Two figures were locked in combat ahead.

A second-order Monster Beast, the Gale Leopard, and another figure about five feet tall, muscles bulging, turned out to be a demon who had reached the ninth layer of the Gathering Core Realm.

"Lucky me!"

Without a second thought, Ye Han charged straight into the fray.

In this world, there were not only humans and Monster Beasts but also a race of underground demons, also considered a "Great Clan."

Legend has it that these were the result of a failed bloodline fusion between Monster Beasts and humans in ancient times, resulting in a mutated race that lurked in the dark corners of the Shenwu Continent, inheriting the Monster Beasts' nature, feeding on blood, and being extremely ferocious, with humans as their prey.

Boom!

A domineering fist struck first, landing squarely on the waist of the Gale Leopard.

Roar...!

The second-order Gale Leopard was blasted several meters away, howling in pain, its body convulsing.

In the blink of an eye, another punch was thrown, and the demon, hit by the blow, burst backward in a rage, inexplicably furious.

"Human? Die, die, die!"

The demon's eyes were fierce, bloodlust shining through, wildly violent as it slapped a palm towards Ye Han's face.

Underground demons, accustomed to walking the edge of bloodshed and slaughter, believed in the supremacy of fists, often possessing strong bodies and immense strength, capable of fighting Monster Beasts head-on.

Although this demon had just entered the ninth layer of the Gathering Core Realm, it was almost on par with Ye Yangfu, who had been in the ninth layer for over a decade. Its palm could have exploded Ye Han's body just two days ago.

But now, Ye Han met the attack head-on, fists colliding, and in a single exchange, the demon screamed in agony.

"Kill!"

Filled with a fighting spirit, Ye Han uttered a killing sound, continuing his assault following the Tiger and Leopard Thunder Fist technique in his mind, treating the demon as a sparring partner.

His fists thundered, energy overflowing, and in dozens of breaths, the two figures collided over a hundred times.

With a crack, the demon's arm bone split, trembling uncontrollably, unable to lift.

"Impossible, you're just a human at the eighth layer of the Gathering Core Realm, how can your strength be so exaggerated?" The demon panicked, looking at Ye Han with fear before turning to flee.

Ye Han's strength was even more "demonic" than the demon's. His punches were too much for ordinary beings of the Gathering Core Realm to bear. The key was that his body, tempered by Dragon Qi, was extremely resilient, and coupled with Ye Han's vigorous energy, he could sustain relentless bursts of power.

"Die."

Ye Han moved, rushing forward in an instant, landing a punch on the demon's back.

The force pierced through the body, the demon's heart burst, and it fell to the ground, lifeless.

Such a creature deserved to die!

Ye Han looked on coldly, never forgetting the scene he witnessed from the shadows months ago, where several demons devoured two Flame Academy disciples alive.

Turning around, the Gale Leopard had breathed its last, also dead.

Ye Han took out his tools, his hands skilled as he quickly extracted the beast core. This beast core was valuable, exchangeable for different elixirs and spiritual liquids back at the Flame Academy. If Ye Han reached the Divine Power Realm, he could also refine the beast core himself.

"It seems I'll have no problem mastering the Tiger and Leopard Thunder Fist in ten days!"

"Although I just took advantage of the fight between the Gale Leopard and the demon, now it seems I have the foundation to kill a peak second-order Monster Beast and an ordinary demon of the Gathering Core Realm." Ye Han reflected on the battle, drawing lessons from it.

Wandering in the depths of the Cold Abyss Mining Area, Ye Han continuously engaged in combat, his experience and power usage becoming more and more proficient.

This kind of gain was unprecedented; in the past, he would hide in the shadows and seek various fortunes in the Cold Abyss Mining Area, rather than engaging in constant battle as he did this time.

The harvest was greater than expected. On just the sixth day, Ye Han had already mastered the first punch of the Tiger and Leopard Thunder Fist.

On the morning of the ninth day, a pleasant surprise occurred.

After killing another demon, Ye Han's energy surged uncontrollably within him, compressing inch by inch, beginning a qualitative change.

This change lasted for hundreds of breaths, and his internal energy suddenly became tumultuous, coursing through his limbs and bones, invisibly solidifying his Root Bone and flesh, making his strength even more domineering and compact.

Ye Han felt an enhancement in the essence of life, his vitality state more than ten times more vigorous.

Ninth layer!

The ninth layer of the Gathering Core Realm!

He had finally broken through.

Ye Han knew he had finally reached the ninth layer of the Gathering Core Realm, hardly daring to believe that in less than half a month, he had gone from being completely crippled to reaching the peak of the Gathering Core Realm... the ninth layer.

Many in Flame City couldn't achieve this in ten or twenty years.

Ye Han had heard that the geniuses of the great forces had extraordinary realms, breaking through as easily as eating and drinking. He had found it hard to imagine, but now he had experienced this feeling.

Nothing was impossible. Although the Gathering Core Realm was just the early stage of cultivation, it was normal for the speed of improvement to be astonishing when fortune arrived. This further solidified Ye Han's resolve to go to the Cycle Academy as soon as possible.

Staying in Flame City offered no future. In Flame City, someone at the ninth layer of the Gathering Core Realm was considered a "great master." The heads of the major families in the city were only at this realm.

It was time to return. The emissary from the Cycle Academy would surely arrive soon...

Ye Han organized the gains of these days, seventy-three second-order Monster Beast cores in total, and left the Cold Abyss Mining Area.

Flame Academy!

Upon his return, Ye Han immediately sensed that something was amiss.

Many of the disciples he knew looked at him with complex expressions, their eyes filled with pity and regret.

"Zhu Yiwei, what happened at the Academy? Why does everyone seem so strange?" Ye Han stopped a disciple.

The disciple approached, looking at Ye Han somewhat apprehensively: "You don't know? The requirements for this year's Cycle Academy recruitment have changed."

"How have they changed?" Ye Han asked curiously.

"The emissary from the Cycle Academy arrived yesterday, saying that there are strict requirements this time. To enter the Cycle Academy this year, one must reach the Divine Power Realm."

"What? Doesn't that mean no one is qualified?" Ye Han's face changed.

How could this be such a coincidence?

For decades, hadn't it always been about being the strongest, under thirty years old?

Before Ye Han went to the Cold Abyss Mining Area, he had a good chance. Today, having made another breakthrough, he was full of confidence, but now?

"Go and see for yourself; I'm not clear on the details." Zhu Yiwei hurriedly said.

He was a disciple of the Zhu Family, who had harbored grievances against Ye Han in the past. Now, he dared not show it, but he couldn't help feeling schadenfreude.

The Academy had been abuzz these days with the possibility of the biggest dark horse in decades, Ye Han. The veteran Inner Disciples were wary of Ye Han after hearing about Ye Yangfu's fate.

With Zhu Yiwei's words echoing in his ears, Ye Han's mood sank, and he headed straight for the depths of the Academy...