Ten days later, Li Xiaoyao's aura gradually grew stronger, and with each breath, a faint milky white glow appeared around him.

Meanwhile, outside the cliffside cave, two figures were drawing closer.

"This place is really ideal—quiet and serene, perfect for cultivating," a young man observed with a faint smile as he noticed the training cave.

"Xue'er, how about making this our cultivation ground?"

"I doubt you're only thinking about cultivating," said the girl beside him, her curvaceous figure accentuated by a tight-fitting red outfit that made her all the more alluring.

"Heh, heh, well... wouldn't it be wonderful to enjoy some time with the beautiful Xue'er in between cultivation sessions?" The young man, thin and pale, didn't quite look the part of a martial artist.

The red-dressed girl shot him a glance but didn't reject him outright. Martial cultivation was expensive—high-quality pills and weapons cost a fortune. For those with average talent and no family wealth, daring to venture into the beast forests was too risky. With an ordinary background and talent, the girl had decided to rely on men to advance her strength quickly.

Lü Ziqiao, at eighteen years old, had reached the ninth stage of the Qi Martial Realm, but he had only done so with external help. His talent was mediocre, but his elder brother, Lü Bu, was an inner disciple, and it was for this reason that Kong Xue stayed close to him. This arrangement provided her with pills and weapons, as well as some bodily pleasure.

As the two entered the cave, they found Li Xiaoyao seated cross-legged in meditation. The couple exchanged a look, surprised that someone had already occupied the cave.

"Looks like we'll have to find another spot," Kong Xue said with a hint of disappointment.

"Find another spot? He's only at the eighth stage of the Qi Martial Realm. Let's just kick him out," Lü Ziqiao replied, shaking his head.

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?" Kong Xue giggled.

"What's harsh about it? The weak have no one to blame but themselves. I'll cripple his cultivation and drive him out." Lü Ziqiao sneered. It was common practice for the strong to seize resources from the weak, but some sought to eliminate any chance of future revenge. Cruel people like Lü Ziqiao left no loose ends.

"Hehe." Kong Xue said nothing, tacitly approving of his plan. This cave was indeed a perfect place for both training and pleasure, far from prying eyes.

"Hey, kid. Stop pretending. Wake up," Lü Ziqiao said coldly, sensing the flow of Heaven and Earth energy around Li Xiaoyao.

Li Xiaoyao opened his eyes, a cold aura flickering within them. He had already woken up when Lü Ziqiao and Kong Xue entered the cave, but he had assumed they would leave on their own. It seemed his thinking was still too pure and simple. These people's minds were far more venomous than he had imagined.

"You want to expel me and also cripple my cultivation?" Li Xiaoyao asked indifferently.

"Since you've heard it all, do it yourself. Cripple your own cultivation and then get lost," Lü Ziqiao spoke casually, as if it were insignificant.

"Very well," Li Xiaoyao nodded slightly, then stood up and slowly walked toward Lü Ziqiao.

"You haven't yet crippled your cultivation, and you already want to leave?" Lü Ziqiao thought Li Xiaoyao intended to flee and let out a cold laugh.

"Did I say I want to leave?" Li Xiaoyao's gaze carried a hint of teasing. Suddenly, he stomped forcefully on the ground, causing the entire cave to shake violently as his body swiftly shot forward.

"Eh?" Lü Ziqiao frowned, retreating slightly, and threw a punch forward with force.

Crack!

Ow!

Lü Ziqiao's arm bones snapped, hanging limply. At the same time, a devilish hand gripped his throat, lifting his body into the air.

"I'd like to ask, how are you going to cripple my cultivation?" Li Xiaoyao looked at the struggling Lü Ziqiao, his body exuding a chilling aura. Kong Xue, on the side, turned pale, clearly not expecting Li Xiaoyao to be this strong.

"I know I'm wrong! Let me go, I'll leave now!" Lü Ziqiao grabbed Li Xiaoyao's arm with both hands, trying to pry it off, his voice hoarse and strained.

"Knowing you're wrong is enough?" At first, you thought I was weak, planning to cripple me and drive me out. Now that you know it won't work, you admit your mistake and want to leave? Is it really that easy? If I were weaker than you, I'd already be wasted by now.

"When you want to cripple someone, you should also be prepared to be crippled yourself." As Li Xiaoyao's words fell, he punched Lü Ziqiao's dantian, sending him flying out of the cave.

Li Xiaoyao cast a glance at Kong Xue, who was still standing there in a daze, and coldly shouted, "Sod off！"

Kong Xue's body trembled slightly before she hurried over to help Lü Ziqiao out of the cave.

"You dared to cripple my cultivation? I'll make sure you wish you were dead..." A venomous, cold voice echoed from outside the cave, but Li Xiaoyao ignored it, continuing his cultivation.

However, he didn't get far into his practice before waking again, as Lü Ziqiao and Kong Xue had returned, this time bringing another person with them.

This newcomer appeared to be around nineteen years old, bearing a slight resemblance to Lü Ziqiao. However, his face was hawkish, and his eyes were as sharp as a falcon's, colder and more menacing than Lü Ziqiao's.

