CHAPTER 85: I DON'T MEAN TO LOOK DOWN ON ANYONE

Lu Chen once again sent an opponent flying off the arena.

"If your cultivation only reaches mid-level Qi Regulation Realm, there's no need to hold back your power."

Lu Chen glanced at the crowd below while holding the massive sword formed from the divine tree. He said, "For those at high-level Qi Regulation Realm and above, just suppress your strength down to the Qi Regulation Realm."

The cultivators watching felt a sting of insult at Lu Chen's words. The atmosphere instantly tensed as dozens of challengers waiting their turn drew their weapons and aimed them directly at Lu Chen.

"What do you mean by that? Are you looking down on us?"

"I admit you're strong, but we're not weak either."

Lu Chen responded calmly, "I'm not looking down on anyone. It's just that forcing you to suppress your power during battle no longer serves any purpose."

He swept his gaze over the crowd, then slowly released his cultivation aura. A vast spiritual pressure radiated from him. "Besides, I want to see how strong I am when giving it my all."

"How can his energy be that strong?"

The cultivators below staggered backward under the overwhelming pressure. Those severely injured in the secret realm had to muster their spirit qi just to hold their ground.

Feeling the oppressive aura, Sun Xiaohu sighed deeply. "This truly has become Lu Chen's solo stage. Is it true that we've been left behind by the times?"

With that, he left the cabin.

The leader of the Godslayer Squad, Boss Wang, fixed his eyes on Lu Chen. After a moment's thought, he said, "This spiritual pressure rivals that of a level-eight Qi Regulation Realm cultivator. No, it feels like it could be even stronger than that."

At the round table, Sun Lao'er looked at Lu Chen and remarked thoughtfully, "To wield spirit qi rivalling that of a level-eight Qi Regulation Realm cultivator while still at the first level... "Even we, back in our time, never attained such strength."

Wang Laowu grabbed a jug of wine and drained it in one gulp. "It's not just us. Not even the elders had this kind of strength when they were at the first level of Qi Regulation Realm."

Boss Wang stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Old Yao, the golden era is coming. It's time for you to go out and gain some experience. Go challenge him. Use this chance to test both his true strength and your own."

"Old Yao? Old Yao?"

Boss Wang still hadn't heard a response and started looking around. "Where did that brat run off to?"

A round-faced cultivator emerged from beneath the table. "Boss, I'm down here. I have just watched his fight. Honestly, I don't respect him."

He stretched lazily as he spoke. "I don't think he has any real skill. It's all brute strength, and I suspect his aura is just a fluke. Maybe to ordinary cultivators his power seems unbeatable within the same realm, but to geniuses like us, spirit qi quality and personal technique are what truly matter."

"Old Yao, how many times have I told you to take this seriously? If it's just a fluke, how did he finish so many battles with a single move?"

Completely missing the point, the round-faced cultivator replied, "I can finish them that fast, too. It's no big deal."

Boss Wang smacked him on the back of the head. "Fine, if he takes you down in one move, don't come back to the Godslayer Squad."

"Alright, alright, I got it, boss."

The cultivator rubbed his head and stood up reluctantly. "I'm almost thirty. Can you stop hitting me? You'll make me stupid."

Boss Wang got annoyed and kicked him in the butt. "Go already. Since when did you start talking so much?"

"Boss... don't kick me. I'm going."

The round-faced cultivator rubbed his butt and walked toward the arena.

Boss Wang shook his head as he watched him go. "Song Ping, don't let us down."

***

To the cultivators below, Lu Chen's actions were extremely disrespectful. They were itching to rush up and teach him a lesson.

However, the rules of the Heavenly Mandate Hall forced them to hold back. They all looked toward Jun Wudi, silently seeking his permission.

Lu Chen swung the massive sword in the air, tracing a graceful arc with it. "There's no need to overthink it. There are still forty of you left. You can take turns coming at me. Besides, it's about time this banquet ended."

Sensing the rising tension below, Jun Laoye poured a cup of wine for Jun Wudi. "Second Uncle, let them go. I want to see just how strong Little Lu is."

Jun Wudi took a sip and replied, "If Little Lu wants to test himself, then so be it. But remember, only martial skills are allowed. Large-scale destructive techniques are strictly forbidden."

Lu Chen raised the massive sword again and addressed everyone. "Come on, Uncle Jun has agreed."

"My lord, have you agreed?"

Jun Wudi nodded. At that signal, the cultivators below drew their weapons, roaring as they charged the arena.

Just then, a fat, burly man sitting beside the arena slammed a pork leg onto the table. "Hold your ground, brothers! Let me lead the charge. I'm big and strong, perfect for the job."

The cultivators parted immediately to clear a path for the fat man.

The fat man stood up, bowed to Lu Chen with a grin, and said, "I'm Fei Zhu, a level-five Qi Regulation Realm cultivator. Allow me to be the first to test your strength."

