C77 Fighting Arena

Time slipped away quietly.

Before I knew it, three days had flown by.

In the cultivation chamber, a formidable presence slowly unfurled, causing the entire house to shudder.

Lin Xuan opened his eyes, gazing into the Void before him.

"I've reached the Fourth Layer of the Qi Transformation Stage!"

Exhaling deeply, Lin Xuan felt the True Qi within him surge, several times stronger than before, and a smile crept onto his face.

His progress in cultivation had surpassed his own expectations.

It's widely known that as one advances in martial arts, the disparity between each successive level widens, especially in the later stages.

Consequently, the challenges of breaking through become increasingly formidable.

Yet, in a mere three days, Lin Xuan had ascended from the first to the fourth level of the Qi Transformation Stage.

This feat was significantly more arduous than advancing from the fourth level of the Qi Gathering Stage to the first level of the Qi Transformation Stage—by more than tenfold.

During this time, he hadn't replicated any treasures or enhanced his innate abilities.

Still, the speed of his advancement left Lin Xuan in awe.

"Could this be the advantage of cultivating with spirit stones?" he mused.

Though his talent remained unchanged, his rate of cultivation had seen a remarkable boost.

The spirit stone was the sole catalyst for this change.

He had shifted his cultivation resources from medicinal pills to spirit stones.

With spirit stones, he could directly absorb the spiritual qi and refine it into True Qi.

In contrast, when using medicinal pills and herbs, he had to first process the medicinal power into pure spiritual energy before it could be transformed into True Qi.

Upon reflection, it was clear that spirit stones were the superior choice.

However, such a method of cultivation was incredibly draining.

In just three days, he had progressed from the first level to the middle stage of the Qi Transformation Stage, an impressively rapid ascent.

But the eight hundred-plus Substandard spirit stones he had acquired were now completely depleted.

Those eight hundred Substandard spirit stones, if converted into contribution points, amounted to eight thousand points.

For an Inner Sect elite, eight thousand contribution points was no trifling sum.

The expenditure for this style of cultivation was simply too steep!

"Regardless, the quickest path to bolstering my strength is undoubtedly the best!"

After some contemplation, Lin Xuan cast aside these concerns and focused on the path ahead.

After all, he had stolen them, so he felt no remorse parting with them.

Trading them for such an advancement in cultivation was a decent deal.

"If I want to rapidly enhance my strength in the future, cultivating with Spirit Stones is the way to go," Lin Xuan murmured to himself.

Concerns about excessive consumption didn't bother him in the slightest.

If he ran out of Spirit Stones, he'd simply find a way to earn more.

"I need to secure a job that brings in a substantial amount of Spirit Stones," Lin Xuan thought, his eyes gleaming with determination.

He rose to his feet and stowed away his aura and the attribute panel.

With his Spirit Stones depleted, maintaining such a rapid pace of cultivation was no longer possible, so there was no point in continuing.

"Now, with my current power, I should have no fear of anyone at the Early Period of the Condensation Spin Stage, not even Chen Xiao. It's time to explore the Inner Sect," Lin Xuan reflected.

He was puzzled as to why Chen Xiao hadn't sought him out to cause trouble in the last three days, but it worked out for the best.

His cultivation had soared by three levels, and both the quantity and quality of his True Qi had surged, making him a match for even those at the peak of the Qi Transformation Stage.

His arsenal of formidable martial arts and Concepts could now be deployed with greater potency.

He had no reason to fear any formidable opponents.

After getting ready, Lin Xuan left his courtyard and made a beeline for the Martial Arts Pavilion.

Having become an Inner Sect disciple, he was now entitled to access the second floor of the Pavilion.

As a newcomer, he had the opportunity to select two Rank 3 martial arts from the second floor.

These martial arts would serve to conceal his own and, more importantly, allow him to check if any of the sect's experts were stationed there—potential targets for him to replicate.

Yet, on his way to the Martial Arts Pavilion, Lin Xuan paused once more.

He came to a halt outside a spacious plaza.

This plaza, much larger than the Outer Sect's Martial Arts Practice Field, was teeming with Inner Sect disciples.

At its heart, six large platforms were arranged evenly, with Inner Sect disciples engaged in bouts upon them.

An Inner Sect deacon in the late stages of the Condensation Spin Stage was overseeing the competition.

Beneath each arena, other deacons and Inner Sect disciples sat at tables, apparently keeping records.

The scene seemed to reveal their location.

Lin Xuan scanned the crowd, a glint in his eye.

Though Zhou Yu hadn't mentioned this when they entered the Inner Sect, Lin Xuan had pieced together what was happening.

He also spotted a familiar face.

Deciding to postpone his visit to the Martial Arts Pavilion, Lin Xuan chose to observe the scene before him.

He made his way effortlessly to the front of Arena No.3.

The area buzzed with noise and chatter.

Lin Xuan listened intently to the surrounding conversations as he watched the two combatants on the arena.

"This new disciple is impressive. He claims his strength is only at the second level of the Qi Transformation Stage, yet he's holding his own against Sun Chenghua, who's at level six!"

"True, he was the top fighter in the Outer Sect. Just a few days ago at the Outer Sect Competition, he even showcased his Concept.

It was merely the nascent form of sword intent, but it was strong.

Too bad he faced the formidable Lin Xuan and lost. He made it into the Inner Sect as the runner-up."

"He's been at the Fighting Arena for three days straight. He fights five or six matches daily until his True Qi runs dry. Seems like he's trying to vent his frustration."

"Still, he's just a new disciple. To take on someone at the fourth level of the Qi Transformation Stage is one thing, but challenging a sixth-level opponent is quite another. He's biting off more than he can chew. He's bound to lose soon!"

Similar murmurs filled the air.

After listening for a while, Lin Xuan had a good grasp of the situation.

"The Fighting Arena, and there's Chen Yuze! Talk about serendipity."

Lin Xuan smiled to himself.

The 'acquaintance' he referred to was none other than Chen Yuze.

Right then, Chen Yuze was locked in combat with an Inner Sect disciple at the sixth level of the Qi Transformation Stage on Arena No.3, right before Lin Xuan's eyes.

Chen Yuze had recently advanced to the second level of the Qi Transformation Stage. Clearly, he had achieved this breakthrough some time before the Outer Sect Competition.

In the arena, Chen Yuze's nascent sword intent, sharp and unyielding, forced his opponent into a defensive dance, too cautious to mount a direct challenge.

This fledgling sword intent was formidable, amplifying the lethality of his swordsmanship several-fold.

The downside was its considerable drain on true qi.

Chen Yuze's prowess, limited to the second tier of the Qi Transformation Stage, meant his reserves of true qi were insufficient for repeated use of this embryonic power.

He had scarcely executed a handful of strikes before he was gasping for air, his face flushed with the exertion of overtaxed true qi.

A few exchanges later, Chen Yuze found himself unable to summon the sword intent again.

His adversary capitalized on the moment, blasting him off the platform with a decisive blow. Chen Yuze was defeated.

Lin Xuan, witnessing the scene, shook his head in disappointment.

He then dismissed Chen Yuze from his thoughts, refocusing on the action within the arena.

This place held promise. It was an opportunity to amass energy points and collect spirit stones.

With his strength now greatly enhanced, Lin Xuan knew it would be a disservice to himself not to capitalize on the chance.

And it would be a disservice to this exceptional venue as well.