King of Ten Thousand Years

”Challenging a Core Disciple? You’re courting death! I’ll make you regret this for the rest of your life!”

The blue-haired woman’s expression twisted with a wicked excitement as she watched Luo Tian’s back until he disappeared completely.

Qiao Hai, who was standing to the side, was greatly surprised.

Luo Tian was actually challenging a Core Disciple, and one he had a grudge with at that—the blue-haired woman.

”Junior Sister Lu, don’t be careless!”

Qiao Hai said in a low voice.

’A man as clever and shrewd as Luo Tian would never do something so foolish. There must be something more to this.’

’Perhaps Luo Tian had a great opportunity during the Xuankong Mountain trial and his strength has improved dramatically.’

”Don’t worry, Senior Brother Qiao, I absolutely will not lose!”

The blue-haired woman had absolute confidence in herself.

She had been a Core Disciple for over half a year.

Furthermore, her strength wasn’t at the bottom of the Core Disciples’ ranks, but seventh!

She guessed that Luo Tian must have had some great opportunity on Xuankong Mountain, improving his strength enough to dare challenge her.

But she had also had her own opportunities and improved!

”Yes. If you get the chance, you can cripple or kill Luo Tian!”

Qiao Hai sent via voice transmission.

He was well aware of the blue-haired woman’s strength and didn’t think she would lose.

If they could use this opportunity to get rid of Luo Tian, all the better!

”Understood!”

The blue-haired woman nodded.

Crippling a person’s Cultivation or accidentally killing them during a challenge would still result in punishment.

But with the Third Elder backing her, she wasn’t worried in the slightest.

...

Luo Tian’s decision to challenge the blue-haired woman wasn’t a sudden whim.

He needed the status of a Core Disciple himself, as it would make the Third Elder more wary and hesitant to move against him.

Besides, it could also be considered an assessment of his own strength before leaving the Yunxiao Sect!

The only thing that wasn’t part of his plan was that he had initially intended to challenge the weakest Core Disciple. But since the blue-haired woman had taken the initiative to provoke him and seek attention, he simply made her his target instead.

Luo Tian arrived at the Cultivation Tower.

The Cultivation Tower in the Upper Sect Area cost three hundred Contribution Points per day, and its cultivation effects far surpassed those in the Lower Sect.

He selected a Cultivation Secret Room and placed his Identity Token into a groove. The room was instantly filled with dense, pure Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

Luo Tian immediately activated the Guiyuan True Skill and stimulated his Nether Dragon Divine Vein. A tremendous suction force was generated, forming a huge Spiritual Qi vortex around his body.

During his Cultivation, Luo Tian consumed an Essence Cultivation Pill.

This was a reward from the Four Grotto Heavens trial. He had forty of them in total. They could speed up one’s cultivation, and while their effect was average, their advantage was that they could be taken consecutively.

Luo Tian took one pill a day to aid his cultivation.

The completion rate of his Seventh-Layer Spirit Sea Vortex climbed rapidly, reaching twenty percent, thirty percent... forty percent.

「Eight days passed.」

The completion of his Seventh-Layer Spirit Sea Vortex reached forty-five percent.

From this, it was clear that Luo Tian’s cultivation foundation was exceptionally solid, and his cultivation progressed extremely quickly.

At this very moment, his Guiyuan True Skill also broke through to the Sixth-Layer!

The quality of Luo Tian’s True Qi improved, becoming even more refined.

His cultivation speed, which had started to slow down, picked up again, and Luo Tian continued his seclusion.

「Half a month quickly passed.」

WHOOSH!

The Spiritual Qi vortex around Luo Tian rapidly faded and disappeared. The powerful True Qi fluctuations from his body also quickly receded.

Luo Tian slowly opened his eyes, which were deep and bright.

”It’s time to go.”

Luo Tian stood up, took his Identity Token, and left the Cultivation Tower.

His half-month of secluded cultivation had cost him a total of 4,500 Contribution Points. Such extravagance was enough to make ordinary Upper Sect Disciples burn with envy.

And Luo Tian’s cultivation had also improved tremendously.

The completion of his Seventh-Layer Spirit Sea Vortex had reached eighty percent!

He wasn’t far from the Peak of the Seventh Layer.

Coupled with the breakthrough in his Guiyuan True Skill, both the True Qi Quality and Quantity had seen a significant increase.

