Vina Is Shocked—Liu Yuan Has Already Become This Strong?

The bloodstains on the martial arts arena had long since been washed away.

That sparring match, which had shaken the entire sect, gradually settled into a topic of conversation after meals for the disciples as time passed, as well as the motivation driving them to cultivate frantically.

Liu Yuan did not grow complacent after defeating Long Aotian.

He knew full well that although Long Aotian had lost, he had lost to the unreasonable regenerative power of the Undying Body and the explosive strength of three rings with ten-thousand-year spirit rings.

In terms of the purity of his Soul Power and his mastery of the Body Martial Soul, Long Aotian still had much worth learning from.

He still needed to cultivate humbly.

Thus, a peculiar sight appeared within the Body Sect.

Every morning, while the sky was still dim, Liu Yuan would appear beneath the waterfall on the Back Mountain right on time, using the heavy water to temper his body while circulating the Body Secret Art Du Busi had given him.

At the same time, Long Aotian would inevitably appear atop a huge boulder nearby, cultivating even more desperately than before.

Long Aotian, who had always been somewhat proud and aloof, completely turned his grief and indignation into motivation after losing to Liu Yuan.

He showed no dejection whatsoever. Instead, he became even quieter than before, devoting every second to refining his Soul Power.

This silent competition soon produced two extremely terrifying forces.

One month later.

Inside a secret chamber on the Back Mountain, a dense wave of dark golden Soul Power seeped through the door. Long Aotian slowly opened his eyes and let out a long breath. Level forty-eight.

In just one month, driven by immense psychological pressure, he had broken through once more and moved another step closer to the level-fifty Soul King realm.

When Du Busi learned of this, he revealed a rare look of gratification.

He had originally feared that his previous defeat would shatter Long Aotian's resolve, but he had not expected that battle to instead become the spark that led Long Aotian to break out of his cocoon and transform.

This was exactly what he wished to see.

Meanwhile, a wave of breakthrough Soul Power also came from Liu Yuan's residence.

Level thirty-six.

Compared to Long Aotian's arduous climb past the level-forty threshold, Liu Yuan's advancement through the thirties still maintained a pace that made people's hearts pound.

One level every twenty days—such speed would be utterly monstrous anywhere.

Thus, when news of Liu Yuan's latest breakthrough spread through the sect, Chen Lü, Gu Tong, and the others had gone from initial "shock" to utter "numbness."

"Why even cultivate? No matter how hard we train, we can't catch up to Senior Brother Liu."

Though Chen Lü complained like that, his body was far more honest. He jumped into the iron barrel prepared for medicinal baths and gritted his teeth against the piercing pain of the medicine.

In this atmosphere of leading by example, every disciple in the Body Sect seemed to have been wound tight like a clock. Their cultivation intensity generally increased by more than thirty percent.

No one wanted to be left so far behind by that "senior brother," who had been in the sect for less than a year, that they could not even see his shadow.

The Body Sect had begun to compete and push itself at an unprecedented pace.

On this day, two old friends arrived outside the Body Sect's mountain gate, which remained closed year-round.

Princess Vina had taken off her luxurious court gown and changed into a capable set of fitted combat attire. Due to her frequent Soul Power cultivation, her skin carried a healthy rosy glow.

"Princess, ever since leaving the palace, you've smiled more these past two days than you did over the previous several months combined."

Mu Xue, walking beside her, could not help but tease her.

Watching Vina's light steps, she shook her head helplessly.

Vina turned around, her smile bright as a flower. "Mu Xue, the palace is far too boring. The moment I open my eyes every day, it's all political schemes and calculations. How can that compare to the freedom of being a Soul Master? Here, strength is strength and weakness is weakness. There aren't so many twists and turns."

She gazed at the familiar towering structures of the Body Sect, anticipation in her eyes. "It's been several months since we last parted. I wonder how everyone is doing. Especially that Liu Yuan—I wonder how much stronger he has become."

The two quickly passed identity verification and entered the sect.

However, the moment she stepped inside, Vina keenly sensed that something was off.

The disciples who used to joke around on the roads and occasionally slack off were nowhere to be seen.

Looking around, whether on the plaza or the forest paths, cultivators were everywhere, shouting loudly and training until they were drenched in sweat.

Vina finally stopped Gu Tong and Chen Lü on their way to the dining hall, only to discover that both had dark circles beneath their eyes, yet their spirits were frighteningly high.

"What's gotten into you two? I've never seen you work this hard before." Vina stared at them in shock and could not help asking.

Chen Lü wiped away his sweat and said with a bitter face, "Vina, you finally came. Sigh, there's nothing we can do. Ever since Senior Brother Liu Yuan knocked Senior Brother Long flat on the arena a while back, the whole sect has gone mad. The Sect Master declared that anyone who slacks off again will be thrown straight into the Poison Dragon Pit to feed the worms."

"Wait, what did you say?" The smile froze on Vina's face. She dug at her ear and asked incredulously, "Liu Yuan... defeated Long Aotian? Are you joking? He only has three rings, right?"

Gu Tong sighed and took over. "Vina, how could we dare joke about something like this?"

"Senior Brother Liu Yuan went to the Extreme North and returned with a black Third Spirit Ring. That's right, a ten-thousand-year one."

"On the arena, before the entire sect, he defeated Senior Brother Long, who was level forty-seven. Among all the younger generation in the sect, he is now the strongest."

Chen Lü added another blow. "He's level thirty-six now. You know he's the same age as you, but his strength... let's not talk about strength. It hurts our pride."

Vina and Mu Xue exchanged a glance, both their eyes filled with shock.

Three rings, with a ten-thousand-year spirit ring.

He had defeated the four-ringed Long Aotian across realms.

Vina had originally thought Liu Yuan's improvement would already be tremendous, but from what she had heard now, his growth rate was even more outrageous than she had imagined.

"That guy is still as much of a freak as ever..." Vina murmured. The curiosity she had felt toward Liu Yuan gradually turned into an inexplicable awe.

Chen Lü looked at the luggage behind Vina and asked, "Vina, how long can you stay this time? We've finally all gathered together. Want to get together tonight?"

Vina shrugged helplessly and sighed. "No rest for the weary. I didn't come back just to cultivate this time. I'm here on a royal mission assigned by my father. Once I finish discussing business, I may have to leave again in a few days."

She did not linger any longer. After waving goodbye to Chen Lü and the others, she headed straight toward the Sect Master Hall at the mountaintop.

Half an hour later, within the Sect Master Hall, Du Busi's deep, imposing voice surged through Soul Power and rang precisely in the ears of every core disciple.

"Liu Yuan, Long Aotian, Chen Lü, Wang Yanfeng, Gu Tong, report to the hall at once!"

The several figures who had been training hard in different places instantly stopped upon hearing the command, transforming into streaks of different-colored light as they sped toward the hall.