Chapter 90: Perceptive Ability

Fang Yun was in a Magical Combat spar with a Senior Sister from the Qi Refining Eighth Layer.

Compared to the previous spar against an opponent of the same Realm, even more Inner and Outer Sect Disciples were now gathered below the Dueling Platform to watch.

"Do you think Senior Sister Zhang can break through Junior Brother Fang’s defense?"

"Impossible. To break through Junior Brother Fang’s defense, you’d need a Senior Brother or Sister at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, at least."

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing."

It was a widely accepted fact among Cultivators that the gap between the Qi Refining Seventh and Eighth Layers was smaller than the one between the Sixth and Seventh. That was typically the case.

On the other hand, the gap between the Qi Refining Eighth and Ninth Layers was generally even greater than the one between the Sixth and Seventh.

Fang Yun had been able to handle Senior Brothers and Sisters at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer back when he was only at the Sixth. Now that he had reached the Seventh Layer himself, dealing with a Senior Sister at the Eighth Layer should be no problem at all.

Back when Fang Yun was still at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer and sparring with those at the Seventh, some Inner Sect Disciples at the Eighth Layer had already taken it for granted that they would challenge him to a Magical Combat spar once he joined the Inner Sect.

Most of the disciples below the Dueling Platform now thought the same.

Listening to the chatter from below the Dueling Platform, Fang Yun formed a rough assessment of his opponent, Zhang Cailing.

’This Inner Sect Senior Sister must be one of the more well-known figures on Battle Peak.’

’Being well-known meant that many disciples knew of her, and it was also, to some extent, a testament to her strength. She had to be among the more impressive cultivators at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer.’

Fang Yun had gotten into the habit of making these kinds of rough assessments before his Magical Combat spars over the past few months.

"Zhang Cailing, Qi Refining Eighth Layer."

"Fang Yun, Qi Refining Seventh Layer."

With a bow from both, the Magical Combat spar officially began.

"Be careful, Junior Brother Fang."

"Please, go ahead, Senior Sister Zhang."

With his Upper Grade Profound Iron Shield in hand, Fang Yun instantly sensed that the Zhang Cailing before him was not the real person.

’It’s an illusion!’

’This illusion technique is truly exquisite.’

Fang Yun turned, once again facing the real Zhang Cailing.

Just then, Zhang Cailing revealed her true form and stared at Fang Yun in disbelief.

’She had expected Fang Yun might see through her Secret Technique, but she never imagined he would do it so fast!’

’It seemed he had found me the very moment I used my Secret Technique.’

In contrast to Zhang Cailing’s astonishment,

Fang Yun’s approach was simple. ’Just trust my instincts. I can’t go wrong.’

Of course, this was all on the condition that he was using his three Combat Talent-type Magical Artifacts during a fight.

"It’s over."

Seeing this scene, Lu Zefeng couldn’t help but utter those two words.

He knew Zhang Cailing well. Even he hadn’t immediately noticed the distracting illusion she had cast. It was Fang Yun’s turn that made him realize what had happened.

Distracting her opponent to find an opening—that was Zhang Cailing’s strategy for breaking through Fang Yun’s defenses.

With Fang Yun being so perceptive, it would be nearly impossible for Zhang Cailing to defeat him with her remaining techniques.

’Looks like it’ll be up to me after all.’

Lu Zefeng felt a little pleased at this thought.

He had to get ready to claim Fang Yun’s third Magical Combat spar. He couldn’t let anyone beat him to it again.

「As time went on.」

Lu Zefeng quickly sensed Zhang Cailing’s helplessness; the Magical Combat spar would likely be over soon.

At this moment, he scanned the other Qi Refining Eighth Layer Inner Sect Disciples in the audience.

He was looking to see if anyone could act faster than him.

The answer, for now, was no.

None of the usual contenders he knew of had shown up.

"Junior Brother Fang, you’ve won." Zhang Cailing, despite still having Spiritual Power left in her Qi Sea, had no intention of continuing the fight.

She had used every trick she had, but in the end, the result was the same when facing Fang Yun.

’He didn’t give me a single opening.’

"Thank you for the match."

Fang Yun put away his two Upper Grade Profound Iron Shields and checked the state of his Qi Sea.

He still had over seventy percent of his Spiritual Power left in his Qi Sea.

"Alright, Junior Brother, Junior Sister, please step down," Lu Zefeng said with a smile as he stepped onto the Dueling Platform.

’This time, I was the fastest!’

"Come on, Senior Brother Lu. Senior Sister Zhang already had her match. Let me, your junior brother, have a turn."

"Get lost! She’s she, and I’m me."

’Looks like the Inner Sect Senior Brother who wants to fight next has a special relationship with Senior Sister Zhang.’

Without dwelling on their relationship, Fang Yun finished the post-match registration, yielded the Dueling Platform, and went to recover his Spiritual Power.

At this time, Lu Zefeng had to wait.

Not far from where Fang Yun was recovering his Spiritual Power, Lu Zefeng and Zhang Cailing were chatting.

"Senior Sister, when you were fighting Junior Brother Fang, did you notice anything unusual?"

"No." Zhang Cailing shook her head. "Aside from his astonishing perception, Junior Brother Fang is exactly as he appears from below the Dueling Platform."

This was Zhang Cailing’s most direct impression after her spar with Fang Yun.

"Junior Brother Fang’s perception really is astonishing. Even I didn’t react in time when you used your Secret Technique, but he had already seen through it."

"If only Junior Brother Fang could go on missions with us, we could take on more difficult ones." Thinking of Fang Yun’s situation, Zhang Cailing felt it was a real pity.

The two of them had actually dug up quite a bit of information on Fang Yun.

"If you want him to join us on missions, just invite him."

"It’s not like you don’t know what kind of missions Junior Brother Fang does... Now that he’s an Inner Sect Disciple, even if he stops his planting missions, he’s still destined for Dan Cloud Peak."

"How will you know if you don’t try? Go invite him after my spar with him is over."

"And you?"

"I’ll watch from the sidelines, of course. He’d much rather get an invitation from a senior sister like you than from a senior brother like me. Now, if he were a junior *sister* instead of a junior brother, that’d be my job..."

The two continued to talk about Fang Yun for a while.

They only stopped chatting when they saw Fang Yun finish recovering his Spiritual Power.

"Junior Brother Fang, are you done recovering?"

"Yes. Sorry to keep you waiting, Senior Brother."

"It wasn’t that long," Lu Zefeng replied.

It had actually been quite some time, but chatting with Zhang Cailing had made the time fly by.

As a result, he didn’t feel like he’d been waiting long at all by the time Fang Yun finished recovering his Spiritual Power.

And everyone knows that waiting is usually the most tedious thing of all.

For Fang Yun and Lu Zefeng’s Magical Combat spar, the two were assigned to Dueling Platform Number Three.

Even more Inner and Outer Sect Disciples gathered to watch Fang Yun’s third Magical Combat. Many of the disciples who had arrived at Battle Peak while Fang Yun was recovering had heard he was fighting, and they were all waiting for his final match of the day to begin.

When they heard the news, they also learned that Fang Yun had already broken through to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer and become an Inner Sect Disciple.

Some of the Outer Sect Disciples at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer who had just heard this news were inwardly lamenting the fact.