A pig-like shriek echoed all around. Su Chen held nothing back; playing the fool came at a price, and if he wanted to avoid being provoked, he had to intimidate the academy. No matter where one went, brute force was the ultimate truth.
Instead of slapping the bald youth across the face, Su Chen kicked him straight-on, seeing no need to resort to his Blood Wheel or martial techniques.
After more than a hundred kicks, the bald youth had swelled to three times his original size, and his facial features were no longer recognizable. His pig-like shrieks gradually grew weaker and weaker.
The academy had rules: barring a signed life-and-death pact for a duel to the death, no fatalities were permitted whatsoever.
"What are you doing?"
Huang Qi stepped forward immediately and said, "Teacher Zhao, he deliberately humiliated us and even called us trash. We were merely acting in self-defense."
Many of the onlookers felt not the slightest bit of surprise. After all, Su Chen ranked first on the Hidden Dragon Roll and was a Void Pill Realm student. Though it remained unclear why he was still in the introductory class, for a Foundation Establishment student to try and humiliate a Void Pill Realm student was nothing short of self-torture.
Teacher Zhao nodded, pointed at the youth lying on the ground—who was so still it was hard to tell if he had passed out or not—and said, "Carry him away."
"You must be Su Chen?"
"Yes."
"Nothing to worry about then. You may go inside."
"Many thanks, Teacher Zhao."
Huang Qi came up beside Su Chen and whispered, "Boss, how come I noticed Teacher Zhao acting a bit differently toward you?"
"Let's move."
Whether things were different or not mattered not in the least.
Inside the Myriad Beasts Pagoda.
Time inside flowed differently from the outside world. The interior of the Myriad Beasts Pagoda was vast, stretching beyond the limit of sight, and the spiritual energy was several times denser than outside.
The prime spots right in the center had all been occupied, leaving only the scraps around the edges. The better the spot, the more fierce the competition for it; these locations were almost entirely seized by students from the advanced classes or the ace classes.
"Boss, that spot over there is empty."
Su Chen shook his head. He knew very well the sheer gap in quality between a good spot and a bad one. Cultivating in an ordinary spot for three days yielded three days of progress, but cultivating in a prime spot for three days could be equivalent to six, or even nine days.
His merit points hadn't fallen from the sky like loess. Since he had chosen to enter the Myriad Beasts Pagoda to cultivate, he was going to take the very best location.
In the martial path, one had to fight for what they wanted!
Without contention, how could one ever hope to reach the pinnacle of the martial path!
"Follow me."
Huh?
What was Junior Brother Su planning to do?
Huang Qi didn't care about any of that; right now, he followed Su Chen's lead blindly. Wherever Su Chen told him to go east, he would never go west.
Shi Xiaoman and the others offered no dissent either. Even if bad luck struck, they would face it together—after all, they belonged to the same class, and with Su Chen ranked first on the Hidden Dragon Roll, his personal strength was beyond question.
Arriving at the location held by Intermediate Class 1, Su Chen pointed at the twenty-odd people before him and said indifferently, "All of you, clear out of this spot. My Introductory Class 22 is going to cultivate here."
The expressions of Xiao Ming, Shi Chen, and the others instantly turned ashen, looking as ugly as they possibly could. Had it been anyone else, they would have slapped them away in a heartbeat—anyone except this madman standing before them.
Madman Su Chen had already become thoroughly famous in the Eastern Desolation Forest, using sheer, overwhelming might to grab over three thousand merit points and claim the top spot on the Hidden Dragon Roll.
Gritting his teeth, Xiao Ming spoke with a face full of fury, "Su Chen, don't push people too far."
"And if I do? You don't have to leave; you and I can fight. If you dare, I'll accompany you to the end."
Contending for spots inside the Myriad Beasts Pagoda was something the academy wouldn't interfere with, provided no lives were lost. Precisely because of this, it was a place where fists ruled supreme.
If you had the strength, you could occupy a good spot.
If you lacked the strength, well, I'm sorry, you could only cultivate in the scrap locations.
A fight? Did they dare?
Certainly not.
Back in the forest valley, the two of them—both Level 9 Void Pill Realm cultivators—had joined forces and still couldn't defeat this guy, let alone now. Yet, to just get up and leave in front of so many people would be an utter loss of face.
