While Others Cultivate, I LVL UP In My Sleep Using The Dungeon System

The Ethereal Combat Trance was a trance similar to the one that the Still Blossom Blade sought. One where his consciousness would become dormant, but his mind and body would enter a trance of complete focus.

Similar to the Ethereal Recovery Skill when it felt as though his mind would leave his body, and would allow him to recover at unbelievable rates, the Ethereal Combat Trance Skill would allow him to experience something similar.

But instead of boosting his recovery speed, it would boost his combat prowess, focus and adaptability in a battle, enhancing Adam's ability to understand and mimic his opponent's skills and attacks.

Matched with the Mind Ring, although his consciousness was dormant, Adam's subconscious was still awake and it was a state that was hard to explain.

He felt as though he was both in control of his body and watching what was occurring, but also unconscious and unable to control his body.

Either way, despite how unusual it felt, it was an incredible trance and as soon as he entered it; he received a notification from Ava that he had gained and formed a new skill of his own.

Immediately upon entering the Ethereal Combat Trance, Su Lan began being pushed back and could feel the difference in her opponent, who had even closed his eyes.

However, she didn't see him closing his eyes as him not seeing her as an opponent, but as him trying his best, recognising what he was doing as the true form of the Still Blossom Blade.

The Still Blossom Trance was one that all in her clan sort to be able to enter during combat, but most were unable to do so, and those that did, had only been able to do so a few times, unable to control it and use it at will.

And yet, Adam before her, after fighting her for a few minutes, had been able to do so.

Her Still Blossom Blade had helped Adam subconsciously complete the Ethereal Combat Trance and if she didn't unleash her full power quickly, Adam would begin overwhelming her with her own sword style.

Clashing at unbelievable speeds, sparks and red streaks were all that was seen, as they moved around the stage at speeds to track with one's eyes.

All most saw were blurs, and despite Adam's power output being only that of an early Advanced Cultivator, his skill, efficiency and the potency of his energy couldn't be compared to your average cultivator.

Adam's attacks and movements became even more refined, and he had managed to copy her moves and skills perfectly as they continued clashing.

For the first time in the entire tournament and ever in her journey as a cultivator, her composure had been broken and although minor, there was a hint of shock on her face.

Always keeping the teachings of the Still Blossom Blade at heart, she always made sure to remain level-headed and indifferent in every situation, allowing her to draw the maximum power from the skill.

However, against Adam who had somehow been able to enter the Still Blossom Trance that her family sought to enter, she felt as though if she didn't use all the power at her disposal, being crushed was inevitable.

In a matter of seconds, Adam had managed to completely overpower her and gain the upper hand, but amazingly, despite him being in the Ethereal Combat Trance, she was still enduring and managing to keep up.

Such trances were hard to maintain for long, but the explosive power and rapid growth that one can experience in such states are unbelievable, which was why she was trying so hard to hold out.

She was hoping that if she could just endure, he would lose the trance, so she used as much of her power as she could to not falter under his onslaught of attacks.

However, not only did he not lose the trance, but he also continued to become more and more skilled and difficult to fight against, with him now managing to predict all of her attacks and movements.

Without any other choice, she unleashed her trump card that she was hoping to save for the national tournament.

Never in her wildest dreams did she expect to face such a tough opponent in the regional tournament, especially in the region she was in, that wasn't an especially large or powerful one in the country.

The only one she believed she would struggle against going into the tournament was Gong Yunru, who she knew of beforehand and was one of the most well-known cultivators in the region.

With his good looks, flashy combat style and potential, his game wasn't undeserved, but it made him arrogant and caused him to underestimate his opponents and not reach his full potential.

Which was why she could overlook him losing to a nobody, believing he didn't train properly for the tournament or take the fight seriously before it was too late.

However, now facing Adam herself, she understood the frustration that he must have felt, with all of her attacks crumbling before him, almost as if he could find a way to block and crush any strike thrown his way.

Unleashing a sudden powerful attack, that wasn't of the Still Blossom Blade and was unexpected, since it was a sloppy attack that she only used to give herself some time, she managed to push Adam back.

All she did was compressed a large amount of energy and fling it towards Adam, similar to the Dual Slash Skill, but with a single blade. Although he hadn't expected it, in the Ethereal Combat Trance, it felt as though everything moved in slow motion and evading it wasn't too difficult.

However, it did make him move back and gave Su Lan the split second that she was looking for to activate the Ultimate Blossom Blade Art.

A skill that even seniors in her family couldn't use and one that she couldn't control properly.

It was the only thing that she had that might be able to damage and wound Adam who seemed to be invincible in the Ethereal Combat Trance, but whether it would work or not was still unknown....