Namfu.
It was midday, and being summer, the heat was particularly scorching. A sweat-drenched youth walked along, muttering to himself, "Still can't break through to the Body Tempering Realm. Am I, Shen Yun, really that useless?"
The youth had a messy mop of black hair. Although his face was dirty, it was still clear he was very handsome. However, he looked so frail, as if he could fall ill at any moment. Anyone who saw him would immediately think one thing: this guy must be a 'shou'.
Shen Yun suddenly stopped, gazing intently ahead. The street was packed with people, so crowded it was almost impassable. Naturally curious, he pushed his way towards the commotion.
"Hey, brother, what's going on here?" With quick hands and sharp eyes, he grabbed a plump man standing nearby.
"To see the powerful experts from the Southern Star Academy, of course!" The plump man looked at Shen Yun with disdain.
Shen Yun was puzzled: "Experts from the Southern Star Academy are coming to our Martial Hall?"
"Indeed," the plump man said with immense admiration. "I heard those esteemed sirs are recruiting disciples all over Namfu. If anyone is lucky enough to catch their eye, they can ascend to the heavens in a single step. I suddenly feel like my spirit could collapse at any moment because I don't meet their requirements."
"Uh, what conditions?" Shen Yun asked blankly. He hadn't known about such an important event.
With his ordinary, even somewhat poor talent, and his unremarkable family background, he usually spent all his time foolishly training, hoping to enter the Body Tempering Realm sooner.
"Under 16 years old, and in the Body Tempering Realm."
Shen Yun fell silent. He was already almost 16 this year, yet he still hadn't entered the Body Tempering Realm. It was already a great fortune that people in the Martial Hall hadn't called him useless, but he was just ordinary among the ordinary, a dime a dozen.
"Brother Su Mu, you'll definitely ascend to the heavens in one step this year!" A group of youths surrounded another youth, speaking loudly.
"That's right, who else but Brother Su Mu, who entered the Body Tempering Realm at 15?"
"To be in the Body Tempering Realm at 15, truly admirable!"
Their loud voices annoyed most of the crowd, but it was just annoyance. What could they do? The one they were flattering was Su Mu, the genius of the Martial Hall. He was only 15 and already in the Body Tempering Realm. Don't think the Body Tempering Realm was easy to enter; only those who cultivated martial arts truly knew it was a chasm in the sky.
Shen Yun glanced over the group. Suddenly, his eyes fixed directly on the figure next to Su Mu.
"Xiao Yan!" He clenched his fists.
"Brother Yun!" Xiao Yan looked at Shen Yun in surprise. She hadn't expected this fool to show up here today. Didn't he usually just foolishly cultivate and train?
She was already tired of Shen Yun. She didn't want to waste her time with him. She wanted to stand beside geniuses like Su Mu.
Su Mu also looked at Shen Yun at this moment. It was merely a glance.
"Xiao Yan, why?"
"I'm sorry, Brother Yun, but the one I truly like is Brother Su Mu," Xiao Yan sighed.
Shen Yun clenched his hands into fists, stomped his foot on the ground, and lunged towards Su Mu's group.
Although he wasn't a genius, his years of arduous training meant his strength far surpassed others his age. He quickly took down a few of them.
His eyes were fixed on Su Mu, now close at hand.
Su Mu sneered, "Just an ignorant fool."
In response to Shen Yun's fury, Su Mu casually threw a punch.
Shen Yun was startled. The punch was too fast; he even heard the air rip. The powerful fist slammed into his chest, sending his entire body flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing hard onto the street.
"Mu Ge, he just slipped up, please let him go," Xiao Yan pleaded. Although her voice was gentle and pleasing, to Shen Yun's ears, it was the most grating sound he had ever heard.
A sharp pain continuously surged through Shen Yun's chest. He felt his heart ache terribly, an unbearable pain, as his first love slipped away just like that, leaving him utterly helpless and defeated.
"Boom!"
At that moment, a massive silver flying vessel rapidly tore through the sky, approaching Wu Tang.
"Click-hiss!" The flying vessel's door opened, and two towering figures stepped out from within.
"Respectfully welcoming the mighty ones from Nan Xing Yuan!"
"Respectfully welcoming the mighty ones from Nan Xing Yuan!"
Only one sound echoed throughout Wu Tang.