"If you lose, just don’t resist and let me beat you up once!"

Hearing this demand, Xu Yang and Shi Haoting were both dumbfounded.

What the hell kind of request is that?

Xu Yang reacted quickly, a wry smile on his face.

Clearly, Shi Hu was still sore about having lost before, but at least this guy was straightforward enough to put the Cyan Flame Boat on the line as a wager!

If Xu Yang lost, although it’d be a bit embarrassing, there wasn’t much to lose.

But if Shi Hu lost, he’d have to part with the Cyan Flame Boat!

"Why don’t we just let it go...?"

Xu Yang hesitated for a moment and said.

"Bro, we can’t let it go!" Shi Haoting instantly grabbed Xu Yang’s arm, speaking righteously.

He was dead sure that Xu Yang simply couldn’t lose—just like before when he believed Xu Yang would definitely beat Shi Hu.

If Shi Hu lost his Cyan Flame Boat, just thinking about it made him incredibly happy.

Shi Hu’s face darkened: "Xu Yang, don’t get too cocky. I’m not joking with you. Even if you’re stronger than me, you might not beat me at this!"

"Yeah, yeah, let’s do it!" Shi Haoting was grinning so hard his mouth could hardly close.

That look made Shi Hu clench his fist involuntarily.

This guy really deserves a beating.

"Since we’re at it, deal!" Xu Yang sighed as he spoke.

Stone Jade, who had just walked over, gazed at Shi Hu and said quietly, "Shi Hu, if you lose the Cyan Flame Boat, don’t cry!"

Shi Hu gritted his teeth and said, "Am I even your real brother? Is there no one here who believes in me?"

"Damn it, I’ve got at least a seventy percent chance to win!"

"Yeah, yeah." Haoting didn’t bother saying much, just kept nodding.

"Bro, good luck!" Stone Jade nodded seriously as she spoke.

But for some reason, Shi Hu just felt more and more stifled inside.

I specially made secret preparations—how could I possibly lose?

Impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

Shi Hu’s confidence surged again.

Soon after—

Several figures descended from the sky.

At the lead was Shi Feng, followed by a group of elders from the Shi Family.

"Silence!"

At once, the place fell completely silent!

All eyes looked at Shi Feng and the others with reverence, excitement gradually surfacing on their faces.

Shi Feng swept his gaze across the crowd, and said in a deep voice, "This Spirit Source Cleansing Ritual is starting ahead of schedule; there’s no need to discuss the reasons. The rules are the same as always: no fighting, compete with your own abilities!"

"Furthermore, whoever wins first place will receive a scroll of the War King Secret Skill and one hundred thousand supreme-grade Spirit Crystals!"

As soon as he finished, the whole place erupted in an uproar!

"The War King Secret Skill, a hundred thousand supreme Spirit Crystals—my god, what happened? This never happened before!"

"Yeah! The Spirit Source Cleansing Ritual itself is already a massive opportunity. Now there’s a reward on top? This..."

"Aren’t these rewards just for Hu?"

"Could the Spirit Realm be about to change? Didn’t that Martial Artist from Daqian, that forsaken place, arrive in the Spirit Realm? Is it about him?"

"But that unfamiliar guy seems even stronger than Hu..."

The crowd speculated endlessly, their imaginations running wild.

Everyone was excited, but at the same time knew these rewards were far out of their reach!

Only first place gets the reward!

The top contenders were Shi Hu and Xu Yang.

Xu Yang was also shocked, and when he saw the surprised looks on Shi Hu and Stone Jade’s faces, his expression turned a bit odd.

No surprise, this was all because of him again!

Giving out rewards like this—no one could criticize it at all.

"Damn, the family really went all out this time."

"Mr. Xu, it’s definitely because of you. The War King Secret Skill and Spirit Crystals are probably meant for you," Haoting couldn’t hold back and blurted out.

Shi Hu took a deep breath and said coldly, "Wait till I lose before you talk like that!"

"No matter what, I’m beating you up after this either way!"

"Bro."

