“Not bad. Not bad at all.”

During the intermission between rounds, Elder Lu called Han Yu over, nodding with evident satisfaction. “Han Yu, for you to reach this stage of the Outer Disciple Grand Competition with only the third layer of Qi Refining is a feat few could achieve.”

Han Yu seized the opening. “Master, after obtaining the Thousand-Year Sunkwood Heart and aiding my cultivation with Qi Gathering Pills, I have been training bitterly day and night. Yesterday, I finally broke through to the fourth layer of Qi Refining.”

Elder Lu’s eyes lit up. “You’ve already reached the fourth layer?”

“Yes. It happened just yesterday, and I haven’t had the chance to report it until now.”

“Good! Good!” Elder Lu laughed, stroking his beard. “Entering the mid-stage of Qi Refining changes everything. Your foundation is now far more stable.”

The Elder’s expression turned serious. “However, you must not slack off. Qi Gathering Pills will eventually lose their potency as your body adapts. You must rely on your own comprehension to advance.”

He paused, then held up two fingers. “I am setting a task for you: break through to the fifth layer within two years. If you succeed, I will reward you heavily. Do you have the confidence?”

Han Yu bowed instantly. “Yes, Master. I will not fail.”

Internally, Han Yu remained calm. In reality, he was only days away from the fifth layer. By reporting the fourth layer now, he could smooth out his timeline. If he revealed his true speed later, it would seem impressive rather than suspicious.

The break ended, and the drums signaled the resumption of the tournament.

To give the remaining combatants ample rest, the organizers reduced the event to a single active arena. All eyes—thousands of them—focused on the center stage.

The announcer’s voice boomed.

“First match! Han Yu of the Spirit Field Department versus Lu Yun of the Deacon’s Office!”

The crowd buzzed with anticipation.

On one side, the Natural Recovery Prodigy, Lu Yun. On the other, the Spellcasting Prodigy, Han Yu. Both were rising stars who had carved out their reputations in just two years.

Lu Yun shambled onto the stage, yawning widely. He scratched his messy hair and offered a lopsided, self-deprecating grin.

“Junior Brother Han,” Lu Yun sighed. “I know you’re strong. Normally, I’d just forfeit and go take a nap.”

His expression twisted into a grimace. “But my Master sent a message. If I don’t make the top three… she promised to skin me alive the moment she exits seclusion.”

Lu Yun’s lazy demeanor vanished, replaced by a sharp, desperate intensity. “So, no offense, but I can’t hold back.”

Han Yu nodded politely. “Understood. Shall we use external aids?”

“No aids. Let’s just fight.”

As he spoke, Lu Yun grabbed the lapels of his robe and tore them open, stripping his upper body bare. He stood there, lean and wiry, his muscles taut.

The crowd erupted. A wave of gasps rippled through the audience. Female disciples, having lived secluded lives of cultivation, either blushed crimson or stared in stunned silence at the sudden display of skin.

Deacon Bai slammed his hand on the railing. “Lu Yun! You scoundrel, put your clothes on! What are you doing?”

“Calm yourself,” a calm voice drifted down. “It is a necessity for his secret art. Announce the start.”

Deacon Bai looked up to see Elder Yan descending gracefully to the VIP platform, taking a seat beside Elder Lu. The Deacon bowed hastily. “Yes, Elder. Match… begin!”

Elder Lu raised an eyebrow at his colleague. “Elder Yan, what technique requires him to strip? Surely not…”

“The Spirit Explosion Technique,” Elder Yan confirmed.

Elder Lu’s eyes widened. “Junior Sister Wen actually taught him that? Isn’t that…” He paused, then chuckled. “Actually, it suits him perfectly.”

He stroked his beard, a smug smile playing on his lips. “A pity for him, though. Against my eighteenth disciple, he’s going to crash and burn.”

Elder Yan glanced at the arena. “Has Han Yu truly mastered the Green Wood Protection Technique? If so, injuring him at the Qi Refining realm will be nearly impossible.”

“Indeed he has.”

“But that technique requires a massive amount of Spirit Wood Breath to cultivate. Where did a new disciple find such resources?”

Elder Lu froze for a moment, then shrugged dismissively. “Every disciple has their secrets. I can’t be bothered to pry. As long as he walks the righteous path and remains loyal to the Sect, the stronger he is, the better!”

“Fair enough.” Elder Yan nodded. “With talent like his, he’s certainly no spy.”

On the arena, as the signal to begin rang out, Han Yu made a surprising move.

He sheathed his flying sword, put away his ring, and signaled the large crow to fly up to safety. He didn’t even draw a talisman.

