174: Chapter 174: Complete Technique, Third Stage Begins!

In the cultivation room.

A black crystal lay quietly on the desk, its surface shimmering with a faint Divine Intent halo. The complete Heavenly Demon Arts inscribed within moved slowly like a living creature, exuding an evil yet majestic aura.

Lu Qingyun tapped the crystal with his fingertip, a sneer appearing on his lips.

"The cultivation method exclusive to the Saint Son and Sect Leader... After all that, it's just a flimsy excuse made up by the people at the top to keep the technique to themselves."

Back when he was in the Heavenly Demon Sect, Leng Qianmo kept saying that the complete technique could only be cultivated by the Sect Leader and the Saint Son, and it had to be personally taught by the Sect Leader, acting all mysterious as if it were some great taboo.

As it turns out, once this Heavenly Demon descended, she casually threw the complete version over as a deposit.

Put simply, it's just that the low-level disciples aren't worthy of learning it; it's pure class oppression.

"Though... she is quite generous."

Lu Qingyun raised an eyebrow, feeling a hint of surprise deep down.

He had asked for a deposit on a whim, intending to demand a high price, thinking that getting anything extra was a bonus; he never expected the other party to actually produce the complete Heavenly Demon Arts.

After all, a complete inheritance that could lead directly to the Dharma Aspect Realm was a treasure of the sect for any faction; why would anyone just toss it out as a deposit?

Yet this Heavenly Demon... she really did throw it out.

It was as if this technique, which would drive the entire Chinese martial arts world crazy, was no different from a cabbage on the side of the road in her eyes.

As expected of an alien from the starry sky, she was certainly generous.

Information from Mu Susu's panel flashed through Lu Qingyun's mind.

The race column clearly stated: Human.

There was no so-called Heavenly Demon race, nor any alien designation.

"Humans from the starry sky, then..."

He murmured to himself, then shook his head, not wanting to dwell on it.

Wherever she came from, it had nothing to do with him.

Getting the benefits was what mattered.

Even if she were the most despised capitalist, as long as the benefits were sufficient, then he could be... loy... al!!!

As for fulfilling promises later?

Hah, when the time comes, whoever is stronger gets to call the shots.

No longer dwelling on these ethereal matters, Lu Qingyun picked up the black crystal and pressed it directly against his forehead.

Hum—!

Pure Psychic Power surged in, instantly touching the Divine Intent inscription inside the crystal.

The next moment, a massive amount of information poured into his mind like a bursting flood!

Mental cultivation techniques, circulation routes, methods for tempering Divine Intent, the secrets of condensing the Faxiang...

The complete path of cultivation, from the entry level of Divine Intent all the way to the peak of the Dharma Aspect Realm, unfolded clearly!

[Ding! Complete cultivation method "Heavenly Demon Arts" detected, recording into the system...]

[Recording complete! Cultivation method level cap unlocked to LV59! Please work hard to cultivate, host, and break through the level shackles!]

A series of system notifications faded, and Lu Qingyun opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing in his pupils.

As expected.

Cultivating the full set of Heavenly Demon Arts to perfection would be enough to support him until the peak of the Dharma Aspect Realm, which was the 59th level.

The shortcoming of his cultivation method had been completely resolved.

But problems followed.

"The technique is enough, but the experience points are not..."

Lu Qingyun smacked his lips and brought up his level panel.

LV42.

The experience required for the next level was as high as 23 million.

The further he went, the more terrifying the experience requirements would become.

To rush all the way to the Dharma Aspect Realm, the required experience points would definitely be an astronomical figure.

His gaze turned slightly cold, and the image of the dense crowd of Divine Intent Level experts in the martial arts arena flashed through his mind involuntarily.

A single Fourth-level Divine Intent expert could contribute over 2.7 million experience points to him.

And there were over a hundred Divine Intent experts in that arena...

If he slaughtered or beat them all, he could easily level up several times.

The thought had just emerged before he suppressed it.

No.

It was too flashy.

The old monsters of the Dharma Aspect Realm were watching from the shadows; slaughtering a hundred Divine Intent experts at once would cause too much of a stir.

