Chapter Twelve: The Innocent Youth

He really is going all out, spending contribution points just to teach me a lesson! Luo Tian’s gaze shifted to the disciple standing not far ahead, and he shook his head slightly; it seemed the entrusted task was misplaced, for this fellow looked every bit like a fool. “Who are you?” he asked.

“I am Li Yang, an outer disciple of the Divine Sun Sect. I am sixteen this year, at the peak of the first stage of Qi Condensation, and I’m about to break through to the second stage!” Li Yang replied with pride, as if his achievements were something to boast about.

Ordinarily, most servants enter the Qi Condensation stage at thirteen or fourteen and become outer disciples; within half a year to a year, they typically break through to the second stage. But this Li Yang, sixteen years old and still at the first stage, seemed not much different from Luo Tian himself.

Luo Tian felt thoroughly underestimated. “How many contribution points did that Shen fellow give you, for you to be so eager to fight me?”

“Not much,” Li Yang replied instinctively, then immediately showed a trace of panic, raising his hand to cover his mouth. His small eyes blinked desperately, and he mumbled, “No, not from Shen.”

Luo Tian was speechless. Shen Lingbo and Li Yang really were birds of a feather, both extraordinary in their own way.

“Are you going to fight or not? If not, I’ll come back tomorrow and call you out!” Li Yang stamped his foot in anger, his expression fierce as he threatened, “If you’re still like this tomorrow, I’ll wait for you at the door until you agree!”

How intimidating.

Luo Tian shuddered. “If I fight you, what’s in it for me?”

That question stumped Li Yang. “Shen... that person didn’t say there’d be any benefit for you, only gave me a hundred contribution points.”

Just a hundred contribution points!

Luo Tian rolled his eyes without restraint. “If I win, you call me Senior Brother Luo and let me guide your cultivation. If you agree, I’ll fight you.”

“And what if you lose?” Li Yang brightened up, but after a moment’s thought, realization dawned on his face. “Well, since you can guide my cultivation, you obviously won’t lose!”

Luo Tian suddenly felt as if he were deceiving an innocent girl.

“Senior Brother Luo, let’s go! I’ve been stuck at this bottleneck for several months!”

Seeing hope for a breakthrough, Li Yang immediately changed his address, calling out “Senior Brother” smoothly and naturally as if it were only right.

That Shen Lingfeng really was unreliable.

Luo Tian didn’t know how to respond, so he simply followed Li Yang obediently.

After a few twists and turns through the residential area, they arrived at the Martial Arena. The arena was a stone platform raised two meters above the ground, roughly thirty meters long and wide—a considerable size.

“Uncle Wang, I want to spar!” Li Yang ran toward an elderly man at the entrance of the arena, waving his identity token. “Two people, a hundred contribution points, just deduct it from mine!”

“You rascal, always sparring every few days, all your points go to the arena!” Uncle Wang stood up and ruffled Li Yang’s hair, sighing. “Though sparring increases actual combat experience and helps with breakthroughs, fighting aimlessly like you does more harm than good! What’s the wager this time?”

“If I lose, Senior Brother Luo will guide my cultivation! If I win—hey, Senior Brother Luo, what happens if I win?” Li Yang blinked, then suddenly remembered, “Oh right, I can’t win! Uncle Wang, just record it as is!”

Speechless indeed.

Such an unusual match truly broadened one’s horizons; the loser faced no penalty, and the winner was obligated to provide guidance and help. Wasn’t this some sort of scam?

Uncle Wang shook his head, half laughing, half crying. “Silly boy, your opponent just became an outer disciple—how could he guide you?”

“It’s fine, Uncle Wang. Why would he trick me?” Li Yang replied hopefully, “Senior Brother Luo, shall we begin?”

Normally, using the arena meant each participant paid fifty contribution points. If there was a wager, it needed to be registered in advance, and the sect would supervise the outcome.

This kid sparred so often just to break through faster?

Suddenly, Luo Tian felt a strange emotion rising within him—unspoken, unclear, but somewhat suffocating.

Uncle Wang shook his head and said no more. As the arena’s manager, he had no authority to prevent outer disciples from sparring, and Li Yang was a regular anyway.

Seeing a match about to begin, nearby outer disciples gathered to watch. Even if they didn’t participate directly, observing others’ battles could be enlightening, perhaps offering inspiration.

“Oh, it’s Li Yang again?”

“That opponent’s a new face—probably just became an outer disciple. Then again, who else would bother sparring with Li Yang?”

“A farce, really not worth watching.”

In a shadowy corner among the dozen or so scattered disciples, Shen Lingfeng’s face was grim as he pointed at Li Yang on the stage, whispering angrily, “Shen Jinliang, you sent that fool to embarrass us?”

Shen Jinliang, thin and dark-skinned, blushed slightly. “Brother Feng, you wanted it done in a hurry. There weren’t many candidates, so only this idiot was available! I’m a second-stage Qi Condensation outer disciple—I can’t just stand at his door and curse him!”

Seeing Shen Lingfeng’s sour expression, his face longer than a donkey’s, Shen Jinliang chuckled, “Brother Feng, Li Yang may have terrible talent, but he’s been at Qi Condensation for quite a while, always madly sparring to break through. Dealing with a freshly promoted outer disciple should be a piece of cake!”

Shen Lingfeng snorted coldly, saying nothing, though his anger seemed to abate a little.

Ascending the steps onto the martial stage, Luo Tian’s eyes shone with a golden light invisible to others. “Let’s begin!”

In that instant, the dense crimson vital energy flowing within Li Yang became fully visible to Luo Tian—every detail clear, nothing hidden.

Curiously, most of Li Yang’s vital energy was still stored in his dantian, with only a small amount coursing through his meridians.

What was he doing?

Luo Tian was puzzled. For Qi Condensation cultivators, the physical advantage wasn’t pronounced compared to the Body Tempering stage; their main strength was the refined vital energy at their disposal.

Vital energy increased strength, resilience, speed, and overall physical quality—these were its benefits. Different routes of circulation produced different effects. To use a vital technique, the energy had to flow along set meridian paths and erupt outward.

But regardless, the vital energy had to be mobilized. Staying cooped up in the dantian did nothing.

Luo Tian couldn’t fathom Li Yang’s strategy—what was he trying to achieve?

“Senior Brother Luo, here I come!” Li Yang shouted, charging at Luo Tian with a fierce stride.