were a type of innate divine ability with all sorts of effects. Some blocked one killing blow, some revived their owner after death, and some blinded enemies...

"Innate abilities originally belonged exclusively to demonic beasts. Lord Immortal Spirit created them and added them to the Arena for us. As long as you manage to draw one that suits your physique, you can equip and use it. Once you become accustomed to your innate ability in the Arena, your spiritual sense will gradually be influenced and affected. That influence reaches your real body, allowing it to begin evolving an innate divine ability like a demonic beast's. It can even become inscribed in your hereditary genes, allowing your family's bloodline to pass down the awakened ability generation after generation."

Su Wen knew that merely reading the description might not let Li Yu grasp the greatness of innate abilities, so he explained from beside him.

Li Yu's eyes shone even brighter as he listened.

The greatest advantage demonic beasts had over humans was precisely their bloodline inheritance. They were born with innate divine abilities that continued awakening as they grew older. The kui ox of Flowing Wave Mountain in the Thundering Domain, for instance, could not be subdued after reaching adulthood even by a primordial spirit expert like Mount Lao's patriarch wielding the Taiqing Divine Sword.

If humans could have these too, then once one appeared in Mountain Sea, it would almost guarantee an exalted immortal clan with powerful cultivators in every generation.

Thinking along those lines, had the Rizhao Hao Clan survived from ancient times until now because its bloodline contained an innate ability?

Li Yu felt that he might have glimpsed the fundamental reason those ancient sage immortal clans of Mountain Sea's Four Lands had endured for tens of thousands of years.

For now, however, none of that had much to do with him.

He clicked the final field, skin, only to find that it contained no written explanation, just an option to change it.

Looking puzzled, Li Yu turned to Su Wen. "Do I need to reach a higher level before I can unlock this?"

Su Wen shook his head. "It's just for looks. It doesn't improve your combat power

at all. Purely a currency scam."