"Hmph!"
A light snort rang out as a breathtakingly gorgeous girl in purple robes stood up. Her oval face featured delicate, curved brows, a pair of large, pretty eyes that seemed capable of speech, and an aura of biting cold radiating from her body, making her resemble an iceberg.
"Since when has someone from the worst introductory class become so arrogant? Today, I'd like to see how you intend to chase the people of Intermediate Class 1 away."
Shen Bingyue was formerly the second-ranked person on the Hidden Dragon Roll, a Peak Nine Void Pill Realm cultivator in Intermediate Class 1, standing only a step away from the true Peak Void Pill Realm, and possessed the Ice and Snow Blood Wheel.
This time, Shen Bingyue had not participated in the Hidden Dragon contention because she wanted to break through her limits inside the Myriad Beasts Pagoda, smoothly advance to the Solid Pill Realm, and thereby enter the advanced classes to compete for the Hundred Battles Roll in the future, rather than wasting time fighting for the Hidden Dragon Roll.
Her sole objective was to break through her own limits. The spots here were already the limit for intermediate class students; after all, no one dared to provoke the advanced class students, let alone seize their locations.
Who could have anticipated this?
People from the worst introductory class actually dared to usurp their spot—something that had never happened before. She even wondered if the ten students from the introductory class had lost their minds, otherwise they would never have committed such a low-class act.
Looking at Shi Chen and Xiao Ming, whose faces were filled with anger yet who dared not step up to teach the ten a lesson, Shen Bingyue simply couldn't suppress the fury burning in her heart.
"Senior Sister Shen, be careful."
*Careful your sister!*
Shen Bingyue cursed viciously in her heart, inwardly branding the two of them as trash. Did they really need to be careful when facing trash from the worst introductory class? They truly knew how to disgrace themselves; if word of this got out, Intermediate Class 1 would lose every last shred of its dignity.
What on earth were those two thinking, actually being afraid of people from the worst introductory class? What a joke.
"Boss, this is Shen Bingyue, the number two figure of Intermediate Class 1, owner of the Ice and Snow Blood Wheel, and a Peak Nine Void Pill Realm cultivator. Her strength is second only to Tang Hao. She was previously ranked second on the Hidden Dragon Roll and didn't participate in this recent Hidden Dragon contention."
Listening to Huang Qi's explanation about the person before him, Su Chen said with utmost impatience, "You talk way too much. That wasted another ten minutes. Since you're unwilling to yield the spot, I'll just have to make my move."
"Wait, we are willing to cede our spot."
Shi Chen, Xiao Ming, and the others stood up. Regardless of whether they were willing in their hearts or not, they had no choice but to accept reality. They were truly unwilling to provoke Su Chen, and even less willing to fight a madman like him for zero benefit.
"Senior Sister Shen, we'd better leave this spot to them."
"Useless trash! If you want to get lost, then get on with it. Intermediate Class 1 cannot afford to lose this kind of face."
"Then take care, Senior Sister."
They didn't continue speaking. After all, Shen Bingyue was unwilling to listen to anything they had to say. Were they supposed to blurt out in public that they had previously been defeated by Su Chen in a valley, and that too while joining forces?
Naturally, they would never volunteer that information.
Watching the dozens of people retreat, Shen Bingyue noticed that only four people remained behind her. She grew increasingly furious the more she thought about it. Who would have imagined that the dignified members of Intermediate Class 1 would actually be frightened off by students from the worst introductory class? It was a humiliation of the highest order.
Glaring at the handsome young man before her, Shen Bingyue said coldly, "I want to see what kind of capability you possess to dare act so arrogant in front of me."
Before Shen Bingyue could finish her idle chatter, Su Chen lashed out with a fierce palm strike toward her. It looked thoroughly ordinary, yet it contained an overbearing might.
Integrating the Nine Tribulations Sword Art into his palm imprint, this single strike contained layers upon layers of stacked power. Furthermore, Su Chen was now a Level 2 Void Pill Realm cultivator; he was no longer the Foundation Establishment martial artist he used to be.
This slap nearly sent Shen Bingyue flying into a rage. To her, it was the ultimate humiliation—how could she possibly endure it?
Boom!
