A slaughterhouse-like scream echoed through the air. Su Chen did not hold back in the slightest; acting like a cheap scoundrel demanded a price. Moreover, if he wanted to avoid being provoked, he had to deter the academy. No matter where one went, fists were the ultimate truth.
Instead of slapping the bald youth across the face, Su Chen kicked him directly, completely without needing to use his Blood Wheel or martial techniques.
After being kicked more than a hundred times, the bald youth had swollen to three times his original size, and his features were no longer recognizable. The pig-like screams gradually grew weaker.
The academy had rules: unless a life-and-death pact was signed for a duel to the death, absolutely no fatalities were permitted.
"What are you doing?"
Huang Qi immediately stepped forward and said, "Teacher Zhao, he deliberately humiliated us and called us trash. We were merely defending ourselves."
Many people felt not the slightest bit of surprise, because Su Chen was ranked first on the Hidden Dragon Roll—a Void Pill Realm student. Although nobody knew why he remained in the introductory class, for a Foundation Establishment practitioner to try and humiliate a Void Pill practitioner was pure 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—and said, "Carry him away."
"You are Su Chen?"
"Yes."
"It's fine. You may go in."
"Thank you, 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 go."
Whether the attitude was different or not mattered not in the least.
Inside the Myriad Beasts Pagoda.
Time inside flowed differently than outside. The interior of the pagoda was vast, stretching beyond the limit of sight, and the spiritual energy was several times denser than the outside world.
The prime locations in the very center had already been completely occupied, leaving only the leftover spots around the edges. The better the location, the fiercer the competition; these spots were almost entirely occupied 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 prime locations and poor ones. Cultivating in a mediocre spot for three days was simply three days, but cultivating in a top-tier spot for three days was equivalent to six, or even nine days.
His contribution points hadn't been blown in by the wind. Since he had chosen to enter the Myriad Beasts Pagoda to cultivate, he had to secure the best spot available.
In the Martial Dao, one must contend!
Without contention, how could one ever hope to reach the peak of the Martial Dao!
"Follow me."
Ah?
What was Junior Brother Su planning to do?
Huang Qi didn't care about any of that. At this point, he followed Su Chen's lead in all things; 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 came from the same class, and Su Chen's status as the top-ranked practitioner on the Hidden Dragon Roll meant his strength was beyond question.
Arriving at the territory occupied by Intermediate Class 1, Su Chen pointed at the twenty-plus people in front of him and said indifferently, "All of you, clear out and give up your spots. My Introductory Class 22 is going to cultivate here."
Xiao Ming, Shi Chen, and the others turned ashen-faced in an instant, looking as ugly as could be. Had it been anyone else, they would have slapped the person away long ago, but this was that madman right in front of them.
Su Chen, the Madman, had become utterly famous in the Eastern Desolation Forest and had used absolute, overwhelming force to seize over three thousand contribution points, claiming the top spot on the Hidden Dragon Roll.
Gritting his teeth, Xiao Ming said with a face full of fury, "Su Chen, don't push people too far."
"So what if I push you? You don't have to leave—you and I can fight a duel. If you dare, I will accompany you to the very end."
Contending for locations within the Myriad Beasts Pagoda was not interfered with by the academy; as long as no deaths occurred, anything went. Precisely for this reason, this was a place where fists ruled supreme.
If you had strength, you could occupy a prime location.
If you lacked strength, apologies, but you could only cultivate in the leftover spots by the edge.
A fight? Did they dare?
Certainly not.
Back in the forest valley, the two of them—both Level 9 Void Pill Realm—had joined forces and still couldn't defeat this guy, let alone now. Yet to simply get up and leave in front of so many people caused them to lose all face.
"Humph!"
A cold snort rang out as a stunningly beautiful girl in purple robes stood up. Her melon-shaped face was adorned with arched, delicate eyebrows, and her large, pretty eyes seemed capable of speaking. An icy aura emanated from her entire body, making her resemble an iceberg.
"When did people from the lowest introductory class become so arrogant? Today, I want to see how you plan to chase the people of Intermediate Class 1 away."
Shen Bingyue, formerly the second-ranked practitioner on the Hidden Dragon Roll, was a peak Level 9 Void Pill Realm student of Intermediate Class 1. She was merely a step away from the true peak of the Void Pill Realm, and her Blood Wheel was Ice and Snow.
This time, Shen Bingyue had not participated in the Hidden Dragon competition. Her sole purpose was to break through her limits inside the Myriad Beasts Pagoda, successfully advancing to the Solid Core Realm so she could enter the advanced classes and later contend for the Hundred Battles Roll, rather than wasting time fighting for the Hidden Dragon Roll.