With that, Fei Zhu drew a nine-chi spiked rake. He circulated his spirit qi, enveloping himself in a protective full-body armor.[1]

A bang echoed in the room as Fei Zhu pushed off the ground with force, launching himself up and landing heavily on the arena. "Young man, I've got a few more years on you. Consider me your senior. I advise you to regret this now while you still can. If I don't hold back, the techniques I'm about to unleash aren't something a mere Qi Regulation Realm rookie can withstand."

Lu Chen replied calmly, "Time's running out. Let's get straight to it."

With a light shout, he tightened his grip on the massive sword and unleashed a faint sword qi toward Fei Zhu.

The sword qi contained wind energy. It rushed toward Fie Zhu like a fierce hurricane. The crowd below couldn't hide their surprise at how precisely Lu Chen channeled his spirit qi outward.

"Not bad, kid. Manifesting sword qi at the first level of Qi Regulation Realm takes real skill."

Fei Zhu swung his nine-chi spiked rake, smashing the sword qi apart. He roared, "Next, you'll taste my rake!"

Lu Chen held the massive sword horizontally before him. "Hmph. Come at me with everything you've got."

The nine barbs on the spiked rake expanded, growing two zhang longer in an instant. Then the weapon crashed toward Lu Chen, the blow as heavy as Mount Tai itself.[2]

For Lu Chen, this was his first true cross-level challenge since stepping into the Qi Regulation Realm.

He stared at the approaching rake and shouted, "Come on! Let me see just how great the gap is between me and the other cultivators!"

As he prepared for the clash, Lu Chen started circulating his spirit qi faster and faster.

The Green Sovereign Divine Tree vines instantly formed a shield above him, blocking the attack.

Seeing his first attack blocked, Fei Zhu laughed loudly and also increased the speed of his spirit qi flow. "Not bad. Now it's my turn to get serious. Beast Transformation!"

His muscles bulged against the wind, and his body swelled until he stood three to four meters tall, resembling a monstrous beast.

Jun Laoye's brows lifted slightly. "Body cultivation? I didn't expect to see a body cultivator in the Jianghai Region."

Nantian Yijian blinked in confusion. "Body cultivator? What's that? I've never even heard of it."

Jun Wudi kept his gaze fixed on Fei Zhu as he explained, "Body cultivators focus entirely on tempering their physical body. With spirit qi cultivation now so widespread, it's no surprise you've never met one. This path is unique to the Northern Region, where they mainly focus on training their body."

"Their cultivation realms are usually lower, but their physical power is forty to fifty times greater than a typical cultivator of the same realm."

Nantian Yijian's eyes went wide. "Forty to fifty times? That strong? If I fought him now, I might not even leave a scratch... Is it too late to switch to body cultivation?"

Jun Laoye poked him hard, snapping him out of his daydream. "Don't even think about it. Body cultivation is the hardest path, and its progress is painfully slow. A body cultivator might train for hundreds of years and still advance more slowly than a spirit qi cultivator. That's why most people stick to spirit qi training, supplementing it with some physical tempering."

Nantian Yijian sighed. "Fine... I'll stick with spirit qi cultivation for now."

He turned his gaze back to the arena.

By now, Fei Zhu's transformed state had gradually stabilized. His massive frame occupied nearly a quarter of the platform. "Here I come, boy! Don't underestimate a Qi Regulation Realm cultivator!"

Lu Chen's eyes narrowed, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "A body cultivator? Hmph... perfect. Today, I'll get to test the results of my own body cultivation against a true expert."

Fei Zhu roared and charged forward with his spiked rake in hand. Each heavy step cracked the arena floor beneath him.

"His strength has improved a lot, but..." Lu Chen snorted, pulling back his massive sword and facing Fei Zhu bare-handed. "The stronger the body, the less agile it becomes."

The spectating cultivators erupted into discussions.

"Why is he putting away his weapon? Did he freeze from fear?"

A round-faced cultivator glanced at the stage. "One minute... no, thirty seconds at most."

The others looked at him in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Spotting the faint golden light radiating from Lu Chen, the round-faced cultivator said, "It means Fei Zhu won't last more than thirty seconds in the ring."

1. Chi (尺) is an ancient Chinese unit of length, roughly equivalent to about 1/3 of a meter (approximately 33.3 centimeters or 13.1 inches). ☜

2. Mount Tai (泰山, Tài Shān) is one of China's most famous and historically significant mountains. In cultivation stories, Mount Tai is often depicted as a sacred or legendary location rich in spiritual energy, where disciples may train or seek enlightenment. When someone in a cultivation novel says a force or power is "comparable to Mount Tai" (or uses Mount Tai as a metaphor for strength), it's because Mount Tai symbolizes immense spiritual authority, stability, and overwhelming presence. ☜