He transformed into a seed, blown by the wind into the soil. Nourished by rain and warmed by spring breezes, he finally broke through the earth. Scorched by blazing sunlight and battered by frost and snow, Shen Yi thrived amid green vitality, growing into a towering tree.
Even when lightning destroyed its branches and leaves and drained away its life force, the giant tree remained undying and indestructible. As cold and heat alternated, it finally sprouted a spirit, as though it had become a deity. Golden light bathed its entire body; with a raised hand, it could pluck the sun, moon, and stars, and with a single step, shatter the earth's veins and mountains. One punch alone could make heaven and earth tremble!
Who knew how long had passed before Shen Yi finally awoke from that profound sensation.
"Body Forging Peak!"
Shen Yi was shocked. The Essence of Flora truly was as miraculous as the books described. If he had not deliberately suppressed his cultivation, then upon fully assimilating that vitality, he probably could have charged straight into the Foundation Establishment Realm in one stroke.
"The Body Forging Peak is enough for now. My foundation was weak to begin with. If I break through rashly, my foundation may become unstable, and the gains would not make up for the losses."
Shen Yi remained exceptionally clear-headed. He had not been dazzled by his rapid rise in cultivation. At this moment, he could already clearly sense the flow of spiritual energy between heaven and earth. If he wished, he could break through into the Qi Condensation Realm at any time.
"I never expected you all to have gained something too."
Seeing Shen Yi awaken, the battle beasts crowded around him, their eyes gleaming with admiration. Only then did Shen Yi realize that several of them had improved. All of them had reached the perfected realm of Tier 1 demonic beasts, while the Azure Stone Boar had even advanced into the realm of a Tier 2 demonic beast.
"I wonder whether this drop of essence can make the Spirit Bamboo mature quickly."
A green ball of light the size of a grain of rice seeped from Shen Yi's fingertip. It was precisely a drop of Essence of Flora.
He casually dripped the light ball onto a withered blade of grass. The yellow grass actually turned green and regained its vitality. After swaying for a moment, it shot upward by a large stretch at a speed visible to the naked eye, pointing straight toward the rock ceiling of the cave.
Shen Yi was overjoyed, and a plan formed in his heart.
With a thought, he began today's simulation.
In the first year, you cultivated to the Body Forging Peak, completed the Immortal Academy's task in time, and made a name for yourself in the Immortal Academy Grand Competition. You were chosen by the Immortal Academy to represent it in competing for the Grotto-Heaven Ruins.
In the second year, the Grotto-Heaven Ruins opened. You entered with the others, but your enemy found you. Outmatched after a bitter battle, you were ground to dust and had your soul scattered. You died.
Shen Yi's face darkened with black lines. Another ending where he died. Inside, he complained that this was clearly some kind of fancy death simulator.
Still, he gained quite a bit of information from the brief simulation.
The Immortal Academy Grand Competition—indeed, counting the days, nearly a year had already passed. They said cultivation knew no passage of time; it seemed that was truly the case.
The Grotto-Heaven Ruins contained great opportunities. It seemed the Golden Age was about to advance another step closer.
As for the enemies within the Grotto-Heaven Ruins, they gave Shen Yi a sense of crisis. The first thing he thought of was the Li Family behind Li Yue. He had made the Li Family lose face, so it was not impossible that they would take the chance to retaliate.
There was also the Qingxuan Sect mentioned by Wang Minghui before his death. The unknown was what frightened people most.
"Fortunately, I covered up that place back then, and there were traces of demonic beasts gnawing at it. I believe the Qingxuan Sect won't easily trace it back to me."
Still, Shen Yi felt a trace of unease. He immediately decided to return to Ninghai Town rather than remain any longer in the Yunluo Mountain Range.
After receiving his father Wang Shangren's order, Wang Mingxuan immediately set out from the Qingxuan Sect. By the time he reached the Falling Cloud Mountain Range, three days had already passed.
"Bang!"
