NOVPUB
Chapter 202: Chapter 202: Lin Xiaoyun! Beaten to Death!
Noticing the Essence Energy fluctuations emanating from Luo Cheng, Chen Lingyu initially thought that he had finally advanced to the Tongxuan Realm.
But Luo Cheng’s words left her stunned and speechless.
In just three days, opening the Essence Energy Mansion and advancing to the Tongxuan Realm was already an extraordinary feat, let alone reaching the Middle Stage of Tongxuan Realm First Layer in one go!
For an average Martial Artist who is just half a step into the Tongxuan Realm, even with one to two months, they might not achieve such a breakthrough.
Even Chen Lingyu herself took nearly a month to progress from half a step into the Tongxuan Realm to the Middle Stage of Tongxuan Realm First Layer!
"It seems I’ve truly underestimated the speed of my breakthrough..."
Seeing the astonishment on Chen Lingyu’s face, Luo Cheng’s gaze flickered. He was glad he hadn’t revealed the entirety of his cultivation.
It wasn’t that he intended to hide his strength.
But fame often came with trouble.
His current strength couldn’t handle too much attention.
Merely advancing to the Middle Stage of Tongxuan Realm First Layer was enough to shock Chen Lingyu.
If she knew he had already reached the peak of Tongxuan Realm First Layer, he couldn’t predict her reaction.
The thought passed fleetingly, and Luo Cheng nodded in acknowledgment. "Correct."
"Hiss! The Middle Stage of Tongxuan Realm First Layer..."
Upon hearing this, Gu Lingfeng took a sharp breath.
Yuan Zhilan was also visibly shaken.
They had witnessed Luo Cheng’s growth step by step.
When the three of them were promoted to Outer Sect disciples, their cultivation levels were similar, and their strengths were on the same tier.
But now, just within four short months, the gap between them was no longer a matter of small differences—it had widened several times, even tenfold!
Chen Lingyu still couldn’t quite believe it. "This progression is too fast! Opening the Essence Energy Mansion and advancing to the Tongxuan Realm is already extremely challenging! To reach the Middle Stage of Tongxuan Realm First Layer requires a Martial Artist to repeatedly refine Essence Energy, accumulating progress over time. It’s a slow and painstaking process..."
Halfway through her words, Chen Lingyu suddenly paused.
Earlier, Luo Cheng was calm and composed, but his aura abruptly changed. A fierce surge of Essence Energy fluctuations erupted from him.
"It truly is the Middle Stage of Tongxuan Realm First Layer! Moreover, his Essence Energy is refined, and the realm is exceedingly stable!"
Taking a deep breath, Chen Lingyu realized she had underestimated her junior, marveling: "Junior Brother, how did you manage to break through?"
Luo Cheng said, "It wasn’t much, the breakthrough just went very smoothly without encountering any obstacles."
Chen Lingyu’s bright eyes flickered with thought:
"It seems the reason lies in your achieving the Golden Body Realm! No wonder so many geniuses are eager to pursue the Golden Body Realm—it truly is the ultimate foundation of Martial Arts..."
Chen Lingyu assumed all of this stemmed from the influence of achieving the Golden Body Realm, though she felt a pang of regret in her heart.
If Luo Cheng had awakened something other than an unformed Martial Soul, his future achievements would have been unimaginable!
Luo Cheng didn’t elaborate further and spoke plainly, "Let’s set off."
Supporting Gu Lingfeng, the four of them descended the mountain.
Along the way.
Chen Lingyu reminded him, "Junior Brother, although you have advanced to the Tongxuan Realm, don’t underestimate this duel. Yan Qi has awakened a Five-star Martial Soul, and his strength is formidable. I’ve also heard that he has been receiving assistance from Eighth Prince Jin Min. He’s been cultivating in the Inner Sect these last few days, likely targeting you specifically."
"I understand."
Luo Cheng nodded, his expression calm.
Having made significant progress in his strength, he no longer regarded the duel with Yan Qi as a significant concern.
No matter what schemes they employed, he would simply crush them with raw power!
At this moment, the four of them arrived at a grove of pine trees. Up ahead was a fork in the road.
Luo Cheng glanced toward the path in the middle of the pine forest.
There stood a tall figure.
The person appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen years old, with a lean frame. The robe of the Outer Sect disciple he wore was slightly faded from washing, his skin was somewhat tanned, and he looked ordinary—apart from his strikingly bright eyes.
"Brother Lin! You’ve come to see Junior Brother off as well?"
Chen Lingyu’s crisp voice rang out with a charming smile as she walked toward the tall youth.
Brother Lin!
Luo Cheng instantly guessed the person’s identity.
The chief disciple under Elder Chen Xuan, Lin Xiaoyun! Ranked second among the top ten Outer Sect disciples of the Xuanyuan Sect, and also a member of the Crown Prince Hall.
