Li Wei's mind was in turmoil.
"If I can obtain those bones, it would be a huge benefit for my body tempering."
The auctioneer's voice echoed—
"Starting bid—5,000 spirit stones!"
The price was already high, but as expected, a young master from one of the four great clans immediately placed a bid.
"6,000 spirit stones!"
Almost instantly, another voice rang out—
"8,000!"
A heavy silence fell over the room.
People turned their heads, wondering who had dared to challenge one of the four great clans.
Their eyes landed on a young woman.
She was stunningly beautiful, with an aura that was both commanding and cold. Six powerful cultivators surrounded her, clearly acting as personal guards.
The young master who had bid first clenched his fists, but when he saw who she was, his expression changed.
He hesitated, then forced a respectful smile.
He said, "Miss Su, what brings you to such a small city…?"
The girl, Miss Su, didn't even spare him a glance.
In a cold tone, she replied, "And who are you to question me?"
The entire auction hall fell into silence.
People lowered their heads, afraid to provoke her further. It was clear that this woman was no ordinary person.
Watching from the shadows, Li Wei narrowed his eyes.
"Miss Su… Who is she? And why does she want the 7th-stage beast bone?"
A dangerous glint appeared in his eyes.
"If she wants it… then I must get it before she does."
A new voice shattered the tense silence.
"20,000 spirit stones."
The entire auction hall was stunned.
Now, who would dare to compete?
Miss Su's sharp gaze turned toward the speaker—a masked figure standing calmly in the shadows.
Her brows furrowed.
"Who is this boy? Why can't I sense his cultivation?"
Miss Su, a powerful cultivator herself, had never encountered someone whose level she couldn't perceive.
Behind his mask, Li Wei smiled. He had used an ancient incantation to conceal his cultivation. No one could see through it.
The bidding continued.
30,000… 35,000… 40,000 spirit stones…
At last, Li Wei won the bid.
But the moment the auctioneer declared him the winner, a deep pain hit his heart.
"So many spirit stones… I may be powerful, but my wallet is weak!"
As he handed over the payment, he sighed internally. "It's worth it."
Miss Su, still watching from her seat, narrowed her eyes.
"You'll remember me, boy."
Meanwhile, the young master from earlier was fuming with rage. His face turned red as he stormed out with his men.
As Li Wei took possession of the auctioned item and prepared to leave, he decided to examine Miss Su's cultivation.
Focusing all his power, he activated his incantation.
But what he saw… shook him to his core.
For a moment, an image formed in his mind—
Miss Su's true form stood before him. Compared to her, he looked like a mere child.
His entire body went cold. A suffocating pressure engulfed him.
His instincts screamed: "Run!"
Without wasting a second, Li Wei grabbed his bag and rushed out of the auction house.
His mind raced. "What… was that? Just how powerful is she?!"
One thing was certain.
Miss Su was no ordinary cultivator.
Li Wei quietly left the auction house, making sure no one was following him.
But just as he thought he was safe—
Boom!
A massive spiritual attack struck the house he was staying in. The entire building collapsed in an instant. Flames and dust filled the air.
Li Wei barely escaped the explosion, his heart pounding.
In the sky, four or five cultivators hovered—each one at the 5th stage.
But the real threat stood in front of them—a 6th-stage cultivator.
He was a middle-aged man, but his aura spoke of over 300 years of experience.
His cold laughter was fixed on Li Wei.
"Boy, hand over the bones. Otherwise, I'll make sure you suffer before you die."
Li Wei clenched his fists. His mind raced.
"A 6th-stage cultivator… in the Eastern Region? Who are these people?"
Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw her.
Miss Su.
She stood in the distance, her expression unreadable.
In that moment, Li Wei understood everything.
These people weren't from the Eastern Region.
And Miss Su… she wasn't here by coincidence.
He exhaled slowly and looked toward the attackers.
"I won those bones fair and square. Why attack me?"
The middle-aged man laughed. "In the world of cultivation, boy, rules don't matter. Power does."
Li Wei smiled. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear."
His eyes burned with fighting intent.
If power was all that mattered, then he would show them his.
Li Wei's mind was sharp, his body tense, as he saw the 6th-stage cultivator raise his hand.
"Heaven-Shattering Palm!"
A terrifying pressure filled the sky.
