Alright, the previous chapter was an introduction to the next arc. Hope you enjoy the next part. Woooo! Plus, I see that O.S.M.E is on the top weekly fictions. I'm very happy right now. I finished my homework at the fastest speed I have ever done in my whole life just to update this chapter. Onward to the next chapter!

EDIT: All grammatical errors and weird sentences corrected.

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Feng Yun sat seated in a meditative posture concentrating very hard. His forehead was layered with sweat and his face was scrunched up circulating the qi at an extremely fast pace and his energy was very unstable. His body seemed to light up and emitted a very torrential wave of energy outwards. These were all the signs of a breakthrough being made and it was especially important to Feng Yun because at this moment, he was advancing to the 9th Layer. Once he passed this hurdle, he would be able to directly swallow the Xiantian pill and in the matter of months, he would be a Xiantian realm cultivator. He had always been close to the 9th Layer and Feng Yun had always felt that it would be just as easy as the previous layers but the energy being strengthened seemed to be very erratic for some reason.

His blood surged together and resonated with the energy and caused immense energy to invade his veins. Feng Yun had to use a lot of effort to keep it stable. He gritted his teeth and bore the pain. He would only need to hold out a minute or so and he would arrive at the new threshold. The energy fluctuated rapidly in the longest minute ever for Feng Yun. The sudden change attracted the attention of Feng Lei who appeared in an instant by Feng Yun's side. He was bent in concentration while gazing at Feng Yun. Feng Yun's situation was definetly not normal, but his condition looked to be stabilizing and he would be alright soon. Feng Lei stood at a distance while watching him.

Feng Yun was in the most critical part of breaking through. In the Universal Bindings technique, he was drawing energy and his bones and muscles were being reconstructed. He was growing stronger by the second. The process of changing his physical state repeated itself over and over until the glow around his body began to dim. The celestial haze began to gradually diminish and calmed down within Feng Yun. Then, the energy that had been storing itself within Feng Yun's veins and arteries then exploded outwards revealing a powerful new aura. He was now a Tempered Body ninth layer cultivator. Feng Yun released himself from his meditative state and layer back on the grass floor that he had been meditating on. He let out several pants and his sweat began to cool down.

"Haa...Haa. Haha, I've finally advanced to the 9th Layer. Only one final step and I can advance to the Xiantian realm." Feng Yun let out a smile as he glanced at his soul. Feng Lei appeared by his side with a bright smile on his face and pride visible on his face.

"Yun'er, you scared me for a moment. Something strange was happening with your breakthrough and I wasn't sure but if I interrupted things, it would have made your state even worse. Thank the heavens that you got through it." Feng Lei let out a sigh of relief.

"Yes, I thought something weird happened. It felt as if my blood was surging and fusing with my emerging 9th Layer aura. It was very weird but I think that I'm much more powerful than most 9th Layer cultivators now." Feng Yun felt his veins and realized they were much more open and could take a larger amount of qi than normal 9th Layer cultivators. Feng Lei smiled at him and then a serious expression was placed on his face.

"It's best if you swallow the Xiantian pill now so that when you are travelling with Xia Qing, you can integrate the energy from the Xiantian pill much easier when you're battling beasts. The constant qi circulation will absorb it faster and smoother than normal." Feng Lei said.

"Speaking of travelling with Xia Qing, when is the arranged day for the journey?" Feng Yun questioned him.

"Two weeks from now, you will meet with her and depart for the Holy Continental academy."

Feng Yun nodded and took out the red pill that he had won at the competition. This had become the factor that would decide his advancement to the Xiantian realm. he swallowed the pill and felt a comfortable sensation in his dantian. Compared to breaking through to the Xiantian realm normally, using the pill was relatively painless. After two or three months, Feng Yun would advance to the Xiantian realm upon absorbing all of the energy from the pill. He integrated the pill until it was stable within his dantian and then stood up. He looked forward to the day he would be adventuring to in the lands with Xia Qing and entering into the Holy Continental academy.

"Yun'er, the academy is located within the heart of the continent. To get there from here, you need to pass through the border separating the Xu Dynasty and Tian Ming Empire. It will be incredibly difficult to travel and you'll face a large amount of danger from the Tian Ming Empire. If you wish to turn back now is the time." Feng Lei warned him. Feng Yun smiled and shook his head.

"I wish to adventure and see the continent. Also that girl can't go alone. She has a very adventurous personality but she may make rash decisions. She'll need someone there to help her out."

"If that's the case, then so be it. Come let us prepare for your journey." Feng Lei led Feng Yun to prepare for the journey.

Two weeks arrived very fast and the date for the journey arrived. Feng Yun walked down a path accompanied by his grandfather as well as his parents. Feng Yun was not carrying anything in his hand. Rather, he kept all of his things in his Void Universal Manual. He had found out from the Prison Warden that he could store many things inside the prison and carry an almost infinite amount of space. His grandfather suggested giving him an interspatial ring for keeping things but Feng Yun had explained to him that he had something that was much better than any interspatial ring. Ahead in the distance was a group of people and a girl about eleven years old who looked directly at Feng Yun's entourage and put on a smile.

