With a dull thud, Chen Ben's mightly fist collided with the Kunpeng Demon Ancestor's life-sustaining feather. Immediately, flames engulfed his body, blood splattered, and one arm was covered in a myriad of scars from the impact. His body, like a cannonball, plunged into the base of a mountain.
"Dean Gu!"
However, Chen Ben didn't hesitate. Enduring the searing pain, he rolled over and got up. A War God's Gall pulsed, filling his already broken body with renewed strength. He surged forward like a bolt of lightning towards Gu Lingyu.
In Chen Ben's heart, the gentle scholar in the academy, the junior uncle whom Gu Lingyu called "Brother Lin Zhao," was the best kind of person in the world. If he could trade his own life for Gu Lingyu's, Chen Ben felt it would be the most worthwhile deal imaginable, even though his master, Mu Zha, always said he was no good at business.
But this deal, today, he wholeheartedly wanted to make, and he had to succeed.
"Chen Ben, Lingyu!"
In the mountaintop villa, Lin Zhao, looking up at the Water Moon Observation painting, felt his heart being torn to shreds.
"They can hear you."
Han Xin held a talisman that was rapidly fading and said, "Speak quickly. Once the formation is erased by the Great Dao, you will never see them again."
"Junior Uncle?!"
Gu Lingyu looked up, his mouth full of blood. The moment he looked up, a wolf demon of the thirteenth realm stomped down on his shoulder, sneering, "Saint Gu, are you really that reluctant to die?"
"Let go of Dean Gu!"
A surge of majestic fist intent exploded behind him. It was Chen Ben's powerful punch. However, this thirteenth-realm wolf demon was no pushover. He drew his steel saber and fiercely swung it, sneering, "A mere Heavenly Origin martial artist, what right do you have to be presumptuous before me?"
Instantly, the wolf demon's demonic energy collided with Chen Ben's fist intent. Chen Ben's blood and qi churned within him, and he was forced back by the opponent's overwhelming demonic energy. In that moment, his eyes turned blood red as he roared, "Brother Lin Zhao, don't worry, I will definitely save Dean Gu!"
"Capture that brat!"
In the clouds, a ethereal figure appeared, followed by a vast Kunpeng dharma image that seemed poised to devour all things in heaven and earth. It was none other than Kunpeng, the Demon Ancestor of Mount Wuwang from the Upper Realm.
Instantly, the great demon Chen Feng twisted and slashed at Chen Ben, roaring, "What use is a trash Heavenly Origin!"
"Come!"
Chen Ben roared, a surge of immense energy erupting behind him like a churning ocean. Indeed, he was but a mere Heavenly Origin, yet he had mastered the eighth stance of the Nirvana Fist, the Ocean Overturning Stance, to perfection. Raising his hand, he unleashed wave after wave of powerful fist intent, meeting the thirteenth-realm demon king's sword with a fierce punch.
"Boom—"
The earth trembled. The moment Chen Ben sent out his punch, his body spewed blood again. Although he had blocked Chen Feng's sword, the fine sword qi, like an uncontainable flood, pierced into Chen Ben's flesh, carving countless terrifying wounds.
Chen Feng's swordplay had always been fierce and imbued with immense killing intent. An ordinary Heavenly Origin realm cultivator would have long since turned to blood mist. But Chen Ben, with his extraordinary talent and innate divine strength, coupled with the protection of a highest-grade War God's Gall, managed to barely withstand this blow.
"Kill Gu Lingyu first!"
The fourteenth-realm great demon Ji An let out a low shout, his steel fork turning into an afterimage, heading straight for Gu Lingyu's head. Simultaneously, the thirteenth-realm wolf demon swung his saber at Gu Lingyu's waist, intending to bisect the heavily wounded Confucian thirteenth-realm cultivator on the spot.
"Ah?!"
Su Qingjiu, Wu Zhi, Huang Tingyu, and the others turned pale.
"Lingyu!"
Lin Zhao cried out even louder.
"Junior Uncle..."
Gu Lingyu gave a bitter smile. "Farewell. Lingyu is incompetent..."
In that instant, Lin Zhao felt as if a thousand arrows were piercing his heart, tears welling in his eyes.
