Chapter 78: Breaking Through, Is It Difficult?

Popular Recommendation: Qingyang Sword Hall, martial arts arena.

When Lu Li arrived here, he discovered that many people were bustling about, standing all around the arena.

He did not arrive particularly early, because he spent some time testing the Golden Silk Armor and Treading Wind Boots.

The result was that these two treasures were extremely useful.

Lu Li's assessment was that they were very spirited.

According to Lu Li's internal rating of equipment, these two pieces were also Purple-tier equipment, enough for him to use all the way until the Fourth Realm.

If he were allowed to wear the Treading Wind Boots and Golden Silk Armor to confront the demon cultivator Qu Ji again, Lu Li would certainly have had a much easier time.

"Senior Brother Lu."

"Junior Sister congratulates Senior Brother Lu on breaking through his realm."

"I heard Senior Brother Lu awakened a Sword Spirit; he will surely be able to take one of the top three spots in today's martial competition."

Many junior brothers and sisters were very excited; they all knew that today was the final selection for the sect's three spots, and Lu Li had also signed up to participate.

Hearing that Lu Li had slain a demon cultivator in the deep forest, all the disciples were filled with anticipation for Lu Li.

Especially those disciples who had just made their Entry; they were witnesses to that battle and had undoubtedly become Lu Li's little fan girls.

After all, Lu Li's appearance was very attractive to fans.

"Although Senior Brother Lu broke through the Initial Realm and also awakened a Sword Spirit, his cultivation is still too low; in truth, his chances of winning are not great."

"For this selection, I think Senior Brother Bai Wan and the others, who stepped into the Second Realm years ago, have a better chance of winning. After all, they are already in the late stage of the Second Realm and are very likely to gain enlightenment at the Slaying Demon Assembly and advance to the Third Realm."

"Yes, I saw Zhou Tai this morning; he has also broken through to the Second Realm."

"He just broke through to the Second Realm and is currently in a state of high momentum; it is very likely he will make a push for the three spots."

Lu Li heard the discussions of the people around him, raised his head to glance at Zhou Tai opposite him, and saw intense fighting spirit in the other's eyes.

"Broken through to the Second Realm; that was quite fast."

Lu Li thought to himself.

Many disciples argued endlessly for the people they supported, but everyone was looking forward to the start of the battle.

A master who was usually responsible for teaching walked up and distributed weapons to the disciples who wanted to compete; they were all unsharpened.

A ten-zhang radius around the arena was cordoned off, and watching disciples were not allowed to approach.

Soon, Jiang Yebai walked over wearing a set of green robes, accompanied by Jiang Yinuo.

"Hall Master."

"Greetings, Hall Master."

All the disciples bowed respectfully when they saw Jiang Yebai; many people knew that Jiang Yebai was once a true disciple of the Sword Sect, and this Qingyang Sword Hall was also founded by him single-handedly.

"Good, the time is almost here."

Jiang Yebai said in a clear voice: "This internal selection is to choose the three spots for the Slaying Demon Assembly."

"The performance of these three people, to a certain extent, also represents the face of my Qingyang Sword Hall, so we must select the three strongest people in the sect to participate."

"Counting Zhou Tai, who advanced to the Second Realm today, there are six disciples who have already stepped into the Second Realm; the six of you compete, and we will select three first."

In the crowd, six disciples stood out; they were the Second Realm disciples of Qingyang Sword Hall, and Zhou Tai was among them.

"Reporting to the Hall Master."

Two young men in their twenties bowed and saluted; one of them said: "Zhang Cheng and I already challenged Senior Brother Bai Wan and the other two who are at the late-stage cultivation last night. Our strength is insufficient, so we give up today's contention."

"Oh?"

Jiang Yebai nodded; he also knew the strength of these disciples, and the cultivation of Bai Wan and the other two was indeed more solid.

In this way, only four people remained.

Zhou Tai stepped forward and said: "Hall Master, three Senior Brothers, Zhou Tai knows that his cultivation is still shallow and is no match for the three Senior Brothers."

