The Fruits of Victory and a Greater Storm

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

From the academy elders down to the newest disciples, the tens of thousands of students throughout the Life and Death Stage plaza were all as if struck by a petrification spell, transformed into clay figures and wooden statues.

Their faces were frozen in all sorts of exaggerated, comical expressions—eyes bulging wide, mouths hanging open, lips twitching. Their minds had completely crashed, unable to process the scene before them that overturned everything they knew.

Silence.

A deathly silence.

Everyone's gaze was locked firmly on the young man in blue standing quietly atop the battle platform.

He slowly withdrew that plain, unremarkable fist. His blue robe fluttered faintly in the wind, and his expression was so calm that it was as though he had merely swatted a fly to death, rather than sending a Heaven Class chief instructor at the peak of the Body Refinement Eighth Level—one who had even briefly entered the Ninth Level with the aid of pills—flying with a single punch.

Several dozen meters below the platform, Li Tianyi's burly body was embedded in the cracked earth like a torn sack. His chest had caved in at a grotesque angle, countless bones throughout his body were broken, and blood poured wildly from his mouth. He had long since fainted, his life or death unknown.

A Body Refinement Seventh Level cultivator against a Body Refinement Ninth Level cultivator who had taken pills.

The most basic Martial Skills against an expert wielding a technique infinitely close to Earth-Tier profundity.

And the result was a one-punch kill!

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

This was a myth!

"Gulp."

Someone swallowed with difficulty amid the deathly silent crowd.

That sound seemed like a switch, instantly detonating the frozen world!

"BOOM—!!!!!"

A wave of cheers more terrifying and more fervent than any before surged into the sky, as though it would tear apart the clouds above Cloud Creek Academy!

"He... he won?!" "Am I dreaming?! Lin Xiao knocked out pill-enhanced Li Tianyi with one punch?!" "Monster! He isn't human at all! He's a monster!" "A god! From today onward, he is the god in my heart! Defeating the strong while weak—one battle and he became a legend!"

Every doubt, mockery, and disdain was smashed to pieces by that irrefutable punch, as miraculous as a divine revelation! In their place came shock, reverence, and fervor from the depths of their souls!

Those students who had previously wagered their merit points on Li Tianyi, waiting to see Lin Xiao make a fool of himself, were now pale as ashes, their intestines green with regret. The way they looked at Lin Xiao was filled with terror, as though they were staring at an ancient ferocious beast wearing human skin.

In stark contrast were the people of Yellow Class Nine!

After a brief moment of stunned silence, an indescribable ecstasy erupted fiercely from every one of their chests like a volcanic eruption!

"We won! The chief instructor won! We won!!" "Aaaah! We're rich! Ten-to-one odds!!"

Shi Lei's face flushed red with excitement as he grabbed Zhou Xiaoshu beside him, lifted him up, and gleefully tossed him into the air! Su Yue's delicate face was already covered in excited tears. As she gazed at the proud, solitary figure atop the platform, dazzling light flickered in her beautiful eyes, and she was utterly entranced.

What they had won was not merely the enormous sum of merit points enough to make anyone's eyes turn red.

They had won back their dignity! The dignity that had always been stripped away and trampled upon in this academy of rigid hierarchies!

From this day onward, no one would dare mock them as "the trash of Yellow Class" again!

Because they had a chief instructor capable of making every genius tremble!

"Cough, cough!"

Just as the entire venue descended into madness, the elder presiding over the duel finally recovered from his overwhelming shock. His gaze toward Lin Xiao was incomparably complicated, containing shock, admiration, and even a trace of fear.

He cleared his throat and poured all his mighty Spiritual Energy into his voice, carrying it across the entire plaza.

"This battle... Lin Xiao of Yellow Class Nine... wins!"

As that final verdict fell, the atmosphere across the plaza was once again pushed to its peak!

Lin Xiao calmly cupped his hands toward the judges' stand, then turned and walked down from the Life and Death Stage where he had become famous in a single battle.

Wherever he passed, the sea of people automatically parted like water, opening a broad path for him. Every gaze was filled with reverence and fervor; no one dared show the slightest contempt again.