Since her opponent hadn't released a Blood Wheel, she certainly wouldn't release hers either. If he wanted to match palm strength, she would let him taste the true power of a Peak Nine Void Pill Realm cultivator.
Amidst the shocked gazes of everyone present...
A simple clash ensued, and Shen Bingyue's palm assault was instantly shattered, followed by the crisp sound of a resounding slap.
That's right, Shen Bingyue had been slapped right in front of everyone.
And this was even after Shen Bingyue had executed a full-strength counterattack. Even though she had been caught somewhat off guard, her status and strength were there for all to see. This alone proved just how formidable this introductory class student truly was—he was definitely not someone to be trifled with.
"Impressive!"
Even the advanced class students murmured in reluctant agreement.
* * *
Behind the Heavens provided the fastest updates for *Devouring Ancient Emperor*, free to read Chapter 33: Seizing the Spot.
Chapter 34: Ancestor Phoenix's Overlord Gaze
She was left completely stunned and bewildered.
Never in her wildest dreams had Shen Bingyue expected that she, a dignified Nine Void Pill Realm cultivator, wouldn't even be able to withstand a single move from her opponent. It was an utter and complete disgrace.
Consumed by fury, a chilling murderous intent flashed in Shen Bingyue's eyes. She had never experienced such humiliation before. Charging directly toward Su Chen, she finally released her Blood Wheel—the Ice and Snow.
The swirling frost and snow filled the air, radiating an intense, piercing cold. At the same time, Shen Bingyue unleashed her martial technique, Freezing Three Feet, intending to freeze this fellow to death right here and now. She didn't care if the academy ended up executing her for it.
"Boss, watch out!"
However, Su Chen didn't take her seriously at all. His Sword Blood Wheel rolled and condensed, producing the Killing Sword Shadow in his hand as he unleashed the Nine Tribulations Sword Art.
Accompanied by a chorus of ringing sword cry that echoed all around, dense and overbearing, razor-sharp sword qi began to churn and shroud the area.
The sword qi shattered the frost and snow.
"Level 2 Void Pill Realm?"
"How could a Void Pill Realm cultivator possibly remain in the worst introductory class? The academy must have made a mistake."
"Not necessarily. Maybe he just entered the academy."
"Even so, that shouldn't be."
Indeed, it defied logic, because the academy had strict allocation rules. Void Pill Realm students were directly assigned to the intermediate classes and were not allowed to stay in the introductory classes.
Boom, boom, boom!
Su Chen didn't deal a fatal blow. His situation differed from Shen Bingyue's; his purpose in coming to the Eastern Desolation Foundation was to buy time for himself and to deter the Su Clan.
He couldn't afford to act rashly.
Without wasting any time, Su Chen sought a swift resolution. He directly defeated Shen Bingyue and kicked her flying with a single foot, sending her landing right beside Xiao Ming and the others.
Fang Jue and the others watched the scene unfold with gasps of astonishment. None of them had expected Su Chen to be so utterly devoid of chivalry toward a maiden, especially since Shen Bingyue was a renowned beauty in the academy.
The advanced class students chose not to interfere in the matter.
"Find your own spots to cultivate."
Ignoring the others completely, Su Chen sat down cross-legged on the spot. He had already discovered that the Myriad Beasts Pagoda was indeed an exceptional place for cultivation.
He didn't waste time—not because of merit points, but because he had to seize every single minute and second. Only by doing so could he catch up to Su Hao in the shortest time possible.
Huang Qi and the others, still in a daze, hurriedly sat down in a circle around Su Chen, enclosing him right in the center.
Su Chen's voice echoed directly within the minds of each of them.
"All of you, quiet your minds and steady your foundations. Follow the cultivation technique I've passed on to you and practice alongside me. Remember, maintain the exact same cultivation frequency as me as much as possible."
Su Chen had already decided that while he still remained in the introductory class, he would do everything in his power to help his classmates improve.
Aside from Xing Yingxue and Huang Qi, several months from now, the rest of them would likely fail their evaluations and be expelled from the academy.
He didn't wish to see such an outcome, which was why he was stepping in to help them.
Flawed Blood Wheels?
Even if Fang Jue and the others couldn't walk far on the martial path in the future, at the very least, they would be able to continue cultivating within the academy.