Feng Yun and his family arrived at the location and the two families exchanged conversation with each other. Feng Lei took a liking to Xia Qing's grandfather, an old man wearing green robes and white hair and an amiable smile. He had the cultivation of a Truth realm Second Layer. Feng Yun walked up to Xia Qing and stood beside her. Both were eleven years old and of a high status. Xia Qing waved her purple hair and delicate facial features and spoke to Feng Yun.

"Have you prepared for the journey?"

"Indeed. I am quite excited to be exploring the continent. You?"

"Haha, me as well. Let us go forth and become strong cultivators."

Xia Qing seemed to have a firm resolution and was bent on cultivation. This girl, Feng Yun let out an inner sigh. Does she know anything besides cultivation? The last time that they had talked, she had been obsessed over cultivation and wished to make herself stronger. That was her main goal. The old man from the Xia Family, Xia Lian, then spoke up.

"Qing'er, Young master Feng. It appears that it is time for the two of you to depart. I offer you my sincerest of farewells and may you come back stronger cultivators."

Feng Yun's family as well as Xia Qing's family nodded. Feng Yun and Xia Qing stared at the road before them. There were a few forests and Feng Yun had burned all of the maps information into his head. He could now recall it perfectly from memory. Xia Qing and Feng Yun simultaneously took a step forward, stared at each other for a moment and walked on the road. Their families watched them until they were beyond the horizon and could not be seen anymore. They then let out a sigh and left for their homes. They wouldn't be seeing their children for a long time. Little did they know that this meeting had been traced and that a spy was watching them, his aura completely concealed such that not even Feng Lei could sense him. The spy sneered.

"Hmph, these idiots actually let their geniuses walk off just like that. We, the Blood Demon Sect will not pass up on this opportunity to gain revenge. Although our first attempt failed, they are alone this time. They cannot escape. I must report back to Sect Master Mo Ken."

The spy was from the Blood Demon Sect. From his words, one could tell that the assassination attempt that was placed on Feng Yun had been set up by the Blood Demon Sect! Mo Ken was Mo Han's grandfather and also the sect master of the Blood Demon Sect. Danger was coming for the two geniuses.

ON THE ROAD

Feng Yun and Xia Qing could be seen walking but their appearances did not match what they used to look like. They both wore heavy black cloaks that gave off an intimidating aura and covered their entire body. They made it so that they looked as normal and un-suspicious as possible. They had been traveling for a few weeks on the road and hadn't seen much action. There had been a few rogue wild beasts that had strayed from their normal hideouts but they were young and only at the Tempered Body Realm. The trip was going smoothly but a bit boring. Feng Yun lifted up the hood of the cloak to reveal his face. He pointed his finger and squinted his eyes as if looking at something really far away.

"Over there, isn't that a town?"

Sure enough, the thing Feng Yun was pointing to was a large town about three miles from their current location. They couldn't see it clearly but it had wooden houses and a large steel manor at the center of the town that towered above the surrounding houses. It wasn't by any means comparable to the Xu Dynasty royal family dining hall but it was nice enough. It was plated with silver and some gold ornaments that hung at its sides and had the crest of a lion's mouth being impaled by a sword vertically. It was a strange mark but intimidating nevertheless.

"You're right there is a town. I wonder who is ruling over it."

Xia Qing said her beautiful eyes brightening. They hadn't seen much civilization for weeks and were glad that they finally found people. Night was nearing as well and they had the money to rest in an inn for a few days. They began to hurry towards the town in excitement and three miles was nothing to cultivators and could be covered in the span of a few minutes for the two companions. As Feng Yun and Xia Qing arrived at the entrance, they placed their hood on and appraised the gate. There stood guards about five feet tall, not particularly big. They looked to have the cultivation of the Tempered Body 9th Layer. They were way too weak even for guards. They probably didn't even focus on cultivation all that much because of their responsibilities.

Feng Yun and Xia Qing walked up to them in which one guard, a large middle aged man with a long brown beard and some wrinkles stopped them. He said,

"Halt, who are you people and what is your purpose in visiting our Snow Beast Town?"

Thankfully, Feng Yun had thought of a background a long time ago and his response was natural and smooth.

"We two siblings were told by our uncle to meet him here in order to discuss some matters with him. Our uncle has a very lazy attitude and doesn't like to visit us ourselves."

Feng Yun made a fake scowl and Xia Qing suddenly believed that his acting skills were supreme and could not be bested. Despite her surprise however, she remained calm and didn't show any reaction. The man looked between them and analyzed their sincere expressions before giving in.

"Fine, enter. But don't cause a ruckus other wise we'll throw you in jail. Oh, you guys should be eleven right? You should try for the expedition coming up soon in three days. If your cultivation is high enough, they'll probably accept you. Be careful on it though, the beasts there are as scary as hell."

Feng Yun and Xia Qing were confused. An expedition? They could be allowed to go?

