The news of Zhou Ming's formal challenge spread through the outer disciples faster than Axel would have thought possible. By evening, it seemed every cultivator in his tier knew about the upcoming ranked duel and had opinions about the outcome.
"You have to accept," Liu Feng insisted as they sat in their quarters that evening. "Refusing a formal ranked challenge marks you as cowardly. Your reputation would be destroyed before it's even properly established."
"I wasn't planning to refuse," Axel replied, studying the formal challenge document Zhou Ming had submitted. The terms were clear—three days from now, they would duel on the main arena platform with sect officials as witnesses. Winner took the loser's ranking position and received fifty spirit stones. Loser forfeited their monthly evaluation participation rights for the next cycle.
"The problem isn't whether to accept," Axel continued. "It's what to wager that matches a seventh-place ranking. I don't have a ranking to bet, and I've only been in the sect for two days. I don't have enough resources or reputation to wager something equivalent."
Liu Feng considered this. "You could wager your examination rights for the Heavenly Ascension Trial selection. That's technically worth more than a ranking position, but it's the only thing a new disciple has that matches the stakes."
"That seems excessive for a duel I'm reasonably confident I can win."
"You defeated him once," Liu Feng pointed out. "That doesn't guarantee you'll win a formal duel where he's had time to prepare specifically for your techniques. Zhou Ming isn't stupid—he wouldn't challenge you unless he thought he had a strategy to counter your abilities."
That was a valid concern. Their sparring match had been impromptu, with Zhou Ming unprepared for Axel's speed and power output. A formal duel after three days of preparation would be different. Zhou Ming would study recordings of their previous match, develop counters to Axel's techniques, and come in with a plan designed specifically to exploit weaknesses.
"Then I need to spend the next three days training," Axel decided. "Improving my techniques, developing new capabilities, and preparing as seriously as Zhou Ming undoubtedly is."
"That's where this gets complicated," Liu Feng said. "Zhou Ming is seventh-ranked, which means he has access to better training facilities and resources than you do as an unranked disciple. He'll be using advanced training formations, sparring with other ranked disciples, and possibly receiving coaching from inner disciples allied with his faction."
"What do I have access to?"
"Basic training grounds, standard cultivation chambers, and the outer disciple library." Liu Feng's expression was apologetic. "It's not nothing, but it's significantly less than what Zhou Ming can utilize."
Axel absorbed this information with growing frustration. The sect's resource distribution system favored those who already had advantages, creating a cycle where the strong got stronger simply through better access.
But he wasn't without options.
"Elder Shen offered to take me as a personal student," Axel said, making a decision. "That would give me access to his workshop and resources, wouldn't it?"
"Potentially, yes. But you said he gave you a week to decide. Accepting just to gain training advantages for a duel might offend him—elders don't like disciples who treat mentorship as transactional."
Another complication. Everything in sect life seemed to involve navigating unwritten rules and potential offense.
A knock on their door interrupted the conversation. Liu Feng opened it to reveal Mei Lin, the inner disciple who'd spoken with Axel at breakfast. She entered without waiting for invitation, her Core Formation presence making the room feel suddenly smaller.
"I heard about the ranked challenge," she said directly. "Zhou Ming is making a mistake, but he doesn't realize it yet. The question is whether you're prepared to exploit his error."
"What mistake?" Axel asked.
"He's fighting angry. Humiliated by his defeat and pressured by his faction to redeem himself publicly. Anger makes cultivators predictable—they fight aggressively, take unnecessary risks, and prioritize immediate victory over strategic patience." Mei Lin settled into a chair without being invited. "But only if you're good enough to capitalize on it."
"I assume you're here to offer help," Axel said carefully. "What's the cost?"
"Direct as always. I like that." Mei Lin smiled slightly. "The cost is that if you win—when you win—you'll owe me a favor. Nothing that compromises your principles or safety, but something of equivalent value to three days of intensive training with an inner disciple."
"That's vague enough to be concerning," Liu Feng observed.
"It's deliberately vague because I don't know yet what favor I'll need," Mei Lin replied. "I might ask you to assist with a mission, provide formation analysis for a project, or introduce me to Elder Shen for consultation on spatial arrays. The point is that I'm investing time and knowledge in you now, and I'll call in that debt when it's convenient for me."
It was a calculated risk. Owing a favor to an inner disciple could be dangerous if she demanded something unreasonable. But refusing her help meant facing Zhou Ming with only basic resources and three days of self-directed training.
"What kind of training are you offering?" Axel asked.
