Night had fallen, and after Lin Yao's departure, the cave was left with only Wu Tian and the whispering presence within.
"Hahaha… I didn't expect you to grasp my intent so quickly! Telling that boy to meet you in a month so you can 'harvest' him… truly vicious."
"You know the rule," Wu Tian replied, his eyes faintly red as a dark gleam passed through them. "When planning something evil, you don't speak of it aloud."
"Fair point… but I'm glad you're beginning to understand the art of scheming in this world," the laughter echoed across the cave walls.
The night passed swiftly. By dawn, Wu Tian opened his eyes, exhaling a breath saturated with spiritual energy.
"I suppose I need another battle to break through to Qi Condensation, Stage Three."
Without delay, he left the cave and wandered into the forest, searching for demonic beasts to fight.
On the mountain peak, Wu Tian encountered one Rank-3 Demon Scorpion, guarding its nest. He activated Shadow Step, slipped past its venomous stinger, and a single Wind Blade split the creature apart.
In the lower valley, four Rank-3 Steel-Fang Wolves appeared. Wu Tian dashed between them, his Qi sharp enough to kill. One swing severed the first wolf's head, and within moments, the other three fell in the same manner.
In the dense forest, three Rank-3 Stone Monkeys leapt down to block him. Wu Tian channeled Qi directly into their minds—each convulsed before collapsing.
By the riverside, two Rank-3 Rock-Back Bears emerged. Concentrated Qi pierced their skulls, the massive bodies toppled instantly.
Day Two
In a rocky ravine, one Rank-3 Demon Scorpion crawled from a crack. Wu Tian blasted its head apart with a burst of Qi.
In the dark woods, five Steel-Fang Wolves hunted as a pack. Shadow Step activated—dozens of sword-like arcs flashed, and all five dropped before they could even howl.
At a small stream, two Stone Monkeys attempted to ambush him. A pulse of Qi to the brain ended them.
At the cliffside, one Rock-Back Bear guarded its den. Wu Tian leapt, Wind Blade descending—its head flew from its shoulders.
Wu Tian continued this slaughter for a full five days.By the end, he had exterminated 55 beasts of the Qi Condensation realm.
Yet, despite the blood on his hands and the demonic energy he had absorbed, there was not even the faintest sign of breakthrough.
As if everything he had done was meaningless.
"Only now you realize?" Soul Reaver's voice echoed within his consciousness—mocking, yet undeniably correct.
"As I told you before, there are no shortcuts in cultivation. With my help, you can crush anyone in the same realm… but that also means your body and spirit aren't tempering themselves properly."
"I know." Wu Tian paused, his expression darkening.
"In the end, I need an opponent truly equal to me… or stronger. A creature in the Golden Core realm."
He'd known this from the beginning, of course. But he still hoped that ceaseless slaughter would push him forward naturally. Venturing into Rank-4 beast territory, however, was a death wish with his current cultivation.
After a long silence, Wu Tian made his decision.
"I need Golden Core-grade elixirs—at least something that will help me survive against a Rank-4 beast."
He left the hunting grounds and returned to the entrance. There, a familiar figure greeted him.
"Brother Wu!" Huang Pao—who had rented him the tent earlier—ran toward him with visible relief."You finally came back! I thought you got eaten!"
"I want to ask something," Wu Tian said calmly. "You mentioned a place where I can sell demonic beast corpses. Where is it?"
"Oh! Of course, of course!" Huang Pao's face brightened instantly. "The Hunter Association handles all purchases. Come—I'll take you."
Wu Tian nodded, and they headed to a large building marked with the insignia of a sword and beast claws.
Inside, after a brief exchange, a staff member approached Wu Tian.
"Senior, please follow me to the corpse assessment chamber."
Wu Tian complied, unloading every beast corpse from his storage ring—Rank 1 up to Rank 4. Dozens of workers evaluated and carried them off.
"Please wait in the lounge, Senior."
After half an hour, a servant entered with a small storage pouch and a slip of paper.
"Senior Wu Tian, these are the results of the assessment."
He presented the breakdown:
Rank — Quantity — Total
Rank 1 = 9 → 135Rank 2 = 3 → 150Rank 3 = 61 → 8,454Rank 4 = 1 → 600
Demon Core (Rank 4) = 1 → 7,000
Total = 16,339
"All spiritual stones have already been stored inside this pouch," the servant said respectfully.
Wu Tian weighed it in his hand and nodded. "Good."
Huang Pao chuckled warmly and patted Wu Tian's shoulder.
"Brother Wu, if you ever need to sell beast corpses again, just come find me. I'll make sure you always get the best price."
"I'll keep that in mind," Wu Tian replied.
"Great! Until next time!" Huang Pao waved enthusiastically.
Wu Tian simply nodded and headed toward the city.
Upon entering the bustling gate, he walked straight to the Cloud Medicine Pavilion. As usual, the attendants recognized him immediately.
"Welcome back, sir!"
"Senior, this way!"
Several bowed respectfully as he passed. Wu Tian offered only a faint nod before approaching the familiar counter.
There she was—Lu Qingyao, her green hair tied neatly, her expression softening when she saw him.
"Sir, you've returned," she said warmly.
Wu Tian stopped in front of her counter, folding his arms.
"I'm here to collect a promise," he said flatly. "You said you'd have dinner with me."
Lu Qingyao blinked… then smiled, a gentle curve that made the attendants whisper behind them.
"Oh? So you remembered." She closed the ledger and sighed."Fine. When do you want to go? Tonight?"
Wu Tian nodded.
"Yes. Tonight."
Their eyes met—quiet, still, the world around them fading for a moment.
Lu Qingyao smiled again, softer this time.
"In that case… wait a moment. Let me finish up here."
Wu Tian turned and stepped outside to wait.Once outside, his gaze swept the street. With a subtle motion of his fingers, his spiritual force spread like an invisible net, dragging several passing cultivators toward him.
Four men and one woman stumbled forward, faces twisted with irritation—but fear quickly replaced anger.They felt it.The presence of someone who would kill without hesitation.
"Listen carefully," Wu Tian said, voice calm. He flicked out five high-grade spirit stones, each cultivator managed to catch one before it hit the ground.
"That's your payment. Divide it evenly."
The group exchanged nervous looks.
Wu Tian's tone remained gentle, but an icy pressure seeped into the air.
"I have a task for you."
All five swallowed hard.
"If you complete it properly, forget we ever met. But if you fail… or try anything clever…"His eyes glowed faintly red, Soul Reaver's whisper rumbling behind his words.
"I will hunt you to the ends of the earth."
The five cultivators dropped to their knees instantly, trembling.
"W-we understand, Senior! Please—give us your command!"
Wu Tian smiled—pleasant on the surface, utterly cruel beneath.
"Good. It means you know how to listen."
Note: Is there anyone who can guess Wu Tian's plan?