"But Zhou Tai has only just broken through to the Second Realm, and I still wish to try; I ask the three Senior Brothers to please not hesitate to instruct me."

Jiang Yebai nodded and said: "Not bad, having sharp spirit is a good thing."

Bai Wan and the other two also cupped their hands and said: "Junior Brother is too modest."

"Among those in the First Realm, is there anyone who wants to challenge? Let's do it all together."

Jiang Yebai's gaze swept over Lu Li's side as he spoke.

Many First Realm disciples who had originally signed up chose to give up at this moment.

They had originally thought that among the three spots, one would be left for the First Realm disciples to contend for.

But looking at it today, if one wants to obtain a spot, one must compete with the Second Realm senior brothers, which meant there was no chance of winning for them.

"Master, I give up the contention."

"Me too."

The disciples stepped forward one after another, gave up their spots, and then retreated into the spectator group.

The original group of people became just Lu Li alone.

Jiang Yinuo's gaze looked toward Lu Li, a smile on the corners of her mouth.

"Disciple Lu Li, I would like to try."

The disciples were somewhat surprised, thinking to themselves that if they were contending for spots within the First Realm, there might have been some chance.

But now, his opponents were all of Second Realm cultivation, so his chances of winning were very small.

"Senior Brother Lu still wants to contend?"

"The remaining four are all Second Realm senior brothers; he is no match for them..."

Jiang Yebai nodded and said: "Since that is the case, the two of you go ahead and challenge Bai Wan and the others."

At this moment, Zhou Tai suddenly stepped forward and said: "Hall Master, why not have Lu Li and me compete first? The winner can then challenge the Senior Brothers."

His gaze was fixed on Lu Li, and he thought to himself that he must defeat Lu Li.

This was not only because of what happened three years ago, but also to regain the face lost in the battle against the demon cultivators two days prior.

"Very well."

Seeing that Jiang Yebai had agreed, Lu Li and Zhou Tai stepped onto the stage separately.

In truth, from Lu Li's perspective, it made no difference who his opponent was.

He even felt like saying: "Don't bother, just come at me together."

But he thought better of it and held back; beating them one by one was fine too.

Lu Li and Zhou Tai stood on the arena, each offering a salute.

Zhou Tai's chin was tilted slightly upward, giving off a sense of superiority.

"You have just entered the First Realm, while I have already reached the Second Realm."

"Since you have the courage to challenge three senior brothers, I hope you will not disappoint me either."

"Lu Li, draw your sword."

He had already performed the salute and held his unsheathed longsword; as Spirit Qi surged, a wisp of cyan flame clung to the blade.

Yet on the other side, Lu Li's sword remained in its scabbard; he had no intention of drawing it at all.

He frowned slightly.

It was not that he felt Zhou Tai was difficult to deal with, but rather he was pondering how much of his strength he should use to beat him? One had to know that his Sword Intent at full power could even slay demon cultivators.

Furthermore, Lu Li's cultivation had now reached the First Realm Sixth Grade, no longer the state of just having entered the First Realm back then.

With the rise in his cultivation, the heaven and earth Spirit Qi he could mobilize became increasingly abundant, and the Sword Intent he formed grew even more powerful.

Even without the bonus of the Slaying Demon Sword, Lu Li was confident he could cripple Zhou Tai.

"Lu Li, draw your sword."

Zhou Tai urged him again, a trace of anger already present in his gaze.

"If I draw my sword, people might die."

Lu Li shook his head, speaking as if he were very serious.

Hiss!

The crowd below the stage, including Jiang Yebai, all gasped sharply.

The air around the arena suddenly grew a few degrees warmer.

They understood that for a sword cultivator, the sword was their most powerful weapon.

Yet with Lu Li's sword still sheathed, how was he to defeat Zhou Tai? "Senior Brother Lu was quite gentle before, right? Does he seem a bit arrogant today?"

"Heh, with his sword still sheathed, how can he fight?"

Jiang Yinuo clasped her hands lightly in front of her chest, looking toward Lu Li on the arena with great worry.

Her fingers were slender and fair, her skin like congealed fat, her hands like soft grass; they gave one the feeling that they would be very nice to touch.

