Cultivation starts from simplifying the exercises

Chapter 2197 Successive Victories

As the verdict was announced, the flames engulfing the training ground quickly extinguished and dissipated, revealing the somewhat charred ground.

Cao Feiyu withdrew her longsword, her face pale, the spiritual light on her forehead long gone.

The continuous high-intensity battles, especially the final unleashing of the Undying Aura and the Sword of Deception, almost drained her of her vital energy and soul.

She cupped her hands in a gesture of respect to the defeated Lie Fen, and was about to fly off the martial arts arena. At that moment, a green figure swept into the arena, gently supporting her swaying body, and channeling pure and gentle Yuan energy into her, stabilizing her unstable breathing.

“Chen Fei…” Cao Feiyu looked up and saw Chen Fei’s concerned face so close to her. The tension in her heart finally eased, and a huge joy and sense of accomplishment instantly overwhelmed her fatigue.

She won. Facing such a powerful opponent, she triumphed. Moreover, she found the key to victory using the secret technique Chen Fei taught her.

Chen Fei looked at Cao Feiyu's pale face, which couldn't hide her excitement and dependence, and his eyes were full of smiles. He reached out and gently wiped away the black mark left by the flames on her cheek with his fingertips.

"well-done."

Chen Fei said in a low voice, his tone filled with undisguised admiration, "The use of the Undying Aura was just right, and the timing and decisiveness of that Sword of Deception were even more brilliant. It seems that the hard work of the past three months has not been in vain."

Feeling the warmth of Chen Fei's fingertips and the affirmation in his words, Cao Feiyu's smile became even brighter, dispelling all her fatigue.

She reached out and tightly grasped Chen Fei's arm that was supporting her; it was the source of all her strength at that moment.

After helping Cao Feiyu leave the No. 9 training ground, Chen Fei did not immediately take her back to the base. Instead, he found a relatively quiet corner of the viewing platform for her to recuperate.

He stood aside to protect the Dharma, while his gaze swept over the surrounding martial arts arenas where fierce battles were still raging.

Suddenly, a deafening roar of cheers and shouts erupted from a nearby martial arts arena, attracting Chen Fei's attention. Among the sounds were the excited cries of some familiar Dan Chen Sect disciples.

Chen Fei looked over and saw that the training ground was numbered Gengshen Area No. 3.

Inside the arena, a burly figure clad in dark gold armor and wielding a ferocious giant axe descended like a war god, launching a ferocious attack with unstoppable force.

It was Xu Ziqian.

And what he held in his hand was the ancient and ferocious weapon, the Po Jun.

Compared to the inner sect competition three months ago, Xu Ziqian's aura was more composed and his eyes were sharp and cold.

The dark golden phantom of the divine general surrounding him solidified considerably, establishing a deeper connection with the Po Jun Giant Axe, and the dark light emanating from the axe blade became more restrained.

His opponent was a burly man wielding two halberds, whose aura was as powerful as a mountain; he was clearly also a physical cultivator skilled in strength.

The burly man roared repeatedly, his twin halberds swirling like windmills, stirring up layers of thick, earthy-yellow qi.

However, all of this defense and power seemed so pale in the face of Xu Ziqian's Po Jun.

Xu Ziqian let out a deep shout, gripped the thick handle of Po Jun's axe with both hands, exerted force with his waist, and swept the giant axe horizontally in a perfect dark golden arc.

There were no complicated variations, no strange angles; it was simply the most direct, straightforward, and domineering sweep.

"boom!"

Wherever the axe blade passed, space was torn apart, emitting a shrill whistling sound like cloth being ripped apart.

The layers of halberd shadows and earthen-yellow aura unleashed by the burly man were as fragile as paper, crumbling at the mere touch of the dark golden axe blade. The halberds clashed with the axe blade, producing a piercing metallic clang, and then, cracks appeared on the seemingly high-grade halberds.

The burly man's tiger's mouth split open, blood flowing freely. A look of horror appeared in his eyes. His massive body was carried backward by the irresistible force, crashing heavily into the array barrier at the edge of the martial arts arena with a loud bang.

