Thud.

Li Ming groaned. "Ow… that's definitely my spine."

He opened his eyes to find himself half-buried under rubble. Dust drifted down like snowflakes. Overhead, the once-glorious arena was now a crater wide enough to fit a small city.

"Bai Guo… Lan Yue… anyone alive?"

A weak voice replied, "Define alive."

Li Ming peeked out. Bai Guo lay upside-down on a rock, feathers singed and smoking slightly. Lan Yue stood a few meters away, brushing dust from her robes, somehow completely unharmed.

Li Ming blinked. "You didn't even get dirty?"

She raised a brow. "You're the one who exploded the arena."

He sighed, dragging himself upright. "I didn't explode it. I just… released it from structural expectations."

Bai Guo rolled off the rock. "You mean you blew it up again."

Before Li Ming could answer, the ground rumbled. A surge of energy pulsed beneath his feet—familiar yet far stronger than before. Golden light crawled up his arms. His breath hitched.

Lan Yue's eyes widened. "You're still advancing?"

His body glowed brighter, the air vibrating around him. Qi poured from every pore, spiraling upward like a living flame.

Bai Guo whistled low. "He's not at sixth level anymore… seventh… no—"

Li Ming's eyes snapped open, pupils blazing. A shockwave burst outward, flattening the nearby debris.

"—Eight level of Foundation Building!" Bai Guo finished, shouting over the wind.

Li Ming exhaled slowly. Energy shimmered around him, steady but immense. He flexed his fingers, feeling the new power hum beneath his skin.

Lan Yue nodded approvingly. "Your control's improving."

"Yeah," he said, grinning. "And maybe this time, I won't destroy the ground I'm standing on—"

CRACK!

The earth split beneath him.

Li Ming froze. "I jinxed it."

The crack widened, and a blast of raw energy shot out. Instinct took over. Li Ming slammed his palm down, channeling Qi through his arm. Golden waves rippled through the air, neutralizing the burst before it could erupt.

Dust settled. Silence.

Bai Guo blinked. "You… actually stopped it."

Li Ming grinned, panting. "Guess I'm learning."

Lan Yue's lips curved into a faint smile. "Good. You'll need that control."

Before he could ask why, the sect's alarm bells thundered in the distance. The air shimmered faintly, and streams of red light rose from the mountainside.

Bai Guo's expression darkened. "Intruders."

Li Ming straightened. "You're serious?"

"Serious enough that the sect guardian array just activated," Lan Yue said. "Stay behind me—"

But Li Ming was already running.

"Stay behind you? I just leveled up six times in one lifetime!" he shouted over his shoulder.

Lan Yue sighed. "He still runs before thinking."

Bai Guo smirked. "He's learning in his own way."

The three raced toward the edge of the crater. Flames and smoke rose from the outer training grounds where sect disciples were clashing with masked attackers. Energy blasts lit up the sky—blue against red, lightning against flame.

Li Ming leapt from the cliff, Qi gathering beneath his feet. "Sky Step!"

He soared across the battlefield, landing hard on the scorched earth below. The moment his feet touched the ground, a masked cultivator lunged toward him with twin blades.

Li Ming parried with his bare arm, golden energy flaring around it. The clash sent sparks flying.

"Eighth Level Foundation Building?" the attacker hissed, staggering back. "Impossible—you were just an outer disciple!"

"Yeah," Li Ming said, cracking his knuckles. "Promotions come fast when you survive explosions."

He thrust his palm forward. "Golden Wave Strike!"

A shockwave of golden Qi blasted forward, smashing the attacker into a tree that promptly disintegrated.

More enemies appeared, circling him.

Lan Yue landed beside him in a flash of silver, blade slicing through two of them before they could blink. "Focus! There's too many!"

Bai Guo swooped down, energy wings blazing. "Incoming from above!"

Li Ming looked up just as a rain of fire descended. He thrust both arms out, channeling everything he had. Golden energy surged outward, forming a shimmering barrier.

Flames crashed against it, lighting the air in blinding red. The ground trembled beneath the force, but the barrier held.

Li Ming gritted his teeth. "Not… this… time!"

With a roar, he pushed forward. The barrier exploded outward, scattering the attackers and extinguishing the firestorm.

Smoke cleared. The ground was scorched, but the sect walls still stood.

Lan Yue sheathed her sword, breathing evenly.

Li Ming wiped sweat from his brow.

Bai Guo landed beside him, grinning.

Before anyone could answer, the sky darkened. Thunder rolled across the peaks.

Lan Yue's eyes narrowed. "That energy… this isn't over."

Li Ming looked up. In the storm clouds above, a figure floated—black robes fluttering, aura sharp as blades.

The enemy leader.

