In the Divine Wind Country, atop the Cloud-lifting City, one of the three prestigious academies on the continent - Hongwu Academy - was located.
On this particular day in Hongwu Plaza, before the towering statues of the ten Sacred Kings, over a hundred junior class students had just completed their midterm exam.
The students who had enrolled the previous year, throughout the time span of that year, the majority had successfully broken through to the third level of the Human Martial Secret Realm, their bodies hardened like steel, on the verge of entering the intermediate cultivation class.
The Human Martial Secret Realm was considered the foundations of martial arts, tempering their figures. The first three stages: blood circulation, flesh strengthening, and bone hardening were regarded as the fundamental among the fundamentals. Anyone with even a bit of talent could complete these stages within a year.
Even those laggards who were constantly belittled by Teacher Kainan had managed to break through to the third level of the Human Martial Secret Realm three days ago.
But amidst them all, there was one whose progress had stagnated at the first level of Human Martial Secret Realm, not having made a single step forward in a year.
Everyone couldn’t help but shift their eyes towards the youth in the corner, their faces filled with contempt and mockery.
The adolescent looked to be around fifteen or sixteen years old, thin, somewhat pale, his brow brimming with a scholarly aura, which only made him look frailer.
His name was Han Yi, once a genius of the Academy.
The only one in the Academy's history that had scored full marks on the entrance examination, an astonishing genius, even attracting the attention of the legendary principal.
The principal of Hongwu Academy bore the title of the Supreme Warrior of the Great Bright, a peerless powerhouse who had reached the sixth level of the Earth Martial Arts and the protector of the entire Divine Wind Country.
It was said when the crown prince of the Divine Wind Country was born, the monarch himself went to request the old principal to grant a name to his prince, but was turned down.
The old principal personally received Han Yi, thereby setting a precedent in the grand hall of Hongwu Academy.
People assumed a rising star who would shock the continent was about to rise. But not long after that, the old principal personally pronounced his "death sentence".
"The True Dragon Martial Body! It's actually the True Dragon Martial Body!"
"This is a physique that belongs only to a Saint King. If you were born three thousand years earlier, it would not be impossible for you to dazzle through all ages and become a Saint King. Regrettably, you were born in the wrong era, and this unparalleled talent has become the most lamentable waste!"
The so-called True Dragon Martial Body, also known as the Dragon Blood Martial Body, is said to be the strongest constitution between heaven and earth.
None other comes close!
In ancient times, all the successive Saint Kings possessed this type of martial body.
They battled in the sky, slaughtered dragons and drank their blood, possessing the ability to rip the heavens!
But with the passage of time, the True Dragon disappeared and the Saint King became a legend. Many people haven't even heard of the True Dragon Martial Body.
However, when it comes from the mouth of the old principal, it is undoubtedly authoritative.
If he says it's a waste, then it definitely is a waste!
The Hongwu Academy would never accept a student destined to be useless. If not for the old principal's compassion and in consideration of the ancestors of the Han family, Han Yi would not even have the qualification to enroll.
In this past year, Han Yi has never slackened. He put in more effort than others, and his cultivation was even more diligent, but he never made any progress nor witnessed any miracles.
From heaven to hell, from genius to waste.
Bearing the halo of past genius, Han Yi has endured all kinds of neglect and experienced the fickleness of human nature.
"Tsk tsk, look at our genius. A year has passed and he is still standing still. Even a waste like me has broken through to the third tier of human martial level, haha!"
"Humph, what a damn genius, he's just a piece of trash!"
"The True Dragon Martial Body, sounds scary, doesn't it? I went back and asked the elders in my clan. This physique needs the real blood of a dragon to break through. Where can we find a dragon now? He's basically destined to be a failure, always pretending to be diligent. It's hilarious!"
"Sigh, when he first enrolled in school, I actually idolized him a lot. I never thought he would turn out to be such a waste."
People ridiculed him without any fear, expressing their disdain in the harshest possible ways.
They were all ordinary people. The chance to degrade so-called genius gave them great pleasure.
Faced with these cold, harsh words, Han Yi could only silently endure. The cruel words were like the edge of a knife, cutting into the young boy's fragile self-esteem.
He lifted his head to look at the ten majestic king statues, his heart churning with emotion.
I possess the same talents as you all did, but while you all are worshipped millions of years after your death, I am ridiculed. How is this fair?
At this moment, the instructor Kennan stepped forward and stopped the crowd.
Looking at Han Yi's pale face, Kennan frowned slightly and avoided his gaze, saying, "Han Yi, I know you've been trying hard. However, except for you, all students have already reached the Martial Skill level three. From next term, we will be starting intermediate level courses. If by then you haven’t made a break, unfortunately..."
"The rules of the academy must be respected, and at that point, I will have no choice but to ask you to leave school."
Expelled!
The word was like a sharp sword, piercing Han Yi's heart.
If he were expelled from the Hongwu Academy, he would never be able to walk the path of martial arts for his entire life.
And if he can't practice martial arts, he will be expelled from the clan at this year's family competition, bringing doom not just for himself but also his father, who will lose his status as a main family member.
Thinking of the disappointed expression on his father's face, Han Yi turned pale. He gritted his teeth and said, "Sir, I understand. I'll work hard."
"Uh huh, don't push yourself too hard."
Kenan gives him a meaningful look, sighs lightly, and turns to leave.
"Hmph, you're such a waste. No matter how hard you try, you'll never break through the third level of martial arts. We're classmates after all, why don't I help you instead?"
As Kenan’s footsteps fade, a chubby teenager emerges from the crowd.
He strides towards Han Yi, smirking maliciously as his fists clench audibly.
