C3 A Good Dog Does Not Block the Way!

Cheers!

As dawn broke with a hint of pale light, the young boy practicing his martial arts finally ceased his movements, standing resolute with a look of determination, his eyes sparking with a fierce glimmer.

After a night of rigorous training, Xiao Ling had at last fully solidified his realm.

"Blood Flame, emerge!"

With a mere thought, Xiao Ling summoned his martial soul, transforming his entire being into a fiery silhouette.

Jiang Ya was unaware of the nature of his martial soul, likely assuming it was a rare variant among fire-based souls, leading Xiao Ling to name it Blood Flame.

On the Divine Martial Continent, martial souls were crucial for warriors.

For instance, a sword martial soul could be infused into a blade to bolster a martial cultivator's combat prowess. Similarly, a beast martial soul allowed one to morph into a beastly form, enhancing physical strength.

"What special abilities does my Blood Flame Martial Soul possess?"

He snapped his fingers, sending a jet of flame towards a small tree in the courtyard. In moments, the Blood Flame reduced it to ashes, leaving nothing but charred remains.

Xiao Ling surveyed his handiwork with a nod of approval.

For reasons unknown, when Xiao Ling unleashed his martial soul and incinerated the tree, his Origin Power experienced a slight surge.

This left him somewhat perplexed, yet he didn't dwell on it.

"Red Blood Card."

He grasped the blood-colored jade card hanging around his neck, which bore the inscription 'Red Blood', sparking contemplation in his gaze.

The Red Blood Card was the sole relic connected to his origins.

Who were his parents? Why had he been abandoned?

Clutching the Red Blood Card, he knew that once his strength grew, he would unravel these mysteries.

Moreover, the Red Blood Card resonated with his bloodline and contained a space within, akin to a storage ring, for keeping items.

Xiao Ling grinned. Such storage rings were treasured, owned only by venerable and mighty elders of the Holy Martial Institute. Now, with the Red Blood Card in his possession, his storage woes were no more.

His eyes drifted to a distant mountain range, the Demon Mountain, known as the hunting grounds of Holy Martial Mountain.

Demon Mountain teemed with demonic beasts, presenting extreme peril at every turn.

Yet, with danger came opportunity on Demon Mountain. It offered a bounty of spirit medicines, treasures, and the legacies of mighty experts.

Should fortune favor someone with a grand opportunity, allowing them to claim an expert's legacy, they could skyrocket to prominence and become a formidable force.

Xiao Ling harbored no illusions about tumbling off a cliff to stumble upon such a legacy, then enduring years of arduous cultivation to astonish the Myriad Country Territory.

Instead, he intended to venture into Demon Mountain to hunt demonic beasts, honing his own strength in the process.

Combat was, after all, the quickest path to power.

With the one-month challenge looming, he was determined to triumph over Lin Wu.

Resolved, Xiao Ling gathered his belongings, grabbed a sword from the corner, led out a horse from the stable, and made his way to the gates of the Holy Martial Institute.

"Well, well, if it isn't the 'useless' Senior Brother Xiao Ling?"

A sneering youth in white cocked his head, his gaze dripping with contempt, clearly dismissing Xiao Ling.

"Lin Xuan."

Xiao Ling's gaze sharpened at the sight of Lin Wu's younger brother, Lin Xuan, a Three-star Martial Cultivator who had taken pleasure in tormenting him in the past.

Lin Xuan scrutinized Xiao Ling, noting the packed luggage and the horse in tow, which made him appear as though fleeing. His eyes darkened, and he blocked Xiao Ling's path.

"Senior Brother Xiao Ling, planning to lay low on the outside, are you?"

With arms folded, Lin Xuan's voice boomed, "As long as I, Lin Xuan, am here, trash like you won't even make it past the courtyard gate!"

He raised his voice intentionally, drawing the gaze of many passing disciples.

"Look at Xiao Ling with his luggage on the day of the one-month challenge. He must be trying to bolt."

