Invincible Beyond Heavens: Cultivating With A Broken EXP System

“What did you say?!” Zheng Tao finally snapped, taking the bait exactly as expected. His voice rose, brimming with fury.

“What did you just say to me?!” He barked again, like a hound provoked.

Li Yun tilted his head, his eyes full of feigned innocence. “Ah, Zheng Tao, why are you so riled up all of a sudden? Could it be… you’re admitting that you’re the dog here? The one that reeks?”

“You!” Zheng Tao’s finger trembled as he pointed at Li Yun, anger and disbelief mixing in his eyes. He couldn’t believe a so-called backwater brat at the second level of Body Tempering Realm dared to humiliate him so openly.

“What do you mean by ’you’?” Li Yun sneered, stepping forward half a pace. “If you aren’t the dog, why react so violently? Look around, everyone else is calm, yet you’re howling like your tail’s been stepped on.”

“Enough!” Guan Ling’s anxious voice cut in, her face stiff with embarrassment. “Li Yun, that’s going too far. I only invited Zheng Tao here for Azure Wind City’s sake, not to be dragged into this disgraceful quarrel.”

She had brought Zheng Tao all this way to help secure the Mist Spirit Pool. She had never imagined things would devolve like this.

“Enough?” Li Yun’s lips curled into a colder sneer. “Lady Guan, out of respect for Pavilion Master Guan, I’ll hold my tongue. But if you think you can parade in just any Tom, Dick, or Harry and push them forward for such an important matter, then I must say, your judgment is truly lacking.”

Those words cut like a blade. Guan Ling’s cheeks flushed crimson with shame and fury. Never in her life had anyone dared speak to her so bluntly. For once, she was left speechless.

“You dare insult me?!” Zheng Tao roared, finally regaining some composure. His teeth ground audibly as he stepped forward. “Then fight me! If I win, I’ll be the one to represent Azure Wind City at the spirit pool. And you…” his eyes gleamed with savage delight, “you’ll have to crawl on the ground and bark like the dog you call me in front of everyone!”

Li Yun’s smile widened, slow and mocking. “And tell me… since when must I accept the challenge of every dog that barks at me? Am I supposed to fight simply because you demand it?”

Zheng Tao nearly spat blood. Rage twisted his face, veins bulging in his temples. “Then what will make you accept, huh?! What terms do you want?!”

Li Yun’s eyes gleamed with amusement. He chuckled, his tone light as if discussing something mundane. “Nothing much. Just a thousand low-grade spirit stones.”

“You, !” Zheng Tao staggered as though struck, fury threatening to boil over. A thousand spirit stones? That was daylight robbery. That was his savings for half a year!

But the mockery in Li Yun’s eyes left him no way out. Gritting his teeth until his jaw ached, he pulled out a pouch and tossed it over.

Li Yun caught it effortlessly. He weighed it in his palm, then nodded solemnly as if granting face. “Since you’re so generous, I would be rude to disappoint. I’ll gladly accept these stones.” He slipped the pouch into his ring as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Zheng Tao’s chest heaved violently, his face ashen. At this moment, he truly felt he might cough up blood if he stayed another breath near Li Yun.

“Come.” Li Yun’s lips curled into an easy smile. “I’ll even let you have the first few moves.”

“Don’t regret those words!” Zheng Tao snarled, his eyes flashing with cruelty. In his mind, he had already decided, today he would cripple Li Yun. With his background as a disciple of Purple Moon Academy, a genius from a larger city, he didn’t believe City Lord Bai Xueqin or Pavilion Master Guan Long would dare punish him for it.

Drawing his sword, Zheng Tao circulated his mid-grade mortal rank cultivation technique to the seventh layer. His blade darted out like a venomous serpent, slithering in from an odd angle aimed straight at Li Yun’s throat.

’Oh? A mid-grade sword mortal rank technique at Advanced Stage mastery… not bad.’ Li Yun’s eyes gleamed faintly. With his 2nd-tier comprehension and deep sword mastery, he saw through the attack in an instant.

His foot shifted lightly. Using Phantom Gale Steps, his body blurred sideways, as if carried by the wind itself. The serpent-like blade cut nothing but air.

Before Zheng Tao could recover, Li Yun’s leg whipped out, catching him squarely in the ribs.

Bang!

Zheng Tao hit the ground hard, tumbling across the floor.

“What happened?” Li Yun tilted his head, his tone dripping with false innocence. “Why can’t your sword reach me? And… oh dear, why are you lying on the ground? Strange, I thought you were the one attacking me, yet somehow you’re the one who fell.”

“Bastard! I’ll kill you!” Zheng Tao roared, face twisted with rage. He leapt to his feet, swinging his sword in a furious storm. Dozens of strikes lashed out, each one like a snake striking from impossible angles, cutting through the wind itself.

