Chapter 149: Chapter 148: Abnormal Improvement

"We lost!"

Hua Xiangrong, an Elder from Baihua Valley who was still graceful and carried herself with elegance, sighed softly, a hint of resignation flashing in her eyes.

The moment she learned their first opponent was Tingyu Building, she knew it would be a difficult battle to win.

But she had never expected Tingyu Building to utterly defeat Baihua Valley by sending out just their second-ranked disciple.

"Well done!"

Mo Hai, the Elder leading Tingyu Building, was a refined middle-aged man.

He said this to the returning You Quan, the corners of his mouth curving into a satisfied smile, clearly pleased with the result.

"The third match is over! Tingyu Building is victorious! This concludes all of today’s matches!"

Xuanyuan Jing’s voice rang out.

In the Seven Sects tournament, each of the seven sects would compete against one another once. This amounted to a total of twenty-one matches, completed over seven days, with three matches per day.

No more matches were scheduled per day, because if they were, some sects would inevitably have to compete twice in one day.

If that happened, they wouldn’t have enough time to recover their Inner Qi, making the competition unfair.

As Xuanyuan Jing announced the end of the day’s matches, the roar of the crowd in the massive Martial Arts Arena did not immediately subside. Instead, like a pot of boiling water, it churned with even greater fervor.

Led by their respective Elders, the disciples of the Seven Sects began to leave the arena, their expressions varied.

The members of the Qingxuan Sect were naturally beaming with joy. This was especially true for Elder Chen Xuan. Although he tried his best to maintain his stern dignity as the Dean, the relaxed smile in his eyes was impossible to hide.

In today’s battle, the Qingxuan Sect had not only defeated their old rival, the Netherworld Pavilion, but had done so with an overwhelming advantage, using only three participants. It was a moment of vindication that greatly boosted their prestige.

In contrast, the members of the Netherworld Pavilion, led by Elder Ming Gu, all wore faces as dark as thunderclouds. They departed in a hurry, as if every extra moment they remained was an agony.

The disciples of the Overlord Blade Sect and Lingyun Sword Sect, however, were still immersed in the intense afterglow of their earlier clash between saber and sword. Sparks still flew as they looked at each other; clearly, though a winner had been decided, the rivalry between the two sects’ disciples was far from over.

The female disciples of Baihua Valley looked slightly disheartened, and Elder Hua Xiangrong was comforting them with gentle words.

The members of Tingyu Building remained as mysterious and low-key as ever. However, as they left, the disciple named Mo Chen swept his gaze almost imperceptibly in the Qingxuan Sect’s direction.

Although only one day of the competition had passed, it was already clear that Tingyu Building’s greatest rival this year would be the Qingxuan Sect.

In the stands, members of the various factions also rose to their feet, discussing amongst themselves as they made their way out of the arena.

"The new entry-level disciples from the Qingxuan Sect this year... their strength truly can’t be underestimated!"

"Especially that disciple named Fang Han. With his Early-Stage Eighth Grade Cultivation, he defeated three members of the Netherworld Pavilion in a row, and even triumphed over the Middle-Stage Eighth Grade Huo Man, fighting above his realm. With such talent, his future is boundless."

An official from the Governor’s Mansion stroked his short beard and remarked to his colleague beside him.

"And that disciple named Li Feng—his Saber Technique is cold and domineering. He defeated the Netherworld Pavilion’s top-ranked disciple, Xin Wuming. His talent is also extremely high."

"And don’t forget, the Qingxuan Sect’s number one isn’t either of them. It’s Yun Qianyue, who hasn’t even fought yet. This batch of new entry-level disciples from the Qingxuan Sect is truly incredible."

The Gang Leader of the Tiejiang Gang, a dark-faced, middle-aged man with sharp eyes, said in a low voice.

As one of the powers second only to the Seven Sects, his gang naturally harbored ambitions of replacing one of them. Seeing the talent displayed by this batch of new Qingxuan Sect disciples, he found it truly difficult to imagine any signs of the sect’s future decline.

"I’m afraid the Qingxuan Sect has its heart set on taking first place this time."

"They won’t necessarily succeed. After all, the strength of Tingyu Building’s new entry-level disciples is also extremely formidable this year."

"Tingyu Building has held the top spot for many consecutive years. In my opinion, they’ll take first place again this year."

Some factions were not optimistic about the Qingxuan Sect’s chances, given that Tingyu Building had dominated the top position in the entry-level disciple competition for many years.

Regardless, after this battle, the name of the Qingxuan Sect’s Fang Han had truly entered the sights of all the major powers in Qingyang County.

Many people secretly took note of this young man who, despite his age, was already showing extraordinary promise.

Qingxuan Villa.

Inside the front hall, Elder Chen Xuan sat in the head seat, a sandalwood chair, holding a cup of hot tea. The rising steam blurred his usually stern features, but it couldn’t hide the obvious, pleased smile on his lips.

Fang Han, Yun Qianyue, Li Feng, Huang Ling’er, and Shi Meng stood quietly below.

"You all performed well today."

Elder Chen Xuan’s smile faded, his expression turning serious.

"But don’t get complacent. Tomorrow’s opponent is the Vajra Temple. Their Body Hardening Skills are no small matter, so you must be cautious."

"Yes, Elder!" the five replied in unison.

"All of you, go back and rest well. Meditate to restore your energy, and carefully digest the insights you gained from today’s fights. Convert them into your own strength."

Elder Chen Xuan waved his hand.

The five bowed again and filed out of the front hall.

Back in his room, Fang Han closed the door behind him.

’Cultivation must not be neglected!’

Realizing he had not yet cultivated today, he sat cross-legged on his bed and began to circulate the Xunfeng Technique.

His Early-Stage Eighth Grade Inner Qi flowed endlessly between his acupoints, cycling over and over.

