From Five Animal Exercises to being hailed as a saint and ancestor

As dawn broke, a thin mist, like gauze, enveloped the Qinglu Academy.

Yao Mengkang strolled along the bluestone path, his aura calm and restrained, seemingly no different from usual.

But deep within those eyes, it seemed, lay a newly born star, bright and profound, carrying a clarity and confidence that came from seeing through the fog.

Feel the perfect grand circulation formed by the twelve meridians in your body.

The Yuan energy flows naturally like the tides, its immense power hidden yet omnipresent.

He was in a great mood, feeling exhilarated by the breakthrough and with a clear vision for the future.

He couldn't resist taking a walk in this familiar academy and seeing the scenery under the morning light.

Before I knew it, I had arrived at the famous "Bibo Lake" of the Foreign Languages ​​Department.

The lake water is as clear as a mirror, reflecting the sunrise on the horizon and the graceful willows on the shore. Occasionally, a fish leaps out of the water, creating ripples, creating a peaceful and serene scene.

Just as Yao Mengkang was immersed in this tranquility, a slightly abrupt voice rang out beside him.

"Young friend, judging from your inner radiance and steady gait, you have a profound foundation and are no ordinary person."

Yao Mengkang looked in the direction of the sound and saw a middle-aged man sitting on an inconspicuous blue stone by the lake.

This person was dressed plainly, even somewhat slovenly, with his hair casually draped over his shoulders and his face bearing the marks of time.

He didn't have any powerful aura fluctuations, just like a down-and-out rogue cultivator who had failed in his career.

But his eyes were unusually clear and focused, staring intently at me.

Yao Mengkang felt a chill run down his spine. Despite his incredibly sharp spiritual senses, he couldn't see through this person's true nature at all.

He cupped his hands and said, "You flatter me, senior. May I ask what guidance you have for me?"

The disheveled middle-aged man grinned, revealing a set of white teeth that seemed out of place with his appearance, yet his tone carried an undeniable seriousness.

"I wouldn't call it guidance. I just find you agreeable. How about I give you the honor of joining our 'Netherworld'?"

The underworld?

Yao Mengkang frowned slightly. Was this the Netherworld I was thinking of, or was someone impersonating the Netherworld?

Just then, a furious shout exploded like thunder.

"Li Hanshan! How dare you infiltrate my Qinglu Academy and mislead my students!"

Before the words were even finished, an incomparably powerful aura descended from afar with a thunderous roar!

Vice Dean Xiao Yunhai moved with lightning speed, instantly appearing in front of Yao Mengkang and protecting him behind him.

At this moment, Vice Dean Xiao's beard and hair stood on end, his body radiating spiritual light, and he unleashed the full pressure of a Purple Mansion Realm expert.

The tranquility of the lakeside was completely shattered, and the air seemed to freeze.

He stared intently at the disheveled middle-aged man, his eyes filled with apprehension.

"Li Hanshan, isn't your 'Netherworld Prison' going too far? Get out of the academy immediately, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

The Underworld? Li Hanshan! Yao Mengkang was shocked.

He had heard of the name before.

The Underworld is a powerful force active throughout the continent, acting mysteriously and unpredictably, and at odds with many righteous sects.

This has left even the righteous leader of the Heavenly Path Sect exhausted in dealing with it.

Its leader, Li Hanshan, is said to be mysterious and unpredictable, possessing immense strength and a fierce appearance, and is rumored to be able to stop children from crying.

The seemingly disheveled middle-aged man in front of me is actually the Lord of the Underworld?

Despite facing Xiao Yunhai's imposing and overwhelming presence, Li Hanshan didn't even raise an eyebrow.

He remained seated on the bluestone, letting out a soft sigh, his tone tinged with helplessness.

"Brother Xiao, don't get so angry. I just admire your talent and wanted to invite this young friend. I'm just doing you a favor."

"Give you face?" Vice Dean Xiao laughed angrily. "You devil, you dare talk about face?"

Li Hanshan sighed, a sigh that seemed to carry a hint of helplessness, and also a hint of...mockery.

So you're saying you're not giving me face?

He paused, then looked calmly at Xiao Yun.

His eyes held a depth that seemed to hold an endless abyss: "Are you sure you don't want to give me that kind of face?"

Xiao Yunhai was furious. As the vice dean of the academy and a great expert in the Purple Mansion Realm, how could he allow the other party to be so disrespectful?

His spiritual energy surged wildly, and his right hand, with fingers pointing like a sword, instantly condensed a dazzling and sharp sword aura containing the will to tear everything apart, which was about to slash towards Li Hanshan!

This sword strike was incredibly powerful; even before the sword arrived, its sharp aura had already carved a deep trench into the lake's surface!

However, faced with this earth-shattering sword strike, Li Hanshan slightly raised his hand.

There was no dazzling brilliance, no earth-shattering momentum, and not even a whisper of wind.

But the next moment——

"Sizzle!"

A soft sound, like cloth being torn.

Xiao Yunhai's brilliant sword aura, imbued with all his inner strength, was powerful enough to split mountains and sever rivers.

When they came into contact with the invisible trajectory that Li Hanshan seemingly casually drew with a raised hand, it was as if ice and snow met boiling water, instantly collapsing and dissipating!

