It was the next day and Li Shen watched as the yellow rays of the sun seep through the tree leaves.
Qiang groan a little as she got up while rubbing her eyes.
“You're finally awake, I have to go.”
A sad look appeared in Qiang’s eyes, but she only nodded her head.
“I won’t hold big brother Shen hostage any longer.”
Li Shen smiled and patted her head before saying.
“Don’t worry, I’ll visit once more when I plan to leave, okay?”
Qiang nodded her cutely, and Li Shen soon rose from his cross-legged position.
However, before he could leave, Qiang suddenly said.
“Big brother Shen, the person who you said to look out for, he’s currently meditating at the base of my roots. He arrived last night.”
Li Shen paused upon hearing that. He said thanks to Qiang before he floated off the tree branch he was on.
He looked down but from this far up he couldn’t see the base of the tree.
Li Shen thought for a moment before he decided to make a descent.
He got close enough to see Fei Yin’s figure cross-legged on one of Qiang's large tree trunks.
Li Shen soon touched down with bare feet on the trunk in front of him.
He examined Fei Yin and saw that his clothes were torn in a few places, showing the large and small cuts that were in the process of healing.
There was an especially large wound on his shoulder that looked like it went right through. From the looks of it, it seemed like a wound that if it was shifted to the left a bit more his heart would have been punctured.
Li Shen walked closer to him but Fei Yin didn’t react to his presence.
Stopping in front of Fei Yin, Li Shen raise his hand and then patted his head.
“Good job on breaking through, but don’t push yourself too hard okay?”
He could sense that for the first time in years, Fei Yin’s cultivation was showing progress. He even managed to form his eighth Divine Platform.
Li Shen didn’t wait for Fei Yin’s response as he turned and floated away.
After a few minutes, Fei Yin was seen opening his eyes to watch Li Shen’s figure disappear over the horizon.
“He’s already reached the peak of the Foundation Realm?”
Li Shen hadn’t hidden his Qi Fluctuations and Fei Yin sensed them.
Fei Yin clenched his knees grabbing a fist full of his tattered pants.
He then went back to cultivating, the determination in his heart burning even brighter than before.
As Li Shen flew a small smile crept on his lips.
It was unknown whether or not he just forgot to rein in his cultivation fluctuations or he purposely released them in front of Fei Yin.
“Now that everyone is working hard, as their Faction Leader I can’t be slacking off either. First off, flying at this speed is off-limits, Foundation Realm cultivators can’t fly this fast.”
Li Shen soon came to a stop on a nearby mountain.
“Secondly, my Divine Will is no stronger than a peak stage Foundation Realm expert. My Heavenly Cultivation doesn’t exist as well. That only leaves my two physiques and Qi Cultivation.”
Li Shen admittedly hadn’t been using his Qi Cultivation that much. Now that he reached the Foundation Realm he should exercise it more.
What his father said came to his mind.
“I haven’t decided whether to reveal my identity yet. Some part of me is still worried about what might happen to the others. I need them to prove me wrong, I need to see them strive on their own for this overprotective nature of mine to settle down. Though I need to do some self-reflection as well.”
Li Shen was watching the rising sun when suddenly, deafening roars of Spirit Beasts echoed out.
Li Shen turned his head to the right to see the trees far off into the distance rocking back and forth.
He turned his head in a few other directions to see the same scene happening. Some Spirit Beast must have sensed his presence and decided to head his way. And judging by the ground shaking intensely one could tell their size was not small.
Li Shen remain calm as he went back into his thoughts.
He thought about what would happen if he revealed his identity. That was aside from the Demonic Cult and the Ming Clan who are now working together seeing him as a major threat.
“I’ll be able to display my abilities openly. The ones who are boasting and calling themselves geniuses would all realize how far from that word they truly are. Especially those four who are above me in the Top Chosen Rankings.”
Li Shen felt something stir in his heart.
Despite how he always acted, deep down he probably had the desire like all geniuses to battle to become number one.
It was a hot-blooded feeling that was very hard to describe. A sort of sensation, a primal instinct to do nothing but fight to be stronger than everyone else.
Li Shen was starting to discover that desire, pushing himself to the limit despite the great dangers that lay ahead. He had the potential to overcome any major obstacles, why hold back and stifle that potential? That is the path of a cultivator, the path of a true genius.
Not one where he hides behind a mask like a coward afraid of a fight.
Li Shen felt the blood in his veins boiling, he clenched his fist while his eyes released a dazzling glow.
He hadn’t decided yet, but just this once he was going to completely let go. Any worries or doubts he had he would shove to the side. The only thing he would think about was battle.
Battle
Battle
Battle
BATTLE!
BATTLE!!
BATTLE!!!
BATTLE!!!!
“ROAARR!!!”
Li Shen felt his built-up emotions and the only way he could release them was in a deafening roar.
It was louder than the one on the Dragon Island. This time the void not only tremble, it completely shattered.
A shockwave visible to the naked eye erupted forth from him that blew apart the trees in the surroundings. The entire mountain he was standing on shook violently as his bellowing roar reverberated across the world.
It was like a Battle God had awakened from its slumber, letting out a roar that promised untamed and barbaric battles till the heavens themselves collapsed.
A golden light appeared around Li Shen and it seemed as if something in his God Physique had awakened. Not wanting to be outdone his Spiritual Physique released its black starry light in equal brilliance.
These two auras dance around Li Shen as he rose into the air, his figure growing to a size of thirty meters.
At this moment, Li Shen truly looked like a Battle God.
Something had awakened within him that if anyone who knew him before this had looked at him, at this moment they would find it hard to see the old Li Shen.
It wasn’t that he was unrecognizable, it was just that his aura and his state of existence had completely changed.
Like a God looking down from the nine heavens, Li Shen’s eyes shifted to the Spiritual Beasts. They hadn't even flinched when they heard the roar that surpassed their own.
Instead, as they felt this human suddenly giving off a domineering aura they were completely enraged that he would dare come into their territory to look down on them.
Their speed increased and the ground below shook even more intensely.
Li Shen’s face was void of emotion but if one looked into his eyes, they would see nothing more than battle intent. So much so that it could drown the entire world if it were to be ever released.
It wasn’t a coincidence that the Gods in Li Shen’s past life wage wars nonstop. They were prone to battle because their entire existence was to battle. They live and breathe battle.
Li Shen had suppressed this desire and because his Heavenly Physique was being kept in check by his equally strong Spiritual Physique, he could ignore it entirely.
But now he had completely tapped into that mindset.
Without hesitation, he flew in the direction of the Spiritual Beasts.
Like a drunkard that had been locked inside a wine store free to do whatever he liked, Li Shen would soon become intoxicated and fall into a dazed state as he battled Spiritual Beast one after another.
Without rest, day in and day out, he went on a mission to subdue every Spiritual Beast in this territory, with said territory being who knows how many thousands, tens of thousands kilometers big.
He completely let go of everything and only let his battle instincts take over and guide him.
It was a strange way to reflect, and whether it proved to be what was needed to force Li Shen to come out of the shell he had trapped himself in, was yet to be confirmed.
But one thing that could be said, was that Li Shen would change in some way after this. His desire for battle had become insatiable, he could find countless now, but after leaving he might find himself starving for more.
His greed for battle had been awoken.
**
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