A Dog Bereft of Its Home

Shen Qiu glared like a hawk and stalked like a wolf, his fighting spirit rising by the moment.

Shen Yun stood with his hands behind his back, his expression utterly calm.

"Finally, it's our turn." Shen Qiu's aura surged skyward as he barked sternly, "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. Today, I'll show the world who the true King is."

Shen Yun was somewhat speechless. He felt there was something wrong with the other man's head; for no reason at all, he had started adding drama to the scene.

"Can we begin?"

He could not be bothered with such an idiot and decided to end this quickly.

Shen Qiu's face darkened, his gaze growing ever more sinister. The other man's dismissive look once again stabbed at his pride.

The opening was thick with the smell of gunpowder, and the spectators immediately perked up.

"I heard Shen Qiu used to be Shen Yun's lackey. They went their separate ways after the Spirit Testing Ceremony."

"Could this be another tale of 'do not bully the poor youth'? Shen Qiu wants to prove himself."

"They're both peerless geniuses of this generation. Looks like there'll be a clash between dragons and tigers."

"..."

Amid countless expectant gazes, the match officially began.

Shen Yun moved like lightning. With one step, he seemed to Shrink Ground to Inch, appearing before Shen Qiu in an instant.

Perfect-level Roaming Cloud Steps, supreme spiritual power born from the fusion of fire and wood, and Li Fire Sword Intent brought to the pinnacle.

Sword qi descended as though from Beyond the Heavens, erupting with dazzling radiance. Even time seemed to freeze, and everyone's movements slowed without end.

Shen Qiu's sneer still hung on his face when blood-red sword qi had already reached him.

Aah!!!

The scream was deafening. Before even one-fifth of a breath had passed, Shen Qiu was beaten into a tattered sack. His entire body shot into the air, traced a parabola, and crashed heavily outside the arena.

Screech!

Shen Qiu skidded along the ground for more than ten meters before finally coming to a stop.

His clothes were in tatters, blood streaming everywhere. He looked like a dog bereft of its home.

"This... this isn't... real."

Shen Qiu's consciousness blurred, and his breath was faint as a thread. Yet the agony in his body was not even one ten-thousandth of the pain in his heart.

In merely one move, he had been defeated before he could even see his opponent's movements clearly. It was no different from swatting away some stray cat or dog.

Shen Yun looked down at Shen Qiu sprawled On the ground, his calm gaze like a Heavenly Blade that sent chills down one's spine.

If we weren't still in the Shen Family, I'd send you on your way right now.

The other man's hostility had been so intense, and he had repeatedly jumped out to cause trouble. Naturally, Shen Yun would not show mercy.

The venue instantly fell silent. Everyone stared at Shen Yun in stunned disbelief, stormy waves surging through their hearts.

Even the several elders could not help rising to their feet. The Third Elder roared almost madly, "Qi Condensation Fifth Layer cultivation, sword qi and movement techniques at the major accomplishment level—how is that possible?!"

He had never seen perfect-level Dao techniques and assumed Shen Yun's Cultivation Method had merely reached the major accomplishment realm.

Even so, Shen Yun's performance was still too unbelievable for him to accept. He even thought he was dreaming.

The First Elder was first shocked, then suspicious, and finally overjoyed. He looked at Shen Yun as though he had seen an immortal artifact passed down through the ages, unable to tear his gaze away for a long while.

Shen Leiyuan gripped the armrest tightly, his face flushed as he said, "What talent! What cultivation! He is the Kirin Son of my Shen Family."

Shen Yun's excellence had already made him cast aside his prejudices between factions. Whether Wind Vein or Lightning Vein, they were all one family. If Shen Yun became a Golden Core Venerable, he could support the Shen Family's enduring prosperity for several more centuries. Shen Leiyuan would even be willing to give up the position of Patriarch.

Su Yu's expression remained unchanged, but veins bulged on the back of his hand, showing his inner unrest.

I never expected the Shen Family to possess such a prodigy. It seems I made the right move.

He had long considered cooperating with the Shen Family. The Shangguan Family had been growing More and more powerful, already breaking the balance of Canglang Mountain.

Recently, news had spread that the Shangguan Family had produced the legendary Heavenly Spirit Root. This immediately made Su Yu resolve to form an alliance with the Shen Family.

With Shen Yun's talent, as long as he joins the Lone Swan Sword Sect, he will surely be able to stand on equal footing with Shangguan Dongjun and prevent him from dominating alone.

Su Yu's calculations continued without pause. The Lone Swan Sword Sect was the overlord of tens of thousands of miles around, possessing the finest resources and the strongest Cultivation Methods. If the clan's geniuses could enter it, they would surely benefit without end.

The Old Ancestor of the Su Family had once been an elder of the Lone Swan Sword Sect. That had been the Su Family's most glorious era, when they had possessed three Golden Core experts at once and dominated their region.

Su Yu had originally thought highly of Shen Qingruo and hoped she and Su Yu'er could enter the Lone Swan Sword Sect together, supporting each other and tempering themselves as they advanced. Unexpectedly, an even better choice had appeared.

The Fifth Elder no longer wore a long face. With a face full of spring breeze, he said, "I could tell from a young age that you had a promising future. Just as this old man expected."

Shen Yun did not know whether to laugh or cry. If he had not just been targeted from every direction, he might actually have believed him.

The Fifth Elder did not feel embarrassed either. A wise man submits to the circumstances; he displayed all the composure of an old hand.

Some rejoiced while others grieved.

Shen Qiu used every ounce of strength he had to climb up from the ground. He staggered and swayed from side to side like an old man with one foot in the grave.

Those who had once fawned over him all turned with the wind, becoming the most familiar of strangers.

Anyone with eyes could now see that Shen Yun's future was boundless. Who would risk offending him to help Shen Qiu?

Just then, Shen Wude walked over from the opposite direction. He had just gone to buy some food. The fierce battle had left his big belly rumbling with hunger, and someone whom he had fooled in the past felt disgruntled. They suddenly stuck out a foot and tripped him.

"Who dares plot against Fatty?!"

Shen Wude lost his balance, then suddenly spotted Shen Qiu. His eyes lit up, and he conveniently fell forward.

Splat!

His huge backside landed directly on Shen Qiu. More than two hundred pounds descended like Mount Tai crushing down upon him, sending blood spraying into the air.

Aah!!!

Shen Qiu let out a hysterical scream, bearing a weight too heavy to endure. Seven or eight of his ribs were crushed beneath the sit, and with a roll of his eyes, he fell completely into shock.

Shen Wude wriggled twice, then rose leisurely from the human cushion. Looking back, he was startled by Shen Qiu's miserable state.

"Damn! Don't you go trying to scam me. Everyone can testify for me."

Shen Wude greased the soles of his feet and fled the scene of the crime, moving more nimbly than a rabbit.

After a brief rest, the discussion at the venue grew even more fervent.

"The former number one genius against the current number one genius—this is truly something to look forward to."

"Brother, you're behind the times. Miss Qingruo is indeed a heaven-favored daughter, but compared with Shen Yun, she may still fall slightly short."

"I really don't know how Shen Yun cultivates. Even Shen Feng is probably no match for him."

"..."

Under the gaze of the entire crowd, the next round officially began.