Half an hour later.

“Bang!”

A muffled sound!

Qi Shaofeng’s entire body finally exhausted itself, flying backward and crashing onto the hard stone ground like a sandbag.

Dust flew everywhere!

Rolling, rolling.

After rolling three times, when he stopped, Qi Shaofeng was face down.

He was covered in dust but struggled to press his hands against the ground, trying to get up. However, every bone in his body was screaming at him, unwilling to move even slightly.

Pain, soreness, numbness!

Since becoming a cultivator, Qi Shaofeng had rarely experienced such sensations.

How was this possible…

Jian Chou stood three zhang away in front of him, slowly withdrawing her somewhat aching leg.

Exhilarating.

Her black hair had been soaked with sweat, each strand clearly defined. Her forehead was also covered with fine beads of sweat, her chest rising and falling continuously, obviously having exerted herself excessively.

She adjusted her breathing before slowly stepping forward, walking toward Qi Shaofeng, who had fallen to the ground.

“Can you still stand up?”

Her voice, due to this battle that had nearly consumed all her strength, no longer carried its previous calm.

However, Qi Shaofeng could still hear her earlier composure and ease—

Half an hour ago, this youngest Senior Grand Uncle of Yashan had asked him: Do you still have the strength for another fight?

Undeniably, at that moment, Qi Shaofeng had a very strange feeling.

Was it Yashan’s Senior Grand Uncle asking him this question?

He had heard that although Senior Grand Uncle held a high rank, her cultivation was only at mid-Foundation Establishment. Even if she cultivated quickly, having returned from her travels, there shouldn’t be too great a change.

So Qi Shaofeng didn’t think he would lose!

However, reality was cruelly unbelievable!

This battle was difficult to a degree he couldn’t imagine.

Even when sparring with Senior Uncle Qu earlier, it hadn’t been this painful.

The seemingly delicate Senior Grand Uncle Jian Chou, when fighting, was simply like a madman!

Qi Shaofeng was certain that when attacking, Senior Grand Uncle didn’t consider herself a woman, but a humanoid weapon! However fierce she could be, that’s how fierce she was; however ruthless she could be, that’s how ruthless she was!

Completely Senior Uncle Qu’s style!

Even more ferocious, with an even harsher and brutal intent.

Throughout the entire battle, Qi Shaofeng heard countless sounds of bones breaking, yet what responded to him was always Senior Grand Uncle Jian Chou’s expressionless face.

Then, taking advantage of the moment he became distracted due to surprise or shock, an even more violent attack would descend…

It was simply a nightmare.

A nightmare even more terrifying than Qu Zhengfeng.

This was the second time today.

The second time, I felt so fragile and vulnerable!

One was Senior Uncle Qu at Nascent Soul Peak!

The other was Senior Grand Uncle Jian Chou, who was only at Foundation Establishment!

Lying powerlessly on the ground, Qi Shaofeng finally managed to stand up shakily, but then fell again powerlessly. Finding it too unseemly to lie on the ground, he simply sat down and breathed heavily.

Jian Chou stopped not far in front of him, looking at him without speaking.

Qi Shaofeng also looked at her for a long time, wanting to speak but unable to find words.

Golden Core and Foundation Establishment were originally a huge watershed.

Qi Shaofeng felt that losing to Qu Zhengfeng was the most natural thing – if he ever won, the sun would rise from the west. But losing to Jian Chou was filled with incredibility.

Now recalling the difficult moments just past, Qi Shaofeng felt like he was dreaming.

Everything could only be summarized in four words—

He lost.

“Can you still stand up?”

Jian Chou had stopped in front of him for a long time, seeing many more bruises added to Qi Shaofeng’s face, feeling an indescribable strange sensation in her heart.

This young man might have cultivated longer than she, but he looked much younger than her.

Standing from an elder’s perspective to view him, she felt like she was bullying someone.

Although…

She was Foundation Establishment, he was Golden Core.

Qi Shaofeng had lost but didn’t feel the slightest bit unconvinced.

During the entire battle, he had also wondered why every punch and kick from Senior Grand Uncle was so hard and powerful, completely inconsistent with a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s normal abilities!

But what responded to him were only wave after wave of attacks sweeping over like a raging tide.

Unconvinced?

So what if he was unconvinced?

Sooner or later, he’d be beaten into submission anyway.