The golden barrier rippled violently upon impact, and the burly man coughed up blood, collapsing limply, having lost the strength to fight any further.

Swift and decisive, a single strike to victory.

The entire battle, from beginning to end, lasted only a few breaths. Xu Ziqian didn't even move more than a few steps; with just one axe strike, he crushed his opponent with absolute power and the advantage of his weapon.

"Gengshen area, Martial Arts Arena No. 3, winner: Xu Ziqian of Danchen Sect."

Outside the arena, enthusiastic cheers erupted from the viewing area where the Danchen Sect disciples were gathered. Liu Ruxu was so excited that her face turned red, and she waved her little fists vigorously.

Xu Ziqian expressionlessly sheathed the Po Jun sword, and the dark golden phantom of the divine general slowly dissipated. Without even glancing at his opponent being carried away, he turned to leave the training ground.

However, just as his gaze swept across the field, it met Chen Fei's eyes, who was also looking in this direction from a corner of the platform in the distance.

For a fleeting moment, space seemed to freeze.

Xu Ziqian's eyes suddenly became sharp as knives, burning with an undisguised and extremely intense fighting spirit.

Three months ago, in the inner sect competition, he was crushed by Chen Fei, suffering serious injuries and his Dao heart was damaged. It was the greatest humiliation and setback he had ever experienced in his cultivation.

For the past three months, he felt as if he had thrown himself into purgatory.

He cultivated madly, refining his divine body, communicating with and refining the Broken Army in an almost self-destructive way, turning all his humiliation, resentment, and anger into motivation to move forward.

He wanted to become stronger, strong enough to wash away the shame of that day, strong enough to repay Chen Fei tenfold for everything he had been subjected to.

The Grand Competition of Ten Thousand Sects was the stage he chose.

Xu Ziqian didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly in Chen Fei's direction. Then, he withdrew his gaze, his figure transforming into a dark golden streak of light, flying out of the martial arts arena and landing beside Liu Ruxu, who had excitedly come to greet him.

Liu Ruxu was still excitedly talking, but Xu Ziqian only nodded from time to time without saying a word.

In the distance, Chen Fei took in Xu Ziqian's fighting spirit and nodding gesture, his expression remaining calm and composed.

It seems that the three months of silence have not dulled Xu Ziqian's edge; on the contrary, they have made him even sharper. Moreover, his control over Po Jun has reached a new level.

“Senior Brother Xu…” Cao Feiyu, who was adjusting her breathing, also noticed what had just happened.

"It's alright."

Chen Fei withdrew his gaze, smiled slightly at Cao Feiyu, and said with a reassuring calmness, "As expected. Having rivals is a good thing."

It remains to be seen whether the two of them will have the chance to face off again on this grand stage where countless geniuses gather.

Suddenly, Chen Fei felt a familiar warmth from the identity token in his arms, followed by a soft golden beam of light descending from the sky and enveloping him.

"Jiazi area, training ground number three." Chen Fei read out the guidance information, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"Be careful," Cao Feiyu whispered, having already steadied her breathing.

"Okay, I'll be right back. You stay here and meditate, don't wander off." Chen Fei nodded, his figure blurring under the golden light, and the next moment, he appeared in the designated training ground.

The training ground remains magnificent, its golden surface gleaming like a mirror.

His opponent was already standing in the arena with his hands behind his back; he was a giant man who was nine feet tall and shirtless.

The giant's muscles were bulging, his lines like those of cast bronze and iron. His skin had a deep bronze color, covered with strange, crisscrossing patterns, with a faint yellowish-brown halo flowing within them.

He stood there, not deliberately exuding an aura, yet he gave people a sense of oppression like a towering mountain, seemingly blending into the martial arts arena beneath his feet.

"Earthshaking Sect, Shi Yue." The giant's voice was like muffled thunder, his gaze falling on Chen Fei with a hint of scrutiny and eager excitement.

