Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

Wu Yu muttered to himself, growing angrier the more he thought about it, and suddenly punched the tree trunk beside him.

"Bang!"

The tree trunk trembled violently, leaves fell in a rustling sound, and blood seeped from his fist, yet he seemed oblivious to the pain, silently throwing another punch.

"Would you like me to practice with you?"

One hand caught his fist steadily.

Wu Yu was startled and suddenly looked up.

The boy in front of him was smiling, staring intently at him.

"What, you treat your hands like this when I'm not around?"

The voice carried a familiar teasing tone, which stunned Wu Yu.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but found that his throat seemed to be blocked by something, and he couldn't say a word.

His eyes welled up with tears, and he just stared at him blankly.

The smile on Li Yuan's face slowly faded. He loosened his grip on Wu Yu's fist and gave him a hug.

"Brother, I'm back."

Seeing the familiar figure before him, Wu Yu's lips trembled a few times before he finally managed to utter, "So you fucking know how to come back!"

Before he finished speaking, he punched Li Yuan in the chest with a loud thud. The force was clearly considerable. Li Yuan was forced back half a step by the punch, but he was not angry at all. He just smiled and looked at him.

Wu Yu's eyes were terribly red. He turned his head away, rubbed his eyes hard, and cursed, "It's windy, I'm squinting."

Li Yuan didn't expose him. He sat down next to the tree trunk and patted the ground beside him, saying, "Sit down and talk."

The two sat side by side under the tree, as if they had returned to the days when they trained together and were scolded together.

Wu Yu turned to look at Li Yuan. "Brother Li, you didn't go into seclusion at all, did you?"

"right."

Li Yuan didn't hide anything and nodded: "I went to Liangzhou and participated in the battle to defend Hulang Pass... Later I was injured and was unconscious for a while. I just woke up today."

Despite having expected it, Wu Yu was still shocked, his mouth agape. "You rascal, you actually ran off to the Northwest without a word! Tell me about it!"

"Okay."

Li Yuan picked out some things he could talk about and vividly recounted them to Wu Yu, who listened with great interest.

"You little rascal, if Shen Lian knew you were fighting alongside General Yuchi, he'd be green with envy, haha!"

Yuchi Feng is Shen Lian's idol, which is why Wu Yu said this. He laughed and patted Li Yuan on the shoulder, suddenly becoming interested.

"Come on, let's have a friendly spar."

Li Yuan raised an eyebrow: "Now?"

"Right now."

Wu Yu walked to the open space, assumed a fighting stance, and said, "Let me see what level you've reached now."

Seeing the sparkling light in his eyes, Li Yuan couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. "Come on!"

Wu Yu took a deep breath, took a step forward, and threw a punch.

In the past six months, his kung fu has not declined. Now he has reached the late stage of the Mind-Seeking Realm, and his fists are fierce, carrying an indomitable momentum.

He knew that Li Yuan was stronger than him, so he didn't hold back at all and went all out from the start.

Li Yuan did not dodge; he raised his hand and gently tapped Wu Yu.

The instant his fingertips met his fist, Wu Yu felt as if his punch had entered nothingness, the sharp force of the punch vanishing without a trace.

Not only that, a gentle force rebounded and pushed him backward, forcing him to take five or six steps back before he regained his balance.

"The Core Formation Realm?" Wu Yu's eyes widened, both surprised and delighted. "You really broke through to the Core Formation Realm!"

"Yes." Li Yuan withdrew his finger. "Back then, it was General Yuchi who protected me during the Battle of Tiger Wolf Gorge."

What he didn't say was that Li Yuan discovered he was already in the late stage of the Core Formation Realm after waking up.

It is important to know that the path of cultivation becomes slower and slower as you progress. Many cultivators are stuck in the middle three realms for their entire lives, unable to take another step forward.

"Haha, I knew you were the best! No wonder you're the top student at our Divine Martial Academy!"

Wu Yu was filled with pride, even happier than when she herself had advanced. "I'm going to write to Senior Brother Chu right away, and also to Shen Lian."

He started to walk towards the dormitory, but after a few steps, he suddenly remembered something, turned back to look at Li Yuan, and asked, "Senior Brother Chu said you joined the Demon Suppression Division a long time ago. So what are your plans next? Are you planning to return to the Northwest battlefield?"

Wu Yu was eager to get started; he couldn't wait to head to the border with Li Yuan.

Li Yuan shook his head: "I'm afraid it's not possible for now. There are people in the court who have impeached me for colluding with the demon race, and I need to undergo investigation first."

"Colluding with the demon race?" Wu Yu was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage. "What utter nonsense! You risked your life to defend the pass in Liangzhou, almost losing your life, and they dare to accuse you of colluding with the demon race?"

He grew angrier the more he thought about it. "Have these civil servants been kicked in the head by a donkey?"

"Things in the imperial court aren't that simple," Li Yuan said calmly. "It's just that someone is trying to use this as an excuse, and there's nothing I can do about it. But the innocent will clear themselves, and no one can falsely accuse me of something I didn't do."

"Yes, we're not afraid of his censorship!"

Wu Yu nodded angrily, "Fine, I'll wait for you some more."

"it is good."

Li Yuan paused for a moment, then smiled.

That evening, Liu Hongyan personally accompanied Li Yuan back to the headquarters of the Demon Suppression Division to report on his duties.

In the hall, Li Yuan met Luo Xuan, the chief commander of the Demon Suppression Division, for the first time.

This mysterious and legendary figure appeared to be in his early fifties, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and a calm demeanor. Sitting there, he was like a mountain, giving people an invisible sense of oppression.

To be able to become the national treasure of the Tang Dynasty, his cultivation level must be unfathomable. Li Yuan speculated that he was even better than Mr. Mo.

To Luo Xuan's left sat a strikingly beautiful woman in black, none other than Ye Hongyu.

"Your subordinate, Li Yuan, greets Commander Ye." Li Yuan stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Greetings, Commander Ye."

After looking Li Yuan up and down for a moment, Luo Xuan revealed a smile in his eyes.

"You're actually at the late stage of the Core Formation Realm." Luo Xuan's expression shifted slightly. "How old are you this year?"

"Yes, sir, I am seventeen."

"Come on, show me what you've got."

Li Yuan was taken aback: "Sir, this..."

"Just do what I tell you to do, stop with all the nonsense." Luo Xuan waved his hand impatiently.

Without further hesitation, Li Yuan stomped his right foot on the ground and shot out like an arrow, aiming a punch straight for Luo Xuan's face.

Wherever the fist passed, it emitted a sharp, explosive sound.

A hint of approval flashed in Luo Xuan's eyes. He raised one hand, opened his palm, and steadily caught Li Yuan's punch.

"Bang!"

The fist and palm collided with a dull thud. Luo Xuan's body remained motionless, but Li Yuan felt as if he had crashed into a mountain. He was thrown back by the shock and barely managed to regain his balance.

"Good! Not bad!"

Luo Xuan turned to Ye Hongyu behind him and laughed, "A seventeen-year-old late-stage Core Formation Realm cultivator, Ye girl, this kid is probably going to break your record from back then!"

Ye Hongyu picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and said calmly, "The younger generation surpasses the older; that's normal."

Li Yuan clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute, "You flatter me, sir!"

"Given your performance in Liangzhou this time, I originally intended to promote you."

He paused, then said, "But there are people in the court who have impeached you for colluding with the demon race. Although I know it's nonsense, the procedures still need to be followed. Your appointment will be temporarily suspended until the investigation is completed."

"Also, His Majesty wishes to see you."