Chapter 31: Elite Disciple

"Incredible, he was defeated in a single move!" The disciples were stunned. The disciple from Dragon Peak was no amateur; his cultivation had already reached the peak of the Divine Bridge realm. Yet, such an existence had been instantly crushed by a cultivator who had only just broken through to the Divine Bridge!

It was simply inconceivable, and everyone was gripped by a sense of profound shock.

"These two are not even in the same league. At first, I thought Li Yao spent all his time on cultivation and lacked the energy to learn offensive divine arts, but who could have guessed that he doesn't even need them? His raw strength alone is enough to crush his opponent. The gap is just too vast."

"Indeed. Although Li Yao has only just broken through to the Divine Bridge, his combat power is likely already comparable to that of the Other Shore realm."

"Rising Sun Island has truly struck gold finding such a gem. No wonder the Rising Sun Island lineage made such a scene when Li Yao went missing a while ago, dispatching so many disciples to search for him."

The disciples began to discuss the matter heatedly, particularly those from Rising Sun Island, who were now incredibly excited. Though they were not close to Li Yao, this clash between Rising Sun Island and Dragon Peak gave them a sense of collective honor and participation.

Li Yao ignored the chatter. He glanced at the Dragon Peak disciple still lying on the ground, unable to rise, and turned to leave. Time was precious to him; had this matter not concerned him, he wouldn't have even emerged from seclusion.

But just as he prepared to depart, a shout of rage rang out.

"Stop! You think you can just walk away after severely wounding someone?" Someone from the Dragon Peak camp stood up and bellowed.

Li Yao halted and turned toward the Dragon Peak disciples. Before he could speak, the Rising Sun Island disciples erupted in outrage.

"Are you sore losers? Since when does a fight not result in injuries?"

"Exactly! You were the ones who challenged us, and now you're the ones who can't handle the loss."

"If you're afraid of getting hurt, just stay put instead of acting out."

The Rising Sun Island disciples were indignant, turning into a chorus of hecklers, pointing fingers at the Dragon Peak disciples.

They were in the right here; the Yaoguang Sacred Land would not interfere in duels between disciples, provided no lives were taken and no one maliciously crippled another's cultivation. Although the Dragon Peak disciple was severely injured, everyone could see that Li Yao had held back at the final moment, causing heavy injury but stopping short of death.

The wounded disciple was speechless, unable to find a retort.

At that moment, a tall, burly youth of about twenty, dressed in white, stepped forward.

"Although Junior Brother Yang’s life is not in danger, such severe injuries will keep him bedridden for months. Even if we are not of the same lineage, we are fellow disciples; there was no need to strike so heavily."

His appearance brought an instant hush to the scene, and many faces changed slightly. Li Yao did not recognize him. Although he had joined the Yaoguang Sacred Land six months ago, he had been focused entirely on cultivation and knew nothing of the other disciples. However, judging by the reactions of those present, this youth possessed significant cultivation and was likely an elite disciple; otherwise, the others would not be so wary of him.

"Senior Brother Han, this brat is too arrogant! We are fellow disciples, yet he acts so viciously. You must teach him a lesson, otherwise, he will think Dragon Peak has no one left. Let him see how high the sky is and how deep the earth!"

"With your strength, Senior Brother, dealing with him will be effortless. Since he did this to Junior Brother Zhang, let us treat him as he treated others—shatter his palms and break his bones so he can spend half a year in bed too!"

The Dragon Peak disciples were ecstatic. They seemed to already see Li Yao's bones broken and his palms shattered. They felt a sense of vindication even before the fight began.

Senior Brother Han smiled faintly and said nothing, striding forward. He stood a head taller than the average man, looking down at the fourteen-year-old Li Yao.

"Actually, you are quite remarkable. Your physical body is truly formidable. If you admit your fault now, I won't make things difficult for you. After all, we are all disciples of the Yaoguang Sacred Land; we are bound to see each other again."

Li Yao shook his head slightly, raised an eyebrow, and said with disdain, "I don't know where you get your confidence. You might be a bit stronger than that waste from earlier, but in my eyes, there is no difference."

He rubbed his fingers together and added, "At most, it will take one more punch."

"This guy is too arrogant! How dare he speak to Senior Brother Han like that? He's looking for death!"

"Senior Brother Han, shatter every bone in his body! Don't hold back; no one has ever looked down on the disciples of Dragon Peak like this before."

"As long as you don't take his life, no one can say anything. Senior Brother Han, make this kid suffer!"

The Rising Sun Island disciples grew nervous. They knew this man; he was also at the peak of the Divine Bridge, but his combat power was far superior to that of the disciple surnamed Zhang.

"Senior Brother Li, this man is Han Lin, an elite disciple of the Dragon Peak lineage. He once attempted to break through to the Other Shore, but fell at the trial of the Lost Soul," a Rising Sun Island disciple transmitted to Li Yao via divine sense.

Hearing this, Li Yao's interest was piqued. When breaking through to the Other Shore, one faces the trial of the Lost Soul. Many cultivators fail there, their minds lost forever. Han Lin had failed his attempt but had not been lost—he had awakened. That was impressive. Being able to break free from the trial of the Lost Soul proved that Han Lin's mental state was formidable, and having survived it, his mental fortitude would have only grown stronger.

However, Li Yao was only slightly intrigued. He was well aware of his own combat strength. Though his realm was only the Divine Bridge, his power was unrivaled within the Wheel Sea stage. This was not arrogance, but a fact. Consider his foundation: he practiced an Imperial Scripture, and he had reached the pinnacle of it. This not only made his cultivation progress rapidly, but also significantly boosted his combat power. This alone left him almost without an equal in the Wheel Sea stage.

Furthermore, he possessed three Imperial Runes within his Wheel Sea, which could amplify his power; once integrated into his offensive divine arts, his strength would double. Additionally, he had tempered every previous realm to its absolute limit, causing his body to undergo multiple transformations. Though still a mortal body, its hardness was comparable to divine iron.

"Junior Brother Li, as your senior, I shouldn't bully you. Just admit your mistake, and we can let today's matter pass. After all, swords have no eyes; it would be unfortunate if I accidentally crippled you." Han Lin was confident; he believed he could easily take Li Yao down.

Li Yao let out a dry laugh, looking at Han Lin as if he were a clown. He raised a hand and beckoned with his index finger.

"Come. I shall grant you a defeat. Years from now, you can tell your children that you once fought Li Yao and survived. That will be the most boastful thing of your life, and you may even come to view it as an honor."