This allowed him to gain more masterful control over his Spiritual Sense. He could not only summon it at will but also channel his limited power into the strongest possible defense.

And this was precisely his goal in confronting the stone monument.

So whenever Chu Lingguang felt that his Spiritual Defense could hold out for longer, he would bravely take another step forward, causing his Spiritual Defense to once again be on the verge of shattering on contact.

He advanced continuously through this cycle of collapse and reinforcement.

Of course, this process was not easy. It required immense focus, was incredibly tedious, and consumed a great deal of Spiritual Power.

In less than an hour, Chu Lingguang felt dizzy and drained, as if he couldn’t muster an ounce of strength. This mental exhaustion was even more fatiguing and debilitating than depleting his Qi Blood or Dragon Elephant power.

Chu Lingguang had no choice but to withdraw early and return to his small courtyard to rest. He knew that these things could not be rushed.

The next day, Chu Lingguang repeated the process, returning to the back mountain to confront the stone monument with his Spiritual Sense. Today, he lasted half a quarter-hour longer than yesterday, and his distance had closed to ninety-five meters.

Xia Tianzhong and the others grew increasingly puzzled by Chu Lingguang’s abnormal behavior. It didn’t seem like he was tempering his True Dragon Power or strengthening his bloodline. Instead, it looked like he was engaged in some strange kind of confrontation with the stone monument.

The three of them simply couldn’t understand.

Xia Tianzhong couldn’t help but mention Chu Lingguang’s strange behavior to Yun Hong. In response, he learned from Yun Hong that Chu Lingguang was improving his Spiritual Defense.

This discovery left Xia Tianzhong both shocked and furious.

He, along with Long Xin, Xu Kanghui, and even Zhao Rushuang, were all busy strengthening their bloodlines and enhancing their True Dragon Power, all for the sake of competing for the top spot. Yet Chu Lingguang was actually strengthening his Spiritual Defense.

He was surprised that Chu Lingguang could already release his Spiritual Sense, but forming it into a defense or giving it Attack Power was easier said than done.

’Don’t tell me Chu Lingguang thinks that once his Spiritual Sense is strong enough, he can directly attack our Seas of Consciousness during a fight, drive us into a state of mental confusion, and defeat us that way!’

He knew that both Spiritual Defense and Consciousness Attacks were incredibly difficult skills to cultivate. Even experts like Yun Hong or the goatee-bearded elder couldn’t use their own Spiritual Sense to form a powerful attack that could directly strike an opponent’s Sea of Consciousness.

A Sea of Consciousness had to be lured out.

No matter how strong the Consciousness Attacks of Yun Hong and Xu Zhongguo were, as long as you didn’t make contact with their Spiritual Sense Fluctuations, they would have a hard time finding your Sea of Consciousness.

Let alone breaking into it and destroying the Qi Vortex within.

Therefore, even if Chu Lingguang’s Spiritual Sense attack abilities were strengthened by the stone monument and gained some degree of Attack Power, it would be useless against Xia Tianzhong as long as he avoided letting his Spiritual Sense collide with Chu Lingguang’s in a fight.

Even if their Spiritual Senses did collide, Chu Lingguang wouldn’t be able to quickly strike his Sea of Consciousness.

So, Chu Lingguang’s idea of using Consciousness Attacks to compete for the top spot was simply unworkable.

That was why Xia Tianzhong felt so angry.

He, Long Xin, and Zhao Rushuang were all giving their absolute all for the top spot, yet Chu Lingguang was over there slacking off and muddying the waters.

’Doesn’t Chu Lingguang care about the Washing Marrow?’

’Or has he realized he can’t compete with us, so he’s using the Dragon Claw Tree as a distraction to make his inevitable failure seem natural and avoid criticism?’

Xia Tianzhong couldn’t figure it out.

He just felt that Chu Lingguang was both foolish and infuriating.

’I can’t let him affect me. Everyone has their own path to walk. If Chu Lingguang likes chopping the Dragon Claw Tree, then let him chop it!’

「Day by day, time passed.」

Chu Lingguang’s Spiritual Defense grew stronger every day. His Dantian Qi Vortex evolved on its own, gradually forming a Small Vortex that supplied a continuous stream of energy to his Spiritual Network.

The Spiritual Sense Fluctuations Chu Lingguang released also grew increasingly powerful. The rhombus-shaped fragments became so clear they were almost visible to the naked eye. Under his conscious control, they could take on different forms: a curtain of light enveloping his entire body, a Rhombus Escape Armor protecting the Sea of Consciousness at his brow, or even weapons like sabers, spears, and staves to fend off the incoming Consciousness Attacks, possessing a certain degree of destructive power.

Chu Lingguang was very satisfied with the changes in his strength over this period.

Today, he once again stood before the stone monument, at the eighty-meter mark.

HUM!

He released a Spiritual Sense Fluctuation.

The pressure on his body was reduced by more than half.

Unfortunately, this feeling lasted for less than the span of two blinks.

But that was enough.

His Spiritual Sense now had defensive capabilities. He could go challenge the Dragon Claw Tree again.

Through Yun Hong’s notes, Chu Lingguang clearly understood that increasing one’s Spiritual Power was extremely difficult. During this time, he had merely learned how to use his existing power to form his Spiritual Sense into a proper defense.

To make his Spiritual Sense truly evolve, he not only had to expand his Dantian Qi Sea but also strengthen the Qi Vortex in his Sea of Consciousness.

That would be a true evolution of his Spiritual Sense.

It was like he already owned a gun but didn’t know how to use it. Through his recent efforts, he had gradually mastered the skills to handle it. However, mastering the technique didn’t increase the gun’s inherent power.

As it happened, today was the eighth assessment.

Since there were no classes at the Learning Palace, Chu Lingguang had come to the back mountain to train early in the morning. In the afternoon, he and the other students gathered once more at the Martial Arts Arena for the assessment.

Everyone had been training in the Trial Ground for eighty days. Through the process of elimination, the gap between them had become more and more obvious.

Soon, it was time for Sima Army, Jin Huang, and the others to be assessed.