Chapter 26: The Hero Clears the Level!

As the third stage began, Shi Yu made a choice entirely different from the previous two. He left the platform at the mountainside without hesitation and began to climb the winding mountain path. Shi Yu knew clearly that remaining in the open would only lead to being pincered and besieged from all sides.

This final stage required him to face a complete tactical unit from the Dark-Ming Realm during the inter-dimensional wars: one Dark-Ming warrior and two Shadow-Tooth Beasts. The Shadow-Tooth Beasts he had faced before acted on instinct alone, but with a Dark-Ming warrior providing command, their lethality increased exponentially. Furthermore, both the Dark-Ming warrior and the beasts had their cultivation levels raised to the sixth stage of the Origin-Gathering Realm.

It was a battle of three sixth-stage combatants against Shi Yu, who was only at the second stage. On paper, the disparity was immense.

Shi Yu climbed several dozen meters in one breath, then turned to look down at the man and two beasts still on the platform. He stood alone on the steep path, his expression calm, his blade slowly raised to point at the Dark-Ming warrior. As the clouds parted and moonlight bathed him in a silvery glow, he looked both elegant and imposing.

"Ah! Brother Yu is so handsome!" Lin Yichen gripped Bai Yue’s arm, staring at the giant screen in such excitement she could almost jump into it.

Bai Yue was more reserved, merely lifting her chin. "My brother is naturally the most handsome."

"Bai Yue, aren't you going to the same school as your brother after the summer break?"

"Yes, after school starts in September, my brother will be in his third year. I'll be able to find him every day at lunch."

Their conversation drifted into the ears of Liang Cheng and Wu Hui nearby. They turned toward the two young girls in shared shock. Only a third-year student in two months? That meant this player, known by the ID "Shi Yu," was just like them—having only just finished his second year of high school!

Liang Cheng and Wu Hui exchanged an incredulous look, a sense of indescribable shock surging within them. If that were the case, his martial arts training had only just begun, yet he had already cleared two stages! The two high schoolers from No. 1 High stared blankly at the youth on the screen. Surely, in this third stage, faced with such a massive gap in strength, there would be no more miracles?

...

Under the breathless gaze of the crowd, the Dark-Ming warrior’s eyes gleamed with icy malice. As he swung his gruesome mace, the Shadow-Tooth Beasts roared and charged up the steep path. The path was narrow, and the two beasts scrambled up one after the other. Their sixth-stage prowess allowed them to close the distance in seconds, bringing them within striking range.

"So fast!" Liang Cheng tightened his grip; as an elite student of No. 1 High, his judgment and observation were well above average. "At least thirty meters per second!"

This speed far exceeded that of human martial artists at the same level. A typical sixth-stage martial artist with a physique of level seven would reach a maximum of fifteen meters per second. In such a situation, a martial artist would likely be overwhelmed and taken down before they could even react.

"What will he do?"

Liang Cheng instinctively placed himself in the battle, only to realize he had no chance of winning. He simply could not see a path to victory.

...

Shi Yu watched the incoming beasts, his face as still as a deep pool. His gaze ignored the ferocious beasts and locked onto the Dark-Ming warrior behind them. The warrior followed at a measured pace, dragging a spiked mace along the mountain stone, creating a harsh, grating sound.

"Indeed, their tactics are similar to what I saw in the 4D observation zone. The Dark-Ming warrior uses the beasts to test the enemy's strength before deciding on a follow-up strategy." In a few breaths, Shi Yu confirmed their method—a mature and logical approach. "Good... that is where my chance for victory lies."

He stared at the closing beasts. At this distance, their eyes reflected each other’s images. Shi Yu slowly bent his knees, gathering immense power in his legs. The moment a Shadow-Tooth Beast opened its blood-stained maw to pounce:

"BOOM!"

A thunderous sound shook the valley as the mountain path beneath Shi Yu collapsed into a deep crater. Rocks flew and dust billowed. Shi Yu shot into the air like a cannonball!

