With the swiftness of lightning, Ziyuan pulled Li Yundong back, plunging toward the ground. The speed was so intense that Li Yundong felt the air whistle past his ears, the fierce wind stinging his cheeks until they ached.

Ziyuan rapidly yanked Li Yundong back to the balcony of his residence. The moment their feet touched down, Ziyuan couldn't help but exclaim in a sharp, agitated voice, "Are you insane?

Flying that high? Didn't I tell you flying too high invites Heavenly Tribulation?" Li Yundong’s expression remained somewhat stunned, his eyes fixed rigidly on the sky.

Seeing his demeanor, Ziyuan’s heart jolted: Did I speak too harshly just now? If I leave behind a shadow or a heart-demon in his mind, that would be disastrous; it would halt his progress!

Considering this, the tension eased from Ziyuan’s face. She softened her tone, intending to offer some gentle guidance, only to see Li Yundong suddenly leap up, laughing heartily.

Ziyuan stared, utterly perplexed. "What are you laughing at?" Li Yundong grinned.

"I can fly!" Ziyuan’s eyes widened. "You can fly?

Didn't you just witness the scene of imminent Heavenly Tribulation? How could you only focus on being happy about this?" Li Yundong turned to her, smiling.

"I saw it! But so what?

I’m still alive, aren't I!" Ziyuan paused. "This immense terror between heaven and earth—doesn't that make you feel fear?" The smile on Li Yundong’s face receded slightly.

He said calmly, "It was certainly terrifying just now, but thinking back, it only makes me want to learn the Art of Heavenly Thunder even more. If I could master such formidable power, what a thrilling sense of conquest that would be!" Ziyuan looked him up and down in shocked appraisal.

She secretly shook her head. "This person is definitely a freak of the cultivation world.

This is the first time I’ve seen a cultivator who shows no fear after facing the Heavenly Tribulation! I truly wonder if he’s pretending or just simple-minded!" Noticing Ziyuan’s expression, Li Yundong asked with a smile, "You don't believe me?" Ziyuan shook her head.

"It’s not disbelief, just incredulity. Is your courage cast from steel?" Li Yundong smiled.

"I just believe in looking at the positive side of things. The benefit just now was that I learned what the great terror between heaven and earth is, and I learned to fly.

Most importantly, I'm still alive. As long as one is alive, there are limitless possibilities, right?" Ziyuan looked at the young man before her.

Though he had only just started on the path of cultivation, the words he sometimes spoke could genuinely enlighten and make one ponder deeply. She smiled and said, "You certainly have a first-rate temperament!

However, don't be so reckless next time. Do not casually provoke the great terror between heaven and earth.

Also, since you have mastered flight, that’s enough for today. I should head back." Saying that, she flickered and prepared to fly back to Ruan Hongling's residence.

As Li Yundong watched her fly off, a sudden thought struck him, and he called out, "Hey!" Ziyuan stopped mid-air and turned back to him. Li Yundong asked with a grin, "When you get your period, what exactly does wearing a sanitary pad feel like?" Ziyuan swayed mid-air, nearly falling.

She glared at Li Yundong, a mixture of shame and annoyance washing over her. She wanted to retort: What does it feel like when you men get blue balls?

But the retort caught in her throat and simply wouldn't come out. Li Yundong, having successfully played his prank, stopped teasing her, burst into loud laughter, and entered his room.

Ziyuan was left alone in the air, glaring at Li Yundong's retreating figure with a flushed face. Luckily, it was night; if that scoundrel had seen her reaction, she would have been utterly mortified!

Ziyuan took a deep breath, composing herself before returning home. The moment she stepped onto the balcony, Ruan Hongling rushed over.

"Sister Ziyuan, what was going on just now? I felt something like a Heavenly Tribulation!

Such terrifying, divine power!" Ziyuan replied with a touch of exasperation, "Li Yundong is a newborn calf unafraid of the tiger. He flew too high, too fast, and almost triggered a Heavenly Tribulation!" Ruan Hongling's eyes instantly widened.

"Was he terrified then?" Ziyuan couldn't help but show a peculiar expression. "It seems not...

He actually seemed more inspired!" Ruan Hongling stood frozen for a long moment, unable to process it. After a while, she sighed softly and asked, "Sister Ziyuan, do you think he can survive the Heavenly Tribulation?" Ziyuan’s expression suddenly became very serious.

She considered it carefully. "I don't know.

Based on the current situation... it's unlikely!" Ruan Hongling sighed.

"If he can pass the Heavenly Tribulation, he might very well become a cultivator with great divine abilities in the future!" Ziyuan suddenly smiled and shook her head. Ruan Hongling asked, "You don't believe it?" Ziyuan shook her head again.

"No, it’s not just 'likely'; it’s definite! Moreover, if he can survive the Heavenly Tribulation, he will develop into a powerhouse rarely seen once every hundred years in the cultivation world—he might even establish his own sect!" Ruan Hongling was utterly stunned.

She thought she had rated Li Yundong highly, but Ziyuan's estimation was even grander! "Establish a sect?

Like the great masters such as Zhang Sanfeng or Wang Yangming?" Ruan Hongling asked in shock. "Can he truly stand alongside figures seen once in five hundred years?" Ziyuan gazed toward Li Yundong's residence, her eyes taking on a distant look.