"Such a lack of honor. He can't even keep to a life-and-death duel. What use is a martial cultivator who doesn't honor his commitments?"

"Better to cling to life than face death honorably. I'd probably do the same in his shoes."

Amidst the biting jeers, Xiao Ling merely smiled, unfazed.

He was confident that upon his powerful return, the very same people would swiftly switch their tune, their faces twisting into obsequious grins.

"Get lost!"

Xiao Ling's eyes dripped with scorn as he slowly uttered the words to Lin Xuan.

"What? You're telling me to get lost?"

Lin Xuan's frame shook, disbelief etched across his face.

Did this nobody really just tell him to get lost?

"A good dog doesn't stand in the way."

Xiao Ling, pointing at Lin Xuan, enunciated each word clearly: "If you don't move, I won't hesitate to clean up your mess for your brother."

His declaration left the onlookers, the surrounding disciples, with expressions of sheer incredulity.

Was Xiao Ling, the so-called trash, really defying a Three-star martial cultivator? Was he asking for a thrashing?

"Xiao Ling, the trash, are you having a deathbed epiphany?"

Lin Xuan's face turned a ghastly pale as he spat out, "I'm curious to see just how you plan to 'take care of me'!"

Words seemed futile at this juncture; only a show of martial force could settle the matter at hand.

Whoosh!

With fury written all over his face, Lin Xuan charged at Xiao Ling, his palm morphing into a fist that hurtled towards Xiao Ling's stomach with ferocity.

Lin Xuan was determined to give Xiao Ling a brutal lesson, putting nearly all his strength behind the punch, which cut through the air with a howling fury.

In Xiao Ling's pupils, Lin Xuan's figure loomed larger and larger until he was almost upon him.

A slight smile played at the corner of Xiao Ling's mouth as he casually stepped to the right. To the bystanders, it seemed like an ordinary step, but under their astonished stares, Xiao Ling effortlessly sidestepped Lin Xuan's vicious punch.

Lin Xuan's pupils contracted, his face a mask of shock.

The 'trash' Xiao Ling had actually dodged his punch – it was inconceivable!

He had always been the one to bully Xiao Ling, who never had the strength to retaliate. But now, Xiao Ling had dodged his attack?

Impossible!

The shocked murmurs of the disciples echoed in his ears, their words reflecting disbelief that Lin Xuan, with the strength of a Three-star martial cultivator, couldn't land a hit on someone they considered worthless.

This was a severe blow to Lin Xuan's pride, twisting his features into a visage of rage.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Lin Xuan swung his fist wildly, channeling all his might into a ferocious punch aimed at Xiao Ling.

The initial intent to merely discipline Xiao Ling had been cast aside; now, Lin Xuan was consumed with reclaiming his dignity, for Xiao Ling seemed utterly incapable of evading his onslaught.

He was determined not to relent until blood was spilled.

Watching Lin Xuan's frenzied assault, Xiao Ling's lips twisted into a sardonic smile. He stepped deftly, effortlessly sidestepping Lin Xuan's barrage of attacks.

The onlookers gaped in disbelief, their eyes fixed on Xiao Ling's composed demeanor.

It was as though Xiao Ling had anticipated every move, dodging each of Lin Xuan's strikes with uncanny precision.

"Impossible! You're nothing but a weakling! How can you possibly dodge my attacks?"

Lin Xuan was beside himself with rage, feeling his dignity continuously crushed underfoot, his eyes blazing with fury.

"Are you done yet?"

Xiao Ling's sneer was sharp as his figure flashed, striking with the swiftness of lightning.

Thud!

A single punch, a blur of motion, and Xiao Ling's fist brutally connected with Lin Xuan's abdomen.

Lin Xuan's stomach churned violently, and he collapsed to his knees, retching up his last meal as if his very stomach would follow.

"If I'm the trash, what does that make you?"

Xiao Ling stood over the writhing Lin Xuan, devoid of any sympathy. He brought his foot down hard, pinning Lin Xuan to the ground.

