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Chen Yu finally understood why the top talent of the Outer Sect, "Nangong Li," didn't break through to the Organ Refining Stage but deliberately remained in the Outer Sect.
It could be imagined that some people must have learned the rewards for the "Outer Sect Grand Competition" in advance through internal channels.
"The generous reward for first place this time is a rarity not seen in 20 years."
Tong Yuling marveled.
Treasure artifacts, Qi Storage Pills, top-grade martial arts... any one of these appearing in previous competitions would be exhilarating.
Yet this year's competition offered all three simultaneously.
Besides the top prize, even the top three and top ten had tempting rewards.
[Top Three Rewards]: Twenty thousand contribution points, top-tier martial arts, mid-grade Body Nourishing Pill.
The rewards for second and third place were comparable to first place in previous years.
Looking further down.
[Top Ten Rewards]: Ten thousand contribution points, high-tier martial arts, low-grade Body Nourishing Pill.
Even the lowest reward for the top ten was enough to entice any Outer Disciple.
Ten thousand contribution points? Ordinary disciples had to take great risks and exert substantial effort to earn that.
High-tier martial arts? In the Outer Sect, those who could practice high-tier martial arts were as rare as phoenix feathers.
Body Nourishing Pills? Every time they appeared in the Outer Sect, they were snapped up instantly.
"Let's go, hurry to sign up!"
Inside the mountain gate, the restless figures of some Outer Disciples could be seen.
Those hopeful of breaking into the top ten looked excited and were eager to compete.
Even some of the less powerful disciples wouldn't let this opportunity slip by.
In the Outer Sect Grand Competition, it wasn't all about strength. Sometimes, with a bit of luck, good rankings could still be achieved.
"Junior Brother Chen, shall we go sign up together?"
Tong Yuling said with a smile.
She believed that with Chen Yu's strength, he would undoubtedly sign up.
"Alright." Chen Yu nodded.
Seeing the competition's rewards made him truly delighted.
With his strength, breaking into the top ten was absolutely no problem.
Entering the top five was highly hopeful.
For the top three, it would require a fierce fight.
Before long.
The two arrived at the Central Hall of the Outer Sect to line up together for registration.
"Do you know why the rewards for this year's competition are so high?"
Voices of discussion came from the crowd.
"Isn't it because our 'Yunyue Sect' has declined, and the sect wants to nurture some new elites to revitalize it?"
"Heh heh, that's just one reason. Importantly, I heard that two months ago, the sect made a huge profit from a batch of 'meteorite iron.'"
"Oh... I see. I heard this batch of meteorite iron made several surrounding sects envious."
Meteorite iron?
Hearing this gossip, Chen Yu was startled.
The landing of that meteorite iron indeed brought opportunities to the Yunyue Sect; however, it also brought some risks and pressure.
As for how that batch of meteorite iron was ultimately handled, it wasn't something Chen Yu, an Outer Disciple, could understand.
Shh!
Suddenly, the crowd fell silent.
Some boastful disciples suddenly quieted down, looking fearfully and cautiously in a certain direction.
Hmm?
Following their gazes, Chen Yu saw a group of people with a huge presence.
Leading the group was a burly man with a face full of flesh and a "yin-yang head" hairstyle.
This man exuded an invisible fierce aura; his eyes conveyed a domineering and ruthless air with casual glances.
Every Outer Disciple who met his eyes shuddered involuntarily.
Beside this "yin-yang head" were familiar faces to Chen Yu: Huang Yuan, Wang Lingyun, and Yang Fan.
It seemed that.
Ranked seventh and ninth, Huang Yuan and Yang Fan were mere foils to this man.
And Wang Lingyun stood beside him with a fawning smile.
"Hu Yiba has arrived, along with Huang Yuan."
Some Outer Disciples looked serious, not daring to look directly at the "yin-yang head" man.
"Be careful, Chen Yu. That yin-yang head is 'Hu Yiba,' one of Mu Xueqing's suitors. He was fourth in last year's competition and a dominant force in the Outer Sect."
