Only a man who carried his will through his entire life was a true man
In just a few breaths, everyone in the huge Hu Clan hall, except for Bai Yushan, fainted!
The floor was a mess, and the room was completely silent.
Only the black and red arcs of electricity continued to crackle, reflecting in Bai Yushan's scarlet eyes, making him look like a demon god emerging from the thunder.
"Well..."
A faint groan was heard.
Hu Yuxiu slowly woke up.
He had been knocked unconscious by Bai Yushan's punch and was lying half-dead on a stretcher when he was forcibly awakened by that terrifying pressure of will.
The moment he opened his eyes, he hadn't realized where he was. His mind was foggy, and his whole body felt like it was falling apart.
But the next second, that overwhelming will pressed down on them.
Hu Yuxiu shuddered violently, as if he had been doused with ice water from head to toe, and instantly sobered up.
Fear!
An overwhelming fear surged up from the depths of his genes, from the very bottom of his soul. He trembled uncontrollably, his teeth chattered, and even breathing became difficult.
He struggled to turn his eyes and look toward the center of the hall.
With just one glance, his entire worldview shattered.
Black and red lightning exploded around the boy, his face covered by a white tiger-shaped mask, revealing only a pair of scarlet eyes.
The man stood quietly amidst the rubble and the unconscious crowd. He wasn't particularly burly, but he seemed to be holding up the entire sky.
What is that?
Hu Yuxiu's mind went blank.
A giant dragon soaring through the sky?
A tiger that rules the mountains and forests?
A giant whale that dominates the ocean?
No, neither is correct.
No matter how terrifying these legends of Ferocious Beast may be, they cannot bring this kind of soul-stirring sense of oppression.
He had seen Soul Saint experts at the Shrek Academy, and even witnessed the scenes of Soul Douluo instructors competing against senior students from the Inner Court.
Those seniors possessed profound Soul Power and an imposing aura, but compared to the person before them, they all seemed to lack something.
It lacks that domineering spirit that... disregards all rules, crushes all constraints, and rampages headlong according to its own will.
The power of the person in front of me seems to be completely unrestricted by the Soul Power Level.
The will surging within that black and red lightning was unbelievably powerful.
He's clearly only... looks to be around twenty years old!
(Note: Hu Yuxiu was unaware of the true nature of Bai Yushan.)
The more Hu Yuxiu thought about it, the more terrified he became. His body trembled like a leaf, and he didn't even have the strength to lift his hand.
He used to think of himself as a Shrek Academy student, superior to others, and that all the local Soul Master were bumpkins. But now, in front of this figure, he felt that he was not even as good as an ant.
They didn't even glance at him; their sheer willpower almost made him faint again.
What kind of monster is this?!
Bai Yushan naturally noticed Hu Yuxiu in the corner.
He didn't even need to turn around; with his Electromagnetic Clarity and Haki intertwined, no movement within a hundred meters could escape his perception.
But he wasn't interested in paying attention.
He's just a clown. I didn't kill him earlier, and I have even less interest in finishing him off now.
More important than dealing with this kind of trash right now is the newly awakened Haki.
This force is very interesting; it is entirely driven by willpower, and its strength depends entirely on how firm one's will is.
I'm still quite unfamiliar with it since I just awakened it, so I need to find a place to get to know it properly and see what new tricks I can come up with.
With that in mind, Bai Yushan stopped lingering.
He pushed off the ground slightly with his feet, and his figure suddenly rose high, like a black and red lightning bolt, shooting directly out through the large hole in the roof that had been smashed open.
Only a single, fleeting sentence remained, echoing in the empty lobby.
"If you want revenge, come find me anytime."
The wind howled past, Bai Yushan's figure disappeared into the night of Eastsea City in a few leaps.
In the lobby, only Hu Yuxiu remained, staring blankly at the hole in the roof, unable to come to his senses for a long time.
A cool night breeze blew in, but he was completely unaware of it.
That scene was etched into his mind like a brand.
Black and red lightning, scarlet eyes, an extremely domineering will, and that casually uttered challenge.
