From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 12 Preparation before the war

A few days later, a crowd gathered in front of the notice board in the Immortal Gate Square, and I curiously went over to investigate. It turned out the annual cultivation competition was about to begin again! I clenched my fist, a surge of ambition rising within me. This time, I must participate! I want to prove to everyone that even without spiritual roots, I can still become a powerful being!

"Yaoyao, do you want to participate in the competition?" Zhao Ling'er's cheerful voice came from behind me. I turned around and saw her walking side by side with Pharmacist Sun, an encouraging smile on her face. "That's right!" I nodded firmly. "I will definitely give it my all in this competition!"

"Good! That's ambitious!" Pharmacist Sun patted my shoulder. "Ling'er and I will definitely support you with all our might!"

In the evening, the three of us gathered in my room, where the table was laden with pastries and tea carefully prepared by Pharmacist Sun. Zhao Ling'er flipped through the rules and records of past competitions, occasionally analyzing this year's favorites and their strengths and characteristics for me.

"Among the new disciples this year, the most popular one is Li Yunfei, the senior brother's last disciple. It is said that he has already reached the seventh level of Qi Refining, and his strength should not be underestimated." Zhao Ling'er frowned slightly. "In addition, there is Wang Yuyan, the second senior sister's disciple. She is a genius with a single water-type spiritual root, and her strength should not be underestimated either."

I listened attentively and memorized all the information. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory.

“Your basic skills are very solid, and your comprehension is extremely high,” Pharmacist Sun put down his teacup, “but…” He paused, seemingly hesitant.

"But what?" I pressed, a sense of unease creeping into my heart.

“But…” Pharmacist Sun looked at me and Zhao Ling’er, then hesitated.

"It's just that your practical experience is still insufficient, especially in the application of some advanced techniques, where you still lack refinement," Pharmacist Sun finally said, his tone tinged with worry.

A chill ran down my spine. Sure enough, I knew things weren't that simple. I had indeed spent most of my time cultivating the basics and studying the inner techniques. As for those powerful advanced techniques, I had only practiced them roughly a few times and hadn't fully mastered them.

"I understand what you mean, Brother Sun." I took a deep breath, trying to keep myself calm. "I will try my best."

"Yaoyao, don't worry, Brother Sun and I will help you find a way," Zhao Ling'er said softly, holding my hand.

“Yes, Yao Yao, I have some treasured pills here that can help you increase your cultivation speed and consolidate your cultivation level.” As he spoke, Pharmacist Sun took out a delicate little porcelain bottle from his pocket and handed it to me. “This contains Qi Gathering Pills. Take one every day, and remember not to overdo it.”

I accepted the porcelain vase, a warm feeling welling up inside me. With such a friend by my side supporting me, what else did I have to worry about?

Over the next few days, I began to cultivate relentlessly, almost to the point of neglecting sleep and meals. I practiced those advanced techniques again and again, striving to perfect every movement. The effects of the Qi Gathering Pill were also quite noticeable; I could clearly feel that the spiritual energy within my body was much more abundant, and my cultivation speed had increased significantly compared to before.

However, just when I thought everything was going in the right direction, I encountered an unexpected bottleneck...

"How could this be..." I looked at the cultivation manual in my hand, my brows furrowed, completely baffled.

"What's wrong? Have you encountered any problems with your cultivation?" Zhao Ling'er asked with concern when she saw my worried expression.

I shook my head, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "I...I want to go find Instructor Zheng."

“Instructor Zheng?” Zhao Ling’er looked troubled. “But he’s always been arrogant and rarely gives guidance to anyone other than inner disciples.”

"I know, but he's the only one who can help me right now." I bit my lip, a determined glint in my eyes. "I have to try."

Instructor Zheng was the most skilled among the outer disciples, and it was said that he had already touched the threshold of the Foundation Establishment stage, enjoying a great reputation throughout the entire Qingyun Sect. With a try-it-out mentality, I came to Instructor Zheng's courtyard, took a deep breath, and knocked on the gate.

"Who?"

A moment later, the courtyard gate opened, and Instructor Zheng looked at me impatiently. "What is it?"

I quickly bowed and said, "Instructor Zheng, your disciple Xiao Yao has encountered some problems in cultivation and would like to ask you for guidance."

Instructor Zheng sized me up and down, his eyes full of disdain. "You? A new disciple who hasn't been in the sect for long, do you think you're worthy of my guidance?"

I had expected him to have this attitude, but I was not discouraged. Instead, I said sincerely, "Instructor Zheng, I know that my skills are still lacking, but I will definitely work harder and live up to your expectations."

Perhaps moved by my sincerity, Coach Zheng's expression softened slightly, and his tone became more gentle. "Tell me, what problem have you encountered?"

I described in detail the bottleneck I encountered in my cultivation. After listening, Instructor Zheng pondered for a moment, walked into the courtyard, and casually swung out a palm.

"Try this trick again."

I tried to imitate him, channeling my spiritual energy into my palm and striking out. However, my palm strike was like a gentle breeze, light and powerless.

“Your problem is that you have spiritual energy, but you don’t know how to use it.” Instructor Zheng shook his head and pointed to my wrist. “Your wrist is too stiff, so the spiritual energy cannot flow smoothly, and naturally you cannot exert its due power.”

I suddenly realized where the problem lay! Over the next few days, Instructor Zheng patiently guided me, correcting my mistakes in cultivation and teaching me some techniques for circulating energy. Under his guidance, I felt my bottleneck gradually loosening, and the spiritual energy within my body becoming more active.

Finally, through repeated practice, I successfully broke through the bottleneck and my skills improved significantly. I was overjoyed and quickly thanked Coach Zheng.

"You have good comprehension. Given time, you will surely achieve great things." Instructor Zheng rarely praised me like this. "Remember, in the path of cultivation, you must avoid being impatient for quick success and instant benefits. You must be down-to-earth and take one step at a time."

I kept Instructor Zheng's teachings firmly in mind and prepared confidently for the upcoming martial arts competition. However, at that moment, I received a mysterious letter with only one sentence: "If you want to know the truth, come to the forbidden area in the back mountain."

I was startled. Who sent this letter?