Chapter 143.1: Challenged Upon Advancing to the Inner Sect; Who Can Withstand a Ninety-times Amplification? (I)

"Elder... may I withdraw my challenge?"

Pang Yuan's earlier confidence had vanished entirely. He could not gauge the true depth of Lu Changsheng, but his defeating Meng Fang made it clear that Pang Yuan was no match for him. After all, Meng Fang had a Domain, while Pang Yuan had yet to evolve one.

In the Divine Fortification Realm, Domains were a decisive factor; they could make the difference between victory and defeat. Possessing a Domain did not enhance a martial artist's power substantially; its true strength lay in suppressing the opponent.

Even with divine fortification, Pang Yuan would be reduced to a passive target before Lu Changsheng. In theory, one could resist the suppression of a Domain with sheer will and strength, but how many actually were at that level?

"Withdraw?" The steward elder was taken aback for a moment, then nodded. "Well, Lu Changsheng's registration for the inner sect wasn't finished yet. Technically, he's still an outer disciple. So yes... you can withdraw your challenge."

Pang Yuan was relieved to be offered a way out. "Thank you, elder! I'll withdraw the challenge."

He did not hesitate to retract his challenge, but that did not mean others would do the same.

"Steward Elder, I'd like to challenge Lu Changsheng." A man in white robes came forward.

The steward elder narrowed his eyes slightly. "If you file it this time, there's no backing out."

"I won't," the man in white said decisively.

"Very well. Bai Yuansheng, I hereby acknowledge your challenge to the inner sect scion disciple, Lu Changsheng."

The steward elder then turned to Lu Changsheng. "I also declare your registration to be complete. From this moment on, you're officially an inner disciple and a scion disciple as well. Bai Yuansheng here has just challenged you. Do you accept his challenge?"

Lu Changsheng was not surprised. Nearly every disciple who advanced from the outer sect to the inner sect went through this. Sometimes, inner disciples would line up to issue a challenge before the registrations were officially completed.

The fact that Bay Yuansheng stepped forward despite knowing that Lu Changsheng had defeated Meng Fang meant he had to be a formidable opponent.

"Oh, it's Bai Yuansheng. If he's the one stepping up to challenge Lu Changsheng... Lu Changsheng might actually be the one who ends up in trouble."

"Yeah. Bai Yuansheng has also evolved a Domain. The problem is, he condensed his divine fortifications before that, and those were just ordinary ones. And you can't change the fortification after condensing it. That's why he's never been able to beat the inner sect's scion disciples."

"Still, don't underestimate him. He hasn't wasted these years in the inner sect. He's comprehended three Intents and stacked three layers of ordinary divine fortification. Put together, that gives his physical strength a thirty-times amplification. That's no small thing."

"But if Lu Changsheng only has a single layer of top-tier divine fortification... then he may be in serious trouble."

Many of the inner disciples were familiar with Bai Yuansheng's situation. He had long aspired to become a scion disciple, yet he had never managed to defeat any of them.

Now, he had an opportunity. One would assume that a new disciple from the outer sect would have likely condensed just

one

top-tier divine fortification. Even if Lu Changsheng possessed a Domain, Bai Yuansheng was not afraid. He had cultivated three Intents to a profound level, and his will was resolute. Surely an ordinary Domain would not be enough to suppress him completely.

"I accept Bai Yuansheng's challenge," Lu Changsheng said evenly.

There was no question of forfeiting the scion disciple status. It was merely a challenge. Once it was over, he would gain a month of peace. He also intended to use this match to make his stance clear, so that the inner disciples would think twice before issuing challenges every month.

"Let's go to the arena and settle this quickly," Lu Changsheng suggested.

However, his indifferent attitude caused Bai Yuansheng's face to darken. Was Lu Changsheng looking down on him? A disciple who had just entered the inner sect might have been accustomed to standing at the top in the outer sect, but things were different here.

Still, Bai Yuansheng said nothing. In both the outer and inner sects, strength determined everything. Once they stepped onto the arena, he would prove that his years in the inner sect had not been wasted.

