After rejecting Gu Ningxue’s “help” call, Lin Yuan’s life returned to its usual calm. He was even too lazy to think about the campus team’s nonsense. With a casual wave of his hand, he had Butler Zhong blacklist every single member of the school team.
The world finally became quiet.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the flames of the National University Martial Arts Tournament were only growing fiercer.
With Lin Yuan—the “bug-level” existence—gone, Ye Xuan finally got what he wanted and became the most eye-catching star of the school team. He was like a tireless beast on the Martial Arena, slaughtering his way through opponents. Relying on the secret methods taught by the Extreme Dao Ancestor and his will to fight far beyond ordinary people, he won match after match, leading the Capital Martial Arts Academy through round after round.
However, as the competition progressed, the opponents became stronger and stronger.
Bang!
On the arena, Ye Xuan was blasted backward by a massive force, rolling several times on the ground before he finally stopped. A sweet taste rose in his throat, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
His opponent was the chief contender from the Magic City Martial Arts Academy—a muscular man at the 4th stage Bone Refining Realm who possessed the “Indestructible Vajra” physique.
The man’s defensive power was simply freakish, as if all his skill points had been poured into defense.
Ye Xuan’s Mountain-Crushing Fist landed on him like scratching an itch, unable to break through his guard at all.
“Damn it!”
Ye Xuan gritted his teeth and climbed back to his feet, the frustration and rage in his heart nearly bursting out.
He realized that he had been wrong.
Cross-realm combat also had its limits.
Against ordinary 4th stage Bone Refining Realm warriors, he could crush them with his Cultivation Technique and experience. But anyone who had made it this far in the national tournament—who among them was weak?
Either they possessed special physiques, or they had cultivated top-tier techniques. Every single one of them was a favored child of heaven.
In front of these true geniuses, his ability to fight above his level suddenly seemed inadequate.
The gap between him and his goal of “crushing the entire field” was painfully obvious.
“Master! I need power! Stronger power!”
Late at night.
Inside the hotel room, Ye Xuan roared unwillingly in his heart.
In his sea of consciousness, the Extreme Dao Ancestor remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a low sigh.
“Kid, there is a path that can allow you to gain power sufficient to crush peers in a short time. It’s just that… the price is enormous.”
“What path?!”
Ye Xuan’s eyes instantly lit up, like a drowning man grabbing onto his last lifeline.
“This is a forbidden secret art called Burning Blood Dragon Transformation Art. This method forcibly burns part of your life potential and martial foundation, converting it into the purest cultivation, allowing you to break through bottlenecks instantly!”
“But the price is that your future martial path will become extremely rugged. If you cannot obtain massive resources to compensate for it, every breakthrough in the future will be several times harder than for ordinary people! And… it will continuously burn your life…” The Extreme Dao Ancestor’s voice became extremely heavy.
“I’m willing!” Ye Xuan answered almost without hesitation.
The future?
He couldn’t care about that anymore!
Right now, he only wanted to win!
He only wanted power!
He only wanted to trample that high-and-mighty Lin Yuan viciously under his feet!
If he couldn’t defeat Lin Yuan, then his martial path was already cut off!
“Good! Since you’ve made up your mind, this old man will help you!”
As the Extreme Dao Ancestor’s voice fell, an incomparably massive and sinister stream of information surged into Ye Xuan’s mind.
“Ahhh—!” Ye Xuan let out a painful howl.
That pain was even worse than death by a thousand cuts!
Yet at the same time, an unprecedentedly powerful force began to grow wildly inside his body.
Boom!
3rd stage Bone Refining Realm!
Rumble!
4th stage Bone Refining Realm!
In just a few minutes, his cultivation was forcibly raised by two minor stages.
It shot straight up to the 5th stage Bone Refining Realm!
…
The next day’s match.
Ye Xuan once again faced the same “Indestructible Vajra” muscular man who had left him helpless the day before.
“Kid, how are you going to scratch my itch today?” The muscular man sneered with disdain.
Ye Xuan showed no expression. He merely raised his fist slowly.
The next second, he moved.
His figure was as fast as lightning!