But just then, the winds and clouds at the bottom of Mount Wuwang began to shift, and the very luck of heaven and earth seemed to be stirred. A boundless power was slowly awakening within Chen Ben's body.
"Could it be..."
Lin Zhao was aghast.
It was the Time-Bringer Pill, the immortal elixir meticulously refined by the Medicine Saint Sun Baigui. Chen Ben had taken it, but there had been no apparent effect. Now, in the brink of life and death, the medicinal power of the Time-Bringer Pill erupted like a tidal wave, shattering the shackles of Chen Ben's cultivation. A profoundly potent and magnificent power was awakening within him.
"Get lost!"
Chen Ben transformed into a lightning bolt and charged out, his heavy fist landing on the wolf demon's saber, sending it and its wielder flying back. Then, he brought up his arm, his entire body erupting with fist intent, using his fist qi to block Ji An's attack for Gu Lingyu. The steel fork pierced Chen Ben's arm, causing profuse bleeding.
Gu Lingyu was shocked. At this moment, Chen Ben, the seventeen-year-old human youth, stood before him, enveloped in a milky white aura, having stepped into the Rebirth Realm. A seventeen-year-old Rebirth Realm cultivator – unheard of since ancient times!
"Chen Ben..."
Gu Lingyu gritted his teeth.
"Dean Gu, I'm fine."
The young martial artist offered a simple, honest smile. He pulled Ji An's steel fork from his arm, casually discarded it, then grabbed Gu Lingyu by the waist and slung him over his shoulder, rushing towards the direction of a wisp of clear wind.
...
Mountaintop Villa.
Lin Zhao's heart churned like a raging tempest. Chen Ben had broken through to the Rebirth Realm on Mount Wuwang. It was a pity that the first Rebirth Realm martial artist in the mountaintop villa had fallen into desperate straits the moment he broke through.
"Chen Ben!"
Lin Zhao roared, "Break through the obstruction, don't engage in prolonged combat. Bring Lingyu back alive, quickly!"
"Yes!"
At the base of Mount Wuwang, the young martial artist, carrying Gu Lingyu, became a bolt of lightning, charging towards the clear wind. However, the group of great demons from the Upper Five Realms had no intention of letting them go. Kunpeng, the Demon Ancestor, flicked his sleeve, and a golden sky curtain suddenly stretched across the path between Chen Ben and Gu Lingyu, blocking their way. Behind them, the fourteenth-realm Canglan, the thirteenth-realm Chen Feng, and other great demons unleashed their crushing attacks, as if intending to cast Chen Ben and Gu Lingyu into purgatory.
At this moment, they were only one step away from the clear wind.
"Boom!"
Chen Ben slammed heavily into the golden sky curtain conjured by Kunpeng, the Demon Ancestor. The entire curtain vibrated.
In the clouds, Kunpeng, the Demon Ancestor, sneered, "This barrier is a part of my life-bound artifact. If you have the guts, keep charging. Try to shatter your own body. A mere Rebirth Realm, how capable are you?"
"Chen Ben."
Gu Lingyu, his voice faint, frowned and said, "Put me down and escape on your own. A Rebirth Realm martial artist might still have a sliver of hope if he tries to escape..."
"I'm not leaving!"
Chen Ben, supporting Gu Lingyu on his shoulder with his right arm, suddenly raised his left arm. Instantly, his entire body erupted with Rebirth Realm aura. The War God's Gall pulsed, coating his left arm and fist with golden fist qi imbued with sacred aura. At this moment, Chen Ben, brimming with youthful spirit, was determined to save Dean Gu today, and no one could stop him.
"Kill!"
Chen Ben spun his body and, with his left fist, charged resolutely towards the golden sky curtain ahead. In that instant, a golden martial artist dharma image, thousands of feet tall, appeared behind him, mirroring his movements. With a single punch, he gathered the martial luck of the entire Mount Wuwang and unleashed it!
"Boom—"
With a deafening roar, the entire Mount Wuwang trembled and resonated. Then, a scene that left all the great demons dumbfounded appeared: a hole several meters wide had been blasted open in Kunpeng, the Demon Ancestor's life-bound artifact by Chen Ben!