The two headed straight for the arena. The news spread swiftly through the inner sect. Bai Yuansheng was not some unknown figure. He had a certain reputation and was regarded as one of the strongest below the scion disciples.

As for Lu Changsheng, he was certainly not a nobody. Only four months after joining the sect, he had defeated Meng Fang and became one of the Untouchables. More than that, he had also succeeded in condensing divine fortification. That alone marked him as an exceptional genius, perhaps even among the very best.

Therefore, a clash between Bai Yuansheng and Lu Changsheng naturally stirred the entire inner sect.

The steward elder shook his head faintly. He had once been an inner disciple, full of ambition and confidence. Unfortunately, he wasted ten years in the inner sect without reaching the Divine Treasury Realm, and without that step, there could be no advancement to a true inheritor. Fortunately, inner disciples who failed could still become stewards.

He had taken that path, working diligently year after year before finally becoming an elder. However, he understood one thing clearly: in the Northern Region Heavenly Sect, titles like steward elder carried little weight. True inheritors were the sect's true pillars.

As for these inner disciples, each of them was considered a prodigy who had stood out among countless peers. And yet, only a handful could actually become true inheritors. Without reaching that rank, everything else eventually came to nothing. However, that was just the steward elder's personal reflection. For the inner disciples, there was still something to fight for. The position of scion disciple, in particular, was worth contending over.

𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

A large crowd of inner disciples followed Lu Changsheng and Bai Yuansheng toward the arena. The arena was located in the martial grounds. At that moment, a number of disciples were cultivating secret techniques and sparring with martial techniques, most of them from the outer sect. Inner disciples who had condensed divine fortification rarely relied on such methods. Secret techniques and martial techniques still had some use, but their impact was limited.

Martial techniques were ultimately ways of applying force and skill. No matter how much you refined them, they were meaningless if they could not condense divine fortification, and divine fortification was like an impenetrable shell that covered every angle. To overcome it, one either shattered it with overwhelming force or gradually wore it down. There were no other real options. For this reason, inner disciples seldom appeared at the martial grounds, except when challenging a scion disciple on the arena.

Thus, when so many inner disciples arrived at once, the outer sect disciples could not help but stare in surprise.

"What's going on? Why are there so many inner sect seniors here?"

"Yeah, they hardly ever come to the martial grounds. And now this many show up all at once... Is someone challenging a scion disciple?"

"Sure feels like that."

The outer sect disciples were just as eager for excitement. Fights between inner disciples were rare, so naturally they were keen to witness such a clash for themselves. After all, how could ordinary Divine Fortification martial artists be compared to scion disciples?

"I wonder who the inner sect's scion disciple is this time?"

However, when the outer disciples saw two figures slowly step onto the arena, their eyes widened in disbelief.

"Is that... Senior Brother Lu Changsheng?"

"Yeah, I think that's him!"

"I just heard from the outer sect that Senior Brother Lu has condensed divine fortification and advanced to the inner sect. Didn't expect someone to challenge him this quickly."

The outer sect disciples were immediately intrigued. Lu Changsheng had only just advanced to the inner sect, yet to them he was far from unfamiliar. In just over four months, he had made a name for himself throughout the outer sect. There was hardly anyone who did not know him. However, their information was somewhat outdated. The news that he had condensed four layers of divine fortification had not yet spread.

By now, Bai Yuansheng and Lu Changsheng were in position. They stood ten zhang apart, their gazes piercing one another. Bai Yuansheng narrowed his eyes slightly. He saw no trace of anxiety or tension in Lu Changsheng's expression. If anything, Lu Changsheng appeared completely composed, as though he had already been in the inner sect for a long time.

"You seem awfully confident. Let’s see how far that’s going to take you!"

With that, Bai Yuansheng manifested his divine fortifications.

One, two, three...

He stacked all three upon himself in one breath. Though they were only ordinary divine fortifications, together they brought a thirty-times amplification to his physical body. That was the source of his confidence. After all, not just anyone could stack three divine fortifications, even if they were ordinary. As long as those three layers remained intact, he would stand undefeated.