- Ouch! -

Junior Zhou’s bitter howl echoed throughout the mountains.

Elder Feng raised his eyebrows to the highest level, astonished by Xu Yi’s ability. He then stomped his feet and moved quickly towards Junior Zhou, causing a dent in the ground where he stood. In the glimpse of an eye, he stretched out his hand and moved it towards Xu Yi.

Some of the messy hairs around Zhou’s shoulder were cut off due to the quickness of Elder Feng’s movements.

The hatred imbedded in Xu Yi’s brain was so deep that he wouldn’t let this opportunity to kill Junior Zhou go. So, instead of dodging the incoming attack, on the contrary, he stretched his hand out, waiting for Elder Feng’s palm.

“Never overestimate yourself and bite off more than you can chew!” Elder Feng thought to himself, as he was confident that Xu Yi was too young to fight with him.

- Boom! -

A thunder like sound broke the silence when their two palms collided. Xu Yi stood his ground, only to find his feet sinking half an inch into the soil. While Elder Feng seemed stable and at ease. Without any doubt, Elder Feng had the upper hand in this first round.

At least Xu Yi wasn’t pushed backwards, he steadily stood his ground. Elder Feng couldn’t help but wonder how much potential this young man possessed, as he originally expected to find this young man falling down or hurriedly retreating. Xu Yi seized this moment, when Elder Feng was pondering, as he rushed towards Junior Zhou, nipping off his left arm.

Startled and out of sheer rage, Elder Feng tore down his clothing and threw himself at Xu Yi, like a provoked lion.

Xu Yi quickly retreated several steps, successfully avoiding the incoming attack.

Unlike Xu Yi, Junior Zhou was raised in an affluent condition, where there were countless herbs for him to cultivate Wu Dao. That was to say, he had taken shortcuts to reach the peak state of a forged body. In reality, he had never been in so much pain before. He eventually blacked out, as he couldn’t bear the immense pain of his arm being torn off and the wound on his shoulder, where the sword’s blade was still imbedded.

Elder Feng swiftly sealed up several acupoints on Junior Zhou’s body, in order to stop the bleeding. He then made him lie in a comfortable place.

“The peak state of a forged body! You were skinny with slacken bones two years ago. How could you cultivate to this state? Yes, it’s true that you have started cultivating Wu Dao in recent years, but for your age, it should already be too late. That’s why we’ve simply scorned you. We never thought that you could ever achieve anything in Wu Dao. But now, You surprise me just like a bolt from the blue. How could you reach the peak state within only TWO years? Even those peerless geniuses, who are raised up in prominent families, are slower in cultivating to this point. This is both crazy and terrifying!” Elder Feng thought hard to persuade himself into believing what was happening right in front of him.

Junior Zhou was at the later stage of a forged body, so his skin was extremely tough and hard to penetrate. But Xu Yi had the ability to rip Zhou’s skin and even break off his arm, effortlessly as nipping a flower from the ground. No matter how unbelievable it seemed, there was only one explanation for this phenomenon – Xu Yi had already reached the peak state of a forged body.

Everyone in this world, from ordinary pedlars to respected celebrities, they all regarded the cultivation of Wu Dao as the most privileged road of life.

In the flourishing age of Wu Dao, numerous people embarked on the journey of cultivating Wu Dao, the odds of success was only one in a hundred. The peak state of a forged body was merely a threshold in entering the realm of Wu Dao. For those who had already met this preliminary entry level, they’d either cultivate themselves further into a higher realm, or become millionaires or celebrities. In a simple sentence, they would forever overcome poverty and be wealthy ever after.

Elder Feng was one of those guys who had jumped on the social ladder after obtaining the peak state. Before, he was just a bodyguard in a security bureau. But now, he had become the invitee of many government officials to have dinner with.

It had taken Elder Feng at least twenty years to acquire all these achievements. Plus, tremendous amounts of effort had been expended in his cultivating process. Yet, he still failed to figure out how Xu Yi, an orphan who was raised in the wild, could reach the peak state. Even if God endowed him with special talents, it was still almost impossible to believe.

“Maybe Xu Yi is just a lucky bastard!” Elder Feng murmured to himself.

“I have been in this realm for almost ten years, the strength of my palm is way beyond the power of an ox. In theory, anyone who has just reached the peak state will be defeated immediately by my palm. On the contrary, you act like a robust ox and stand still in front of my palm. But I can tell that you have obtained this peak state not long ago, it is truly amazing! You must have got some secret technique!” He said with greedy eyes, as he brooded a selfish plan - forcing Xu Yi to tell him the secret technique so that he could move into the next realm - an ocean of qi.

“Elder Feng, as Wu Dao cultivators, we’re in the same realm. But you have started cultivating many years before I did, so I will treat you as a revered senior. But please, give me the reason why you are so submissive to the Zhou Family, since you’ve already obtained great achievements in Wu Dao. Honestly, I am ashamed of you.” Xu Yi replied sarcastically.

“You little kid; you really are like a freshly born baby, unaware of the world around you. Wu Dao has prevailed for quite a long time, and it has now even been divided into various schools. Most of the herbs needed in cultivation are monopolized in the hands of a few prominent families, like the Zhou Family, thus if you don’t have the money to buy the pricey herbs, then your path in Wu Dao is blocked forever. Only courage isn’t enough in this world, we are in dire need of the assistance from those who can support us in our growth. I know you’ve achieved the peak state within two years, but never overestimate yourself. If you don’t have the proper assistance, you will be stagnant in the peak state, just like me. This is a harsh reality for all of us Wu Dao cultivators.” Elder Feng confided to Xu Yi, in a gloomy mood.

“Since you undervalue yourself and have become a servant of the Zhou Family, have they offered you any assistance?” Xu Yi retorted.

“I have been in the Zhou Family for only five years. Obviously, my contribution to this family is far from enough, they won’t randomly reward just anyone.” Elder Feng said with a hint of embarrassment.

Suddenly, he stared at Xu Yi and smiled, “If I kill you today, however, it will be a great contribution to the Zhou Family. Since you have broken the arm of the most favorable nephew of revered Zhou (Junior Zhou’s uncle, Zhou Daoqian), you will become the most wanted man in Guanan.”

“Oh, that’s why you let me break your master’s arm, so that you can amplify your contribution.” Xu Yi sneered at him.

“You bastard! Go to hell!” Elder Feng struck at Xu Yi with a sudden blow, almost in front of his face. The movement was finished in almost a split second, quietly and unnoticeable, not even causing any fluttering in the surrounding flowers.

- Hu! -

Too late to escape, Xu Yi took a deep breath and stretched his fist out towards Elder Feng. Given the fact they were both in the peak state, Xu Yi wasn’t particularly scared of this old man.

- Boom! -

When the two fists collided, a resonant noise echoed throughout the mountains. Elder Feng hit Xu Yi on the left shoulder, while Xu Yi hit Feng on the belly.

Elder Feng was only slightly hurt, with some blood spraying out of his mouth and his feet slightly sinking into the soil. On the other side, Xu Yi wasn’t so lucky, as he was thrown away and slammed against a large tree. After hitting the tree, he fell to the ground. Here he lied quietly, not showing any signs of life.