Chapter 153: Breakthrough

Listening to the discussions around them, everyone gained some understanding. The two sides were evenly matched, and after a fierce battle, the captain of the Holy Light Academy’s senior team single-handedly turned the tide, securing the final victory in the singles match. He defeated the opponent’s top fighter and left him seriously injured, preventing him from competing in the team match. In the team match, he fought one against two, defeating the two opponents and laying a solid foundation for his team’s win.
The strength he displayed was truly astonishing—he had already reached the level of a Martial Emperor, just one step away from being a Martial Saint. At such a young age, such achievements were indeed enough to make him stand out among the best in the world.
“Let’s go back and find Kiro!” Looking at the people around him, Rod breathed a sigh of relief after learning the outcome. Kiro and the others had just lost, and it was time for them to come out. Rod’s group needed to go and comfort them, as no one would be in a good mood after such an experience.
Soon, led by Rod, the group arrived at the second arena. The students from the Holy Light Academy who were still there looked grim, and the atmosphere was extremely oppressive. In front, the barrier built around the arena had been removed, and several figures were emerging from inside.
They were students from the Divine Martial Academy. After those people left, Kiro and the others finally appeared. All ten of them had their heads lowered; clearly, they were in a very bad mood. The outcome of the match not only shattered their hopes but also imposed a heavy burden on them.
Taking a deep breath, Rod stepped forward and looked at the group in front of him. He opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say. Sometimes, silence speaks louder than words.
“We lost!” After a moment, Kiro took a deep breath, looked straight at Rod, and said in a low voice. His voice was a bit hoarse, showing just how depressed he was.
“Come on, let’s walk together,” Kiro said, glancing at his teammates and nodding. He asked Rod for permission.
“Sure,” Rod replied without hesitation. He then turned to Wiski and the others, giving them a look to tell them to comfort the rest of the group before following Kiro. The two of them walked outside the training ground.

Walking along the path to the academy, they soon reached the woods. The setting sun cast its light in, creating a rosy glow that conveyed a sense of timelessness. Neither of them spoke; they simply walked side by side.
“You…” Perhaps unable to bear the oppressive silence, Rod finally spoke after walking for a while. Then he hesitated again, opening his mouth before closing it in uncertainty.
“I’m fine. I lost badly!” Turning with a faint bitter smile, Kiro said in a low voice.
“I didn’t expect to lose so badly. You must have won the competition in the advanced group. That’s good—at least it won’t cost us the overall situation!” With a sigh, he continued, “Just do your best. You’ve already done your best, right? Don’t overthink things. If everything went too smoothly, it would mean nothing. If that were the case, the world would be truly peaceful, and we wouldn’t experience so many ups and downs. You performed well. At least, if I were in your position facing such opponents, I’d definitely be worse than you!”
Looking up at the sky obscured by the trees and feeling the scattered rays of the sunset, Rod said softly, “Yes. What if it were me? I haven’t thought about it, nor do I know what the outcome would be.”
“No! You’re definitely better than me. I know that, and I believe it! Do you remember what happened with the Earth Bear? Your performance back then proved everything—you’re stronger than me, with a brighter future. Seize this opportunity. This heavy responsibility now lies with you—you must win!” But before Rod could finish speaking, Kiro quickly dismissed his self-doubt. He then said, “I’ve noticed your unusual behavior these past few days. The Wind God Academy is indeed strong; the junior-level competitions have always been theirs. I don’t know what’s going on that makes you feel afraid of them. I only hope you can overcome this feeling. You don’t realize how great a threat such an inner demon can be to a martial artist, how much trouble it can cause. If you can’t overcome it, you might not be able to progress further in your career. I don’t want you to fail here! The enemy may be strong, just as you said. Just work hard. Have integrity—be proud to the heavens and humble to the earth. That’s enough. Even if you lose, it’s honorable! I’m entrusting this heavy responsibility to you—you must not disappoint me!”