“What?!” The muscular man’s pupils shrank violently.
Before he could even react, a fist wrapped in terrifying power slammed solidly into his chest.
Bang—!
A dull, heavy explosion echoed.
The so-called “Indestructible Vajra” protective qi shattered instantly like paper.
The disdain and mockery on the muscular man’s face froze at once, turning into boundless terror.
Crack…
Accompanied by a spine-chilling sound of bones breaking.
His massive body flew backward like a cannonball, crashing heavily off the arena.
A huge chunk of his chest caved in, and he fainted on the spot!
One punch!
Just one punch!
The entire venue fell into deathly silence.
Everyone was shaken to their core by the terrifying combat power Ye Xuan had displayed!
After a brief silence came thunderous cheers.
“T-This… how is this possible?!”
In the front-row spectator seats, a martial arts commentator suddenly stood up. “Yesterday he couldn’t even break the opponent’s defense. How could he knock down the Magic City chief with the ‘Indestructible Vajra’ physique with one punch today?!”
“That’s a Vajra body! It’s said to withstand even low-tier artifacts. How could it be smashed like this?”
“Just how strong has his power become?”
…
In the resting areas on both sides of the arena, contestants from other universities were in an uproar.
“5th stage Bone Refining Realm?! He was clearly only at the 2nd stage yesterday. Breaking through two minor stages overnight—how is that even humanly possible?!” This story is hosted at novelping.com.
“This combat power is insane! A 5th stage crushing a 4th stage with a Vajra body in one punch—if he reaches the peak of Bone Refining Realm, who could possibly stop him?”
“The Capital Martial Arts Academy is going against the heavens this time. First Lin Yuan appeared, and now Ye Xuan is this fierce… Luckily Lin Yuan withdrew, otherwise how would anyone else even compete?”
…
The discussions spread like a tide.
From the audience to the contestant area, everyone’s gaze toward Ye Xuan changed—
Shock, wariness, curiosity!
And…
An indescribable fear!
Ye Xuan merely swept a cold glance over the stage below.
Taking in all those shocked and reverent looks, the corner of his mouth curled into a frigid arc.
This was the power he wanted.
Power enough to crush everything!
The following matches completely turned into Ye Xuan’s personal showcase.
Against last tournament’s runner-up seed, the opponent had just taken a defensive stance when Ye Xuan’s post–burning-blood finger wind pierced straight through the protective qi, striking the shoulder and forcing a screaming surrender.
When he encountered a Wind Spirit Physique warrior skilled in speed, Ye Xuan directly pushed his movement technique to the limit, overtook him, and shattered his bones and tendons with a whipping kick.
Even when facing opponents also at the 5th stage Bone Refining Realm who had cultivated top-tier defensive techniques, Ye Xuan relied on the explosive power brought by Burning Blood Dragon Transformation Art to forcibly break the deadlock, ending the fight within three moves.
…
In just three short days.
Ye Xuan swept through all opponents with devastating momentum.
Every victory was clean and decisive, even more exaggerated than his original goal of “crushing the entire field.”
He was like a war god returned from hell, radiating an icy aura that kept others at bay.
Wherever he went, no one could stop him.
“Martial arts prodigy! Ye Xuan breaks two stages in one day and crushes a Vajra body with one punch!”
“From substitute to king! Revealing Ye Xuan’s rise—Is he the future of martial arts in the Celestial Dragon Nation?”
“The biggest dark horse of the national tournament is born! Ye Xuan may take the championship with a perfect record!”
…
Only Li Xuan’er.
Every time she saw Ye Xuan after a victory, with eyes growing colder and emptier, the unease in her heart intensified.
She could feel it.
That Ye Xuan who once secretly rejoiced over winning a training match was drifting farther and farther away from her.
Replacing him was a stranger dragged forward by power and obsession.
But Ye Xuan didn’t care at all. His gaze had already crossed the noisy arena and landed on that figure who had never appeared.
Lin Yuan.
Wait for me.
Once I take the national championship, I’ll come find you.
By then, I’ll use this life-burning power to completely tear apart that calm mask of yours and let you know—
Who is the true favored child of heaven!