The moon hung high above the Grey Mist Forest, casting long, skeletal shadows through the trees. Inside the abandoned woodcutter's hut, the air was humming with invisible energy.
Kai sat cross-legged, his breathing rhythmic and deep. With every inhale, faint motes of spiritual light were pulled from the surroundings, spiraling into his nose and mouth.
Inside his body, the Primordial Celestial Dragon Sutra was rampant. It didn't just absorb Qi; it devoured it.
'More,' Kai thought, his brow furrowed in concentration. 'The Stage 1 barrier is already loose. Break it!'
He visualized the Qi in his dantian as a roaring dragon slamming against a stone wall. Once. Twice. On the third strike, the wall crumbled.
Crack.
A sound like snapping bone echoed from his body. A shockwave of air blasted outward, extinguishing the candle on the table and rattling the wooden door.
Kai opened his eyes. They glowed with a faint, golden light for a split second before fading back to black.
[Ding!] [Breakthrough Successful.] [Current Cultivation: Qi Refining - Stage 2.] [Physical Attributes Increased.] [Dragon Sutra Effect: Qi Density is 2x that of a normal cultivator.]
Kai clenched his fist. The power coursing through him was intoxicating. At Stage 2, he wasn't just stronger; his skin was harder, his reflexes faster. He could hear the wind rustling leaves fifty meters away.
He could also hear footsteps. Heavy, clumsy footsteps. And the crackle of torches.
"They found us quickly," Kai whispered, his expression hardening.
Lian woke up instantly at the sound of his voice. She sat up, clutching the dagger. "Brother?"
"Stay inside, Lian," Kai said, standing up and picking up the Blood-Drinker's Jian. "Do not come out until I tell you."
"Is it... the bad men?" she asked, her voice trembling but her eyes fierce.
"Just some loose ends I forgot to tie," Kai replied calmly.
He walked to the door, unbarred it, and kicked it open.
Outside, the clearing was illuminated by a dozen flickering torches. Twenty men stood in a semi-circle around the hut. They were a motley crew of beggars, thugs, and criminals, armed with rusted axes, clubs, and knives.
In the center stood a giant of a man. He was nearly seven feet tall, shirtless, with a chest like a wine barrel and a bald head that shone in the firelight. He rested a massive iron club on his shoulder.
Iron-Head. The King of the Slums.
"So," Iron-Head rumbled, his voice deep and mocking. "The little rat comes out of his hole."
He looked Kai up and down, sneering at the black training robes. "Nice clothes. Did you steal them? Or did you sell your little girlfriend to pay for them?"
The thugs laughed, a harsh, grating sound.
Kai stepped out of the hut, the Blood-Drinker's Jian resting casually by his side. The night breeze ruffled his hair. He looked bored.
[Target: Iron-Head] [Cultivation: Qi Refining - Stage 3 (Middle).] [Threat: Moderate.]
"You brought a lot of friends," Kai said, his voice cutting through the laughter. "Are you afraid of a child?"
Iron-Head's grin vanished. He slammed his club into the ground, shaking the earth. "Afraid? I came to see the 'treasure' that turned a starving cripple into a killer. Hand over the sword and the technique you found, and I might make your death quick. Refuse, and I will let the boys have fun with the girl while you watch."
Kai's eyes went cold. Dead cold. The temperature in the clearing seemed to drop a few degrees.
"You talk too much," Kai said softly. He reached into his sash with his left hand.
"Get him!" Iron-Head roared. "Break his legs!"
Five thugs rushed forward, screaming battle cries. They were mortals, driven by bloodlust and the promise of coin.
Kai didn't draw his sword. Instead, he flicked his left wrist.
Two small, red spheres flew through the air, arcing gracefully toward the charging group.
"What is that? Stones?" one thug laughed.
The red spheres hit the ground at their feet.
BOOM!
It wasn't a normal explosion. It was a condensed burst of alchemical Fire Qi. A blinding flash of crimson light engulfed the five men. The shockwave knocked the rest of the gang backward.
There were no screams. The five thugs were vaporized instantly, turned into charred meat and ash. The explosion tore a crater in the ground, sending dirt and burning debris flying everywhere.
Iron-Head shielded his face with his massive arms, stumbling back. "What?!"
Smoke cleared. Where five of his best men had stood, there was only a smoking hole.
Standing at the edge of the crater, untouched by the blast, was Kai. He slowly drew the Blood-Drinker's Jian. The blade hummed loudly now, excited by the scent of death.
"Alchemy..." Iron-Head gasped, his face pale. "You... you are an Alchemist?!"
In the cultivation world, Alchemists were feared not just for their pills, but for their terrifying weapons.
"One chance," Kai said, stepping forward. "Kneel and cripple your own cultivation. And I will let you live as a beggar."
Iron-Head gritted his teeth. His greed was gone, replaced by the instinct to survive. But he was a Stage 3 cultivator! He was the boss! He couldn't lose to a child!
"Kill him!" Iron-Head screamed at his remaining men. "He used his trump card! He has no more bombs! Charge!"
