The Fruits of Victory and a Greater Storm

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

On the entire Life and Death Stage plaza, tens of thousands of students, from the academy elders to the newly admitted disciples, were all frozen as if under a spell, turning into clay or wooden figures.

Their faces held various exaggerated and comical expressions—eyes wide open, mouths agape, lips twitching. Their minds had completely crashed, unable to process the scene before them, which defied all their understanding.

Silence.

A deathly silence.

All eyes were fixed intently on the young man in the blue robe standing on the battle platform.

He slowly retracted his simple, unadorned fist. His blue robe fluttered slightly in the wind, his expression as calm as if he had just casually swatted a fly, not blasted away the top disciple of the Heaven Class, who was at the peak of Body Refinement Eighth Level and had even briefly entered the Ninth Level with the help of elixirs.

And dozens of meters below the platform, Li Tianyi's burly body was embedded in the cracked ground like a broken sack. His chest had caved in at a bizarre angle, countless bones broken, blood gushing from his mouth. He had already passed out, his life or death unknown.

Body Refinement Seventh Level versus Body Refinement Ninth Level boosted by elixirs.

Basic Martial Skills versus a fighter wielding an ultimate technique close to Earth-Tier profundity.

The result: an instant kill with a single punch!

This was no longer something that could be described by the word "victory."

This was a legend!

"Gulp."

Someone in the deathly silent crowd swallowed with difficulty.

That sound was like a switch, instantly igniting the entire frozen world!

"BOOM--!!!!!"

A roar, more terrifying and fervent than any before, surged into the sky, as if to tear apart the very clouds above Cloud Creek Academy!

"He... he won?!" "Am I dreaming?! Lin Xiao took down Li Tianyi, who was on elixirs, with one punch?!" "Monster! He's not human at all! He's a monster!" "God! From today on, he's my god! A weakling defeating a strong opponent, a legend forged in one battle!"

All doubts, mockery, and disdain were shattered at this moment by that irrefutable punch, like a divine miracle! In their place were shock, reverence, and fervor from the depths of their souls!

The students who had bet their Merit Points on Li Tianyi, waiting to see Lin Xiao make a fool of himself, were now ashen-faced, regretting it to the extreme. They looked at Lin Xiao with fear, as if he were an ancient beast wearing human skin.

In stark contrast were the members of Yellow Class Nine!

After a brief moment of stunned silence, an indescribable surge of elation erupted from each of their chests like a volcanic eruption!

"He won! The Chief won! We won!!" "Ahhhhh! We're rich! Ten to one odds!!"

Shi Lei's face was flushed red with excitement as he grabbed Zhou Xiaoshu beside him and tossed him excitedly into the air! Su Yue's beautiful face was already streaming with tears of excitement. She gazed at the solitary, proud figure on the battle platform, her beautiful eyes shining with brilliance, lost in a daze.

They had won not just the enormous Merit Points that would make anyone's eyes turn green.

They had won back their dignity! The dignity that had been stripped away and trampled upon in this strictly hierarchical academy!

From today on, no one would dare mock them as "the trash of Yellow Class"!

Because they had a Chief who could make all geniuses tremble!

"Ahem!"

Just as the crowd descended into frenzy, the elder presiding over the duel at the referee's table finally snapped out of his extreme shock. He looked at Lin Xiao with an extremely complex expression, filled with shock, admiration, and even a hint of fear.

He cleared his throat, pouring all his strength and spiritual energy into his voice, which boomed across the entire plaza.

"This battle... Yellow Class Nine's Lin Xiao... wins!"

As this final verdict fell, the atmosphere in the plaza reached another climax!

Lin Xiao calmly cupped his hands towards the referee's table, then turned and walked step by step down from the Life and Death Stage that had made him famous.

Wherever he passed, the crowd parted like water, creating a wide path for him. All eyes were filled with reverence and fervor, no longer daring to show the slightest contempt.

He walked towards the members of Yellow Class Nine.

"Chief!" "Long live the Chief!"

Twenty-nine young men and women bowed deeply to him in unison. Their eyes were filled with the most sincere admiration and conviction.

"Get up, everyone." Lin Xiao finally showed a faint smile. "I said I would help you take back everything that belongs to us. This is just the first step."

