Chapter 34: The Valkyrie

Although Shi Jian had joined the Zhulu Academy, his true form remained in Stone Village. He had informed the Dean of the Zhulu Academy that he would not be heading to the academy for a few months, a proposal to which the Dean naturally had no objections. After discussing a few more matters, the Dean departed from the Initial Land to contact buyers for the primal beast bones. Before leaving, however, he left behind the Zhulu Academy’s "War Goddess" to serve as a liaison for Shi Jian.

In a plaza within the Initial Land, a duel was underway. The protagonist was Shi Jian, facing off against another prodigy from an ancient clan. Shi Jian’s primary purpose for entering the Void God Realm was to temper himself; breaking records was merely incidental. He had never forgotten this goal. Thus, after the Dean of the Zhulu Academy left, he set up a ring in the Initial Land to challenge others.

Due to the massive commotion he had caused over the past two days, his every move was under intense scrutiny. Once he set up the ring, challengers arrived in an endless stream, all of them without exception being prodigies from various clans. Among them were even powerful cultivators at the Spirit Transformation or Inscription realms. Of course, once they entered the Initial Land, their cultivation was suppressed to the Blood Moving realm.

Within the Blood Moving realm, Shi Jian was invincible. With a simple punch, he sent the ancient clan prodigy flying. Had Shi Jian not held back, the consequences would have been far more severe. Although those who entered the Void God Realm were merely spiritual bodies, if they were killed, their true physical bodies would require months of recovery. Since those who dared to challenge Shi Jian were all from major factions—potential customers for his primal beast bones—Shi Jian deemed it unwise to be too ruthless.

"Defeated again... Hundreds of prodigies have come to challenge 'Baba' over the last few days, but almost none of them can last a single strike!"

"He has achieved a hundred consecutive victories. Bear in mind that some of these challengers were at the Inscription realm, and even they couldn't defeat him!"

"Baba's mastery of runes is no less impressive than his physical prowess!"

As the defeated prodigy left in dejection, the onlookers exclaimed in awe. Realm is one thing, but combat power is another. Two hundred thousand jin of divine force was merely his baseline strength. Without the mastery of runes, mere brute force would not translate into such high combat capability. Some prodigies might only possess eighty or ninety thousand jin of base strength, but could unleash hundreds of thousands of jin of power through runic techniques. This was why so many still dared to challenge Shi Jian, despite knowing his strength.

They were far beyond the Blood Moving realm and believed their understanding and control of runes were vastly superior to Shi Jian’s. That was the source of their confidence. However, while their expectations were idealistic, the reality was brutal. Even an Inscription realm expert, once suppressed, was no match for Shi Jian.

Shi Jian’s insight into runes far exceeded his physical realm. Truth be told, half of his physical strength relied on the power of the "God Elephant Suppressing Prison Art." His pure physical cultivation only amounted to one hundred thousand jin of divine force—impressive, but not necessarily unprecedented. However, his understanding of runes was different. Having practiced the "Primal True Interpretation," his grasp of runes was beyond the reach of ordinary people. Not to mention the Inscription realm, even experts at the Array Formation or Venerable realms would be suppressed by him in the Initial Land. With two hundred thousand jin of base force combined with the "Great Five Elements Art," who could withstand his punch?

"Your strength is truly terrifying!" The War Goddess remarked from the side, filled with awe. She had spent the last few days guiding Shi Jian through the Void God Realm, and it was she who had suggested he set up the ring.

Shi Jian looked toward her, his gaze falling upon the imposing, mountainous curves before him. She was truly a "War Goddess" in every sense of the word. The War Goddess of Zhulu Academy was clearly a figure of immense, overlooked significance in the original story; she was a powerhouse of the highest caliber.

"Sigh," Shi Jian sighed, his expression melancholy. "I had hoped to temper myself properly upon entering the Void God Realm, but things haven't gone as planned."

He longed for life-or-death combat, but his strength was too much of a "bug." With two hundred thousand jin of force and the Black Emperor Water Emperor Fist from the Great Five Elements Art, he was virtually unrivaled in the Initial Land. The War Goddess had been the first person he challenged, but even she was no match for him once her strength was suppressed. Clad in golden armor, the War Goddess possessed a sharp, formidable aura—she was a prodigy of her generation, or she would never have earned such a title—yet even she had been defeated in a single move.

"Your strength is indeed terrifying. I suspect you could rival a powerhouse who has condensed six or seven heavens," the War Goddess said, taking his complaint seriously rather than as mere posturing. "Unless you enter the Heavenly Battlefield or return to reality to challenge true masters, you will find it difficult to gain any real tempering here in the Void God Realm."

Shi Jian nodded slightly. In the Void God Realm, those of higher realms could suppress their strength to enter lower-level areas, but those of lower realms could not simply enter high-level blessed lands. This left him confined to the Initial Land, which now offered him no effective training. He had considered the Heavenly Battlefield, but he wanted to consult the Willow Deity about it first to ensure he was prepared. Under these circumstances, staying in the Initial Land was pointless.

"You're right," Shi Jian said, looking at the War Goddess. "I intend to leave the Void God Realm. I will head to Zhulu Academy in a few months; tell the Dean not to worry about me. I'm not sure exactly when I'll arrive, but we shall meet again."

He bid her farewell. They had gotten along well over the past few days, and he considered her a friend. Shi Jian was always happy to befriend those who possessed such... profound wisdom.

The War Goddess was stunned; she had not expected him to make such a decisive choice. "Very well, take care!"

Reality was not like the Void God Realm. In the Initial Land, Shi Jian was a god; even a Venerable would have to pay him respect if they met. But in reality, no matter how gifted Shi Jian was, he remained only at the Blood Moving realm. If a high-level expert were to target him, he would be in great danger. That was why she urged him to be cautious. Through their time together, she had come to understand that while his talent was terrifyingly high and his origins mysterious, he seemed to be traveling alone, without a protector. Otherwise, he would not have joined the Zhulu Academy. The stir he had caused in the Void God Realm was too great; once his identity in reality was exposed, it would surely lead to a storm of blood and chaos.

Shi Jian nodded and departed from the Void God Realm.