Chapter 26 Just Warming Up

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Lu Yi quickly arrived at the Central Platform area, where everyone else was already gathered.

Jiang Fan, with his hands resting behind his head and a piece of brittlegrass dangling from his mouth, saw Lu Yi and greeted him with a smile, "Junior Brother Lu Yi, you've arrived?"

The others looked over, nodded slightly in greeting, and Lin Wan'er waved to Lu Yi with a cheerful smile, "Junior Brother Lu Yi, which peak do you plan to join when entering the Inner Sect?"

The others, hearing this, looked at Lu Yi with some curiosity.

Lu Yi smiled and said, "I promised Senior Sister Liu Ningshuang that I would participate in the Ling Luo Peak's examination."

Upon hearing this, the handsome Qi Cultivation Tenth Layer senior brother in fine clothes laughed, "With Junior Brother Lu Yi's comprehension, getting into Ling Luo Peak is quite possible."

His name was Bai Yulong, and his strength was also among the top three in the Outer Sect.

The honest Qi Cultivation Tenth Layer senior brother beside him scratched his head and said, "Unfortunately, my talent is lacking. I might get booted out of Ling Luo Peak."

This senior brother's name was Tie Man, and he was also strong, cultivating in the Body Refining Skill.

"Ling Luo Peak... It's a gathering place for geniuses in the Inner Sect, not a place for just anyone."

"I'm different, though. I plan to go to Crimson Flow Peak. They say that's where the most fire cultivators are, and after reaching Foundation Establishment, I'm looking to cultivate Fire Arts."

"Once we're in the Inner Sect, can we still stand out?"

"We're not sure, but Junior Brother Lu Yi definitely can."

Everyone was enthusiastically discussing their envisioned futures in the Inner Sect, each with their own dreams.

Soon, Dugu Fang descended from the sky and landed on the Central Platform. The ten of them stopped talking and fell silent.

The atmosphere among the disciples watching the tournament became even more lively.

Dugu Fang scanned the surroundings and his voice rang out, "Silence!"

The atmosphere suddenly quieted down; Dugu Fang's authority was formidable.

He looked at the top ten disciples and said, "Now, we'll begin the ranking battles for the top ten. As always, it's a two-on-two duel, ultimately deciding the rankings."

As he spoke, he took out ten Jade Tokens, which floated in the air and arrived in front of the ten people, including Lu Yi.

Lu Yi took his Jade Token and looked: 1

He paused, surprised that he was the first?

Glancing around, he found that others were also eyeing each other's Jade Tokens, seemingly curious about everyone's numbers.

At that moment, Dugu Fang spoke up, "The competition begins now. Number 1 stays on the platform, the others step down."

Hearing this, eight people gently touched the ground and floated down from the platform, leaving only Lu Yi and Tie Man staring at each other.

Seeing Tie Man, Lu Yi grinned and said, "Senior Brother Tie Man, what a coincidence?"

*In his mind, he monologued, "I must defeat Senior Brother Tie Man!"*

[Task]:

Defeat Tie Man (Progress: 0/1)

Reward: Top-grade Physique Elixir*40/Perfect Physique Elixir*4

Accept: Yes/No

Lu Yi saw the task and was taken aback. It wasn't a Qi Condensation Elixir? It was a Physique Elixir?

Physique Elixirs were for cultivating Body Refining Techniques. They could accelerate the cultivation speed of Body Refining Techniques. Even if one didn't cultivate these techniques, consuming Physique Elixirs could increase physical strength, though not as effectively.

Lu Yi hadn't expected the task reward to be such a valuable item.

These were good things, even more precious than Qi Condensation Elixirs.

One had to know that a cultivator's physical strength usually followed their realm, unless they practiced Body Refining Techniques, which could boost physical strength. However, these techniques were challenging to cultivate, requiring significant resources and time investment, which many couldn't afford.

Lu Yi hadn't practiced them before because of his limited talent. After his Golden Finger awakened, he prioritized increasing his Spiritual Energy Cultivation to ensure his combat power grew, aiming for top scores in the tournament.

He had thought of cultivating Body Refining Techniques after the tournament, but didn't expect to receive Body Refining Pills as a reward now.

Not bad. He looked at Tie Man with even greater friendliness, thinking he might spar with Senior Brother Tie Man more in the future?

Tie Man, upon seeing Lu Yi's friendly smile, responded with a straightforward grin, "Quite the coincidence, Junior Brother Lu Yi. It looks like we get to open the show first."

The disciples below, noticing the first match was between a Qi Cultivation Tenth Layer disciple and Lu Yi, perked up with excitement, eagerly watching the Central Platform.

Gudu Fang glanced at the two and vanished from sight, leaving only his voice behind, "Begin."

Upon hearing the word, Tie Man grinned, spiritual energy circulating, and his skin gradually turned an iron-gray color. He clenched his fists, making a dull sound as his knuckles met.

"Junior Brother Lu Yi, please give me your guidance."

Seeing this, Lu Yi unsheathed his longsword. Clouds of energy surged around the blade as he smiled slightly, "Senior Brother Tie Man, please show me your skill."

Tie Man grinned, his thick legs powering up.

Bang!!

The ground beneath him cracked like a spider web. In an instant, his body vanished from sight, reappearing above Lu Yi's head, exuding a fierce beast-like aura.

His right hand clenched into a fist, aiming at Lu Yi's head. The fist carried a translucent energy, creating wind gusts that made Lu Yi's black hair ripple.

Lu Yi felt a sting on his skin under the pressure of the fist and silently admired, *Senior Brother Tie Man's presence was indeed impressive.*

He circulated his spiritual energy, moving as if he were a white cloud. Though it seemed slow, he retreated swiftly.

Tie Man's punch missed, landing on the platform, creating a small crater under his fist.

Tie Man's legs propelled him once more, disappearing from sight again.

At that moment, Lu Yi swung his longsword to the right, unleashing a fierce Sword Cloud just as Tie Man appeared in that exact spot.

Feeling the frightening sharpness of the Sword Cloud, Tie Man's pupils contracted. With a deep roar, the next moment, spiritual energy streamed over his body, deepening the iron-gray hue of his skin.

Tie Man clenched his fists, charging directly at the Sword Cloud.

Boom!!

His spiritual energy-infused fists collided with the Sword Cloud, producing a violent roar. The shockwave swept outward like a storm, and the surrounding Outer Sect disciples felt the terrifying pressure, their eyes widening.

"Wow... What destructive power!"

"With that kind of power... I'm not bragging, but I'd be lying flat on the ground, waiting for the two senior brothers to personally bless me with incense!"

"...You're definitely not exaggerating."

"..."

At the edge of the platform, Bai Yulong and the others watched the incredible fluctuations with changing expressions.

The three Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer disciples, including Wan Hua, exchanged glances, looking a bit bewildered.

"...Is this really the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer?! Are they kidding me?"

"I'm giving up. I've already made it into the top ten, not aiming for a higher rank. Getting into the Inner Sect is enough."

"...It's still Junior Brother Lu Yi. I'm impressed. Can we just stop at a point when we face them later? No need to fight so intensely?"

All three nodded in agreement.

Lin Wan'er, watching the three with a sly smile, said, "Do you think they're fighting hard? They're just warming up."

Wan Hua and the others: "?????"

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