Li Wei found his quarry in a misty clearing deep within the Whispering Fangs. The Dark-Tusk Boar was a monstrous sight, larger than a bull, its hide a matted, grey-black armor plating that shimmered with latent earth energy. Its namesake tusks, dark as obsidian and wickedly curved, could gouge craters in solid rock. A low, rumbling growl emanated from its chest, a sound that vibrated through the very ground. This beast was a true lord of the forest, its power undeniably at the peak of the Qi Gathering realm.
Perfect.
The boar charged without warning, a sudden, terrifying explosion of muscle and momentum that would have turned a normal 6th Level cultivator into paste.
Li Wei didn't use the "Heaven-Shattering Fist". He didn't use any technique. He planted his feet, braced himself, and met the charge head-on.
BOOM!
The impact sounded like two massive boulders colliding. The ground beneath Li Wei's feet cracked, but he held, his muscles screaming as they strained against the beast's raw power. The boar's armored skull was pressed against his chest, its hot, foul breath washing over him. This was the test of his Primordial Chaos Body. The force that could shatter stone was absorbed and distributed through a frame that was becoming something beyond human limitations and more like a pure blooded divine beast. He was pushed back a foot, digging two deep furrows in the earth, but he did not break.
Enraged, the boar recoiled and swung its head, a tusk aiming to gut him. Li Wei brought his forearm up in a block.
CLANG!
A metallic ring echoed through the clearing. The tusk, sharp enough to pierce steel, scraped against his skin but failed to draw more than a shallow, white line. A faint, golden shimmer—the passive, unawakened power of his Ancient God Bloodline—had flashed just beneath the surface, turning his flesh to divine iron. A jolt of numbing pain shot up his arm, but the defense held.
A fierce grin spread across Li Wei's face. His body was the weapon.
The real fight began. He weaved through the boar's furious charges, using his heightened perception from the Divine Dao Bone to anticipate its movements. He landed blows of his own, his fists and feet striking with the force of falling meteors. Each impact sent shockwaves through the beast's armored hide, making it grunt in pain and surprise. He was a hammer, and the boar was his anvil, tempering his combat instincts and the resilience of his physique.
Finally, seeing the beast slowing, its energy waning, he decided to end it. He gathered his Chaos Qi, the air around his right fist beginning to warp and hum.
"Heaven-Shattering Fist"!
He didn't aim for the impenetrable hide. He aimed for the space inside the boar, just behind its shoulder. His fist shot forward, and the shattering intent traveled through the air, through the hide, and into the beast's vital organs.
There was no external wound. The boar simply stiffened, its furious eyes glazing over. A fine, bloody mist sprayed from its mouth and nostrils as its heart and lungs were pulverized into nothingness from within. It collapsed, a mountain of meat and armor, utterly lifeless.
Li Wei stood panting, the adrenaline coursing through him. He had done it. He had tempered himself against a true peak-level threat and emerged victorious.
It was in that moment of post-battle stillness that the true attack came.
Not from a beast, but from the shadows.
A flicker of movement. The barest whisper of displaced air.
Instinct, sharper than any conscious thought, screamed at him to move. He twisted, but not fast enough. A dagger, gleaming with a venomous green light, sliced across his back, cutting deep through his robes and into the flesh beneath. It was a crippling, poisoned blow meant to sever his spine.
Agony, cold and sharp, lanced through him. He stumbled forward, his body already feeling the numbing toxin spread.
From the shadows of a large tree, a man in dark, non-descript robes emerged. He held the poisoned dagger casually. "The young master Li Jin sends his regards," the assassin said, his voice a emotionless monotone. "He finds your recent... progress... irritating. Consider this a lesson in knowing your place."
Li Wei straightened up, his back bleeding freely. The poison was a cold fire in his veins, but his Chaos Qi, volatile and primordial, was already attacking it, breaking it down into harmless components. The deep cut began to steam, the flesh knitting together at a visible, unnatural rate. The power of his bloodline and physique was not just for offense.
He turned to face the assassin, his eyes no longer those of a hunted boy, but of a primordial predator that had just been poked.
The assassin's confident smirk faltered. He was a Peak Qi Gathering expert, a veteran of countless dirty fights. He had just landed a perfect, poisoned sneak attack. His target should be paralyzed or dead.
"You..." the assassin whispered, his eyes widening as he saw the wound on Li Wei's back already closing.
"You came here to kill a rising disciple," Li Wei said, his voice low and resonating with a power that seemed to still the very air. "But you are not dealing with a disciple."
Li Wei's spiritual pressure erupted, no longer hidden. It wasn't the pressure of the 4th Level, or even the 6th. It was the heavy, ancient, and utterly domineering pressure of Primordial Chaos Qi, and it carried the faint, terrifying echo of a divine bloodline.
The assassin's face went pale. The talisman in his pocket, meant to block spiritual sensing, cracked and turned to dust. This was not part of the plan. He wasn't facing a talented clansman. He was facing a monster.
"You have made a mistake," Li Wei stated, taking a step forward, the "Heaven-Shattering Fist" intent gathering around his fists once more, making the space around them crackle. "And you will be the message I send back to Li Jin."