"It was you who insisted on this fight, wasn't it?" Goku asked with a faint smile.
"Yes, it was my choice," Liu Qing replied, his expression solemn yet strangely relieved. "And I am glad. To cross hands with someone like you is an honor! I know I'll lose, but even so—I must try. Are you ready?"
"Anytime."
"Haha! Good! Then let's settle this in one decisive move!"
His wild laughter rang out as the brilliant golden light around him suddenly contracted, no longer blinding but focused, drawn into the tip of his Mountain splitting Spear. That condensed radiance shimmered like liquid, flowing along the weapon as if it were alive.
With a fierce tremor of his arm, Liu Qing raised the spear skyward before slamming it down with a roar. The impact sent invisible shockwaves coursing through the ground. Stones and boulders surrounding the arena instantly crumbled into dust beneath the force.
"Great Rift Shattering Spear!"
His cry cracked like thunder. From the spear's tip, golden light exploded outward like a bursting dam, the sound so sharp it screamed through the air as it streaked toward Goku. Everything in its path—stone, rubble, the very arena floor—shattered to pieces. The overwhelming might of that one strike stunned the crowd.
"Not bad," Goku murmured, his tone almost lazy. "If my girls hadn't gone through my training, this might actually be dangerous for them."
But even as the terrifying spear strike descended, Goku showed no sign of fear. No battle aura swirled around him. He simply stood there, calm and immovable, while countless spectators stared with pounding hearts. Slowly, deliberately, he raised his left hand—stretching it out toward the incoming golden spear.
The crowd gasped.
"He's insane! He's going to catch it barehanded?!"
Some of the younger female students screamed, covering their eyes, unable to watch what they thought would be a bloody tragedy. Even Liu Qing himself was shaken, pupils shrinking as he realized it was far too late to pull back. But seeing the calm, unshakable look on Goku's face, a wild thought passed through his mind:
'He… he might actually catch it.'
"Boom!"
The golden spear slammed down. The impact rocked the entire arena, engulfing both figures in blinding light. The arena floor shattered, chunks of stone reduced to dust as violent shockwaves tore outward—only to be stopped cold at the boundary by an invisible barrier.
The barrier held, protecting the audience, who gasped in relief before snapping their eyes back to the center of the stage. No one dared blink. They needed to see the outcome.
As the golden light faded, the scene revealed itself—and left the audience utterly stunned.
Liu Qing hung suspended in midair, his Mountain splitting Spear clamped between two fingers of Goku's right hand. The once radiant weapon now looked dull, lifeless. Goku held it effortlessly, his stance relaxed, his expression unbothered. The ground beneath his feet was pristine, untouched. Only the surrounding stones bore the scars of destruction, shattered into rubble.
The sight was breathtaking. A few lovestruck girls in the crowd blushed furiously, their breathing quickening. Their hearts raced as they gazed at Goku's tall, calm figure. His strength, his dominance, his composure—everything about him drew their eyes, filling them with admiration and infatuation.
"Good thing Lord Goku set up a protective barrier," Elder Su Qian muttered from the pavilion, exhaling in relief. "Otherwise, this clash would've been disastrous."
"It's over," Goku said lightly, smiling at Liu Qing, whose face was frozen in shock and disbelief.
"Now, be a good boy and spend the next month in the infirmary."
With a casual flick of his finger, Goku released the spear. The motion generated a pulse of force that blasted Liu Qing backward.
"Bang!"
The young man screamed as he was hurled across the arena, smashing through a stone wall before collapsing into a heap of rubble. Dust rose in clouds as the crowd stared, wide-eyed, their minds unable to catch up with what had just happened.
"If you want to challenge me," Goku said, his voice echoing across the silent arena, "you must be prepared to pay the price."
The weight of his words chilled the hearts of everyone present. This was the cost of daring to defy him.
---
Silence. The arena was so quiet it felt suffocating. All eyes remained fixed on Goku's upright figure on the ruined stage. The truth of what they had just witnessed struck like a hammer: the third-ranked expert on the Heavenly Ranking had been defeated with a single flick of the finger.
'How is this possible?'
Students whispered inwardly. He looked no older than them, yet his strength was terrifying, on a scale beyond comprehension. What kind of monster was he? How did he cultivate to reach this level?
"This year's freshmen… one's more monstrous than the last," muttered Lin Xiuya,, his usual calm shaken as he stared at the broken form of Liu Qing, half-buried in rubble with only a hand and his head visible. Relief washed over him. "Thank goodness I wasn't the one on that stage. Unbelievable… that someone among the new generation is this powerful. Even that little demoness might not be his match."
As he spoke, a small, delicate figure appeared beside the defeated Liu Qing. It was Zi Yan. She shook her head with an amused sigh. "You really were asking for it. Of all people, you just had to challenge Goku. What were you thinking?"