The remaining fifteen thugs hesitated, then charged, driven by fear of their boss more than bravery.
Kai moved. Qi Refining Stage 2. He was a blur of black shadow.
Slash. A head flew into the air. Thrust. The sword pierced a heart.
The Blood-Drinker's Jian was a demonic weapon. It didn't just cut; it drank. Every time it touched blood, a faint red mist enveloped Kai, fueling his stamina.
He danced through the thugs like a reaper in a field of wheat. Limbs were severed. Weapons were shattered. Within thirty seconds, ten men were down. The rest broke and ran, screaming into the forest.
Only Iron-Head remained.
The giant man roared, channeling all his Qi into his muscles. His skin turned a metallic grey—an Iron Skin technique. "Die, brat!"
He swung the massive iron club. It moved with terrifying speed, aiming to crush Kai's skull.
Kai didn't dodge. He channeled the Dragon Sutra. His Qi roared. He raised the Blood-Drinker's Jian to block.
CLANG!
The collision sounded like a temple bell being struck. The ground beneath Kai's feet cracked. His knees bent slightly under the immense weight. Iron-Head was strong. Brute force was his specialty.
"Hah! You can't block me!" Iron-Head laughed, pushing down with all his might.
"Block?" Kai looked up, his teeth gritted in a feral grin. "I'm not blocking. I'm testing."
Kai suddenly dropped his stance, letting the club slide off his blade and smash into the ground. Using the momentum, Kai spun.
Basic Sword Art: Horizontal Sweep.
The blade slashed across Iron-Head's chest. Screech! Sparks flew. The Iron Skin technique held. The sword only left a shallow white mark.
Iron-Head laughed. "My skin is as hard as steel! Your toothpick can't hurt me!"
"Is that so?" Kai jumped back.
He didn't have another bomb. But he had knowledge. Iron Skin techniques had a flaw. They hardened the skin by concentrating Qi on the surface. But that meant the insides were vulnerable. And every technique had a "Gate"—a point where the Qi flow converged.
[Eye of Insight Active.] [Scanning Target...] [Weakness Detected: Underarm (Axillary Meridian).]
"Let's see how hard you really are," Kai taunted.
Iron-Head charged again, swinging wild, angry blows. He was losing control. Kai dodged. Left. Right. Duck. The club smashed trees, rocks, and the ground, but it couldn't touch Kai.
'Now!'
Iron-Head raised his arms high for a finisher overhead smash. His armpits were exposed.
Kai lunged. He didn't slash. He thrust the tip of his sword with surgical precision. The blade, enhanced by Kai's full Qi, pierced the soft spot under the giant's arm.
Puchi.
The sword sank three inches deep. It hit the meridian node.
"AAARGH!" Iron-Head's Iron Skin flickered and shattered like broken glass. His metallic color faded instantly.
"My Qi! My Qi is leaking!" Iron-Head screamed, dropping his club and clutching his arm.
Kai didn't stop. He pulled the sword out and swung again. This time, there was no iron skin to protect the neck.
Slash.
A fountain of blood sprayed into the air. Iron-Head's massive body stood still for a moment, then toppled forward like a felled tree. Thud.
Silence returned to the forest.
Kai stood panting, blood dripping from his robes. It wasn't his blood. The sword in his hand glowed with a pulsating crimson light. It felt warm. Sated.
[Enemy Defeated: Iron-Head (Qi Refining Stage 3).] [Combat Experience Gained.] [Blood-Drinker's Jian Evolution Progress: 15/100.] [Loot Available.]
The door of the hut creaked open. Lian stood there, holding the lantern. Her face was pale, illuminated by the flickering light. She looked at the carnage. The crater. The bodies. The headless giant.
She looked at Kai, who was standing in the middle of it all, like a demon god of war.
Kai turned to her. He wiped the blood from his cheek. "It's over, Lian. go back inside."
Lian didn't go back. She stepped out, her bare feet touching the cold ground. She walked over to him, avoiding the bodies, and took a piece of cloth from her sleeve. She reached up and wiped the blood from his forehead.
"You are hurt," she whispered, pointing to a small cut on his hand from the initial clash.
"It's nothing," Kai said, his adrenaline fading, leaving him tired.
"They came for us," Lian said, looking at Iron-Head's body. "Because we are weak?"
"Because we were weak," Kai corrected. He looked toward the city lights in the distance. "The Black Dog Gang is finished. But they were just stray dogs. Tomorrow... tomorrow we aim for the wolves."
He crouched down to search Iron-Head's body. He found a heavy bag of coins—mostly gold this time—and a strange, black metal token engraved with a skull.
[Item: Token of the Hidden Ghost Sect (Outer Disciple).]
Kai frowned. 'The Hidden Ghost Sect? An evil sect from the Northern Demon Region? What is their token doing with a slum boss in the East?'
The plot was thicker than he thought. But that was a problem for later.
"Lian," Kai stood up. "Pack our things. We are buying a house tomorrow. A real one."