"Combat technique refinement, strategy development, and access to a Core Formation level training chamber for accelerated cultivation." Mei Lin pulled out a jade token. "This gives you guest access to the inner disciple training facilities. Use it for the next three days, train as hard as you can, and be ready to humiliate Zhou Ming so thoroughly that his faction thinks twice before targeting you again."
"Why help me?" Axel pressed. "You barely know me."
"Because I was once an outer disciple facing ranked challenges while more established disciples tried to keep me in my place. Someone helped me then, and I promised myself I'd pay that forward when I had the capability." Her expression became more calculating. "Also, because having promising outer disciples owe me favors is strategically valuable. Don't mistake kindness for altruism—I have practical reasons for everything I do."
The honest acknowledgment of self-interest made her offer more trustworthy, not less. At least Mei Lin was transparent about her motivations.
"Alright," Axel agreed. "Three days of training in exchange for a future favor of equivalent value. I accept."
Mei Lin handed him the token. "Training chamber seven in the inner disciple compound. Meet me there in one hour. Bring whatever weapons or equipment you prefer, though I'll be teaching you techniques that don't rely on external tools. And eat something substantial—the next three days are going to be brutal."
She left as abruptly as she'd arrived, leaving Axel and Liu Feng to process the rapid development.
"That was either very fortunate or a trap disguised as opportunity," Liu Feng said. "Mei Lin has a reputation for being straightforward, but she's also known for making incredibly calculated moves that pay off years later."
"Do you think I should have refused?"
"No. You need the training, and Mei Lin's help is probably the best chance you have to defeat Zhou Ming decisively. Just remember that you now owe her a favor, and inner disciples don't forget debts." Liu Feng stood. "Come on. You need to eat before intensive training, and I need to arrange coverage for my own duties—someone has to watch your quarters while you're gone."
The inner disciple training compound was significantly more impressive than the outer disciple facilities. Formations covered every surface, creating environments optimized for various cultivation methods. Axel could feel the ambient Qi here was at least triple the concentration of the outer areas, making every breath fill him with spiritual energy.
Training chamber seven was a private room with walls inscribed with advanced combat formations. The space was larger than it appeared from outside—spatial expansion again—and equipped with various training equipment and artificial opponents powered by formation arrays.
Mei Lin was already there, having changed into practical training robes that emphasized mobility over formality. She studied Axel as he entered, her spiritual senses performing a thorough assessment.
"Your foundation is still awakening," she observed. "That's going to complicate training—your capabilities will be shifting continuously over the next few days. But it also means you'll be stronger by the time you face Zhou Ming, assuming the awakening completes in time."
"The system said seventy-two hours," Axel replied before realizing what he'd said.
"System?" Mei Lin's eyes sharpened with interest. "What system?"
Axel cursed internally. He'd just revealed something he'd meant to keep completely hidden. The exhaustion from maintaining his Foundation Awakening while studying formations and dealing with political complications had made him careless.
"It's... complicated," he said, trying to determine how much to reveal.
"Is it some kind of inherited technique? Special physique? Ancient treasure?" Mei Lin pressed. "I'm not trying to steal your secrets, but if you have something that requires specific conditions to operate, I need to know so I can design training that doesn't interfere with it."
Axel made a split-second decision. Mei Lin had been consistently straightforward with him, and she was offering genuine help when she had no obligation to do so. Some level of trust might be warranted.
"It's a... guidance system," he said carefully. "Something that provides insights about cultivation, techniques, and my own development. I don't fully understand what it is or where it comes from, but it's been helping me since I started cultivating."
"A cultivation assistance artifact," Mei Lin concluded. "Rare but not unheard of. Usually they're ancient treasures left by powerful cultivators for their descendants. The fact that yours is active suggests you have some kind of bloodline connection to whoever created it."
That was close enough to the truth that Axel didn't correct her. Let her think it was an artifact rather than something intrinsic to his existence in this world.
"Does anyone else know about this?" Mei Lin asked.
"No. You're the first person I've told."
"Keep it that way. Cultivation assistance artifacts are incredibly valuable—if word got out that you had one, you'd have everyone from treasure hunters to sect elders trying to either steal it or force you to share it." She paused. "I won't tell anyone. Your secrets are safe with me, as long as you honor the favor debt when I call it in."
"Agreed."
"Good. Now let's begin." Mei Lin activated the chamber's training formations, causing several target dummies to materialize in the space. "Show me your current techniques. Don't hold back—I need to see your actual capabilities, not what you demonstrated against Zhou Ming."
Axel hesitated only briefly, then began demonstrating his abilities. The Qi Strike with varying power levels. The Flowing Water Palm defensive technique. The flowing energy loop method that could amplify his power output dramatically. His enhanced speed and spiritual sense range.