Tong Yuling whispered a reminder.
Chen Yu nodded slightly; he had already received warnings from Le Feng.
At that moment.
Hu Yiba, Huang Yuan, Yang Fan, and Wang Lingyun headed straight toward the middle of the queue.
It seemed like they were planning to cut in line.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, Wang Lingyun and Yang Fan's gazes fixed on Chen Yu.
"This kid!"
Wang Lingyun's eyes flashed with resentment and malice, and Yang Fan's look was equally unfriendly.
The two immediately whispered to "Hu Yiba."
"Oh?"
Hu Yiba's fierce gaze instantly fixed on Chen Yu.
Beside him, Huang Yuan's round, fat face revealed a gleam of amusement and cruelty.
This is not good!
Beside Chen Yu, Tong Yuling sensed something was amiss.
She was well aware of Huang Yuan's nature of inciting trouble and bullying the weak.
And that "Hu Yiba" was even more brutal and domineering. No one in the Outer Sect dared to provoke him, except for Nangong Li and Duan Xiaolong.
"Are you Chen Yu? Come out here!"
Hu Yiba's deep voice rumbled like a lion's roar.
Nearby disciples were frightened by his fierce and domineering aura, instinctively shrinking back.
The queue fell deathly silent.
Countless gazes focused on Chen Yu, bearing a hint of sympathy and pity.
Wang Lingyun's face was twisted with cold laughter and schadenfreude.
"Come out?"
Chen Yu clicked his tongue and waved his hand, saying, "Why don't you just roll over here instead!"
Roll over here?
The faces of the disciples present turned pale, looking at Chen Yu with shock and pity.
What!
Hu Yiba's entire face was nearly contorted, veins bulging on his forehead, and the cold gleam in his eyes was like a cold winter's knife slicing through one's skin.
Instantly, the fury and killing intent on him seemed like a revived volcano about to erupt violently.
Wang Lingyun, Huang Yuan, and the others were in disbelief.
Chen Yu dared to confront the Outer Sect's bully, "Hu Yiba," head-on?
At this moment.
The atmosphere was overwhelmingly oppressive, and every disciple's breath seemed heavy.
A few yards apart.
Chen Yu stood motionless, his eyes bright and sharp, meeting Hu Yiba's gaze without backing down.
"Kid, you will soon know what it means to offend me, 'Hu Yiba.'"
Hu Yiba's arms surged with an impressive internal breath, causing the surrounding air to roar, and the gusts howled.
That powerful internal breath carried a domineering force capable of crushing everything.
"Such strong internal breath!"
"Hu Yiba's cultivation has long reached the peak of the Meridian Passage. His inherited 'Overlord Halberd Technique' rivals high-tier cultivation techniques."
Nearby disciples felt oppressed, their blood and energy stagnating.
Chen Yu also sensed the opponent's formidable power.
Hu Yiba had been practicing the 'Overlord Halberd Technique' since childhood; in terms of skill and strength, he might even be beyond the Great Evil Chu Lifeng.
This was the strongest opponent Chen Yu had faced since joining the sect!
"What's all the ruckus? Stay in line."
Inside a side hall, a steward elder gave a low grunt, interrupting the confrontation outside.
Whew~
The atmosphere eased, and many released a long breath.
"Kid, in the Outer Sect Grand Competition, don't let me encounter you..."
Hu Yiba's cruel gaze swept over Chen Yu.
Chen Yu paid no heed and continued to line up.
However, with his exceptional perception, he vaguely heard some low whispers.
"I heard that in the last competition, one or two guys were crippled by Hu Yiba, bedridden for a month, and missed the competition opportunity."
"Alas, this Chen Yu is too stubborn; offending Hu Yiba, how can he stand in the Outer Sect?"
These whispers were filled with pessimism about Chen Yu's future.
Except for one person who didn't think so.
That was Tong Yuling!
Her eyes flickered as she gave Chen Yu a deep glance.