It wouldn't be worth the loss.

"No rush."

Lu Qingyun slowly closed his eyes, his breathing gradually becoming long and steady.

You have to eat one bite at a time, and grind experience one point at a time.

The Martial Arts Tournament had just begun; there would be plenty of opportunities.

The priority was to fully digest this complete Heavenly Demon Arts first.

The Qi and blood and Psychic Power within his body circulated simultaneously, flowing slowly according to the new cultivation route.

[Ding! Cultivation method proficiency +1500, level experience +6214...]

[Ding! Cultivation method proficiency +1800, level experience +7852...]

The cold system notification sounds rang steadily in his sea of consciousness.

Proficiency rose steadily, and his experience points climbed slowly but firmly.

...

A few days later, the National Martial Arts Stadium in Kyoto.

Runes shimmered above the dome, the heavy alloy walls were reinforced layer by layer, and even the ground was paved with rock slabs capable of withstanding bombardments from the Divine Intent Level.

To host the third stage of the competition, the entire stadium had been almost dismantled and rebuilt.

There were no roaring crowds, no overwhelming broadcast cameras; the huge stadium was so empty that one could hear breathing, exuding an indescribable solemnity and mystery.

After the screening slaughter and melee eliminations, only forty-seven people remained in the Youth Group.

The Powerhouse Group was even more so; twenty-three experts at the mid-level of Divine Intent or higher stood on both sides, and even the weakest among them had the cultivation of a Fifth-level Divine Intent, their auras dense like an abyss.

The two groups were not deliberately separated; they stood sparsely in the center of the stadium, the seventy-plus figures appearing particularly thin in the vast space.

Footsteps rang out.

Lu Qingyun, hands in his pockets, walked in slowly from the passageway.

Instantly, dozens of gazes swept over, pinning onto him like searchlights.

In the camp of young geniuses, several figures with the strongest auras shifted their gazes.

Lin Jingxian, dressed in white as snow, pressed his fingers on the hilt of his sword, his sword-like brows slightly raised. His sharp Sword Intent locked onto Lu Qingyun from dozens of meters away, his eyes filled with undisguised fighting intent and arrogance.

He was a once-in-a-century genius of the Sword Sect, having comprehended the third layer of Sword Rhyme at the age of twenty-eight. He had always been arrogant, and now that he saw a monster of the same generation, he naturally developed a desire to compete.

Zhao Lingfei, in a flaming long dress, had glaze fire dancing on her fingertips. Her red lips curled into a cold sneer as she scanned Lu Qingyun, her gaze filled with scrutiny and disdain. In her opinion, physical strength was just a side path; encountering her exotic fire, it would ultimately be vulnerable.

Li Feng, standing in the front row, was surrounded by a baleful aura like an unsheathed saber, his eyes as cold as blades, staring fixedly at Lu Qingyun.

He had crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood; he didn't believe in any genius monsters, only in the saber in his hand.

The other seed geniuses also had their own expressions; without exception, they were all full of fighting spirit.

The name "Universe Invincible Tyrannosaurus God of War" had long since spread like wildfire during the first two rounds.

Divine Intent Level combat power, a punch almost blowing away a Fourth-level Divine Intent expert, killing across ranks as easily as drinking water...

These labels, stacked together, were enough for all the geniuses to regard him as their number one formidable enemy.

Over in the Powerhouse Group, the twenty-plus Divine Intent experts also cast their gazes over.

The incident where Lu Qingyun broke into the Powerhouse Group's competition area and knocked down Zhou Hu with one punch had long spread through the circle. Although everyone was surprised by his age and cross-rank combat power, they didn't take it too much to heart.

After all, a Fourth-level Divine Intent didn't count for much in the qualifiers; among this group of people, the weakest was a Fifth-level Divine Intent, and there were several old monsters at the Peak Divine Will.

Could a junior, no matter how monstrous, really turn the world upside down?

Besides, there was no direct conflict of interest between the Youth Group and the Powerhouse Group, so why care so much?

After just one extra glance, everyone withdrew their gazes and closed their eyes to rest.