Hearing Jian Chou ask for the second time, he struggled to extend his hand, pressed it against the ground, and said through gritted teeth: “I can!”

With effort, his entire body shakily stood up again.

Qi Shaofeng looked like he had been fished out of water, constantly gasping for breath, his eyes carrying a wild, beast-like quality.

Seeing that he could still stand, Jian Chou felt relieved.

She nodded, originally wanting to say something, but facing these young eyes, she found herself unable to say anything.

The taste of failure.

She had tasted it too.

She just didn’t know if her own eyes back then had been this burning hot.

A strange smile curved her lips, and Jian Chou shook her head, turning to walk toward the passage leading to the Seal Opening Chamber.

Leaving without saying a word?

Behind her, Qi Shaofeng, who had just struggled to stand up, was stunned.

Seeing that Jian Chou was about to leave the Beast Trapping Arena, he didn’t know what came over him and shouted: “Senior Grand Uncle!”

Jian Chou stopped, standing right at the edge of this vast Beast Trapping Arena, looking back.

Her clear gaze crossed half the Beast Trapping Arena and fell on Qi Shaofeng.

At this moment, Qi Shaofeng felt all his words suddenly disappear completely.

He forgot what he wanted to ask.

Or rather, the moment Senior Grand Uncle turned to look at him, he strangely felt: What use would asking be?

Even if his suspicions were true, that was a matter between Senior Grand Uncle and Second Senior Uncle. For him, this was just a defeat.

Qi Shaofeng’s expression suddenly became peaceful.

Seeing Jian Chou looking at him, he felt embarrassed and touched the back of his head again, saying hesitantly: “Well… I… I wanted to ask, are both Senior Grand Uncle and Second Senior Uncle practicing Body Refinement?”

Only Body Refinement could provide such powerful physical strength.

Jian Chou had originally thought he wanted to ask something important, but after holding it in for so long, he only managed to squeeze out this sentence.

She immediately laughed.

Shaking her head, she turned around and said, “I practice Body Refinement. As for whether Junior Brother Qu does, you’ll have to ask him.”

Eh?

They don’t use the same cultivation method?

But…

The feeling they gave him was the same.

Qi Shaofeng was puzzled and wanted to ask more clearly, but when he looked up again, Jian Chou’s figure had already disappeared into the long corridor, vanishing from sight.

For a moment, Qi Shaofeng felt somewhat melancholy.

The Beast Trapping Arena was empty of people. Looking around, it no longer had the liveliness of when Senior Uncle Qu was present.

This Foundation Establishment versus Golden Core battle was known only to Senior Grand Uncle and himself, with no third person aware.

He lost again.

That sense of defeat finally surged up.

Qi Shaofeng couldn’t help but look back toward the corridor again, as if desperately trying to see Jian Chou’s figure…

“Body Refinement, Body Refinement…”

His fists clenched, and Qi Shaofeng hesitated, but finally, his eyes became determined through the struggle.

He dragged his weary body out of the Beast Trapping Arena, up Guihe Well, and from Lingzhao Summit into the Administrative Hall.

In the Administrative Hall, two of Yashan’s Four Great Elders were sitting there – one was Qi Boyuan, the other was the long-eyebrowed Elder Xihe.

Qi Boyuan frowned tightly, pinching a jade slip in his hand: “Kunwu sent their new disciple Xie Buchen, won’t he encounter our people?”

“Even if they meet, it probably won’t be a big deal…” Elder Xihe didn’t seem very concerned, slowly picking up his teacup.

At this moment, Qi Shaofeng walked in from outside.

Elder Xihe looked up and saw him: “Shaofeng is back… You, how did you end up like this?”

The first half of the sentence was fine, but by the second half, Elder Xihe couldn’t help but widen his eyes.

Qi Boyuan also looked up, and upon seeing his naturally somewhat timid only son, he was also surprised.

The dirt all over his body needn’t be mentioned, and his face also bore blue-purple marks, though they were all surface wounds, just rather frightening to look at.

None of this was important…

What was important was that Qi Shaofeng, who usually loved cleanliness, had his robes soaked with sweat, looking sweaty from head to toe, exactly like someone who had just escaped from disaster.

“You went to the Beast Trapping Arena again?”

Qi Shaofeng nodded glumly: “Yes.”

“But that’s not right.” Elder Xihe couldn’t help but interject: “Although that Qu fellow has a black heart, he wouldn’t be this vicious, would he?”