She had some understanding of Chen Yu's true strength. Even if he wasn't a match for Hu Yiba, he wasn't far behind.
An hour later.
Chen Yu finished signing up and bid farewell to Tong Yuling.
...
In the following days.
Chen Yu used his two thousand contribution points and over three hundred Primordial Stones to gather additional auxiliary herbs for the Body Refining prescription at the Sect Affairs Hall.
The most difficult main ingredient in the prescription, "Bull Marrow," was already in hand, and the other auxiliary herbs were not hard to obtain.
Although the prices at the Sect Affairs Hall were higher, materials were collected quickly.
Two days later.
Chen Yu gathered all the materials in sufficient quantities.
In the subsequent period, Chen Yu began dedicated cultivation.
Every day, he used the Body Refining concoction to practice the Copper Statue Technique, steadily progressing.
The Cloud Evil Fist was practiced step by step, progressing faster than before. Whether the mental method or the fist technique, both accumulated little by little.
Immersed in such diligent cultivation, time passed quickly.
In the blink of an eye, more than ten days had passed.
Chen Yu's Bull Marrow refining concoction was finally used up.
At this moment.
His progress in the Copper Statue Technique was steady and was nearing the Copper Muscle Minor Achievement level.
The Copper Muscle level divided into initial success, minor achievement, and great success.
Breaking through the Copper Muscle level so quickly and nearing minor achievement was due to Chen Yu's innate body technique talent and the help of the refining concoction.
Additionally.
Chen Yu's cultivation at the Meridian Passage Stage improved somewhat, with a solid foundation.
"It's about time to use that item."
Chen Yu muttered to himself.
He took out a translucent, pale white elixir.
This pill was a mid-grade Body Storage Pill obtained from the stunning "Ye Luofeng."
With a resolute expression, Chen Yu consumed the elixir.
Soon.
A powerful yet gentle medicinal energy surged within his body, slowly spreading throughout.
Chen Yu hurriedly operated the Cloud Evil Heart Method to absorb the spiritual medicinal energy.
As time passed.
Chen Yu felt his internal breath gradually increasing. His body seemed to undergo some sort of baptism, making the internal breath flow more smoothly.
Two days later, the medicinal energy was mostly absorbed.
Chen Yu felt his internal breath had become more refined and profound, nearing the upper limit of the Early-stage Meridian Passage.
He was just a tiny step away from breaking through to the Mid-stage Meridian Passage!
Alas!
Chen Yu sighed deeply, just that tiny step.
It seemed that his Half Spirit Body physique slightly hindered his internal breath cultivation.
On the other hand.
It had been less than two months since Chen Yu broke through to the Meridian Passage Stage, lacking accumulation.
If his skill was slightly deeper or his aptitude slightly better, breaking through the Meridian Passage Stage this time would have been easy.
Following that.
Chen Yu instinctively operated the Copper Statue Technique, feeling that consuming the Body Storage Pill had benefitted his body significantly.
As a result, he was greatly surprised.
Buzz!
A layer of ancient copper textures appeared on Chen Yu's body surface; his muscles were flexible and firm, as if fused into an exquisite metallic copper statue, exuding a solemn and majestic aura.
Under the light, a metallic sheen even appeared on his skin.
Chen Yu was both pleasantly surprised and regretful.
The Body Storage Pill didn't help him break through to the Mid-stage Meridian Passage but allowed the Copper Statue Technique to naturally achieve the Copper Muscle Minor Achievement.
"However, I think there's one more form of assistance for breaking through the mid-stage."
Chen Yu's expression was calm.
In his hand, he held an eighty-year-old Blood Ganoderma.
By consuming the Blood Ganoderma, he had more than a seventy percent chance of breaking through to the Mid-stage Meridian Passage in one go!
However, the potent medicinal energy of the Blood Ganoderma could forcefully elevate his cultivation to the Mid-stage Meridian Passage, but it might lead to an unstable foundation.
To use it or not use it, that was the question.
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