Liu Qing coughed, his body trembling, but a wry smile curved his lips. "I never imagined… he'd be this monstrous… We aren't even on the same level." His eyes, though dim with exhaustion, still shone with admiration. "But to face such a strong opponent… I have no regrets."
With effort, he glanced at Zi Yan. "Between you and him… who's stronger?"
Zi Yan chuckled softly, her gaze fixed on Goku's tall silhouette on the stage. Her eyes sparkled with reverence. "I'm already at the peak of Dou King. And it's all thanks to Goku. What do you think?"
Liu Qing's eyes widened, disbelief etched into his face. For a long moment, he lay silent before finally sighing in defeat. "…Truly a monster." With that, his head lolled to the side, and he fainted.
Medical staff rushed in, quickly pulling Liu Qing from the rubble and carrying him away.
The crowd's focus, however, was not on Liu Qing's sorry state, but on Goku. Even Zi Yan—the famed prodigy known as the little demoness—looked at him with worship in her eyes. That spoke louder than anything.
The Heavenly Ranking, the supposed pride of the Inner Academy, had been shattered. The myth that no freshman could rival its members had been broken—crushed beneath Goku's overwhelming power.
"Who else?!"
Goku's voice thundered across the arena, arrogant and domineering. His gaze swept across the crowd like a blade. For a moment, he looked like he had stepped straight out of a martial arts movie—half mocking, half terrifying.
The effect was immediate. Students flinched, averting their eyes. Even Lin Xiuya, ranked second on the Heavenly Ranking, quickly ducked behind others, afraid Goku might single him out. None of them wanted to face that kind of power head-on.
The sight only fueled the admiration in the hearts of countless young girls. To them, Goku's heroic figure was dazzling, the very image of unmatched strength. A man like this—peerless, confident, and overwhelming—was irresistible.
"That guy… showing off again," Saya muttered, pouting in mock annoyance.
"He's already that strong, and yet he still acts like such a tease," Yuriko said with a small laugh.
"That's exactly why he feels approachable,"
Saeko replied, her eyes shining as she gazed at Goku's figure. "If he always placed himself above everyone else, like a god on high, then who could ever draw near to him? That kind of life would be nothing but lonely."
The other women nodded softly, smiles warming their faces as they looked at the man standing tall on the stage.
At that moment, Goku's lips curled into a faint smile. Beneath his calm exterior, a wave of terrifying aura surged forth, making hearts tremble. His voice rang out, domineering and absolute:
"Since no one dares step forward, then I'll declare something here and now." He pointed straight toward the group of women. "They—all of them—are my women. Whoever dares harass them… I'll show you exactly how much a human can bleed!"
His words were like thunderclaps, shocking the crowd into an uproar.
The women he pointed to flushed crimson, lowering their heads shyly. Meanwhile, the male students erupted.
"What the hell! Seriously? That many girls—how can one man handle them all?!"
"This is a real harem, no question about it!"
"Brother, you can't just hog everything for yourself…"
"Boss! Teach me your ways! I'll shine your shoes if I have to!"
Goku ignored the jealous cries, stepping off the stage with casual grace. With the women by his side, he left under a storm of envious, resentful, and admiring stares.
That day, the Inner Academy was anything but peaceful.
---
Back at his residence, Goku had just taken a sip of tea when several elders were ushered into the guest hall. He sat down in a chair, while Qing Lin obediently stood behind him, gently kneading his shoulders.
"What do you old men want from me?" Goku asked casually, sipping his tea.
The elders felt a wave of pressure—not from Goku's aura, but from the room itself. Being surrounded by so many stunning beauties made it difficult for them to speak properly.
Finally, Elder Su Qian gathered his thoughts, his tone respectful. "About the matter you mentioned… you said you could resolve the hidden danger within Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. We've already shut the tower down temporarily. If you can remove the crisis without destroying its function, then even if you take the Fallen Heart Flame for yourself, we will not object."
The Fallen Heart Flame had always been the greatest threat to the Inner Academy, like a time bomb waiting to go off. No wonder the elders were so anxious to seek his help.
They didn't know how the tower would function without the Fallen Heart Flame, but at this point, they had no choice but to gamble. Against someone like Goku, they had no power to refuse.
"Oh, that's all? Then let's go," Goku said simply, rising to his feet. He was never one to waste words. The sooner he secured the Fallen Heart Flame, the sooner Xun'er could begin refining it. He was eager—he wanted to see what unimaginable changes would come when she eventually devoured all the Heavenly Flames in existence.
---
The Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, normally bustling with disciples coming and going, was unusually quiet that day. The entire area had been sealed off. Only Goku, along with several powerful Inner Academy protectors and elders, remained.
From the outside, everything appeared calm, but among the students, whispers spread like wildfire. They could sense it—something unusual was happening inside the tower.
____
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