He came before the people of Yellow Class Nine.

"Chief Instructor!" "Chief Instructor, mighty!"

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

"Get up," Lin Xiao said, a faint smile finally appearing on his face. "I said I would lead you to reclaim everything that belongs to us. This is only the first step."

He turned his gaze toward the merit exchange office, crowded with people because of the betting pool.

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

The merit exchange office had long since become a complete mess.

The several Heaven Class students responsible for the betting pool were pale as dirt and trembling from head to toe. Looking at the astronomical total payout displayed on the light screen, they felt as though the sky were collapsing.

Of the total one hundred thousand merit points, ninety-nine percent had been wagered on Li Tianyi's victory. Now, not only did they have to return nearly one hundred thousand points in principal, they also had to pay more than two hundred thousand additional merit points!

Two hundred thousand points!

It was a terrifying figure enough to leave the entire outer academy battered and broken!

"What do we do? We... we simply don't have that many merit points to pay!" one student said, his voice trembling with tears.

Just as they were drowning in despair, Lin Xiao slowly approached with the people of Yellow Class Nine.

At the sight of Lin Xiao, those Heaven Class students' legs went limp, and they nearly dropped to their knees on the spot.

"Ch-Chief Instructor Lin..."

"Pay out our merit points according to the wager," Lin Xiao said, his voice as calm as ever.

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

"You don't?" Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly, and an icy killing intent instantly swept over them. "Wagers made on the Life and Death Stage are protected by academy rules. Are you planning to default on your debt?"

Struck by that killing intent, the students were immediately scared out of their wits. They had no doubt that if they dared say the word "yes," the killing god before them would slaughter them on the spot without hesitation!

Just as the situation was at daggers drawn, a dignified voice sounded from behind the crowd.

"His merit points will be advanced by the academy!"

Everyone turned to look and saw that Vice Dean Chu Tianxing had appeared at some point. His wrinkled face was filled with undisguised appreciation and admiration as he looked at Lin Xiao.

"Lin Xiao, today you have given this old man—and the entire academy—a tremendous surprise!" Chu Tianxing said with a sigh.

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

"No need." Chu Tianxing waved his hand, then swept an imposing gaze over the students responsible for the betting pool. "A wager is a wager, and accepting defeat is the academy's iron rule! The betting pool was opened by Li Tianyi. He will bear half the payout personally, while the remaining half will be jointly borne by Heaven Class Three! If they cannot repay it all within three months, every last one of them will be expelled from the academy!"

The moment those words fell, the students turned ashen and collapsed to the ground completely.

Chu Tianxing ignored them and looked back at Lin Xiao, a kindly smile appearing on his face once more. "As for your rewards, not a single point will be missing. Go on. Today is your day of victory!"

With the Vice Dean personally speaking, the transfer of merit points proceeded exceptionally smoothly.

When Zhou Xiaoshu looked at the string of numbers in their team's shared account—two hundred and twenty-three thousand five hundred points—his hands shook so badly that he nearly fainted. He felt as though he were living in a dream.

They were rich!

Yellow Class Nine was truly rich this time!

This enormous fortune was enough to raise every one of their cultivation resources in the time ahead to a terrifying level comparable to the core disciples of Heaven Class!

Seeing his companions' flushed faces, reddened by wild joy, Lin Xiao's heart was also filled with satisfaction.

Nothing brought a greater sense of achievement than leading one's own team from having nothing to glory.

Completely unlike the jubilant atmosphere on Yellow Class Nine's side.

The top floor of the cultivation tower.

Inside that cultivation chamber shrouded year-round in terrifying gravity, the atmosphere was so oppressive it seemed ready to drip water.

"Bang!"

An exquisite white jade teacup was ruthlessly crushed into powder by a large hand bulging with veins!

Xiao Lang's handsome face, almost demonically beautiful, was now filled with gloom and savagery. Not a trace remained of his usual composure and elegance.

Before him, a communication jade talisman glowed faintly, recording in detail the entire battle on the Life and Death Stage.

"Trash! A complete and utter piece of trash!"