However, the moment he entered a meditative state, Fang Han sensed something was different.

He had fought several intense battles today, especially the tough fight against Huo Man, which had nearly exhausted his Inner Qi and left his mind stretched taut.

Now, as he cultivated peacefully, the rate at which his Inner Qi was growing far surpassed his usual pace. The feeling of it strengthening with each cycle was clearly perceptible.

Upon careful inspection, he realized its efficiency had nearly doubled compared to his normal cultivation sessions!

’Could it be... because of the series of hard-fought battles on the stage today?’

Fang Han guessed at the reason for this change.

He had read in some miscellaneous books and anecdotal records that life-and-death struggles were the best way to stimulate a Martial Artist’s potential. Under extreme pressure, when one’s life was seriously threatened, the body would instinctively seek a breakthrough.

Today’s fights, especially the one against Huo Man, had undoubtedly been all-out, life-or-death struggles for him.

Such battles had unquestionably provided intense stimulation and tempering for his body.

Under this stimulation, his body’s potential was temporarily awakened, causing a temporary boost in his cultivation speed. This must be the reason for his current situation.

’That must be it!’

Having figured this out, a flicker of understanding passed through Fang Han’s eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

Although he had experienced the benefits of this "shortcut," he had no intention of relying on it.

The Sect’s classic texts repeatedly warned against such extreme cultivation methods, viewing them as akin to drinking poison to quench a thirst—definitely not the righteous path.

’If you walk by the river often enough, your shoes are bound to get wet. Relying on life-and-death battles to stimulate potential might lead to rapid progress for a time, but do it too often, and you’re bound to meet a mishap. It’s not a long-term solution.’

Fang Han shook his head slightly.

Since he could already amplify his talent and wasn’t lacking in it to begin with, he should pursue a steady, stable Martial Dao with a solid foundation, not some quick-fix method full of uncertainty and risk.

However, the current situation was a special case.

During the Seven Sects tournament, with an expert like Xuanyuan Jing acting as the referee, his safety was guaranteed. This provided the perfect "safe arena" where he could go all out without worrying about his life.

’If I can make good use of this time and use the stimulation from the matches to accelerate my cultivation, maybe I can really advance my cultivation further and break through to the Middle Stage of Eighth Grade...’

As soon as this thought arose, Fang Han couldn’t help but feel tempted.

According to his estimates, breaking through to the Middle Stage of Eighth Grade would take another twenty-odd days at the minimum, or a month at most.

If he could take advantage of the stimulation to his potential from the life-and-death struggles during the tournament, he might just be able to break through to the Middle Stage of Eighth Grade during this period, greatly shortening his cultivation time.

Two hours later, Fang Han finished cultivating his Inner Qi.

He got out of bed, picked up the Cyan Blade Sword from beside the table, and pushed open the door to the courtyard.

The evening breeze was cool, and the courtyard was silent.

He stood in an open space in the courtyard, took a deep breath, and began to practice the Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship.

"SWISH, SWISH—"

As the sword flashed, the wind howled.

At first, as he moved through the Sword Techniques, he could still feel the residual muscle memory and inertia from today’s fierce battles.

But as his mind sank into focus, he carefully savored the various insights he had gained from his fights with Mo Yuan, You Ling, and Huo Man, integrating them into his Sword Techniques.

Unconsciously, the speed and power of his swings, as well as his control over the Wind Momentum, seemed smoother and more effortless than usual.

Some of the previously obscure transformations in the Sword Techniques now felt suddenly clear and enlightened.

More than an hour later, Fang Han sheathed his sword and stood still. Sweat beaded on his temples, but his eyes were brighter than ever.

’Just as I thought. The speed of my Swordsmanship improvement is also much faster than usual.’

He no longer had any doubts. Today’s series of hard-fought battles had indeed had a positive stimulating effect on both his body and his comprehension.

He thought about his Wind Shadow Step, which he had only recently broken through with. It was still far from the next realm, and even if he spent his time cultivating it, he wouldn’t reach the next level anytime soon.

He made a decision.

’During this period, I’ll focus my energy on my cultivation and my Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship. I’ll strive for a breakthrough in these two areas!’

Having clarified his goal, he returned to his room, washed up briefly, then blew out the oil lamp and lay down in his clothes.

He didn’t fall asleep right away. Instead, he replayed today’s battles in his mind, especially the fight against Huo Man, looking for his own shortcomings and areas for improvement, until he finally drifted off late into the night.

...

「The next day, during the Chen hour.」

The massive Martial Arts Arena in the center of the Commandery City was once again buzzing with noise.

In the stands, members of the various factions had already arrived. They conversed in low voices, their gazes sweeping over the Seven Sects’ disciples’ area from time to time, filled with anticipation.

After yesterday’s three fierce battles, the formidable strength displayed by the Qingxuan Sect had become the hot topic of everyone’s discussions.

"The fourth match begins! Qingxuan Sect versus Vajra Temple!"

Referee Xuanyuan Jing’s voice, like a great bell, resounded throughout the arena, instantly silencing all the noise.

The atmosphere suddenly grew tense!

On the Qingxuan Sect’s side, Elder Chen Xuan’s gaze swept over the five disciples as he said gravely, "Shi Meng, you’ll still be the one to lead off."

"Yes, Elder!"

Shi Meng let out a low roar and strode onto the stage like a meteor, his sturdy frame exuding an air of unstoppable momentum.

His opponent was a young monk from the Vajra Temple named Wu Zhen.

Wu Zhen looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old. He had an honest face and a stocky build. Dressed in gray monastic robes, his exposed skin had a faint bronze hue and a subtle metallic sheen.

He put his palms together and bowed to Shi Meng. "This humble monk is Wu Zhen. Patron, please offer your guidance."