The rotting stench of the Clearwater City docks hung heavy in the humid air, mixing with the smell of tar and dead fish. It was a miserable place for a noble scion, but for a rat trying to hide from a pack of cats, it was perfect.
Jin Hao crouched behind a stack of molding crates, his fine robes now stained with grease and mud. He peeled a splinter of wood from the crate and flicked it away, his face twisted in a perpetual sneer.
"Mad dogs," he hissed, his voice barely audible over the lapping waves. "The whole family. Mad dogs. I take a little bit of resources and they hunt me like I murdered the Emperor."
He shifted his weight, wincing as his bruised ribs protested. The explosion at the shack had hurt him more than he liked to admit, even with his realm.
"System," he grumbled internally. "How many of them are there? I feel like I can't breathe without a Jin guard sniffing the air."
[Scan Complete. Hostile density in Sector 7 is high. Three patrol squads detected within a 500-meter radius. They are utilizing grid search patterns.]
"Of course they are," Jin Hao spat. "Bolin probably emptied the treasury to pay for this manhunt. If he spent half this effort nurturing me, the Jin Family would rule the continent by now. Idiots. Short sighted idiots."
He leaned his head back against the crate. "I need more power. Late Stage Foundation Establishment isn't enough. Not against numbers like this. I need to be a Golden Core. No, a Nascent Soul! Then I'll crush them all into paste."
Voices drifted toward him from the dockside. Heavy boots thudded against the wooden planks. Jin Hao tensed, holding his breath.
"Careful with that crate, you clumsy oaf!" a gruff voice barked. "That's high-grade Spirit-Steel from the Ironspine Mines. If you scratch it, the Patriarch will have your head!"
"I know, I know," a second, wearier voice replied. "But why are we unloading at this hour? And at the private docks? Usually, the shipments go to the main warehouse."
"Are you deaf or just stupid?" the first man snapped. "The main warehouse was robbed! The Patriarch is paranoid. He ordered this shipment diverted here. It's supposed to be distributed directly to the branch families tomorrow to calm them down. Now shut up and lift."
Jin Hao's eyes flew open. A predatory grin spread across his face, stretching from ear to ear.
"Diverted shipment," he whispered, tasting the words like fine wine. "Spirit-Steel."
He waited until the footsteps receded and the heavy thud of crates being stacked echoed from the cargo ship moored at the end of the pier.
"System," he thought, his excitement vibrating in his bones. "Did you hear that? The heavens are buying me dinner."
[Target Detected: Cargo Ship 'Golden Horizon'. Contents: High-density spiritual minerals, Tier 2 Healing Pills, and Foundation Consolidation Elixirs.]
"Jackpot," Jin Hao cackled softly. "They think they can hide their wealth from me? I am the Treasure Devourer. Wherever they put it, I will eat it."
He waited for the workers to leave for their break. As soon as the dock was silent, he slipped through the gaps in the patrols, a shadow moving among shadows, until he reached the gangplank.
The ship was guarded by two sleepy Foundation Establishment guards.
"Distraction," Jin Hao muttered to himself, his eyes scanning the shadows. There. A loose rigging block swayed precariously above Guard A.
He tracked the weight of the pulley, gauging the tension in the ropes. He picked up a stone from the ground and weighed it in his hand. He took a breath and threw.
The stone whistled through the air, striking the release pin of the heavy pulley block with a sharp metallic ping.
CRASH.
The block slammed into the deck, inches from the guards. They jumped, weapons drawn, shouting in alarm and turning toward the noise.
In that split second of confusion, Jin Hao sprinted. He darted past them and slipped into the open hatch of the cargo hold before they even turned back around.
He landed softly on the floor of the hold. It was dimly lit by glow-stones, revealing rows and rows of secured crates.
"It's beautiful," Jin Hao breathed.
He walked to the nearest crate, labeled 'Spirit Steel.' He placed his hand on the wood.
"Devour."
The blue light flared. The spirit steel converted instantly into a stream of metallic energy that rushed into his body.
"Oh, that's the stuff," he moaned, his eyes rolling back. The energy slammed into his foundation, tempering his bones.
He moved to the next. Blood-Clotting Pills.
Devour.
Wind essence Stones.
Devour.
He was a whirlwind of gluttony. He ran down the aisles, his hands brushing against everything. He didn't care what it was. If it glowed on his map, he devoured it.
His cultivation base began to boil. The sheer volume of energy he was consuming was astronomical.
"More!" he laughed, the sound manic in the confined space. "Is this all you have, Jin Family? Feed me! Feed the dragon you created!"
He found a secure chest at the back, glowing with an intense white light.
[Item Identified: Core Formation Aiding Elixirs. Quantity: 10 bottles.]
"For the branch family elders, no doubt," Jin Hao sneered. "Well, they can stay in the Foundation Establishment realm forever. I'm taking the express elevator."
He slammed his hands onto the chest.
"DEVOUR ALL!"
The energy that hit him was like a physical punch. His meridians screamed as they stretched to accommodate the flood.
BOOM.
A shockwave rippled through the cargo hold, rattling the remaining crates.
[Breakthrough Successful. Host has reached Peak Stage Foundation Establishment.]
Jin Hao fell to his knees, sweat dripping from his nose. He felt... full. His body was vibrating with so much power he felt like he could punch a hole in the ship's hull.
"Peak Stage," he wheezed, clenching his fists. "One step away from Golden Core. One step away from being a true expert."
He stood up, wiping the sweat from his brow. "I'm inevitable."
As he turned to leave, preparing to sneak back out and leave the Jin Family with another empty vault, the System chimed.
[Alert: Anomalous Energy Signature detected. Concealed compartment in the aft bulkhead.]
Jin Hao paused. "Concealed? Better than the rest?"
He walked to the back wall. It looked like solid wood. But the System highlighted a loose panel. He ripped it open with his newfound strength.
Inside was a dusty package wrapped in oilcloth.
"What is it?" Jin Hao asked, reaching for it. "System, scan."
[Scanning...]
[Item Identified: Ancient Cultivation Manual. Grade: Heaven.]
[Attribute: Fire.]
Jin Hao's heart stopped.
"Heaven Grade?" he whispered. "A Heaven Grade technique? Here? In a cargo ship?"
He grabbed the package, his hands trembling. This was it. This was the real cheat. Consuming pills gave him raw power, but he had no techniques. He was fighting like a brawler. But with a Heaven Grade manual...