Shengui Changsheng: Start from Zhenwuwei and add some points to cultivate immortality

The news spread, reigniting the lingering excitement of the Ascension Ceremony. Many cultivators who hadn't yet left flocked to the outer perimeter of the martial arts arena to watch the battle, hoping to find hidden gems among the assistants who had maintained order for three months. Representatives from the four major sects and three major merchant guilds also came to observe, both to assess the situation and to prepare for potential recruitment.

Fu Shaoping drew the number "73 of the 'Si' character," placing him towards the back of the table. The first round of the competition was scheduled for the morning of the following day. He used this day to adjust his state and repeatedly rehearse various opponents and tactics he might encounter. He assessed his strength as "peak of the eighth level of Qi Refining, but with rich practical experience, strong spiritual sense, and some knowledge of alchemy and contract interference techniques." The Xuan Turtle Shield could be used as a defensive trump card, while the "Soul Contract Chains" needed to be used cautiously, ideally disguised as a special spiritual attack or binding spell. As for the other sinister methods in the "Netherworld Contract Book" and the secrets of the Gray Jade Slip, they absolutely could not be revealed.

The first opponent was a burly Qi Refining Stage 8 Body Cultivator from a small family, wielding a pair of powerful copper hammers. This man had clearly seen Fu Shaoping on duty in Nanfang City and knew he was an "assistant manager," so he underestimated him and immediately launched a fierce attack, trying to overcome skill with brute force.

Fu Shaoping had anticipated this. He moved nimbly, dodging his opponent's attacks, while simultaneously using his fine steel longsword (still that inferior magical weapon) to maneuver and fight, the sword flashing, not directly taking hits. He secretly activated the "Match-Discerning Technique" to observe the trajectory of his opponent's true energy and his power exertion habits, quickly finding several minor flaws in his rhythm.

After fighting for about twenty rounds, the body cultivator, unable to gain the upper hand, began to experience slight disarray in his breathing. Seizing the opportunity, just as the cultivator's old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet been generated, Fu Shaoping suddenly accelerated his sword, aiming at a point where the cultivator's true energy was circulating beneath his ribs. Simultaneously, a faint wisp of "Soul Bond Chain" aura (disguised as a divine sense attack) interfered with the opponent's judgment.

"Pfft!" The sword tip struck, not breaking through the defense, but causing the body cultivator's true energy to stagnate and his movements to become distorted. Fu Shaoping seized the opportunity to close in, striking the opponent's chest with a palm, using the pure wood and fire true energy cultivated from the "Azure Profound Breathing Technique," which was scorching yet contained a gentle force.

The body cultivator groaned and staggered back several steps, feeling a tightness in his chest, and nearly dropped the copper hammer. His face flushed red, and he wanted to fight again, but the referee (a Foundation Establishment deacon from the City Lord's Mansion) had already announced: "Seventy-three of the four characters, Mo Chen wins."

The victory wasn't spectacular, but it was solid enough, demonstrating a good grasp of the situation and a solid combat awareness. On the viewing platform, Sun Hong nodded slightly. Some observant people also noticed this young, seemingly "clever" rogue cultivator's fighting style.

In the second round, Fu Shaoping encountered a female disciple from the outer perimeter of the Azure Wave Pavilion. She was at the ninth level of Qi Refining, skilled in water-based magic, and wielded two water dragons with remarkable agility. This woman was clearly much more cautious, immediately creating distance and attempting to suppress him with magic.

Fu Shaoping continued to employ a hit-and-run strategy, making his first appearance with the Xuan Turtle Shield, which steadily blocked the water dragon's attack. He deliberately displayed his strong spiritual sense, repeatedly and narrowly predicting the water dragon's attack trajectory and dodging in advance. At the same time, he used his longsword to unleash fire-elemental sword energy (of moderate power) to counterattack and disrupt his opponent's spellcasting rhythm.

During the battle, he once again attempted to use the extremely subtle phantom of the "Soul Contract Chains" to entangle the connection point of the opponent's consciousness controlling the water dragon. This interference was very subtle; the female disciple only felt that her consciousness flow was occasionally sluggish, and her control of the water dragon was not as smooth as usual. She was puzzled but could not find the reason.

Unable to break through her defenses, the female disciple grew impatient. She summoned a blue bead, which unleashed a vast expanse of icy mist, attempting to freeze Fu Shaoping's movements. Fu Shaoping was prepared; his Xuan Turtle Shield shone brightly, blocking the chill, while his footwork shifted rapidly, escaping the mist's reach. In the instant his opponent exhausted her old tricks and hadn't yet unleashed a new one, he suddenly accelerated forward, his longsword transforming into a streak of fire, thrusting straight for her face!

The female disciple hurriedly used a water shield to defend herself. "Boom!" The fire line shattered the water shield, and the aftershocks knocked her back several steps. Fu Shaoping did not pursue, but sheathed his sword and stood still.

The referee declared Fu Shaoping the winner. The female disciple looked somewhat displeased, but being outmatched, she had nothing to say. In this battle, Fu Shaoping demonstrated impressive defensive magical artifacts, strong predictive abilities, and precise timing, leaving the spectators with the impression of being "tough" and "steady."