Wang Mingxuan cleaved open the ground with one sword strike and found Wang Minghui's corpse, dead for several days already.
After searching the surroundings, he kicked out Wang Si's mangled corpse as well.
"Murder for wealth, then disguising it as a demonic beast attack. Interesting."
Wang Mingxuan looked at his younger brother's corpse without the slightest ripple of emotion. He even felt some disgust. Though the two were blood brothers, they had never gotten along, and Wang Mingxuan had always looked down on his brother.
"Collect!"
But it had been his father's command, and Wang Mingxuan could not disobey it. He took out a bag and stored both corpses away. As for who had killed his younger brother, he did not care.
To him, Wang Minghui's absence was instead something worth celebrating.
"Dean Chen! Shen Yi requests an audience!"
At the Beast Taming Academy, Shen Yi stood at the entrance, leading ten demonic beasts behind him. Every one of them radiated powerful auras, making many people shudder in fear.
"Not seeing him! Tell Shen Yi that my Beast Taming Academy does not receive visitors!"
Chen Chong had long forgotten what he had said before. At this moment, he only thought Shen Yi had come to torment his precious battle beasts again.
"Dean, the battle beasts have exploded!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Chong flashed forward and rushed outside.
There was no need to think about it. It had to be Shen Yi's doing again.
"Shen Yi, you brat still dare come to my Beast Taming Academy!"
Chen Chong spotted Shen Yi entering the Beast Taming Academy from afar. Seeing the battle beasts behind him, he assumed Shen Yi was about to stir up some new trouble again.
"Greetings, Dean Chen. This student has come to submit his task."
Shen Yi bowed to Chen Chong, wearing an utterly harmless expression.
"Dean, behind him... those are all demonic beasts!"
Someone quietly reminded him from the side. Chen Chong looked closely and discovered that it was indeed as that person had said.
"You... you... did you catch all of these?"
Chen Chong stepped forward to inspect the demonic beasts. Each one looked fierce and savage, filled with wildness. Even when facing him, a Golden Core Master, they showed not the slightest hint of timidity.
"A Tier 2 demonic beast, the Azure Stone Boar. Not bad!"
Chen Chong patted the boar's head, then turned back to see his own battle beasts huddled into a trembling mass. Where was even the slightest trace of battle-beast spirit left in them? He sighed helplessly.
"Yes. When I saw them, I went up and competed with them in strength. Those who refused to submit got a beating, and then they listened."
Shen Yi spoke as calmly as clouds drifting in the breeze, but the more others listened, the more unpleasant it felt. They normally had to prepare meticulously and plan with utmost care just to catch one battle beast. Yet when it came to him, one beating made them submit. Since when had catching beasts become so simple?
Chen Chong also found it hard to believe, but after sensing Shen Yi's cultivation, he no longer found it strange.
He was such a fine young man, but when he started causing trouble, he truly could turn heaven and earth upside down.
"Then I'll leave these ten demonic beasts to you. I have to hurry and plant my fields!"
Shen Yi stuffed the ropes into Chen Chong's hands, then turned and ran off in a flash. The ten demonic beasts remained behind with tears in their eyes, reluctant to part with him. The support they had finally found was gone.
Fengyang Thatched Cottage.
"Dean, the bamboo you wanted has been planted."
Feng Yang had thought Shen Yi had finally come to his senses and intended to admit his mistake. He never expected Shen Yi's first words to leave him momentarily speechless.
"Ten mu of Spirit Bamboo? It's planted?"
"Ten mu of Spirit Bamboo. It's planted."
Feng Yang instantly lost his composure. A streak of light shot out as he rushed straight toward the Spirit Field planting area.
There, ten mu of Spirit Bamboo stood growing in neat rows, every stalk shimmering with emerald-green light.
"High-grade! High-grade Spirit Bamboo! A full ten mu of High-grade Spirit Bamboo!"
That day, Dean Feng Yang's laughter echoed across the skies above the entire Immortal Academy, lingering for a long time without fading.
Before you continue