Chapter 298: Cao Youqian – What I Lost Was an Invincible Fist

Desolate Ancient City, Royal Court.

Within the Hall of Primordial Chaos, Ye Beixuan slowly opened his eyes and murmured, "At last, I’ve finished refining this Imitation Primordial Mirror."

With the experience from his previous life, and aided by cultivating the Primordial Creation Art, a process that would normally take a year to refine the Primordial Mirror was now completed in just three months.

After this brief remark, he continued his cultivation. Within the mirror was Primordial Purple Qi that could assist him in breaking through to the next realm.

Moreover, he vaguely sensed that, in this lifetime, he might be able to unravel the secrets hidden inside the Imitation Primordial Mirror.

Ye Beixuan continuously absorbed the Primordial Purple Qi from the mirror to aid in his breakthrough.

Meanwhile, deep in the Nether River, Cao Youqian suddenly opened his eyes and muttered, "Finally broke through."

In just a few short months of cultivation here, he had used the yin energy within the Nether River to temper his body, raising his strength to a new level.

Just as Cao Youqian was about to throw a punch to test his enhanced power, an old voice suddenly echoed in his ear.

"Young man, did you lose something when you entered the Nether River?"

???

Cao Youqian wore an utterly baffled expression as he turned toward the source of the voice.

He saw an old man with a white beard staring at him with a pitiful, almost resentful gaze, like Cao had abandoned him after a romantic affair.

"Old man, are you alright?"

"……"

The white-bearded elder nearly exploded in fury, his very soul puffing up like a balloon, but he clenched his teeth and repeated, "Young man, did you lose some kind of treasure when you came into the Nether River?"

Could this be some kind of fateful encounter in the Nether River?

A flash of thought crossed Cao Youqian’s mind, and he replied with a smile, "Senior, I lost a pair of fists."

The old man’s eyes lit up and he pulled out two pairs of gauntlets from behind his back. "Little brother, did you lose this pair of Saint-rank Nether Gauntlets, or this pair of God-rank World-Destroying Gauntlets?"

Cao Youqian shook his head. "Neither. What I lost was a pair of Invincible Fists."

???

The white-bearded elder stroked his beard. "What kind of Invincible Fists? Care to explain to this old man?"

"To tell the truth, senior, the art I cultivate is the Extreme Divine Fist."

As Cao Youqian spoke, a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, and the mockery in his eyes became more obvious.

The old man wasn’t a fool—he immediately realized this brat was making fun of him.

"Young man, I’ll give you one more chance to rephrase that."

Cao Youqian smiled. "Senior, I came to the Nether River to cultivate my Extreme Divine Fist to perfection. I wonder if you could lend me a hand?"

The white-bearded elder was momentarily stunned. "But the Saint-rank and God-rank gauntlets in my hand could help you achieve a perfected fist intent."

Cao Youqian replied earnestly, "Senior, a true man lands fists with bare knuckles. What kind of man needs gauntlets? Where would my title of Invincible Fist go if I used those?"

Hearing such bold words, the elder couldn’t help but reevaluate the young man before him. Stroking his beard, he said,

"Young man, you are the most ungreedy person I’ve ever seen. Now I’ll give you two choices. First, leave now. After all, you’ve already gained plenty from your time in the Nether River. Second, use your own two fists to break through the Nether River and show me the style of your Invincible Fist."

Cao Youqian instinctively asked, "Senior, if I break through the Nether River, will I attain perfection in my fist intent?"

The old man smiled. "Young man, I see you’re a body refinement cultivator. If you can punch through the Nether River, not only will you perfect your fist intent, but your body refinement arts will also rise to a whole new level. But if you can’t endure it, you’ll suffer the torment of being devoured by ten thousand ghosts."

Cao Youqian paused, then asked instinctively, "Senior, if I had accepted either of those gauntlets just now, wouldn’t I have still faced the torment of ten thousand ghosts?"

"Hahahaha…"

The white-bearded elder burst into hearty laughter. "You’re not stupid after all. That’s right. Now make your choice."

Cao Youqian patted his chest. "Senior, the fact that we met here means we’re fated. Since this is a trial you've given me, then I’ll give it a shot. Who knows? I might gain something unexpected."

"You’re a sharp one, kid."

The old man gave him a thumbs up. "Young man, the trial within the Nether River will bring you unimaginable rewards. Go on."

"I ask Senior to begin the trial."

Cao Youqian clasped his fists respectfully.

With a wave of the elder’s hand, a powerful vortex instantly swept Cao Youqian into its depths.

When the vortex vanished, countless vengeful spirits emerged in the Nether River.

The moment they saw Cao Youqian, they surged toward him like a school of sardines.

Cao Youqian showed no panic. He raised his hand and launched a punch.

After a few heavy strikes—

A voice rang beside his ear. "Young man, don’t just stand there. These spirits in the Nether River are endless. Only by reaching the end can you complete the trial."

"Thank you for the guidance, Senior."

While speaking, Cao Youqian punched open a path and advanced with cold, unflinching steps.

Time flowed on, day after day.

Cao Youqian never stopped moving. He realized that with every spirit he destroyed, his spiritual power would be replenished. Amid this continuous battle, his cultivation was steadily rising.

This place was simply a paradise for his training!

The more he fought, the more exhilarated he became—even the white-bearded elder watching from the side was dumbfounded.

He couldn’t help but mutter, "This young man is a monster. In all the countless years I’ve watched over the Nether River, I’ve never seen a freak like this—not even the prince of the past could compare. I wonder how far this one can go?"

As Cao Youqian pushed deeper into the Nether River, the spirits surrounding him grew increasingly powerful. Yet the strength of his opponents didn’t frighten him—it only made him more excited.

Was that a spirit at the Dao Integration stage?

After obliterating one such entity, Cao Youqian murmured to himself. He had completely lost track of how long he’d been in the Nether River.

Nor did he know how far along he’d come. All he knew was that his mastery of fist techniques had once again climbed to a new height—he was now just half a step away from fully achieving Extreme Fist Intent.

This Nether River truly was a marvelous place.

In the instant his mind wandered, several dozen spirits pounced on him, engulfing him completely.

Boom!

With a thunderous roar, all the spirits were blasted away.

Cao Youqian’s clothing was in tatters, with holes all over. Beneath each tear were bite marks—though none had drawn blood.

The spirits that hadn’t caught up earlier weren’t the least bit deterred by this. On the contrary, they launched themselves at him once again...

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