"I heard a rumor, but I'm not sure where it came from or if it's even true," said a random passerby.
Whoosh!
Immediately, everyone turned to look at him.
"Spill it! Hurry up!"
"Rumors like these are usually true. Even if someone wanted to fake it, they couldn't. Come on, I don't have time to waste!"
"Yeah, yeah, tell us!"
The crowd urged impatiently.
The passerby hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly, "I heard that they're all here for the Beast God's Heart!"
"What?! Such a coincidence?!"
Someone exclaimed in surprise but immediately froze and mumbled to himself, "Wait, why did I say that?"
However, no one paid attention to this small detail.
Everyone was stunned by the words "Beast God's Heart," because the Beast God's Heart was considered the core of the Holy Academy!
The reason the prodigies of the Beast Clan flocked to the Holy Academy was because it safeguarded the Beast God's Heart.
This was a divine object of heaven and earth!
Bathing in the brilliance and energy emitted by the Beast God's Heart could enhance one's comprehension, potential, and physical body in all aspects!
Over the course of thousands of years, the Beast God's Heart had cultivated countless powerful individuals, contributing immensely to the entire Beast Clan.
However, the Beast God's Heart didn't actually belong to the Holy Academy. It was jointly controlled by the Ten Kings and kept at the Holy Academy to benefit the Beast Clan.
And now...
With the descendants of the Ten Kings entering the Holy Academy one after another, many began to sense an unusual tension in the air, as if a storm was brewing.
"Could the Beast God's Heart be taken away? If that happens, the Holy Academy would be reduced to a shell..."
"People are inherently selfish. No one is truly selfless, not even the leaders of our race."
"Uh, we're not people."
"I know! But doesn't it feel weird always saying 'beast'? And besides, we're in human form now!"
"Sigh, let's not get caught up in the details. The real concern is, if the Beast God's Heart is taken away, what will we do?"
"To be honest, I was a legend in my tribe. The only reason I joined the Holy Academy as a servant was to bathe in the light of the Beast God's Heart every ten years. Without it... well, to be frank, I wouldn't have much motivation to work for them anymore."
"Same here!"
"The mute is right. If the Beast God's Heart is gone, there's no reason to stay!"
"Same for me."
As usual, nameless passersby ranted theatrically, their indignation rising.
At this moment, a "completely ordinary" young man in black robes passed by, overhearing their conversation clearly.
This young man was Qin Zi.
He frowned and thought to himself:
"I didn't expect so many descendants of the Kings to be after the Beast God's Heart... This is way too coincidental. Is fate playing tricks on me?"
In the end, he found a logical explanation: this was the convergence of the grand forces of the world. It was the natural course of events, where the heavens gathered the most talented individuals to compete and display their brilliance, giving rise to the most formidable figures of the era.
With this realization, Qin Zi felt much more at ease.
"You must be Qin Zi?"
Just then, a cold voice called out. Qin Zi turned his head with a calm expression.
He saw a pale, tall, and thin youth standing nearby, looking down at him with an air of arrogance, as though he was examining an insect.
"What do you want?" Qin Zi asked flatly.
"Follow me," the pale youth said, turning around immediately and walking in a certain direction, as if convinced that Qin Zi wouldn't dare to refuse.
However, Qin Zi let out a mocking chuckle, not bothering to follow, and instead walked in the opposite direction.
"Huh?!"
The pale youth realized after walking a few steps that Qin Zi wasn't following. His face darkened instantly.
He had summoned Qin Zi in a condescending manner, only to be completely ignored. The humiliation stung like a slap to the face.
"Stop!" he shouted at Qin Zi's back, but Qin Zi didn't even turn around, acting as if he hadn't heard anything.
"Princess Phantom Butterfly wants to see you!"
In desperation, the youth played his trump card.
However, Qin Zi merely turned back and sneered, "Plenty of people want to see me. Who does she think she is? If she wants to see me, she can come herself."
He was telling the truth.
There were countless people who wanted to meet him. If not for them, he wouldn't have had to flee to the Beast Clan's territory.
But the truth is often unbelievable. In the ears of others, his words sounded incredibly arrogant.
"Insolence!"
The pale youth's eyes bulged with rage as he barked, "Princess Phantom Butterfly is of such high standing! For her to summon you is a great honor, and you dare not appreciate it?!"
"Heh, that's your honor, not mine. If you enjoy groveling, go ahead and lick her boots, but don't drag others into it."
Qin Zi shot back with a sarcastic smile.
Then, as if adding insult to injury, he smirked and said, "Oh, and by the way, even if you wanted to lick her boots, you might not even get the chance..."
"You... you bastard!!"
The pale youth froze for a moment, then his face turned deathly pale as he realized the insult in Qin Zi's words. His expression twisted with rage.
In a flash, his body flickered as he lunged at Qin Zi.
Crackle!
Meow!
There was a flash of lightning, followed by the sharp cry of a cat. Qin Zi felt a sharp, cutting sensation rush towards him.
Tear!
Caught off guard, his clothes were ripped open, three parallel claw marks running through them as though slashed by adamantium claws.
His abdomen bore three shallow cuts, but thanks to his robust vitality, they healed almost instantly.
"I actually got scratched?"
Qin Zi was momentarily dumbfounded.
But what he didn't know was that the pale youth, along with the surrounding passersby, was already shocked beyond belief!
"What?! He barely got scratched!"
"That was an attack from the Lightning Cat Xuan Ming! His strikes are unstoppable, yet he couldn't even leave a mark?!"
"This... the toughness of his body must rival that of the Kui Niu Prince!"
"Indeed, even if it's not exactly the same, it can't be far off. Truly terrifying."
The pale youth's face shifted between red and white as he stared at Qin Zi, growing more unsettled by the moment. He wanted to back down, but his pride wouldn't allow it. The more flustered he became, the more twisted his expression grew.
"Hmph, if one strike isn't enough to break your defenses, then I'll use ten strikes! A hundred strikes! Speed is key!"
With a flicker, the pale youth transformed into a flash of lightning and charged at Qin Zi once more. He was too fast for normal perception to keep up, and this was the terror of the Lightning Cat. He had mastered the Law of Speed!
"One trick pony!"
Qin Zi sneered. Using the same move twice against him? What a fool!
Buzz!
A blinding golden light erupted from Qin Zi's body, as though an eternal divine furnace had been ignited within him.
Boom!
The pale youth crashed into the intense golden radiance and was sent flying with a thunderous impact.
"My turn!"
As the youth was flung through the air, Qin Zi slammed his foot into the ground, propelling himself forward like a black blur. His foot lashed out at the youth's chest.
"Not good!"
The pale youth, still mid-air, realized the danger and tried to dodge. His body flickered, vanishing in a flash of lightning.
But as soon as he reappeared, Qin Zi was already there, coming down from above. The youth desperately tried to dodge again, only for Qin Zi to close in once more.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Though it took a long time to describe, it happened in the blink of an eye. The onlookers only saw a black blur continuously flickering, until finally, it shot downwards toward the ground. The earth quaked violently!
Boom!
The Holy Academy's reinforced ground shattered, leaving a five-meter-wide crater with cracks spreading like a spiderweb.
At the center of the crater, Qin Zi had his foot pressed firmly against the chest of the pale youth. The youth's eyes were vacant, his body limp, with a thin trickle of white liquid—spittle—seeping from his mouth.
Clap, clap, clap!
At that moment, the sound of applause echoed from the distance, growing closer and closer.