His move was swift and merciless, sending a shiver through the disciples who watched, their hearts pounding with trepidation.

"I'll give you the answer: you're less than trash."

Xiao Ling bent down slowly, his gaze icy as he observed Lin Xuan squirming at his feet, his expression as frigid as the chill from the deepest abyss.

"Don't get cocky, Xiao Ling!"

Unable to free himself, Lin Xuan resigned to his fate, casting a spiteful look at Xiao Ling. "My brother will make you suffer a fate worse than death! If you dare, don't flee. In one month, face him in a duel to the death!"

He knew in his heart that Xiao Ling's victory over him meant that Xiao Ling had awakened his martial soul and surpassed him in strength.

Unable to defeat him, all he could do was issue a threat and then report the incident to Lin Wu.

"Don't worry."

Xiao Ling spat in Lin Xuan's face with a sneer. "Tell him I'll honor our agreement in a month. As for this spit, consider it a welcoming gift for him."

"You!"

Lin Xuan seethed with anger, powerless to retaliate, his only recourse to relay his grievances to Lin Wu.

Amidst the awed stares of the onlookers, Xiao Ling lifted his head, a smile spreading across his face.

Strength was the key; it commanded fear and silenced the reckless.

The harsh reality that might makes right on the Divine Martial Continent became clearer to him. Without pausing, Xiao Ling strode out of the Holy Martial Institute.

Only after Xiao Ling had vanished did Lin Xuan rise, quickly wiping away the spit from his face.

Sensing the mocking looks from those around him, Lin Xuan's face contorted as he bellowed, "What are you staring at? If word of this gets out, I'll have my brother beat you to a pulp!"

He then swept a menacing glare over the disciples nearby.

Cowed by Lin Xuan's vicious stare, the disciples recoiled, their anger muted by fear. After all, Lin Xuan's brother was Lin Wu, a man no one dared cross.

"Very good."

Pleased with himself, Lin Xuan sprinted off toward Lin Wu's residence.

In an elegantly appointed courtyard, a young man in white wielded a long sword, honing his swordsmanship.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Each piercing strike of the sword sliced through the air, sword qi bursting forth, puncturing the ground and leaving the courtyard pockmarked.

"The essence of the Exploding Sword Technique lies in the explosive release of the sword, the sword qi, and the attack itself."

Sheathing his sword, the young man in white pondered, "My Exploding Sword Technique is nearing perfection. A month is all I need to fully master it."

This young man was none other than Lin Wu, whose reputation as a genius was well-founded.

The understanding of Martial Skills is categorized into four stages: Minor Achievement, Major Achievement, Perfection, and the stuff of legends, Transcendence.

For the average Martial Cultivator, mastering a Martial Skill to the Minor Achievement stage would be a cause for great contentment.

Yet for a prodigy like Lin Wu, his sights are set on achieving the Major Achievement stage.

Perfection is a feat reserved for those mighty warriors who have devoted extensive time to studying a single Martial Skill.

Transcendence, on the other hand, belongs to the realm of Martial Skills found only within myths and legends...

"Brother Wu, Brother Wu! You must stand up for me!"

While Lin Wu was deep in thought, Lin Xuan burst through the door, charging in with urgency.

"What's the matter?"

Lin Wu's brow furrowed as he took in Lin Xuan's disheveled appearance and asked, "Who did this to you?"

"It was Xiao Ling!"

Despite his deep reluctance to admit being thrashed by a nobody, Lin Xuan recounted the incident.

He exaggerated the details, claiming how Xiao Ling had insulted Lin Wu...

Hearing Lin Xuan's tale of woe, Lin Wu's expression darkened to a stormy glower. With a swift motion of his sword, which Lin Xuan watched with awe, it exploded, sending a shower of wooden splinters into the air.

"In one month's time, I will cut down Xiao Ling. Even if you manage to cultivate, I will not hesitate to do the same to you!"