The moon hung high in the sky, casting a faint silver glow.
A golden statue of a Bodhisattva stood tall amidst the ruins.
Its face was compassionate, capable of soothing a restless heart with a single glance, and an aura of majesty emanated from it, compelling worship.
However, the Bodhisattva's emergence was not without fanfare, and it soon attracted the distant roars of beasts.
Roar!
Fierce beasts turned their gaze towards the towering Bodhisattva statue, roaring towards the heavens as if in defiance!
A young man, holding a wine gourd, unconsciously slowed his drinking, his pupils flashing with surprise.
At this moment, Lin Yu uttered, "I am Ksitigarbha, I grant you passage to the Naraka of Birth!"
As he spoke, a golden wheel suspended behind Ksitigarbha spun and flew into Lin Yu's hand.
With a gentle push of his arm, the wheel spun at an astonishing speed, piercing the air.
Boom!
Its speed increased, breaking the sound barrier and creating a sonic boom.
Bang!
The wheel struck the mountain-bearing python, which had been broken into nine segments, with a resounding crash.
A clanging sound erupted, and with each strike of the wheel, it struck again and again, the noise incessant.
Clang clang clang!!!
The sounds continued to ring out as Lin Yu, with a blank expression, calmly controlled the wheel's assault.
He could feel that while the wheel could not yet easily kill the mountain-bearing python, its hardness was sufficient, and killing the python was merely a matter of time.
The young man watched this scene and sped up his drinking, a hint of disappointment flickering in his eyes.
He had expected the current Lin Yu to astonish him, but to his surprise, it still required a high-frequency attack to achieve this, which left him somewhat disappointed.
However, it was still quite surprising, and the admiration in his eyes had not faded.
Lin Yu, after transforming, possessed extremely sharp senses and noticed the change in the young man's expression. He thought to himself, "Since that's the case, I must go all out!"
Lin Yu's steady nature meant he naturally preferred not to exert his full strength, as it was not only tiring but also costly and could even have some side effects on himself.
However, he now had to prove himself with his strength. He was also very interested in the opportunity the young man had mentioned.
"Transform!"
As the words fell, the towering Bodhisattva statue suddenly changed.
Lin Yu secretly manipulated the fusion technique, causing his form to alter.
Now, this Ksitigarbha wore a jeweled crown and celestial robes, adorned with necklaces, possessing a divine appearance. He wore a Vairocana crown, a kasaya, and held a khakkhara in one hand and a lotus in the other.
His fingers formed a 'flower-pinching' gesture, and the lotus slowly opened its petals, revealing a blazing fire within.
"Go, Heart Fire!"
Rumble!
A searing flame shot from the lotus, flying towards the mountain-bearing python.
Lin Yu calmly unleashed a stream of fire, augmenting the power of the Heart Fire.
As the flames landed on the mountain-bearing python, its broken body writhed furiously.
This Heart Fire could burn the soul, and the mountain-bearing python's current mental state was unable to withstand it.
Soon, its aura grew weaker and weaker, on the verge of death.
Lin Yu also breathed a sigh of relief. His improved Heart Fire technique was far superior to the original.
The previous Heart Fire had limitations, only effective against beings not exceeding Tier 2. However, now, by leveraging the transformed energy within his body and integrating his own spiritual power, he had inadvertently created a method that could ignore cultivation levels.
However, it also had significant limitations; it was only effective against beings in such a weakened state. If the enemy were at full strength, it could even backfire on him.
The young man, looking at the flames in Lin Yu's hand, expressed surprise and admiration, "The improved Heart Fire, this kid has good comprehension!"
After a long while, the mountain-bearing python was finally burned to death.
"Ding, killed mountain-bearing python, upgrade points +7000!"
With a ding, a skill crystal dropped at Lin Yu's feet.
Lin Yu dispelled the fusion, picked up the skill crystal, approached the young man, and said, "Senior, this skill crystal dropped by chance. Please accept it."
The young man smiled and took the skill crystal, satisfied with Lin Yu's attitude. He held it against his forehead for a moment, then handed it back to Lin Yu, saying, "I don't need this skill crystal. You killed the mountain-bearing python, so you keep it!"
The skill crystal returned to his hand, and Lin Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
He quickly bowed in thanks, "What my elder bestows, I dare not refuse. Then I shall accept it without further ado!"
"Alright, you're a fine young man. I've traveled through thirty cities, and you're the most special person I've encountered!" the young man exclaimed, impressed. This young man, initially unassuming, always revealed surprising strength. When you thought he had reached his limit, he would quickly show you, through action, that he could be even stronger. In his long life, he had never met such a youth. If he had to give a label, he would call him 'the most unpredictable'! His extreme unpredictability evoked a sense of cherishing talent in the young man, and he felt compelled to take him as a disciple!
"Young man, are you willing to join my academy?" the youth asked, standing with his hands behind his back. The moonlight silvered his hair, and a gentle breeze made him appear elegant and unrestrained, exuding the demeanor of a master!
Lin Yu was silent for a moment, then cupped his hands and replied, "Senior, this is my chance, or..."
"Not so. If you join my academy, your opportunities will be elevated. If you don't, you will still have opportunities, but..." He didn't finish his sentence, but Lin Yu could already guess that if he didn't join his academy, the opportunity would likely not be a good one.
"May I ask which academy you speak of, Senior?" Lin Yu knew little about universities, only recalling the top ten prestigious institutions. Of the hundred other notable universities, he remembered only a few particularly special ones. The senior before him resembled the legendary reclusive masters. If he could enter the academy he spoke of, it would be a good choice. After all, for him, the choice of which academy to attend wasn't particularly important. He wasn't like others who cultivated using resources. He had a system; it was the same everywhere. However, attending a better academy could broaden his horizons, which was also a good option.
"My academy is called Supreme Academy! It is the foremost among the top ten prestigious institutions!" the young man declared.
Lin Yu was slightly taken aback. Was there a Supreme Academy among the top ten prestigious institutions? He pondered for a moment, searching his mind for the names of the top ten prestigious institutions, but to his regret, he found no mention of this academy. Moreover, the name "Supreme" sounded rather chuunibyou; could it be an obscure academy?
"Ahem, you needn't doubt. Supreme Academy was once the first among the ten great academies, but two hundred years ago, it voluntarily relinquished its ranking and is now a hidden academy, stationed in the Guixu Chaotic Domain to prevent infiltrators from other worlds. It is the bedrock of the human race!"
He knew Guixu; it was a place where the blue star's space was thin, the most vulnerable to invasion from myriad realms. It was extremely chaotic and dangerous, with creatures from various worlds frequently intruding.
"Senior, I am willing to..."
"Boy, don't listen to his nonsense. This Supreme Academy only has two members, including him, and the mortality rate is extremely high. If you go, you'll likely never return!" Suddenly, an ancient and familiar voice echoed in his ears.
Lin Yu looked in the direction of the voice and saw an old man with white hair and beard flying through the sky in the distance. What had been far away was now right before him. Lin Yu was slightly startled. Seeing the man's appearance, it was the weapon shop owner!
"Kid, how about coming to my Chaos Element Academy? We can go together with your little girlfriend!"