Changes to the Grand Competition
"The difference is huge!" Su Ying looked at Lu Feng's questioning expression and couldn't help but smile.
"Practice martial arts cultivate 'strength' (internal energy), while Dao Arts cultivate 'spirit' (or 'mind')."
"Jin (劲) is physical strength, while Shen (神) is spiritual strength."
"True Dao Arts requires divine sense to activate it in order to unleash its full power."
"As for divine consciousness, it can only be born after breaking through to the Yin Spirit Realm."
"Yin Spirit Realm?"
Lu Feng's heart skipped a beat.
He had seen this name once in the introduction of the Nine Extremes Heaven-Breaking Slash; the tenth level could kill cultivators at the Yin Spirit Realm.
"Beyond the Celestial Person Realm lies the Yin Spirit Realm!" Su Ying said with longing, wondering when she would reach that realm.
"So now you understand, right? The reason why those who master Dao Arts are so difficult to deal with is that they primarily harm not the physical body, but the soul!"
Lu Feng remained silent for a moment.
He once thought he had enough trump cards: Nine Extremes Heaven-Breaking Slash, Phantom Steps, Hundred Beasts Body Tempering Art —any one of them would be enough to give opponents of the same level a run for their money.
But only now did he truly realize that above this headquarters of the Demon-Slaying Bureau Division, there were still so many things he hadn't even touched.
"After this competition is over, I'll take you to the Sacred Hall."
Su Ying suddenly spoke, her tone casual.
"With your talent, entering the Sacred Hall won't be a problem. You'll be able to learn there too."
Lu Feng felt a warmth in his heart and was about to express his gratitude when the tokens at their waists vibrated simultaneously.
Su Ying took off the token and glanced at it. "Uncle Xiao is looking for us."
The two then went outside.
Xiao Tianqi's residence was not in the cave dwelling area of the Five Cities Division, but in the residence of a more important person in the deeper part.
After passing through several bluestone corridors, the surrounding buildings were noticeably more imposing than their living area, with even guards stationed along the corridors.
They hadn't gone far when several people came towards them.
"Oh. Who do we have here? It's someone from the North City Demon-Slaying Bureau."
A burly young man crossed his arms and grinned.
He was followed by five or six people, all dressed in the same uniform.
Lu Feng's gaze swept over the group of people.
Half of them were at the peak of the Hua Jin Perfection, and the rest were at the Late Hua Jin.
The leader was exceptionally muscular, his muscles bulging out of his uniform, making him look like an iron tower.
"A bunch of defeated opponents."
Su Ying didn't even bother to glance at her, continuing on her way.
The expressions on their faces changed instantly. The young man's smile froze on his face.
"Su Ying, what are you so arrogant about?"
He stared at Su Ying's retreating figure.
"Now that you've broken through to the Grandmaster level, you can't participate in the Hua Jin competition. If you leave, who can the North City Demon-Slaying Bureau rely on? This newcomer?"
He looked at Lu Feng, his face almost overflowing with sarcasm.
"You'd better pray you don't run into me during the competition. Otherwise, I'll take good care of him for you."
Su Ying seemed not to hear anything at all, and walked straight through the group without changing her steps.
Lu Feng followed behind her without even glancing at the man.
Only after they were out of sight of those people did Lu Feng speak, "Senior Sister, who were those people just now?"
"The one from the East City Demon-Slaying Bureau. The one who spoke is Lin Jingfeng, the body cultivator I told you about before."
Lu Feng's brows twitched slightly.
Lin Jingfeng! He's the formidable man who killed a third-tier demon beast with his bare hands.
That physique was indeed much stronger than that of an Hua Jin martial artist at the Transformation Realm.
"The North City Demon-Slaying Bureau has a good relationship with the South City Demon-Slaying Bureau, but they have a long-standing feud with the East and West City divisions," Su Ying said as she walked.
"This feud has been brewing for decades; it's been an open secret for a long time. During every major competition, those who fight to the death are usually from these two sides."
She spoke casually, but Lu Feng could sense the weight behind her words.
"I was going to warn you to be careful around those two departments. But with your current strength, you're just a bunch of clowns."
Su Ying paused, then turned to look at Lu Feng.
Lu Feng smiled but didn't reply.
As the two talked, they arrived at the entrance of Xiao Tianqi's cave.
This cave dwelling was more than twice as spacious as theirs. Su Ying stepped forward and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Xiao Tianqi's voice came from inside the door.
The two pushed open the door and entered, only to see Xiao Tianqi standing in the hall with his hands behind his back, facing away from the door, with a stone table covered with files in front of him.
He turned around and gestured for the two of them to sit down.
Lu Feng noticed that although his expression remained calm, there was a very shallow frown between his brows.
"The competition will begin in three days," Xiao Tianqi said bluntly.
"But this time, the rules are different."
"Has something happened?" Su Ying asked.
The rules for the Five-City Grand Competition have remained unchanged for decades.
Since Xiao Tianqi said that, there must be something that forced the higher-ups to change the rules.
Xiao Tianqi did not answer immediately. His gaze shifted from Su Ying to Lu Feng, then back to Su Ying. He remained silent for a while before slowly speaking.
"The situation in Yongzhou is far more serious than we thought."
"Northern Yongzhou has been overrun by demonic beasts. Vast swathes of land have fallen, and the West City Demon-Slaying Bureau hasn't even sent anyone to participate this time."
"Demon-Slaying Bureau in various regions have received orders and are organizing manpower to rush to Yongzhou's aid."
Xiao Tianqi looked at the two of them, speaking slowly but with each word carrying weight.
"In addition to the arena battles, this competition has added a new element: after the competition, all participants must travel to northern Yongzhou to participate in the extermination of demonic beasts. The final ranking will be based on the points earned from slaying demonic beasts."
"The results of the ring competition and individual scores will be combined to determine the final rankings."
Will northern Yongzhou become a new battlefield?
Su Ying's expression didn't change, but Lu Feng could hear the seriousness in her tone.
She had only said that something might have happened in Yongzhou, but she hadn't expected the situation to be this serious.
"The specifics are still unclear. However, the West City Demon-Slaying Bureau is located in Yongzhou, so the situation shouldn't completely collapse."
Xiao Tianqi wasn't sure either. He paused for a moment, as if trying to dispel some ominous association, then changed the subject:
"Alright. You don't need to worry about these things. The most important thing now is the arena competition in three days. Focus on preparing these next few days and get yourself into top shape."
He looked at the two of them, his words carrying a rare gentleness:
"If you have any questions about cultivation, you can ask now."
Su Ying and Lu Feng exchanged a glance. They had indeed accumulated quite a few questions.
Xiao Tianqi answered each question clearly and logically, occasionally digressing to elaborate further.
The three of them asked and answered questions, and before they knew it, the sky outside the cave had completely darkened.
By the time Lu Feng and Su Ying left Xiao Tianqi's cave, it was already late at night.
On the third day, the Five-City Grand Competition officially kicked off.
As soon as it was light, Lu Feng and Su Ying left the cave.
The square was even more lively than in the previous days. The stands were packed with people, all dressed in different colors, and the air was filled with excitement.
To secure a good spot, many people arrive before dawn, climbing all over the nearby high platforms and rooftops.