Morning light tore through the curtain of night, and daylight poured down.
The Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy awoke in the dawn, bursting with astonishing vitality.
The sound of rushing wind filled the sky as countless figures turned into streaks of light, all sweeping toward the Spirit Fighting Arena in the northwest.
The Spirit Fighting Arena was a site specially designated for matches within the academy. Enormous blue-black stones formed its vast circular grounds, their surfaces polished smooth by years of weathering and spiritual energy, gleaming with a cold, hard sheen.
By now, the arena was already a sea of people.
A dense mass of heads stretched from the edge of the fighting platform to the highest rows of the circular stands. The clamor gathered like a tide, echoing and crashing through the enormous space until even the air seemed to tremble.
"This turnout... more than half the academy must be here, right?" someone remarked, clicking his tongue at the sight.
"Of course. A Heaven Reaching Realm freshman challenging Li Xuantong, second on the Heaven Ranking? You might only see something like this once in your life," his companion replied, unable to hide the excitement in his eyes.
Their gazes passed over the shifting crowd and settled on the area directly in front of the main fighting platform, where the view was best.
Only a few figures stood there, yet the aura radiating from each made the surrounding students keep their distance, their eyes filled with awe.
"Look up front! Su Xuan, third on the Heaven Ranking, Crane Demon, fourth, and Xu Huang, fifth-they're all here!"
The appearance of three top-ranked experts on the Heaven Ranking prompted another wave of hushed exclamations.
"Heh, we're only missing the most monstrous genius in our Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy," someone said with a quiet laugh.
"Shen Cangsheng..."
At the mention of that name, many eyes filled with complicated emotions, an indescribable trace of defeat mingling with awe and longing.
"But now, he might have to surrender that title of 'most monstrous genius.'"
"Yeah. Already in the Heaven Reaching Realm when he enrolled... that Mu Chen is the real monster."
"I heard he declared on his first day that he wanted to challenge Shen Cangsheng. Unfortunately, Shen Cangsheng still hasn't returned from his trip, so he went after Li Xuantong instead."
"Who knows how many years it'll take me to reach that realm..." Even some students with considerable talent could not help sighing.
Who among those admitted to the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy had not been a genius in their own region? Yet before a monster like Mu Chen, even the loftiest ambition was reduced to helplessness by comparison.
"Do you think Li Xuantong can win?" someone asked, steering the conversation back to the coming battle.
The surroundings fell silent for a moment.
"Heaven Transformation Realm against Heaven Reaching Realm..." A tall, thin student slowly shook his head, his tone pessimistic. "The gap between major realms is like a chasm carved by heaven. They're on completely different levels. Li Xuantong may be strong, but..."
"Not necessarily," another interrupted, a sharp gleam in his eyes. "I heard Mu Chen comes from the Northern Spiritual Realm, some remote backwater."
"What profound Spirit Arts could a place like that pass down? Li Xuantong has deep foundations, and the Spirit Arts he cultivates are far from ordinary. With that advantage, he might be able to bridge the gap between their realms!"
"That makes sense. A battle isn't just about cultivation realms. Spirit Arts, awareness, adaptability—they're all crucial. Li Xuantong hasn't held second place on the Heaven Ranking on an empty reputation!"
The crowd debated in low voices, their opinions divided, but every gaze remained fixed on the empty main fighting platform, waiting for the two figures to appear.
The sun climbed higher.
A streak of light suddenly swept in from the distance and landed steadily in the center of the platform. The newcomer stood with his hands behind his back, his expression composed. It was Li Xuantong.
His arrival was like cold water falling into boiling oil, instantly igniting an even louder uproar.
"Li Xuantong's here!"
"His bearing is so steady... does he already have a plan?"
"He's second on the Heaven Ranking, after all. That composure alone is extraordinary."
Li Xuantong seemed not to hear the surrounding clamor. He simply stood quietly at the edge of the platform, looking toward its other end.
Mu Chen had yet to appear.
Just then, a black-clad figure stepped forward.
