Lu Yi picked up the stone plaque floating in front of him and took a glance: 9-5.


    Wang Wulian looked at Lu Yi nervously and asked, "Junior Brother Lu Yi, which platform are you on?"


    Lu Yi smiled and replied, "Platform 9."


    Wang Wulian grinned and quickly laughed, "I''m on Platform 10. If luck is on my side, maybe I can make it into the top ten?"


    Lu Yi: "..."


    Senior Brother Wang sure was optimistic.


    Lu Yi didn’t dampen his enthusiasm. Instead, he smiled and nodded, "I believe Senior Brother Wang’s strength is more than enough."


    Wang Wulian laughed heartily.


    Platforms 9 and 10 happened to be next to each other, so the two of them headed to their respective platforms together.


    At that moment, Lu Yi felt a sharp gaze on him. He turned to see Mo Lingxi staring at him coldly.


    Lu Yi was stunned. He hadn’t expected Mo Lingxi to be here as well. This guy’s glare looked like it could cut him apart.


    Others also noticed Mo Lingxi’s attitude and immediately wore amused expressions, ready to watch the show.


    Disciples who could reach this stage were naturally strong, and many were familiar with Mo Lingxi—one of the top ten gatekeepers.


    Now, he encountered the rising dark horse, Lu Yi. Wouldn’t sparks fly between them?


    The crowd was excited, as if they were ready to sit back and enjoy the drama.


    Just then, a gentle voice sounded, "Junior Brother Lu, I didn’t expect to see you here."


    Lu Yi turned and saw a plain-looking young man with a determined gaze smiling as he walked toward him.


    Qi Refining Stage, Level 10.


    "Senior Brother Jiang Fan?"


    "I didn’t expect Senior Brother Jiang Fan to be on this platform as well? This is bad. There’s no way I’m making it into the top ten now."


    "Brother... stop drinking. Have some food."


    "Even one peanut could’ve kept you from getting this drunk."


    "Who do you think is stronger, Junior Brother Lu Yi or Senior Brother Jiang Fan?"


    "I think Senior Brother Jiang Fan. He’s a genius and might even go for first place."


    "I agree. If Junior Brother Lu Yi’s cultivation level was the same as Senior Brother Jiang Fan’s, I’d bet on Lu Yi. But right now, he’s at too much of a disadvantage."


    Many people nodded in agreement.


    Lu Yi smiled and greeted, "Senior Brother Jiang Fan."


    Jiang Fan returned the smile and asked, "Are you on Platform 9 or 10?"Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Lu Yi replied, "Platform 9."


    Jiang Fan smiled again. "That’s a shame. I’m on Platform 10. I was hoping to fight you early. I heard you broke through to Qi Refining Stage, Level 7."


    Lu Yi froze for a moment before smiling. "I’ll definitely ask for advice from Senior Brother during the top ten matches."


    Jiang Fan raised an eyebrow and looked at Lu Yi deeply. "Junior Brother Lu is quite confident. I’ll look forward to it, then."


    With that, Jiang Fan smiled and walked away.


    Lu Yi watched Jiang Fan’s back, feeling a little odd. His enhanced perception made it clear—Jiang Fan’s strength was far from ordinary. Lu Yi even felt a faint sense of danger.


    It should be noted that Lu Yi now possessed Level 8 spells, making him far stronger than most at Qi Refining Stage, Level 10. Did that mean Senior Brother Jiang Fan was also far stronger than others at his level?


    No wonder his name carried the character “Fan” (ordinary). He was anything but ordinary.


    Lu Yi chuckled inwardly and vowed, "I will defeat Senior Brother Jiang Fan."


    [Mission]


    Defeat Jiang Fan (Progress: 0/1)


    Reward: 1 drop of Hundred-Year Spiritual Milk.


    Accept? Yes/No


    "???"


    Lu Yi froze when he saw the reward.


    Good heavens, Hundred-Year Spiritual Milk?! And as a reward?


