“Stop, I have something to say!” Jin Yun shouted, on the verge of collapse. When had a prodigy like her ever been beaten like this?
Now, a pair of delicate little feet were trampling all over her, treating her like a mere cobblestone path—or worse, a punching bag.
Feng Wu and Shi Hao truly had no reservations. Following the advice given, they stomped on their enemy with gusto, hopping and skipping around with sweet smiles as they walked all over her.
Jin Yun seethed with hatred, her face contorted in pain. It felt as though with every step they took, another bone in her body cracked.
“What’s with that look? Do you hate me?” Feng Wu asked, glancing down.
*With every fiber of my being!* Jin Yun wanted to scream, but she didn’t dare. She had regained her senses and no longer wanted to provoke them, lest she suffer even more.
“Feng Wu, killing someone is as simple as a flick of the blade. There’s just been some misunderstanding between us. Let bygones be bygones—please get off me,” she said, forcing herself to sound amiable.
But her voice trembled. Who wouldn’t feel bitter after such torment? Lowering herself before someone she loathed—how could she truly accept it?
“I think I hear you gritting your teeth. Could it be you’d love to feast on my flesh and drink my blood? How terrifying,” Feng Wu said with a light laugh.
Finally, she had vented her anger. These past days had been suffocating—humiliated, her life hanging by a thread, unable to fight back. The frustration had been unbearable.
Qing Yi stood to the side, a faint smile on her lips. She knew Feng Wu well—usually lively, cheerful, and kind-hearted. Only pushed to this extreme would she act so ruthlessly.
Jin Yun struggled fiercely, trying to stand.
But the force Shi Hao had left in her body was bizarre—impossible to dispel, continuously slicing through her flesh, even threatening to erode her very essence.
This terrified her. If she suffered a Dao injury, the cost of recovery would be unimaginable. She couldn’t help but tremble.
“No, I surrender. I apologize—just let me up!” Jin Yun cried out, realizing her dire state and completely yielding.
*Thud!*
Feng Wu stomped on her twisted, almost monstrous face. “I don’t believe you. Let me vent first!”
—
Far away, deep in the mountains amidst a pile of rubble, Wang Yang stood bare-chested, his bronze skin gleaming, his blood energy surging like an ocean. With each breath, massive boulders around him lifted into the air before melting into magma and crashing back down.
This was the terrifying manifestation of a body pushed to its absolute limit.
Beside him, a tall man in blue sighed. “Brother Wang Yang, you’ve become a true body cultivator, reaching the pinnacle of the modern path. You’re on the verge of transcendence. Though I envy you, I must admit—you’re the strongest in our academy on this path.”
“Transcendence isn’t certain yet,” Wang Yang replied calmly. “Don’t forget, two from the lower realm have already succeeded.”
“Cao Yusheng merely stumbled upon fortune—hardly worth mentioning. You’ll surpass him soon. As for Huang… well, he’s dead. No point discussing him,” the blue-clad man said.
“The dead are irrelevant, but Cao Yusheng’s future achievements are unpredictable. And Brother Lan Meng, you’re likely stronger than me—nurturing a divine embryo in your cave, cocooning for rebirth. It’s awe-inspiring,” Wang Yang remarked.
Lan Meng chuckled. “You flatter me, Brother Wang Yang. Let’s go see what’s happening. That arrow of Seven-Colored Immortal Gold shot into the sky earlier—something must be going on.”
Wang Yang nodded. “I heard Jin Yun stole an immortal gold arrow from a woman of the lower realm. Now she’s firing it—interesting.”
“Not long ago, I mentioned to you that people from several ancient realms have been causing trouble. Let’s see if it’s those lower realm folks stirring chaos,” Lan Meng said.
The two set off toward the commotion.
—
By now, Feng Wu had vented enough. Jin Yun lay gasping for breath, her eyes rolling back—on the brink of death.
Clearly, she had suffered severe injuries, nearly perishing. Her Dao foundation was damaged; without immense resources, recovery was impossible. She might die.
The physical wounds were Feng Wu’s doing, but the Dao injuries came from Shi Hao.
“You…” Jin Yun’s silver robes were in tatters. She struggled to speak, not daring to utter threats, only managing those two words.