Luo Cheng had initially imagined such a figure would be charismatic and extraordinary, but Lin Xiaoyun appeared surprisingly ordinary—to the point of blending into the crowd.
Lin Xiaoyun nodded toward Chen Lingyu before turning his gaze to Luo Cheng.
Luo Cheng stepped forward. "Greetings, Brother Lin."
Lin Xiaoyun said, "You’re heading to the Martial Arts Square?"
Luo Cheng’s expression remained unchanged as he nodded. "That’s correct."
"Then take one punch from me."
Without waiting for a response, Lin Xiaoyun was already in front of Luo Cheng, his fist shimmering with Essence Energy as he struck out violently.
Startled, Luo Cheng hurriedly raised his hands to block.
Bang!
Essence Energy exploded, forcing Luo Cheng to stumble backward several steps. He exhaled heavily, his expression turning icy as he began to channel Essence Energy:
"Brother Lin, what is the meaning of this?"
Chen Lingyu also froze in shock, stepping in front of Luo Cheng to intervene: "Brother Lin! What are you doing? Are you planning to attack Junior Brother?"
Gu Lingfeng and Yuan Zhilan felt the situation taking a turn for the worse.
Lin Xiaoyun was ranked second among the top ten Outer Sect disciples!
If he truly decided to make a move against Luo Cheng, even Chen Lingyu would struggle to hold her ground! 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝔭𝖚𝖇.𝔠𝔬𝖒
But Lin Xiaoyun withdrew his hand and looked at Luo Cheng. "Yesterday, Yan Qi advanced to Tongxuan Realm Second Layer. If you cannot withstand this punch, going to the Martial Arts Square will only mean throwing your life away."
Chen Lingyu clutched her lightly heaving chest, puffing her cheeks, and huffed:
"Brother Lin, if you wanted to test Luo Cheng’s strength, you should have said so—my heart nearly stopped!"
Lin Xiaoyun remained silent. He rubbed his finger on his storage ring and pulled out a piece of soft armor, placing it on the green stone beside him.
"Wear this soft armor during the duel and avoid acting recklessly. Remember, you only have one life—nothing outweighs its importance. Don’t let Master down."
After finishing, Lin Xiaoyun turned and disappeared into the depths of the pine forest.
"If you wanted to give something, why not say so from the start..."
Chen Lingyu pouted, grabbed the soft armor, and infused it with Essence Energy.
Buzz!
On the soft armor, a layer of cyan light shimmered, and two radiant stars glowed brightly.
"It’s a top-grade Two-star Treasure Armor! Junior Brother, if you wear this, it should enhance your defense by one to two levels!"
Chen Lingyu smiled brightly as she handed the soft armor to Luo Cheng.
Luo Cheng took the armor, glanced at it briefly, then casually stored it in his Storage Spirit Ring.
Chen Lingyu frowned and said, "Junior Brother, Brother Lin’s intentions are sincere. You shouldn’t reject his goodwill..."
"I know, but I won’t need it."
Luo Cheng shook his head. It wasn’t out of stubbornness or resistance; it was simply that with his current strength, the defense provided by a Two-star top-grade Treasure Armor was negligible, near useless.
Chen Lingyu stomped her foot in frustration. "If you understand, then wear it quickly! You heard it yourself earlier—Yan Qi has already advanced to Tongxuan Realm Second Layer."
"Martial Artists in Tongxuan Realm Second Layer can project Essence Energy externally—it’s no small matter. If you can’t close in on him, you’ll only be forced into passivity. Boosting your defense by one to two levels can make all the difference to your survival..."
Before she could finish, Luo Cheng smiled and said, "Senior Sister, don’t worry. This battle is already in my grasp."
With that, Luo Cheng turned and made his way down the mountain.
"He’s infuriating!"
Chen Lingyu thought Luo Cheng was simply acting out of defiance, her cheeks flushing with anger.
Martial Arts Square.
At this moment, the stands surrounding the square were filled with bustling crowds, totaling several thousand.
In the corner of the stands, hundreds of Outer Sect disciples sat together, keeping themselves distinct from the rest of the crowd.
These Outer Sect disciples were either dressed finely or carried an imposing demeanor—every one of them belonged to the Crown Prince Hall.
Qi Guyun, Ren Xiaoguang, and Yan Qi were seated at the forefront.
Beside them was Ren Qian, bandaged up like a cocoon.
Having consumed several precious Healing Elixirs, Ren Qian’s injuries were recovering quickly. However, he would still need at least a month before he could walk again. For now, he had been carried here.
Even with his lingering pain, Ren Qian insisted on being here to witness Luo Cheng be beaten to death by Yan Qi—only then could his resentment be quelled!