It was a pity that such beautiful hands had no man to hold them.

"Lu Li, you are simply being ridiculous."

Standing opposite Lu Li, Zhou Tai could no longer control the anger in his heart.

He was a Second Realm sword cultivator, while the Lu Li opposite him was only at the First Realm; Zhou Tai had originally felt he was taking advantage, which was why he let Lu Li draw his sword first, considering it a chance to give his opponent the initiative—he had not expected Lu Li to not even draw his sword.

This was naked contempt!

"Lu Li, I gave you a chance."

Zhou Tai let out a low shout, and the flames on his sword burst into a fierce blaze.

He suddenly slashed out with his sword, and the Sword Qi exploded instantly.

The cyan flames clung to the Sword Qi, directly tearing through the air as they slashed toward Lu Li.

Standing below the arena, Bai Wan and the others were stunned when they saw this strike from Zhou Tai.

"This Junior Brother Zhou Tai has just stepped into the Second Realm, but this strike is of high quality; even compared to us, it is not inferior."

In an instant, the sword light flared brilliantly.

Zhou Tai was no longer holding back; the cyan flame Sword Qi instantly covered the arena, and his sword technique was running wild, almost as violent as his mood.

No one had expected that Zhou Tai could unleash such a terrifying sword technique.

And it was very clear that his Blazing Sun Sword Technique was in a mutated state—the Furious Cyan Flame.

Undoubtedly, the combat power Zhou Tai was displaying now was likely 150% of his true strength.

Yet even so, Lu Li still did not draw his sword.

One could only see his figure suddenly turn into a gust of wind, moving freely through this web of swords and sea of fire.

Zhou Tai continuously channeled his Spirit Qi, his sword becoming faster and faster.

Several times, Zhou Tai felt his sword had already touched Lu Li's chest, but Lu Li's speed was always faster, dodging the strike by a hair's breadth.

His movement technique was simply too fast!

Sorry, I paid to win.

"So fast!"

"Senior Brother Lu's movement technique is so fast."

Jiang Yinuo covered her mouth and said: "Father, is it because of the Treading Wind Boots?"

Jiang Yebai shook his head and said: "Not entirely."

"The boost from the Treading Wind Boots is based on the user themselves; Lu Li's speed stems more from his own movement technique."

"I didn't expect the Treading Wind Boots to be able to display such an effect on him."

"Doesn't that mean Lu Li can rely on his speed to defeat Zhou Tai?"

"Not necessarily; a long defense will eventually lead to a mistake. Zhou Tai's sword is still getting faster, and the cyan flames are also increasing."

If he dragged it out any longer, Lu Li would be unable to employ his movement technique.

It was not just Jiang Yebai who saw this; Lu Li on the stage was also very clear about his own situation.

"The bonus effect of the Treading Wind Boots has already been tested in actual combat; it is time to end the match."

"Since that is the case, I shall use that move."

"Come to think of it, I have not yet used this move on the Tianxuan Continent."

Lu Li's figure was seen suddenly passing through the sword light, arriving before Zhou Tai.

For Lu Li, seeing through the flaws of the Blazing Sun Sword Technique was not difficult.

His sword remained sheathed, and he swung it over violently, scabbard and all!

Crack!

The scabbard instantly pierced through the sword light flames and struck Zhou Tai's face with extreme precision!

Zhou Tai's body flew backward directly off the stage, lying on the ground with his head tilted.

On his face, a clear mark of the scabbard was imprinted.

Zhou Tai was clearly sent spinning and dizzy by this sword strike; he stood up shakily, even spinning in place twice.

Seeing Zhou Tai stand up, Lu Li thought to himself: 'The physique of sword cultivators on the Tianxuan Continent is truly good; if this were in the world of Proud Wanderer, he would definitely have been knocked unconscious by me.'

Never mind Zhou Tai being dizzy, even the master on the stage took a while to react.

"In this bout, Lu Li is the victor."

The master announced the result.

Once the result was out, the surrounding disciples erupted.

"What just happened? How did it end?"

