Chapter 25: An Unstoppable Force

"Clang!"

The clash between the refined iron saber and the sharp claws was like a meteor striking the night sky, sparking a blinding flash. In that instant, the air itself seemed to tear apart. A fierce gust of wind followed, whipping up a cloud of dust.

Shi Yu’s gaze flickered. This exchange was a deliberate test to gauge the strength gap between himself and the Shadow-Toothed Beast. The virtual interaction pod he was in connected to the user's soul and mental energy, independent of their actual physical body. Every user was standardized to a Level 6 constitution, the benchmark for a high school graduate. Beyond the mental energy brought from their soul, the only things users could carry into the game were their martial consciousness, techniques, and footwork.

A Level 6 constitution provided 300 kilograms of punching force, augmented by his Level 2 Na-Yuan stage cultivation. In other words, the maximum force Shi Yu could exert was 360 kilograms. The advantage of the immense strength he possessed in reality was completely neutralized here.

However, Shi Yu had no complaints. The logic was simple: on the battlefield, how often does one get the luxury of being fully prepared to utilize their advantages? Faced with a sudden outbreak of combat, ready or not, you had to fight. A martial artist must be prepared to face all manner of unfavorable situations.

This strike ended in a stalemate. Shi Yu now had his answer.

"Next comes the Shadow-Toothed Beast’s howl."

Thoughts flashed through Shi Yu's mind like lightning; he had already gained total insight into the creature's attack patterns. Sure enough, just as the saber and claws locked, the Shadow-Toothed Beast threw open its blood-stained maw.

"ROAR!"

A deafening roar, accompanied by a powerful psychic shockwave, surged toward him like a massive tidal wave, crashing down upon the close-quarters Shi Yu with overwhelming force!

This was exactly what he had been waiting for!

A golden light glinted in Shi Yu’s eyes. His movements remained entirely unaffected as he lunged forward! Under the moonlight, a cold blade-light erupted! The icy gleam whistled through the air, plunging deep into the beast's gaping maw. At that moment, a flicker of bewilderment crossed the beast's eyes, unable to comprehend why its target was immune to its howl.

"Boom!"

It collapsed heavily, its massive body gradually fading into transparency before vanishing.

[Congratulations, User!]
[Stage One Cleared!]
[Please prepare for Stage Two...]

Outside the simulation, Bai Yue and Lin Yichen, who had been watching Shi Yu’s combat intently, immediately cheered and jumped for joy, as if it were they who had passed the stage.

Suddenly, the massive display screen on the wall flickered. The layout, previously divided into multiple small windows, abruptly changed. Liang Cheng, an elite student from No. 1 High School who had been monitoring his own companion's performance, froze in confusion.

The central window on the screen rapidly expanded, occupying two-thirds of the display area. Looking at the enlarged combat feed, Liang Cheng saw a tall, handsome youth in the center of the frame. Even with the 70% realism setting, he recognized the person instantly as the user who had entered the adjacent pod—the companion of the two chattering girls beside him.

*He should be a high school student too...* Liang Cheng thought silently, *but why is his feed being highlighted?*

Then, lines of text appeared on the screen:

[User: Shi Yu]
[Achievement: Stage One Cleared]
[Time Elapsed: 30 seconds]

Seeing these stats, Liang Cheng’s jaw dropped so wide he could have fit several eggs inside.

"Thirty seconds?!"
"He cleared the first stage in thirty seconds?!"

The mental shock he felt now was no less intense than the impact of the Shadow-Toothed Beast's howl. Liang Cheng knew the difficulty well. Even in the first stage, the Shadow-Toothed Beast possessed strength equivalent to the second level of the Na-Yuan stage. Most second-year high school students were only just beginning their cultivation; how could they possibly contend with that?

Liang Cheng wondered if this was a senior who had already finished the college entrance exam. That would explain the level of power. As the window remained enlarged, curious onlookers began to gather to watch.

...

Stage Two, difficulty coefficient 0.4.

Standing before Shi Yu were two prowling Shadow-Toothed Beasts, their strength equivalent to the fourth level of the Na-Yuan stage. This stage was more than twice as difficult as the first. Not only had the number of enemies increased, but every attribute—strength, speed, and reaction time—had risen by 20%.

"This is no simple challenge," Shi Yu muttered, surveying the battlefield. Perhaps in a month or two, this stage would be a breeze, but given the current disparity in power, the gap was significant. Unless the system adjusted his constitution up to Level 7, it would be a hard fight.

Yet, facing this situation, Shi Yu did not retreat; on the contrary, he began to feel a surge of excitement. *Come on then, let’s see just how far I can go!*

The two beasts seemed to sense his fighting spirit. They slammed their claws into the ground and charged from left and right! They moved with lightning speed, like two blades piercing the sky, aiming straight for the youth!

Shi Yu did not hesitate to meet them. He lunged toward one beast immediately, creating distance from the other. A few breaths later, his figure crossed paths with the beast.

"Clang!"

A thunderous sound echoed across the battlefield. The immense force traveled from the claws to the hilt gripped in Shi Yu’s hand. His arm trembled slightly. As expected, he was at a disadvantage in pure strength against the Stage Two beasts. There was only one way to win.

"ROAR!"

The Shadow-Toothed Beast began its howl again. While howling, it performed no other defensive maneuvers. Shi Yu’s eyes flashed; the opportunity had arrived.

Virtual creatures were, in the end, rather rigid. In the first stage, Shi Yu had already demonstrated his immunity to psychic attacks, a power stemming from his golden soul. Mental attacks of the same cultivation level were ineffective against him. However, in the second stage, these two beasts continued to follow their programmed behavior, relying on the howl, which sealed the outcome of the battle.

A moment later, a blade-light swept through the air, and two beast heads went flying.

[Congratulations, User Shi Yu!]
[Stage Two Cleared!]
[Please prepare for Stage Three...]

Outside the simulation, Liang Cheng stared at the screen, his eyelids twitching. *Stage Two passed just like that? In one minute?*

*These were two Stage Four Na-Yuan beasts! Even a senior graduate couldn't win this easily, could they?!*

He glanced at Wu Hui’s combat window, tucked away in the corner. That guy was still running in circles with a beast, panting heavily. The next second, the beast let out a howl, Wu Hui’s body went rigid, and he lost control. He was pounced upon and mauled.

A few seconds later, Wu Hui stepped out, grumbling, "This combat experience is only for seniors finishing their final term. We came too early; we should have come next year."

Liang Cheng sighed, patted his shoulder, and gestured toward the big screen. Wu Hui turned, his face blank at first, then shifting to confusion, and finally, pure shock!

"Stage Two is already cleared?!"
"So fast?"
"Is he planning to clear the whole thing in one go?" Wu Hui’s eyes were wide as saucers.

"Impossible!" Liang Cheng retorted. "Stage Three isn't just Shadow-Toothed Beasts; there are members of the Dark-Twilight Clan as well!"