In the third and fourth rounds, Fu Shaoping faced even stronger opponents, including sword cultivators at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining and rogue cultivators skilled in formations. He persisted with his tactics, using the Xuan Turtle Shield for defense, the "Contract Identification Technique" for prediction, and exquisite footwork for maneuvering. At crucial moments, he created opportunities by using the subtle interference of the "Soul Contract Chains," and then won with solid true qi and precise attacks. The process was never easy, and at times even appeared somewhat disheveled, but he always managed to "luckily" advance.

After defeating his opponent in the fourth round—a Qi Refining Level 9 cultivator from the outer periphery of the Divine Mechanism Sect, skilled in mechanical puppets—he successfully advanced into the top fifty! This achievement exceeded many people's expectations. A young, unaffiliated cultivator with no sect affiliation and only Level 8 Qi Refining cultivation had actually managed to defeat several Level 9 Qi Refining experts and break into the top fifty!

In the spectator area, people began inquiring about "Mo Chen's" background. Several people also surrounded Sun Hong, asking him questions. Sun Hong simply smiled and shook his head, saying that this young man was a member of his team, reliable in his work, and indeed quite capable, but he didn't know much about his specific lineage or background.

Fu Shaoping could feel more and more eyes on him, many scrutinizing and probing. He was wary, but his expression remained calm. The reward for being in the top fifty was already quite generous, but his real goal was the top ten—the opportunity to enter the outer perimeter of the "Heavenly Palace City Secret Vault"!

The fifth round, the battle of the top thirty-two. Fu Shaoping's opponent was a black-clad youth with a sharp aura and hawk-like eyes. He was at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining (12th level) and had a sheathless longsword hanging at his waist. The blade was dark red and faintly shrouded in a bloodthirsty aura. His appearance drew a murmur of gasps.

"It's 'Blood Blade' Li Feng! I've heard he's a ruthless character among rogue cultivators, having fought his way up from the border against tribulation cultivators and demonic beasts. He's extremely fierce in actual combat!"

"I didn't expect him to become an assistant manager and even make it into the top 32. Mo Chen's luck has run out."

"Eighth level Qi Refining against Great Perfection Qi Refining, especially against a killing machine like Li Feng, there's no suspense."

Amid the murmurs, Li Feng's icy gaze swept over Fu Shaoping, a cruel smile curving his lips: "Kid, you've got some skill to get this far. Admit defeat to avoid drawing blood."

Fu Shaoping could sense the intense stench of blood and killing intent emanating from the other party—the aura of someone who had truly experienced life-or-death battles. He took a deep breath, the Xuan Turtle Shield hovering in front of him, his longsword pointing diagonally at the ground, and said in a deep voice, "Please enlighten me."

"You're courting death!" A cold light flashed in Li Feng's eyes, and his figure vanished abruptly! The next instant, a dark red blade of light slashed towards Fu Shaoping's face like a bolt of lightning! Its speed far surpassed that of any of his previous opponents!
A warning bell rang in Fu Shaoping's mind. He pushed his "Identification Technique" to its limit, barely managing to catch the trajectory of the blade and the point at which his opponent's true energy erupted. The Xuan Turtle Shield charged forward to meet it!

"clang--!"

With a deafening roar, Fu Shaoping felt an immense force surge through him. The Xuan Turtle Shield flashed wildly, and he was thrown back several feet, his blood churning. Such power! Such speed! Li Feng pressed his advantage, his blade flashing again like a storm, each strike ruthless and aimed directly at vital points. His swordsmanship was simple and direct, yet incredibly efficient, and combined with the powerful true energy of a Qi Refining Master at the Great Perfection stage, it was overwhelmingly oppressive.

Fu Shaoping pushed the Xuan Turtle Shield to its current limit, combining it with exquisite footwork to barely defend himself. He tried to find a weakness in his opponent's swordsmanship, but Li Feng's combat intuition was extremely sharp, his moves flowing seamlessly with almost no obvious gaps. Occasionally, he found an opportunity to counterattack with his longsword, but it was easily blocked or dodged by his opponent, and he was almost injured by the flash of the blade.

"Soul Bond Chains!" Fu Shaoping shouted in his heart, and three dark, illusory chains silently wrapped around Li Feng's soul.

However, Li Feng's spiritual essence and killing intent far surpassed those of his previous opponents. When the "Soul Bond Chains" landed on him, it was as if they had hit a metal plate, greatly reducing their disruptive effect and only slightly slowing his movements!
"Hmm?" Li Feng frowned, clearly sensing the unusual interference with his soul. His eyes flashed even brighter with a fierce light. "A mere trick!" He suddenly roared, his sword aura changing again. The dark red sword light suddenly surged, transforming into a blood-red wave that completely enveloped Fu Shaoping! Within the wave of sword light, the wailing of wronged souls could be heard, capable of shaking one's mind!
Fu Shaoping felt the pressure increase sharply, and the Xuan Turtle Shield let out a mournful cry of unbearable strain, its spiritual light rapidly dimming. He gritted his teeth, pushing his Wood and Fire True Qi to its limit and injecting it into the shield. At the same time, the inheritance of the Netherworld Contract circulated in his sea of ​​consciousness, and a cold and solid soul power surged out to protect his mind and resist the erosion of the baleful aura in the wave of blades.