Her goal was to break through her own limits. The spots here were already the limit for intermediate class students, as no one dared to provoke the advanced class students, let alone seize their spots.
Who could have imagined?
People from the lowest introductory class actually dared to snatch their spots—something that had never happened before. She even wondered if the ten students from the introductory class had water in their brains; otherwise, they would never have done something so base.
Looking at Shi Chen and Xiao Ming, whose faces were filled with anger yet who made no move to discipline the ten students, Shen Bingyue simply could not suppress the rage in her heart.
"Senior Sister Shen, be careful."
*Be careful your sister!*
Shen Bingyue cursed viciously in her heart, inwardly scolding the two of them as trash. Did they really need to be careful when facing trash from the lowest introductory class? They were truly embarrassing themselves. If word of this got out, the reputation of Intermediate Class 1 would be utterly ruined.
What on earth were those two thinking, actually being afraid of people from the lowest introductory class? It was an absolute joke.
"Boss, that is Shen Bingyue, the second-ranked student of Intermediate Class 1. Her Blood Wheel is Ice and Snow, and she is at the peak Level 9 Void Pill Realm. Her strength is second only to Tang Hao. She was previously ranked second on the Hidden Dragon Roll and didn't participate in the recent Hidden Dragon competition."
Hearing Huang Qi's explanation of this person, Su Chen said with utter impatience, "You talk far too much nonsense. That wasted another ten minutes. Since you aren't willing to yield your spots, I have no choice but to make a move."
"Wait, we are willing to give up our spots."
Shi Chen, Xiao Ming, and the others stood up. Regardless of whether they were willing in their hearts, they had no choice but to accept reality. They truly had no desire to provoke Su Chen, nor did they wish to fight such a madman for zero benefit. ???.
"Senior Sister Shen, we'd better yield our spots to them."
"Useless trash! If you want to scram, then scram. Intermediate Class 1 cannot afford to lose face like this."
"Then take care, Senior Sister."
They said nothing more. Since Shen Bingyue refused to listen, were they supposed to announce publicly that they had once 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 depart, Shen Bingyue saw that only four people remained behind her. She grew furiously angry, the more she thought about it, the more enraged she became. Who could have imagined that the dignified members of Intermediate Class 1 would actually be scared off by students from the lowest introductory class? It was a shameful disgrace to the extreme.
Gazing at the handsome young man before her, Shen Bingyue said coldly, "I want to see what capability you possess that gives you the nerve to act arrogant in front of me."
Before Shen Bingyue could finish spouting nonsense, Su Chen had already lashed out with a fierce slap toward her face. It looked utterly plain and unremarkable, yet it contained an overbearing might.
Melding the Nine Tribulations Sword Art into the imprint of his palm, this single strike contained layers upon layers of amplified power. Moreover, Su Chen was now a Level 2 Void Pill Realm practitioner—he was no longer the Foundation Establishment cultivator he once was.
This slap nearly sent Shen Bingyue flying into a rage; it was quite simply the ultimate humiliation to her, and how could she possibly endure it?
Boom!
Since her opponent had not released a Blood Wheel, she certainly wouldn't release hers either. If he wanted a contest of pure palm force, she would let him experience the true strength of a peak Level 9 Void Pill Realm practitioner.
Amidst the astonished gazes of everyone present.
In the simple collision, Shen Bingyue's palm attack was instantly shattered, followed by the sound of a resounding slap.
That's right, Shen Bingyue had been slapped right in front of a crowd.
And this was even under the condition that Shen Bingyue had retaliated with her full strength. Even if she had been somewhat caught off guard, her status and strength were right there for all to see, which only proved just how formidable this student from the introductory class truly was—he was definitely not someone to be trifled with.
"Impressive!"
Even the advanced class students murmured in agreement.
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Chapter 34: The Supreme Overlord Phoenix
Shen Bingyue was beaten into a daze. Never had she imagined that she, in all her dignity as a Level 9 Void Pill Realm practitioner, wouldn't even be able to block a single move from her opponent. It was an absolute, unmitigated disgrace.
Furious, Shen Bingyue's eyes flashed with icy murderous intent. She had never experienced such humiliation, and she charged directly at Su Chen, releasing her Blood Wheel: Ice and Snow.
The sky full of ice and snow made the air chillingly cold, and Shen Bingyue unleashed her martial technique, Three Feet of Frost. She was determined to freeze this person to death, even if it meant execution by the academy.
"Boss, be careful."
Yet Su Chen did not take her seriously at all. His Sword Blood Wheel rolled and condensed as a murderous sword shadow materialized in his hand, executing the Nine Tribulations Sword Art.
Accompanied by the ringing of swords echoing through the surroundings, dense, overbearing, and sharp sword qi began to churn and shroud the area.
The sword qi shattered the ice and snow.
