Chapter 66: Outer Sect Tournament

In cultivation, time has no meaning.

In the blink of an eye, two months had passed quietly amidst the deafening roar of the waterfall.

During these two months, apart from necessary meditation and recovery, Chu Chang spent all his time beneath the waterfall.

The two "Marrow Cleansing Pills" he had obtained as mission rewards from his Storage Pouch had long since been consumed. Under the frantic tempering of the waterfall, their medicinal power had completely fused into his limbs and bones.

At this moment, Chu Chang's skin possessed an understated bronze hue, with a faint metallic luster flashing across it.

His Meridians had widened by a full fold, and the True Qi within his body surged like a great river, endless and unstoppable. Every movement he made carried a force as heavy as a mountain.

And that "Eight Desolations Demon-Suppressing Fist," which made countless Inner Sect Prodigy tremble in fear, finally ushered in a transformation on this very day.

"Boom!" The waterfall remained violent.

Chu Chang stood quietly on the Thousand-Jin Stone like an eternal statue. Despite the thousand-jin heavy water flow crashing against him, his body did not tremble even in the slightest.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes. Within his pupils, the gentleness of the past was gone, replaced only by extreme dominance and coldness.

"Mountains and Rivers… Shatter!" Chu Chang let out a low, deep shout, his voice actually drowning out the deafening roar of the waterfall.

He slowly retracted his fist, and in that instant, the cascading water of the waterfall around him strangely paused for a moment around his fist.

An indescribable, supremely dominant "Fist Intent" quietly condensed in this secluded valley behind Tianxuan Peak.

"Boom!" Chu Chang punched upward. This time, there was no hesitation, no difficulty.

His fist transformed into a streak of dark golden light, carrying the surging True Qi and immense physical strength of his Physical Body as it soared against the heavens!

A dark golden fist aura, several zhang thick, resembling a roaring golden Dragon, instantly tore through the Void Realm and shot straight into the clouds.

The massive, unstoppable waterfall falling from a hundred zhang high was actually blasted into flowing backward the moment it touched this fist aura!

"Splash!" Under this single punch, the hundred-zhang waterfall was actually severed for three breaths of time!

Countless splashes of water were shattered by the violent fist wind into a sky full of hazy mist, which, under the refraction of sunlight, transformed into a massive rainbow spanning the entire valley.

"Success!" Chu Chang retracted his fist and stood on the stone. Looking at his undamaged fists, without even a trace of a scratch, a heroic smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

Profound Rank High Grade, the first Move of the "Eight Desolations Demon-Suppressing Fist," "Mountains and Rivers Shatter," Major Achievement!

The power of this punch had already surpassed all the Geng Gold Sword techniques he currently possessed, becoming the strongest and most lethal trump card in his hand.

Just then, a white figure, like a gentle snowflake, landed silently on a boulder by the side of the pool.

Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue looked at the youth standing in the sunlight and rainbow, her cold, clear eyes filled with shock and a hint of irrepressible joy.

"Two months apart, and your strength has actually reached such a level," Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue said softly.

Chu Chang's figure flickered, instantly darting across the pool and landing beside her. He smiled and asked, "Senior Sister, why are you here?"

Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue's expression became slightly solemn, and she lowered her voice: "The three-month deadline is approaching, and the Outer Sect Tournament is about to begin. I came here today to spar with you and see your strength! Furthermore, I want to tell you the secret of the mind-calming detoxification essence!"

"Senior Sister, you just said… the secret of the mind-calming detoxification essence?" Chu Chang asked with a solemn expression as he took a clean black robe from his Storage Pouch and draped it over himself.

Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue did not answer immediately; instead, she raised her fair hand slightly. Hum! A faint blue Sword Qi barrier instantly expanded, completely isolating all sound within a ten-zhang radius.

Her expression was unprecedentedly serious, even carrying a trace of faint exhaustion.