He turned his head, his gaze falling upon the crowded Merit Points exchange area, which had become packed due to the betting.

"Let's go collect our... spoils!"

The Merit Points exchange area had already descended into chaos.

The Heaven Class students responsible for the betting were now ashen-faced, trembling all over. Looking at the astronomical payout total on the screen, they felt like the sky was falling.

Ninety-nine percent of the total 100,000 Merit Points had been bet on Li Tianyi to win. Now, not only did they have to refund the principal of nearly 100,000 points, but they also had to pay out an additional enormous sum of over 200,000 Merit Points!

200,000 points!

This was a terrifying number that could cripple the entire outer court!

"What do we do? We... we don't have this many Merit Points to pay!" one student said with a choked sob.

Just as they were despairing, Lin Xiao slowly walked over with the members of Yellow Class Nine.

The Heaven Class students, including Lin Xiao, were so terrified that their legs went weak and they almost fell to their knees.

"Lin... Chief Lin..."

"Pay us the Merit Points according to the bet," Lin Xiao's voice remained calm.

"We... we don't... don't have that much..."

"Don't have it?" Lin Xiao's eyebrows rose slightly, and an icy killing intent instantly enveloped them. "The bets on the Life and Death Stage are protected by the academy's rules. Are you trying to renege on the debt?"

The students were so shocked by this killing intent that their souls scattered. They had no doubt that if they dared to say "yes," this god of slaughter before them would kill them on the spot without hesitation!

Just as the tension reached its peak, a majestic voice came from the back of the crowd.

"His Merit Points will be advanced by the academy!"

Everyone turned to look and saw Vice Principal Chu Tianxing had appeared at the scene at some unknown time. He looked at Lin Xiao, his wrinkled face filled with undisguised admiration and praise.

"Lin Xiao, you've brought an immense surprise to this old man and the entire academy today!" Chu Tianxing said with emotion.

"Greetings, Vice Principal." Lin Xiao bowed to Chu Tianxing.

"No need," Chu Tianxing waved his hand, then his gaze swept sternly over the students in charge of the betting. "A bet is a bet, and losing means paying up. This is the academy's ironclad rule! Li Tianyi set up the bet, so he will personally bear half of the payout, and the other half will be borne by his Heaven Class Three! If they can't clear the debt within three months, all of them will be expelled from the academy!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the students' faces turned ashen, and they completely collapsed on the ground.

Chu Tianxing ignored them and looked back at Lin Xiao, a kind smile reappearing on his face. "As for your rewards, you won't miss a single bit. Go, today is your day of victory!"

With the Vice Principal's personal decree, the transfer of Merit Points proceeded exceptionally smoothly.

When Zhou Xiaoshu, with trembling hands, looked at the number on his team's public account – two hundred and twenty-three thousand five hundred points – so large it almost made him faint, he felt as if he were dreaming.

They were rich!

Their Yellow Class Nine was truly rich this time!

This colossal fortune was enough to elevate all of their cultivation resources to a terrifying level comparable to that of core disciples in the Heaven Class for the foreseeable future!

Looking at the flushed faces of his companions, filled with wild joy, Lin Xiao also felt a sense of satisfaction.

Nothing was more fulfilling than leading his team from having nothing to achieving glory.

In stark contrast to the celebratory atmosphere of Yellow Class Nine.

The top floor of the cultivation tower.

The atmosphere in the cultivation room, shrouded in terrifying gravity year-round, was so oppressive it felt like it could drip water.

"Bang!"

A delicate white jade teacup was crushed into powder by a hand covered in bulging veins!

Xiao Lang's handsome, almost demonic face was now covered in gloom and ferocity, devoid of his usual composure and elegance.

Before him, a communication jade slip was emitting a faint glow, detailing the entire process of the battle on the Life and Death Stage.

"Trash! An utter, complete piece of trash!"

He growled through gritted teeth, a violent killing intent surging madly from his body, causing the terrifying gravity, capable of crushing mountains, to ripple!

Li Tianyi was an important pawn he had placed in the Heaven Class to suppress rivals and consolidate his position.

But now, not only was this pawn crippled, but he had also been crushed to pieces in the most humiliating way in front of the entire academy!