The Earth-Shaking Sect is a sect renowned for its body-refining techniques. It is said that when the Earth-Shaking True Body technique is cultivated to a high level, one can merge their body with the earth.

"Danchen Sect, Chen Fei." Chen Fei cupped his hands in greeting.

This is a pure body cultivator who has cultivated body-refining techniques to an extremely high level. Judging from the unusual phenomenon of the patterns on his body resonating with the earth, his close-combat ability is probably extremely terrifying.

"please!"

"please!"

Before he finished speaking, a sharp glint flashed in Shi Yue's eyes, and he stomped his foot down.

The entire massive training ground trembled slightly, and a visible ripple of earthy yellow spread out from him.

The bronze patterns on his body suddenly glowed with a blinding yellow light, and he exuded a suffocating aura of savagery. He did not use any weapons, for his body itself was the strongest divine weapon.

"Take this punch!"

Shi Yue took a step forward, seemingly clumsy, but instantly covered a distance of a hundred miles. His fist, carrying the terrifying force to shatter mountains and shake the earth, slammed down on Chen Fei.

Wherever the fist passed, space was compressed to the extreme, and the earthy yellow light on the surface of the fist solidified into a tangible form, faintly forming countless phantom images of mountains.

This punch was devoid of any fancy moves; it was purely a combination of ultimate power and Daoist principles.

Faced with this punch, a strange light flashed in Chen Fei's eyes, and chaotic spiritual light and silver-gray array patterns flashed by in his eyes.

Within a ten-mile radius of him, the Dao Domain, imbued with the power of the Void and spacetime, unfolded once more.

"Boom!"

Shi Yue's fist, powerful enough to shatter planes, slammed into Chen Fei's Dao Domain.

The Dao Domain fluctuated violently, with even subtle ripples and distortions appearing at its edges, as if it might be torn apart at any moment by this pure and domineering power.

But it was only an impression.

Under the erosion of the Void Realm, the distortion of spacetime, and the stabilization of the undying spiritual light, the power of that punch seemed to crash into a constantly rotating and devouring chaos.

The terrifying power was rapidly divided, guided, and annihilated. Less than 30% of the shockwave was transmitted to Chen Fei's body, where it was withstood by his powerful physique.

Shi Yue's excitement instantly turned into astonishment. He felt that his punch had nowhere to land, and the immense power was quickly dissipated. The opponent's Dao Domain was more bizarre than he had imagined.

"it is good!"

Shi Yue was not surprised but delighted, his fighting spirit intensified. He roared, and the earth-yellow patterns on his body shone brightly. Strands of pure earth power rose from the ground and merged into his body, causing his aura to surge once again.

He unleashed both fists simultaneously, transforming them into a sky full of fist shadows. Each punch contained the power to shatter mountains and split the earth, crashing towards Chen Fei's Dao Domain like a storm, attempting to forcibly break through this strange domain with absolute power and frequency.

Chen Fei remained calm, forming a profound hand seal in front of him, and simultaneously unleashing the power of his three internal techniques.

The range of the Dao Domain suddenly shrank to three miles around him, and its solidity increased several times. The distorted and blurry feeling disappeared, and was replaced by a light membrane of almost solid, chaotic color.

Immediately afterwards, he pointed three palms at the empty space in front of him.

"Boom boom boom!"

Three enormous, illusory palms, each containing immense power of the Dao Ruins, the ability to imprison time and space, and the will to suppress the undying spiritual light, condensed in front of Shi Yue almost simultaneously, and then pressed down hard on him.

These three palm strikes were not merely suppression; they also contained the locking of the spacetime micro-array and the transformation of the Dao Ruins Returning to Truth Body.

The space around Shi Yue instantly became viscous and heavy, as if he were trapped in amber, and his movements slowed down instantly.

The connection between his body and the power of the earth was forcibly disrupted and severed. Before the three chaotic giant hands had fully landed, the terrifying suppressive force had already caused the earthy yellow light on his body to dim rapidly, and his muscles groaned from the unbearable strain.

"Open it for me!"