’I’ll test out the exact extent of my improvement in a real fight later.’

He first went to the Artifact Refining Peak.

”It’s done. Here are your sword and Inner Armor!”

Cheng Wanli had already finished the refining and strengthening.

He had smelted several precious materials into the [Ice Trace Sword] and the Defensive Treasure Armor, significantly improving their quality.

Other than having only eight Inscriptions, these two Treasure Artifacts were now very close to being Top Grade Treasure Artifacts in every other aspect!

”That will be three thousand Spiritual Essence Coins and three thousand Contribution Points!” Cheng Wanli said.

This was the discounted price.

After all, the materials used for smelting were all Cheng Wanli’s own.

Luo Tian paid without hesitation.

”Brother Luo, I heard you’re going to challenge a Core Disciple?”

Cheng Wanli asked.

”That’s right. After this battle, I’ll be leaving the Yunxiao Sect to train and prepare for the Celestial Pride Conference!”

Luo Tian swung the [Ice Trace Sword], feeling that it was a bit heavier.

”If you’re challenging a Core Disciple, why didn’t you pick the weakest one? Lu Lin’s strength is nothing to scoff at.”

Cheng Wanli said with a frown.

After the Xuankong Mountain trial ended, Cheng Wanli had just broken through to the Ninth Layer of Spirit Sea Realm. He wasn’t confident he could win against the blue-haired woman, let alone Luo Tian, who was only at the Spirit Sea Seventh Layer.

”My strength isn’t so simple either!”

Luo Tian sheathed his sword and left with great strides.

...

In the Upper Sect Disciple area, dozens of Upper Sect Disciples had already gathered near the Martial Arts Arena.

After every Xuankong Mountain trial, there would always be disciples who challenged Core Disciples, wanting to take their place.

A few days ago, there had been one such challenge that attracted many onlookers.

But the crowd for this battle was exceptionally large.

”I’m afraid Luo Tian is overconfident, actually challenging Senior Sister Lu!”

”This isn’t a survival trial; it’s a true, head-on contest of strength!”

None of the Upper Sect Disciples thought highly of Luo Tian’s chances, as the gap in their Cultivation was simply too wide.

”Luo Tian is here!”

someone suddenly shouted, and all the disciples turned to look.

”Luo Tian! Be careful.”

Ning Xin whispered.

Ke Yuexuan, Xiao Feng, and the others had also arrived.

No one thought Luo Tian could win.

As long as Luo Tian didn’t suffer a crushing defeat, it wouldn’t be too embarrassing. After all, he had been in the Upper Sect for a very short time. No one doubted his talent and potential; given enough time, Luo Tian would surely surpass the blue-haired woman.

But definitely not now!

SWISH!

A blue-haired figure instantly leaped onto the Martial Arts Arena. She looked down on Luo Tian from her high vantage point, the corners of her mouth curling up. ”Luo Tian, what are you dawdling for? Aren’t you going to get up here?”

The blue-haired woman had been looking forward to this battle for a long time.

”Are you in such a hurry to give up your status as a Core Disciple?”

Luo Tian gave a faint smile.

The spectating Upper Sect Disciples all looked astonished. Such arrogance!

Judging from his words, Luo Tian seemed extremely confident that he could defeat the blue-haired woman. It was the height of arrogance!

”You’re good at talking big. Let’s see how you’ll clean up this mess later!”

shouted the ”pointy-mouthed man,” a disciple of Elder Mao whom Luo Tian had previously beaten out of the True Intent Ancient Hall.

In his opinion, it would be impressive if Luo Tian could even last twenty moves.

”What a joke. I am Lu Lin, and no one can take away my status as a Core Disciple!”

the blue-haired woman declared with immense pride.

SWISH!

Luo Tian transformed into a wisp of wind and instantly mounted the stage.

The blue-haired woman’s expression was cold and proud. The True Qi in her body suddenly erupted, and a layer of azure airflow spread out, filling the area with the aura of the Peak of Ninth Layer of Spirit Sea Realm.

The terrifying aura she exuded even approached the level of the Half-step Earth Element Realm!

”Senior Sister Lu has improved so much! I’m afraid she’ll be able to break through to the Half-step Earth Element Realm before the Celestial Pride Conference!”

The pointy-mouthed man below the stage felt a wave of pressure and was inwardly amazed.

