The midday sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Cloudtop Manor, bathing the living room in a warm, golden light.
Su Yu had just pushed open the front door when the sight before him froze him in his tracks.
The table, usually bare, was now piled high with exquisite gift boxes crafted from precious materials like golden nanmu wood, jade, and even low-temperature alloys, forming a small mountain of treasures.
Behind this "treasure mountain," Su Wu sat cross-legged on the genuine leather sofa, casually twirling the silver storage ring he had "borrowed" from the Treasure Pavilion manager. His eyes gleamed with the smug contentment of a nouveau riche.
Seeing his son return, Su Wu waved his hand dismissively.
Whoosh!
A sandalwood box sealed with a "Supreme Quality" label arced through the air, landing precisely at the doorway.
"Dad, what's this...?" Su Yu fumbled to catch the box, his face a mask of bewilderment.
"Open it and see," Su Wu said, pointing to the box with a casual tone. "Weren't you complaining about your qi and blood recovery being slow during your special training in the back mountain the other day? Your old man took a stroll today and picked up some supplies for you. This should last you a while."
Su Yu swallowed hard, his fingers trembling as he opened the wooden box.
Boom!
A rich, almost overwhelming medicinal fragrance erupted from the box. With just one inhale, Su Yu felt his fatigued qi and blood instantly surge with vitality.
Inside the box lay three test tubes, each glowing with a blood-golden sheen. Prominently printed on the tubes was the Treasure Pavilion's anti-counterfeiting mark: B-grade Dragon Blood Grass Extract!
"Hiss—"
Su Yu gasped, his hand shaking so violently he nearly dropped the box.
A single B-grade potion like this cost ten million federal credits! And there were three of them here!
This was hardly "some supplies"!
"Dad, this... how much did this cost?" Su Yu's voice trembled. "We might have some money now, but we can't just throw it around like this..."
Su Wu glanced at his son, a playful smile curving his lips as he said casually, "Money? Talking about money ruins the mood. I didn't spend a single cent today."
"Didn't spend any money?" Su Yu's eyes widened, his face screaming, "You're kidding me!" "Who would be generous enough to give us something worth hundreds of millions?"
"Oh, I met a very enthusiastic manager at the Treasure Pavilion," Su Wu said with a straight face, making up a story. "He said he was impressed by my extraordinary physique and insisted on giving me these things to become friends. I couldn't refuse his overwhelming generosity, so I reluctantly accepted."
Su Yu: "......"
Though he knew his father was pulling his leg, Su Yu's heart swelled with gratitude as he gazed at the genuine gold and silver resources. He understood that his father was doing everything possible to lay the foundation for his martial dao journey.
"Alright, stop daydreaming."
Su Wu stood up, patted his son's shoulder, and his expression turned serious.
"The Martial Arts College Entrance Examination is less than three months away. Now that we have ample resources, don't hold back."
"Yes, sir! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" Su Yu clutched the box tightly, his eyes burning with fierce determination.
Over the next few days, the underground training room at Cloudtop Manor became Su Yu's secluded training ground.
With the Chaos Body—his cheat-like advantage—Su Yu didn't need to worry about "excessive supplementation" like ordinary martial artists.
B-grade Dragon Blood Grass? Swallow!
Violet Gold Body Tempering Pill? Swallow!
High-energy compressed beast meat? Swallow! Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
He poured in massive amounts of resources, combining them with Su Wu's personal guidance on the Sky-Piercing Blade's essence and the Wild Bull Fist's ultimate power. Su Yu's cultivation advanced like a rocket.
By the fifth day, he had reached the peak of the late-stage Qi Blood Realm!
By the seventh day...
Boom!
A muffled explosion echoed from the underground chamber. Su Yu's qi and blood surged like a dragon, forming a tangible crimson armor around his body.
Qi-Blood Realm Great Perfection!
This wasn't just a breakthrough in realm; it was a qualitative leap.
In terms of sheer qi and blood volume, Su Yu now surpassed even ordinary martial artists who had just entered the Innate Realm!
Another crisp morning dawned.
Su Yu strode confidently to school, brimming with youthful vigor.
Meanwhile, Su Wu sat on the second-floor balcony, sipping his tea as usual.
But today, the teacup never reached his lips.
"Something's wrong..."
Su Wu's brow furrowed. As a Martial King Realm expert, his senses for danger were razor-sharp.
Since dawn, his eyelids had been twitching incessantly, and an unsettling unease lingered in his heart.
