Chapter 146 - 145: Breaking Through to the Refining Organ Realm

Chapter 146: Chapter 145: Breaking Through to the Refining Organ Realm

Panshi Lane, located on the west side of Celestial Stone Peak, was a trial ground established when the Panshi Sect was first founded.

The entire lane was not open to the sky but was a tunnel carved into the mountain, winding deep into its belly. It was filled with numerous mechanisms, designed to test a disciple’s Cultivation, Body Technique, reflexes, and even their practical combat abilities.

It was initially established to screen and assess candidates for the status of Inner Sect Disciple.

After an ordinary outer sect disciple entered the Bone Forging realm, they had to pass the Panshi Lane assessment to be officially registered in the Inner Sect and enjoy its resources.

However, for an Inner Sect Disciple like Chen Yue, who had been directly promoted due to a Nourishing Spirit Dan Yang Pill, the qualifying trial in Panshi Lane was unnecessary.

However, the value of Panshi Lane was not limited to just that.

To encourage disciples to advance, the Sect had specially established a leaderboard for completion records.

Those who ranked in the top ten on their first attempt would receive a handsome amount of Sect Contribution Points. The higher the rank, the more generous the reward.

This was a significant temptation for any Inner Sect Disciple eager for resources to cultivate.

Therefore, Panshi Lane was never short of disciples coming to take up the challenge, and it also attracted many curious onlookers.

After leaving Meng Yu Jin’s courtyard, Chen Yue did not return to his own small courtyard on Dan Peak. Instead, he changed direction and headed straight for Celestial Stone Peak, his destination being Panshi Lane.

Before long, a magnificent stone gatehouse appeared before him.

The gatehouse was ancient and weathered, carved from a single massive, grayish-white mountain rock. Inscribed upon it were two powerful words: Panshi Lane.

The calligraphy, though weathered by wind and rain, still exuded a profound and weighty aura.

Behind the gatehouse was the entrance to a deep, dark cave. It was impossible to see what lay inside; only a few Luminous Pearls embedded at the entrance cast a cold, clear light.

At this moment, thirty to forty disciples had already gathered in the open space before the Panshi Lane gatehouse.

Some were gathered in small groups, conversing in low voices. Others stood alone, quietly regulating their breathing. And some were there purely for the spectacle, pointing and gesturing toward the cave entrance.

Chen Yue’s arrival didn’t attract much attention at first.

He silently walked to the end of the line and queued up quietly. Two people were ahead of him, making their final preparations before attempting the trial. One had his eyes closed in concentration, a faint Qi Force shimmering around his body.

The other was repeatedly inspecting a pair of short daggers he carried.

However, after just a moment, a few suppressed gasps and whispers suddenly broke out in the crowd.

"Huh? That guy looks a little familiar."

"It’s Chen Yue! The Chen Yue from Dan Peak!"

"Which Chen Yue? Wait, you mean the one from the Life and Death Platform?"

"That’s right, it’s him! He’s actually come to Panshi Lane?"

"Hiss... Sense his aura... Marrow Refining Realm? He’s broken through to the Marrow Refining Realm?"

"He was only in the Bone Forging realm on the Life and Death Platform, wasn’t he? His cultivation speed is so fast!"

More and more eyes focused on Chen Yue—a mixture of curiosity, surprise, scrutiny, and even faint hostility, weaving an invisible net around him.

His ruthless decisiveness on the Life and Death Platform, the subsequent rumors of his friction with the Mutual Aid Association, and the astonishing speed of his breakthrough now on display were enough to make him the center of attention.

Chen Yue seemed oblivious to the various gazes directed at him from all around. He simply stood quietly at the end of the line, his eyes fixed on the deep, dark cave entrance ahead, silently recalling the information he knew about Panshi Lane.

...

Meanwhile, on the other side of Celestial Stone Peak, within a quiet courtyard.

Lin Junshi and Zhao Zongzhen sat facing each other. Between them was a Go board carved from Warm Jade, with black and white stones scattered across it like stars, the game at a heated peak.

Lin Junshi, playing with the white stones, had his brow slightly furrowed as if contemplating a critical move.

