Chapter Forty-Five: The Dilemma of Cultivation

Liu Feng strode up to Su Yue, towering above him with a faintly mocking look in his eyes. Su Yue lay sprawled on the ground, blood seeping from his lips. When he saw that contemptuous gaze, rage almost made him lose consciousness.

"This is the so-called scrap metal you despise, yet it's more useful than your treasured sword," Liu Feng said, his tone infuriatingly casual as he looked down at Su Yue.

"Fine, you win this time. But don't get too cocky. At this year's Academy Alliance Tournament, I'll reclaim the honor I lost today," Su Yue declared, his pride undiminished despite his defeat.

"Both Su Yue and Su Ling attacked at the same time, and yet they were both beaten by a single person."

"Incredible. I’d say that in the Qi Gathering Realm of Chiyang City, he's easily ranked among the top hundred."

"Top hundred? Those are all geniuses from academies and sects."

Many watched Liu Feng, speculating about his strength. Some were even itching to challenge him themselves.

Su Yue managed to stand, limping over to Su Ling. He helped her up, and together they hobbled away, eyes blazing with fury. Clearly, this loss was a humiliating disgrace for them.

"Liu Feng, you’re getting stronger by the day," Li Feng said, walking over and patting his shoulder.

"Indeed, your strength is impressive," Zeng Lu added, his eyes full of admiration—and an intense fighting spirit.

"That sword of yours... seems far more remarkable than we thought," Wang Yun observed, realizing everyone had underestimated it.

"It is rather mysterious. When I infused it with true energy earlier, I sensed a strange power awakening inside," Liu Feng replied, examining the short sword carefully, though nothing outwardly had changed.

"Well, since everything’s settled here, let’s head back to the academy," Wang Yun suggested.

Everyone nodded. The mission to hunt the Black Wind Wolf had been a resounding success, and they all benefitted greatly. Laughing and chatting, they returned to the academy, bade farewell to Zeng Lu, and went to rest.

The next day, after attending his knowledge class, Liu Feng headed to the plaza to cultivate.

He sat cross-legged in his training room, following the breathing techniques of the "Awakening Potential" manual, circulating true energy over and over.

Streams of energy coursed through his dantian and qi sea, then flowed into every meridian, repeatedly washing through his flesh, organs, cells, and tempering his bones.

As time passed, the spiritual energy around Liu Feng increased, gradually condensing into mist that enveloped his body. He felt his true energy circulating faster and faster, and soon a tiny vortex formed in his dantian.

Suddenly, a massive amount of mist-like spiritual energy surged into the vortex in his dantian, filling him with a wonderful sensation—his body felt as light as a feather, as if it might soar skyward.

But the feeling vanished in an instant, and the vortex began to dissipate. Liu Feng immediately took out ten spirit stones, and as he did, that transformative sensation returned.

After about an hour, he felt a resistance as his true energy circulated, and he realized he was on the verge of a breakthrough. He was surprised—he had only broken through yesterday, and already his realm was loosening again. He suspected the mysterious power in the broken sword was responsible.

He stopped pondering, took out another ten spirit stones, and quickly activated his cultivation technique. True energy surged through his meridians, battering against the barriers. A thunderous roar echoed within him.

Liu Feng felt his cultivation break through to a new realm—he had reached the ninth stage of the Qi Gathering Realm. His true energy became thicker and more harmonious.

He rose and approached a row of pillars forged from a special metal. Clenching his right fist, he struck out hard, sending a massive wave of energy crashing into the pillars.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

One after another, more than ten pillars shattered into fragments under Liu Feng’s blows.

"I’ve reached the final stage of Qi Gathering, but advancing to the next realm is a monumental challenge," Liu Feng thought. He recalled from his academy lessons that the Qi Gathering Realm was the most crucial stage for building a strong foundation.

Typically, stages one to three mark the beginner’s entry into martial arts. At stage four, true energy can be projected externally, and the attack power reaches three thousand pounds—three ding.

A ding is the weight unit on the Cloud Soaring Continent, equivalent to a thousand pounds.

From stage five to eight, each advancement adds another ding of attack power.

At stage nine, the real divide in strength emerges. The weaker ones have only ten ding of attack power, while the stronger can reach thirty or even fifty ding.

To achieve an attack power of thirty or fifty ding requires multiple transformations of the body, a rebirth through Nirvana, consuming vast amounts of rare herbs, spirit stones, and resources—far more than most can afford.

Ordinary people can only break through with ten ding of attack power. Wealthy scions, however, can use resources to reach thirty or even fifty ding, creating a great disparity when advancing to the Yin-Yang Realm.

Liu Feng faced even greater difficulty. According to the "Awakening Potential" manual, to forge a "Flawless Golden Body" in the ninth stage of Qi Gathering, his physique needed to reach a hundred ding of attack power.

Thinking of this, Liu Feng’s head spun. After a moment, he took a deep breath and decided to put the worries aside.

He pushed open the door and stepped out.

The training plaza was bustling; some chatted, some stared into space, others practiced martial techniques.

Liu Feng headed toward the arena at the center, where a crowd was cheering and shouting for the contestants.

"Who do you think will win this match, Sun Yang from Class Three or Zhang Rongxuan from Class Two?"

"Sun Yang, most likely. He’s been at the ninth stage of Qi Gathering for a year, while Zhang Rongxuan only just broke through."

"But Zhang Rongxuan is more talented—his cultivation speed far surpasses Sun Yang’s."

Liu Feng heard two students discussing the duel as he arrived, prompting him to look up.

At that moment, Sun Yang on the platform let out a shout: "Rainstorm Strike!"

He swung his fists rapidly, a barrage of blows like a violent downpour, fierce and relentless, pounding toward Zhang Rongxuan.

"Meteor Slash!"

Zhang Rongxuan’s palm became a blade, true energy surging forth. Countless blade lights appeared out of nowhere, shooting like arrows, slicing toward Sun Yang’s fists with sharp whistling sounds.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The collision echoed endlessly, waves of force spreading in all directions, forcing the spectators to retreat.