Battle Arts Peak.
Deep within the Pill River.
Someone rushed inside. A slender figure clad in tiger skin sat cross-legged on a platform, breathing in and out.
A rumbling came from his belly, like the growl of a tiger lying on the ground.
He drew in and breathed out a steady stream of Nirvana Qi, and the faint image of a demon tiger appeared behind him.
"What is it?"
"A fight broke out over on Battle Heaven Peak," the Nirvana disciple who had rushed in said.
"Battle Heaven Peak? Don't they usually stay out of the Body Refinement Faction and Divine Ability Faction's affairs?"
Xun Wu opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through them, then asked in puzzlement. He and Ning Chen were from Battle Arts Peak and Primordial Peak, respectively.
Thus, most members of the two factions were disciples of those peaks. Battle Heaven Peak had members of both factions too, but fewer of them, and conflicts rarely broke out there.
"Anyway, they started arguing in the Pill River, and then they started fighting."
The Nirvana disciple spoke.
Xun Wu frowned and slowly rose. "Let's go settle it first. We can't push Battle Heaven Peak over to their side. After all, junior brother Xiang... is from Battle Heaven Peak."
"If he gets involved, things will get too big, and Master wouldn't agree to it either."
The three peaks were not so clearly divided. The difference was more a matter of which path of body-refining martial arts each favored.
They were not like Dao Sect and Yuan Sect, where each branch was essentially independent. After all, any direct disciple of the Primordial Hall could cultivate both the Primordial Battle Body and the Three Heaven-Breaking Forms.
It was just that...
Battle Heaven Peak's martial arts were mostly derived from the Three Heaven-Breaking Forms, Primordial Peak's from the Primordial Battle Body, while Battle Arts Peak combined the two.
If this kind of clash happened on either Primordial Peak or Battle Arts Peak, Xun Wu would have been happy to see it and wouldn't even have been in a hurry.
The bigger the uproar, the better.
Convictions were forged through fighting!
Before either of them had left the Pill River, another figure rushed over. "Senior brother Xun Wu, the Young Hall Master has come out of seclusion! He settled the whole thing with one punch."
Xun Wu frowned even harder and couldn't help asking, "Who started it?"
"Uh, Jiang Lin."
Xun Wu took a deep breath. Jiang Lin was one of the top disciples on Battle Arts Peak, at Six Yuan Nirvana, and Xiang Yun had actually subdued him with one punch?
Xun Wu quickened his pace, Origin Energy surging around him. The other two nodded as well.
"Hurry, let's go to Battle Heaven Peak and find Young Hall Master Xiang. We need to clear up the aftermath first. I didn't expect Young Hall Master Xiang to have grown so quickly!!"
The three were just about to turn into a streak of rainbow light and rush out.
Just then, an even faster streak of rainbow light rushed in. "Senior brother Xun Wu, bad news! Senior brother Ning Chen has been subdued by the Young Hall Master!!"
"And it only took two punches."
"Huh?"
This time, Xun Wu was completely stunned. Wait.
Was there some mysterious power in the Pill River? Had several years passed outside in just this short while?
How had Young Hall Master Xiang subdued Ning Chen in two punches?
Although he and Ning Chen did indeed have a dispute over their convictions, he acknowledged Ning Chen's strength.
Otherwise, the two factions wouldn't have been fighting for so long.
Now even Ning Chen had been subdued?
"That's enough, Xun Wu. Set our convictions aside for the time being. The Hall Master said the Young Hall Master would handle it when the time came."
"Go apologize to the Young Hall Master, so you don't get beaten too badly."
At that moment, an aged voice sounded in Xun Wu's ear. It belonged to his grandmaster, the Death Profound Realm grand elder who supported him in the dispute between the factions.
He had excellent comprehension, and because of certain family connections, he had some dealings with the demon race and knew a few secrets. There had once been a demon race expert.
Who had created demon race cultivation methods that even humans could use, though they required a demon race medium.
Moreover, the idea of battle body divine abilities matched what he had always thought, so he had begun researching it back in the Nirvana Realm.
Using his physical body after forming his Nirvana Golden Body, he had fused it with some of the Heavenly Demon Tiger Clan's bloodline and some bones, allowing his Primordial Battle Body to unleash a Heavenly Demon Tiger's divine abilities.