Shi Hao had already turned away, his gaze fixed on a young man nearby.
Clad in gray robes, he stood with an imposing aura, holding the Seven-Colored Immortal Gold arrow that had been shot earlier.
The crowd recognized him—Yuan Teng, a formidable figure who usually trained beneath a great waterfall, rarely appearing in public.
Rumors said he had cultivated two strands of immortal energy but intended to dissolve them to nourish his body and soul, pursuing the modern path without hesitation.
Shi Hao didn’t know him but noted he had arrived with Jin Yun.
“Return the immortal gold,” Shi Hao demanded, extending his hand.
“Very well. But please spare Jin Yun. She’s been punished enough for her mistakes. Let this end,” Yuan Teng said.
“That’s my decision. Hand over the Seven-Colored Immortal Gold!” Shi Hao’s tone brooked no argument. This was Feng Wu’s weapon—no negotiations.
In truth, he feared no one here. He could crush any opponent without compromise.
“Brother, will you release Jin Yun?” Yuan Teng pressed.
“Are you bargaining with me? That arrow belongs to Feng Wu. If you won’t return it, then face me in battle!”
“I’ve always opposed Jin Yun’s bullying and warned her—there are always greater experts,” Yuan Teng said. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the arrow flying, embedding it into a boulder near Shi Hao—effectively returning it.
Then he added, “I’m not using the arrow as leverage. I genuinely plead for Jin Yun’s life.”
Shi Hao studied him, finding no deceit in his demeanor, and nodded.
*Thud!*
With a kick, Shi Hao sent Jin Yun flying into a distant stone mountain. If not for the academy’s no-killing rule, he’d have ended her already.
Further torment would kill her, drawing the elders’ ire.
“Now, I’d like to spar with you—purely for cultivation, no personal grudges,” Yuan Teng said.
“Agreed,” Shi Hao replied simply.
“First, I’ll use immortal energy—for the last time. Soon, I’ll dissolve my two strands to focus solely on the modern path. You may fight unrestricted,” Yuan Teng declared.
Gasps erupted. Dissolving hard-earned immortal energy? Only a true martial fanatic would do such a thing!
Even Shi Hao was moved. Such resolve and courage were rare.
“Begin!” Shi Hao’s expression softened. Facing someone so dedicated to surpassing limits, he felt respect.
To honor such a warrior, he held nothing back. Instantly, three strands of immortal energy coiled around him.
“What?!” The crowd erupted in shock. Three strands of immortal energy? A young supreme being? Who was he?
Even Yuan Teng froze, stunned. How could he fight this?
Only Jin Yun’s expression twisted with bitter recognition. *Now you see why I lost—this monster is a young supreme!*
“Who… who are you?” someone stammered.
This was a peerless genius, yet unknown in the academy—how?
Chaos ensued as the crowd buzzed with disbelief.
Yuan Teng sighed, then decisively merged his two immortal strands into his body, dispersing them completely. From this day forth, he would walk the modern path alone.
The crowd was astounded—he’d actually done it!
“Now, I’d like to test my modern path against yours,” Yuan Teng said.
Shi Hao nodded, again showing full respect by unveiling his peak form.
*Boom!*
A radiant golden sun erupted around him, shielding him like an invincible war god.
The crowd shuddered, feeling an instinctive reverence, as if facing a deity.
“The… the *One and Only Cave*? The fusion of ten caves into the ultimate Dao fruit?!” Yuan Teng’s voice trembled with awe.
He stepped forward, trembling, as if in worship.
“Yes,” Shi Hao confirmed.
“The One and Only Cave—the pinnacle of the modern path?!”
“Heavens! Who is he? Only one person has achieved this before!”
Jin Yun’s face paled—she looked as if she’d seen a ghost.
“May I ask… who are you, brother?” Yuan Teng asked, voice quivering with reverence.
“I am Huang,” Shi Hao answered.
“What?! He’s Huang—the one who fused ten caves and walked the peerless path!”
“He’s alive?!”
“Three immortal strands *and* the One and Only Cave—I’m witnessing a legend!”
The crowd erupted. To them, Shi Hao was a living myth. Some girls even squealed in admiration.
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