Under the trembling gazes of the onlookers, he leaped high into the sky, streaking across the horizon like a shooting star. Bathed in moonlight, his silhouette was etched against the moon and burned into the eyes of all who watched. The two charging beasts could only watch as Shi Yu soared over them, hurtling toward the Dark-Ming warrior behind!

"DIE!"

His blade was held high, as if propping up the heavens. From the start, Shi Yu’s target was never the beasts in the lead, but the Dark-Ming warrior lagging at the rear. Standing on the path, he had appeared to be avoiding a pincer move, but his true goal was to force the beasts and the warrior to separate, creating the only possible opening for victory.

In mid-air, Shi Yu possessed the momentum of a falling meteor and the resolve of one who would succeed or perish. A second-stage martial artist was charging a sixth-stage enemy!

In that instant, Liang Cheng felt his own body trembling. This high schooler with the ID "Shi Yu" was showing him what a true martial artist was.

"Is he crazy?!" Wu Hui waved his arms and shouted. "Isn't this just throwing an egg against a rock?!"

Liang Cheng murmured, "Only when you throw an egg against a rock do you understand the true value of courage. Because... anyone can throw a rock at an egg."

The Dark-Ming warrior looked up, watching the meteor-like descent of the youth. It grinned, revealing four rows of sharp fangs, mocking the overconfident challenger. A weak insect, actually daring to deliver itself to death! It sneered, swinging its massive spiked weapon, preparing to unleash the force of a sixth-stage warrior to grind the bug into paste.

Suddenly, a shift occurred in an instant.

In the Dark-Ming warrior's field of vision, two golden specks of light emerged in Shi Yu’s eyes. In a flash, golden light erupted across the sky! Shi Yu’s figure merged with the radiance, appearing for a heartbeat like a deity, striking terror into the Dark-Ming warrior.

A powerful pressure of the spirit surged from Shi Yu, crashing down on the caught-off-guard warrior like a heavy mountain. The creature stiffened, as if struck by a heavy blow. In its mind, the fragile bug before it had transformed into a terrifying god-demon! The god-demon stared at it, and it, in turn, became the insect, easily trampled underfoot.

At this moment, within Shi Yu’s spirit, a line of golden text shimmered in the achievement section of his golden scroll, shaking his entire consciousness:

[King's Glory!]

This was the achievement reward obtained after guiding the Stone Monkey to become the Great Sage Equaling Heaven. This spiritual power originated from gods and demons; once activated, it released mental pressure that could not only shock an enemy’s spirit but also ignite the user's own potential, boosting combat effectiveness!

The mental pressure lasted for two seconds. Combat effectiveness increased by 1.5 times for two minutes. It could be used once per day.

With "King's Glory" ignited, Shi Yu was now capable of going head-to-head with a sixth-stage martial artist. Moreover, the Dark-Ming warrior had lost control of its body.

In the blink of an eye, the blade, gleaming with icy light, struck like lightning, carving deep into the Dark-Ming warrior’s neck! Blood sprayed like a fountain. The warrior collapsed with a crash, silent forever.

"Drip. Drip."

Shi Yu lowered his blade, blood constantly dripping from the edge. Half his body was stained crimson. Behind him, the two Shadow-Tooth Beasts roared in fury; they hadn't even managed to climb back onto the platform.

Shi Yu turned slowly, looking at the remaining opponents with calm eyes. He dragged his blade and walked toward the beasts. His pace quickened until he moved like an arrow. Beneath the bright moon, on the mountain platform, man and beast collided like cannonballs!

"ROAR!"

"DIE!"

A minute and a half later, the two Shadow-Tooth Beasts lay in pools of blood, their life fires extinguished. Shi Yu stood tall, blade in hand, amidst the blooming flowers of blood.

[Congratulations on clearing the stage!]

[Total time: Three and a half minutes! Ranked first!]