Everyone cleared a wide, open space and watched from a distance, their gazes eager and expectant.
Hu Jiao.
He was sixteen years old and a prominent inner sect disciple of the Starry Court, with an early-stage Qi Accumulation cultivation. The foundations of his Martial Dao were so solid that people said he could single-handedly fend off ten experts of the same cultivation.
Outside the sect, even ordinary Qi Accumulation experts of the older generation were no match for him.
“Junior Apprentice Brother Hu Jiao, don’t use too much force. If you do and word gets out, it’ll damage Heaven’s Origin Academy’s reputation,” urged a girl in a pale yellow skirt.
“Of course,” said Hu Jiao with a faint smile.
Zheng Muyao’s expression turned a little strange. She couldn’t help but say, “Hu Jiao, I urge you to use your full power. When Uncle Su beats you, I don’t want to hear any excuses about how ‘you were holding back’ or ‘how you got complacent.’ If you say stuff like that, you’ll only embarrass yourself.”
Everyone was stunned.?What’s all that supposed to mean? Does the Little Witch think Hu Jiao can’t even handle some waste of a live-in son-in-law?
Xiang Ming’s heart clenched. “Hu Jiao, be careful! Don’t get complacent. Remember, a hawk uses its full power even when catching a rabbit. You should do the same.”
Hu Jiao’s eyes flashed, and he nodded. “Got it!”
When Su Yi saw this, he couldn’t help but sigh. “Young man, even if you use your full power, you’ll be nothing but an ant trying to shake a tree or an egg flinging itself against a rock.”
He couldn’t quite stomach the thought of bullying a teenager like this.
Alas, who’d have thought that his words would only enrage Hu Jiao?
“Just you wait,” he said. “Once you’re kneeling, I’ll have you say that again!”
Hu Jiao circulated his cultivation, and his aura suddenly changed. His eyes glinted with sharp, intimidating light as he took a powerful step forward, twisted at the waist, and punched.
Boom!
The surrounding air currents suddenly let out a high-pitched shriek?as Hu Jiao’s?fist?went off like a dazzling burst of starlight, ripping through the air like a sudden crack of thunder.
Some of the other young men and women nodded to themselves.
This was the Star-Quenching Fist, one of Heaven’s Origin Academy’s thirty-six peak profound-grade martial arts. The user’s punches streaked like starlight and burst like thunder. Its destructive power was shocking.
As Hu Jiao swung his fist, the air burst, and starlight stung the eyes. He’d obviously already practiced this art to proficiency.
This degree of lethality could kill a mundane middle-stage Qi Accumulation Realm martial artist with ample power to spare!
From this, it was clear that although Hu Jiao was angry, he hadn’t gotten complacent.
Su Yi’s expression remained calm, with no signs of either joy or sadness. He just stood there, tall and upright, like a cloud-scraping cliff or solitary pine, unmoving and unshakeable.
It was only once Hu Jiao’s fist hurtled towards him that he stretched out his right hand and casually swung it down.
Hu Jiao’s fist stopped just three inches from Su Yi, unable to proceed even an inch forward. Su Yi’s palm had landed on his shoulders.
Hu Jiao instantly felt as if a divine mountain were bearing down on him. Before he could even resist, he knelt uncontrollably in the dirt.
Bang!?The ground shook with a low rumble.
Hu Jiao cried out in agony, and his kneecaps cracked and split. He trembled from head to toe, and his beautifully handsome face contorted.
Everyone fell silent, even the crows and sparrows.
“This….” Their eyes widened, and they felt tongue-tied. Their expectant grins froze on their faces; they felt as if they were seeing things. Hu Jiao had actually lost!
Xiang Ming’s pupils constricted.?There really is something strange about this guy!
Zheng Muyao’s heart shook, but then, she felt a certain indescribable sense of emptiness. She couldn’t help but lick her lips.?I still haven’t gotten my fill. Didn’t this end a bit too quickly?
“My apologies. I used a bit too much force,” said Su Yi lightly. “I didn’t expect you to be so weak.”
He’d already withheld more than half of his power for fear of inadvertently killing or crippling his opponent. Who’d have thought he’d nevertheless wind up breaking his opponent’s kneecaps?
