Cultivation: I Have a Skill Level Panel

In that very instant,

BOOM!

The terrifyingly powerful Taiyi Thunder, like a Celestial Punishment, instantly tore through the sky and slammed into the massive Ice Shield that stood in mid-air like a Frozen Great Wall.

It immediately stirred up a tremendous shockwave.

The surrounding space vibrated violently, like a raging tsunami.

The entire world seemed to tremble violently at that moment.

Then,

CRACK! CRACK!

The thousand-zhang-wide Round Mountain Shield was instantly covered in a spiderweb of cracks before shattering with a deafening crash!

BANG!

A bolt of Taiyi Thunder instantly struck Qin Xuan, sending him flying backward like a cannonball. He crashed viciously onto the hard stone slabs outside the arena.

Instantly, a human-shaped crater appeared as rubble flew and dust filled the air!

[You skillfully used the Celestial Spirit Thunder Dragon in fierce combat. Its thunderous roar shook the heavens. Celestial Spirit Thunder Dragon Skill Level +2%.]

[You used the Divine Skill Taiyin Thunder Technique for the first time in fierce combat. Its thunder split the sky, delivering punishment on behalf of the heavens. Taiyi Thunder Technique Skill Level +2%.]

[During the intense battle, you continuously used your Sword Intent. Your understanding of Sword Intent has deepened. Sword Intent Skill Level +1%.]

...

"Qin Xuan, number nineteen on the Profound Celestial List... he was actually defeated!"

Someone rubbed their eyes and said in disbelief.

"Awooo, Senior Brother Gu is the GOAT!"

A pretty, young female disciple’s eyes sparkled as she gazed at the white-robed man on the stage, wreathed in arcs of thunder, standing tall and proud.

"Senior Brother Gu is just too strong,

So young, and already surpassed us by millions of times.

Compared to him, it feels like I’ve wasted my life.

I... I’m useless."

One disciple finally sighed.

"Hey, Senior Brother Gu’s talent is peerless,

Don’t even try to compare yourself to him,

You might shatter your Dao Heart."

A nearby disciple advised him.

"But speaking of which,

Just how strong is Senior Brother Gu at his peak?"

...

The crowd of spectators outside the massive arena were all exclaiming in shock,

But Gu Yun, of course, was oblivious to it all.

At this moment, he stood above the arena, his robes barely damaged.

A corner of his clothes fluttered though there was no wind, and terrifying arcs of thunder coiled around his body.

His expression was calm, his profound gaze fixed on the grievously injured Qin Xuan in the crater below.

’Everything... is different now.’

’The enemy I once thought was untouchable has now been defeated.’

But Gu Yun felt no ripples in his heart.

Because,

’It’s still far from enough!’

’Only by advancing to the Tongxuan Realm will I have the right to stand firm in the Celestial Essence Realm.’

’That day... is coming soon.’

’The iron pass is a long and arduous road, but today I stride forth to cross it from the beginning.’

At this moment, Gu Yun’s thoughts seemed to become clearer. An invisible aura of power rose from him, like dark clouds obscuring the daylight, and his eyes shone with unprecedented determination.

Lying in the crater outside the arena, Qin Xuan’s robes were tattered and torn. Vicious blade wounds, deep enough to show bone, covered his body.

His robes were soaked in blood, making him look like a man made of blood, a truly wretched sight.

Especially after that sky-filling Taiyi Thunder had shattered his Ten Thousand Clouds Golden Sword Technique and Cold Mountain Shield,

The residual energy was still so powerful that it had sent him flying completely off the stage.

If not for his relatively tough Physique, he would have been finished for good.

But even so, most of the bones in his body were shattered, and his injuries were extremely severe!

"Cough! Cough!"

Qin Xuan barely managed to move his body.

An excruciating, heart-wrenching pain immediately shot through him.

’In just ten short years,’

’he has actually grown to such a level.’

’What a monster!’

’Perhaps,’

’this is what a true heaven-defying genius is like.’

...

Afterward,

Gu Yun didn’t linger for long.

The first round of preliminaries was over for him.

With a few days left until the second round,

He returned directly to his cave residence.

He planned to use the dense Spiritual Qi in his cave and some Spirit Stones to cultivate.

He might not be able to break through, but it would at least help him consolidate his power and recover.

Gu Yun sat cross-legged on a cushion and activated the Star Refining Soul Technique.

For a moment, his mind became clear, and the world itself seemed to sharpen.

Then, he took out several Middle Grade Spirit Stones and began to circulate the Nine Tribulations Thunder Gang Decision.

He absorbed the vast and pure Spiritual Power from the Middle Grade Spirit Stones into his body, then circulated it through a full cycle to convert it into True Yuan.

At the same time,

Arcs of thunder, like dancing lightning snakes, rose and coiled around Gu Yun’s body.

