Chapter 14: Outer Disciple Tournament
Six months had passed since Da Cai joined the Red Valley Sect. At the tree logging site, five familiar figures were hard at work: Da Cai and his friends, Lian Hua, Ren Zhen, Feng Yi, and Shi Lang.
"Did you hear? There's going to be an upcoming tournament for Outer Disciples," Shi Lang said, his tone animated.
Ren Zhen nodded. "It's held every six months. Those who don't make it into the top 900 will continue with tasks like this one. Those who rank higher still get assigned tasks, but they're no longer menial." He paused, lowering his voice for emphasis. "The top 100 get special rewards, and the top 10 even have the chance to challenge an Inner Disciple for a promotion."
"No wonder everyone's on edge," Lian Hua said. "The sect recruits a maximum of 100 people each year. With 2,300 Outer Disciples currently, competition is fierce."
Feng Yi added, "Those ranked below 900 are jokingly referred to as 'Menial Disciples' among the Outer Disciples. It's not an official title, but the stigma sticks."
"They say you need to reach at least the third stage of Muscle Refinement to stand a chance at the top 900," Da Cai observed, glancing at his friends. "What's everyone's current cultivation level?"
One by one, they admitted their progress, most hovering between the first and second stages of Muscle Refinement. With only 15 days left before the tournament, the pressure was palpable.
After their task, Da Cai made his way to the Vault of Eternal Techniques, determined to use his accumulated sect points. "Now I have enough to purchase another cultivation technique," he thought. Most of his peers had acquired a battle technique three months earlier, but Da Cai had chosen to focus on buying pills to advance his cultivation, particularly those that supported his body cultivation.
In the cultivation world, there were three primary paths:
Spirit Qi Cultivation: The most common path, focusing on the manipulation of spiritual Qi. Body Cultivation: Using spiritual Qi to temper and strengthen the physical body. Soul Cultivation: Rare and mysterious, involving the refinement of one's soul.
The Red Valley Sect primarily emphasized Spirit Qi cultivation, and most disciples focused on mastering one path to its extreme. However, some geniuses cultivated two or even all three paths simultaneously, though this approach was both resource-intensive and time-consuming.
Da Cai had decided to pursue both Body and Spirit Qi cultivation. With the extra time granted by the white space, he planned to dedicate his real-world efforts to Body Cultivation while practicing Spirit Qi cultivation in the white space.
Inside the Vault, Da Cai was presented with three Spirit Qi techniques:
Flowing Wind Art: A technique focused on agility and speed, allowing practitioners to move like the wind. It synergized well with body cultivation techniques that emphasized endurance and strength, but it lacked offensive power.
Crimson Flame Method: This technique channeled spiritual Qi into fire-based attacks, offering immense destructive potential. While powerful, it required intense focus and could strain the body, making it challenging to balance with Body Cultivation.
Mountain Stance Qi: A defensive technique that fortified the user's spiritual Qi, creating barriers and enhancing resilience. This method complemented Body Cultivation by making the practitioner a fortress of strength, but its offensive capabilities were limited.
After careful consideration, Da Cai chose the Mountain Stance Qi technique. "It's not the flashiest, but it synergizes perfectly with Titan's Resilience," he reasoned. "A strong body and unyielding defenses will give me an edge in both tasks and battles."
With his decision made, Da Cai returned to his room. He began his dual cultivation regimen: Body Cultivation in the real world and Spirit Qi Cultivation in the white space. Each practice session brought him closer to his goal, and with the tournament looming, he pushed himself harder than ever.