He was slightly stunned, staring intently at Kiro’s serious expression, feeling a bit ashamed. Indeed, earlier that morning he had indeed been like that—fearing, trembling with fear! Before, he had already gotten rid of such an attitude, and now Kiro’s words only served to reinforce it, helping him see things more clearly and gain greater awareness. In an instant, that confident determination to be the best returned to him. In that instant, he saw the entire world; in that instant, that dark world vanished without a trace. His heart fluttered slightly, as if he could fly, with an invisible force breaking through a barrier. Sensing this, Rod’s expression changed drastically—both surprised and delighted. He had suddenly understood everything, had broken free from the constraints that had held him back as a Golden Warrior, allowing him to make a spiritual breakthrough. With just a little more effort, he could fully join the ranks of Golden Warriors. Realizing this, he eagerly turned to Kiro and said, “I… I feel it. I have to go now. Sorry! I’m leaving!” After saying that in haste, Rod rushed toward the dormitory. “No way!” Seeing Rod’s state and, thanks to his mage’s keen intuition, sensing the disturbance in the elements around him moments ago, how could he not understand what had happened? His face was filled with shock as he watched Rod leave in a hurry, his expression grave. He had broken through—at this very moment! What did that mean? Half a year ago he was a beginner warrior; when they parted, he was already an advanced warrior. Now, upon meeting again, he had become a Silver Warrior. Such rapid advancement in just one year was astonishing. Such a three-step leap in rank was unprecedented and could only be described as a feat of genius. And now, in just one month, he was about to break through again. If successful, he would become a Golden Warrior! A person who could already rival Golden Warriors at the Silver Warrior level becoming one? It was unimaginable! In just one year, jumping straight to the rank of Golden Warrior, completing six levels of advancement—this was beyond what anyone could achieve, beyond description. Calling him a monster was no exaggeration.

Instead, a hint of envy and jealousy appeared. In just one year, Rod had accomplished what many people could never achieve in their entire lives, done what most people managed only over half a lifetime, and completed what even him and Viski, two so-called geniuses, had taken over a decade to finish. It was hard not to feel jealous at such progress.

Yet, beneath the envy and jealousy, there was also a hint of excitement and anticipation! Becoming a Golden Warrior would give him more advantages in the next match, greatly increasing his chances of winning.

“Rod, don’t disappoint me. It all depends on you this time!” Glancing at the empty forest and the direction in which Rod had disappeared, Kiro muttered to himself before turning and heading outside. In that moment, the heavy mood from his previous defeat vanished completely.

……

On Rod’s end, driven by that impulse, he quickly left the forest and rushed back to the dormitory. The urge to break through was now unstoppable. Without hesitation, he closed the door and immediately began practicing.

Sitting cross-legged, he channeled his energy, starting to absorb and release it from the center of his body. Fire elements from the surroundings responded to his call and swarmed in, concentrating densely throughout the room. The intense presence raised the temperature instantly.

Soon, he sensed the barrier ahead—the bottleneck he had reached. Recalling that feeling, he pushed forward with all his might.

Pain instantly spread throughout his body. He gritted his teeth, frowned tightly, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Unnoticed, his back was already drenched in sweat. His face turned a deep red, tinged with flames.

After several careful attempts, he gathered all his combat energy and, relying on that impulse and inspiration, compressed and concentrated it into a small point. Then, he charged forward with all his strength!

With a loud explosion, the barrier shattered. Combat energy surged in, and the previously calm elements became utterly chaotic. A strong wind blew through the room as the elements moved, creating a howling sound.

His body acted like a container, enduring the impact of those elements. As they rushed into his body, washing through every pore and expanding each meridian, Rod struggled hard to control and overcome the pain, trying to keep his combat energy in check to avoid going mad.

And it was at this very moment that the intense elemental activity here attracted the attention of several people in the academy. Unconsciously, they all turned their gazes this way. After analyzing the situation and determining their location, the deans of the Holy Light Academy all showed shocked and incredulous expressions, but soon followed by a hint of joy and excitement.