Chapter Five: The Soaring Stone (Part Two)

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As the battle dragon outside let out a long roar and soared toward the summit of the Soaring Stone, Kuangchi finally sensed something was amiss.

The energy shield atop the Soaring Stone seemed to be composed of nine layers, for as the battle dragon's form flashed by, Kuangchi—thanks to his keen perception honed through practicing the Starry Sky Art—caught the rippling of nine energy bands before the Soaring Stone.

The formidable defense made Kuangchi’s anger flare up uncontrollably. Nine layers of barriers—without permission to use a divine beast, this was utterly unbreakable. No matter how much more refined his inner energy might be before fusing with his divine beast, there was simply no hope of breaking through.

At this thought, his eyes seemed about to blaze with fire. He glanced at his own wretched state, then at the crowd watching him. Kuangchi could not contain his rage. What kind of entrance test for new students was this? It was nothing but humiliation. Wasn’t this just meant to humiliate him, Kuangchi?

Just as he was about to shout curses at the summit of the Soaring Stone regardless of consequence, a voice echoed down from above: “Boy from the Kuang family, how can you be so dense? I never said you had to charge up here with your body alone. Haven’t you learned any martial techniques? Isn’t your family’s Tyrant Dragon Slash perfect for breaking energy shields? You’re really bringing shame to your family.”

With these words, Kuangchi snapped to his senses and realized how foolish he had been. No—foolish was too mild; it was downright disgraceful.

But truthfully, he hadn’t had the chance to learn the Tyrant Dragon Slash. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but his grandfather had never taught it to him. After witnessing the destructive power of the Heavenly Wound Fist Kuangchi had learned from the Demon Thief, his grandfather realized that the family’s Tyrant Dragon Slash was inferior in lethality. In terms of subtlety, the Tyrant Dragon Slash—so grand and earth-shattering—was nothing compared to the sinister Heavenly Wound Fist.

So, for the sake of Kuangchi’s focus, his grandfather had painfully refrained from teaching him the Tyrant Dragon Slash. Though he was angry for many days about it—after all, his grandfather was a staunch family loyalist. The Tyrant Dragon Slash was the Kuang family’s signature technique, the very face of the clan.

Yet it seemed the Heavenly Wound Fist was better suited to the Kuang family’s Dragon Art. When Kuangchi wielded it, though it lost some of the Demon Thief’s subtlety and slyness, its destructive force was several times greater.

Having been berated in front of others—especially with dozens of people, and Zixia present—Kuangchi found it hard to swallow his anger. No one had told him beforehand that he could use martial skills, and now he was being called stupid? Even if he was, he didn’t deserve such words.

Suddenly, he recalled another technique the Demon Thief had taught him: the Phantom Shadow Divine Whip. Kuangchi didn’t know the full extent of the Demon Thief’s ancestral arts, but judging by the two he had received, their finesse far surpassed the Kuang family’s more ostentatious techniques. Breaking a stubborn energy shield was child’s play for such a skill.

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With this realization, Kuangchi’s mood brightened. He called up to the summit, “Senior above, I haven’t learned the Tyrant Dragon Slash, but I do have a martial art that specializes in breaking energy shields. May I use a weapon?”

It seemed that using weapons to break the shield was indeed permitted, for as soon as he finished, a voice from above replied, “Of course. But you cannot use your fiancée’s Zixia Divine Sword.”

Kuangchi was overjoyed at the approval. “Naturally,” he replied.

Without a care for the puzzled looks surrounding him—since he appeared to be unarmed—Kuangchi readied himself.

He hadn’t wasted these past days. After discovering the profundity of the Demon Thief’s teachings, he had not slacked off in the slightest.

At Kuangchi’s intent, the little flower within him cooperated, forming in his right palm a whip as thick as an arm, over ten meters long, bristling with barbs.

The convenience of using one’s own divine beast as a weapon was undeniable. Though its size couldn’t be infinitely adjusted, it was more than sufficient.

The Phantom Shadow Divine Whip lived up to its name—no elaborate movements were necessary. Channeling his inner energy and giving silent mental direction to the little flower, the whip was instantly ready. Before anyone could react, hundreds of whip shadows slipped effortlessly through the nine layers of the energy shield as if through air, each strike landing on the Soaring Stone, sending chips flying.

As exclamations of astonishment echoed from all around, Kuangchi’s hefty body, carried by the momentum of the whip, soared toward the summit of the Soaring Stone. Whip shadows danced in his wake, exuding an imposing force—though his bare feet, exposed for all to see, were a rather unseemly sight.

The flurry of whip strikes shattered the nine layers of the shield into fragments, leaving Kuangchi’s ascent entirely unhindered. But soon, voices shouted from the summit, drawing every gaze upward.

Back at home, Zixia pressed the grinning Kuangchi onto the sofa, demanding, “Fatty, what exactly did you do atop the Soaring Stone just now? Why did the three professors leave early?”

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At Zixia’s question, Kuangchi burst out laughing.

He had lost his shoes beneath the Soaring Stone, his bare feet on display for all to see—not a pleasant experience. Naturally, he wouldn’t let slide those who had forced him into such embarrassment. So as soon as he reached the summit, wielding his whip—his own divine beast, and thus drawing on its power—Kuangchi attacked the three professors without hesitation.

Who would have thought he’d dare such audacity? Unprepared, the three professors fell right into his trap. Before they could react, their clothes had already suffered at his hands.

By now, Kuangchi was essentially in a fused state with his divine beast, Little Flower. Catching the three professors off guard was hardly a challenge—such was the advantage of a divine beast. By the time the professors and their own divine beasts recovered, Kuangchi had already sensibly ceased his assault. After all, these were not ordinary men; their true strength was formidable, and the aura of their divine beasts alone convinced Kuangchi to stop.

Nevertheless, the three esteemed professors now cut the sorry figures of vagrants. Glancing at their own disheveled states and then at Kuangchi, their expressions were a sight to behold.

Without another word, the professors took to the sky, leaving only a single message behind: “Boy, we won’t hold this against you, but we’ll settle the score with the old geezers of your family.”

Happy New Year to everyone! Updates should return to normal from today onward. Please forgive the delays—but don’t forget my votes, heh heh…