“…”

Qi Shaofeng silently glanced at Elder Xihe and said, “Senior Grand Uncle and I had a gentleman’s battle. Please judge fairly, Elder, and don’t slander Senior Grand Uncle.”

“Senior… who did you say?”

Elder Xihe’s eyes widened.

Even Qi Boyuan beside him suspected he had heard wrong.

Qi Shaofeng knew others wouldn’t believe him.

Scratching his hair, without answering Elder Xihe’s question, he only turned his head to look at Qi Boyuan pitifully: “Father, I have… have a request.”

“…”

Qi Boyuan fell silent. His only son had decent talent, but in Yashan, where geniuses emerged in numbers, he really couldn’t be considered outstanding. Also, because he was a Yashan Elder’s son, his temperament had been overly reserved since childhood, different from his peers.

This was the first time he had heard this child actively make a request.

For a moment, Qi Boyuan forgot about who had beaten up his son, hesitating before saying: “Speak.”

Qi Shaofeng’s eyes lit up, and he mustered the courage to say loudly: “I want to practice Body Refinement!”

“Pfft!”

Elder Xihe, who had just slowly taken a sip of tea, spat it out without hesitation!

Are you kidding us?!

“Shaofeng, are you sick?!”

Beast Trapping Arena, beside the Myriad Laws Convergence Wheel.

Fudao Shanren gripped the Dijiang Guyu tightly with both hands: “Will you spit or not, spit or not, spit or not!”

“Won’t spit, won’t spit, just won’t spit! Bad person, bad person, let me go!”

A tender voice came from Dijiang Guyu’s mouth.

…

Yes, after round after round of wrestling, the Dijiang Guyu had mastered basic language skills.

Fudao Shanren was so angry that his vision blurred.

“You, you, you, you stole my chicken leg and won’t even spit saliva – who’s the bad one, you or me! Do you believe I’ll cook for you?!”

Tap tap.

Footsteps.

Though light, they immediately quieted the endlessly arguing person and bone.

Fudao Shanren’s pair of bright eyes and Dijiang Guyu’s one large and one small eye all looked over simultaneously.

Jian Chou had somehow reappeared inside the door.

Her mouth twitched as she looked at the person and bone locked in a death grip: “Master…”

“You got beaten up?”

Before she could finish speaking, Fudao Shanren, seeing her exhausted appearance, couldn’t help but ask.

Hearing this, Jian Chou wanted to say: Can’t you hope for something good for your disciple?

She walked over and rescued the Dijiang Guyu from Fudao Shanren’s black palms, casually saying, “Mm”: “Yes, I got beaten up. It was terrible.”

“Why do I not believe you when you say it like that?”

Fudao Shanren looked at her suspiciously, temporarily forgetting to snatch back the Dijiang Guyu.

Stroking his chin for a long time, he couldn’t help but ask: “Who did you beat up?”

“Master, you’re overthinking.”

Jian Chou looked at the Dijiang Guyu, its white body covered with black fingerprints, and her eyes twitched severely.

What exactly had happened between this person and Bone during the past half hour?!

She sighed helplessly and slowly used her fingertips to wipe away all the marks on the Dijiang Guyu’s body.

The Dijiang Guyu had been bullied by Fudao Shanren for most of an hour, and just for eating one bite of chicken leg, it had been in a death struggle for so long…

For a moment, it truly felt that “bone life” was hopeless.

Now seeing the gentle and kind Jian Chou return and slowly wiping the dirt from its body, its one large and one small eye squeezed together, and it suddenly sat down on the Myriad Laws Convergence Wheel and burst into loud tears.

“Waaah…”

Fudao Shanren rolled his eyes: “I haven’t even cried yet, what are you crying about? You’re still a bone – can’t you have some backbone?”

“Master!”

Jian Chou couldn’t help but look back at him helplessly.

Fudao Shanren immediately felt wronged and said angrily, “You did get beaten up! Your whole person is abnormal! I’m your master, what is it? You favor a bone over me?”

“…”

Fine, I got beaten up.

Jian Chou no longer wanted to argue about this topic. She was about to turn back and continue wiping Dijiang Guyu’s body when, unexpectedly, all of Fudao Shanren’s complaining voice suddenly stopped. His entire body widened, his eyes staring at the Myriad Laws Convergence Wheel!

What’s wrong?

Jian Chou also turned to look—