Gamble is right

"What did you say?"

Ning Fengzhi instinctively asked, feeling as if he had misheard something.

"Reporting to the Sect Master, the Acting Sect Master of the Body Sect, he…"

At this point, beads of sweat as large as soybeans dripped from the forehead of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's scout.

Just the thought of the scene made him shiver in fear.

"He didn't release his martial spirit, but barehandedly killed two Soul Sage-level powerhouses!"

The scout didn't go into detail about how it happened, as the process was too brutal to describe. Even though it had been two hours since the event, he still felt shaken to the core.

Too brutal, truly too brutal!

Not releasing his martial spirit meant not using any soul skills.

Barehandedly killing two Soul Sages?

For Chen Xin and Gu Rong, this wouldn't be difficult, especially for Gu Rong.

Gu Rong was just about to say he could do it easily when something suddenly dawned on him, causing his eyes to widen.

He could manage it because he was a level 95 powerhouse.

But for Du Bafang to accomplish this, it was quite exaggerated!

It must be noted that Du Bafang himself was merely a "Soul Sage."

Everyone present was no fool. After snapping out of their shock, their expressions became rather peculiar.

If it had been Zhongli who acted, they would've found it unsurprising. But the one who acted was Du Bafang!

What the heck was going on with this Du Bafang?

Could it be that the Body Martial Spirit's second awakening is this powerful?

But no, he didn't release his martial spirit, so the second awakening of the Body Martial Spirit wouldn't have come into play.

"Ah…"

Unable to figure it out, they simply stopped thinking about it.

Ning Fengzhi could only sigh and say, "The strength of the Body Sect shows that our gamble was the right one."

With this new perspective, Ning Fengzhi and the others felt a lot more at ease.

Initially, they wanted to recruit Zhongli, but they never expected that plans would never keep up with changes.

Zhongli became the Sect Master, and it wasn't even by his own ambition but because he was elevated to the position by the Body Martial Spirit users.

Now, there was no point in dwelling on it; all they could do was adjust their strategy and tie their interests to those of the Body Sect.

The deaths of two Soul Sages were considered a major event, even in a time of peace.

What's more, they were killed barehanded, which led many to speculate just how powerful the Acting Sect Master of the Body Sect had become.

And how did he become so strong?

In just a little over two months, he had gone from being one of the weakest Soul Sages to a figure of such strength. Surely, there were some issues here, right?

Time flew by, and before anyone realized it, a year had passed.

There were only six months left before the preliminary rounds of the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.

As for the deaths of the two spies, although the Star Luo Imperial Family was furious, they didn't come forward to admit that the spies were theirs.

And so, the matter was left unresolved.

Over the past year, Zhongli would occasionally visit the Body Sect to guide its disciples in their cultivation, but he never stayed for long.

The members of the Body Sect, after undergoing more than a year of intense training, had undergone a shocking transformation.

Their overall strength had improved by several levels!

In terms of the second awakening of the Body Martial Spirit, more than thirty members had completed it.

Of course, most had undergone a Bronze-level second awakening. Only two had reached the Silver level.

This doesn't include Du Bafang.

The abundant cultivation resources were the foundation, but the real reason for their drastic improvement in such a short time was themselves!

Faith—pure belief. Zhongli hadn't absorbed any of it for himself.

He took it from the people and returned it to them.

This was one of the reasons why, despite the varying levels of innate soul power among the Body Martial Spirit users, their rate of improvement wasn't all that different.

Whenever Zhongli occasionally returned to the Body Sect to guide their cultivation, a sliver of that faith returned to them.

It's important to note that what people call "wishes" is also referred to as "wish power," and faith is a form of this power.

If they were placed in Teyvat, they would likely gain the attention of the gods.

At this moment, within the Body Sect.

Du Bafang stood with his arms crossed, surveying the six young disciples before him.

They were the most outstanding geniuses of the younger generation and represented the future of the Body Sect.

"Du Siji!"

"Yes, Sect Master! I'm here!"

Du Siji was Du Bafang's grandson, inheriting the family's martial spirit.

He stepped forward, his voice strong and resolute.

Du Siji's accomplishments weren't due to any "special" treatment.

To avoid suspicion, Du Siji had been given the same cultivation resources as the other geniuses.

It was only through his own hard work and natural talent that he achieved his current success.

Even without Zhongli, the Body Sect would have become stronger through this lineage.

"From today on, you will lead them to Heaven Dou Royal Academy to systematically study soul master knowledge and competition rules."

"Of course, you must not slack off in your cultivation. Can you do it?"

"Yes!"

Du Siji didn't hesitate, his face full of determination.

They had to succeed and not let down the Sect Master and the sect.

"Yes!"

The other five echoed in unison.

"When you reach the academy, follow the orders of the Holy Maiden in everything. Understood?"

"Understood!"

The Holy Maiden of the Body Sect was none other than Xiao Feilian!

Upon hearing that Zhongli had become the Sect Master, she didn't hesitate and joined the Body Sect immediately.

Her martial spirit was also a Body Martial Spirit, but it was a mutated Beast Martial Spirit, somewhat different from the others.

However, this didn't stop her from becoming the Holy Maiden!

Among the younger generation, no one could surpass her!

"You may go…"

"Yes!"

As Du Bafang watched the backs of Du Siji and the others, he stood still for a long time, feeling a sense of pride before finally turning to leave.

Although his grandson wasn't a prodigy with innate level-nine soul power, he did have innate level-eight.

Moreover, with Du Bafang's guidance since childhood, Du Siji's starting point was higher than that of other sect disciples.

Even with equal resources, Du Siji hadn't disappointed him. He never complained about receiving the same cultivation resources as everyone else, despite having his grandfather as the acting Sect Master.

As the six descended the mountain with overwhelming momentum, the hidden spies watching them couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

These were all young people under the age of twenty-five.

The bloodthirsty aura they exuded—wasn't it a bit too terrifying?

Suddenly, the person to Du Siji's left stopped. This unexpected action caused the group to instinctively halt.

"Someone's watching us."

The one who spoke was the person who first stopped. He wasn't as tall as the others, but he was the core of this small group.

His martial spirit was his brain!

The brain was one of the most important and terrifying Body Martial Spirits.

Eye Martial Spirits were considered important because they connected to the brain, giving them significance.

But the uniqueness of a Brain Martial Spirit far surpassed that of an Eye Martial Spirit.

"No hostility."

"Let's move on. It's probably those factions."

Upon hearing there was no hostility, Du Siji spoke bluntly.

Those factions?

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, the Spirit Hall, the Heaven Dou Royal Family.

"Hmm."

As the group continued on their way, the spies swallowed nervously. This young man had some real skills!

Even they, with their strength, had been detected by someone not even twenty-five years old!