The forest grew deathly quiet.
Only two figures stood in the clearing—Kai Ren and Jian Hao. One, the former cripple, the joke of the academy. The other, a ranked powerhouse, his name whispered with both fear and respect.
Jian Hao rested his greatsword casually across his shoulders, lips curled into a smirk. "I thought the rumors were nonsense. Trash suddenly rising? Impossible. Yet here you stand, blood-stained, carrying a beast core. Heh." His eyes sharpened. "But no matter how high trash climbs, it's still trash. And trash gets crushed."
The air itself seemed to grow heavy under his killing intent.
Kai's staff gleamed faintly in his grip, his posture steady despite the tremor in his veins. His system whispered calmly in his mind.
> [Opponent Identified: Jian Hao – Mortal Stage, Middle.]
[Combat Power: Elite Tier.]
[Recommended Action: Evade.]
[Projected Survival Rate: 41%.]
Forty-one percent. A coin toss.
Kai smirked faintly, defiance sparking in his eyes. "If you think you can crush me, then try."
Jian's grin widened. "With pleasure."
The ground split as he swung his greatsword down in an instant. BOOM! Earth shattered, dust billowing. The sheer force was overwhelming.
Kai blurred sideways—Shadow Step!—barely escaping the arc. His staff lashed out at Jian's exposed side. CLANG! Metal screamed as wood struck steel. The impact jolted Kai's arms painfully, forcing him back.
Jian chuckled darkly. "Fast. But weak."
He lunged again, greatsword a silver blur. Kai twisted, ducked, countered—but Jian's every strike carried monstrous weight. Each clash rattled Kai's bones, every dodge a brush with death.
His upgraded cultivation gave him speed, but Jian's raw power carved through everything.
Blood trickled from Kai's lip as he slid back across the dirt.
The system chimed coldly.
> [Warning: Prolonged combat will result in Host's defeat.]
[New Option Available – Spirit Core Upgrade in Combat.]
[Cost: 5 Points + Silverhorn Fragment.]
[Current Points: 4.]
Kai's heart lurched. Four. Still not enough.
Jian Hao's shadow loomed over him, greatsword raised high.
"You're nothing," Jian spat. "A broken core, a cripple. I'll show the academy that miracles don't exist."
The blade whistled down.
Kai's eyes burned with fury. System—show me another way.
> [Alternative Option: Convert 10% Lifespan into 1 Upgrade Point.]
[Warning: Permanent.]
Lifespan.
Kai froze. His chest tightened. Trade away my future… to survive the present?
Jian's blade descended.
Kai roared. "Do it!"
> [Conversion Successful. Lifespan Reduced. +1 Point Gained.]
[Total Points: 5.]
[Spirit Core Upgrade Initiating.]
The world blurred.
Fire ignited in his chest as his fractured core trembled violently, shards grinding against one another. Agony ripped through his body, his vision swimming.
Jian's blade struck—CLANG!—but instead of flesh, sparks erupted as Kai's aura flared. His body shimmered with a sudden surge of qi, raw and violent.
Kai staggered, clutching his chest, teeth clenched against the pain.
The system's voice cut through the storm.
> [Spirit Core Quality: Low → Refined.]
[Qi Capacity: Doubled.]
[Energy Circulation Efficiency: +300%.]
[Warning: Core Stabilization Incomplete. Excess Qi May Erupt.]
Power flooded his veins like a roaring river, threatening to tear him apart.
Jian Hao's eyes widened. "What—?"
Kai lifted his gaze, pupils blazing. His staff hummed with energy, arcs of qi crackling along its length.
"Trash?" Kai growled, stepping forward, aura crushing the ground beneath him. "I'll show you what trash can become."
---
The battle exploded.
Jian swung his greatsword, but Kai met it head-on. BOOM! The clash ripped through the clearing, shockwaves flattening trees. Jian staggered, his smirk faltering.
Kai pressed forward, each strike heavier, faster, sharper than before. His body burned, veins glowing faintly as unstable qi coursed through him, but he didn't stop. Couldn't stop.
His staff smashed against Jian's blade, again and again. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Sparks rained, each impact driving Jian back.
"You—!" Jian snarled, veins bulging in his neck. "Impossible!"
Kai's fist slammed into Jian's gut. CRACK! The elite disciple gagged, blood spraying from his mouth as he stumbled back.
Kai's body shook violently from the overload of energy, his muscles screaming. But his grin was feral. "How does it feel… to be pushed back by trash?"
Jian roared, unleashing his full aura. His greatsword blazed with qi, arcs of energy slicing through trees. "DIE!"
The sword came down like a mountain.
Kai's staff spun upward, his qi erupting uncontrollably. The clash detonated like thunder, the ground splitting, both figures hurled apart.
Kai crashed into a tree, coughing blood, vision blurring. His unstable core screamed within him, threatening collapse.
The system chimed coldly.
> [Warning: Core Stability at 37%.]
[Immediate Refinement Required or Host Will Implode.]
Jian staggered, blood dripping from his lip, eyes blazing with murderous fury. "You… you dare wound me?!"
Kai forced himself upright, staff trembling in his grip. "I don't dare." His grin widened. "I do."
He roared, channeling every drop of unstable qi into his staff. His veins felt like they would burst, his bones like they would crack, but he swung anyway.
"IRON BREAKER!"
The staff slammed into Jian's chest. BOOOOM! The ground cratered, trees shredded by the shockwave. Jian screamed, his ribs snapping, blood spraying as he was hurled across the clearing.
He crashed into a boulder, the stone shattering on impact.
Silence.
Smoke drifted. Leaves fluttered down like ash.
Kai stood in the ruins, body trembling violently, blood streaming from his nose and mouth. His core flickered dangerously, threatening collapse.
The system's voice rang cold and clear.
> [Emergency Refinement Engaged.]
[Stability Restored: 78%.]
[Congratulations. Host has successfully refined Spirit Core.]
Kai exhaled, collapsing to one knee. He was barely conscious, every muscle screaming, but victory was his.
Jian Hao lay broken, groaning faintly, his once-proud aura shattered.
Kai forced himself upright, staggering toward him. He raised his staff, eyes cold. "Remember this, Jian Hao. Trash… climbs. Trash evolves. And trash doesn't bow."
His staff slammed into the earth inches from Jian's head, the ground splitting. Jian flinched, terror flashing in his eyes.
Kai turned away, vanishing into the forest.
Behind him, Jian Hao coughed blood, rage and humiliation burning in his veins.
---
Far away, hidden among the trees, Lin Yue watched with wide eyes.
Her dagger trembled in her grip, her lips parting. "He… he actually defeated Jian Hao. And that aura… it wasn't human cultivation."
Her heart raced.
Kai Ren was no longer a mystery. He was a storm. And storms either destroyed everything… or changed the world.