"After I returned to the main peak, I met with Master. Through my repeated questioning and Master's secret investigation, we finally uncovered the truth behind Zhao Meng's defection back then."

Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue looked at Chu Chang and said word by word: "The mind-calming detoxification essence is not at all a precious Legacy item used by the Sect to ward off poisons and calm the mind. Its true purpose is for a Demonic Technique."

"Poison?" Chu Chang frowned tightly.

"Correct." Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue smiled self-deprecatingly. "Among the Sect's high-level figures, there exists a terrifying individual. He Cultivates an extremely vicious and domineering Demonic Technique that requires countless exotic poisons to temper his Physical Body and True Qi. However, due to the backlash of the Demonic Technique, he has accumulated untreatable toxins within his body. To survive, he had the Sect's Great Master of Artifact Refining create this mind-calming detoxification essence."

"The true function of this treasure is to serve as a container and filter. It is bestowed upon those Outer Sect or Inner Sect Disciples with exceptional talent, ostensibly to assist in cultivation and calm the mind while warding off poison. But in reality, when Disciples wear it to Cultivate, it quietly absorbs the host's life Origin and pure True Qi, using them to neutralize and purify the peerless demonic poison injected into the Magic Treasure by that terrifying existence."

Hearing this, Chu Chang's pupils contracted violently, and he felt a chill shoot straight to his crown.

"In other words… those who wear it to Cultivate are actually using their own lives to serve as human filters for that high-level figure?"

"Exactly so." Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue's voice was somewhat cold. "Back then, Zhao Meng was the one who accidentally discovered this secret and realized his life force was inexplicably draining away. In a panic, he stole the mind-calming detoxification essence and defected. To silence him, the Sect's high-level figures issued a Heaven-grade kill order, using extremely generous rewards to lure us unsuspecting Disciples into becoming cannon fodder."

Chu Chang took a deep breath, calming the shock in his heart. No wonder, no wonder Zhao Meng had laughed so crazily and hopelessly before he died.

"Then… now that we have returned the item, wouldn't that…"

"Rest assured." Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue gave him a reassuring look. "Master has already acted in secret, using an extremely profound illusion technique and a method of substitution to tamper with the mind-calming detoxification essence. In the short term, that existence will not notice anything amiss. But this Sect is far darker and more complex than we imagine."

Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue looked at Chu Chang, a hint of expectation flowing in her cold, clear eyes: "Chu Chang, you must not only participate in this Outer Sect Tournament, but… you must take first place and be promoted to the Inner Sect!"

"Only by entering the Inner Sect, or even becoming a True Disciple, can you and I have a real voice and the ability to protect ourselves in the coming storm. If you are only an Outer Sect Disciple, once the matter is exposed, you will be treated as a scapegoat at any time and wiped out without a sound."

Chu Chang nodded heavily. His gaze became incomparably deep and firm at this moment: "Rest assured, Senior Sister, I will definitely enter the Inner Sect."

Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue watched his confident appearance, a very faint arc curling at the corners of her mouth. She turned around, holding her sword backward, her white clothes fluttering in the wind.

"Since you are so confident, let me test you to see what level your hard Cultivation of these two months has reached."

A trace of eager Battle Intent flashed in Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue's beautiful eyes: "Chu Chang, attack me. Use your strongest methods, do not hold anything back. If you cannot even shake me, then how will you compete for that Outer Sect first place?"

Chu Chang was slightly stunned, then his heroic spirit flared, and he laughed loudly: "Good! Since Senior Sister has such refined interest, then this Junior Brother will offend you!"

Boom!!!! The moment Chu Chang's voice fell, his originally gentle and understated aura instantly changed.

A domineering, unparalleled "momentum," as heavy as Mount Tai, spread madly in all directions with his body as the center.

Under this immense pressure, the Thousand-Jin Stone beneath his feet actually emitted an unbearable "creaking" sound, and the surrounding pool water was forced to churn outward by this invisible aura.

