Chapter 43: Vina Is Shocked, Has Liu Yuan Become This Strong?
The bloodstains on the sparring arena had long since been washed away.
The devastating match that had upended the entire Body Sect gradually settled with the passage of time. It transformed from a shocking spectacle into the daily fodder of the disciples' conversations, and more, the driving force behind their frantic cultivation.
Defeating Long Aotian did not make Liu Yuan slack off in the slightest. His mind remained as calm and calculating as ever. He knew exactly why he had won. Long Aotian's defeat was solely due to the unreasonable regenerative properties of Liu Yuan's Undying Body and the sheer, explosive force of his unmatched three-ring, ten-thousand-year Soul Ring configuration.
When it came to the absolute purity of Soul Power and the complex mastery over a Body Martial Soul, Long Aotian still held the high ground. There was much to learn from the former chief disciple. Arrogance was a luxury Liu Yuan refused to afford; he had to continue cultivating with absolute pragmatism.
Because of this, a rather peculiar scene became a daily staple within the Body Sect.
Every morning, just as the first sliver of dawn pierced the horizon, Liu Yuan's solitary figure would appear punctually beneath the roaring waterfall on the back mountain. Thousands of pounds of freezing water crashed down upon his bare shoulders, attempting to crush him against the jagged rocks. Yet, he sat motionless. He used the crushing weight and biting cold to scour his physical body, methodically circulating the secret technique Du Busi had personally imparted to him. His muscles coiled and relaxed in a rhythmic breathing pattern, absorbing the ambient energy.
Not far away, seated atop a massive, moss-covered boulder, Long Aotian would invariably appear. His training had crossed the line from diligent to downright desperate.
Naturally aloof, the former chief disciple had completely transmuted his grief and indignation into raw, unadulterated motivation. There was no dejection in his eyes, no slump in his posture. He simply became a ghost of his former self—silent, withdrawn, and terrifyingly focused. Every waking second was poured into condensing and honing his Soul Power, pushing his limits until his veins bulged and his skin flushed red with exertion.
This silent, relentless competition between the two prodigies generated a suffocating atmosphere that blanketed the entire mountain.
One month later.
Deep within a secluded stone chamber on the back mountain, the heavy iron door rattled. A thick, dark-gold wave of Soul Power seeped through the cracks, distorting the air itself. Inside the dimly lit room, Long Aotian slowly opened his eyes. A sharp glint flashed across his pupils as he let out a long, white breath that shot forward like an arrow.
Rank 48.
In a mere thirty days, crushed under the immense psychological pressure of his defeat, he had forced another breakthrough. He was now just two steps away from the Rank 50 Soul King realm.
When the news reached the main hall, Du Busi actually cracked a rare, genuine smile. The old monster had initially harbored concerns that the crushing public defeat might shatter Long Aotian's state of mind. He never expected the humiliation to act as a crucible, burning away the boy's arrogance and allowing him to break through his cocoon. This was the exact kind of ruthless evolution the Body Sect demanded.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the mountain, a sharp, tyrannical fluctuation of Soul Power erupted from Liu Yuan's private courtyard.
Rank 36.
Compared to Long Aotian's arduous, grinding trek through the late-forties, Liu Yuan's advancement speed in the thirties maintained a heart-stopping, almost mechanical frequency. Twenty days. That was all it took for him to condense enough energy to advance another rank. Such a terrifying pace would brand him an absolute monster in any academy on the continent, Shrek included.
Naturally, when the news of Liu Yuan's latest breakthrough swept through the sect, the reactions of disciples like Chen Lu and Gu Tong had long since transitioned from wide-eyed shock to a dead-eyed, hollow numbness.
"What is even the point anymore?" Chen Lu muttered, his face twitching as he stared at the bubbling medicinal bath before him. "No matter how much we bleed and sweat, we can't even catch a glimpse of Senior Brother Liu's shadow."
Despite his bitter complaints, his body betrayed his words. Without a second of hesitation, Chen Lu threw himself into the scalding iron barrel. He clamped his jaw shut, his teeth grinding audibly as the boiling, corrosive medicinal liquid seared his skin, forcing the violent energy into his meridians.
Driven by this suffocating atmosphere of the strong pushing the strong, every single disciple in the Body Sect acted as if a knife were pressed against their throats. The overall intensity of their cultivation skyrocketed by more than thirty percent. No one wanted to be left in the dust by a 'Senior Brother' who had joined the sect less than a year ago.
The entire Body Sect was grinding its gears, accelerating its collective power at an unmatched, terrifying speed.
...
Several days later.
Outside the towering, heavy stone gates of the Body Sect—gates that remained tightly sealed year-round—two familiar figures arrived.
Vina had shed her heavy, luxurious imperial gowns. In their place, she wore a sleek, tight-fitting combat outfit that accentuated her agile frame. Thanks to her rigorous Soul Power cultivation, her complexion held a healthy, rosy glow, completely devoid of the pale fragility typical of sheltered royalty.
"Princess, I swear, ever since we stepped out of the imperial palace, you have smiled more in these past two days than you have in the last six months combined," Mu Xue grumbled from behind her. She watched Vina's light, almost bouncing footsteps and shook her head with a helpless sigh.