That had made him feel that the path of battle body divine abilities was viable.
Although the Divine Ability Faction had always existed, it had found a second spring in his hands, earning him his grandmaster's regard.
He had thought his grandmaster was an extremely staunch believer in battle body divine abilities, yet to his surprise, his grandmaster had not only told him to let the matter rest.
He had even told him to apologize?
But his grandmaster's next words stunned him. "It would be best if you could sound him out about the form the Young Hall Master manifested when he defeated Ning Chen."
"That could very well be the true path of our battle body divine abilities!"
Xun Wu looked at the disciple who had brought the latest news and asked, "Did the Young Hall Master undergo any changes when he fought Ning Chen?"
"Uh, yes. The Young Hall Master suddenly took on a form that looked like a combination of many demon races. Although he still had a human body, he looked more like a bizarre member of the demon race."
The disciple nodded.
Xun Wu frowned slightly. Could it be that the Young Hall Master, like him, had some demon race blood in his body?
"Let's go find the Young Hall Master first..."
Before Xun Wu could finish, he sensed a terrifying presence approaching. The next moment, he heard an angry shout.
"Senior brother Xun Wu, get the hell out here!"
Xun Wu couldn't help wondering, Isn't this a little too fast? He defeated Ning Chen and came straight here without even stopping to rest.
"Let's go out."
Xun Wu took a deep breath and turned into a streak of rainbow light, arriving outside to find a vast crowd of people, with Xiang Yun at their head.
And Ning Chen, his longtime rival, stood obediently behind Xiang Yun.
"Listen..." Before Xiang Yun could say more, Xun Wu cupped his hands and said, "I acted rashly in this matter. I won't bring up this dispute again."
"If the Young Hall Master wishes to punish me, I will accept it. I only ask that you not punish the others."
Xun Wu's words left Ning Chen utterly dumbfounded.
Ning Chen: ?
Wait, bro.
You dropped to your knees so suddenly, you're making me look like an idiot. I even took two punches and was reminded all over again of the terror of the Primordial Trial.
Xiang Yun hadn't expected Xun Wu to give in so quickly either. He glanced at the three disciples behind him. It seemed they had tipped him off.
As for his sudden surrender, the elder behind him had probably intervened. Xiang Yun narrowed his eyes. They were all fellow disciples.
Now that Xun Wu had surrendered, he naturally couldn't very well think about beating him up anymore. Xiang Yun nodded. "I hope you keep your word."
"I certainly will."
Just then.
A figure appeared with two others behind him. All three were big men built like iron towers, and Hong Wuji stood at their head.
Unlike his ease when he had been alone with Xiang Yun in the hall, Hong Wuji was now full of majesty, his presence soaring to the heavens. He said coldly, "What kind of behavior is this? Every last one of you must have too much time on your hands."
"Xiang Yun is only fifteen, and he's already subdued you. What does that show? It shows you never put your minds on cultivation."
"All day long, you fight over trivial matters. Everyone who took part in today's fight will spend seven days in the Primordial Pool. No using martial arts!"
The Primordial Pool was a place in the Primordial Hall for Body Tempering. It was filled with a desolate presence that affected the physical body and caused it to decay.
Without using martial arts to resist it, many of the people here would probably be tormented constantly, but no one dared object.
Some didn't mind going to the Primordial Pool, but when they heard him compare them to Xiang Yun...
Wait, Hall Master.
How can that be the same?
"Come with me." Hong Wuji looked at Xiang Yun, who nodded. A few moments later, the two reappeared in the Primordial Battle Hall.
Hong Wuji, who had looked so imposing just before, burst out laughing. "Well done, very well done! The looks on those two fellows' faces! I was still trying to persuade them nicely."
"Who would have thought you'd step in and subdue the spokesmen they had put forward?"
Xiang Yun stretched and said, "If he hadn't disturbed me, I would have broken through to Four Yuan Nirvana. I couldn't be bothered with them otherwise. Didn't you tell me not to get involved?"
Hong Wuji gave an awkward smile, then suddenly turned somewhat serious. "I haven't asked you yet. Which path do you actually think is better, body refinement or divine abilities?"
"Even if you don't want to pick a side, you must have a preference!"
"Of course, we have to grasp both hands and keep both hands strong!" Xiang Yun said as though it were only natural.