13: In the martial arts arena, we win battle after battle!

“The Revered Master is paving the way for his Disciple.” Zhan Yu thought to himself, and Qing Xuanzi quickly agreed, then retreated to deliver the decree.

“Revered Master, rest assured, no matter what tribulation comes in the future, your Disciple will bear it alone.” Qing Xuanzi nodded slightly, his gaze piercing through the sealed hall, looking towards the uncertain future.

Yang Kai was precisely sent back to his residence. Without time to review the day's events, he pushed open the door and went to look for Meng Yun.

“Thump, thump, thump!!!” Yang Kai heavily pounded on Meng Yun’s door. The sudden and rapid outbreak of the Demonic Ape had left Yang Kai no time to worry about Meng Yun. At this moment, Yang Kai didn't know how long he had been delayed with Qing Xuanzi, so he immediately came to confirm Meng Yun's whereabouts.

“Big brother, I’ve been tired all day, I just lay down!” After a while, Meng Yun lazily opened the door, yawning as he spoke.

Seeing that Meng Yun was unharmed, Yang Kai also breathed a sigh of relief and asked him about what had happened after he left.

“Yang Kai, you don’t know, that Liang Heng died a terrible death. Even your talisman was crushed by the Demonic Ape’s kick. I was blown away by the shockwave, and after I regained consciousness, I looked for your trace, but only saw the corpses of Cao Rui and the others. Just then, a team of Punishment Hall Disciples surrounded the area and took me and a few other survivors back for questioning. I was only just released.” Meng Yun shrugged and said.

After understanding the whole story, Yang Kai parted ways with Meng Yun. His time was pressing, and he couldn't waste a single day. After receiving the three assessments instructed by Qing Xuanzi, Yang Kai thought it over and decided to proceed with the first one: achieving a hundred consecutive victories in the Martial Arts Arena.

“The Martial Arts Arena is under the control of Elder Teng, and its matching mechanism is relatively fair. If not for that, it wouldn’t have taken me three years to complete the task of a hundred consecutive losses.” Yang Kai thought to himself as he walked.

The Flowing Cloud Sect’s Martial Arts Arena is divided into four levels. The first level is open not only to Outer Sect Disciples but also to Utility Disciples, aiming to encourage Utility Disciples to diligently Cultivate and become Outer Sect Disciples early.

The Flowing Cloud Sect opens its mountain gate to recruit Disciples every year, and over time, it has accumulated a large number of Utility Disciples and Outer Sect Disciples. Although both have a ten-year withdrawal mechanism, the number of people is still vast, and tens of thousands of battles occur daily. If Elder Teng’s Cultivation wasn’t profound enough to create tens of thousands of Clones with a single thought and his control over the Martial Arts Arena wasn't meticulous, the Martial Arts Arena would have long since fallen into great chaos.

Yang Kai, a Mortal who had not yet Broken through to the Qi Refinement Stage, would first be matched against Mortals of similar Cultivation. Only when there were no other Utility Disciples like him at the same time would he be matched against Outer Sect Disciples in the Qi Refinement Stage, and priority would be given to Disciples who had just Broken through to the Qi Refinement Stage. If not for this, Yang Kai would encounter Cultivators at the second or third layers of Qi Refinement in every match, making a hundred consecutive losses incredibly easy.

Now, Yang Kai had transformed, and wanting to achieve a hundred consecutive victories in the Martial Arts Arena was highly feasible under such a matching mechanism. Having Cultivated the “Flowing Cloud Heart Sutra” and with the large number of talismans granted by the System, Yang Kai was confident in being invincible among those of the same rank.

Just the ability to use talismans without limit—in his previous life, this would be like a pay-to-win player! The cheapest talisman costs at least one Spirit Stone, and one talisman can only be used a maximum of ten times. Most Qi Refinement Cultivators don't even have talismans, and those who do treat them as trump cards, unwilling to use them easily.

Arriving at the outer gate of the Martial Arts Arena, Yang Kai felt a surge of emotion. He had struggled here for three years, and it was no exaggeration to say that his blood had soaked this place. Every battle against a Qi Refinement Cultivator ended tragically with him barely clinging to life, which not only forged Yang Kai's strong mental fortitude but also desensitized him to injuries. As long as he could still stand, it was a minor injury.

“You brat, you haven’t been here in a while. I thought you died outside. Eh? You actually Broke through to the Qi Refinement Stage.” An old voice sounded in Yang Kai’s ear, and then an old man with white robes and a white beard appeared before Yang Kai, carefully scrutinizing him, clicking his tongue in wonder.

“Greetings, Elder Teng.” Yang Kai also bowed respectfully to the old man. Over the past three years, this old man had healed him over a thousand times. For Elder Teng, Yang Kai held heartfelt reverence, far surpassing even the Revered Master, Qing Xuanzi.

“Are you here to fight today, or specifically to visit this old man?” Elder Teng stroked his beard, smiling as he spoke.

“Both, I hope Elder Teng can arrange it for this junior.” Yang Kai grinned, speaking casually.

“Very well, this old man will see how much progress you’ve made after not seeing you for a few days.” Elder Teng waved his hand, and the space before them immediately shifted. A brand new arena appeared before Yang Kai, where an opponent was already waiting.

Yang Kai said no more, cupped his hands in a bow to Elder Teng, then ascended the arena. With Elder Teng’s command, Yang Kai’s first Martial Arts Arena duel after Breaking through to the Qi Refinement Stage officially began!

As soon as the command fell, Yang Kai’s opponent quickly retreated backward, while simultaneously forming hand seals and chanting softly, clearly preparing to cast a Spell.

The Martial Arts Arena rules stipulated that both parties in a duel must stand twenty steps apart before the match begins. Yang Kai’s opponent was clearly not a novice who had just Broke through to the Qi Refinement Stage. He immediately created space, buying time for his Spell casting.

Yang Kai’s lips curved slightly. While activating the Swiftness Talisman, he rapidly closed in on his opponent, his hands slightly raised before his chest, as if holding something. The next moment, a light blue halo flickered between his palms.

Yang Kai and his opponent, one retreating and one pursuing, were fortunate the arena was large enough; otherwise, they might have rushed out of it. At this moment, Yang Kai, though starting later, arrived first, and the blue halo in his hand was fully formed. A giant water bubble smashed towards his opponent.

At this point, Yang Kai’s opponent, seeing the water ball coming, quickly dodged. The water ball, however, twisted its trajectory and pursued him, falling heavily before him, extinguishing the few flames he had just gathered in his hands.

The water ball, though not large in appearance, possessed astonishing power. The moment it landed on the enemy, it exploded violently, immediately rendering him incapable of combat, leaving him collapsed on the ground.

“Ding Feng loses, Yang Kai wins!” Elder Teng’s figure appeared on the arena. With a single point of his finger, Ding Feng’s injuries were healed. Ding Feng bowed respectfully to Elder Teng and then exited the arena, clearly a man of few words.

“Not bad. Although you’ve just Broke through to the Qi Refinement Stage, your Cultivation has actually reached the second layer of Qi Refinement. Your mastery of Spells is also very solid, and the casting process is completely smooth. This Spell, in your hands, is much faster to release than others, which is quite crucial in duels at your level.” Elder Teng commented with satisfaction.

“Elder Teng, I am Zhan Yu, here to deliver the Revered Master’s decree. Please come out for a word.” Inside the Martial Arts Arena, a voice came from outside the field. Elder Teng, who was still giving pointers, changed his expression and instantly vanished from his spot.