Mei Lin watched silently, her Core Formation cultivation allowing her to perceive details about his techniques that even Foundation Establishment Peak disciples would miss.
"Your fundamentals are solid but self-taught," she assessed after he'd finished. "You have good instincts and you've developed effective techniques through experimentation, but you're missing formal training that would optimize your movements and energy efficiency."
She pulled out several jade slips. "These contain Azure Sky Sect combat techniques—nothing secret, just refined versions of the basics you've been improvising. Study them tonight, practice them tomorrow, and by the day after you should have integrated them enough to use them effectively."
Axel accepted the slips gratefully. Access to proper sect techniques was exactly what he'd been hoping for since joining.
"More importantly," Mei Lin continued, "we need to develop a specific strategy for fighting Zhou Ming. He's Peak Foundation Establishment, which means he has more raw power than you. His techniques are refined from years of training. And he'll be prepared for your speed and power amplification after watching recordings of your previous match."
"So how do I win?" Axel asked.
"By being unpredictable. Zhou Ming expects you to fight the same way you did before—fast attacks, power amplification, overwhelming offense. Instead, we're going to teach you to fight defensively, to redirect his power against him, to exhaust him through sustained combat rather than trying to end it quickly."
She demonstrated, her movements flowing like water as she showed defensive positions and counter-techniques. "Foundation Establishment Peak cultivators are generally more powerful but less efficient than lower stages. They've accumulated so much Qi that they sometimes waste energy on excessive power output. If you can survive his initial assault and force him into a prolonged fight, his energy reserves will deplete faster than yours."
Axel practiced the defensive positions, finding them awkward at first but increasingly natural as his enhanced comprehension allowed him to grasp the underlying principles. The Flowing Water Palm technique Liu Feng had taught him formed a good foundation, but Mei Lin's refinements made it significantly more effective.
"Again," Mei Lin commanded after his tenth repetition. "Lower your stance more. Keep your weight centered. Don't lean into the redirect—let his momentum do the work."
They practiced for hours, with Mei Lin providing constant corrections and adjustments. The training chamber's time dilation formation meant that while only two hours passed outside, Axel experienced six hours of intensive practice. Combined with the enhanced Qi concentration, his improvement rate was remarkable.
By the time Mei Lin called a halt for the evening, Axel's defensive techniques had improved dramatically. He could now redirect attacks with smooth efficiency, use minimal energy to achieve maximum effect, and maintain defensive postures for extended periods without tiring.
"Good progress," Mei Lin assessed. "Your learning speed is exceptional—most disciples would need weeks to integrate techniques that you've grasped in hours. That 'system' of yours must be quite sophisticated."
"It helps with comprehension," Axel confirmed. "Makes patterns more visible, principles easier to understand."
"Invaluable for a cultivator. Guard it jealously." Mei Lin deactivated the training formations. "Rest tonight, but maintain light cultivation—your foundation is still awakening and needs continuous Qi input. Tomorrow we'll work on offensive counters and combination techniques. The day after, we'll do live combat simulations where I'll fight you using techniques similar to Zhou Ming's style."
Axel returned to his quarters exhausted but satisfied. Six hours of intensive training with an inner disciple had advanced his combat capabilities more than weeks of self-practice would have achieved. The jade slips Mei Lin had provided contained treasure troves of refined techniques that would take days to fully absorb.
Liu Feng was waiting with hot tea and food. "You look dead on your feet. How was training?"
"Brutal but effective. Mei Lin is an excellent teacher." Axel accepted the tea gratefully, feeling its spiritual properties begin restoring his depleted energy. "She gave me sect combat techniques to study. I'll need to spend tonight absorbing them."
"That's generous of her. Those techniques aren't secret, but they're usually only taught to disciples who've proven themselves through missions and evaluations." Liu Feng hesitated. "You trust her?"
"More than I trust most people here," Axel admitted. "She's transparent about her motivations and seems genuinely interested in helping talented disciples succeed. The favor debt is concerning, but I think it's a reasonable trade for what she's providing."
He spent the evening in meditation, absorbing the combat techniques from Mei Lin's jade slips while simultaneously maintaining the cultivation his awakening foundation demanded. The Primordial Pillars continued their evolution, growing stronger with each passing hour, refining his Qi to unprecedented purity.
The system interface appeared periodically, tracking his progress:
[CORE AWAKENING PROGRESS: 47%]
[COMBAT TECHNIQUE MASTERY: 34% → 52%]
[DEFENSIVE EFFICIENCY: +23%]
[COUNTER-ATTACK CAPABILITY: +31%]
[ESTIMATED VICTORY PROBABILITY VS ZHOU MING: 68%]
[RECOMMENDATION: FOCUS ON STAMINA TRAINING]
[PROLONGED COMBAT FAVORS YOUR FOUNDATION'S EFFICIENCY]
Sixty-eight percent wasn't quite as high as Axel would have liked, but it was better than fighting with only basic preparation would have offered.