"Level 2 Void Pill Realm?"
"How could a Void Pill practitioner possibly remain in the lowest introductory class? The academy must have made a mistake."
"Not necessarily. Perhaps he just entered the academy."
"Even so, that shouldn't be the case."
Indeed, it defied logic, because the entire academy had an allocation rule: Void Pill practitioners were directly assigned to the intermediate classes and could not remain in the introductory classes.
Boom, boom, boom!
Su Chen did not deal a fatal blow. His situation with Shen Bingyue was different; his purpose in coming to Eastern Desolation Academy was to buy himself time and to deter the Su Clan.
He could not act rashly.
Without wasting any time, Su Chen settled the matter swiftly, directly defeating Shen Bingyue and kicking her flying with a single blow so that she landed precisely beside Xiao Ming and the others.
Fang Jue and the others watched the scene unfold before them with sighs of amazement. None of them had expected Su Chen to be so devoid of chivalry, especially since Shen Bingyue was a renowned beauty of the academy.
The advanced class students chose not to meddle in the affair.
"Find your spots and cultivate."
Su Chen paid no further heed to the others, sitting down directly himself. He had already discovered that the interior of the Myriad Beasts Pagoda was indeed an exceptional place for cultivation.
He wasted no time—not because of contribution 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 possible time.
Huang Qi and the others, still in a state of shock, sat down one by one around Su Chen, enclosing him in the very center.
Su Chen's voice echoed directly within the minds of each person.
"All of you, clear your minds, guard your origins, and follow the cultivation technique I transmitted to you. Cultivate together with me. Remember, maintain a cultivation frequency as identical to mine as possible."
Su Chen had 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, the rest of them faced the possibility of failing their examinations in a few months, which would result in expulsion from the academy.
He did not wish to see such an outcome, and thus he set out to help them.
Flawed Blood Wheels?
Even if Fang Jue and the others could not go far in the future, at the very least they would be able to continue cultivating within the academy.
He had derived a divine demon martial technique from the Primordial Divine Demon Scripture and imparted it to the nine of them. He hoped to rely on this technique, along with his own Chaotic Devouring Art, to first refine and channel power into the bodies of the nine, thereby assisting them in their cultivation.
Time flowed on.
Su Chen split the devoured energy in two: he kept half for his own cultivation, while the remaining half was distributed among the nine. The results were starkly evident—Xing Yingxue and Huang Qi, who had awakened mutated Blood Wheels, clearly possessed a cultivation speed far surpassing the other seven.
Apart from Huang Qi and Xing Yingxue, who successfully broke through entirely, the remaining seven also achieved breakthroughs on the second day under Su Chen's all-out assistance.
This alone filled everyone with boundless joy, because at their usual cultivation speeds, improving by a single rank so rapidly was simply too difficult.
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 rank, 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 continually circulated the Primordial Divine Demon Scripture. Once he finished assisting the others with their breakthroughs, he began circulating the Ancestral Phoenix Nirvana Scripture within his body. This martial technique imparted by Luo Tianfei was extremely overbearing, almost rivaling the Primordial Divine Demon Scripture.
Just as Su Chen circulated the Ancestral Phoenix Nirvana Scripture, enveloping his entire body in waves of nirvana energy, he suddenly felt as though the Myriad Beasts Pagoda where he resided was generating waves of roars within his mind—the collective roars of ten thousand beasts, numbering in the unknown.
What was happening?
Both the Ancestral Phoenix and the Ancestral Dragon belonged to the absolute pinnacle of the beast world, standing as super-powerful beasts at the apex of the Martial Dao pyramid.
The Ancestral Phoenix Palace's closely guarded secret, the Ancestral Phoenix Nirvana Scripture, was inherited from the Ancestral Phoenix itself. Once Su Chen circulated it, it would trigger a resonance with all the beasts sealed within the Myriad Beasts Pagoda.
This was something Su Chen had never anticipated.
"Where is Junior Brother Su?"
"He's gone."
The nine people who had been cultivating suddenly opened their eyes. Seeing that Su Chen had vanished without a reason, their faces were filled with utter shock. They had no idea what was going on or why Su Chen had disappeared so abruptly.
In an illusory space, countless skeletal remains of fierce beasts were scattered everywhere. Stepping on them produced a crunching sound that was extremely grating, making one's scalp tingle.
Looking at the ground littered with beast skeletons, Su Chen gradually understood one thing: he had entered the illusory space of the Myriad Beasts Pagoda. As for why he was able to enter, barring any accidents, it was certainly related to the Ancestral Phoenix Nirvana Scripture he was circulating.
He continued to circulate the Ancestral Phoenix Nirvana Scripture within his body, uncertain whether entering this illusory space of the Myriad Beasts Pagoda would prove to be a blessing or a curse.
