"He-he, you want to make the Marquis kneel before your mother, a low-caste servant? Today, I will tear her apart!"
Lin Hao sneered maliciously and headed toward the ancestral altar.
Lin Zheng's eyes instantly ignited with fury: "No!"
An aura of despair surged from the depths of his heart. At that moment, the Giant Annihilation System suddenly spoke:
"Host is currently in a state of madness. You may exchange a portion of your life for temporary combat enhancement."
"Fine! I agree!" — Lin Zheng gritted his teeth and shouted.
"Ding! Host has successfully exchanged fifty years of life for five minutes of First-Rank Martial Master power!"
Soon, Lin Zheng's body was filled with incredible energy. His fist, enveloped in a red wave of Combat Yang Qi, struck Lin Hao directly in the back.
Lin Hao tried to dodge, but it was too late. The power of a First-Rank Martial Master overwhelmed him completely. Lin Hao's body was torn apart before he could even scream.
Blood covered Lin Zheng's face, making him look like a demon risen from the underworld.
"Congratulations, Host, on killing a Fighter. You have gained 40 experience points."
"Ding… congratulations, Host, your rank has increased."
Lin Zheng's stats updated:
Host: Lin Zheng
Rank: Body Tempering, 3rd Rank
Experience Points: 0/40
Refinement Technique: Lower Yang Rank
Combat Skills: None
Health Points: 40/40
Giant Coins: None
"Important information: Host has less than six months to live. Please increase your rank as soon as possible, or you will die," — the system suddenly warned.
Lin Zheng realized the system had tricked him: he had spent 50 years of life for temporary power.
"System, if I keep increasing my rank, can I restore my lifespan?"
"Yes," came the reply.
"So, the higher my rank, the longer I will live…" — Lin Zheng thought mockingly.
He calmly walked to the courtyard well and washed away the traces of Lin Hao's death. The habit of relying on helpers from Earth was gone — now he had to handle everything himself.
"Lin Zhen, if there's a chance, I will burn your Heavenly Lamp!" — he whispered, recalling Lin Zhen's betrayal.
First, he needed to leave the Marquis' House, then venture into the forest, fight monsters, and increase his strength to avoid his father's attention.
He took out the Yang-Ren Healing Spheres and stored them in his system inventory.
He left his mother's ashes on the altar, as the system did not allow storing them in space. Three incense sticks burned, and Lin Zheng headed to a hidden corner of the house — a small burrow he had often used as a child to escape Lin Hao.
In the Tianfeng Forest, he held a rusty blade and wore tattered leather armor.
With a single strike, he killed a rabbit.
"Congratulations, Host, on killing a low-level Demonic Beast 'White Rabbit'. Reward — 5 experience points."
"Five points, same as a mouse. To level up, I need to hunt mid-level beasts. But first — body tempering to Rank 10 and mastery of Combat Yang Qi."
Lin Zheng began hunting low-level demonic beasts: rats, rabbits, squirrels, ants, caterpillars.
"Congratulations, Host, on killing a Demonic Beast 'Green Rat'. Reward — 5 experience points."
"Congratulations, Host, on killing 'Poisonous Beetle'. Reward — 5 experience points."
"Congratulations, Host, on killing 'Ant Lord'. Reward — 5 experience points."
A month passed. Since breaking into the 3rd Rank of Body Tempering, Lin Zheng reached the 9th Rank. His health reached 100.
Now he could break a palm-thick tree with a single strike.
According to his memories of the Broken Continent of Giants, every mid-level, first-rank demonic beast had strength equivalent to a Fighter. To increase his power further, he needed to fight them.
Only five months of life remained, and increasing Body Tempering alone would not raise his health sufficiently. Only condensing Combat Yang Qi could achieve that.
"I will give it my all!" — Lin Zheng said firmly, his red eyes blazing with determination.
His blade gleamed, and a faint silver Combat Yang Qi coiled around it.
"What immense energy! Why silver?" — Lin Zheng wondered.
He recalled the color system:
Fighter → Silver
Grand Master → Light Red
Spiritual Master → Purple
Martial Emperor → Gold
Martial Saint → Light Gold
Martial Monarch → No fixed color
Under the breakthrough notification, it read: "Combat Yang of the Giant Slayer"
"Combat Yang of the Giant Slayer — a unique type of energy, 100% armor penetration, 30% bonus damage against giants. A one-of-a-kind Combat Yang."
As his rank and strength increased, his energy grew, preparing him for future battles against giants.
"So this is the special Combat Yang!" — Lin Zheng felt his body filling with power, ready for new challenges.