I Am Invincible spoke with a casual, almost indifferent air, but to the cultivators present, each word struck like a thunderclap.
They stared dumbfounded at the man confronting Shen Yurou from a distance, their minds a chaotic mess.
To cultivate all the way to the Spirit Transformation realm, only to voluntarily disperse one’s cultivation and start over, just like that?
Was breaking through in cultivation as easy as eating or drinking for him?
I Am Invincible paid no mind to the astonishment of the onlookers. Instead, he fixed a challenging gaze on Shen Yurou and asked, “What? You don’t actually think that just because I’m at the Foundation Establishment realm now, I can’t beat you, do you?”
These words caused another wave of uproar.
The gap between Foundation Establishment and Nascent Soul was like the distance between heaven and earth.
For a Nascent Soul Eminence, crushing an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator was truly no different from squashing an ant.
Yet, from the meaning of I Am Invincible’s words, even at the Foundation Establishment realm, he could defeat a Nascent Soul cultivator?
How was that possible?
What shocked the crowd even more was that Shen Yurou—with his long, flowing hair and delicate, almost feminine features—did not fly into a rage at this provocation.
He merely shot I Am Invincible a wary glance, snorted coldly, and offered no rebuttal.
This was tantamount to directly admitting the truth of I Am Invincible’s claim!
This Nascent Soul cultivator, Shen Yurou, might genuinely not be a match for the Foundation Establishment cultivator, I Am Invincible!
The way the assembled cultivators looked at the golden-armored man shifted once more.
At that moment, Shen Yurou, whose pride had been wounded, suddenly gave a charming smile, his words laced with barbs.
“Anyone in Jiushan Province with halfway decent sources knows you’re the precious darling of the illustrious Immortal Venerable Fei Xue. Forget the Foundation Establishment realm; even if you were at the Qi Refinement realm and just stood there letting me strike you, I wouldn’t dare lift a finger!
“If I so much as scratched you, and that one came knocking, our Spiritual Origin Sect couldn’t bear the consequences!”
Upon hearing this, the observing cultivators’ appraisal of I Am Invincible changed yet again.
Expressions of sudden understanding dawned on their faces.
Shen Yurou’s words seemed to have struck a nerve. I Am Invincible’s face instantly darkened, and he glared fiercely at Shen Yurou.
Shen Yurou, however, had no intention of engaging further.
With a smile, he extended a hand, gesturing for him to proceed.
I Am Invincible gave him one last cold look. For reasons unknown, he did not press the issue further.
Instead, he turned and entered the mountain pass.
Just then, a clear, childish voice rang out from the crowd. “Wait, wait! I’m with him! Let me through!”
The crowd was startled, turning to look in the direction of the voice.
They saw a little girl of about seven or eight, dressed in red, shouting as she sprinted toward I Am Invincible.
Behind her followed a middle-aged man with bronzed skin, wearing a somewhat helpless expression.
The little girl was, of course, Su Xiaomei, and the man was Zhang Haobo.
Su Xiaomei scurried over to I Am Invincible’s side, patted his arm, and looked relieved, as if she’d just made it in time.
“Let’s go, let’s go!”
She stared up at I Am Invincible with her wide, innocent eyes, urging him on.
I Am Invincible was initially bewildered. He glanced at this little girl who had appeared out of nowhere and was about to say something.
Then his expression shifted slightly, and the words on the tip of his tongue changed in an instant. “Fine! Let’s go!”
He flashed a rather amused smile and stepped into the mountain pass.
Zhang Haobo's expression was solemn as he followed closely.
The onlookers watched them depart, speculating about the little girl's identity.
Shen Yurou's expression also shifted uncertainly, his thoughts unreadable.
The Shixi Mountain pass stretched for seven or eight li, cutting straight through the mountain. It seemed to have been carved from the very heart of the peak, with cultivators from the Spiritual Origin Sect stationed at regular intervals.
I Am Invincible didn't ask about Su Xiaomei's origins or intentions, simply pressing ahead in silence.
Zhang Haobo sent a voice transmission to Xiaomei: "Xiaomei, what are you trying to do? The one ahead is not someone to be trifled with. Why force a connection with him? Is it really just to save those two hundred spirit stones?"
Su Xiaomei's steps faltered. "What spirit stones! Am I that stingy? Stop treating me like a child, alright?
"Besides, you're a grown man. Why are you so timid?
"What 'not to be trifled with'... He's in the Foundation Establishment realm, and so am I. What’s there to fear?"
Zhang Haobo was left speechless by her retort.
Your Foundation Establishment realm and other people's Foundation Establishment realm... are they really the same?
However, the somewhat rebellious Su Xiaomei not only did not rein herself in, but instead moved closer, peppering I Am Invincible with questions.
"Is your name really I Am Invincible? Why is it so strange?"
"Is it true you were once a Spirit Transformation cultivator who dispersed your cultivation to start over?"