Waves of peculiar energy enveloped the entire illusory space.
The Ancestral Phoenix Nirvana Scripture within his body seemed to receive some form of guidance.
A resonant, piercing phoenix cry roared forth from within Su Chen's body. To his own astonishment, a ten-thousand-zhang-tall phoenix slowly materialized behind him. The vast and exuberant phoenix aura instantly enveloped the entire illusory space, suppressing all beast auras into utter submission.
The Myriad Beasts Pagoda possessed an inherently formidable grade. Ever since Eastern Desolation Academy was established and acquired the Myriad Beasts Pagoda, the headmaster, various vice-headmasters, and all the teachers had continuously hunted fierce beasts, beating their quintessential spirits and souls into the pagoda.
Through countless years of accumulation, the Myriad Beasts Pagoda now held an incalculable number of sealed beast spirits and souls.
An Ancestral Phoenix?
Was this the Ancestral Phoenix?
Su Chen was filled with shock. He had never expected that, by a stroke of fortune within the Myriad Beasts Pagoda, he would touch upon the core of the Ancestral Phoenix Nirvana Scripture—a feat he believed even Luo Tianfei might not necessarily be able to achieve in condensing the Ancestral Phoenix.
Feeling the supreme, world-despising aura emanating from the ten-thousand-zhang phoenix, Su Chen clenched his fists tightly. This martial technique was simply too suitable for him.
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Chapter 35: If Fate is Unjust, I Shall Defy the Heavens and Alter My Destiny
The ten-thousand-zhang Ancestral Phoenix projection looked down upon the world with disdain, causing all the beast projections to bow in submission. Their bodies trembled violently, terrified to the extreme—this was the suppression of bloodlines.
The Ancestral Phoenix was the most powerful beast between heaven and earth.
Originally, Su Chen had hoped to use the Ancestral Phoenix projection to devour the beast spirits and souls within the Myriad Beasts Pagoda, believing that doing so would surely allow him to advance by several ranks.
And the result?
Before Su Chen could even devour anything, the ten-thousand-zhang Ancestral Phoenix vanished, and Su Chen's figure departed the illusory world of the Myriad Beasts Pagoda, returning once more to the interior of the tower.
Seeing Su Chen suddenly reappear, Fang Jue and the others were completely and utterly shocked.
Just how on earth had Su Chen accomplished that?
They asked no questions.
On the massive plaza.
A young girl wearing pale yellow robes stood before the Hidden Dragon Roll, staring fixedly at the name occupying the very top position.
*Su Chen, Sword Blood Wheel*.
A cascade of ink-black hair fluttered in the wind; beneath moon-like phoenix brows were a pair of fox-like eyes, a high-bridge nose matched lips as red as cherries, and skin as delicate as it could be broken by a breath outshone white snow. Her figure was tall and slender, and she could truly be described in a single phrase: a glance could topple a city, a second glance could topple a nation.
This young 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 to Eastern Desolation Academy, becoming a disciple under the vice-headmaster. After ten years of cultivation, she had now reached the Level 7 Golden Core Realm and cultivated within Ace Class 1.
Just a few days ago.
Word had come from the imperial family that her betrothed, Su Chen, had his Blood Wheel crippled by Su Hao of the Su Clan and had been expelled from the Su family.
She felt a mild sense of sorrow. When they were children, they had met a few times, and Su Chen had been a very fine person. What a pity.
The imperial family had already informed her that the marriage contract would soon be dissolved, leaving her free to make her own decisions regarding marriage.
Ji Youxi knew very well that her supreme talent, coupled with her possession of a top-tier Blood Wheel, made the imperial family heavily reliant on her, not to mention that she had a formidable master.
Once she advanced to the Nascent Soul Realm in the future, she could ascend to the Royal Ace Class, becoming a core student of the academy and receiving prioritized cultivation resources.
Throughout the entire Eastern Desolation Academy, there were only five ace classes in total.
Seeing the familiar name—and one that also possessed a Sword Blood Wheel—she had initially 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 reconstitute a destroyed Blood Wheel, let alone someone like Su Chen.
With a helpless shake of her head, she prepared to enter a special training ground within the academy to cultivate.
~~~~~~~
The Su Clan.
A secluded mountainside.
Su Hao abruptly opened his eyes and let out a long whistle toward the heavens. The golden core that had already formed within his body began to shatter, and then started to recondense into the phantom of an infant—the Nascent Soul.
The Golden Core Realm was divided into ten ranks, from Level 1 to the peak. Levels 1 through 3 were the Low-level Golden Core Realm, Levels 4 through 6 the Intermediate-level Golden Core Realm, Levels 7 through 9 the Advanced-level 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."