The courtyard reeked of scorched silk and shattered pride.
Liang Fei's body lay in a crumpled mess on the blood-stained stone, limbs twisted at unnatural angles. The broken remains of his prized sword lay beside him like shattered glass, catching the morning light with pathetic flickers.
Ren Wei stood above him — untouched, unbothered, unmerciful.
Around them, not a single soul dared speak. Some disciples recorded in silence, others trembled as if they'd just witnessed the wrath of a realm beyond them.
Whispers rose like ghosts.
> "He's… still just Qi Refinement, right?"
> "No… that's no Master. That's a devil in human skin."
Ren Wei's boots pressed softly against the gravel as he turned and walked away, dragging his cracked sheath behind him like a grave marker. He didn't even glance back.
---
Beneath a crumbling shrine beyond the sect border, Ren Wei rinsed blood from his knuckles in a nearby spring. His hands were scorched, bones still humming from the backlash — but his gaze remained clear, unwavering.
> *Ding!*
> **Side Quest Completed: "Humiliate the Proud"**
> *Reward: Forged Weapon Affinity +1, Intimidation Radius +5 meters*
> *Ding!*
> **Main Quest Progression Triggered... Observation from Sect Elders Increased**
> "Let them watch," he muttered. "They'll learn fear too."
---
She stepped from the trees again.
The gray-robed woman, her presence cloaked but eyes sharp, looked down at the battered sheath on his back — then at the blood still drying between his knuckles.
> "That... wasn't alchemy," she said finally.
He didn't answer.
> "You told me you'd make my pill... when you reached Grandmaster Realm."
> "You think you'll reach it by beating arrogant dogs?"
Ren Wei stood and met her gaze. Even wounded, he didn't flinch.
> "If they bark in my path, yes."
She scoffed — but something in her eyes flickered. A restrained grin, edged with curiosity.
> "It took me twenty-seven years to reach Peak Grandmaster — level nine Foundation Establishment."
> "You're telling me I should wait ten more years for a child like you?"
He pulled something from his robe.
A charred, glowing pill. Dense. Refined. Humming with blood and Qi.
She blinked.
> "You'll wait three. Maybe less."
Her hand extended before she could think. She accepted the pill without a word — then reached into her sleeve and tossed him a small jade key.
> "Take the house near South Willow Pier," she said flatly. "You'll have your silence there."
He caught it midair.
> "I repay all debts."
> "Then start with this one."
---
It wasn't a house.
Ren Wei stood at the gate that night, jaw slack beneath the moonlight.
It was a **villa**, hidden behind silver-leaf trees and quiet formations. Three floors. Indoor training hall. Meditation garden. Qi-rich indoor spring. Even a side forge — old, but still functional.
He stepped through the gate like a man entering a trap.
Inside, everything was spotless. Empty — but lived in. Waiting.
On the polished table sat a slip of golden paper.
> *"Grandmaster pills deserve Grandmaster silence."*
> *– S."
He didn't smile.
But his eyes lingered on the furnace longer than they should've.
---
Outside, the world stirred again.
At the **Sect Duel Pillar**, someone nailed a scroll written in blood-ink and pride.
**Ren Wei.
You beat Liang Fei like a dog.
So I'll treat you like one.
I, Li Xuan of the Li Family, challenge you — three days from now, Heaven's Ring Platform.
Life or Death.**
It was signed with the Li Family crest.
The courtyard erupted.
> "Li Xuan's no joke. That's the third heir."
> "They're sending in a real cultivator now."
> "...Or someone more desperate."
By the time the whisper reached the villa…
Ren Wei was already deep in meditation.
He put his sword to System Area and started to sit in lotus shape.
Qi surged around his bones, a whisper in his veins.
He didn't need rest.
He needed results.
Ren Wei stood still beneath the moonlight that filtered through the villa's courtyard. The scent of morning dew clung to the air, but he wasn't admiring the scenery.
He was carving something into the stone tiles — slowly, methodically.
A **Qi-Gathering Formation.**
The villa had already been special — built atop a spiritual convergence point, its location alone would've made even sect disciples fight for it.
But with this formation…
> "Even scraps of heaven can feed wolves like me."
He placed the final spirit stone.
Qi surged into the array.
The ground vibrated faintly — the air itself thickened, like liquid silk brushing his skin. The effects were immediate. He sat at the center, closed his eyes, and activated **Heaven-Flaying Vein Scripture**.
Qi flooded in.
Veins screamed. Bones ached. Muscles writhed under the strain.
But he endured.
He had no pills. No master. No divine protection.
Just **rage**, **memory**, and **resolve**.
> *Ding!*
> **Qi Refinement Level 4 Achieved**
> *Bonus: +2 Qi Circulation / +1 Perception / +1 Vitality*
> "It's still not enough..."
---
A knock echoed through the villa.
Ren Wei opened the door cautiously.
A girl stood there — black robes embroidered with gold thread, her hair tied into a neat bun. Her face was unreadable, but her presence... confident.
She bowed slightly.
> "Young Master Ren. I am **Mei Rou**, assigned by Master Han Suiren to serve you."
Ren Wei's eyes narrowed. Han Suiren — the heir of the Han Crest — had sent a servant?
She offered a note alongside a jade token. He took it without a word and unfolded it.
> "Ren Wei,
> I heard about the challenge.
> I expect to see you at the **Heaven's Ring Platform**.
> Don't make me regret giving you the Han Crest.
> – Han Suiren"
No kindness. No support. Just pressure — the only kind he was familiar with.
He crushed the note slowly in his fist.
---
Later that morning, Ren Wei stepped into school grounds.
The mood had shifted.
Students paused. Some lowered their heads. Others stared openly — curious or afraid.
A loud voice cut through the crowd.
> "Oi, Ren Wei. You think hiding behind pills and tokens makes you strong?"
A bulky teen stepped forward, cracking his knuckles.
Ren Wei didn't even stop walking.
> "I forged my bones in blood. If you want to test yours — speak now. Or shut your mouth."
Silence followed. The teen took a step back instinctively — goosebumps crawling across his skin.
> **Intimidation Radius: Expanded**
> → Weak-willed opponents may hesitate to initiate conflict
---
When he returned home, Mei Rou was already preparing tea.
She said nothing, only glanced at him with unreadable eyes.
> "Where's the cultivator?" Ren Wei asked.
Mei Rou didn't flinch.
> "Lady Sheng Lian left after ensuring your residence was properly secured. She mentioned she'd return once you make... 'real progress.'"
Ren Wei's eyes darkened. His lips curled slightly.
> " So her name was Sheng Lian?"
> "Then I'll give her something she won't forget."
He looked out the window — where the horizon bled gold into blue.
> "Four levels in less than a week.
> But I still haven't touched the sky."