The attack tore through the air, heading straight for him.
But Li Wei's eyes burned with defiance.
"I will never bow!"
With a roar, he raised his hand—
"Cloud Wind Palm!"
A monstrous palm formed from wind and clouds appeared in the sky, crackling with immense force.
The moment the two attacks collided—
Boom!
The entire ground shook.
A powerful shockwave tore through the city, ripping the earth apart.
A massive crater formed, dust and debris flying everywhere.
When the dust finally settled—
Li Wei had vanished.
The cultivators searched like madmen, but he was already gone.
The 6th-stage cultivator coughed up blood. His body trembled from the shock.
"Impossible… A brat at the fourth stage… actually injured me?!"
The others looked at each other, their faces pale.
"What's happening in this world?" one of them whispered.
A fourth-stage cultivator injuring a sixth-stage one? It was unheard of.
From the shadows, Miss Su had watched it all.
Her lips curled into a mysterious smile.
"Interesting… Very interesting."
Far away, Li Wei was already on the move.
He had just done something no one thought possible.
But now, he needed to recover.
Yet there was something else.
Behind the serpent… there was another cave.
As if it were hiding something… or guiding someone.
---
Li Wei did not enter.
Instead, he stepped back, thinking of a plan.
And then… he smiled.
A few minutes later—
A giant demonic beast crashed through the forest.
A colossal bear-type beast at the peak of the 5th stage.
Li Wei had led it straight to the cave.
"Perfect."
The moment the bear entered the cave,
The serpent awoke.
Its golden eyes lit up with pure fury.
HISSSSSSSSS!
The battle began.
Li Wei watched as the two titans clashed.
This was his chance.
Using the beasts as cover, he vanished into the shadows…
And descended deeper into the unknown.
Li Wei's eyes gleamed at the sight before him.
Inside the cave was a mountain of golden sand, surrounded by countless demonic beast bones.
"So this is what the serpent was guarding…"
A deep smile curled on his lips.
"Risking my life wasn't for nothing after all."
Without hesitation, he took everything.
---
Meanwhile—
The fight between the bear and the serpent had reached its peak.
The bear, already badly wounded, roared as it prepared one last desperate strike.
But before it could land the blow—
Something pierced straight through its chest.
Li Wei's eyes narrowed.
The serpent's tail, sharp like a spear, had impaled the bear.
With a horrifying hiss, the serpent dragged the lifeless bear toward its open mouth.
It almost looked like it was smirking, mocking its fallen prey.
"Who dares challenge death?"
In a single gulp—
The serpent devoured the bear whole.
---
But Li Wei was ready.
His fingers formed a sword seal.
"Space-Splitting Ring Sword Technique!"
A massive blade of energy erupted from his hands.
Like a divine judgment, it tore through the air—
And slashed straight at the serpent.
A painful roar shook the cave.
The serpent staggered, heavily wounded.
But Li Wei clicked his tongue.
"Damn. If I were at the 6th stage, I would've sliced you in half."
The serpent's rage ignited.
As it reeled back, its golden eyes blazed with fury—
Then its mouth began to fill with poison.
"Not good."
That venom—one drop could kill him instantly.
Li Wei moved first.
He launched another devastating strike.
At the same time, the serpent unleashed its venom.
BOOM!
The two forces collided.
A violent explosion rocked the entire cave.
Li Wei was sent flying, blood dripping from his lips.
As he tried to steady himself, his vision blurred.
But when the dust settled—
His heart stopped.
The serpent was still standing.
Unscathed.
It locked eyes with him.
Li Wei clenched his fists.
"Damn it…"
He braced for the next attack—
But then…
The serpent trembled.
Its body wavered.
And then—
BOOM.
It collapsed.
A moment of silence.
Then—
A devilish grin spread across Li Wei's face.
"Heh."
"Looks like I win."
Exhausted, Li Wei dropped to the ground.
He hadn't eaten anything good in days.
With a soft chuckle, he roasted the serpent's meat over a fire.
"Heh, a 6th-stage demonic beast… now this is a proper meal."
He tore into the meat, his body instinctively absorbing its essence.
But he knew—
This meal was only the beginning.
Now that he had gathered all the materials, it was time for the real tempering to begin.
Bone-Crushing Pill.