Shi Haoting looked hopefully at Xu Yang.

Xu Yang cleared his throat and said, "If you lose, stop beating him up from now on."

Stone Jade couldn’t help but glance sideways.

Shi Hu’s face twitched: "Deal!"

Haoting instantly beamed with joy, feeling that calling him ’bro’ wasn’t for nothing.

"Spirit Source Cleansing Ritual, begins now!"

With Shi Feng’s command—

The crowd burst out like lightning, racing toward the jade platforms jutting from the mountainside.

"The higher you go on the jade platforms, the easier it is to absorb the spirit source, but the impact will be greater, too!"

"Bro, I suggest you go to the second row!"

Haoting said in a low voice.

"Second row?"

Xu Yang looked up.

He saw Shi Hu moving like lightning straight toward the very top—the first row.

Only three spots on the first row!

In the next instant, Xu Yang leapt up as well.

Haoting’s pupils shrank, "First row... Damn, Mr. Xu is that confident? Well, Shi Hu is doomed. That idiot, say goodbye to your Cyan Flame Boat—cry yourself to sleep over it!"

With that, he rushed up as well.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!

Three figures, one after another, landed on the first-row jade platforms.

A Shi Family prodigy at the True Lord level had planned for first row, but was a bit late. He frowned at Xu Yang, then helplessly settled for the second row instead.

"He really went for the first row."

"To take on the Spirit Source Cleansing Ritual up there, he must be quite something. Looks like Yu wasn’t lying after all!"

"Let’s wait and see what this guy can actually do."

"Just hope he doesn’t get blasted off right at the start—that would be hilarious."

Eyes flickered with amazement as everyone memorized Xu Yang’s face and then withdrew their gazes, preparing themselves.

On the first row: Xu Yang, Shi Hu, and a stranger also at the True Lord level.

Stone Jade chose the second row.

Xu Yang’s expression grew solemn. He looked upward, power surging inside his body, his whole frame boiling, ready to explode at any moment.

Ten breaths!

Boom!

The entire mountainside shook violently.

Next moment—

The enormous Stone Spirit suddenly shot out a mystical light, like a rainbow, instantly enveloping the cliffside.

Xu Yang’s eyes were full of shock.

The instant the Stone Spirit trembled, he actually felt as if he was face-to-face with a Spirit River, his heart pounding in fear.

Immediately after, a vast, awe-inspiring, peerlessly overbearing godly might crashed down from above like a primeval divine mountain.

His expression steeled. Heaven Locking Will inside his body erupted outright, making his form anchor to the jade platform like a towering ancient tree, roots boring deep into the stone.

Boom!

A terrifying, unimaginable impact exploded instantly, like a raging sea roaring, shaking heaven and earth.

The whole area became distorted.

The entire cliffside was drowned in mysterious light, shadows flickering everywhere.

Xu Yang’s whole body trembled. Even with Heaven Locking Will suppressing him, he was nearly blown away.

"What terrifying impact."

"It’s legit!"

Xu Yang clenched his jaw, pushing Heaven Locking Will to the extreme, rooting himself in place.

At the same time, he activated the Celestial Refining Divine Scripture, jolting his divine cauldron, and frantically started devouring energy.

As soon as the spirit source entered his body, Xu Yang trembled like a sieve, his features twisting in agony, his face contorted in unspeakable pain.

He nearly cried out loud.

Hssss!

Pain!

It hurts so much.

Words can’t describe the pain.

So much you could break down on the spot!

"Xu Yang, I warned you. If you haven’t absorbed spirit source or endured a Spirit Source Cleansing Ritual before, you can’t withstand this kind of impact as well as a Spirit Realm prodigy!"

"Plus, it’s your first time. Your whole body needs to adapt, and that process is extremely painful—like replacing all your blood, bones, and flesh!"

"And this is just the start. The impact power will keep ramping up over the next three days and only calm down after that!"

"I’m telling you, I’ve got this one in the bag!"

Shi Hu’s voice rang in Xu Yang’s ear, relaxed and full of smugness, speaking via sound transmission.