Twenty-two days remained.
Lin Xuan stood at the entrance of Cave Seventy-Three and flexed his fingers slowly.
Body Tempering Ninth Layer felt fundamentally different from the previous layers. The first eight layers strengthened structure — muscle, bone, blood, marrow.
The Ninth Layer strengthened internal organs.
Heartbeats were steadier.
Breathing deeper.
Stamina vastly improved.
But more importantly—
His body was now capable of holding condensed Spirit Qi.
Qi Gathering was not about absorbing Qi faster.
It was about storing it permanently inside the dantian.
Without stable organs, Qi would disperse.
Without refined meridians, it would rupture.
Without sufficient Spirit Qi density, condensation would fail.
He closed his eyes.
Inside his mind—
[Simplification Panel]
[User: Lin Xuan][Realm: Body Tempering — Ninth Layer][Days Until Inner Sect Evaluation: 22]
[Crimson Flame Twelve-Form Tyrant Sword Art][Grade: High Mortal][Perfection 482/1000]
[Azure Piercing Spear][Grade: Mid Mortal][Perfection 881/1000]
[Stone Body Conditioning Art][Grade: Mid Mortal][Perfection 904/1000]
[Basic Qi Circulation Method][Grade: Mid Mortal][Perfection 118/1000]
[Black Vein Crushing Palm][Grade: High Mortal][Unlearned]
He focused on the jade slip inside his storage pouch.
Black Vein Crushing Palm.
A High Mortal palm technique.
He retrieved the jade slip and pressed it to his forehead.
Information flowed into his mind.
The technique required precise circulation into the palm before striking the opponent's meridians, causing internal disruption.
Complex.
Layered.
Standard High Mortal difficulty.
The panel flickered.
[Detected Skill: Black Vein Crushing Palm]
[Grade: High Mortal]
[Skill: Black Vein Crushing Palm (Entry Level 0/100)]
[Simplify?]
[Cost: 10 Gold]
He selected Confirm.
[Simplifying...]
[Removing layered meridian branching...]
[Compressing impact delivery path...]
[Eliminating stance complexity...]
[Simplification Complete]
New Training Condition:Place Palm → Circulate Qi → Press.
He stared at his right palm.
Place.
Circulate.
Press.
He lifted his hand and gently pressed his palm against the cave wall.
[Black Vein Crushing Palm +14 EXP]
[Entry Level 14/100]
He pressed again.
[+17 EXP]
[Entry Level 31/100]
High Mortal technique.
EXP gain slower than Mid Mortal.
But still clean.
He increased Qi compression slightly.
[+22 EXP]
[Entry Level 53/100]
The stone wall beneath his palm cracked faintly.
Not shattered.
Compressed internally.
After fifteen minutes—
[Black Vein Crushing Palm (Entry Level 100/100)]
[Skill Advanced]
[Black Vein Crushing Palm — Minor Completion 0/300]
[Internal Impact Power Increased]
Good.
Very good.
High Mortal techniques required effort.
But not years.
He could feel the deeper mechanics embedding into muscle memory.
But that was not the true concern now.
Qi Gathering required condensation.
Condensation required density.
He had no Spirit Stones left.
He exhaled slowly.
He needed a different strategy.
That afternoon, Zhao Liang found him near the outer cultivation lake.
"You broke through," Zhao Liang said calmly.
"Yes."
Zhao Liang nodded.
"You're preparing for Qi Gathering."
"Yes."
Zhao Liang stared at the lake's surface for several seconds.
"The sect opens the Spirit Vein trial grounds ten days before Inner Sect evaluation."
Lin Xuan turned slightly.
Spirit Vein trial grounds.
The inner section of Azure Flame Mountain where Qi density was far higher than outer caves.
"But entry requires ranking within top five of outer disciples," Zhao Liang continued.
"And you're ranked?"
"Third."
Lin Xuan understood immediately.