Vina glanced back, her smile radiant and unburdened. "Mu Xue, the palace is suffocating. Every single morning I open my eyes, I am forced to handle a swamp of power struggles, hidden daggers, and endless political calculations. How can any of that compare to the absolute freedom of being a Soul Master? Out here, the rules are simple. The strong stand tall, and the weak bow their heads. There are no hidden twists, no fake smiles. Just power."
She turned her gaze back to the towering, jagged peaks of the Body Sect. A bright spark of anticipation danced in her eyes. "In the blink of an eye, several months have passed since we left. I wonder how everyone is holding up. Especially that guy, Liu Yuan... I wonder just how much stronger that monster has gotten."
The guards at the gate quickly verified their identities, pulling the massive stone doors open with a heavy, grinding rumble.
However, the moment Vina stepped onto the sect grounds, her instincts flared. Something was entirely off.
The usual atmosphere was gone. The disciples who used to loiter on the stone paths, exchanging jokes and occasionally slacking off in the shade, had completely vanished. She swept her gaze across the sprawling plaza and the winding forest trails. Everywhere she looked, she saw disciples pushing themselves to the absolute brink. Hoarse shouts echoed through the air, accompanied by the heavy thud of fists against stone and the sharp scent of sweat and blood.
Vina finally managed to intercept Gu Tong and Chen Lu as they dragged their exhausted bodies toward the cafeteria. She stopped in her tracks, staring at them. Both young men had deep, bruised bags under their eyes, looking as if they hadn't slept in days. Yet, paradoxically, their eyes burned with a terrifying, manic energy.
"What in the world happened to you two?" Vina asked, her voice laced with shock. "I have never seen either of you look this desperate in your lives!"
Chen Lu wiped a thick layer of grime and sweat from his forehead, his face twisting into a bitter grimace. "Vina, you finally made it back. Sigh... we have no choice. Ever since Senior Brother Liu Yuan beat Senior Brother Long half to death on the arena a while back, the entire sect has completely lost its mind. The Sect Master personally declared that anyone caught slacking off will be thrown straight into the Poison Dragon Pit to feed the vipers."
"Wait, what did you just say?" The casual smile on Vina's face instantly froze. She tapped her ear, certain she had misheard him. "Liu Yuan... defeated Long Aotian? Are you out of your mind? He only has three rings!"
Gu Tong let out a long, exhausted sigh and stepped forward. "Vina, do you really think we would dare joke about something like that?"
He leaned in, his voice dropping as if recounting a myth. "Senior Brother Liu Yuan took a trip to the Far North. When he came back, he brought a black third Soul Ring with him. You heard me right. Ten thousand years."
Gu Tong swallowed hard. "Right there on the arena, in front of every single disciple and elder, he completely crushed Rank 47 Senior Brother Long. It is undisputed now. Among the entire younger generation in the sect, Liu Yuan is the absolute strongest."
Chen Lu rubbed his temples, adding salt to the wound. "And he is already Rank 36. You know he is the exact same age as you, right? But his combat power... honestly, let's just drop it. Thinking about it physically hurts my self-esteem."
Vina and Mu Xue exchanged a blank look, the sheer absurdity of the news leaving them utterly speechless.
Three rings. A ten-thousand-year Soul Ring.
Crushing a four-ringed Soul Ancestor like Long Aotian across an entire major world of power.
Vina had mentally prepared herself to see a vastly improved Liu Yuan upon her return. She knew he was a genius. But this? This completely shattered the boundaries of logic. His rate of growth was not just fast; it was downright monstrous.
"That guy is still a complete freak of nature..." Vina muttered under her breath. The playful curiosity she had harbored toward her fiancé rapidly morphed into a deep, inexplicable sense of awe.
Chen Lu glanced at the heavy travel bags slung over Mu Xue's shoulders. "How long can you stay this time, Vina? It is rare for us to all be in the same place. Do you want to grab some drinks and catch up tonight?"
Vina offered a helpless shrug, a tired sigh escaping her lips. "A life of endless toil, I'm afraid. I didn't come back just to cultivate this time. My father, the Emperor, entrusted me with a royal mission. Once I finish discussing the official business with the Sect Master, I might have to leave in just a few days."
Knowing time was short, she didn't delay any further. She waved a quick goodbye to Chen Lu and Gu Tong, adjusted her posture, and marched straight up the winding stone steps toward the Sect Master's main hall at the peak of the mountain.
Half an hour later.
From deep within the Sect Master's main hall, Du Busi's booming, thunderous voice erupted. Carried by immense Soul Power, the majestic command bypassed the outer grounds and vibrated precisely in the ears of a select few.
"Liu Yuan, Long Aotian, Chen Lu, Wang Yanfeng, Gu Tong! Assemble in the main hall immediately!"
Across the sprawling mountain, the chosen figures instantly froze. Whether they were meditating under a crushing waterfall or sparring in the dirt, they dropped everything. In the next second, several streaks of multi-colored light shot into the sky, tearing through the air as they rushed toward the peak.
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