His name is Zhou Chang, a rich boy from Lingyun City. He had been beaten up by Han Yi when they first started school. Since then, he's held a grudge and would take any opportunity to make trouble.
"Teacher Kenan often says that pressure leads to motivation. Let me help apply some pressure on Han Yi, the genius; maybe this will trigger a breakthrough, what do you think?"
Zhou Chang teasingly extends his tubby hand towards Han Yi's face.
With a slap, Han Yi swats his hand away, glaring back in fury.
"Hmph. Damn it, do you think you're a genius? Dare to fight back against me, you're asking for death!"
Zhou Chang bellows in rage, assuming this is an excuse to strike. He throws a punch, knocking Han Yi down to the ground.
The third level martial artist, bone strong as steel, felt as if he'd been hit by a large hammer.
Han Yi grunts, just about to get up when a foot forcefully stamps down on his chest!
Zhou Chang stands over him, smirking as he looks down and sneers: "A genius? Pfft! You're nothing more than trash that can't handle a single blow from me. If it weren’t for my generous heart, one punch could've killed you... then there is no one to care for your sickly old father!"
Harsh laughter rings out from the surrounding crowd.
Han Yi felt as if his chest was about to explode, it roared and churned as if there was a malevolent dragon inside.
Why should I, who possess the strongest talents and physique in this world, be stepped on by others and endure all kinds of humiliation?
I have the body of a Saint King!
I am not a waste!
One day, I will step on everyone, I will prove to you all that you were wrong!
Shame, anger, and unwillingness, all kinds of emotions churned in his chest.
Suddenly, Han Yi roared, reached out, and grabbed Zhou Chang's ankle, causing him to stumble and fall. He then sprung up, straddling Zhou Chang, and began to pummel him with a flurry of punches.
"You damn thing! How dare you fight back, get away from me!"
Enraged, Zhou Chang bellowed, delivering a heavy punch that knocked Han Yi over.
As Zhou Chang picked himself up from the ground, he unleashed a kick that sent Han Yi flying like a rag doll, crashing into the statue of the Saint King in the center.
The statue of the Saint King was formidable, with one hand clutching a dragon and the other supporting a cauldron, sporting three heads and six wings.
As Han Yi crashed into the statue of the Saint King, there was a clang, and the giant golden cauldron fell straight down, hitting him on the head and causing blood to flow.
Overwhelmed by the intense pain, Han Yi felt as if the whole world was spinning.
It seemed as if the bronze statue of the Saint King had come to life and smirked at him...
Han Yi passed out, feeling as though he had had a very long nightmare.
There was nothing in the dream, only endless flames!
Those flames came in three different colors, wrapping around him, as if to burn and refine him into ashes.
He didn't know how much time had passed before he woke up from this nightmare, finding himself back at home.
He sat up, his head buzzing like a hundred bells ringing simultaneously, his thoughts in chaos.
But his spiritual sense was astonishingly keen now. The moment he opened his eyes, he could see even a tiny speck of dust on the windowsill, and clearly hear the sounds of insects chirping, birds singing, leaves falling, and even ants crawling across the courtyard!
Han Yi startled at the changes in his body. Suddenly, there was a heat in his brow, as if a huge vortex sucked his soul into it.
When he opened his eyes again, he found that he could introspect and see what was happening inside his own body!
Introspection, even for a sixth tier martial artist who has just started to understand the concept of breath flow, this was something hard to achieve!
Han Yi looked at his own body in astonishment - the flesh, the meridians, the organs, the acupoints, marveling at the wondrous complexity of the human body.
At this point, he saw a golden tripod floating in-between his brows in the spiritual platform, entwined by blood and veins, merging with him, as though blood and flesh were connected.
The golden tripod had a unique shape with two ears and three feet, and was engraved with a purple-gold Bagua pattern.
It was identical to the golden tripod held by the Saint King statue in the square, only that it was much more incomplete, the Bagua pattern on it was broken!
Inside the golden tripod, an odd flame was burning vigorously. It was exactly the three-colored flame he saw in his dream!
"The Bagua Might Purple-Gold Ding, Samadhi True Fire, refining spirits and concocting elixirs, it burns everything, its mysterious use is endless…”
After briefly scanning the inscription on the tripod, Han Yi turned his attention to his body. He found some black obstructions in his meridians, which seemed to be hindering the surge of blood, these were the so-called breakthrough obstacles.
"Can I actually see the so-called realm barrier?"
There was a sudden jolt in Han Yi's heart, as if he had instantly comprehended the weak points of these obstacles. His blood qi boiled within him, a swoop of tricolor flame rushed into his bloodstream, intense pain overcame him!
Unable to bear it, Han Yi cried out miserably, as if his entire being was submerged in a melting pot. When he opened his eyes again, all obstacles in his bloodstream had been completely reduced to ashes!
With a crackle, a subtle burst of sound unexpectedly erupted from every single bone in his body, akin to popping beans.
The shackles in his bloodstream were shattered in an instant by the surging blood essence, making his bloodstream clear!
Han Yi shouted out in surprise and joy, he had only been testing it out and didn't expect to break through the first level of human martial arts successfully, activating all the blood in his body, coursing like a river!
The shackles he could not break through in the past year, under the impact of the Samadhi real fire, were easily broken!
This left Han Yi jubilant. Although the origin of the Samadhi real fire in the golden cauldron is unknown, it still brought him hope - hope of shedding the name of trash and becoming a strong individual!
In a real dragon martial body, the hardest part lies in breaking through realms.
But Han Yi had the Samadhi real fire, all the bottlenecks and obstacles could be swept away; all he needed was diligent cultivation, and the road ahead was wide open!
