Seeing that he had reacted exactly as Xu Changxing had, Liu Chenyu felt a little embarrassed again.
He cleared his throat and said, "I never expected Granduncle-Master to value you so highly that he would give you ten thousand merit points.
You really struck it rich this time.
Back then, your eldest senior brother worked himself to the bone, yet he only earned a little over a thousand merit points before reaching Core Formation.
Your starting point is far higher than his was."
Xu Changxing froze slightly at his words.
His attention had been entirely on that Secret Realm just now, so he had not given much thought to the ten thousand merit points.
Only now did he suddenly realize that ten thousand merit points seemed to be an extraordinary sum.
He vaguely remembered that one merit point could apparently be exchanged for ten low-grade spirit stones.
If I exchanged all ten thousand merit points for spirit stones...
At that thought, Xu Changxing instinctively held his breath, his eyes brimming with wild delight.
He had worked so hard over the past two days to win two wagers, yet he had earned fewer than ten thousand low-grade spirit stones.
Who would have thought that simply handing over the Spring Renewal Art would net him a hundred thousand spirit stones?
With those spirit stones, couldn't he run simulations to his heart's content?
Naturally, Liu Chenyu had no idea what Xu Changxing was thinking. He patted him on the shoulder and said:
"With these ten thousand merit points, you shouldn't be short on resources anymore.
But you mustn't grow complacent.
You still need to perform well in this tournament."
Xu Changxing nodded. "I understand. I won't take this tournament lightly."
Liu Chenyu nodded in satisfaction, offered Xu Changxing a few more words of encouragement, and then turned to leave.
By then, dawn had broken once more.
After taking a little time to compose himself, Xu Changxing flew on his sword to the tournament grounds.
Over the next few days, Xu Changxing won all his matches with ease.
In truth, some of these Foundation Establishment cultivators had solid foundations.
Had they been able to perform as usual, they could have held their own against Xu Changxing for a while.
But the display of power when Xu Changxing shattered four of Ye Hong's artifacts with a single strike had been far too overwhelming.
The cultivators standing before him unconsciously lost some of their fighting spirit.
Fighting a sword cultivator who had developed sword intent in such a state naturally left little room for a dazzling performance.
Xu Changxing gained little combat experience from fighting these Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Yet victory after victory nourished his sword intent.
His sword intent had been powerful before, but it had been like water suspended in the air, without any foundation.
These successive victories made it increasingly condensed and firmly grounded.
When Han Mingguan finally fought his way out of the losers' bracket and stood before Xu Changxing again, he discovered that the flying sword facing him had become even sharper.
Despite giving it his all, he only lasted a little longer under Xu Changxing's sword.
With that, the tournament finally drew to a close.
Xu Changxing received the first-place prize-a defensive robe of considerable quality.
Not only did the robe offer impressive protection, but it also significantly enhanced the circulation of a Foundation Establishment cultivator's true essence.
If sold, it would fetch at least several thousand low-grade spirit stones.
In less than three months since joining the sect, Xu Changxing had gone from a penniless rogue cultivator to a wealthy elite disciple of the Setting Sun Sect.
If he ventured out now, his wealth would dwarf that of the vast majority of Core Formation rogue cultivators.
The transformation left him feeling a little as though he were floating on air.
But that feeling did not last long.
He soon remembered the crisis that would befall the Setting Sun Sect ten years later.
If he could not resolve that crisis, not only would he be reduced to a rogue cultivator again, but it might also leave a knot in his heart.
After this tournament, he felt an even deeper sense of belonging to the Setting Sun Sect.
The thought that the place where he now cultivated would become a hell on earth in ten years quickly brought him back down to earth.
Once Xu Changxing had settled his state of mind, he took a pile of spirit stones out of his Storage Bag.
With each successive top-up, his system points soon reached 2,000.
He drew a deep breath and said quietly, "Begin simulation!"
The next instant, the system's voice rang out in Xu Changxing's mind for the first time in a while.
[Day 1: You refined the Flying Cloud Robe and were quite satisfied with it. Thinking of the expedition you would undertake with that Spirit Transformation patriarch in a few days, you decided to prepare some more means of staying alive. You went to the Merit Hall, intending to exchange merit points for some life-saving items. Upon arriving at the Merit Hall, you instinctively thought of exchanging them for spirit stones. Soon, however, you suppressed that somewhat ridiculous thought. Every merit point in the Setting Sun Sect was exceptionally precious, and many of the things available there could not be bought with spirit stones. Exchanging merit points for spirit stones would be far too wasteful. After carefully considering your options, you finally chose two single-use defensive artifacts and a few Life-Saving Pills. These cost you a total of 860 merit points.]
Xu Changxing raised his eyebrows slightly as he read this.
Naturally, he had wanted to exchange them for spirit stones because he had the system's simulations.
Yet once a simulation began, he seemed to forget about his cheat, treating his previous simulated experiences as some sort of dream.
He had already noticed this while watching the previous simulation.
Xu Changxing vaguely felt that this change seemed to hint at something.
Before he could ponder it further, however, the system displayed the next line of text.
[Day 5: Shi Haoyan arrived on schedule, accompanied by your master, Liu Chenyu. After exchanging a few words with you, Shi Haoyan brought you both into the Secret Realm you had been looking forward to for so long.] [Day 6: Shi Haoyan slaughtered his way through the Secret Realm, only bringing you out to use as a key when he encountered a crucial juncture.] [Day 8: After three days of exploration, Shi Haoyan finally fought his way through the entire Secret Realm with you both in tow. He tossed you an Emerald Crystal and left the Secret Realm. Only you and Liu Chenyu remained to continue exploring.] [Day 13: Liu Chenyu intended to take you out of the Secret Realm, but you felt there were still places left unexplored. At your insistence, you both continued searching the Secret Realm.] [Day 21: Sure enough, you discovered a sealed passage in a concealed location. However, despite trying for quite some time, you and Liu Chenyu could not break through the restrictions guarding it. Left with no other choice, Liu Chenyu sent another message to Shi Haoyan.] [Day 22: Shi Haoyan returned to the Secret Realm and led you both into its deepest reaches. The Spirit Transformation elder gave you a somewhat surprised look, remarked that you truly had a fated connection with this place, and then had you refine the Cave Abode. Seeing that Shi Haoyan was about to leave again, you volunteered to offer this grotto-heaven to the sect so it could serve as a training ground for its disciples. Shi Haoyan gave you another surprised look and said there was no need. But you were unusually adamant and absolutely refused to keep the Cave Abode. At your insistence, Shi Haoyan bought the Cave Abode for a hundred thousand merit points, but did not take away the Formation Diagram you had refined. As you were leaving the Cave Abode, Shi Haoyan asked whether you would be willing to cultivate under his guidance for a time. Overjoyed, you nevertheless did not agree immediately, instead turning to look at Liu Chenyu. Before you could speak, Liu Chenyu accepted on your behalf.]
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