At this moment, Shi Hao's foundation in the Blood Transformation Realm was no less impressive than Shi Yi's, who had undergone baptism with the true blood of a pureblood Fire Qilin.
Through the power of his Supreme Bone and relentless effort, Shi Hao had bridged the gap between the true blood of an ancient remnant species and that of a pureblood ferocious beast.
But human potential has its limits.
And this was where it stopped.
In the Heavenly Passage Realm, Shi Yi, with his ten heavenly passages, was no longer someone Shi Hao could catch up to with mere talent and hard work.
Even if Shi Hao were to open ten heavenly passages himself, he would only stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the ten-passage young supremes of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.
Even if Shi Hao forcibly opened new passages and merged them into a single, unified heavenly passage, his foundation would still fall short of Shi Yi's ten heavenly passages.
The ten heavenly passages Shi Yi had opened, evolved from thirteen supreme scriptures, were no longer mere passages. They embodied the elements of earth, water, fire, and wind; the principles of yin-yang and chaos; the cycles of the five elements and eight trigrams. They were the embryonic form of a world, a universe.
Liu Shen hadn't chosen to follow Shi Yi merely because he was interesting or spoke flattering words, nor was it just to reside within his ten heavenly passages. A significant reason was that Shi Yi's unique passages offered her insights to perfect her own path, aiding her journey to break through from king to emperor.
___
Ten minutes later.
Martial King's Manor, Training Arena.
"Little Brother, are you sure you want to spar with me? I'm a full realm above you. Why not wait until you break through to the Heavenly Passage Realm?" Shi Yi tried to dissuade him.
"Yi Gege, don't worry. I just want to experience the power of ten heavenly passages and see how wide the gap between us is," Shi Hao said, shaking his head.
"If that's the case, then come. Facing reality sooner rather than later isn't a bad thing."
Shi Yi said no more. He knew his younger cousin had an indomitable spirit, fearless in the face of hardship or authority—far bolder than Shi Yi's own cautious nature.
"Alright!"
The fighting spirit in Shi Hao's dark eyes blazed brighter. He had already defeated every young cultivator in the Martial King's Manor, none able to challenge him. Only his cousin Shi Yi, with his ten heavenly passages shining like ten blazing suns, could push him to his limits and drive him toward ultimate transcendence.
As the cousins prepared to spar, unnoticed by them, Shi Yi mother and Qin Yining stood together nearby. The former had never liked the latter, but with Shi Yi backing Qin Yining, Yu Yuexian was momentarily at a loss for how to deal with her.
"Hmph, if not for Yi'er's kind heart and pure nature, I'd have driven you and your son out long ago," Yu Yuexian huffed unhappily.
"Yi'er values loyalty and righteousness," Qin Yining replied coolly.
"Yi'er? You think you can call him that?" Shi Yi mother's eyes widened.
"He's your son, but he's also my nephew. If you can call him Yi'er, so can I." A faint smile curved Qin Yining's lips.
"You—hmph!"
Fuming, Yu Yuexian turned away, leaving only the graceful silhouette of her back.
"Can't win an argument and you get mad? How petty," Qin Yining murmured, relishing Yu Yuexian's frustrated expression. She dislikes me but can't do anything about it.
What warmed Qin Yining's heart most was Shi Yi's closeness to her. Despite being away for five years, he hadn't forgotten his aunt.
___
On the training field, Shi Hao's blood essence surged, soaring into the sky. He stamped the ground, clenching his small fists, charging toward Shi Yi like a pureblood ferocious beast cub.
He hadn't yet broken through to the Heavenly Passage Realm, so his inner world couldn't yet connect to the outer heavens, preventing him from drawing on external forces to fight. He relied solely on his physical strength to attack.
Even so, Shi Hao's speed was astonishing. In the blink of an eye, his small fist, carrying immense wind pressure, reached Shi Yi's chest, aiming to end the fight with one blow.
A single arm swing of 100,000 jin didn't mean his strength was limited to that. It was raw physical power, but the impact force—amplified by speed and momentum—far exceeded 100,000 jin.
To put it simply: you might punch with 100,000 jin of force, but you couldn't lift a 100,000-jin cauldron. Pushing a few hundred jin stone ball was one thing; lifting it was another.
Pushing and lifting were never the same. Nor were raw strength and impact force.
Strength came from muscles and bones; the stronger the body, the greater the force. Naturally, greater force meant greater impact.
If Shi Hao's physical strength was 100,000 jin, his punches could deliver a million jin of impact force.
Shattering a small hill with one punch was no issue, and his body was immune to mortal weapons.
Bang!
Shi Yi reacted faster, catching Shi Hao's fist with one hand. The gust from the punch's impact blew his hair across his face, but he stood unmoved.
In the next instant, Shi Yi drove his knee upward, catching Shi Hao off guard and causing him to float upward in pain. Before Shi Hao could react, Shi Yi's whip-like kick sent him flying through the air.
Boom!
Shi Hao's body shot like an arrow, crashing through several man-thick stone pillars.
Yet, in the next second, he stood up as if nothing had happened. His tough, resilient body, bolstered by the Supreme Bone, shrugged off Shi Yi's restrained blow.
"Yi Gege, please fight seriously. Don't hold back!" Shi Hao declared, his blood essence roaring like thunder. Golden divine light shimmered across his body, making him look like a small golden figure from afar.
"You're sure?"
Shi Yi glanced at Qin Yining outside the arena. Seeing her slight nod, he vanished, disappearing from Shi Hao's sight.
"Where'd he go?"
Shi Hao's eyes widened, searching for Shi Yi. But before he could find him, Shi Yi's fist slammed into Shi Hao's abdomen, bending him like a curled shrimp.
"So fast! So painful! So strong!"
Six words flashed through Shi Hao's mind. This was his first taste of Shi Yi's speed and power—terrifying beyond belief. He hadn't even had time to react.
"This is your level, and you want to challenge me?"
Shi Yi didn't understand. Where does Shi Hao get the courage to challenge me, a Ten Heavenly Passage cultivator, with just Blood Transformation Realm cultivation?
"I can't match Yi Gege in speed or strength. I can't even react, and the gap in physical toughness is too wide. Then let's try treasure techniques!"
Clutching his abdomen, Shi Hao struggled to his feet. With a wave of his hand, a hundred-meter cloud of dark thunderclouds appeared, crackling with arm-thick lightning bolts.
Seeing this, a strange glint flashed in Shi Yi's eyes. He raised his hand, and instantly, a sea of lightning descended from the sky, with bucket-thick bolts surging within it.
In a breath, the hundred-meter thundercloud Shi Hao had summoned was swallowed by Shi Yi's lightning sea, like a trickling stream lost in an endless ocean.
"What a formidable treasure technique!!!"
Shi Hao took a deep breath. There was no fear or hesitation in his eyes. He saw Shi Yi's strength, but also his own future. I believe I'll catch up to Yi Gege one day.
But for now, he wasn't out of options. He still had one final trump card.
Shi Hao gritted his teeth, his chest trembling.
The Supreme Bone was resonating.
Its vibration shook the heavens.
Moments later, a blinding light descended from the nine heavens, coalescing into a hand that appeared before Shi Yi's eyes, imbued with the profound mysteries of countless transformations.
The hand, lustrous as jade and covered in dense runes, radiated a terrifying power, as if it could shatter all things. It reached slowly toward Shi Yi.
_
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