It naturally wasn’t on purpose; Su Yi had just overestimated the foundations of a Heaven’s Origin Academy Inner Sect disciple.
“…..” The crowd fell silent.
“Su Yi, you can kill me, but you cannot humiliate me!” Hu Jiao roared indignantly and tried to struggle to his feet.
Su Yi said flatly, “Just now, we agreed that whoever loses must kneel and repent. If you get up now, you won’t just humiliate yourself; you’ll bring shame upon all of Heaven’s Origin Academy.”
Hu Jiao was stunned, and his complexion alternated white and green.
“Continue.” Su Yi’s gaze swept across the crowd.
Seeing Hu Jiao kneeling there, the other youths’ were now in an entirely different mental state. They were bewildered and uncertain, and they sensed that something wasn’t quite right.
“Didn’t the rumors say this guy had lost his entire cultivation?” muttered the girl in the pale yellow skirt. The others were confused too, and for a while, the atmosphere was heavy.
Zheng Muyao crossed her arms and said coldly, “Weren’t you lot only just brazenly demanding that my Uncle Su apologize? Why have you all suddenly wimped out? Let me tell you: if any of you dare leave without permission, I solemnly swear that tomorrow, I’ll hang you from the thousand-year apricot tree in front of the mountain gate for all to see!”
Everyone’s expressions changed.?Isn’t that a bit too ruthless!?
“Let me try.” A young man in gold stepped forth. His expression was solemn and neither haughty nor humble. “Heaven’s Origin Academy disciple Meng Tuo, late-stage Qi Accumulation Realm.”
Everyone was instantly excited. Meng Tuo was a prominent figure even within the inner sect!
Xiang Ming nodded to himself. Meng Tuo was extremely strong, and he was calm and steady. Although he wasn’t as dazzling as the sect’s ten top disciples, amongst Qi Accumulation Realm cultivators, he was first-rate.
“Announcing your cultivation?” Su Yi laughed. He saw through Meng Tuo’s intentions at a glance. “Don’t be afraid; I’m only in the mid-stage Qi Accumulation Realm.”
Mid-stage Qi Accumulation!
Everyone looked enlightened, and they suddenly rather pitied the early-stage Qi Accumulation Realm Hu Jiao.?He… He didn’t lose unfairly after all.
But it wasn’t their fault they misjudged him. It was really just that the Four Realms of the Martial Dao were still well within the confines of mortality, and Su Yi’s presence was far too tranquil and subdued. Unless your soul was extremely sensitive, it was almost impossible to discern his cultivation when he wasn’t attacking.
After hearing this, Meng Tuo visibly relaxed, and he wasted no further words. He simply drew his saber.
Clang!
A dazzlingly bright, silvery saber emerged. In an instant, murderous, despotic energy enveloped Meng Tuo like waters at high tide. He let out a sudden bellow, then swung his saber and charged explosively.
He struck with shocking momentum, like an arrow loosed from its string.
“Blueflame?Slash!” As Meng Tuo swung his saber, it cut through the air, lighting up with a layer of blazing blue flames.
It flashed down, despotic and unimpeded, fierce without limit.
Even though they were just spectators, the sheer force of this attack left many stunned.
Su Yi, however, didn’t move. He remained just as calm as before.
As the edge of the blazing saber drew near, he flicked his finger.
Clang!
The sound of the resulting impact stung their ears. Meng Tuo’s hands shook, and his silver saber flew from his hand.
His expression shifted dramatically and he retreated explosively back, only for a long, slender white hand to press gently down on his shoulders.
Bang!
The ground shook, and Meng Tuo’s tall frame knelt, both knees hitting the dirt. His entire body convulsed in agony.
The entire venue fell silent. Everyone looked at each other, eyes wide with fright.
Hu Jiao had lost, but they could say that was just because his cultivation was inferior to Su Yi’s. But what about Meng Tuo’s defeat?
The most terrifying part was, both of them had lost in the same way: Su Yi slapped them to the ground. His casual understatedness only made it all the more terrifying.
“How is this….”
Xiang Ming was finally starting to lose his composure. He’d gone into this not the least bit afraid, brimming with confidence, but he now found it difficult to keep his cool.