The second day of training began before dawn. Axel met Mei Lin at training chamber seven, finding her already engaged in her own cultivation practice. She opened her eyes as he entered, spiritual senses assessing his condition.
"Your foundation awakening accelerated overnight," she observed. "You're emanating significantly more spiritual pressure than yesterday. Good—that means you'll be stronger than Zhou Ming expects by the time you fight him."
They dove immediately into offensive technique training. Where yesterday had focused on defense and redirection, today emphasized efficient offense—strikes that maximized impact while minimizing energy waste, combinations that flowed naturally from one technique to the next, and methods for exploiting openings in an opponent's guard.
"Power without precision is wasted effort," Mei Lin lectured as she demonstrated. "Watch—this strike uses sixty percent of maximum output but hits exactly the right pressure point." She executed a palm strike against a training dummy, and the construct's entire left side collapsed despite the relatively modest power behind the blow.
"Now this strike uses ninety percent output but hits a reinforced area." Her second demonstration struck the dummy's center mass with significantly more force, but the damage was far less extensive. "See the difference? Against a Peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, you can't afford to waste energy on inefficient attacks."
Axel practiced until the techniques became muscle memory. Strike pressure points. Target weak spots in defensive formations. Chain techniques together so that each attack set up the next. The system's enhanced comprehension made the learning process remarkably fast, but translating knowledge into physical capability still required repetition and practice.
The training chamber's time dilation meant that six hours of subjective practice passed while only two hours elapsed outside. By midday—measured by external time—Axel had accumulated twelve hours of intensive combat training. His body ached, his Qi reserves were depleted multiple times and restored through meditation breaks, but his capabilities had improved dramatically.
"Let's test your progress," Mei Lin said, activating a combat simulation formation. A construct appeared in the training space—humanoid but blank-faced, radiating Foundation Establishment Peak spiritual pressure. "This formation analyzes combat patterns and replicates them. I've programmed it with data from Zhou Ming's previous duels. Fight it as if it's him."
The construct attacked immediately, moving with Zhou Ming's characteristic aggressive style. Fast strikes backed by Peak cultivation power, combination techniques designed to overwhelm opponents through superior output.
Axel responded with the defensive techniques he'd learned, redirecting attacks rather than blocking them directly. The construct was relentless, pressing the assault for minutes without pause. But Axel's defense held, his efficient techniques allowing him to sustain the defensive posture without depleting his reserves.
When the construct finally committed to a particularly powerful strike—the same overextension Zhou Ming had demonstrated during their sparring match—Axel countered. His fist, blazing with concentrated Qi, struck the construct's exposed side with precise force aimed at a pressure point.
The formation construct shattered, its structure unable to maintain cohesion after the targeted strike.
"Ninety seconds," Mei Lin announced. "Better than I expected for your first attempt, but still too long. Zhou Ming will have refined his techniques since you last fought—he won't make such obvious openings. Again."
They ran the simulation repeatedly, each iteration showing Axel different variations of Zhou Ming's fighting style. Sometimes the construct fought more defensively. Sometimes it used different combination techniques. Each variation forced Axel to adapt, to recognize patterns and exploit weaknesses under changing conditions.
By evening of the second day—thirty-six hours of subjective training time—Axel could consistently defeat the Zhou Ming simulation in under a minute. His defensive techniques were refined to the point of being nearly automatic. His counter-attacks struck with precision that wasted no energy. And most importantly, his stamina had improved significantly through repeated high-intensity practice.
"You're ready," Mei Lin assessed as Axel defeated the simulation for the twentieth time that session. "Barring unexpected circumstances, you should defeat Zhou Ming decisively. But there's always the possibility he's developed something new, some technique or strategy that isn't in the recorded data. Stay alert, adapt quickly, and don't let pride make you careless if the fight doesn't go exactly as planned."
"What about tomorrow?" Axel asked. "The duel is the day after—should I continue training or rest?"
"Light training only. Practice your techniques to maintain muscle memory, but don't deplete yourself. Your foundation awakening should complete sometime tomorrow based on the progression I've observed. When it does, you'll experience a significant power surge—make sure you're in a safe location where you can stabilize without interruption."
Axel nodded, filing away the advice. "Thank you, Mei Lin. For everything. This training has been invaluable."
