The Dynasty of Cultivating Immortality

C39 – Challenge Competition Begins

“That was quick!”

His heart raced, realizing it was too late to block. His only option was to hastily tumble to the side.

The wooden sword grazed his shoulder as he narrowly evaded it, but in doing so, he lost his footing.

Ni Yong, witnessing this, felt a surge of excitement. He swung his wooden sword down with a whooshing sound.

Ni Yong’s move was incredibly swift, leaving Ni Huibo no time to react. Ni Huibo was still mid-air, off-balance and unable to dodge.

“It looks like I need to tap into the second level after all.”

He mentally sighed as spiritual energy swiftly converged into his left hand. Then, he stealthily patted the ground.

With that palm strike, the spiritual energy burst forth as if finding an outlet, propelling his body upwards with force.

Ni Huibo executed a backflip, avoiding Ni Yong’s strike.

Ni Huibo wouldn’t miss such an opportune moment. He swung his wooden sword, striking Ni Yong on the shoulder.

Ni Huibo landed, and both men came to a halt.

Ni Yong, looking at the wooden sword on his shoulder, was momentarily dazed.

He had almost been assured victory since Ni Huibo was mid-air and unable to counter.

But how had he suddenly taken flight?

First-level cultivators only begin to harness spiritual energy, using it to enhance their weapons or themselves at most.

They couldn’t perform the maneuver Ni Huibo had just executed.

“That’s the cultivation method I practice.”

Ni Huibo cleared his throat, his cheeks tinged with red.

In a critical moment, he had resorted to the second level’s cultivation method and secured an unexpected victory. Now, to avoid revealing his true level, he had to fabricate an excuse.

“I promised the Chief to conceal my cultivation level; it’s not really lying.”

He reassured himself internally, though his expression betrayed his embarrassment.

A hint of disappointment crossed Ni Yong’s face, but he quickly composed himself and conceded, “You’re quite skilled. I admit defeat this time.”

With those words, he left the contest field with a composed stride, his earlier intensity replaced by his usual gentle demeanor.

“Ni Huibo wins!”

Blushing, Ni Huibo quickly retreated to the privacy of the lounge, escaping the crowd’s gaze.

The remaining contests wrapped up swiftly, leaving only ten contestants in the running. This meant that only one final match remained.

The top ten rankings diverged significantly from Ni Xianjian’s initial predictions.

The third round of competition pressed on.

In this final round, Ni Huibo was decidedly more fortunate. His adversary was merely in the middle period of the first level, allowing him an effortless victory.

The top five were determined just as dusk approached.

Apart from the expected Ni Situo, Ni Huibo, and Ni Shang, the remaining two were family disciples also in the middle period of the first level.

Ni Yong and Ni Yirong certainly wouldn’t miss such a pivotal opportunity. With the challenge matches starting the next day, they were bound to step forward with their challenges.

This strategy was proving to be Xianjian’s most astute decision to date.

Ni Huibo’s emergence also took many by surprise.

He demonstrated the prowess of the late period of the first level and used a remarkable technique to defeat Ni Yong, emerging as the competition’s biggest dark horse.

Those who had previously underestimated him were now revising their opinions, giving Ni Huibo the respect he deserved.

Yet Ni Huibo himself was unfazed by this shift in perception.

Years of experience had taught him to disregard others’ views. As soon as the final bout concluded, he slipped away from the contest field and made his way back to his modest courtyard.

After a quick watering of the plants, he settled into his room, assuming a meditative posture on the bed.

Despite facing lower-ranked clan members in today’s bouts, the experience had been beneficial.

His understanding of the Clear Qi Method had deepened significantly.

The strength of the cultivation method had been impressively showcased by the clan’s prodigies, and even the average clan members had managed to substantially boost their combat abilities.

However, Ni Huibo struggled with it.

Perhaps due to an initial poor choice, mastering the Clear Qi Method was proving to be exceedingly difficult. Had he not serendipitously entered that particular state today, he might still be without a clue on how to proceed with his comprehension.

He sensed that once he fully grasped this cultivation method, it might surpass his wildest expectations in power, though the challenge remained daunting.

Clearing his mind of all distractions, he carefully revisited the sensation he had experienced earlier.

“I must forget the techniques; one technique encompasses millions.”

As he spoke, his consciousness expanded, leaving his mind utterly blank, devoid of any thoughts.

……

​The following day, a beam of sunlight vaulted the tall courtyard walls and streamed directly onto Ni Huibo’s face through the window.

He furrowed his brow and slowly opened his eyes.

“Did I actually fall asleep?”

He gazed at the blinding sunlight outside with a hint of resignation.

The concept of emptying one’s mind and forgetting everything was a mystery that he found particularly elusive.

He was an avid reader with an exceptional memory.

He could flawlessly recite books he had read three or four years ago after just a moment’s reflection. In light of this, the act of intentional forgetting was a challenge for him.

“This High Clarity Mantra is truly esoteric. I wonder when I’ll grasp even a fraction of it.”

Ni Huibo sighed deeply. Despite having reached that state, he still hadn’t grasped the essence, let alone mastered it. In fact, he didn’t understand it at all.

Luckily, his current level was sufficient to sustain him, and he didn’t immediately need a cultivation method to enhance his strength, so there was no rush.

Most importantly, he wasn’t one to give up.

……

Today was the day to vie for the top five spots, and as one of the contenders, Ni Huibo was expected to be present. After freshening up, he made his way to the contest field.

Ni Yirong’s wounds appeared to have nearly healed, and she too had arrived at the field.

Ni Yong was there as well. With the stakes of the competition being so high, he couldn’t afford to take it lightly. Aside from them, the rest had essentially conceded.

Before Ni Huibo’s arrival, there was still a sliver of hope for contention. But now, the top five rankings seemed to be set in stone.

Without the strength of the late first level, one simply couldn’t claim a spot.

This had become common knowledge among the Ni family’s younger generation.

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