He took it out, stared at it for a moment—
And then swallowed it whole.
And then—
A blood-curdling scream echoed through the cave.
CRACK!
His bones shattered.
The pain was beyond death.
One by one, his old bones broke and pushed out of his body.
Even the bones of 7th, 6th, and 5th stage beasts—
They were crushed and cast aside, making way for something new.
His screams shook the entire forest.
And then—
The golden sand began to seep into his newly forming bones.
"Ah!"
This pain—
It was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
His vision blurred.
He was on the brink of losing consciousness.
But—
Slash!
Li Wei cut his own hand, tearing open the flesh.
The pain jolted his senses back.
He refused to pass out.
---
Time passed slowly.
His bones broke and reformed—again and again.
By the end—
He collapsed.
His clothes were torn to shreds.
His breathing was ragged.
But—
A massive surge of power raced through his veins.
And then—
Thunder!
A sharp flash of lightning split the sky.
Li Wei's eyes flew open.
The core of the 6th-stage beast in his hand suddenly shattered—
Its energy pouring into him.
And then—
BOOM!
The heavens cracked open.
The sky itself watched.
---
Some powers were so forbidden they shattered the very laws of the world.
And when that happened—
Heaven's punishment came as lightning.
CRACKABOOM!
A massive bolt of lightning struck Li Wei.
He stood his ground.
His eyes burned with defiance.
"I will kneel before no one."
"Even if the heavens stand in my way—"
"I will not die."
BOOM!
Another bolt of lightning fell.
But Li Wei struck back with a fierce wind attack.
Again the lightning came.
Li Wei answered.
The battle raged—
Eight times.
Each strike more destructive than the last.
And then—
BOOM!
The sky split open.
Heaven unleashed one final, monstrous bolt of lightning.
Li Wei clenched his fists.
"COME!"
He poured everything he had into one last attack—
Unleashing a storm unlike anything ever seen.
The entire forest shook.
Demonic beasts trembled in fear.
And when the dust settled—
Li Wei was on his knees.
Blood dripped from his mouth.
His body screamed in agony.
But then—
He slowly stood.
A devilish grin spread across his face.
"Is that all you've got?"
Li Wei's laughter echoed through the forest—a sound filled with madness and triumph.
The storm had passed.
But in its place—
A new monster had been born.
"One day…"
His voice was a whisper to the heavens.
"…even the sky will tremble before me."
And then—
His body collapsed.
---
Dragging himself back into the cave, he swallowed several healing pills.
The pain was unbearable.
His entire body felt like it had been reborn through fire.
But after some time—
He emerged once more.
This time, something was different.
"Stronger…"
His body felt indestructible.
He clenched his fists and stared at them.
No spiritual energy.
No cultivation technique.
Just his bare hands.
He raised one and struck the ground—
BOOM!
The earth split in two.
A massive explosion, caused by nothing but his fist.
The ground was torn apart—
A sight that defied logic.
Li Wei stared at his hand, stunned.
"I… did that?"
For the first time—
He realized something terrifying.
He no longer needed spiritual energy to destroy.
Even without it—
He was a walking disaster.
Li Wei finally understood why body tempering was so agonizing.
"This pain…"
He clenched his fists.
"…is nothing compared to the power it brings."
His whole body felt invincible.
And this was only the first star of body tempering.
If he tempered all nine stars...
If he mastered this technique…
"No one in heaven or earth could stand above me."
A mad grin spread across his face.
But then—
He felt a stirring within him.
His spiritual energy—
It was no longer just energy.
It had turned to liquid.
The mythical liquid realm.
Something far beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators.
He focused it into a single attack.
A casual flick.
Just one strike.
And then—
BOOM!
Half the forest was obliterated with a single blow.
Li Wei stood amidst the devastation, his body brimming with power.
He slowly lifted his head, his gaze piercing the sky.
A smile curved on his lips.
"Is that all?"
His voice was quiet, but it carried the weight of dominion.
The sky, which had once struck him down with lightning, was now silent.
As if watching.
As if hesitating.
A cold wind blew through the remnants of the forest.
Li Wei clenched his fist.
"One day…"
His eyes burned with unshakable resolve.
"…even the heavens will bow before me."
And with that, he turned and walked forward—
Toward a future where he would conquer destiny itself.