    This was a treasure far more precious than pills and spirit stones. Spiritual milk was extremely easy to absorb, had no side effects, and could nourish the body while improving affinity with spiritual energy—essentially enhancing one’s cultivation talent!


    Though Lu Yi cultivated quickly due to his high-level techniques and perfect Condensing Qi Pills, his innate talent was only above average. With the Hundred-Year Spiritual Milk, his talent would significantly improve, and his cultivation speed would soar.


    While it might not compare to thousand-year or ten-thousand-year spiritual milk, it was still spiritual milk.


    More importantly, this was a sparring reward—repeatable!


    Hmm... Looks like I’ll have to treat Senior Brother Jiang Fan better. I’ll need to spar with him often.


    Not much—just thirty to fifty matches a day. That’s thirty to fifty drops of Hundred-Year Spiritual Milk daily. His cultivation talent would skyrocket in no time.


    Suddenly, Lu Yi found Senior Brother Jiang Fan’s plain face incredibly handsome.


    While Lu Yi was imagining his bright future, he once again felt Mo Lingxi’s cold gaze. Snapping back to reality, he vowed, "I will defeat Senior Brother Mo Lingxi."


    [Mission]


    Defeat Mo Lingxi (Progress: 0/1)


    Reward: 20 Supreme Condensing Qi Pills / 2 Perfect Condensing Qi Pills.


    Accept? Yes/No


    "Tsk..." Lu Yi was disappointed. Senior Brother Mo Lingxi’s rewards were weak.


    "What’s wrong, Junior Brother Lu?" Wang Wulian asked. He was still stunned after hearing that Jiang Fan was on his platform and only recovered when he noticed Lu Yi’s reaction.


    Lu Yi smiled at Wang Wulian. "Nothing. Looks like Senior Brother Wang is about to be eliminated by Senior Brother Jiang Fan."


    Wang Wulian’s face stiffened. "...Junior Brother Lu, stop talking. I need some peace."


    "Hahaha!"


    While they were talking, Du Gufang announced, "The match begins now."


    Following his announcement, the stewards started calling numbers.


    "Number 1, step onto the platform!"


    ...


    The disciples who advanced to this stage were much stronger than those in the qualifiers. The weakest were at Qi Refining Stage, Level 8, and even they had likely advanced thanks to favorable matchups.


    No matter how lucky one was, it was impossible to avoid all strong opponents forever.


    On the platform, the matches were intense. Most contestants had at least one technique mastered to the Great Accomplishment level.


    Lu Yi was thoroughly entertained. Unlike yesterday’s boring preliminaries, these fights were exciting.


    The matches proceeded quickly, and soon it was time for the fifth match.


    Lu Yi was number 5. He leaped lightly and landed on the platform.


    Facing him was a pretty girl with long black hair, cascading like a waterfall.


    Qi Refining Stage, Level 9.


    The girl smiled shyly when she saw Lu Yi. "Junior Brother Lu, I’m Gu Mingxi."


    Lu Yi smiled politely. "Senior Sister Gu."


    "Junior Brother’s swordsmanship talent is impressive. I admire you very much," Gu Mingxi said, smiling instead of attacking right away.


    Lu Yi was puzzled. Weren’t they here to fight? Why were they chatting?


    He forced a smile. "You’re too kind, Senior Sister."


    Inwardly, he thought, "Defeat Senior Sister Gu Mingxi."


    [Mission]


    Defeat Gu Mingxi (Progress: 0/1)


    Reward: 10 Supreme Condensing Qi Pills / 1 Perfect Condensing Qi Pill.


    Hmm... She’s a bit weak.


    But Lu Yi didn’t mind. Even a little gain was still a gain.


    Before Gu Mingxi made a move, her face flushed slightly. "Junior Brother Lu... if you have time, can we spar more often?"


    Lu Yi: "???"


    Something seemed off about this Senior Sister Gu.