He had derived a divine-demonic martial technique from the *Primal Chaos Divine-Demon Art* and passed it on to the nine of them. He hoped that by relying on this technique—combined with his own *Chaos Devouring Art*—he could refine and channel energy directly into their bodies, thereby assisting them in their cultivation.
Time slipped away.
Su Chen split the devoured energy into two halves: keeping half for his own cultivation, while distributing the remaining half among the nine of them. Unsurprisingly, Xing Yingxue and Huang Qi, who had awakened mutated Blood Wheels, progressed at a speed visibly superior to the other seven.
Apart from Huang Qi and Xing Yingxue, who successfully made complete breakthroughs, the remaining seven all achieved breakthroughs of their own by the second day, thanks to Su Chen's full-strength assistance.
This alone left everyone feeling overjoyed and pleasantly surprised, because at their usual cultivation speeds, elevating a tier so rapidly was simply an impossible feat.
And now? They felt an immense wave of gratitude toward Su Chen.
Because of aiding the others, Su Chen's own cultivation had only advanced by a single tier, breaking through from the Level 2 Void Pill Realm to the Level 3 Void Pill Realm. Yet, for Su Chen, this was already more than satisfactory.
Su Chen continued operating the *Primal Chaos Divine-Demon Art*. Once he finished helping the others break through, he began circulating the *Ancestor Phoenix Nirvana Art* within his body. This martial technique imparted by Luo Tianfei was exceptionally overbearing, nearly on par with the *Primal Chaos Divine-Demon Art*.
Just as Su Chen circulated the *Ancestor Phoenix Nirvana Art* and waves of Nirvana aura enveloped his entire body, he suddenly felt as though the Myriad Beasts Pagoda he was in was producing a series of roars deep within his consciousness. It sounded like ten thousand beasts roaring in unison, though the exact number of fierce beasts was impossible to tell.
What was happening?
Both the Ancestor Phoenix and the Ancestor Dragon belonged to the absolute pinnacle of existence within the beast world—superpowerhouses standing atop the pyramid of martial arts and beasts.
The Ancestor Phoenix Palace's supreme secret, the *Ancestor Phoenix Nirvana Art*, was inherited directly from the Ancestor Phoenix. The moment Su Chen circulated it, it instantly triggered a resonance with all the beasts trapped within the Myriad Beasts Pagoda.
This was something Su Chen had never anticipated in his wildest dreams.
"Where is Junior Brother Su?"
"He's gone."
The nine disciples who had been cultivating suddenly snapped their eyes open. Staring at the empty space where Su Chen had vanished without a trace, their faces were filled with shock, completely clueless as to what had happened or why Su Chen had mysteriously disappeared out of nowhere.
Within a illusory space, countless skeletal remains of fierce beasts were scattered everywhere. Stepping on them produced a crisp, harsh crunching sound that grated on the nerves and made one's scalp tingle.
Gazing at the sea of beast skeletons covering the ground, Su Chen gradually understood one thing: he had entered the illusory space of the Myriad Beasts Pagoda. As for how he managed to get in here, barring any accidents, it undoubtedly had to do with his operation of the *Ancestor Phoenix Nirvana Art*.
He continued circulating the technique within his body, unsure whether entering this illusory realm of the Myriad Beasts Pagoda would prove to be a blessing or a curse.
A wave of peculiar energy enveloped the entire illusory space.
The *Ancestor Phoenix Nirvana Art* inside his body seemed to react to some form of guidance.
A crisp, resounding phoenix cry roared from within Su Chen's body. To his utter shock, a ten-thousand-foot-tall phoenix slowly materialized behind his back. A vast and surging phoenix aura instantly enveloped the entire illusory space, thoroughly suppressing every trace of fierce beast aura.
The Myriad Beasts Pagoda itself possessed an immensely powerful grade. Ever since the establishment of the Eastern Desolation Academy and its acquisition of the pagoda, the headmaster, vice headmasters, and various teachers had continuously hunted fierce beasts, embedding their beast essences and souls into the pagoda.
Through countless years of accumulation, the Myriad Beasts Pagoda now held an incalculable number of refined beast souls and spirits.
The Ancestor Phoenix?
Was this truly the Ancestor Phoenix?
Su Chen was profoundly shaken. He had never imagined that, purely by chance inside the Myriad Beasts Pagoda, he would touch upon the core of the *Ancestor Phoenix Nirvana Art*. Even Luo Tianfei herself might not have been able to manifest the Ancestor Phoenix.
