67: Breakthrough to the peak of Nascent Soul

Kunlun Cultivation Academy, Dean's Office.

Li Heng's finger slid gently across the virtual screen, which was filled with dense entries—the final assessment plan he had formulated for the first batch of new students.

The core content of the plan was just one line:

Descend the mountain, slay demons and devils, and exchange demon and Devil Heads for academic credits.

He nodded with satisfaction and saved the plan.

The students' growth rate had exceeded his expectations; it was time to let them see real blood.

"System, bring up the personal panel."

"Name: Li Heng"

"Cultivation: Golden Core Stage Peak"

"Prestige Points: 125,840 points"

"System Mall: Enabled"

"Current Task: None"

Looking at the string of numbers, Li Heng didn't hesitate.

"System, raise my cultivation."

"Detected that Host's Prestige Points are sufficient. Do you wish to consume 100,000 Prestige Points to raise your cultivation from Golden Core Stage Peak to Nascent Soul Stage Early Stage?"

"Yes."

The moment his voice fell, the Golden Core within Li Heng's Dantian vibrated violently.

An indescribably vast energy poured into his limbs and bones from the Void Realm. Fine cracks began to appear on the surface of the round, smooth Golden Core.

"Crack."

A soft sound, not from outside, but exploding deep within his Divine Soul.

The Golden Core shattered.

But the shattered Golden Core did not dissipate; instead, enveloped by a massive amount of Spiritual Qi, it began to reshape and condense.

A blurry, miniature figure, identical to Li Heng's face, was slowly forming in the center of his Dantian Qi Sea.

Nascent Soul.

It was done.

Li Heng closed his eyes, feeling the surging, endless magic power within him, more than ten times stronger than before.

His Divine Sense expanded outwards at an unprecedented speed, instantly enveloping the entire Kunlun Mountain. The crawling of every insect and ant in the mountains, the veins of every leaf, were clearly presented in his mind.

But this was not enough.

"System, continue to raise it."

"Detected that Host's Prestige Points are insufficient. Unable to proceed with the next major Realm advancement."

"Then raise it to Nascent Soul Stage Peak."

"Consume 20,000 Prestige Points to raise cultivation to Nascent Soul Stage Peak. Confirm?"

"Confirm."

Another even more immense energy poured into him. The newly formed Nascent Soul figure suddenly opened its eyes, its body swelling and becoming more solid.

Nascent Soul Stage Peak.

Li Heng slowly exhaled a turbid breath. He could feel that now, with a single thought, he could summon the might of heaven and earth.

"Ding! Detected that Kunlun Academy students Fang Yuan, Liu Lian, Han Li, and others successfully prevented the Harmony Express train accident, saving hundreds of Mortals. Kunlun's prestige has greatly increased. Reward Host with +5000 Prestige Points!"

"Ding! Detected that Kunlun Academy students Xie Wangsheng, Lin Xiao, and others displayed extraordinary power, causing a sensation across the entire network. Kunlun's prestige has greatly increased. Reward Host with +8000 Prestige Points!"

Listening to the continuous System notifications, Li Heng's face showed a look of relief.

These little rascals, they did well... Beside the train wreckage.

Liu Lian's face was pale. He had just flown a circle with his sword, relaying Xie Wangsheng's deduction to everyone.

"Damn it... Old Xie said this wasn't a natural disaster, it was man-made!"

"That rock blocking the tunnel was deliberately... deliberately placed there by someone!"

"This is a fucking ambush targeting us!"

He roared it all out in one breath, and the sixteen young people who had just experienced a brush with death all fell silent.

The relief of surviving a disaster was gone, replaced by a chill that rose from their bones.

"Coming for us?" A female Talisman Cultivator student from the Talisman Department asked tremblingly, "Who? Why would they do this?"

"Evil Devil Head."

Xie Wangsheng, who had been silent, finally spoke. He pushed up the frameless glasses on his nose, a habitual gesture that made him appear exceptionally calm.

"Our existence has disturbed certain things' 'cake'."

"Now is not the time to investigate why." Xie Wangsheng scanned the group, every person's expression registering in his eyes.

There was fear, there was anger, but more than that, there was a sense of unwillingness after being provoked.