To enter the Spirit Vein grounds—
He must defeat someone in the top five.
That meant Zhao Liang.
Or someone stronger.
Zhao Liang looked at him calmly.
"Three days from now, outer ranking challenge."
Three days.
That left nineteen days before evaluation.
He nodded slowly.
"I'll challenge you."
Zhao Liang smiled faintly.
"I expected that."
That night, Lin Xuan did not sleep.
He refined every technique systematically.
Spear thrust.
Palm press.
Sword swing.
Body conditioning.
Breathing.
Each action fed EXP steadily.
[Crimson Flame Twelve-Form Tyrant Sword Art +28 EXP]
[Perfection 510/1000]
[Black Vein Crushing Palm +31 EXP]
[Minor Completion 128/300]
The cave air shimmered faintly from repeated Qi ignition.
He stopped at midnight.
Overtraining would destabilize Qi.
Control mattered.
He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.
The rogue Ninth Layer cultivator from the mine still lived.
That man had retreated strategically.
Not panicked.
Which meant organization.
Perhaps someone inside the sect leaked mine routes.
If that was true—
The evaluation would not be simple.
Three days passed.
Nineteen days remained.
The outer arena was packed.
Ranking Challenge Day.
Zhao Liang stood calmly on the platform.
Lin Xuan stepped forward.
Both Ninth Layer now.
The crowd was louder than before.
"Lin Xuan broke through in less than a month!"
"He was Sixth Layer a week ago!"
"Impossible…"
Zhao Liang drew his blade.
"Ready?"
Lin Xuan ignited flame along his sword without speaking.
They clashed instantly.
The impact shook the platform.
This time—
The pressure difference was smaller.
Ninth Layer versus Ninth Layer.
But Zhao Liang had two years of stability.
He pressed aggressively.
Iron Mountain Body flared faintly again.
Lin Xuan switched strategy.
Instead of direct flame exchange—
He stepped in close.
Palm pressed forward.
[Black Vein Crushing Palm +64 EXP]
The impact landed against Zhao Liang's ribs.
Internal force vibrated sharply.
Zhao Liang staggered.
Eyes widened.
"You…"
He retaliated immediately.
But Lin Xuan had already pivoted.
Flame slash followed.
[Crimson Flame Twelve-Form Tyrant Sword Art +72 EXP]
[Perfection 742/1000]
The arena trembled.
Stone cracked.
The exchange continued for nearly ten minutes.
Both breathing heavier.
But Lin Xuan felt something else.
His breathing technique had reached smoother cycles.
Qi was circulating faster.
Denser.
He stepped back suddenly.
Closed eyes briefly.
Compressed Qi inward.
Not outward.
Zhao Liang noticed.
"Are you—"
Too late.
A faint vortex formed around Lin Xuan's dantian.
Spirit Qi in the air trembled.
He forced compression.
Attempting Qi condensation mid-battle was reckless.
But this was the densest environment he had access to without Spirit Vein grounds.
Zhao Liang hesitated.
The crowd fell silent.
The vortex intensified.
Qi spiraled inward.
Pain exploded through Lin Xuan's abdomen.
But he held steady.
The barrier between Body Tempering and Qi Gathering—
Cracked.
Not broken.
But cracked.
Zhao Liang lowered his blade slowly.
"You're insane."
The vortex faded.
Lin Xuan exhaled slowly.
He had not broken through.
But he had felt the threshold.
Very close.
Zhao Liang stepped forward and extended his hand.
"I concede."
The crowd erupted.
Rankings shifted.
Lin Xuan entered top three.
Access to Spirit Vein trial grounds secured.
Nineteen days remained.
He stepped off the platform slowly.
Inside his mind—
[User: Lin Xuan]
[Realm: Body Tempering — Ninth Layer (Peak)]
[Qi Condensation Progress: 18%]
He smiled faintly.
The wall was cracking.
The next realm—
Was within reach.