What nonsense about never giving up, never surrendering!

I’m saying join the Iron Bones Sect and let this seat properly guide you!

Jun Changxiao shook his head and said, “Never giving up, never surrendering is certainly worth encouraging, but you must also assess the situation. For instance, if there’s a path to becoming stronger laid out before you, will you choose to walk it?”

Kid, I’m saying this so directly—you should understand, right?

“No!” Jing Wugou raised his head, his gaze resolute as he said, “I will work hard to forge my own path!”

BANG!

Jun Changxiao kicked him down, pointed at the mountain path, and said impatiently, “Get lost, hurry up and get lost. This seat doesn’t want to see you for even a moment longer!”

Damn it. This guy and I are completely on different wavelengths—we can’t communicate at all!

“Sect Leader Jun!” Jing Wugou stood up from the ground and said, “I want to join the Iron Bones Sect. Please take me in!”

Jun Changxiao, who was about to enter the sect, turned his back to him and said coolly, “Didn’t you want to forge your own path?”

“Yes!” Jing Wugou said earnestly, “I want to forge my own path, but I believe even more that by joining the Iron Bones Sect and being taught by Sect Leader Jun, I can find the path that belongs to me from among ten thousand paths!”

This guy isn’t stupid after all.

“Qingyang,” Jun Changxiao entered the sect and said, “Bring the entry form!”

Jing Wugou from the Elite Rankings’ tenth place joined the Iron Bones Sect, becoming disciple number 9003!

This person’s aptitude and perseverance were quite good. With careful refinement in the sect, he would surely display extremely strong strength.

However, this was also the beginning of Li Qingyang and the others’ tragedy.

Because in the future, they would face this junior brother’s endless challenges.

Even if they abused him half to death each time, after cultivating for a while he’d come back to fight again, completely tireless, a complete… persistent pest!

…

Early morning.

Jun Changxiao stood with his hands behind his back in front of the great hall. Nearly ten thousand disciples stood in neat formation, emanating an iron-willed aura.

The sect that originally had only him alone had developed to this extent in less than two years, with all kinds of talented geniuses, filling him with a sense of pride.

Just wait. On this Xingyun Continent, I, Jun Changxiao, and my Iron Bones Sect, will surely make countless powerful beings bow down in worship!

“Attention!” he shouted loudly. “Dance!”

The modified sound system turned on, and the dynamic divine melody played.

After dancing shamelessly, the disciples dispersed one after another to begin their respective cultivation.

Jing Wugou, who had just joined, began his Sculpting Chamber experience and, after experiencing the benefits, brought his masochist attributes into full play.

“Sigh,” after finishing cultivation in the Spirit Gathering Array, Jun Changxiao returned to his study and shook his head, saying, “Why aren’t the academy’s other nine geniuses coming to challenge?”

Jing Wugou was already quite good—the others were surely excellent too.

The system said, “Having recruited so many students with good aptitude from the academy, the host should be content.”

“True,” Jun Changxiao rubbed his chin and said, “Still need 997 disciples. How about going to Qingyang City to pick some prisoners to fill the numbers?”

“Yawn.” Just then, the fire dragon curled up in its small nest yawned, then slowly opened its eyes, revealing crimson pupils.

“The little fellow’s awake!” Jun Changxiao was overjoyed.

Among his contract beasts, he had the highest hopes for the fire dragon. Now that it had awakened, there must be some huge changes!

“Whoosh!”

Opening its eyes, Little Dragon’s skin became even more crimson, as if about to burst into flames at any moment.

Having experience from last time, Sect Leader Jun picked it up and ran to the small outdoor martial arts arena. Just as he set it down, scorching flames suddenly erupted, spreading at least five or six zhang high!

It happened to be nighttime. The scorching flames erupting could be seen clearly from the foot of the mountain.

“Oh no, oh no! Fire! Fire!” A disciple who’d gone out to relieve himself saw the flames in a daze and immediately shouted at the top of his lungs.

Other disciples who were sound asleep were awakened. Wearing only white underwear, they shot out of their rooms with a ‘whoosh,’ and seeing the firelight soaring into the sky ahead, without a word they grabbed wooden buckets to fetch water.

However, when they arrived at the scene and discovered the flames were spreading in the martial arts arena without affecting any buildings, they were all confused.

What… was going on?

How could flames suddenly erupt for no reason?

Were they playing at a bonfire party?

Those in a confused state were all newly entered disciples. Su Xiaomo and the others had already efficiently set up ropes and hung yesterday’s washed school uniforms and bedding on them.

The effect was quite good—they dried in a short while.

…

Last time it awakened, the flames erupting around the fire dragon only rose two or three meters.

Now awakening again, the flames it released were over ten meters high, meaning this second evolution was definitely extraordinary!

Sect Leader Jun’s gaze grew fervent.

In his imagination, Little Dragon’s body should become much larger, comparable to the Fire Dragon Beast, stationed in the sect as a Sect-Protecting Beast. That would definitely be mighty and extraordinary!

“Whoosh—”

The scorching flames continued to erupt until dawn arrived, when they finally began to converge.

Unfortunately, from the revealed body, there wasn’t much change—it was only slightly smaller than before, looking like a small pony.

Jun Changxiao couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.

However, thinking that the little fellow had evolved after all, its strength must have greatly increased.

“This…” Chu Xiunan, Huo Ling, and the others opened their mouths wide.

After the flames subsided, a lizard-like fierce beast suddenly appeared, completely unexpected!

“Senior brother,” Huo Ling said, “what is this?”

From its form, the fire dragon had snake characteristics and also horse-like limbs, making it very difficult for him to determine exactly what species of fierce beast it was.

“Uh…” Su Xiaomo considered briefly and said, “It’s the Sect Leader’s contract beast. You can consider it a snake-horse beast.”

“Snake-horse beast?” Everyone looked bewildered.

Wait! This little fellow is the Sect Leader’s contract beast?

Impossible!

The Sect Leader is a Sword-Martial Dual Wuwang rarely seen in thousands of years. How could he have such a pathetic contract beast?

In the newly entered disciples’ eyes, if Jun Changxiao had a contract beast, it should be the kind of mighty and imposing lion-tiger beast—only that would match the status of a sect leader and martial arts grandmaster.

“ROAR!”

Just then, Little Dragon raised its head and roared. Streams of energy visible to the naked eye, like ripples spreading across water, rapidly dispersed in all directions.

The powerful aura contained in the sound startled everyone’s faces into dramatic changes!

This beast that looked like a pony was definitely very strong!

“Master,” suddenly, a childlike voice came from the fire dragon’s mouth. “I’ve completed my second evolution.”

That little fellow actually spoke!

Huo Ling, who had some understanding of fierce beasts, cried out in disbelief, “Spirit Beast! This is a Spirit Beast!”

The ‘spirit’ in Spirit Beast represents spiritual wisdom.

Fierce beasts that reached this level not only awakened intelligence but could also speak human language.

This also meant that the fire dragon, after awakening and completing its second evolution, was a true Spirit Beast with strength comparable to the Wuwang level!

Chu Xiunan and the others were completely dumbfounded.

The fierce beast they’d just been looking down on was actually a Spirit Beast. This face-slapping… hurt a bit!