Feeling the aura of absolute dominance exuded by the ten-thousand-foot phoenix, Su Chen clenched his fists tightly. This martial technique was simply too fitting for him.
* * *
Behind the Heavens provided the fastest updates for *Devouring Ancient Emperor*, free to read Chapter 34: Ancestor Phoenix's Overlord Gaze.
Chapter 35: If Fate is Unjust, I Shall Defy the Heavens and Change My Destiny
The ten-thousand-foot Ancestor Phoenix projection looked down upon the world with supreme arrogance. All the illusory beast projections bowed their heads in submission, trembling violently with fear to their very cores. This was the absolute suppression of bloodlines.
The Ancestor Phoenix: the most powerful beast in heaven and earth.
Initially, Su Chen had intended to use the Ancestor Phoenix projection to devour the beast essences and souls within the Myriad Beasts Pagoda, believing that doing so would allow him to advance several tiers.
And the result?
Before Su Chen could even devour anything, the giant Ancestor Phoenix vanished, and Su Chen's figure was expelled from the illusory realm of the Myriad Beasts Pagoda, reappearing inside the actual tower.
Seeing Su Chen suddenly reappear, Fang Jue and the others were completely and utterly astounded.
Just how on earth did Su Chen manage to do that?
They didn't press him with questions.
Out in the massive plaza.
A young girl dressed in pale yellow garments stood before the Hidden Dragon Roll, staring fixedly at the name occupying the number one spot.
*Su Chen, Sword Blood Wheel*.
A cascade of pitch-black, ink-like hair danced in the wind. Beneath her crescent-moon phoenix brows were a pair of fox-like eyes, accompanied by a high bridge of the nose and cherry lips. Her flawless skin surpassed white snow, and her figure was tall and slender. There was truly only one way to describe her: a single glance could topple a city, a second glance could topple a country.
This girl was none other than Ji Youxi, the princess of the Panding Imperial Dynasty. Her Blood Wheel was the Seven-Colored Soul-Devouring Python—a top-tier Blood Wheel. Ten years ago, she had been sent into the Eastern Desolation Academy and became the personal disciple of a vice headmaster. Through ten years of cultivation, she had now reached the Level 7 Golden Core Realm and cultivated in Ace Class 1.
Just a few days prior.
Word had come from the imperial family: her betrothed, Su Chen, had his Blood Wheel crippled by Su Hao of the Su Clan and had been expelled from the Su Clan entirely.
She felt a lingering trace of sorrow. When they were children, they had met a few times; Su Chen's character had been quite good. What a pity.
The imperial family had already informed her that the engagement would soon be annulled, and she was free to make her own decisions regarding her marriage.
Ji Youxi knew very well that her exceptional talent, coupled with her possession of a top-tier Blood Wheel, made the imperial family heavily reliant on her, not to mention she had a formidable master backing her.
Once she advanced to the Nascent Soul Realm in the future, she could step up to the Imperial Class, becoming a core student of the academy and receiving prioritized cultivation resources.
The entire Eastern Desolation Academy only had five Ace Classes in total.
Seeing the familiar name, and noting that he also possessed a Sword Blood Wheel, she had briefly thought it might be her betrothed.
Thinking about it now, how could that possibly be the case?
Su Chen's Blood Wheel had already been crippled. Even an Emperor Realm powerhouse could not reforge a shattered Blood Wheel, let alone Su Chen.
Shaking her head helplessly, she prepared to enter a specialized cultivation area within the academy.
* * *
The Su Clan.
A secluded halfway up the mountain.
Su Hao snapped his eyes open and let out a long howl toward the heavens. The Golden Core that had formed within his body began to fracture, then started re-condensing into an infant-like phantom—the Nascent Soul.
The Golden Core Realm was divided into ten tiers, from Level 1 to the peak. Levels 1 through 3 constituted the Low-tier Golden Core Realm, Levels 4 through 6 the Mid-tier Golden Core Realm, Levels 7 through 9 the High-tier Golden Core Realm, and finally, the Peak Golden Core Realm.
The Golden Core shatters, the Nascent Soul condenses.
Su Hao had now successfully broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm.
"Very good."