"Before we act, we must first figure out three things."

"One, who is the enemy."

"Two, where is the enemy."

"Three, how strong is the enemy."

His words were clear and logical, instantly calming the agitated emotions of the crowd.

"Tang Ruoling." Xie Wangsheng looked at the female Talisman Cultivator student.

"Here!"

"Did you bring a Divine Movement Talisman?"

Tang Ruoling immediately nodded, pulling out a yellow Talisman paper with complex patterns drawn on it from her pocket: "I did! This is the best one I've ever drawn!"

"Good." Xie Wangsheng took the Talisman paper. "Use it on that rock. It must have the caster's aura lingering on it."

Tang Ruoling nodded and walked to the huge rock. She bit her fingertip, smeared a drop of blood on the Talisman paper, and chanted incantations.

"Enact!"

The Talisman paper spontaneously ignited, transforming into a red light that circled in the air for a moment before shooting rapidly in one direction.

"Over there!"

Everyone looked in the direction where the red light disappeared—a continuous mountain range.

Liu Lian opened his phone map and compared the direction.

"Qingxia Mountain Range... about a hundred kilometers from here."

The enemy was found.

An irrepressible excitement and killing intent began to spread through the crowd.

"What are we waiting for! Let's go get 'em!" Fang Yuan clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking like popping beans.

"Exactly! How dare they scheme against us? Let's kill them!"

"Slay demons and uphold the Dao! That's what the Dean taught us!"

The students were agitated, each one eager to act, wishing they could immediately fly on their swords and kill their way over.

"Everyone calm down."

Xie Wangsheng spoke again, his voice not loud, but it silenced everyone.

"The opponent was able to move such a large rock without anyone knowing and precisely set up a trap. Their strength is definitely not weak, at least Foundation Establishment Stage, or even stronger."

"The strongest among us, Lin Xiao and Zhang Qiqi, are only at Qi Refining Seventh Layer. Rushing in blindly would be suicide."

His cold water extinguished the crowd's fervor.

"Then what do we do? Just let it go?" Liu Lian asked unwillingly.

"Of course not." Xie Wangsheng's lips curved into a subtle arc.

"We won't charge head-on; we'll play tactics."

He picked up a branch and drew a simple diagram on the ground.

"Students from the Formation System, listen up."

"Yes!" Two Formation System students immediately stepped forward.

"You two, after reaching the outskirts of the Qingxia Mountain Range, immediately set up a large Inverted Five Elements Formation. It doesn't need strong killing power, but it must trap the enemies inside, so they can't escape or call for outside help."

"No problem!"

"Students from the Talisman Department."

"Here!"

"You are responsible for applying Divine Movement Talismans and Adamant Talismans to everyone, ensuring our mobility and defense."

"Understood!"

"Refining System students, you're thick-skinned and tough, so you'll be at the very front, drawing fire and breaking their formation."

"Alright!" Fang Yuan patted his chest.

"Sword Cultivator students, you are the main attackers. Once the Body Refining brothers stir up the waters, you will use the fastest speed and the fiercest sword moves to precisely eliminate them, killing the enemies as quickly as possible!"

"Understood!" Lin Xiao and others responded in unison.

"As for the remaining Spell Cultivators, provide long-range fire support. Don't give them a chance to breathe."

A simple, crude, but clearly divided and highly efficient battle plan was formed in just a few minutes.

Everyone was mobilized, the fear in their eyes long gone, replaced only by boiling Battle Intent.

"Han Li." Xie Wangsheng finally looked at Han Li, who was still holding his phone.

"Huh? Old Xie, what's up?" Han Li snapped back to attention.

"The livestream, can it still be used?"

Han Li glanced at the screen; the bullet comments were already insane.

"It can be used! The signal is great!"

Xie Wangsheng nodded, stepped forward, and spoke calmly into Han Li's phone camera.

"Greetings, audience of the livestream."

"I know you have many questions now, unable to comprehend everything that just happened."

"It's alright."

"Next, we will conduct a full livestream."

"To let you see with your own eyes that in this world, besides Mortals, there are also Cultivators."

"And..."

Xie Wangsheng paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"The demons and devils that need to be eliminated by us."