Late-stage Qi Accumulation doesn’t cut it either? Don’t tell me it’s really as Father says, and Uncle Su can slaughter even Grandmasters as easily as if they were chickens??Zheng Muyao’s eyes widened, and her heart shook too.
She was in the mid-stage Qi Accumulation Realm too, but if she were honest with herself, she knew she was no match for Meng Tuo.
Yet Meng Tuo had lost, crumbling like tissue paper, unable to take even a single attack!
Of course Zheng Muyao was surprised. How could she not be?
The kneeling Meng Tuo’s face was ashen, and he said in disbelief. “This… you call this ‘mid-stage Qi Accumulation!?’”
“Do you think I have any need to deceive you?” asked Su Yi offhandedly. His gaze swept across the crowd. “How about you all attack me at once?”
Many of them found this suggestion tempting, and their eyes flashed.
But out of consideration for their dignity, or rather, awareness of their position, they couldn’t help but hesitate.
By now, all of them realized they’d completely misjudged Su Yi. Hu Jiao and Meng Tuo’s defeats were vivid proof of this!
Under these circumstances, many of them already felt the urge to flee, and their hearts filled with unspoken regret. How could they dare brazenly accept Su Yi’s challenge?
“Hurry up! You’re all inner sect disciples, aren’t you? How can you be such cowards? Don’t you have any self-respect?” said Zheng Muyao, eager to see more. Her only fear was that this would end without any further trouble.
The crowd’s expressions were instantly unsightly.
“He said it himself, didn’t he?” said the white-robed Tian Dong. He gnashed his teeth, then stepped forth. “Let’s all attack him together!”
Seeing this gave the others courage, and they steeled themselves and accepted Su Yi’s challenge too, one by one.
Su Yi nodded. “Not bad. You’ve got some guts after all, and this will save me the trouble of dealing with you one at a time, too.”
“Attack!” Tian Dong waved and drew his sword.
The others each circulated their cultivations and hefted their weapons—sabers, spears, swords, halberds, and more—then clustered around Su Yi, the tips of their blades pointed right at him, and attacked.
A whole group of Qi Accumulation experts attacking at once was a shocking sight. A Grandmaster of the mundane world would have found it hard to escape intact.
After all, as young as they were, these were inner-sect disciples of Heaven’s Origin Academy. Every last one of them had extraordinary aptitude, and they mastered secret arts that far surpassed others of the same cultivation. Naturally, their combat prowess was extraordinary too.
When Zheng Muyao saw this, her heart tensed, but a moment later, she watched as an unbelievable scene unfolded—
Su Yi just stood there, unmoving, like an unshakeable ancient tree. No matter how many people rushed toward him, he casually placed his hands on their shoulders and sent them flying.
What sabers, spears, halberds, and axes? None of them could so much as scratch him.
In the blink of an eye, around a dozen Heaven’s Origin Academy inner-sect disciples were rolling on the ground. Men and women alike cried out in agony.
Su Yi, meanwhile, looked just as he had before, his blue robes as untarnished as jade.
Zheng Muyao gasped, and her beautiful eyes shone.?He…. Uncle Su sure is fierce!
Xiang Ming stood not far away, all by himself. However, his handsome face was now filled with uncertainty; witnessing this scene had stunned him, and waves of shock coursed through his heart.
Isn’t he supposed to be a crippled live-in son-in-law? Even if he recovered his cultivation, how could he possibly be so strong?
This was Heaven’s Origin Academy!
Those that had stepped up to fight were the cream of the crop even within the inner sect. If any of them were to enter the mundane world, they’d be dazzling figures sure to cause uproar wherever they went!
How could Su Yi defeat them as easily as if they were made of tissue paper?
Just how strong was this Su Yi guy anyway?
Countless questions flooded into Xiang Ming’s mind, and his hands and feet went numb. He was now fully aware of his predicament.
It was then that his entire body went rigid; he’d just sensed Su Yi’s gaze turn towards him, as sharp as a sword pressed against his throat. He felt utterly ill at ease.
“Didn’t you just say that if I defeated all of them, you’d spar with me? Don’t just stand there; come on and fight!” said Su Yi flatly, standing there with his hands behind his back.
Just one sentence, but it went off like a sudden crack of lightning, casting Xiang Ming’s heart into the abyss.