Zhao Zongzhen, playing black, appeared more relaxed, toying with a smooth, black jade stone between his fingertips.

Suddenly, the sound of slightly hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate, followed by an Inner Sect Disciple who quickly rushed in.

"Senior Brother Lin, Senior Brother Zhao, I ran into that Chen Yue!" the disciple said, catching his breath and quickly bowing in greeting.

Lin Junshi’s gaze remained fixed on the Go board. Annoyed at having his thoughts interrupted, he replied without looking up:

"What’s so surprising about seeing Chen Yue within the Sect?"

The disciple quickly shook his head and said urgently:

"No, Senior Brother Lin, it seems Chen Yue has already broken through to the Marrow Refining Realm!"

CRACK!

With a faint, crisp sound, the White Jade Go stone held between Lin Junshi’s fingers was unconsciously crushed, a fine crack appearing on its surface.

He snapped his head up, his previous leisurely demeanor instantly vanishing, replaced by a sharp, cold aura.

Zhao Zongzhen’s fingers, which had been toying with the stone, also stopped. A clear look of surprise flashed across his face as he looked at the messenger disciple:

"Marrow Refining Realm? Are you certain?"

"Absolutely! The other disciples around were all saying the same thing. Besides, his Qi Blood is deep and his aura is stable; he has already consolidated his realm. He’s queuing up in front of Panshi Lane right now, with only two people ahead of him!" the disciple asserted.

"So... he really is in the Marrow Refining Realm."

Zhao Zongzhen put down his Go stone, his fingers tapping lightly on the edge of the jade board, making a crisp, rhythmic sound.

"His cultivation speed is unexpectedly fast. He’s already an Inner Sect Disciple, yet he’s going to challenge Panshi Lane. It must be for the Contribution Points reward from the leaderboard. This Junior Brother Chen certainly has a big appetite!"

Lin Junshi slowly opened his hand, letting the cracked stone fall onto the board with a soft *tap*, disrupting the game.

His face was grim, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He stared at the messenger disciple, his voice icy.

"Who is the On-Duty Disciple at Panshi Lane today? Is anyone from our Mutual Aid Association there?"

As a trial ground, the daily maintenance of Panshi Lane was handled by Inner Sect Disciples on a rotating basis, in exchange for Sect Contribution Points.

In particular, for the final stage of the record-setting challenge mode, regulations stipulated that an On-Duty Disciple would act as the final gatekeeper, engaging in a practical sparring match with the challenger to comprehensively evaluate their final score.

This gatekeeper duty, due to its high Contribution Point reward, had always been a point of contention among several small factions of Inner Sect Disciples, eventually resulting in a situation where they would take turns being on duty for a few days at a time.

Hearing Lin Junshi’s question, the disciple’s spirits lifted, and he quickly nodded:

"Reporting to Senior Brother Lin, there are three On-Duty Disciples at Panshi Lane today, and all of them are our brothers from the Mutual Aid Association! The one in charge is Senior Brother Cheng Fengjun—he’s inside right now!"

"Cheng Fengjun?"

Lin Junshi’s eyes lit up slightly, and a cold smirk curved his lips. ’This Chen Yue... he picked the perfect time to have a breakthrough! An excellent breakthrough indeed!’

Zhao Zongzhen’s brow furrowed. He leaned forward slightly, his tone laced with gravity:

"Senior Brother Lin, don’t be careless and underestimate the enemy. When he was in the Bone Forging realm, Chen Yue was able to defeat a stronger opponent and brazenly kill Jiang Linkuo. His true combat strength far exceeds others of the same rank, and his methods are ruthless and decisive."

"Now that he’s broken through to the Marrow Refining Realm, his strength has undoubtedly soared. He’s not someone an ordinary disciple who has just entered the Marrow Refining realm can compare to. Although Junior Brother Cheng is strong, he must be treated with caution. Don’t let your ship capsize in a gutter."

Zhao Zongzhen had always been a cautious person. Although he also wanted to suppress Chen Yue, he didn’t want to see the Mutual Aid Association lose face again due to underestimation.

Chen Yue’s growth was too fast, so fast that it made him feel a faint sense of unease.