"Senior Brother Zhou Tai lost? How could that be? From the beginning, he was the one suppressing Senior Brother Lu."

"I didn't see clearly; he suddenly flew out."

"Doesn't that mean that although Senior Brother Lu's cultivation is at the First Realm, he defeated Senior Brother Zhou Tai of the Second Realm by crossing realms?"

Bai Wan and two others were also watching Lu Li, and they whispered: "I didn't notice at first, but now I see he is wearing Treading Wind Boots."

"Yes, with the enhancement of the Treading Wind Boots, his movement technique is very fast, even faster than your speed, Senior Brother Bai."

Bai Wan nodded and said: "True, I follow the path of strength; my speed is indeed not fast among those of the same realm."

"But it is not easy for him to keep up with me while at the First Realm."

Another person said: "That is useless too. Although his speed is fast, he didn't display powerful attack power just now. That kind of tricky scabbard attack looks strange, but in reality, it couldn't even break Senior Brother Bai's defense."

"I really didn't expect that it would be Lu Li of the First Realm challenging us."

"I wonder who he will choose in a moment?"

The outcome was decided.

At this moment, Zhou Tai also sobered up, and he roared while clutching his face: "Impossible!"

"Lu Li, you only reached the First Realm two days ago, and I have already broken through to the Second Realm; how could you possibly beat me?"

So it was just impotent rage.

Lu Li sighed; he had thought Zhou Tai might say something inspirational—even "thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river" would have been fine.

At this moment, Lu Li stood on the stage, holding a sword that had never been unsheathed.

Just then, a breeze blew by, and a figure in green robes stood against the wind.

This image, this figure, appeared in everyone's eyes.

The next moment, they heard Lu Li speak: "Realms?"

At the same time he spoke, the Experience Gourd in his mind opened instantly, and a thick surge of experience poured directly into him.

【Level Up】 "Is breaking through a realm very difficult?"

At the same time, the aura on Lu Li's body rose sharply.

Boom!

First Realm Seventh Grade!

First Realm, Eighth Grade!

The martial arts arena was silent; everyone's gaze was fixed on Lu Li.

In the midst of casual conversation, Lu Li leveled up twice!

"I..."

"Senior Brother Lu has broken through again?"

"What did he comprehend just now? Why could he suddenly break through?"

Everyone exploded; is breaking through this easy? Previously, disciples at the Entry level had seen Lu Li break through while drinking tea on the Flying Boat, and now, they once again saw Lu Li break through two levels after a sparring match.

They couldn't help but think to themselves: 'So, actually, cultivation isn't difficult, right?' Later, when they truly faced the chasm of breaking through a realm, they would know the truth of the matter.

Senior Brother Lu lied to me!

Jiang Yebai was also incomparably excited; he was genuinely happy that the child of an old friend could make such rapid progress.

Although he was also curious why Lu Li could break through levels one after another, he was mostly happy now.

As the master of the Sword Pavilion, he instantly thought of the future of the Qingyang Sword Hall.

My Qingyang Sword Hall has hope of being promoted to a mid-tier sect!

Isn't this more effective than any recruitment brochure? It's just a pity for Zhou Tai.

Zhou Tai off the stage had already completely broken down.

With a thud, he collapsed to the ground, his eyes inevitably somewhat hollow.

He was shattered.

"Why?"

Zhou Tai could not understand why Lu Li was able to go from breaking through the Initial Realm to the First Realm Eighth Grade cultivation in just three short days.

Such a terrifying increase in cultivation could probably be recorded in the Qingzhou historical figures register, right? He very likely set the record for the fastest leveling speed in the First Realm.

"Why?"

He asked listlessly.

Lu Li looked at the Zhou Tai before him who was on the verge of cracking, and finally, his heart softened.

In this state, he wouldn't be crippled, would he?

"Why?"

"Because I am strong."

"I once heard a saying: when you have not looked at this flower, this flower and your heart both return to silence."

"When you come to look at this flower, the color of this flower becomes clear all at once."

"But in fact, whether you look at it or not, the flower is always blooming."

Three years of bitter cultivation finally have a day of blossoming.

----Author's Note---- 4500