Shi Yue's eyes were bloodshot as he frantically activated his Earth-Shaking True Body, trying to break free of the restraints. However, without the continuous replenishment of the earth's power, his own strength seemed powerless under Chen Fei's triple suppression, which incorporated the characteristics of the Dao Domain.

"boom!"

The three colossal chaotic hands finally slammed down, like three divine mountains, firmly suppressing Shi Yue in the center of the training ground.

Under the giant hand, Shi Yue's bones cracked and popped, and countless tiny cracks appeared on his bronze skin. He struggled desperately, but he couldn't even lift a finger. He was pressed firmly to the ground by that terrifying force and couldn't move.

"I surrender!"

After struggling for a while, Shi Yue reluctantly squeezed out three words through gritted teeth, filled with resentment and horror.

His pride and joy in his strength and defense proved utterly powerless before the opponent's amplified Dao Domain.

"In the Jiazi area, at the No. 3 training ground, the victor is Chen Fei from the Danchen Sect."

Chen Fei withdrew the suppressing giant palm and Dao Domain, his expression unchanged. He cupped his hands to Shi Yue, who was struggling to stand up with a complicated expression, and then turned into a stream of light and left the martial arts arena.

"Hiss... It's that Dao Domain again. Chen Fei used it again."

"This time, the opponent was Shi Yue from the Earth-Shaking Sect, who was known for his strength defense. It is said that he had cultivated the Earth-Shaking True Body to the level of earth vein enhancement, yet he was still suppressed by Chen Fei using that Dao Domain combined with the giant palm?"

"It's not just suppression, it's utter crushing. Shi Yue's power couldn't break through that domain defense at all; instead, he was directly locked down by the opponent."

"The key point is, have you noticed? Within that magnified Dao Domain, Chen Fei is almost invincible from the start. His power is dissipated, his speed is affected, and even his connection with the power of heaven and earth may be interfered with."

"Based on the method of body refinement, it bears the backlash of power. Using the Dao of formations as a framework, it constructs and amplifies the power and range of the Dao Domain. Then, it uses some profound divine soul secret method to harmonize, stabilize, and perceive... This idea is simply inconceivable. But he actually managed to pull it off and unleashed such terrifying power."

"When did the Danchen Sect produce such a prodigy? I've never heard of Chen Fei before."

"It is said that he is a rising star who has emerged in recent years and is the champion of the inner sect competition."

"His fighting style is absolutely unique in the Tai Cang Realm. Anyone who has seen him fight will probably never forget it."

Chen Fei's name, along with his enlarged Dao Domain, began to spread rapidly. Many cultivators who had not previously paid attention to him also began to take notice of this young disciple from the Dan Chen Sect.

After all, the fact that they were able to defeat their opponents so cleanly and decisively in the first two rounds of the Grand Tournament, and that their opponents were not weak, is enough to prove that they have the potential to achieve a better ranking.

Of course, many people also maintained a calm and observant attitude.

"Although this method is strange, it must consume a terrifying amount of spiritual energy and vital energy. He cannot maintain it for long. If we can find a way to exhaust his power, or launch a preemptive attack before his Dao Domain unfolds, we may not be without a chance of victory."

"Moreover, although this Dao Domain defense is strong, it is not very effective against a half-step Heavenly Monarch. The Grand Competition of Ten Thousand Sects is full of hidden talents, and the real top geniuses have more than just this method."

"In any case, this child is already worthy of attention."

Chen Fei was completely unaware of these discussions, and even if he had, he wouldn't have cared. He returned to Cao Feiyu's side and saw that her breathing had stabilized considerably, though her face was still somewhat pale.

"Did you win?" Cao Feiyu asked, though it was a question, her tone was one of certainty.

"Hmm, a physical cultivator with decent strength, it took some effort." Chen Fei nodded.

Looking at his calm face, Cao Feiyu knew that his claim of having gone through some trouble was just an understatement.

However, she didn't ask any further questions. She simply held his hand tightly, feeling proud of him and secretly encouraging herself that she still needed to work harder. (End of Chapter)