"Brother, it's this bastard who broke my arm and crippled my cultivation. I want him dead. No, I want him to beg for death but be unable to die," Lü Ziqiao's face was twisted with malice, as sinister as a vengeful spirit.

"Don't worry. First, I'll cripple his cultivation and break his limbs. Then, I'll leave him to you," Lü Bu said, his gaze locking onto Li Xiaoyao, giving the impression of a predator targeting its prey.

"Excellent," Lü Ziqiao nodded in satisfaction.

Li Xiaoyao frowned. Although Lü Bu had yet to release his aura, the sharp, predatory look in his eyes made it clear that this person was far stronger than Lü Ziqiao, possibly even surpassing Jing Yan, who ranked sixth among the outer disciples.

"You dared to cripple my brother? I'll make sure you understand how dire the consequences will be," Lü Bu said, stepping towards Li Xiaoyao.

Li Xiaoyao lifted his foot and took several steps forward, his aura suddenly changing—strong and domineering. Waves of force surged forward, causing the entire cave to ripple. A faint howl of wild wolves echoed as Li Xiaoyao, now in the eighth stage of the Qi Martial Realm, gathered power into his Ninefold Wave technique. With a single punch, he could unleash more than nine thousand jin of force, possibly even reaching nine thousand five hundred jin, a truly terrifying strength.

"So, you've been hiding your true cultivation level all along. No wonder you were able to cripple my brother. But even with this level of power, you're still no match for me," Lü Bu remarked, sensing the strength behind Li Xiaoyao's attack. He guessed that Li Xiaoyao had reached the ninth stage of the Qi Martial Realm, and inwardly cursed his brother for his ignorance and indulgence in women, which had led to such a disastrous outcome.

A piercing screech erupted from Lü Bu's mouth, more like the cry of a fierce bird of prey than that of a human. His hand turned into a claw, the five fingers gleaming with a savage, sharp aura.

Li Xiaoyao's Ninefold Wave met the sharp claw but was instantly repelled. In a flash, Li Xiaoyao retreated, glancing at his hand—part of the skin had been torn away, and blood was continuously seeping from the wound, the pain fierce and stinging.

"Spirit Martial Realm!" Li Xiaoyao's eyes widened as he looked at Lü Bu. The casual strike that broke his nine thousand five hundred jin of power, leaving a bloody mark on his hand, confirmed his suspicion. Lü Bu's cultivation had already surpassed the Qi Martial Realm.

"Are you starting to regret it now? Too bad, it's too late," Lü Bu said calmly. He didn't deny it; months ago, he had smoothly stepped into the Spirit Martial Realm. His physical body had grown immensely powerful, and even a casual strike could unleash potent Gang Qi. Against a Spirit Martial expert, the Qi Martial Realm was utterly outclassed.

"I do regret it, but I regret that I didn't just kill him.," Li Xiaoyao replied, drawing his sword from his back. Instead of fear or regret, he chose to go all out.

Thunder echoed within the cave as his sword transformed into a streak of dazzling light, thrusting towards Lü Bu.

Lü Bu didn't dodge. His claw, like a hook, directly intercepted the sword. A surge of powerful Gang Qi forced the tip of the sword to veer off course, but then Lü Bu's claw reached out to grasp the sword directly.

"One Sword, Thunder Strike!" Li Xiaoyao roared, and the sword's energy whistled, thunder rolling in waves. As Lü Bu's hardened claw made contact with the sword tip, he felt a wild and violent force, like the might of a lightning bolt.

"Sword Roars with Thunder."

Li Xiaoyao's sword whirled upwards like a gust of wind, its whistling cry intertwined with the rumbling of thunder, powerful and domineering.

"Boom!"

A tremendous force erupted. Behind Lü Bu, his martial spirit burst forth—it was the Eagle Martial Spirit, a beast spirit. The sharp and wild eagle shadow hovered, though it lacked the majesty of Chu Tianpeng's Great Roc Martial Spirit.

The eagle's screech filled the air as Lü Bu's claws gleamed with golden light. With a simple motion, his claws came together, and the sword energy was instantly obliterated. Li Xiaoyao's long sword was now trapped firmly in Lü Bu's palm.

"The majesty of the Spirit Martial Realm—how could you possibly contend with it?" Lü Bu's hawk-like eyes radiated untamed ferocity. For a moment, he had sensed a threat from Li Xiaoyao's swordsmanship, prompting him to unleash his martial spirit.

After undergoing the intense trials at Zhonggu Cliff, Li Xiaoyao's Thunderclap Sword Technique had reached perfection. Even though his cultivation was only at the eighth level of the Qi Martial Realm, each strike he unleashed rivaled—if not exceeded—those of ninth-level cultivators.

However, with the release of Lü Bu's Eagle Martial Spirit, both his insight and strength were drastically enhanced, allowing him to catch Li Xiaoyao's sword with ease.

But was the Spirit Martial Realm truly beyond the reach of a Qi Martial practitioner? At least, Li Xiaoyao refused to believe it!