Blazing Star Eye

"This weapon is really something!"

Li Tianming used to prefer short swords, and he'd tried sabers, spears, and halberds, but none really clicked.

After obtaining the Thunderfire Chain, he found himself falling in love with this weapon.

The explosive power when it lashes out was absolutely devastating.

Furthermore, within the system of the Nine Thunderous Lashes Battle Art, the Thunderfire Chain could be used in countless creative ways.

Chen Ding possessed brute strength, but he couldn't get anywhere near Li Tianming.

Li Tianming's Thunderfire Chain was an absolute long-range weapon, over four meters long.

While performing the Shadowless Fire Step, he used the first lash of the Nine Thunderous Lashes against Chen Ding, who could do nothing but take the hits.

"Li Tianming!"

Crack!

Just as Chen Ding was burning with rage and roaring in anger, he inadvertently gave Li Tianming's Thunderfire Chain an opening.

The Thunderfire Chain snaked in like a viper and struck the corner of his mouth!

Crack!

Chen Ding flew backward, three fresh teeth flying out of his mouth, shining brilliantly under the sun.

"That's for talking too much," Li Tianming chuckled.

Honestly, a brute force, heavy-footed Beast Master like Chen Ding was completely countered by him.

The Thunderfire Chain was essentially an extension of his arm; long reach countered short reach, and Chen Ding couldn't possibly get close.

The Shadowless Fire Step movement technique was indeed the best Battle Art Li Tianming had chosen, practically tailor-made for him and his chicken.

As soon as he struck Chen Ding, Li Tianming felt a special power emanating from the arena.

He looked back and saw that the Star Demon Peng had gone mad.

Its eyes erupted with dazzling starlight, as intense as swords, and burst forth, piercing directly towards the Little Yellow Chicken before it!

"That's its Spirit Origin Divine Ability, 'Blazing Star Eye'!"

Li Tianming heard many people exclaim.

The reason he had suppressed the Star Demon Peng from the start was precisely because he feared the Spirit Origin Divine Abilities of Spirit Origin Realm Companion Beasts.

When heavily injured, the Star Demon Peng's Spirit Origin Divine Ability would surely be somewhat diminished, and it just so happened that he had defeated Chen Ding at this moment.

In a flash, Li Tianming's Thunderfire Chain shot out, lashing the Star Demon Peng's head like lightning.

The Star Demon Peng was in the process of unleashing its Spirit Origin Divine Ability, and as the sword-like starlight shot from its eyes, Li Tianming's lash struck its head.

Instantly, its aim was thrown off, and the dazzling starlight shot straight into the sky.

"I haven't even shot you yet, and you dare shoot me!"

The Little Yellow Chicken was furious. With a flash of the Shadowless Fire Step, its Netherflame Ghost Claw tore through, creating another bloody hole in the Star Demon Peng.

Simultaneously, Li Tianming's Thunderfire Chain struck three consecutive times, leaving the Star Demon Peng's skin and flesh torn!

"That's enough!"

Just then, Li Tianming heard the solemn pronouncements from the Senior Masters.

He was an understanding person, and the moment he heard that, he stopped attacking.

However, the Little Yellow Chicken was enjoying itself. Li Tianming directly bound it with the Thunderfire Chain and dragged it back.

"What are you doing? I was going to finish it off."

This guy was still in his prime, full of youthful vigor.

"It's over."

Once the Senior Masters announced it, fighting was absolutely forbidden, as this wasn't a battle that required a definitive winner.

It was merely for the Senior Masters to directly observe each person's talent and strength through combat.

As expected, the Senior Master who announced the end of the battle was Mu Wan.

Li Tianming respected her, so he obediently stopped.

However, Chen Ding was still furious. His injuries were bearable, and he got up at that moment, looking like an enraged bear.

"Li Tianming, I'm not convinced! Let's go again!" he growled in a low voice.

"A defeated opponent like you has no right," Li Tianming said with a smile.

Chen Ding was about to speak again when Senior Master Mu Wan's voice rang out: "Come and get your disciple token. Don't waste time; there are still over a thousand people."

Although her words were firm, Li Tianming liked hearing them.

He looked up and saw Senior Master Mu Wan looking at him with a smile.

As for the other nine Senior Masters, they were mostly standing with their arms crossed, saying nothing.

"Mu Wan, you know what he did three years ago. He's a stain on the Academy, and an eyesore to Lin Xiaoting and the Thunder Venerable Mansion..." a male Senior Master nearby reminded her in a low voice.

"Who I choose has nothing to do with you." Senior Master Mu Wan rolled her eyes at him and directly handed Li Tianming a disciple token.

The other battles hadn't concluded yet, but Li Tianming was undoubtedly the first disciple to successfully pass today.

"Thank you, Senior Master. In the future, I will definitely bring you honor." Receiving the disciple token again, Li Tianming knew how difficult all of this had been.

But he had finally done it, and of course, he had to thank Mu Wan.

Without her, there probably wouldn't have been a single Senior Master willing to take him.

They could have easily used his age as an excuse to eliminate Li Tianming.

"Chen Ding, you are young, with comprehensive talent. Your performance today was poor because Li Tianming's 'cunning old fox' strategy countered you. I will take you as my disciple."

Senior Master Li Kui, who had been speaking with Senior Master Mu Wan earlier, spoke up and produced his disciple token.

"Chen Ding, I will also take you as my disciple. You can choose your Senior Master."