At this moment, Chen Ben's entire left arm had been shattered into blood mist. He looked at his empty left sleeve, his resolute face showing no trace of regret. Seizing the moment before the great demons could react, he condensed a thick fist qi with his right hand, wrapped Gu Lingyu, and threw him out.
"Dean Gu, live well and take care of Brother Lin Zhao!"
In a flash, Gu Lingyu's body disappeared into the clear wind and was teleported back to the mountaintop villa. The hole Chen Ben had blasted with the sacrifice of his arm was instantly repaired by Kunpeng, the Demon Ancestor's life-bound rules. Behind Chen Ben, the attacks of dozens of great demons from the Upper Five Realms rained down.
"You saved him, who will save you?!"
The great demon Ji An sneered, "Such a young Rebirth Realm martial artist, why are you so reckless with your life?"
Chen Ben panted, looking at the unfamiliar great demon. A smile appeared on his still-tender face, "I don't need anyone to save me!"
Saying that, he spun and unleashed a punch with his right arm, deflecting the attacks of the numerous great demons of the Upper Five Realms while maneuvering to evade. The Rebirth Realm power within him churned like a furnace, and with the protective divine effect of the War God's Gall, his injured body continuously repaired itself. The wound on his left arm stopped bleeding in a flash.
"Brother Lin Zhao!"
The young martial artist, full of heroic spirit, laughed heartily, "Chen Ben didn't listen today, I'm sorry... But, is the matter of intercepting Mount Wuwang not finished yet? Is the speed of Mount Wuwang's descent still too fast?"
...
Mountaintop Villa.
Gu Lingyu, heavily wounded, sat on a nearby millstone, supported by Su Qingjiu, a look of guilt and self-recrimination on his face. "Junior Uncle?"
"It's alright."
Lin Zhao gently pressed his palm downwards, signaling to Gu Lingyu that he did not blame him. Then, Lin Zhao looked up at the Water Moon Observation painting in the air. "You really don't want to come back?"
"I don't!"
After smashing a twelfth-realm great demon with a punch, Chen Ben leaped onto the demon's head and slammed another punch towards the base of Mount Wuwang, attempting once more to intercept the mountain's rapid descent with his fist intent. "These damnable demons won't let me leave anyway. Since that's the case, I might as well finish what Brother Lin Zhao hasn't completed, to make my death more meaningful."
Lin Zhao's heart was wracked with pain. He had always regarded Chen Ben as his own younger brother, deeply concerned about his state of mind, cultivation, and more. Now, in this battle on Mount Wuwang, Chen Ben was the only one who would not return. For a moment, despite his reluctance, tears streamed down Lin Zhao's face.
He did not want Chen Ben to die, nor was he willing.
However, the situation before them was a dead end. Chen Ben was destined not to return. Since that was the case, letting him continue to do something on Mount Wuwang was the most reasonable course of action, though it might carry the suspicion of exploiting Chen Ben.
For a moment, Lin Zhao's self-reproach was overwhelming. His voice trembled as he said, "Do your best to intercept Mount Wuwang!"
"Yes!"
...
Mount Wuwang.
Chen Ben's punches continued to land, slowing the descent of Mount Wuwang, but the great demons' attacks never ceased. In an instant, Chen Ben's injuries increased, becoming more severe.
"Die!"
The great demon Chen Feng suddenly vanished like a golden ripple. The next moment, with a *swish*, the tip of a sword pierced through Chen Ben's chest.
"Ugh..."
Chen Ben spat out a mouthful of blood and reached out to grab the sword tip. His eyes, however, were filled with boundless fury. In this moment, he seemed to have seen through many illusions. Instantly, golden characters appeared around him, and the War God's Gall pulsed within him. At this moment, Chen Ben's short, dark hair was tinged with golden light, whipping wildly in the wind, and boundless fist qi exploded from his body.
In the sky, thunder rumbled incessantly. The entire world seemed to resonate with the changes in Chen Ben's power.
This unprecedented young martial artist, with a heart of pure innocence, charged forward once more, breaking through another realm!
Thirteenth Realm!
Martial Dao, Extreme Realm!