The great families also felt that overwhelming aura and were left in shock.
"That young man advanced in level just a few weeks ago, and now he has done it again. A few days ago, we learned he executed that powerful technique; currently, his power is unprecedented," they commented.
"But this favors us. The stronger he is, if we manage to join his group, our gains in that place will be enormous."
Despite feeling overwhelmed, they were happy about the potential benefits.
At the First Martial Arts School, not only was Li Yi's palace destroyed, but the two closest to it were partially damaged, leaving only one of the four palaces standing with slight fissures.
Leng Lubai did not care about this; his eyes were fixed on Li Yi's advancement. As his body transformed, his skin shifted from a fair tone to a darker, bronzed hue due to the fusion of energy attributes into his organism.
After several minutes, the aura contracted until it ceased to affect the area. When it retracted completely, Li Yi slowly opened his eyes. He observed his body and noted the changes: he was many times more resistant, and his control over energy had improved considerably.
Leng Lubai observed him and noted with his mental power that Li Yi's physical strength had already far surpassed his own. Now Li Yi could face a King Realm cultivator in hand-to-hand combat without being at a disadvantage. He was amazed and felt more at ease, as he had been worried in recent days that cultivators with ill intentions might arrive.
"How is it, Fellow Li Yi? It seems your strength has increased greatly. Even if I had a thousand times more courage, I wouldn't dare face you with your current power," he said.
"My advancement to the Warrior Realm has been perfectly completed. I apologize for the destruction of the palaces," Li Yi responded, still perceiving the changes within him.
"Don't worry; with the resources we have, we can rebuild them in a few days. The important thing is that you have already advanced. Furthermore, it seems the enemy didn't perceived your sword strike, and we will be able to cultivate more calmly. The gains obtained from the battle against the beasts have already been prepared; a third part will be delivered to you, as we agreed."
Li Yi heard this and simply nodded.
"For now, I won't go out to measure my strength. I will seclude myself to finish mastering the basic arts I'm missing," he said.
"That seems fine to me. If you need anything, you can call me and I will help you. I'm taking my leave," Leng Lubai said before flying back to his palace.
Li Yi moved from his spot; he found the state of his palace lamentable. He shook his head and flew toward the martial techniques pagoda to take the basic arts he was missing: Stealth, Movement, and Realm Concealment.
Additionally, since he now possessed greater control over his energy, he could use magical abilities with his special attributes. He chose the Iron-level power "Twilight Light Barrier" and an attack one called "Art of the Seven Thorns." Although the latter was low-rank, with sufficient mastery, he could develop enough thorns to rival a Bronze-level technique.
After obtaining the manuals, he left the pagoda and headed to the only palace still standing.
He began practicing stealth and concealment. Normally, these arts were divided into levels, but for Li Yi, they were irrelevant due to his superior comprehension. Being basic techniques intended for the Base Forging Realm, it took him barely forty-five minutes to an hour to master them completely.
At sunset, he finished learning the last magical technique and decided to test his capabilities. He activated stealth and movement, traversing the entire school in a few minutes. No cultivator in the Martial or Base Forging Realms could perceive him; however, when passing in front of those in the Warrior Realm, they noticed his figure instantly due to the low level of the technique.
The few who detected him knew who he was by his appearance as a seventeen-year-old youth. They made amused gestures, as they didn't expect someone with such strength to practice such basic arts.
Li Yi arrived at the training field in front of the rock split in half. He used the "Art of the Seven Thorns," and around him, eighteen silver light projectiles appeared, illuminating the area. As he pointed at the rock, the thorns impacted, leaving large holes; thanks to his massive amount of energy, the destructive power equaled his current punches.
"With my current ability, I should be comparable to a low-level king kingdom. If I practiced techniques according to my level, I could face a low or mid-rank Emperor Realm," he thought seriously.
He remembered he promised to visit his siblings to see how they were. Several cultivators were observing him, but his close ones were not there, so he walked toward the rooms. Those present made way and bowed their heads in respect.
