Lu Chen’s Ten Days of Preparation
The next day
The morning mist still filled the training grounds when Lu Chen stepped forward, his eyes sharp.
His decision had been made.
For the first time in days, he had an opportunity to calm his life and escape from the schemes and fights of factions in the sect.
The Azure Stairs Trial was a test of willpower, not direct combat. If he played his cards right, he could easily avoid standing out too much, and secure a position in the top 50.
After that, he just needs to participate in the duels with a sloppy performance, but that puts him in the top 10 without unnecessary attention.
Ten days.
That was all he had.
Ten days to refine his techniques, sharpen his skills, and most importantly… figure out how to get rid of the Secrets of the Withered Shadow.
As long as he has this technique in hand, he will never be 100% calm.
Lu Chen took a deep breath and activated the Simulation System once more.
A familiar blue glow flickered in his vision.
[Simulation Initiated…]
[Choose the path you want to simulate]
[1 – Look for new techniques]
[2 – Find help to train]
[3 – Refine your techniques alone]
Unlike the last few times where there were no paths to simulate options, this time he can choose.
He chose the third path.
He doesn't want to get involved with anyone at the moment, and he doesn't have time to train anything new that will make a big difference in strength.
Soon, simulations based on that choice began to unfold in front of Lu Chen…
...
Lu Chen arrived at the secluded training grounds he had chosen for himself.
It was a place hidden away from the usual crowds, a courtyard near the edge of the sect.
He took a deep breath, his breath visible in the cool air.
Ten days.
That was all he had left.
Lu Chen's movements began slowly, and controlled.
He first focused on footwork, running through the basic steps of Shadow Step with precise execution.
Although it was a technique that was within 'The Secrets of the Withered Shadow', it doesn't seem to require Decay Qi to be executed, so he decided to keep it.
The technique was built on fluidity, not just speed.
One step, vanish.
Another step, reappear.
At first, his movements left the faintest trace of an afterimage.
But after an hour, his control became tighter.
After two hours, the afterimage blurred into nothingness.
And by the time the third hour passed…
He could vanish mid-movement without a trace.
His level of understanding seemed to have increased again.
His progress was steady and efficient.
By the seventh day at the training ground.
Sweat glistened across Lu Chen skin as he transitioned into his next focus; The Void Serpent Manual.
Although not as overpowering as The Secrets of the Withered Shadow, this technique was notoriously complex.
It required absolute Qi control.
Lu Chen slowly gathered Qi into his core, feeling the way it coiled like a serpent within him.
He had used this technique before… but always in brief, controlled bursts. Now, he needed fluid execution.
He began with the first sequence.
Qi flowed from his dantian, coiling through his meridians in smooth, circular motions.
Then, without warning, he disrupted the cycle, forcing the energy to twist into a new path.
This was the secret of The Void Serpent Manual.
Where other techniques sought stability, this technique thrived on adaptability.
Again and again, he ran through the sequence.
At first, the energy faltered, Qi misaligned for a fraction of a second before stabilizing.
But after an hour…
It moved effortlessly.
By the third hour, it felt natural.
By the time the sun had fully risen, Lu Chen had deepened his control over the technique to the point where it no longer felt like he was guiding it.
It felt like the technique was a part of him.
He exhaled.
For a brief moment, he felt the threshold of a breakthrough.
A faint pulse of energy rippled through his body.
He clenched his fist, feeling the power coursing through him.
The 8th Layer of Qi Condensation.
He had advanced.
A breakthrough in just seven days.
Lu Chen took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement.
Despite his improvement, there was still one major problem left unresolved…
The Secrets of the Withered Shadow.
Lu Chen sat under a quiet tree, his thoughts were racing
He had to get rid of the technique.
If he kept it, he risked becoming the target later.
If he destroyed it, he might have problems if someone comes after him.
If he sold it…
"…What should I do?"
...
Meanwhile the sect forces had begun to move.
Disciples formed alliances, seeking stronger fighters to back them up.
Others trained hard, desperate to secure a spot in the top 50.
Under the surface, darker intentions were already taking shape.
In one of the inner training halls, a group of seven peaks alliance disciples gathered.
"Do you all have the obstacles lists?," one of them muttered, his eyes cold.
"Yes" they answered.
Another disciple scoffed. "I don't know why we should go to so much trouble! Why all this trouble to get rid of trash?"
He said this while holding a list with the names of 6 outer disciples, Lu Chen being one of them.
"We can't take risks," Jiang Xuan said calmly, his voice like steel. "The elders take the trial very seriously and don't allow much interference, we will handle it before the combat trials begin."
The disciples exchanged knowing glances and nodded.
...
As the sun reached its peak, the sect buzzed with activity.
The outer square had transformed into a bustling marketplace.
It was always a place where disciples gathered to trade resources, exchange cultivation manuals, or sell weapons.
But today, it was much more crowded than usual.
With the Inner Sect Trials coming, desperation filled the air.
Disciples bartered loudly, voices overlapping.
"I'll trade 500 Spirit Stones for a Low grade combat manual!"
"Who has a movement technique?! I'll pay double!"
"I need a defensive technique… hurry!!!"
Lu Chen stepped into the crowd and found a small unoccupied space.
He was preparing to sell the manual, but he hesitated.
He looked around the entire square and saw the disciples acting in desperation and haste.
They were trying everything they could to strengthen themselves before the trail.
The Secrets of the Withered Shadow was too dangerous to leave in the hands of these people.
Without much of a choice, Lu Chen turned around and left.
…
The last night before the trail arrived
The sect had quieted down, with most disciples having retired to their courtyards to rest.
But Lu Chen at the edge of a cliff.
He was preparing to throw away The Secrets of the Withered Shadow, since selling it wasn't a good option and keeping it was even worse, even if it creates problems, it's better to just throw it away.
Just as he was about to get rid of it
A shadowy figure, appeared behind him,
Lu Chen didn't panic, he just sighed in helplessness.
The intruder made no attempt to hide.
A masked man.
Lu Chen's eyes narrowed.
The same masked man.
The one who had hunted him for the technique.
The man's golden eyes gleamed behind the mask.
"No need to worry, I mean no harm." The masked man's voice was smooth.
Lu Chen found it hard to believe, but he didn't try to run away this time, it seemed like such a conversation was possible.
The masked man took a step forward.
"You're calmer than I expected."
"If you were here to kill me, you wouldn't be talking now." Lu Chen finally spoke.
The masked man chuckled softly.
"Smart."
Then, his voice turned colder.
"But I didn't come here to test your intelligence."
Lu Chen stayed still.
The masked man observed him for a moment before speaking again.
"You have the manual." he said casually.
Lu Chen's expression didn't change, there was no reason to pretend I didn't know what I was talking about.
"That's right." he nodded.
"You can't throw it away casually."
Something about his tone made Lu Chen's curious.
"Why not?" Lu Chen asked, keeping his voice neutral.
The masked man replied with a mysterious tone.
"That depends."
Lu Chen didn't take the bait.
Instead, he crossed his arms.
"Why are you here?"
The masked man's eyes glinted.
"To tell you something important"
"The Secrets of the Withered Shadow is not just an unorthodox forbidden technique." His voice dropped even lower.
"This technique is no different from training Gu. When developing Decay Qi, your only option is to consume others or be consumed. Why do you think the entry point for this technique is so low?"
Lu Chen was shocked.
He was stuck with this technique now?