"Cautious?"

Lin Junshi’s laughter died down. He turned his head to look at Zhao Zongzhen, a cold, confident smirk playing on his lips.

"Junior Brother Zhao, your caution is not wrong, of course. But your understanding of Junior Brother Cheng seems to be a little... outdated."

"Oh? What do you mean by that?"

A glint flashed in Zhao Zongzhen’s eyes. It was true that he had been preoccupied with studying the Nourishing Spirit Pill for the past few days and hadn’t paid close attention to the association’s recent developments.

Lin Junshi lowered his voice, but the smugness in his tone was unconcealable:

"Did you know that five days ago, our Junior Brother Cheng Fengjun successfully broke through and officially entered the Refining Organ Realm!

"This duty at Panshi Lane was probably scheduled several days ago, which is why he’s still on duty now."

"The Refining Organ Realm!"

Genuine surprise appeared on Zhao Zongzhen’s face. He knew that Cheng Fengjun had been stuck at the Peak of Marrow Refining Realm for quite some time, preparing to break through to the Refining Organ Realm, but he never expected it to happen so smoothly.

Although Refining Marrow and Refining the Internal Organs were only one realm apart, it was a significant watershed in the journey of the Martial Dao. It involved tempering the internal organs, and the difference in strength was extremely pronounced.

More importantly, Cheng Fengjun was already known for his ruthlessness in actual combat. While in the Marrow Refining Realm, he had a record of defeating opponents in the Refining Organ Realm. Now that he himself had entered the Refining Organ Realm, his strength was on a completely different level.

"Even so,"

Zhao Zongzhen quickly processed this news but still maintained a sliver of caution:

"The rules of Panshi Lane are strict, and deliberately killing a challenger is especially forbidden. That’s an ironclad rule. No matter how strong Junior Brother Cheng is, he can’t openly violate it. Otherwise, if the Sect investigates, no one can bear the consequences."

"Ironclad rule? Regulations?"

The savage grin reappeared on Lin Junshi’s lips, a cold light flickering in his eyes.

"Junior Brother Zhao, when did you become so pedantic! Rules are dead, but people are alive.

"The record-setting trial in Panshi Lane already includes a practical combat duel meant to assess a disciple’s overall strength. Since he chose to challenge the record, he should understand that fists and feet have no eyes. Getting a little injured during a sparring match... isn’t that perfectly normal?"

Lin Junshi paused, his voice dropping even lower, laced with a cold cruelty:

"As long as he isn’t beaten to death or crippled, what kind of serious injury doesn’t fall within the realm of the unavoidable?

"Torn tendons and broken bones, concussed internal organs, damaged meridians... forcing him to recuperate for a year or two, making him miss the prime time for cultivation, maybe even leaving behind some hidden injuries that are difficult to heal...

"Heh heh, who could say anything?

"At worst, it’s just the gatekeeper disciple letting a move slip by accident, failing to completely hold back his power during a spar. As long as the person isn’t dead, everything can be explained away!"

After speaking, Lin Junshi whipped his head around, his gaze shooting toward the messenger disciple who was bowed and awaiting orders. His voice was chilling as he commanded, word by word:

"You, go find Junior Brother Cheng. Inform him that this Chen Yue has come to Panshi Lane, and that he must ’spar’ with Chen Yue with all his heart and strength!"

Upon hearing this, the disciple was momentarily stunned, but then his eyes burst with excitement. He quickly bowed and replied:

"Yes! Rest assured, Senior Brother Lin, I will deliver the message to Senior Brother Cheng exactly as you said!"

Being unable to kill Chen Yue on the Life and Death Platform had left many in the Mutual Aid Association feeling frustrated.

Now, being able to grievously injure this arrogant brat within the rules, crippling his progress for months or even longer, was undoubtedly a way to vent their anger.

’If, after his injuries heal, Chen Yue gets furious from the humiliation and recklessly challenges Senior Brother Cheng to another life-and-death duel...’

’That would be playing right into our hands, a perfect and justifiable opportunity to eliminate him completely!’

At this thought, the disciple sprinted toward Panshi Lane at his fastest speed, afraid he would be too late and miss the opportunity.