This wasn't just slapping Li Tianyi's face.

This was slapping Xiao Lang's face!

"Lin Xiao... Lin Xiao..."

He repeatedly chewed on the name, the killing intent in his eyes reaching an extreme.

He had initially thought this was just a slightly stronger ant, so insignificant that he didn't even bother to act personally, believing a subordinate could easily crush it.

Only now did he realize with horror how terribly wrong he had been!

That wasn't an ant at all!

It was a prehistoric beast in sheep's clothing!

"Returning to simplicity... Myriad laws converging... Unbending True Meaning..." Xiao Lang looked at the elders' evaluation of Lin Xiao's final punch on the jade slip, his eyes becoming incredibly solemn. "This guy not only possesses the 'Innate Dao Body' but has also reached such a terrifying level in martial intent!"

A sense of crisis he had never felt before surged into his heart.

He knew his greatest enemy had appeared!

"I can't let him grow any further..." A vicious glint flashed in Xiao Lang's eyes. "The 'Bloody Trial' three months from now will be your burial ground!"

Lin Xiao paid little attention to the storms brewing outside.

After leading his companions to collect the Merit Points that would drive anyone mad, he locked himself back in his dormitory.

He sat on the bed and sank his consciousness into the System, reviewing the gains and losses of the day's battle.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the hidden achievement: One Battle, Famous!]

[Achievement Reward: All Attributes +5, gain one 'Martial Skill Fusion' opportunity!]

[Martial Skill Fusion: You can select any three Profound-tier or lower Martial Skills to perfectly fuse and create a brand new Martial Skill of higher grade.]

As Lin Xiao looked at the reward notification popping up on the system's light screen, a spark of fervor flashed in his eyes.

Martial Skill Fusion!

This was practically a divine skill tailor-made for him!

What he lacked the most right now was a high-grade trump card that he could truly rely on! Although his "Nameless Fist," which fused hundreds of basic martial skills, possessed astonishing power, it ultimately consumed too much mental energy and could only be used as a last resort.

He needed a regular yet incredibly powerful offensive method!

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately began sifting through his memory bank.

Finally, he set his sights on three martial skills.

Basic Swordplay, Basic Movement Technique, and the Profound-tier Low-Grade movement technique he learned on the second floor of the Library Pavilion, renowned for its speed and elusiveness—Phantom Tracing Steps.

"System, fuse these three!"

[Ding! Martial Skill Fusion initiated... Estimated time: twelve hours...]

While waiting for the system to complete the fusion, Lin Xiao didn't idle.

He sank his consciousness into his Qi Sea and Dantian.

There, the spiritual energy seed, once dyed a pale gold by the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk, was now emitting a brilliant glow. After the extreme burst during his fight with Li Tianyi, he could clearly feel that the spiritual energy within his body had reached the peak of Body Refinement Seventh Level, with only a thin veil separating him from breaking through to the Eighth Level.

"It's time to absorb the remaining Earth Core Body Tempering Milk."

He took out the small white jade bottle from his storage ring and poured the last few drops of the viscous, golden-lava-like liquid into his mouth.

"Boom!"

An energy more violent and purer than any before erupted within his body!

Lin Xiao endured the searing pain, as if his body were on fire, and frantically circulated the cultivation method of the "Book of Ten Thousand Laws," guiding this terrifying energy to scour his limbs and bones, tempering his muscles and flesh!

The night passed without incident.

When the morning sun once again bathed the earth the next day.

Lin Xiao's room door slowly opened.

He walked out, his entire aura having undergone a cataclysmic change!

If he was like a sharp sword hidden in its sheath before, its edge concealed, then at this moment, he was like a majestic, unmoving divine mountain that merged with heaven and earth! Imposing and unfathomably deep!

Body Refinement Eighth Level!

In a single night, relying on the potent power of the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk, he had directly crossed the bottleneck and entered the late stage of the Body Refinement Realm!

And almost at the same time as his breakthrough, the long-awaited voice of the System echoed in his mind.

[Ding! Martial Skill Fusion successful!]

[Congratulations to the Host for obtaining the Earth-Tier Low-Grade Martial Skill—Instant Shadow Sword!]