The outer disciple arena was alive with bloodlust. Every month, the weak were trampled, the strong elevated. And in this place, there was no mercy—only rankings.
Li Xuan stood at the base of the dueling platform, his name freshly etched onto the challenge slate.
He was going after the 99th rank—barely within the top 100.
His opponent, Du Kang, was a solid mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivator with two years of combat experience and three battles already won this week. The youth's heavy saber weighed more than most outer disciples.
"You should've waited a few more months," Du Kang sneered, walking into the ring. "Too eager, too arrogant—both get people killed."
Li Xuan didn't respond. He pulled his saber and exhaled slowly.
System Notification:
—Nine Star Hegemon Body Art (Tier 1) Initiated—
—Energy Circulation Rate: +280%
—Qi Condensation Rate: +110%
—Warning: Duration limited to 30 seconds at current endurance level. Overuse may rupture meridians.
System Voice (Long Chen):
"Not yet. Hold it. You'll know when it's time."
The referee called for the match to begin.
Du Kang moved like a hammer—heavy, forceful, deadly. His first strike cracked the arena stone, but Li Xuan was already moving, sliding under the arc and drawing a thin line across Du Kang's ribs.
Blood spilled. The crowd roared.
Du Kang snarled and redoubled his strength. Each swing howled with wind force, pushing Li Xuan back.
And still, he waited.
Waited until Du Kang left his back open for half a second too long.
System Notification:
—Nine Star Hegemon Body Art Activated—
A low hum erupted from within Li Xuan's body. The ground cracked beneath him. Behind him, the illusion of a vast celestial diagram flickered—the faint ghost of a starry ring.
The arena went silent.
A girl in the crowd gasped. "That… that looked like the Heaven-Devouring Ring…!"
Too late, Du Kang sensed it. His saber fell too slowly. Li Xuan's counterattack came like thunder.
Boom.
Du Kang hit the wall on the far end of the arena, crumpling unconscious.
System Notification:
—Challenge Victory: +30 LCP
—Cultivation Progress: +12 EXP
—Stamina Reduced to 33%
—Nine Star Energy Locking for 48 hours (Overexertion Detected)
System Voice:
"Overused it, huh? Rookie mistake. You'll learn."
Later That Night — Cultivation Quarters
Li Xuan sat cross-legged, sweat beading his forehead as he absorbed the remnants of his nine-star activation.
His veins felt like molten steel had passed through them. Pain was constant. But beneath it—growth.
Visible Growth.
His Qi was denser now, and his control had sharpened.
Cultivation Status:
—Qi Condensation: 6th Stage (554/600 EXP)
—EXP Required for Breakthrough: 46
—Qi Circulation Speed (Base): Normal
—Qi Circulation Speed (Under Nine Star): 2.8x
—Endurance Threshold: 32 Seconds at Current Rank
He now understood that true cultivation wasn't about luck or cheat-like growth.
It was blood. It was will. It was refining pain into progress.
Outer Disciple Rankings – One Week Later
Rank: 87
Name: Li Xuan
Status: New Challenger
Victory Streak: 4
Losses: 1 (to Rank 51 – Close Margin)
Cultivation: Qi Condensation (6th Stage)
Noted Skill: Star-Shifting Step (Unconfirmed)
Danger Rating: Medium-High
System Missions Completed:
• Win 3 Duels in a Week – ✅
• Strike Down a Higher-Ranked Opponent – ✅
• Endure a Full Day of Cultivation While Wounded – ✅
Rewards Gained:
• 70 LCP
• Spirit-Purifying Pill x2
• Long Chen Technique Fragment (1/7): Heaven-Shaking Roar
Training Grounds – Three Days Later
Long Chen's voice rumbled in his mind as he stood before a stone dummy reinforced by formations.
"You want to grow? Then break what doesn't yield."
Every morning, Li Xuan faced the reinforced training dummy. No food. No healing elixirs.
Just him, a saber, and pain.
System Simulation Room (Active):
—3x Experience Gain Enabled
—New Skill Test: Heaven-Shaking Roar (Fragmented) – 2% Mastery
He didn't complain. He didn't talk.
He fought until he collapsed.
And then he did it again the next day.
Final System Summary – Chapter 44
Cultivation Stage: Qi Condensation – 6th Stage (554/600 EXP)
Cultivation Speed (Base): Normal
Nine Star Boost: 2.8x (32 seconds max)
Long Chen Points: 40
LCP Shop Updates: New Fragmented Techniques
Simulation Room Use: 3 hrs/day
Missions Completed: 6
Outer Disciple Rank: 87
Skills: Phantom Step, Face-Slapping Divine Art, Soul-Forging Flame
New Fragment: Heaven-Shaking Roar (1/7)
Author's Note:
Li Xuan is not growing like a protagonist of fate. He is earning it—step by step, strike by strike. His victories are hard, his losses bitter. The Nine Star cultivation path gives him power—but the cost? Everything.
Next up: A strange sect mission. A secret about the spirit beasts in the outer forests. And a new enemy that doesn't bleed like humans.
Shall we continue to Chapter 45?