An invisible and terrifying power radiated from him, enough to make one’s heart tremble in fear.

Time flew by.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Gu Yun suddenly opened his eyes.

A flash of lightning streaked across his pupils, as if containing a bolt that could tear through the dim world, shining with unprecedented brilliance.

Immediately after, an extremely powerful aura erupted from his body. A tangible wave of qi swept out, like a monstrous tsunami unleashed within the cave residence.

At the entrance of the cave not far away, the light of the Array was triggered by the powerful aura, flickering brightly.

Next, Gu Yun circulated his energy through a full cycle, stabilized his aura, and slowly calmed everything down.

After everything had settled,

Gu Yun let out a long breath.

For a moment, the white plume of his breath was like a sharp sword, tearing through the void. The air seemed to be sliced apart like a thin sheet of paper, and the sharp energy slowly dissipated into the emptiness of the cave.

’Time is passing too quickly.’

’The Inner Sect Grand Competition is still in full swing.’

’I don’t dare to stay in seclusion for too long.’

’Therefore, such a short period of cultivation won’t lead to any major breakthroughs.’

However, his vast and powerful True Yuan seemed to have improved by a fraction.

At this, a hint of joy couldn’t help but flash in Gu Yun’s eyes.

’A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’

’Mighty oceans are made from tiny streams.’

’Every second counts. Even if it’s just a tiny bit of progress, over time, it will accumulate into a vast ocean.’

’It’s time to leave.’

’Otherwise, I might miss the next match, and that would be terrible.’

Thinking this, Gu Yun rose from his cushion and strode toward the exit of his cave residence. His profound gaze was fixed on the pale sky, as if piercing through everything to see beyond the endless stars.

In the next instant,

Gu Yun transformed into a streak of lightning and shot toward the horizon.

Soon,

Gu Yun returned to the vast and spacious square.

After several days of arena battles, many victors and losers had been decided.

But the first round of preliminaries was not yet over.

After all, if a battle between True Martial Realm Cultivators turned into a war of attrition where neither could defeat the other, it could easily last for days and nights.

Therefore, even though Gu Yun had gone back to cultivate for a few days before returning, the first round of preliminaries had yet to conclude.

However, Gu Yun wasn’t in a hurry. Amidst the bustling square,

he could also sit down cross-legged and adjust his condition to its peak.

Of course, during this time, Gu Yun also watched the great battles on the other arenas.

He wanted to absorb some experience from them and broaden his horizons.

In the Cultivation Realm, the varieties of Techniques, Martial Techniques, Talismans, Elixirs, Arrays, Puppets, and various unorthodox methods were innumerable and ever-changing, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

It was not uncommon for evenly matched opponents to lose because they were tricked by the other’s cunning schemes; this was clearly due to a lack of experience.

Therefore, while spectating, Gu Yun would also secretly remind himself:

’If I were in their shoes, what would I do?’

Through this process of observing and mentally substituting himself into the fights, Gu Yun gained much insight.

Among his thoughts was the principle of shattering all techniques with overwhelming force—absolute power that could break through any illusion.

Another was to use speed to maneuver and win, for in the world of cultivation, nothing is unbreakable against absolute speed.

These two "techniques" that weren’t truly techniques were enough to handle the vast majority of situations.

Of course, every problem had to be analyzed on its own terms. In ever-changing battles, combat awareness and experience also played a crucial role.

Time flies like an arrow.

In the blink of an eye, another three days passed.

The first round of preliminaries had reached its final match.

Gu Yun had been planning to sit and meditate to adjust his state,

But his attention was captured by two figures on the adjacent arena.

On one of the eight massive, spacious arenas,

two figures stood on the hard stone slabs, facing each other from a distance. The air between them was thick with the scent of battle.

One of them wore a black Profound Robe. His Physique was robust, his face resolute, and his hair was long and black. His brow conveyed an aura as steady as Mount Tai, and his gaze was as firm as a boulder. An extremely powerful aura emanated from him. This person was none other than Xiao Chen.

The other person was the tall and handsome Pei Ye, clad in a light cyan robe. The aura he exuded was even more astonishing; his vast and heavy True Essence Cultivation caused the very space around him to faintly distort.

Gu Yun observed that Xiao Chen’s Cultivation had already reached the peak of the True Martial Seventh Layer.

Gu Yun couldn’t help but sigh internally. ’As expected of this world’s Child of Destiny, his Cultivation speed is truly insane.’

’They are about the same age,’

’He truly possesses monstrous talent.’

’The reason I’ve reached my current level,’

’is mainly due to grinding with my Heaven Rewards Diligence skill panel, which ignores bottlenecks.’

’Of course, all the strength I have up to this point has been earned through my own hard work.’

’After all,’

’a small hack doesn’t really count as hacking.’