"Senior, what exactly is this expedition?" He said respectfully. If you wanted information, you had to be courteous.

"When you sign up, they'll tell you about what it is. No need for me to tell you."

The man said with a yawn. What a lazy guard. No wonder this town was in such a normal shape. No one was actually motivated. He opened the gates and Feng Yun and Xia Qing entered in. It wasn't as different as what they had thought it would be. It looked very normal. There were a bunch of wooden buildings with straw roofs on top. Some looked particularly aristocratic and had some jewels decorating the outside. There were shops bustling with people from blacksmiths to merchants. From middle class to upper class people.

Feng Yun dragged Xia Qing through the crowd and searched his surroundings with his eyes. He spotted an inn and walked up to it with Xia Qing in tow. He let go of her hand and they entered the building. It seemed very warm and gave them a feeling of being welcomed. There were older men drinking beer and wine on the table and being loud. Feng Yun didn't pay any attention and walked straight up to the innkeeper.

"Are there any rooms that we can use for the next three nights?" He asked. The innkeeper turned around to see him and answered. She didn't question his identity which made him have a better impression of the innkeeper.

"There are rooms available sir but er...are you going to sleep in...different rooms or...the same one?" Feng Yun realized the implications of her statement and immediately tried to answer.

"Two rooms please. One for each of---" Feng Yun began to speak and did it so that Xia Qing would feel comfortable but surprisingly, the girl tugged on his sleeve and said something else.

"We'll take one large room please. That's it." Feng Yun was shocked. Why had she done that? She turned to look at him and sighed.

"I mean we have limited money. Might as well save as much as we can." She said coolly.

Feng Yun had already guessed it but still felt slightly disappointed. They payed the fee ignoring the innkeeper's awkward glance towards them. He suppressed his disappointment and they walked up to their room with the keys that the innkeeper gave them. They slowly entered the room noticing the two beds that were next to each other with a few feet separating them. The room was quite ordinary and wood walls outlined the exterior. Feng Yun sighed from exhaustion and collapsed on the bed. Xia Qing did the same with her bed.

"I'm going to take a small nap now. When I awaken, let's go check out that expedition."

Xia Qing said tiredly as she fell asleep. Feng Yun stared at her sleek body which heaved every time she breathed and sat in a meditative position on the bed. He checked the status of the Xiantian pill absorbing and was pleasantly surprised. His dantian was absorbing the energy from the pill very well and the bridge that connected his meridians to his dantian was solidifying rapidly. A month or two and he would be able to advance to the Xiantian realm. Eventually, Feng Yun also fell asleep.

BLOOD DEMON SECT

A figure flashed past the entrance to the sect and entered without much difficulty. After all, this figure could be recognized clearly by the guards and was without a doubt, a man with a lot of prestige. This was Mo Rei and he was frantic. He flashed in front of a large building that looked aristocratic and very shiny. The building wasn't too large but it wasn't small either. It was radiating with a powerful and blood like qi that didn't seem to be inferior to the aura of Feng Lei. Mo Rei went inside and was met by a large red haired old man who seemed to look like a tyrant. He had bulging muscles and had a very serious expression on his face. He glanced at Mo Rei and appeared to have a touch of indifference. He was the complete opposite of Feng Lei. This was the sect master of the Blood Demon Sect, Mo Ken and also Mo Han's grandfather.

"Father, I have brought wonderful news." Mo Rei spoke to Mo Ken while kneeling on one knee.

"Hmph, after the humiliation that you caused me at the Four Powers Tournament, how can there be such a thing as 'wonderful news'?"

Mo Ken had a very overbearing nature and an incredible temper. His eyes still flashed with fury from hearing the news of the humiliating defeat that they suffered and that even Mo Han had been heavily injured. He had chosen to not attend the competition as he had pressing matters, but who knew that such things would happen while he was gone.

"Father, the geniuses that defeated us in the tournament have been located. Although we are not sure where their location was intended, those two brats Feng Yun and Xia Qing left on a journey together alone. Our spies managed to intercept the meeting between the Xia family and Cloudscale Sect." Mo Rei had a very happy expression on his face. Mo Ken's face also naturally brightened up.

"Haha, good! Very good. These fools dared to leave their geniuses unguarded and they shall pay for it! Send a team of Xiantian realm cultivators there and kill them! The pact forbids us from attacking each other but if we do it in secret we should be fine. We cant use any Tyrant or Truth realm cultivators else the other powers would begin to suspect something. Where was their last seen location?" Mo Ken had an incomparably delighted face. Mo Rei returned the smile.

"Haha, father our intelligence reports say that they merely stopped at a backwater town called Snow Beast Town. It will be easy to kill them. Even Xiantian realm cultivators are enough for them." Mo Rei's eyes flashed.

"Good, we'll show Feng Lei what happens when you mess with our Blood Demon Sect. I can't wait to see his face when he realizes that his grandson is dead. That stupid old man Ling Sun too." Mo Ken said and a frightful grin replaced the previously serious face. Hmph, prepare your funeral procedures Feng Lei. You're going to need them.