"What kind of power is this...?"
Hu Yuxiu muttered to himself, his voice dry and hoarse, "Is that what you call Haki? Haki..."
He repeated those two words over and over again.
At first, there was still lingering fear in his voice.
But slowly, the fear subsided, and a glimmer of light appeared in his eyes.
That was longing.
An extreme desire.
He spent three years at the Shrek Academy, surrounded by geniuses, powerful individuals, and high-ranking mentors and Inner Court disciples. But never before had he felt such a strong yearning for power.
It wasn't out of competitiveness, to stand out from the crowd, or to show off in front of classmates.
I just simply wanted to possess it.
Having that kind of power and that kind of will allows one to thoroughly and completely carry out one's ideas and one's path.
You don't have to worry about anyone's opinion, you're not bound by any rules, you can do whatever you want, and go wherever you want.
To carry out one's free will throughout one's entire life.
That's what a real man should live like!
Hu Yuxiu lay on the stretcher, his eyes growing brighter and brighter, and he could no longer feel the pain in his body.
He used to think that being Shrek Academy student was already quite remarkable. But now he realized that he was like a frog in a well, never having seen what a true powerhouse looked like.
Compared to that "Sea Tiger," his prized talent and his cultivation level as a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor are utterly insignificant.
They couldn't even withstand the pressure of someone else's will.
"Haki..."
He repeated it to himself in a low voice, his fist slowly clenching.
He also wanted to possess that power.
He also wanted to live that kind of unrestrained and flamboyant life.
One day, he will also reach that height.
Hu Yuxiu stared at the hole in the roof, at the night sky outside, his eyes burning with an intense light.
Tonight's crushing defeat shattered all his pride and ignited the wildest flame in his heart.
Back in his dormitory at the Eastsea Academy, Bai Yushan closed the door behind him, shutting out the night and the noise.
He removed his white mask and tossed it casually onto the coffee table. His black hair was still a little messy, carrying the coolness of the night breeze. The room was quiet, with only the faint sound of the Soul Gathering Array circulating its Soul Power. Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting a silvery-white layer on the floor.
Bai Yushan walked to the center of the living room, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.
He tried to replicate the feeling he had just experienced in the Hu Clan's main hall—that state of will breaking through limits and black and red lightning bursting forth.
With a thought, the Soul Power within his body naturally began to circulate, Electric Current Push of 260,000 volts, ready to be activated at any moment, and his muscles and bones were also prepared to exert force.
The expected Haki didn't materialize at all; not only was there no black and red lightning, but even the heavy pressure of will could not be sensed.
I tried three times, and it was the same every time.
Bai Yushan opened his eyes, his brows furrowed, and a hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes.
"Tsk, they messed up at the crucial moment."
He cursed and scratched his hair in frustration.
This power is clearly hidden within the body and deep within the will, yet it's shrouded in a veil, impossible to grasp.
Bai Yushan walked to the sofa and sat down, leaning back with his long legs propped up on the coffee table, slowly calming his emotions.
There's no use in being anxious.
The more you rush things, the less likely you are to find the right approach.
He closed his eyes and began to recall.
Recalling every detail of the Hu Clan's main hall.
The smell of dust flying from flying stones, the stench of blood, the heaviness of Hu Wanshan's palm strike, the oppressive feeling of the Dark Iron Cage closing, and the exhilarating feeling that surged up in my heart after smashing two Soul King with a single punch.
The real feeling of holding power in your palm, the unbridled power of life and death, the heroic spirit of breaking all rules and constraints.
Those thoughts surged up like a tide—
Compromising kindness is worthless; power itself is the highest form of morality.
A tiger has no need to prove anything to a flock of sheep, and a lone traveler has no need to explain anything to the masses.
So-called rules are nothing more than shackles used by the weak to bind the strong.
Do whatever you want.
Go wherever you want.
Everything is permitted, every wish is allowed.
Bai Yushan's breathing gradually calmed down.
He could feel something deep within his consciousness warming slightly as these thoughts became clearer.