His clothes were as dark as ink, his posture straight and tall. His simple attire could not conceal his innate poise.
The youth had handsome, refined features, with the faintest hint of a smile at his lips. His gaze swept over the arena, calm as a deep pool without the slightest ripple.
On his shoulder, a gray-brown sparrow perched quietly, its black, beanlike eyes half closed, utterly indifferent to the crowd's mountain-shaking, sea-roaring clamor.
It was Mu Chen.
Half a step behind him followed three graceful figures.
On the left, Xuan Yi wore fitted combat attire, her ponytail tied high. Her pretty face was slightly tense, and a trace of nervousness hid in her clear eyes.
In the middle, silver hair cascaded like a waterfall above a black dress that trailed along the ground. Her face was cool and ethereally beautiful, her glasslike eyes as still as a frigid pool.
On the right, a red dress blazed like fire. She was tall and slender, her long hair bound into a high ponytail with a golden ring. Innate pride marked her exquisite face, and her gaze was sharp as a blade.
The simultaneous appearance of the three women stirred another commotion. Even Tang Qian'er, whose looks fell slightly short of the others', was a peerless beauty.
Countless students secretly gritted their teeth. It was bad enough that Mu Chen possessed such monstrous talent, but even the beauties at his side were this outstanding!
Mu Chen stepped onto the fighting platform.
Li Xuantong's expression changed abruptly.
His back remained straight, his hands still clasped behind him, but a closer look would have revealed his fingertips trembling unconsciously inside his sleeves.
A thin sheen of sweat quietly seeped from his temple and slid down his lean cheek. It lingered on his chin for a moment before finally dripping onto the cold blue-black stone, spreading into a small, dark stain.
Heaven Reaching Realm!
It was not that Li Xuantong had never faced an expert at this level, but no one had ever subjected him to pressure as terrifying as the person before him.
"As expected of the man Luo Li chose."
"You truly are... outstanding."
Li Xuantong drew a deep breath. His gaze grew utterly serious, even revealing a desperate resolve to stake everything.
"I hope you'll use your full strength."
"Let me see the true gap between us!"
As his words fell, the Spirit Fighting Arena went deathly silent.
Everyone understood. He was not seeking victory, but defeat!
In the spectator stands, a fleeting daze filled with tangled emotions passed through Wen Qingxuan's eyes when she heard those words.
I hope you'll use your full strength...
Those words... were so familiar.
So familiar that it felt as though yesterday had come alive again.
The Spirit Road. The War Realm.
Facing Mu Chen, she too had once said something similar, only to suffer a crushing defeat.
Back then, her pride had remained intact, but now...
Wen Qingxuan's gaze returned to the black-clad figure on the fighting platform.
Heaven Reaching Realm.
The instant she learned that, the last ember of pride in her heart had been extinguished completely.
Compare myself to him? With what?
She, Wen Qingxuan, was proud, lofty in spirit, and held no one else in her regard.
But she was not stupid.
She knew that she would probably never be able to maintain her pride before Mu Chen for the rest of her life.
That helpless sense of defeat stirred strange feelings within her, making her unconsciously... want to draw closer to him.
On the fighting platform, the battle had begun!
An indescribably terrifying surge of air exploded from Mu Chen!
"Urgh-!"
As though struck by a massive hammer, Li Xuantong flew backward, his body plowing two deep furrows through the stone platform as fragments sprayed into the air.
He skidded more than a hundred yards, only barely managing to stop at the very edge of the platform.
A metallic sweetness rose in his throat. Blood surged into his mouth and sprayed out!
His face was as pale as gold-leaf paper.
He had lost.
Mu Chen had not even truly attacked. His completely unrestrained aura alone had utterly crushed Li Xuantong, jolting his internal organs and nearly sending him off the platform.
This was the gap between them.
Tens of thousands of spectators seemed to have their throats seized, unable to make a sound.
What had they just witnessed?
Li Xuantong, second on the Heaven Ranking and at the late stage of the Heaven Transformation Realm, had been routed by Mu Chen's aura alone!
Before you continue