Li Ming's newly strengthened Qi pulsed instinctively, reacting to the pressure.

Bai Guo muttered, "Looks like your real test just arrived."

Li Ming smiled faintly, cracking his neck. "Good. I was just getting warmed up."

The sky flared white. Lightning struck the ground between them.

And the battle began.

----

The moment lightning hit the ground, the world exploded into motion.

Li Ming leapt back as a crater opened where he stood. Dust and smoke swallowed the field. When it cleared, the black-robed leader hovered in the air, eyes glowing red.

"Foundation Building? Pathetic."

Li Ming smirked. "Then you won't mind losing to something pathetic."

He shot forward—faster than a heartbeat. His foot cracked the earth, golden energy flaring around him like fire.

The leader blocked with a sweep of his blade. The clash split the air, wind howling like a beast.

BANG!

The shockwave threw nearby trees to splinters.

Li Ming landed lightly, spinning into another strike. "Golden Wave Strike—Burst Form!"

His attack hit like thunder. The enemy's blade cracked, energy flashing wild. The leader snarled and countered, releasing a stream of black Qi that tore through the ground like a serpent.

Li Ming crossed his arms, forming a glowing barrier. The serpent smashed against it, hissing, but couldn't break through.

"Not bad for someone you called pathetic!" Li Ming shouted, pushing back.

The barrier exploded forward, blasting the black Qi apart.

Lan Yue, still fighting below, shouted, "Don't lose focus! That man's cultivation is above yours!"

Li Ming grinned. "Then I just have to hit him harder!"

He kicked off the air, spiraling upward. Golden energy gathered in his fists, blazing so bright it drowned out the storm.

The leader thrust both hands forward. "Shadow Fang!"

Dozens of black blades formed from smoke and rushed him.

Li Ming didn't dodge. He punched through them, one after another, energy ringing like thunder with every blow.

CRACK—BOOM—BOOM!

The last blade shattered, and Li Ming drove his fist straight into the leader's chest. The impact sent the man hurtling backward, crashing into a cliff with enough force to crack the rock.

Bai Guo whistled. "He's actually doing it!"

But the moment's relief vanished when the leader climbed out of the crater—still standing, robes torn but aura flaring stronger.

"You'll regret that."

He raised his hand. The storm above twisted into a single dark sphere, dense with killing intent.

Li Ming's smile faltered. "That looks… unhealthy."

Lan Yue yelled, "Li Ming, fall back!"

But he didn't move. His hands trembled slightly, energy humming around him. He'd spent weeks training to control his Qi—now was the time to trust it.

He inhaled deeply, grounding himself. "Alright… let's see who bursts first."

Golden energy erupted around him like a sun breaking through clouds. The storm cracked, light scattering across the battlefield.

Bai Guo shielded his eyes. "That idiot's actually trying to match it head-on!"

The black sphere fell, roaring like a living beast.

Li Ming thrust both palms forward. "Golden Tempest—FULL RELEASE!"

The two forces collided.

The world went white.

Sound vanished. Light devoured everything. The explosion was so strong it sent waves rippling across the entire mountain range.

Lan Yue threw up a barrier to protect the disciples. Dust and lightning filled the air, turning the ground into molten rock.

When it cleared—

The enemy leader knelt on one knee, aura flickering. His mask had cracked, eyes burning with disbelief.

Li Ming stood in the middle of the crater, breathing hard, clothes half-burned, but still grinning.

"Still think I'm pathetic?" he asked.

The leader's mouth twisted into a sneer. "You… monster…"

He tried to rise—then a single punch from Li Ming sent him flying again.

Bai Guo shouted from above, "Descendant! Maybe don't level another mountain today?!"

Li Ming raised a hand weakly. "No promises!"

The leader crashed into the far ridge and didn't get up.

The battlefield fell silent. Only the sound of wind whistled through the broken peaks.

Lan Yue landed beside Li Ming, sword still glowing faintly. "You actually won."

Li Ming smiled tiredly. "I didn't die. That's close enough."

Bai Guo floated down, clapping. "Eighth level, exploding mountains, and somehow still alive. That's my descendant."

Li Ming collapsed onto the ground, staring up at the clouds. "If this is what passing a test feels like, I don't even want to imagine the next one."

Lan Yue chuckled softly. "Oh, you'll find out soon enough."

Li Ming frowned. "Wait—what do you mean soon enou—"

The ground shook. Again.

Bai Guo's smile faded. "Uh oh."

Lan Yue's eyes narrowed. "It's not over."

From the shadow of the broken ridge, more black-robed figures rose—dozens of them.

Li Ming groaned, dragging himself up. "You've got to be kidding me…"

The sky darkened again.

And the real battle began.

To be continued...⚔️

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.