"You're welcome. Remember—you owe me a favor of equivalent value. I'll collect when the time is right." She smiled slightly. "Now go. Rest, recover, and prepare mentally for the duel. Combat skill is only half the battle—mental readiness determines who stays calm under pressure and who makes fatal mistakes."
The third and final preparation day was anticlimactic compared to the intensive training of the previous two days. Axel practiced his techniques for a few hours in the morning, maintaining familiarity without exhausting himself. The rest of the day he spent in meditation, feeding his awakening foundation the Qi it demanded while mentally reviewing combat strategies.
Other disciples watched him with undisguised interest as word spread that the ranked duel was scheduled for tomorrow morning. Some offered encouragement. Others placed bets on the outcome—apparently gambling on ranked duels was a popular pastime among outer disciples.
Liu Feng provided moral support and practical advice. "Zhou Ming has been training in seclusion for the past three days. Nobody's seen him, which means he's either preparing something devastating or he's panicking about the duel. Either way, don't underestimate him."
That evening, as the sun set and Axel settled into his final pre-duel meditation session, it happened.
The Core Awakening completed.
The Primordial Pillars pulsed once, twice, three times with increasing intensity. Then they synchronized perfectly, all nine structures resonating at exactly the same frequency. The effect was immediate and overwhelming.
Qi flooded Axel's dantian at ten times his normal cultivation rate. The ambient energy of the entire room—possibly the entire building—rushed toward him like water toward a drain. His meridians blazed with power as enhanced circulation pathways activated, distributing energy throughout his body with unprecedented efficiency.
The system interface appeared, displaying information in rapid succession:
[CORE AWAKENING: COMPLETE]
[FOUNDATION STAGE: EARLY → MID]
[DANTIAN CAPACITY: +45%]
[QI PURITY: +67%]
[MERIDIAN EFFICIENCY: +53%]
[CULTIVATION SPEED: +89%]
[NEW CAPABILITY UNLOCKED: PILLAR RESONANCE]
[NEW CAPABILITY UNLOCKED: AUTOMATIC QI REFINEMENT]
[NEW CAPABILITY UNLOCKED: ENHANCED RECOVERY]
[HONGMENG BLOODLINE AWAKENING: 2% → 3%]
[FOUNDATION QUALITY REMAINS: MYTHICAL]
Axel opened his eyes to find his quarters glowing with golden light radiating from his body. Liu Feng stood pressed against the far wall, eyes wide with shock.
"What the hell just happened?" his roommate demanded. "Your spiritual pressure just jumped an entire stage in seconds. That's not normal cultivation progression—that's..."
"Foundation awakening completed," Axel explained, reining in his power and suppressing the golden glow. "My foundation has been evolving over the past three days. It just finished."
"Foundation awakening shouldn't cause that kind of power surge. I've seen disciples break through from Early to Mid, and it's never that dramatic." Liu Feng's expression shifted from shock to concern. "Axel, what exactly is your foundation? That looked like something far beyond normal Foundation Establishment."
"It's complicated," Axel said, echoing his response to Mei Lin's similar question. "But yes, my foundation is unusual. I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention this to anyone—attention is the last thing I need right now."
Liu Feng nodded slowly. "Your secret is safe with me. But you should know—if you display that kind of power during tomorrow's duel, everyone will realize you're not just talented. They'll know you're exceptional in ways that will make you either highly valued or highly threatened."
"I know. I'll be careful about how much I reveal."
But even as Axel said it, he knew that hiding his true capabilities was becoming increasingly difficult. The Core Awakening had pushed him to Foundation Establishment Mid—a full stage above what he'd been just hours ago. Fighting Zhou Ming now would be less a fair contest and more a demonstration of overwhelming superiority.
Unless he held back significantly. But holding back too much risked losing the duel and the ranking position Zhou Ming was wagering.
Politics and power, intertwined as always.
Axel spent the rest of the evening stabilizing his newly enhanced foundation, allowing his body to fully adapt to the increased power flowing through his system. By the time he finally slept—lightly, maintaining cultivation awareness—he felt completely integrated with his Mid-stage capabilities.
Tomorrow would determine much about his future in the sect. Win decisively, and he'd establish himself as a serious contender among outer disciples. Lose, and he'd be marked as someone who couldn't back up his initial impressive displays.
The Primordial Pillars pulsed steadily, their awakening complete, their structure optimized and ready for whatever challenges awaited.
Axel King was ready for his first ranked duel.
The training montage was complete. Tomorrow, he would discover if three days of intensive preparation and an unprecedented foundation awakening would be enough to defeat a seventh-ranked disciple who'd spent the same time developing strategies specifically to counter him.
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