"Me too."

The Senior Masters spoke one after another. Li Tianming was stunned; a total of nine Senior Masters were willing to take Chen Ding as their disciple.

In fact, given Chen Ding's talent and background, he was absolutely the most outstanding candidate for the trial battles.

It wouldn't have been surprising if ten Senior Masters had offered him a disciple token.

The key was that Li Tianming had completely suppressed him during the battle, making his performance arguably very poor.

Furthermore, his displayed state of mind was also quite bad.

Even so, he managed to receive disciple tokens from nine Senior Masters, while Li Tianming only received one from Senior Master Mu Wan.

This contrast was truly somewhat laughable.

Of course, laughable as it was, for Li Tianming, having Senior Master Mu Wan was enough.

As for those other smelly men, he couldn't be bothered to look at them.

"Tianming, prepare for the ranking battles."

Senior Master Mu Wan's words were meant to help Li Tianming see through the vicissitudes of human relationships and focus on what he should be concentrating on next: the ranking battles.

The academy's ranking battles were extremely grand, much more so than today's trial battles.

Even if one didn't get first place in the ranking battles, the higher one's ranking, the higher the disciple's status and the more cultivation resources they would receive.

Yanhuang Academy also had some secret cultivation realms, and the ranking battles determined the time spent cultivating within them.

There were still at least five hundred battles to be fought in Phoenix Hall, and the duration was uncertain, likely taking several days to conclude.

Next up were the ranking battles.

During this period, disciples who passed first would enter Yanhuang Academy early to familiarize themselves with the environment.

However, Li Tianming had already stayed there for a year, so he didn't need to, and decided to leave first to share the good news with his mother.

After bidding farewell to Senior Master Mu Wan, he and Chen Ding walked off the stage together. Chen Ding's eyes were bloodshot, and he was still radiating killing intent.

"Li Tianming."

As soon as they stepped down, someone was waiting to receive Chen Ding; it turned out to be Chen Yao from Myriad Beasts Hall.

This young master of the Starry Sky Merchant Association had not yet participated in the trial battles.

"Something you need?" Li Tianming asked.

Honestly, Li Tianming's performance, both the quality of his companion beast and his defeat of Chen Ding today, had made Chen Yao lose a lot of face and feel extremely uncomfortable.

"It's nothing. I did underestimate you before. I didn't expect that despite your notorious reputation and extremely poor character, you would actually possess some luck and ability." Chen Yao said coldly.

"I don't understand. Are you complimenting me?" Li Tianming asked.

"Think whatever you want. You are indeed enjoying your moment of triumph right now, acting like a petty person who has just gained power. However, don't forget your identity; you are still the laughingstock of Yanhuang disciples." Chen Yao's expression was indifferent.

"Stop beating around the bush. If you have something to say, just say it." Li Tianming curled his lips.

"It's nothing. You beat up my brother today. Pray you don't encounter me in the ranking battles."

"There's no stopping the ranking battles. If you run into me, I'll inflict ten times the injuries Chen Ding suffered today upon you." Chen Yao declared.

"No need to pray. I want to defeat you, then watch you go home and throw a tantrum with your mother, and drink some Solid Gold Soup." Li Tianming said with a cold laugh.

As Chen Yao narrowed his eyes, he turned and left.

Back when they were in Star Palace, Li Tianming clearly remembered how arrogant and rude Chen Yao and his mother had been, and how they had hurt Wei Jing.

He would not forgive anyone who had caused his mother pain.

Xue Lan hadn't seemed to do anything, but her dismissive words were the sharpest knives.

"It seems you don't want to live anymore."

Chen Yao's voice was extremely cold, and killing intent was already present in his words.

From Star Palace to the Yanhuang battlefield, he truly hadn't expected that the toad he had once found laughable could evoke such a level of killing intent within him.

Their mothers had once been the best of sisters; they should have been as close as siblings.

Yet, in reality, one was high above, while the other was fighting in the mortal realm.

By the time Xue Lan was frantically displaying her nobility and superiority in the Star Palace, that sisterly bond had long since vanished into thin air.

Li Tianming would seek justice for her humiliation.

Perhaps Wei Jing wouldn't care; what was pathetic was only the corrupted feelings, but Li Tianming cared.

Once sisters, Xue Lan was graceful and noble, high and mighty, dignified and happy, while Wei Jing was barely surviving, impoverished and destitute.

Their children, one shining like a star with boundless prospects, the other a laughingstock, like a rat crossing the street?

Li Tianming felt it was too early to conclude everything right now.

"Just you wait and see."

This was his best response to all of this.

At least today, by revealing his Sixth-Tier Companion Beast and defeating Chen Ding, he had silenced many who had treated him as a laughingstock.

For example, Li Yanfeng and Liu Qing were silent and unresponsive when Li Tianming defeated Chen Ding.

For example, in that private room.

The lady saw her son's teeth knocked out and completely toyed with by Li Tianming; her face turned ashen, and she crushed the teacup in her hand.

"Chen Ding, such a waste!" To the ladies' surprise, Xue Lan was the angriest.

She stood up, flipped the table in front of her, and left immediately.

The remaining ladies looked at each other, bewildered.

Why was Xue Lan angrier than Chen Ding's mother?

If they didn't know that Li Tianming was the son of that peerlessly graceful woman from Yandu twenty years ago, they would never guess the reason.