She said lightly, "That fellow, humph. As long as he passes the Heavenly Tribulation and manages to live, then anything is possible!" This was the first time Li Yundong had mastered Qi-guided flight.

He practiced repeatedly throughout the night until the sky began to pale with dawn before feeling tired. He sat cross-legged in the living room to meditate briefly, then hoisted the Seven Treasures Spirit-Guiding Fan onto his back and headed to school.

As soon as he entered the school grounds, curious students approached him. "Boss, what act are you putting on for the welcome party?

What are you performing?" At first, Li Yundong could still reply with a smile, "You’ll know when the time comes." But soon, the inquiries came one after another without end. Li Yundong couldn't bear it anymore and fled, escaping into the teaching building.

Just as he entered, he saw Feng Na discussing something with a few people in the stairwell. The moment Li Yundong saw her, anger flared within him.

"Feng Na!" Feng Na heard his voice, turned, and broke into a smile. "Oh, look who it is, the big star has arrived!" Li Yundong retorted angrily, "You’ve made it impossible for me to stay in this school!" Feng Na covered her mouth, giggling.

"Being a star comes with the price of being a star. The welcome party starts in a couple of days; it will quiet down then.

Oh, right, rehearsal is this afternoon; remember to show up!" Li Yundong rolled his eyes dramatically and said ungraciously, "Not going!" Then he turned and walked away. Feng Na chased after him a couple of steps.

"Hey, you must come! You have lines!

Don’t bomb the performance when the time comes!" Li Yundong let out a short laugh. "You were the one who asked me to act.

I can't guarantee the result!" With that, he finally felt a spark of vindictive pleasure and smiled at Feng Na, "I hold grudges, you know!" Feng Na stared after Li Yundong as he left, dumbfounded, then stomped her foot in frustration. "That bastard!" Her classmates nearby were speechless.

They had little direct contact with Li Yundong; all they knew was hearsay or what they read on the forums. But seeing him now, this legendary figure who always seemed aloof and unattainable appeared so roguish!

One classmate giggled to Feng Na, "Feng Na, looks like asking him to perform might not have been such a good idea after all?" ... Before even entering his classroom, Li Yundong could hear the students inside arguing and excitedly discussing the events at the small auditorium yesterday.

Those who had participated in the voting and election vividly recounted the scene, while those who missed it beat their chests in regret. Li Yundong paused at the doorway, hesitant, wondering if he should go in.

If he entered, he was almost certain to be gawked at by the crowd, and that feeling was far from pleasant. While he was hesitating, his peripheral vision caught sight of Ding Nan approaching the classroom, her small bag slung over her shoulder.

A thought sparked in Li Yundong’s mind, and he immediately walked toward her. "Ding Nan, are you going to tell me Zhou Qin's whereabouts today?" Li Yundong asked.

Ding Nan’s gaze kept darting to Li Yundong's eyes, as if searching for any trace of insincerity. But after scrutinizing him for a long time without finding any, she gave up.

Yet, she seemed unwilling to concede, letting out a cold snort. "Everyone is avoiding her now.

Are you sure you really want to go?" Li Yundong countered, "If someone becomes successful, you flock to praise them; if they fall from grace, you cast them aside on the ground. Is that behavior any different from that of a petty person?" Ding Nan felt a surge of anger; she perceived Li Yundong as calling her petty.

"That’s human nature—seeking advantage and avoiding harm. Do you understand?

I thought you were different, an unusual young man, that’s why I offered good counsel, and this is how you respond! Can you stop being so childish!" Li Yundong said in a low voice, "If this is maturity, then I’d rather remain childish forever!

Since she is my friend, I should especially help her when she is at her most difficult. Otherwise, what kind of friend does that make me?" Ding Nan felt deeply distressed.

On one hand, she stubbornly believed Li Yundong was putting up a brave front, but subconsciously, she yearned to be like Zhou Qin, to receive such care and concern from him. "There are many people who offer flowers in the snow—adding icing to the cake—but very few who offer charcoal in winter.

Will he be that kind of person?" Ding Nan stared blankly at Li Yundong, feeling a sharp, agonizing pain in her heart. "No, he must just be doing this to save face; he won't speak this way once he actually sees Zhou Qin!" Seeing Ding Nan silent, Li Yundong said sternly, "Ding Nan, even if your relationship with her isn't good now, for the sake of your former good times, you should go see her." Ding Nan jumped up as if her tail had been trodden on.

"My relationship with her was never good! She was just using me!" Li Yundong immediately retorted, "And weren't you using her as well?" Ding Nan felt a sharp jab in her heart.

She shouted losing her composure, "The City People’s First Hospital. If you want to go, go yourself!

I hate her, I utterly despise her!" Li Yundong had intended to try and counsel Ding Nan further, but hearing that Zhou Qin was in the hospital, he couldn't stay put a second longer. He turned and ran out of the school.

Ding Nan stood rooted to the spot, tears streaming uncontrollably from her eyes. She murmured, "Am I so insignificant that you can’t spare me another glance?

Now that you know where she is, you won't even speak another word to me?"