He decided to walk through the corridors using his stealth. He listened to the conversations of the apprentices passing by him without noticing him. He marveled that such basic techniques were so useful, questioning what kind of divine abilities might exist in the world.
As he reached Zang Li's door to check his base, he perceived something approaching from the horizon, right from where his sword strike had come. Thanks to the ability of his eyes, he noticed several beings with overwhelming energy approaching rapidly.
He shot off, pulled out his Honorary Elder token, and activated the school's protective mist array. At the same time, he sent a message to Leng Lubai.
"Powerful beings are approaching from the direction of the sword strike. Warn the families and the town guard to activate their defenses. If you dare, come with me to receive these 'friendly' visitors," Li Yi said.
The school went on maximum alert. The managers and vice-directors flew immediately to the main palace, where they found a Leng Lubai with a somber expression.
"What's happening, Director? Why was the array activated?" Sao Shueli asked. The others were bewildered, as no one expected a battle at that moment.
Leng Lubai composed himself and ordered quickly:
"It seems Honorary Elder Li Yi's sword strike attracted powerful enemies seeking to obtain his divine technique. He has already gone to intercept them, but we must prepare the defenses in case a battle breaks out; we cannot allow the aftermath to destroy everything."
Everyone was surprised. If these enemies came from other cities and dared to invade, they must be extremely strong.
"Communicate with the families and the town guard. Activate the protective arrays and take shelter in the safest place," Leng Lubai instructed.
While everyone ran to fulfill the orders, only Vice-director Duo Luo remained with him in the palace. Leng Lubai's face reflected doubt; he didn't know whether to go help or stay protecting the school.
"Director Leng, how powerful are they? Do you think we can protect ourselves?" Duo Luo asked.
Leng Lubai looked at him for a moment before sinking into his thoughts.
"Li Yi said they were strong, and for him to admit it, they must not be just anyone. At the very least, they should be in the King or Emperor Realm," he responded with bitterness and concern.
Duo Luo paled, and a slight tremor made his hands sweat.
"Elder Li went alone... Do you think he can survive? They are very powerful enemies; perhaps he won't manage to hold them back."
"Don't focus on that. Li Yi doesn't fight if he doesn't expect to win; he knows how to use his head and will find a solution. Regardless, he brought this on himself by being careless," Leng Lubai affirmed. "I will stay here to help; if I go there, I will only be a hindrance."
Meanwhile, Li Yi was moving at a breakneck speed. In his eyes, those points of overwhelming energy were clearly distinguished, which, despite the darkness, illuminated the sky in the distance. He forced himself to go faster, generating energy explosions with his silver light that shot him forward at exorbitant speeds.
After about twenty breaths, the enemy ships noticed his presence and stopped.
"Senior Wu Qiang, we stopped because a cultivator who seems to be in the Warrior Realm is approaching at extreme speed," reported the one in charge of steering the sixth-level vessel.
"You stop for that? We are in a sixth-level ship. You can't brake because a simple Warrior crosses your path; you must crush him!" exclaimed Wu Qiang, annoyed by the days of travel.
"But Senior, that cultivator has something very strange about him," the man clarified with a trace of fear.
"What can be strange about a Warrior?" Wu Qiang said, rising from his seat to step out.
The other warships sent by the great sects also stopped. Everyone observed the youth who had just braked in front of them, blocking their path. On the decks, the faces of the powerful cultivators were pale and full of shock.
Among them was Yan Qing, a cultivator at the peak of the Emperor Realm from the Misty Clouds Sect. Although she maintained her composure, her mind was full of doubts. The boy in front of them was barely in the initial stage of the Warrior Realm, but his energy covered the entire frontal area and was extremely dense. Despite his rank, his power was comparable to that of a high-level King Realm cultivator.
Neither Yan Qing nor any of those present could process the existence of a being so out of the ordinary.