Chapter 105: An Increase in Strength

Liu Feng felt a surge of excitement. Although he had never seen such a pill before, he had heard whispers of its remarkable effects.

"The Yin-Yang Spirit Refining Pill! I can't believe it's this. With this, our strength might take a massive leap forward, giving us a much better chance at the Four-Nation Alliance Tournament," Zhao Jun exclaimed joyfully.

"Let’s see what else is in here! Maybe there are more items that can rapidly boost our cultivation," Zhao Bochao added, his heart racing.

Liu Feng turned the storage bag upside down, and several more items tumbled out.

"This is a weapon forged by a master of the Fusion Realm; it’s truly exceptionally sharp." Zhao Jun picked up a sword shimmering with a red glow and drew it from its scabbard. An intense, piercing sharpness immediately radiated outward. He could sense a powerful fluctuation of spatial energy—this was certainly not a weapon that could be crafted by a practitioner of the Yin-Yang Realm.

"This is a Wood Crystal! What a treasure; it’s of the same grade as the Gold Crystal." Zhao Bochao held a palm-sized crystal in his hand, its surface pulsing with a cyan light.

Liu Feng looked at the pile of spirit stones. A rough estimate suggested there were at least one hundred thousand of them. Judging by the richness of the spiritual energy within, they were clearly mid-grade spirit stones.

There were also other pills, such as mid-grade Spirit Gathering Pills and a few high-grade ones, along with several more weapons of the Yin-Yang Realm.

Liu Feng tallied the haul. Beyond the priceless Wood Crystal and the three Yin-Yang Spirit Refining Pills, the rest—the one hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones and the various weapons—could easily fetch another ten thousand mid-grade spirit stones if sold.

"Not bad. I’ve obtained quite a lot this time. At the very least, I can no longer consider myself poor." Thinking this, Liu Feng felt quite satisfied.

"You two, take these pills quickly," Liu Feng said, handing two of the Yin-Yang Spirit Refining Pills to Zhao Jun and Zhao Bochao.

"That doesn't seem right. You worked hard to get these; we would feel guilty accepting them," the two said. Although they coveted the pills, they knew these were the fruits of Liu Feng’s life-risking efforts and felt they weren't entitled to them.

"I’ve heard that the first time you take this pill, the effect is at its best; the second time, the efficacy diminishes significantly. Rather than wasting that potential, it’s better to maximize the benefits," Liu Feng said calmly.

The two nodded and, filled with excitement, accepted the pills.

Zhao Jun and Zhao Bochao each produced a card. "These spirit stone cards hold fifty thousand mid-grade spirit stones each. We can't let you suffer a loss just for giving us these pills," Zhao Jun insisted.

Seeing their earnest expressions, Liu Feng didn't refuse. He reached out and accepted the cards.

"Go ahead and refine the pills. I’ll stand guard for you," Liu Feng said.

The two quickly sat cross-legged and swallowed the pills. Before long, profound changes began to manifest within them. Liu Feng could feel the spiritual fluctuations around them intensifying—a sign that their mental strength was growing.

About an hour later, they opened their eyes. As they stood up, a powerful aura surged from their bodies.

"Haha! I’ve reached the second stage of the Yin-Yang Realm! My strength has more than doubled!" Zhao Jun cheered.

"I’ve reached the peak of the third stage of the Yin-Yang Realm. I feel like I’ll break through to the fourth stage very soon," Zhao Bochao added with a grin.

Seeing their joy, Liu Feng smiled as well; after all, the stronger they were, the better their chances of victory. He sat down and placed his own pill into his mouth.

Immediately, a cool, refreshing energy rushed toward his mind, continuously strengthening his soul power. After about half an hour, Liu Feng absorbed the full potency of the pill. He felt his internal energy had firmly reached the second stage of the Yin-Yang Realm.

"Liu Feng, your strength has increased quite a bit, hasn't it?" Zhao Jun asked as soon as he saw him rise.

Liu Feng nodded with a smile.

"Tomorrow is the day of the Four-Nation Alliance Tournament. Just thinking about facing the geniuses from the other four countries makes me incredibly excited," Zhao Bochao said, a fierce fighting spirit radiating from him.

"Since we’ve finished our training, let's go for a walk. It will help us relax and allow us to scout the competition venue," Liu Feng suggested.

"Great idea! What are we waiting for?" Zhao Jun said, already heading for the door.

"He’s still the same as when we were kids—can't sit still for even a moment," Zhao Bochao remarked with a helpless smile as he watched Zhao Jun leave.

The three of them exited the Litian Pavilion Inn and headed toward the main streets of Litian City. Although it was afternoon and the weather was still somewhat sweltering, they found the streets packed with a constant stream of pedestrians.

Following the crowd, they soon arrived at the center of Litian City.

The area was already teeming with people. Everyone was gathered around the massive square in the city center, gazing at the high platform and whispering in animated discussion.

Even from a distance, Liu Feng could see the enormous stage. It was a thousand meters wide and a thousand meters long, paved with massive slabs of bluestone. Liu Feng could sense a faint power fluctuation emanating from the surface—likely a protective formation.

Around the arena stood four massive grandstands, packed with rows upon rows of seats, capable of accommodating over a hundred thousand spectators.

The three ascended to the stands and took their seats, immediately noticing that the entire arena was clearly visible from their vantage point.

"This grandstand is well-designed. Even from the back row, you can see everything on the stage clearly," Zhao Jun praised.

After sitting for a while, there was nothing more to observe, so they returned to the Litian Pavilion Inn. By evening, they had eaten and retreated to their rooms to rest.

The next day, after breakfast, the three headed toward the arena. Familiar with the path, they arrived quickly.

By now, the place was a sea of people. Everywhere they looked, there were dense crowds of spectators.

"The City Lord is here! And the Vice City Lord too!"

Seeing a procession emerge from the City Lord's mansion, the crowd recognized the leader. The City Lord dismounted and ascended the eastern grandstand. He announced in a booming voice, "Today, we begin the selection of the young talents of our four nations. Only those who pass today's selection trials will be eligible to participate in the Four-Nation Alliance Tournament!"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" the crowd roared in response, cheering wildly at the City Lord's words.