Just then—
Whoosh!
A disheveled figure stumbled into the grounds of Cloudtop Manor.
Su Wu's eyes narrowed. Before the man even landed, he had already materialized before him.
"Pan Hong?"
The newcomer was none other than Pan Hong, the city lord of Azurewave Base City and a Grandmaster.
But this Pan Hong bore no trace of his usual regal bearing. His hair was disheveled, his face deathly pale, and his Tang suit was soaked through with cold sweat.
"S-Senior! Hurry! You must save your son!"
Pan Hong, gasping for breath, grabbed Su Wu's arm and roared hoarsely, "That special envoy from Jiangnan, Liu Yun... that madman! He's gone to intercept Su Yu!!"
Boom!
The moment Su Wu heard the words "intercept Su Yu," his usually calm eyes instantly turned blood-red.
A terrifying killing intent, capable of shaking heaven and earth, erupted from his body!
"Liu Yun!!"
Su Wu spat out the name through clenched teeth. Without another word, his entire being transformed into a streak of violet-gold light, vanishing into the horizon in an instant.
The sonic boom generated by his speed shattered every pane of glass in Cloudtop Manor!
Watching Su Wu's departing figure, Pan Hong collapsed to the ground, gasping for air, his eyes filled with lingering fear and inner turmoil.
"It's over... everything's over now..."
As city lord, he should have cooperated with the special envoy's mission.
But he had his principles, and besides, he knew all too well the terrifying power of Su Wu.
That fool Liu Yun, driven by a twenty-year-old personal grudge, had actually chosen to target a child.
Outside Azurewave First High School, on a tree-lined path that everyone had to take, Su Yu stopped.
The once-bustling school route was now eerily silent, even the chirping of birds and buzzing of insects had vanished. "Since you're here, come out," he said.
Su Yu took a deep breath, his hand slowly reaching for the alloy battle blade strapped to his back.
"Heh... your senses are sharp indeed. No wonder you're that man's son," a chilling voice suddenly echoed through the air.
From beneath the shadows of the trees ahead, a middle-aged man emerged, dressed in a white, antique-style robe, his features effeminate and sinister.
Liu Yun.
He gazed at Su Yu as if he were a lamb awaiting slaughter, his eyes burning with cruelty and a perverse excitement.
"Who are you?" Su Yu's muscles tensed, his sixth sense screaming warnings of extreme danger.
"Who I am doesn't matter," Liu Yun said casually, flicking his fingernails. "What matters is that your father is Su Wu. And I... I despise anyone named Su."
"Twenty years ago, at the Jiangnan Main City Genius Tournament. Your father, Su Wu, was about your age, just as full of vigor."
A savage memory twisted Liu Yun's face.
Su Yu's heart leaped.
So, he's an old enemy of my father's!
"The son pays for the father's debts," Liu Yun advanced step by step, his aura causing the surrounding leaves to wither and fall. "Today, I'll crush his hope first! I'll make him taste the bitterness of losing a loved one!"
Boom!
Liu Yun raised his hand, the terrifying pressure of a peak Martial King Realm cultivator about to erupt, but he suddenly paused.
Looking at Su Yu's face, which bore an uncanny resemblance to Su Wu in his youth, the twisted emotions in his heart made him change his mind.
Killing him outright would be too easy.
He needed to prove himself! To prove he was stronger than Su Wu, even against Su Wu's son!
"I wouldn't deign to use my Martial King Realm strength to kill you," Liu Yun sneered, his aura rapidly receding.
Master... Innate... Qi Blood Realm!
Finally, his cultivation level stabilized at Qi-Blood Realm Great Perfection!
"Back then, Su Wu defeated me at Qi-Blood Realm Great Perfection. Today, I'll use the same realm to slaughter you, you little bastard! I'll prove that Liu Yun is invincible at the same level!"
A manic glint flashed in Liu Yun's eyes as he drew a soft sword from his waist, its blade flickering like a viper's tongue.
"Boy, draw your blade! Let you die understanding why!"
Sensing the shift in his opponent's aura, Su Yu's tense nerves relaxed slightly. Then, an unprecedented surge of battle intent erupted in his eyes.
A battle at the same level?
Su Yu gripped his alloy battle blade tightly, the chaotic vortex within his body began to spin wildly, emitting a silent roar.
If he were a Martial King, I'd be dead for sure.
But if it's at the same level...
"I still have a chance!"