CHSS!

The blue-haired woman suddenly drew her sword. An astonishing seven-to-eight-meter-long sword gleam instantly formed in the air, its surface rippling with an azure luster and exuding a dangerous aura as it shot toward Luo Tian.

Luo Tian felt an invisible pressure all over his body. This was the first time he had truly fought an expert at the Peak of Ninth Layer of Spirit Sea Realm!

Moreover, the blue-haired woman’s strength was among the strongest of those at the Peak of Ninth Layer of Spirit Sea Realm!

”Sharp Sword and Wind!”

Luo Tian immediately drew his sword, unleashing a bone-chilling Gale Sword Light. It was as swift as lightning and radiated an incomparably sharp aura.

DING! CHSS!

The two Sword Lights collided in an instant, and Sword Qi swept out for more than ten meters in all directions.

The flashing silver-white Sword Light and the condensed azure sword afterglow canceled each other out, annihilating one another.

Luo Tian stood his ground, not moving an inch.

”He blocked it!”

The spectating disciples couldn’t help but exclaim in shock.

It gave the illusion that the two were evenly matched!

”How is that possible? He didn’t even use his Sword Intent just now, did he?”

The pointy-mouthed man was in disbelief.

Cheng Wanli also looked shocked. Luo Tian’s performance had far exceeded his expectations!

”Hm?”

The blue-haired woman furrowed her shapely brows.

After one exchange, she determined that Luo Tian’s sword was no weaker than her Treasure Artifact.

Luo Tian’s True Qi was also extremely refined, even stronger than that of an ordinary expert at the Ninth Layer of Spirit Sea Realm!

But most importantly, Luo Tian’s Swordsmanship itself was of a very high Tier, and his mastery of it was also extraordinary, giving it transcendent power.

”Heh heh, if this is the extent of your strength, then this battle ends here!”

The blue-haired woman sneered.

Just now, she had only made a casual move without using a Martial Skill, exerting only sixty percent of her strength!

In an instant, the aura around the blue-haired woman surged, exuding a turbulent and violent presence.

”Jade Wave Sword Tide!”

Her Treasure Sword stirred up a layer of Sword Qi ripples, which continuously stacked upon each other, transforming into a several-meter-high tide of Sword Qi that rolled toward Luo Tian with unparalleled ferocity.

”What a powerful Sword Technique!”

”Of course! What Senior Sister Lu practices is the Earth Level Middle Grade Swordsmanship, the Jade Sea Sword Technique! This Swordsmanship has extremely high killing power, and its might will continuously increase over time!”

The crowd marveled at the blue-haired woman’s Swordsmanship.

At the same time, many people could also tell that Luo Tian was practicing the Earth Level Middle Grade Sword Technique, the Nine Heavens Sword Technique.

In terms of power, this Sword Technique surpassed the Jade Sea Sword Technique, but it was incomplete, dooming him to be unable to defeat the blue-haired woman.

”Flowing Wind and Clouds!”

Luo Tian executed the second technique of the Nine Heavens Sword Technique. The [Ice Trace Sword] swung out, creating a cloud of cold Sword Qi wind that crashed into the tide of jade Sword Qi.

Sharp Sword and Wind had a small range, while Flowing Wind and Clouds had a large range but insufficient power.

In an instant.

The surging tide of Sword Qi continuously destroyed the cloud of Sword Qi wind, suppressing Luo Tian’s Sword Technique.

”Heh heh, Junior Luo, this move of yours is even weaker than your previous one!”

The blue-haired woman chuckled mockingly.

It was true. Just now, Luo Tian had used the Nine Heavens Sword Technique Third Technique, but this time it was the second technique.

’Luo Tian is about to lose!’

This thought was in everyone’s mind.

”Is that so?” Luo Tian murmured.

’I wanted to test the power amplification of the Celestial Sword Technique on my Sword Skills!’

Activating the Heart Method, the sword in Luo Tian’s hand suddenly trembled lightly, radiating a faint glow.

His Swordsmanship speed suddenly increased, and his Sword Technique became incomparably fluid. The suppressed cloud of cold Sword Qi wind suddenly expanded and launched a counterattack!

BOOM! CHSS!

The tide of jade Sword Qi was instantly engulfed and annihilated. A flurry of sharp, ice-cold, gale-like Sword Qi surrounded the blue-haired woman from all sides.