Chapter 30: Crushing Victory

A disciple from Dragon-Head Peak is issuing a challenge, and the target is me?!

Li Yao was somewhat bewildered. Someone wanted to challenge him, so why was he the last to know? Though he did not fully understand the situation, since it concerned him directly, he naturally intended to get to the bottom of it.

He stood up and walked out of his cultivation chamber. There were no violent fluctuations of energy radiating from him; he did not appear particularly ethereal or transcendent. Instead, he possessed a sense of plainness, a grounded quality that felt like a return to simplicity.

His powerful divine sense expanded. As he approached, more and more information was captured, and the full picture of the events began to coalesce in his mind.

"As expected, fame brings trouble, no matter where one goes."

To Li Yao, however, this was of little consequence. Had he been a practitioner of the "low-profile" path, he might have found this a troublesome ordeal. But he was not. In the world of *Shrouding the Heavens*, one could not go far without an invincible conviction and a heart that unshakably believed in its own invincibility.

While Li Yao generally kept a low profile, he was not the type to endure everything like the old demons in tales of mortal cultivation. Perhaps it was due to the nature of the Secret Realm cultivation system, which involved excavating one's own divine treasures, but he, too, craved battle. He looked forward to defeating one formidable enemy after another, using these victories to forge his heart of invincibility.

Invincibility is never just a matter of words; it is earned through combat. Anyone can boast, but an invincibility built on empty talk is illusory. He needed to concretely defeat his enemies to firmly tell himself that he was, indeed, invincible.

Did Ye Fan firmly believe in his own invincibility from the start? No. In his early days, he had been hunted down so miserably that he had to hide his identity, change his appearance, and even rely on underhanded schemes to trap his enemies. It was only after defeating one difficult opponent after another that he forged his invincible conviction.

...

"Li Yao is here!" someone exclaimed.

Although many disciples had never met Li Yao, they certainly knew what he looked like. His disappearance some time ago might not have caused much of a stir in the outside world, but within the Sacred Land of Yaoguang, many were aware of it, and numerous disciples had been dispatched to search for him. Being sent on such a mission, they naturally knew his face.

Li Yao walked into the clearing and looked at the Dragon-Head Peak disciples with a calm gaze.

"I hear someone wants to challenge me. Why is it that I, the person involved, know nothing of this?"

"The man himself has appeared. Now we'll have a good show," many disciples thought, their eyes filled with intense interest.

Practitioners of the Secret Realm system inherently craved battle, so a scene of conflict was something everyone wanted to witness. Moreover, this battle had been built up with great fanfare. Everyone knew Li Yao possessed immense talent; after only six months of cultivation, his strength had soared to the Divine Bridge Realm. However, because his time in cultivation was so short and he had never fought in public, the other disciples were burning with curiosity about his true strength.

"Hahaha!" A Dragon-Head Peak disciple laughed aloud. A practitioner at the Divine Bridge Realm stepped forward, looking at Li Yao with a mocking gaze.

"I didn't expect you to have some backbone. You actually dared to show your face."

Li Yao glanced at the disciple. He sensed a powerful aura; the man’s cultivation was at least at the peak of the Divine Bridge Realm, not far from the Other Shore Realm. Yet, Li Yao felt no fear. Instead, he replied calmly, "Why wouldn't I dare? Or is it your assumption that I would fear you?"

He shook his head and continued, "Don't kid yourself. You are merely a bit player. You may be jumping around, but I have never truly regarded you. It is as if I were to step on an ant—I would never pay it any mind."

Li Yao paced slowly, speaking nonchalantly, "Even though we are currently in the same realm, we both know that in a short while, you won't even be able to see my shadow."

The words were cutting, but sometimes, the most helpless thing is the truth, which leaves no room for rebuttal. Lies do not hurt; it is the truth that is the sharpest blade.

The Dragon-Head Peak disciple’s fists tightened. A sense of stifled humiliation flooded his heart. He wanted to strike out and butcher this arrogant fool who looked down on everyone. It was clearly they who had picked the fight, wanting to goad Li Yao into a battle so they could defeat him and shatter his Dao heart—but in the end, it was he who had been broken.

"Yes, just like that. Since you challenged me, you should at least provide me with some amusement. If anger can make you stronger, feel free to rage in your helplessness; I won't hold it against you."

"Treasure this opportunity. It is the only one you will have in this lifetime."

The other disciples felt a chill down their spines. While they still weren't sure of his true strength, his arrogance was beyond doubt. To be admitted to the Sacred Land of Yaoguang, everyone was a genius in their own right; when had they ever been subjected to such mockery?

"You're courting death!" Predictably, the Dragon-Head Peak disciple flew into a rage. His eyes turned bloodshot, his aura surged, and powerful energy emanated from his body. He lunged forward, brandishing his weapon to strike Li Yao down.

*Chi!*

A brilliant long blade appeared—a blood-red demonic weapon, dripping with a crimson hue. It cut through the air, erupting with endless blood light, surging toward Li Yao like a crimson river. The blade moved as fast as lightning; in the blink of an eye, it was upon him, poised to cleave him in two.

"Is this all the strength you have, even when giving it your all? How disappointing."

At that moment, Li Yao’s divine power surged. Blazing divine fire roared, and he stood as radiant as a sun, accompanied by the sounds of thunder and crashing waves. He appeared like a deity garbed in sacred armor, his black hair dancing wildly, surrounded by dancing lightning, as endless divine brilliance engulfed him.

*Boom!*

A powerful wave of energy erupted from Li Yao’s physical body. He did not summon a weapon; he charged at the Dragon-Head Peak disciple with his bare hands. The terrifying momentum left everyone stunned.

Perhaps it hadn't been obvious before, but as he unleashed his aura, every disciple present sensed Li Yao's might. This was the strength of a fresh Divine Bridge practitioner? Even if someone claimed he was at the Other Shore Realm, no one would dispute it.

Li Yao’s entire body shimmered like crystal, radiating precious light; his flesh seemed cast from divine iron. His speed was impossibly fast. With a sharp *clang*, he caught the blood-red demonic blade with a single hand, gripping it firmly before exerting force with both.

*Dang!*

Blood light scattered across the sky as he snapped the weapon of the Divine Bridge cultivator in two. With sacred light suffusing his body, he lunged forward in an instant, throwing a punch that surged with waves of holy light.

*Bang!*

His speed was too great, his physical strength beyond comprehension. His radiant fist slammed into the Dragon-Head Peak disciple’s body.

*Boom!*

The disciple was sent flying, crashing into the ground with such force that the earth itself trembled.

All of this happened in the flash of an eye. Li Yao’s powerful body glowed with divine light, his terrifying, holy-lit fist unstoppable. He possessed unparalleled speed and power. Many of the onlookers had not even reacted; were it not for the blood drifting in the air, many would have thought it a mere illusion.