Moreover, an invisible, sharp aura, undiminished in its momentum, silently swept past Xiao Yunhai's right shoulder.

Xiao Yunhai's movements suddenly froze, his angry expression hardening, replaced by extreme shock and disbelief.

He slowly lowered his head and looked at his right shoulder.

The right arm was severed at the shoulder! The cut was as smooth as a mirror, and blood only gushed out at this moment!

"Uh..." Xiao Yunhai groaned, his face instantly turning ashen, his breath rapidly weakening, and he staggered backward.

The look in his eyes as he looked at Li Hanshan was filled with fear and an indescribable complexity.

He was a powerful cultivator at the Purple Mansion Realm, though he knew he was no match for him.

Unexpectedly, he couldn't even withstand a single move from his opponent.

No, they don't even have the right to make the other party take it seriously!

Yao Mengkang's pupils contracted sharply, and a storm raged in his heart. He knew that Li Hanshan was strong, but he hadn't expected him to be this strong!

Vice Dean Xiao was as powerless as an infant in his presence! Is this the power of the Lord of the Underworld?

"Li Hanshan!"

A more magnificent and furious roar came from the sky, like thunder rumbling in the heavens.

The entire lake of Bibo Lake boiled violently at this roar!

An elderly man in a blue robe with a dignified face appeared out of thin air; it was none other than Ouyang Shuo, the dean of Qinglu Academy!

Dean Ouyang's face was ashen, and his eyes were burning with rage.

He glanced at Xiao Yunhai, who was severely injured with a broken arm, and became even more furious.

"You want to save face? Come on, I'll give you that face today. If you can handle this move, you can leave. If you can't, you can go feed the fish in Bibo Lake!"

Without wasting any words, Ouyang Shuo struck out with his palm!

This palm strike stirred the power of heaven and earth, causing the wind and clouds to change color!

A massive, crimson-blue barrier, formed from countless runes, appeared out of thin air.

With its overwhelming divine power to suppress everything, it directly enveloped Li Hanshan!

This is the domain power of the Throne Dao Realm!

"Red Yuan Realm"

Li Hanshan finally stood up from the bluestone, his casual expression becoming somewhat more composed.

Within the Crimson Origin Realm, Li Hanshan's tattered robes instantly began to hiss under the strain, revealing countless fine cracks.

Even more terrifying was that the omnipresent crimson-blue energy was acting on his body.

"Sizzle!"

A clear tearing sound rang out, and Li Hanshan's left arm was severed at the shoulder, swept up by a suddenly intensified whirlwind!

Next, his right leg was torn off at the knee by an invisible force!

Then came the torso, where deep, bone-revealing wounds appeared, as if it had been torn apart by countless unseen forces!

Strangely, no blood was sprayed out. Wisps of silvery-white sword energy floated out from Li Hanshan's body, gradually pulling his body back to its original state.

Li Hanshan's body was frantically pulled and torn apart in the Crimson Origin Realm, only to be pulled back to its original state by the silver-white sword energy, creating an extremely bizarre scene.

"You've come here to test the results of your Undying Sword Body, haven't you!"

"As expected, nothing can be hidden from you. That kid is indeed quite good; perhaps I should teach him a lesson."

"You know, the academy environment is too comfortable; it can't cultivate true strong individuals."

"It's not the right time yet, he's too young."

A short while later, the crimson-blue barrier disappeared.

There was no earth-shattering explosion as expected; it was as if the crimson-blue barrier came from the heavens and earth and then silently merged into them.

Li Hanshan still looked somewhat disheveled, with his hair casually draped over his shoulders.

It seemed as if everything that had just happened had no effect on him at all, but if you looked closely, there seemed to be a hint of weariness in Li Hanshan's eyes.

"Old man Ouyang, you still have such a temper." Li Hanshan shook his wrist, which seemed a little sore and numb.

He glanced at Ouyang Shuo, whose face was pale, then at Xiao Yunhai, who had lost an arm, and shook his head. "My interest is gone for today. That's enough."

He turned around, seemingly preparing to leave, but paused, then turned back, his gaze passing over the ready-to-fight Ouyang Shuo and landing on the solemn-looking Yao Mengkang behind him.

The previous casualness was gone from that gaze; instead, it held an undisguised, heartfelt appreciation, and even a hint of... expectation?

He smiled at Yao Mengkang, revealing his white teeth once more, without saying a word, but everything was understood without being spoken.

Then, his figure flickered and disappeared into the air like a ghost, vanishing without a trace, as if he had never existed.

All that remained was Xiao Yunhai, who had lost an arm and was severely injured, with a pale face.

Ouyang Shuo, his face ashen and breathless, and Yao Mengkang, standing by the lake, his heart churning with turmoil, gaining a completely new understanding of power.

Looking in the direction where Li Hanshan disappeared, Ouyang Shuo's eyes were filled with indescribable complex emotions: heartache, admiration, respect, and even a hint of deep-seated... helplessness.

He did not pursue, but slowly raised his hand, channeling a gentle and pure stream of Yuan energy into Xiao Yunhai's body, temporarily stabilizing his injuries. He then said in a deep voice:

"Go quickly to the Spirit Medicine Pavilion and find Granny Si to reattach the severed arm."