Instead, his hands moved in a blur, casting a standard defensive barrier before him.

Lu Yun’s stripping act was eccentric, but Han Yu sensed the danger. This wasn’t just showmanship.

Boom.

Spiritual light flashed violently across Lu Yun’s bare skin. His aura exploded, doubling in intensity instantly.

He stomped the ground, the stone cracking under his heel. Like a fired cannonball, Lu Yun shot forward, his body turning into a living weapon.

His fist clenched, wrapped in visible coils of Spirit Breath.

What a berserk fighting style, Han Yu noted, his eyes narrowing.

He recognized the signs. The Spirit Explosion Technique—burning one’s own Spirit Breath to unleash power far beyond one’s limits. For a normal cultivator, this was a desperate gamble that left them drained. But for Lu Yun, whose natural recovery was freakishly fast, he could sustain this overclocked state for much longer.

It was a brilliant synergy of talent and technique.

Han Yu’s fingers danced. In a single breath, two more layers of protective barriers shimmered into existence.

BANG!

Lu Yun’s fist slammed into the first barrier. The Spirit Breath coating his knuckles detonated, shattering the shield instantly.

But Lu Yun’s momentum stalled. He stared, wide-eyed.

Behind the shattered shield stood Han Yu, calm and untouched. And in the split second it took Lu Yun to break one shield, Han Yu had effortlessly cast two more.

Four layers of shimmering barriers now stood between them.

Even the lazy Lu Yun felt a twitch of annoyance. Blocking attacks with layers of turtle shells… isn’t that my strategy? Why is he doing it to me?!

Lu Yun knew he couldn’t just punch through them one by one. While his recovery was fast, the Spirit Explosion Technique had a hard limit. He had to win within the time it took an incense stick to burn, or his body would collapse.

He stomped again, drifting sideways with incredible speed, aiming to flank Han Yu.

Han Yu formed a seal. His figure blurred, splitting into three. Two phantom bodies darted left and right.

Lu Yun didn’t take the bait. He ignored the clones and the flanking maneuver, charging straight at Han Yu’s original position. His fist, glowing with volatile energy, swung in a vicious arc.

Han Yu smiled. “Good instinct. You guessed right.”

He flicked a finger. A Vision Confusing Technique blossomed right in Lu Yun’s face, creating a sudden, disorientation flare.

Lu Yun didn’t hesitate. He punched blindly through the distortion.

Whoosh.

His fist hit nothing but air. The image rippled and vanished.

Lu Yun spun around, stunned. Han Yu was now standing on the far side of the arena, safely behind four fresh layers of shields. The phantoms were gone.

Han Yu stood with his hands clasped, watching Lu Yun quietly. Then, just to make a point, he cast two more barriers.

I’m screwed, Lu Yun realized. I can’t touch him.

Despair washed over him. The top three was a pipe dream. His master was going to kill him.

“One last try!” Lu Yun roared, charging again.

Han Yu cast the Phantom Body spell once more. Two figures split from his body.

Lu Yun hesitated. Last time, he charged blindly and missed. This time, he forced himself to stop and observe, searching for the tell—the flicker of spiritual pressure that distinguished the real body from the illusion.

He spotted it. The figure on the left had a sharper accumulation of Qi!

But the moment he paused to look, the “illusion” on the left raised its hand.

Zip!

A spell shot toward him.

Lu Yun yelped and threw himself into a roll. He scrambled up and charged at the “real” body on the right.

A Wind Blade met his face. He dodged again, sweat pouring down his back.

Before he could regain his balance, a beam of golden light—the Sharp Gold Technique—materialized exactly where he was dodging.

Thwack.

The spell pierced his forearm. Blood sprayed.

Lu Yun didn’t even try to check the wound. He dropped to the ground, wrapped his arms around his head, and curled into a ball.

“I surrender! I give up! Stop hitting me!”

His posture was so practiced, so fluid, that it was almost heartbreaking to watch.

Laughter and applause erupted from the crowd. The tension of the fight dissolved into amusement at Lu Yun’s shameless survival instincts.

On the VIP platform, Elder Lu and Elder Yan exchanged a glance. Both saw the shock in the other’s eyes.

Han Yu had won decisively. But the terrifying part wasn’t the victory itself.

It was that he hadn’t even used the Green Wood Protection Technique.

This kid… just how deep are his reserves?

“Junior Brother Lu,” Elder Yan coughed politely. “I feel that a talent like Han Yu might be wasted if he stays solely in the Spirit Field Department. Perhaps…”

“Don’t even think about it!” Elder Lu snapped, glaring. “The subject is closed!”