"Sun Wenyuan? It's you?"
Wei Yi's gaze instantly turned frosty as he looked upon the trio before him.
He had long suspected someone was manipulating Lu Dawu from behind the scenes—he just hadn't expected it to be Sun Wenyuan.
In truth, his real grudge wasn't with Sun Wenyuan, but with his elder brother, Sun Wenzong. The two had once vied for the affections of Zhao Xueqian, and Wei Yi had ultimately prevailed. Given the long-standing enmity between the Wei and Sun families, it was only natural that their rivalry became irreconcilable.
As Wenzong's younger brother, Sun Wenyuan was inevitably drawn into the feud. Sharing the same academic year with Wei Yi, he took every opportunity to humiliate him after the discovery of Wei Yi's crippled meridians. The harassment became so relentless that Wei Yi eventually stopped attending class altogether. And now, it seemed, Sun Wenyuan had come to extend his torment to the dormitory.
"Sun Wenyuan… persistent as a specter," Wei Yi said icily.
Though these grudges were carried by the former Wei Yi, the fusion of memories made them feel as personal as if they were his own.
"With less than half a month before your expulsion, I figured I'd seize the chance to 'cherish' our bond while I still can," Sun Wenyuan sneered, swaggering forward with his two lackeys.
"Let's see… what will your future look like once you're cast out?"
"No place at the academy, no standing in the Wei family. A cripple like you—most likely you'll choose to end it all, or wither away alone in some desolate corner of the world. Pathetic… truly pathetic. I wonder, what path will you choose?"
"But we were classmates once, after all. If you find yourself utterly destitute, come find me. I've got a spot open for a servant boy. How's that for generosity?" He burst into arrogant laughter.
The two henchmen behind him joined in, chortling without restraint.
Wei Yi merely stood there, cold amusement on his lips, disdain shining openly in his eyes.
Seeing that expression, Sun Wenyuan's smile faltered, his face darkening. His jabs hadn't landed—he felt that acutely.
"Do you know why I'm here today, Wei Yi?"
"I'm here to make your life hell. Unless you want to be beaten senseless, get on your knees now and beg for forgiveness. If I'm in a good mood, I might spare you. Otherwise…"
"I'll be paying you a visit every single day."
His voice was low and threatening, eyes filled with venom.
"Kneel to you?" Wei Yi's voice was a low scoff. "Soon, you'll see who's kneeling."
As he spoke, Wei Yi retrieved the Martial Skill Experience Pill he had drawn from the novice pack and swallowed it without hesitation.
Ding! Player Wei Yi has consumed a Skill Experience Pill. Martial Skill EXP +10,000.
Ding! Player Wei Yi's "Iron Ape Fist" has advanced to Level 2.
Ding! … advanced to Level 3.
Ding! … advanced to Level 4.
…
Ding! "Iron Ape Fist" has advanced to Level 10.
Wei Yi hadn't originally planned to invest the pill into the Iron Ape Fist—it was a mere low-grade common technique. But with bullies knocking at his door, surrender was never an option.
One pill for instant mastery? A trade well worth it.
Level 10—perfection. The Great Accomplishment realm.
As the mastery and muscle memory surged into his mind, Wei Yi's understanding of the Iron Ape Fist reached a terrifying clarity.
"Get him!" Sun Wenyuan snarled, oblivious to the transformation taking place before him. His fury boiling over, he barked orders at his two lackeys.
The two exchanged a wicked glance and charged at Wei Yi with smug, careless grins.
A cripple? This would be over in seconds.
"Courting death," Wei Yi muttered, stepping forward with calm precision. Though he was only a second-tier martial disciple, the full mastery of his technique had transformed him. These two thugs were nothing to fear.
He sidestepped the first attacker's lunge with ease and drove a fist into his temple. The man dropped like a stone.
The second hesitated—fear flashing in his eyes—but it was already too late. Wei Yi dashed forward, punched him square in the chest, and sent him sprawling with a wretched cry.
One strike each.
They never stood a chance.
"Impossible…"
"Darkwind Palm! Get on your knees!"
With a roar, Sun Wenyuan leapt into the fray. His strength was clearly superior to the others—his internal energy surged as he activated his signature technique.
Wind howled around him, the air thick with menace.
But Wei Yi didn't flinch. "Perfect," he shouted, launching himself forward with a thunderous punch.
Fist met palm.
One, a so-called cripple.
The other, a true fifth-tier martial disciple.
Yet what happened next shocked them all.
Wei Yi remained rooted in place.
Sun Wenyuan, however, was sent hurtling backward like a ragdoll, crashing into a wooden frame with a splintering crack. The structure shattered, and he collapsed in a daze, unable to rise.
Such was the might of a max-level martial art.
Hiss… The gathered students gasped as one.
Ding! Player Wei Yi has defeated True Martial Academy student Zhang Wenwu. EXP +23.
Ding! Player Wei Yi has defeated True Martial Academy student Li Siwei. EXP +24.
Ding! Player Wei Yi has defeated True Martial Academy student Sun Wenyuan. EXP +35.
The system alerts rang triumphantly in Wei Yi's mind.
"Bunch of featherweights," he said with a smirk, dusting off his hands.
The words made Sun Wenyuan, still struggling to get up, cough up blood in fury before collapsing again.
"Wei Yi, don't get cocky! Whatever strange pill you just took, it doesn't change the fact that you're a cripple!"
"My brother will never let you off!"
Wei Yi didn't bother with a reply—just sent a savage kick flying straight into a rather sensitive region. Sun Wenyuan let out a strangled gasp and crumpled, too dazed to even speak.
"Tell your dear brother," Wei Yi said, voice like steel, "every humiliation he's inflicted on me this past year—I'll return it tenfold."
"He'd best prepare himself."
With that, Wei Yi turned and walked away, brushing his hands clean of the matter.