A trace of astonishment flashed in Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue's eyes. "Such a strong Physical Body momentum; this is no longer just the pressure of True Qi."

She did not dare to be negligent and lightly flicked the sword blade with her jade fingers. "Clang!!" An incomparably clear sword cry resounded through the valley. A sword named Frost, white all over and exuding a faint chill, was instantly unsheathed.

Around Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue, countless tiny ice crystals instantly condensed, the cold air pressing in, as if even the Void Realm was about to be frozen.

"Senior Sister, be careful! First Move!" Chu Chang did not use a sword but stomped his foot violently on the ground.

His whole body was like a launched cannonball, pulling out a harsh sound of breaking through the air, instantly crossing a distance of several zhang, and heading straight for Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue.

His speed was extremely fast. Under the blessing of his immense Physical Body strength, the air behind him formed a white airflow channel.

"Well come!" Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue shouted, and the Frost sword brought up a bright curtain of light, stabbing straight at Chu Chang's chest.

This sword strike, seemingly gentle, actually vaguely blocked all of Chu Chang's retreat paths. The Sword Qi contained the "penetration" intent of the Taixuan Sword Intent, extremely sharp.

However, Chu Chang had no intention of dodging. When he was only three feet away from the long sword, Chu Chang sank his shoulders and tightened his abdomen, punching out.

"Open for me!" Pure Physical Body strength, combined with pale golden Geng Gold True Qi, turned into a fist shadow the size of a sand pot, smashing fiercely onto the tip of the Frost sword.

"Dang——!!" An extremely harsh metallic clashing sound rang out. In the Void Realm, a circle of visible True Qi ripples expanded violently, kicking up huge waves several zhang high in the pool water.

Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue only felt an unimaginably terrifying force surging madly along the sword body. That force was extremely domineering and hard, like ten thousand horses galloping, or like a meteorite falling to the ground.

Her graceful body trembled slightly, and her ethereal figure was actually forced back three steps by the power of this punch. Every step she took left a deep footprint on the hard rock.

In contrast, Chu Chang only swayed his figure slightly before stabilizing again, his eyes filled with even stronger Battle Intent.

"Good strength." Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue shook her slightly numb jade wrist, a trace of appreciation appearing on her cold, clear face, but it was followed by an even stronger seriousness.

"But if it's only brute force, it's not enough. Watch my sword!" Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue unfolded her figure, like a light white crane.

Her movement technique was ethereal, and the Frost sword transformed into eighty-one solid sword shadows in the air. Each sword shadow carried biting cold wind and Taixuan Sword Intent, covering the sky and earth as they enveloped Chu Chang from all directions.

"Taixuan Sword Technique—Snow Falls Without a Trace!" The cold Sword Qi caused the temperature in the valley to plummet, and even the water mist in the air was frozen into hail, falling down with a pattering sound.

Facing this near-perfect offensive, Chu Chang's expression was calm. In his mind, the golden giant figure standing proudly between heaven and earth beneath the waterfall involuntarily appeared.

Fist Intent boiled in his chest. Momentum condensed on his fist tip.

"Mountains and Rivers… Shatter!" Chu Chang let out a low roar, his right hand slowly clenching into a fist.

In this instant, the hail and water vapor falling around him actually formed a brief, static vacuum Domain around his fist.

Everyone would feel that this punch seemed to have condensed the weight of the entire Tianxuan Peak into it.

One punch blasted out! There were no complicated Moves, no flashy sword flowers.

There was only a dark golden, incomparably thick fist aura, like a prehistoric giant beast released from its cage, carrying an unparalleled domineering aura of invincibility, sweeping across the universe!

"Boom boom boom boom——!!" A series of dense explosion sounds rang out in the air.

Those eighty-one bright sword shadows, seemingly indestructible and airtight, were actually blasted to pieces layer by layer, inch by inch, like fragile glass in front of this extremely domineering dark golden fist aura!