He snarled through gritted teeth, and a violent killing intent swept madly out from his body, sending ripples even through the terrifying gravity powerful enough to crush mountains!

Li Tianyi had been an important pawn Xiao Lang had planted in Heaven Class to suppress dissidents and consolidate his position.

But now, not only had that pawn been crippled, it had been crushed to pieces before the entire academy in the most humiliating manner possible!

Whose face had Li Tianyi lost?

It was Xiao Lang's face that had been slapped!

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

He chewed over the name again and again, the killing intent in his eyes growing thick to the extreme.

He had thought this was merely a slightly stronger ant, one he disdained to deal with personally. He had believed that sending any subordinate would be enough to crush it easily.

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

That was no ant at all!

It was a prehistoric ferocious beast wearing sheep's clothing!

"Returning to simplicity... ten thousand laws returning to one... Unbending True Meaning..." Xiao Lang studied the elders' evaluation of Lin Xiao's final punch on the jade talisman, his gaze becoming incomparably grave. "Not only does this fellow possess an Innate Dao Body, he has actually reached such a terrifying realm in martial intent!"

An unprecedented sense of crisis rose in his heart.

He knew that his greatest enemy had appeared!

"We cannot let him continue growing..." A vicious cold gleam flashed through Xiao Lang's eyes. "The Bloody Trial three months from now will be your burial ground!"

Lin Xiao paid little attention to the gathering winds and clouds outside.

After leading his companions to collect the merit points enough to drive anyone mad, he shut himself back inside his dormitory.

Sitting on his bed, he sank his consciousness into the system and began reviewing the gains and losses of today's battle.

[ Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing the hidden achievement: Becoming Famous in One Battle! ]

[ Achievement reward: All attributes +5. Obtain one chance at 'Martial Skill Fusion'! ]

[ Martial Skill Fusion: You may designate any three Martial Skills of Profound Grade or below for perfect fusion, creating a brand-new Martial Skill of a higher grade. ]

Seeing the reward notification on the system light screen, a fiery gleam flashed through Lin Xiao's eyes.

Martial Skill Fusion!

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

What he lacked most now was a truly presentable, high-grade trump card! Although his Nameless Fist, which fused hundreds and thousands of basic Martial Skills, possessed astonishing power, it consumed too much mental energy and could only serve as a trump card hidden at the bottom of the chest.

He needed a conventional attack method that still possessed peerless might!

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

In the end, he fixed his sights on three Martial Skills.

Basic Swordplay, Basic Movement Technique, and the Profound Grade Lower Tier movement technique he had learned on the second floor of the Library Pavilion, renowned for its speed and unpredictability—Phantom Tracing Steps.

"System, fuse these three!"

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

While waiting for the system to complete the fusion, Lin Xiao did not remain idle.

He sank his consciousness into his sea of qi and dantian.

There, the seed of Spiritual Energy that Earth Core Body Tempering Milk had once dyed pale gold now radiated brilliant light. After the all-out eruption during his battle with Li Tianyi, he could clearly sense that the Spiritual Energy within his body had reached the peak of the Body Refinement Seventh Level. Only a thin layer of window paper remained between him and the Eighth Level.

"It's time to absorb all 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 viscous liquid, like golden lava, into his mouth.

"Boom!"

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

Enduring the agony as though blazing fire were burning his body, Lin Xiao frantically circulated the cultivation method of the Book of Ten Thousand Laws, guiding that terrifying energy through his limbs and bones, tempering his sinews, bones, flesh, and blood!

The night passed without incident.

When the sunlight of the next morning once again spread across the earth.

Lin Xiao's door slowly opened.

He walked out, and his entire aura had undergone an earth-shattering transformation!

If he had previously been a sharp sword hidden in its sheath, its edge restrained.

Then now, he was like a towering divine mountain, unmoving and merged with heaven and earth! Deep as an abyss, steadfast as a mountain, unfathomable!

Body Refinement Eighth Level!

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

And almost at the very moment he broke through, the long-awaited voice of the system rang out in his mind.

[ Ding! Martial Skill Fusion successful! ]

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