Wang Wulian stepped down from the stage, and Lu Yi smiled at the eager-looking Lu Ling, saying, "Brother Lu Ling, shall we spar now?"
Lu Ling was stunned for a moment and asked, "Junior Brother Lu, you just had a fight. Don't you need to rest?"
Lu Yi smiled and replied, "My White Cloud Qi Refining Art isn't at a low level. The speed of my spiritual energy recovery is quite fast, so I don't need to rest."
"Hiss..."
The surrounding spectators all gasped.
"White Cloud Sword Technique at the Returning True Realm, White Cloud Stance at the Transformation stage, and he even comprehended the White Cloud Qi Refining Art to a profound level? As expected of Senior Brother Lu Yi."
"Senior Brother Lu Yi's comprehension is too high. I'm really envious. It would be great to have even half of his comprehension."
"..."
In the midst of the crowd's whispers, Lu Ling also took a deep look at Lu Yi. To be honest, even he was very envious.
Soon, Lu Ling stopped dwelling on it and laughed freely, saying, "Since that's the case, I won't be polite then."
He lightly tapped his toe and floated onto the stage.
Lu Yi watched and saw that Lu Ling had also cultivated the White Cloud Stance, just like him. That move was quite good as well.
Lu Ling stood still and drew his long sword, saying, "Junior Brother Lu, please!!"
"Please!" Lu Yi smiled.
Then, without saying much, the two charged at each other.
Just like when he was fighting Wang Wulian, Lu Yi sparred with Lu Ling for quite a while. Lu Ling's swordsmanship level wasn't as high as Wang Wulian's, but his movement technique was a bit faster. For Lu Yi, it was all about the same, and the fight remained under his control throughout.
After sparring for some time, Lu Yi finally defeated Lu Ling, giving him enough face and leaving Lu Ling quite comfortable.
After finishing the sparring with Lu Ling, Wang Wulian had not yet finished his epiphany, so Lu Yi took the opportunity to recover a bit.
Though he wasn't particularly tired, and his spiritual energy was still about half full, but if he didn't recover, people might start thinking he was a monster.
Thus, Lu Yi sparred continuously with Wang Wulian and Lu Ling. The cultivators watching from the side formed a circle, observing the precious Returning True Realm White Cloud Sword Technique, hoping to gain some insights.
The sparring lasted the entire morning. Lu Yi sparred a total of sixteen times, completing sixteen tasks, and obtained a full sixteen Perfect-Grade Qi Condensation Elixirs.
These elixirs were enough to keep him cultivating until the major competition began. Lu Yi felt it was just about enough.
After the match with Lu Ling, Lu Yi smiled slightly and said, "Brother Lu, Brother Wang, I think today is enough. I've gained a lot. Thank you both for sparring with me."
Lu Ling and Wang Wulian were stunned for a moment, then hurriedly shook their heads.
Lu Ling said gratefully, "Junior Brother Lu, what are you saying? This morning's sparring was very beneficial to me. Perhaps it won't be long before my swordsmanship breaks through to the Transformation stage, all thanks to you!"
Wang Wulian also nodded repeatedly in agreement, saying, "Brother Lu is right. My swordsmanship is only a step away from the Transformation stage, and it's all thanks to you, Junior Brother!"
Lu Yi touched his pocket and chest, where he had sixteen Perfect-Grade Qi Condensation Elixirs, and smiled modestly, saying, "You two are too kind."
In the friendly atmosphere among the three, Lu Yi bid farewell and turned to leave. Many spectators, drawn by the fame of Lu Yi's Returning True Realm White Cloud Sword Technique, made way for him to pass.
Many looked at Lu Yi with gratitude. Just by observing the sparring, they had gained something as well.
For cultivators, watching the battles of powerful cultivators was more beneficial than normal cultivation. Lu Yi's morning of sparring had a didactic effect for them.
Leaving the martial arena, Lu Yi returned to White Spirit Peak to start his cultivation for the day.
The morning time spent on practicing the White Cloud Sword Technique had been delayed, but the afternoon and evening time couldn't be wasted.
......
In the days that followed, with the Perfect-Grade Qi Condensation Elixirs in hand, Lu Yi didn't go out anymore and focused on cultivating for the major competition.
He practiced the White Cloud Sword Technique in the morning, the White Cloud Stance in the afternoon, and the White Cloud Qi Refining Art in the evening, almost without any rest. This diligent routine reminded Lu Yi of his high school entrance exams, when he studied day and night without stopping—it was almost unbearable to think back on.
However, unlike the exams, cultivation allowed Lu Yi to see visible improvements in his strength, a feeling that was quite addictive and enjoyable.
Thus, time quickly flew by, and soon it was half a month later.
On this day, Lu Yi opened his eyes, with a trace of white spirit light in them. The light gradually faded, and Lu Yi let out a small breath of turbid air.
"It's time."
Today was the day of the major competition.
Lu Yi left his room and went to the main hall. In the hall, Lu Gaoyang and Wang Siqi were already sitting at the table, breakfast laid out before them, though neither had touched their chopsticks.
Upon Lu Yi's entrance, they both looked over. Lu Gaoyang's face was stern as he asked, "Yi'er, today is the start of the major competition. How do you feel?"
Wang Siqi also looked at him. During this period, they hadn't mentioned anything about the competition to Lu Yi.
But in fact, outside in the Affairs Hall, many stewards frequently inquired about Lu Yi's situation, given how stunningly he had performed in the past, making a name for himself in the outer sect in one fell swoop.
Should Lu Yi perform poorly this time, one could imagine the amount of criticism he would face.
Lu Gaoyang and Wang Siqi didn't want to add pressure to Lu Yi.
Lu Yi smiled and said, "Don't worry, Old Lu, I feel great."
In the past half month, Lu Yi hadn't been idle. His diligent cultivation had paid off, and his stats had changed again.
[Character]: Lu Yi
[Cultivation Base]: Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer
[Cultivation Technique]: "White Cloud Qi Refining Art" (lv8)
[Arts]: "White Cloud Sword Technique" (lv8), "White Cloud Stance" (lv8)
All his cultivation techniques and arts had reached level 8!
Frankly, Lu Yi didn't even know how strong he was. The power of a level 8 art was so immense that he dared not test it in the small courtyard, fearing he might accidentally demolish it.
Regardless, Lu Yi felt confident that he could surely win the major competition. He hadn't forgotten about the task related to it.
What kind of reward would there be for winning first place?
Lu Yi was very much looking forward to it.
Seeing Lu Yi's confidence, Lu Gaoyang and Wang Siqi also felt relieved. Wang Siqi smiled and said, "I knew my Yi'er would have no problem!"
Lu Gaoyang also managed a rare smile, saying, "What's the saying? The father of a tiger is not a dog!"
Lu Yi rolled his eyes at Lu Gaoyang, thinking he had never seen anyone so shameless as declaring himself a tiger father. How cheeky!
"Eat, eat! After breakfast, we'll head to the martial arena!" Lu Gaoyang laughed.
The annual outer sect competition was always held at the martial arena.
As the biggest event of the outer sect, almost all outer sect disciples would go to the martial arena. Though not everyone would compete, they could still watch and learn from the stronger disciples' matches, which was beneficial for the weaker cultivators.
Since all the disciples were there, the stewards and elders, having nothing else to do, would also go to join in the fun.
Lu Gaoyang and Wang Siqi were no exceptions, especially since this time their son was participating. They definitely had to go and see.