"This can't go on!" Fu Shaoping's mind raced. His opponent's internal energy, swordsmanship, and combat experience far surpassed his own; a prolonged defense would surely lead to defeat!
He stomped his foot, abandoning his defensive stance and charging headlong into the wave of blades! His longsword condensed with unprecedented wood and fire energy, faintly radiating a blue-red glow. Simultaneously, he concentrated most of his soul power, preparing to unleash his strongest "Soul Contract Chain" attack, aimed directly at the core of the opponent's soul and the hub of his true energy circulation!

"You're courting death!" Li Feng grinned maliciously, raising his longsword high, a crimson blade light gathering, ready to decide the outcome with a single strike!

Just as the two were about to collide, a glint flashed in Fu Shaoping's eyes. The illusory image of the "Sky-Covering Tortoise Shell" in his sea of ​​consciousness seemed to tremble slightly, stimulated by the intense battle and the life-or-death crisis. An extremely obscure and indescribable fluctuation silently spread out. It was not an attack, but it seemed to instantly disrupt the extremely subtle "qi" or "contract" connection around Li Feng—a kind of dynamic balance formed between his swordsmanship, true qi, soul, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and his own killing intent.

This disturbance was extremely brief, almost imperceptible. But Li Feng felt a jarring, almost imperceptible, hesitation appear at the very moment his peak strike was about to land, as if something invisible had tripped him up. In the split second of a life-or-death struggle, this hesitation was a fatal flaw!

Fu Shaoping's "Soul Contract Identification Technique" instantly detected this flaw! His condensed "Soul Contract Chains" erupted silently, fiercely impacting Li Feng's soul weakness that had been briefly exposed due to that slight stagnation!
"Ugh!" Li Feng groaned, his mind jolted, and the sword energy he had gathered involuntarily veered off course.

It's now!

Fu Shaoping's longsword, like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, carried a concentrated cyan and red sword aura, piercing through the gap in the blade's light and stabbing with unparalleled precision at Li Feng's chest, whose defenses were weakened due to his mental injury!

Li Feng, after all, was a veteran of countless battles. In the critical moment, he forcefully twisted his body and parried his long sword back.

"Hey!"

The longsword grazed past his ribs, leaving a deep wound from which blood spurted. At the same time, Fu Shaoping's left palm struck his shoulder heavily, the Wood and Fire True Qi penetrating his body!

Li Feng staggered back several steps, his face pale. He looked down at the wound on his ribs and the excruciating pain in his shoulder, then glared at Fu Shaoping with shock and anger. He couldn't understand why his seemingly certain, decisive strike had inexplicably faltered. And what about the opponent's bizarre soul attack…

The referee's voice rang out: "Seventy-three in the '巳' character, Mo Chen wins."

The entire room fell silent, then erupted in uproar!

A mere eighth-level Qi Refining cultivator actually defeated the infamous Qi Refining Perfection expert, "Blood Blade" Li Feng?! Although Mo Chen also appeared extremely disheveled, his shield's spiritual light dimmed, and his aura chaotic, he had indeed won!
"How can this be?"

"Something seemed off about Li Feng's final strike?"

"Mo Chen's spiritual attack was incredibly strange! And his final lunge and sword move were timed so perfectly!"

"This boy is not simple!"

On the viewing platform, several Foundation Establishment cultivators from the four major sects and three major merchant guilds all focused their attention on Fu Shaoping, revealing expressions of interest. With their keen eyesight, they naturally noticed Li Feng's unusual behavior at the last moment, but they couldn't pinpoint the specific reason, only attributing it to the possibility that Mo Chen might have mastered some special soul-binding technique or interference method.

Sun Hong was initially surprised, but his expression quickly turned to delight. His team had produced such a dark horse!
Fu Shaoping suppressed the churning blood and qi and the slight stinging in his sea of ​​consciousness (the burden from overusing his soul power and the inexplicable fluctuations of the "Heaven-Covering Tortoise Shell"), cupped his hands in greeting to Li Feng, and silently stepped off the arena. He knew that although he had won this battle, he had almost exposed all his current strength except for his trump card, especially his strange soul interference ability. This would inevitably attract more attention and targeting.

But he had no choice. He had to fight for a spot in the top ten, a place in the secret vault!
In the subsequent round of 16 and quarterfinals, Fu Shaoping faced even stronger opponents, mostly at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, each possessing unique skills. Every match was exceptionally difficult for him; his Xuan Turtle Shield was severely damaged, he himself suffered minor injuries, and his soul power was greatly depleted. However, relying on his "Contract Identification Technique" for prediction, the interference of his "Soul Contract Chains" at crucial moments (the effect weakened depending on the opponent's soul strength), and his ruthless determination and precise timing, he miraculously won two consecutive matches, advancing to the semifinals! (End of Chapter)