The mist in the spirit forest grew thicker the deeper Li Ming wandered. Strange cries echoed through the trees, and the ground trembled with distant battles.
But Li Ming walked along cheerfully, nibbling on yet another bun.
"Mmm… buns taste better after punching people. I should patent this."
He spun his newly won token on his finger. "Two down, one to go. Easy."
Rustle.
Li Ming froze, stuffing the rest of the bun into his mouth. His eyes narrowed. "Who's there? If it's another ape, I'll make a stew this time."
The mist parted—revealing a girl in white robes, her hair cascading like ink down her back. Her beauty was breathtaking, her expression calm and distant, like a fairy who had stepped down from the moon.
It was none other than Lan Yue.
---
Meeting in the Mist
For a moment, Li Ming just stared, bun crumbs still on his lips. "Uh… wow. Did the heavens get bored and send down a goddess?"
Lan Yue's gaze flickered briefly to him, then to the bun in his hand. "You really… bring food into the Core Trial?"
Li Ming coughed, brushing his robe. "Ahem. A cultivator's most important treasure is his stomach. Without buns, how can I defeat beasts?"
The corners of her lips twitched, though her face remained calm.
"Careful," she said softly. "Stronger beasts are ahead. Even Inner Disciples at the 7th Stage will struggle."
Li Ming tilted his head. "And you? What level are you again, Senior Sister?"
She answered simply: "Foundation Establishment, 3rd Stage."
Gasps rippled from the hidden disciples nearby who were watching from the shadows. Everyone knew it—but hearing her admit it still sent chills down spines.
Li Ming whistled. "Foundation Establishment, huh? That's like… way, way above me. Guess I should call you Senior Goddess instead."
Lan Yue's eyes softened just slightly. "And you, Junior Brother… are only Qi Refining 3rd Stage. Why are you walking around so casually?"
Li Ming grinned. "Because being handsome gives me +10 to survival."
---
The Beast Appears
As if on cue, the ground rumbled. Trees cracked as a massive beast burst through—the Three-Eyed Serpent Wolf, its scales glimmering, its third eye glowing ominously. Its aura surged like a storm: Qi Refining 9th Stage, at the very peak before Foundation Establishment.
Even the hidden spectators gasped.
"That beast… even Bai Chen would struggle!"
"Two disciples at 3rd Stage? They're doomed!"
Lan Yue's sword slid from its sheath, her qi flowing like a calm river. "Step back. I'll handle this."
But before she could move—Li Ming stepped forward, bun in one hand, fist clenched with the other.
"No need, Senior Sister. I was getting bored anyway."
The crowd exploded.
"Is he insane?!"
"That beast is way beyond him!"
---
Li Ming's Moment
The serpent wolf roared, lunging with jaws wide. Lan Yue's eyes widened—he wasn't dodging.
At the last second, Li Ming popped a pill into his mouth. The jade slip in his robe pulsed, refining the energy tenfold. His qi surged like a tidal wave, his aura leaping to a whole new height.
With a step, he vanished. Nine Heavens Cloudstep carried him onto the wolf's back. His fist glowed with burning qi.
"Second Serving—Meteor Bun Fist!"
BOOOOOOM!
The strike landed square on the beast's skull. The serpent wolf shrieked, its glowing third eye cracking before it collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
The earth trembled from the impact.
Silence.
Every hidden disciple's jaw dropped.
"He… one-punched a 9th Stage beast?!"
"That's… that's beyond belief!"
---
Lan Yue's Thoughts
Lan Yue lowered her sword slowly, eyes fixed on the boy standing proudly atop the fallen beast. His black hair fluttered in the fading qi storm, his expression oddly heroic despite the bun still clutched in his hand.
"…Qi Refining 3rd Stage defeating a 9th Stage beast. Impossible."
She watched as he hopped down, casually picking up the glowing jade token the beast had been guarding.
Li Ming turned to her with a grin. "And that makes three. Guess dinner's on me."
For the first time, Lan Yue couldn't hide her smile. It was faint, fleeting, but undeniably real.
This boy… perhaps he's not a fool at all.
---
The Exit
Li Ming twirled the token, smirking at the stunned disciples in the shadows. "What? Never seen a genius eat buns and slay beasts at the same time?"
He strolled past Lan Yue, humming, as if crushing a 9th Stage beast was nothing more than his morning workout.
Lan Yue watched him go, her eyes thoughtful. "Li Ming… just how far will you rise?"
The jade slip in his robe pulsed faintly again, whispering to him alone:
> "The heavens are watching. And soon… so will the world."
Li Ming bit into his bun with a grin. "Then I'd better give them a good show."