Li Yun only sneered. His figure flickered left, right, forward, and back. His movements were so small and economical it was as though he barely shifted from his position, yet every single strike slid past him, missing by inches. To the spectators, it was as if Zheng Tao were flailing against empty air while Li Yun danced effortlessly out of reach.

“How can you move like that?!” Zheng Tao’s voice cracked with disbelief. He activated his own movement art, chasing desperately, but no matter how fast he went, he couldn’t even brush Li Yun’s robes.

They moved around the entire area like flickering wind with Zheng Tao kept attacking with his sword and Li Yun kept dodging.

It was like watching a cat in full fury failing to so much as graze the mouse, while the mouse toyed with it leisurely.

“That’s… high grade mortal rank Phantom Gale Steps,” Bai Xueqin murmured, her beautiful face breaking into a pleased smile. “And he’s cultivated it to at least the Advanced Stage.”

“This boy is truly extraordinary,” Guan Long nodded, his eyes alight. “Already capable of becoming a full fledged alchemist, yet his martial talent is no weaker. It has been decades since Azure Wind City has seen a genius of this level.”

Meanwhile, Guan Ling’s face had darkened. She had brought Zheng Tao here with the intention of having him represent the City Lord for the spirit pool. But now, seeing him humiliated so easily, unable to even touch Li Yun, regret gnawed at her heart.

Finally, Li Yun stopped moving. Calm amd poised, like a predator ending the game.

Zheng Tao skidded to a halt as well, panting heavily, his face flushed with frustration and humiliation.

“What? Done running already?” Zheng Tao sneered, his tone dripping with mockery. “Or did you finally stop fleeing like a coward and decide to fight me head-on?”

“You’re right,” Li Yun nodded calmly. “I thought I should fight you honorably, since your pathetic speed isn’t worth running from anymore.”

“Hahaha!” Zheng Tao burst into wild laughter. “Li Yun, I’ll admit your speed is faster than mine. But do you really believe you can defeat me with just your pitiful cultivation at the 2nd level of Body Tempering Realm?”

“We’ll see.” Li Yun’s smile widened, his figure blurring forward with a speed that made their earlier exchanges seem sluggish.

Slap!

A crisp, thunderous sound echoed across the courtyard. Zheng Tao’s head snapped sideways, teeth flying from his mouth as a bright red handprint bloomed across his cheek.

For a heartbeat, Zheng Tao didn’t even register what had happened. Only when a sharp, searing pain exploded across his face did realization dawn, he had been slapped.

Li Yun’s eyes narrowed slightly, cold amusement flickering within. ’Letting this fool off easily? Too merciful. No… he needs to understand. Even a “nobody” from a small city is not someone he can trample.’

Guan Ling froze, utterly stunned. Never in her imagination had she pictured the boy her father praised, Azure Wind City’s so-called prodigy, possessing such terrifying dominance.

“You…” Zheng Tao, dazed and humiliated, finally snapped back. Rage twisted his face as his internal energy surged, flames of fury erupting from him.

“You what?” Li Yun cut in smoothly. His hand lashed out again.

Slap!

This time Zheng Tao saw the strike coming. He jerked his head to dodge, but he was far too slow. The second slap cracked across his face, harder than the first.

“I—” Zheng Tao’s voice trembled with fury, his face now blazing red.

Slap!

“I what, I?” Li Yun mocked as his palm connected again, sending Zheng Tao stumbling back a step. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t avoid the blows.

After three consecutive slaps, Zheng Tao finally wised up. He clamped his mouth shut, blood dripping from the corner of his lips, his expression dark as thunder.

But even silent, his furious eyes burned holes into Li Yun.

Slap!

“Still glaring at me?” Li Yun asked coldly, his palm striking once more. Zheng Tao’s head rang, his vision swam, and for a terrifying instant he thought he might faint.

Though a 5th-level Body Tempering cultivator, his pride shattered faster than his endurance. Instinctively, he lowered his head, not daring to look at Li Yun again.

No speaking. No glaring. No resistance. Otherwise, another slap.

“Now you’re obedient.” Li Yun patted his head like a master rewarding a tamed dog. His expression carried a hint of satisfaction, as though Zheng Tao had finally learned to behave.

“Dog Tao,” Li Yun said mockingly, voice calm and cutting, “if you’re so busy, why don’t you hurry back to Hollow Mist City where you belong?”

Zheng Tao’s heart churned as if a thousand wild horses trampled it. The humiliation was unbearable. To be treated like this, slapped, mocked, and called a dog, by someone younger and weaker in cultivation… he wanted to scream, to curse, to tear Li Yun apart.

But he didn’t dare. Not a word. Not even a glance.

Without power, there was only one choice, endure.