Wherever the fist aura passed, the cold air retreated, and the ice melted!

"What?!" On Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue's cold, clear face, an expression of extreme shock finally appeared.

She had never imagined that the power of Chu Chang's punch would be so tyrannical and domineering. This was not at all like a Martial Skill that an Outer Sect Disciple could unleash; even many Inner Sect Prodigy who specialized in killing would absolutely not be able to blast out such a terrifying punch!

Seeing the remaining power of the dark golden fist aura undiminished, striking with the momentum of toppling mountains and overturning seas, Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue took a deep breath, her ice-attribute True Qi running wildly to the limit.

"Ice Lotus… Appear!" She shouted clearly, and the Frost sword in her hand quickly drew a circle in front of her.

A huge ice lotus, condensed from pure ice crystals and a zhang in size, instantly bloomed in the Void Realm. The ice lotus was layered, with each petal flowing with profound array patterns, exuding a heavy aura of defending against all things.

The next moment. The dark golden fist aura smashed fiercely onto the ice lotus.

"Dong——!!" The world seemed to be quiet for half a moment at this moment. Immediately after. "Crack…" A harsh cracking sound appeared particularly clear in the quiet valley.

Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue's pupils shrank slightly. She saw that the "ice lotus," which was enough to withstand the full-force strike of a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator, only lasted for three breaths under Chu Chang's fist aura before it was covered with dense cracks.

Subsequently. "Boom!" The entire ice lotus shattered completely, turning into ice chips flying all over the sky.

The strong recoil force made Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue's throat sweet, and her graceful body flew backward like a kite with a broken string. She stepped seven times in the air, each step stepping out an ice lotus to dissipate the force, retreating more than ten zhang before landing somewhat embarrassedly on the edge of the pool.

And her right hand holding the Frost sword was trembling violently at this moment, with blood faintly seeping out from the web between her thumb and index finger.

Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue raised her head, staring fixedly at the youth not far away. At this moment, Chu Chang stood proudly on the Thousand-Jin Stone, his whole body flowing with dark golden light, like a god or demon descending to the world.

"You… you guy…" Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue calmed the surging blood in her body, her beautiful eyes filled with horror and disbelief.

Although she had suppressed her cultivation to the same Realm as Chu Chang, as the number one Inner Sect Prodigy, her vision, Cultivation Technique, and combat experience were far beyond what ordinary Disciples could compare to.

But after that touch just now, she actually discovered that whether it was in strength, the condensation degree of True Qi, or the domineering degree of Martial Skill, she had been completely suppressed by Chu Chang!

Even… she had a faint intuition. If Chu Chang had not withdrawn thirty percent of his force at the last moment with that punch just now, she would likely have suffered a not-so-light injury by now.

"Senior Sister, I concede." The dark golden light on Chu Chang's body gradually faded, and he returned to that gentle and harmless appearance again. He leaped and landed beside Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue, asking with some concern: "Senior Sister, are you okay? I was just caught up in the moment and couldn't fully restrain my force."

Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue rolled her eyes beautifully and rubbed her wrist somewhat irritably: "You call this not fully restrained? You guy, I really don't know how your body is grown. You are simply a humanoid Yao Beast!"

However, after a brief shock, a thick joy and fanaticism appeared on Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue's face. The stronger Chu Chang was, the greater their chances of winning in the future!

"Good, very good!" Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue looked at him, her voice carrying an irrepressible excitement: "With this strength, you indeed have the qualifications to compete for first place in this Outer Sect Tournament. However…"

Her tone suddenly sank, and her expression became solemn again: "You must not become arrogant because of this. The Outer Sect is far from as simple as you imagine. Some old guys, in order to let their Disciples or offspring enter the Inner Sect steadily, have paid a price you cannot imagine."

"Before the tournament begins, you must pay attention to four people."