Five days had passed.
"I thought you fools could handle a mere child," sneered a young master seated upon an ornate throne. Before him, two men knelt, their heads bowed in fear, sweat beading on their foreheads.
"Forgive us, young master!" one of them pleaded. "We don't know how he survived, but we swear—we will kill him this time!"
The young master's gaze darkened. "I want to see that boy's corpse in front of me. Fail again, and you won't live to beg for mercy."
Meanwhile, far from the confrontation, Li Wei had arrived in a bustling city. As he wandered its streets, he noticed a large crowd rushing in one direction. Curious, he followed.
At the center of the commotion, a young man was being mercilessly beaten by a group of thugs. His sister stood nearby, her face full of defiance.
"Where did you and your sister get these treasures from?" one of the attackers growled. "Tell us, or we'll beat you to death!"
The young man spat blood on the ground, laughing despite his injuries. "Why should I tell you?"
Just then, a sharp gust of wind swept through the street. In an instant, the siblings vanished.
The thugs recoiled in shock. "What just—how did they disappear?"
A moment later, the siblings appeared atop a distant rooftop. They looked toward Li Wei, who had quietly intervened.
"Thank you, young master," the girl said, bowing her head in gratitude. Then she hesitated before revealing a delicate flower in her palm—a vivid red bloom radiating intense heat.
Li Wei's eyes narrowed. "A fourth-grade Fire Flower?" He leaned closer, and his heart skipped a beat. No, this wasn't just any Fire Flower—this was a Divine Fourth-Grade Flame Bloom.
If word of this treasure spread, the entire Eastern Region would descend into chaos. The three most powerful forces would descend upon this place, and rivers of blood would flow.
"You saved our lives, so we want you to have this," the girl said, pressing the flower into his hands.
Li Wei was speechless for a moment. They're giving me such a rare treasure… just like that?
"Where did you find it?" he asked.
The siblings looked at each other, then answered cautiously. "There's a cave in the nearby forest. We found it there."
Li Wei's gaze sharpened. "Take me there."
Without hesitation, they led him deep into the forest.
Li Wei arrived at the cave. As he stepped inside, his breath caught in his throat.
A Nine-Headed Flame Lion.
It lay coiled in the darkness, its massive body rising and falling with slow, labored breaths. Flames shimmered across its fur, casting terrifying shadows on the cave walls. Even in slumber, its presence radiated pure dread.
A ninth-stage demonic beast in the Eastern Region?
Li Wei's instincts screamed at him to run. Creatures of this level weren't supposed to exist here. Yet as he looked closer, he saw deep wounds across the lion's body—its flesh torn, its flames dim.
It was injured… badly. Had it been fleeing from something?
The siblings stood behind him, their voices hushed in awe.
"Young master, this is where we found the flower," the boy whispered. "But the lion wasn't here before."
Before Li Wei could respond, a sudden movement came from behind.
A flash of steel.
The boy gasped.
Blood dripped from his lips.
As he turned slightly, his eyes widened in confusion, seeing Li Wei pulling back his hand—his fingers stained red.
"Why…?" the boy choked.
Li Wei's gaze was cold. "If you speak, others will find out. I can't allow that."
The boy collapsed onto the stone floor, motionless.
His sister screamed and rushed to his side. "Brother!" She cradled his limp body, hands trembling. "Young master… is my brother…?"
Li Wei remained silent.
Tears welled in her eyes. Before she could say more, a low growl echoed through the cave.
The Nine-Headed Flame Lion had awakened.
Its molten eyes fixed on the fallen boy. With a hungry moan, its jaws opened wide—
And in one bite, it devoured him.
The girl's scream echoed through the cavern.
Li Wei exhaled slowly, watching the beast chew. His expression was unreadable.
This is the world of cultivation. The weak are nothing but food for the strong.
Li Wei exited the cave, his face solemn. The girl clutched his sleeve, her voice trembling.
"Young master… my brother… is he…?"
He looked at her, heart heavy. A single tear rolled down her cheek.
"I… I tried," he whispered. "But I couldn't save him."
It was a lie.
The girl collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. The weight of her loss crushed her, shaking her fragile frame. Li Wei knelt beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I promised your brother I would look after you," he said softly. "And I will."
She looked at him, her tear-streaked face filled with sorrow. Now, she had no choice but to trust him.
That night, he fed her, making sure she ate before resting. As she drifted into a restless sleep, he sat nearby, lost in deep thought.
One day, I will be proud of myself… he thought. I'll become strong enough that no one I care about will ever have to die again.
Suddenly—
Boom!
A devastating explosion shook the ground.
Li Wei's instincts flared as he turned. A lethal ambush had begun. The night sky lit up with spiritual energy.
A voice called out from the darkness.
"I didn't expect you to survive the last attack."
Figures emerged from the shadows. Five cultivators, their faces hidden, their presence radiating murderous intent.
Then, from above—five more.
Ten fifth-stage cultivators.
All here to kill him.
Li Wei clenched his fists, energy surging. His body had been tempered. His spiritual power had reached a liquid state.
Let them come.
One of the masked assassins vanished into the shadows, reappearing silently behind Li Wei with deadly precision.
With a cold glint of steel, the assassin struck at Li Wei's neck with his dagger.
Clang!
The blade stopped.
It didn't pierce the skin. No blood spilled. It felt as if it had struck solid iron.
Everyone was stunned.
Li Wei flashed them a dangerously calm smile.
The attacker recoiled in fear, but before he could react, Li Wei's hand plunged into his chest.
The man began to bleed profusely.
His eyes turned bloodshot as Li Wei ripped his heart out.
The man collapsed, but his heart remained clenched in Li Wei's hand. Then, blood spurted everywhere as Li Wei squeezed it hard, blasting it into pieces.
Li Wei's smile widened.
A cold laugh echoed through the forest.
The remaining assassins felt their breath catch. Fear gripped their souls.
"A fourth-stage cultivator... just killed a fifth-stage expert? Just like that?" one whispered in disbelief.
The leader gritted his teeth, trying to suppress his fear. "Attack together! Kill him!"
With a battle cry, they charged.
Li Wei laughed louder.
He leapt into the fray.
Slash. Scream. Blood painted the earth.
Within moments, bodies lay twisted around him, their lives snuffed out like candles in the wind.
Only one remained—their leader.
The man trembled, knees nearly buckling. His sword shook in his grasp.
"You... you're a monster," he stammered. Li Wei lowered his head, an inhuman gleam in his eyes. The dagger in his hand glinted under the moonlight. One final, bone-chilling scream echoed through the forest. Then—silence.
Unaware of the bloodbath, the girl remained fast asleep.
As the first rays of dawn pierced through the trees, she stirred. Blinking, she rubbed her eyes and looked around.
Then, she saw him.
Li Wei sat by the fire, carefully flipping chunks of meat over the open flame. The rich aroma of roasted flesh filled the air.
She sat up. "Brother, what are you doing?"
Li Wei glanced at her and smiled. "You're awake. And stop calling me 'young master.' Call me brother instead."
She nodded. "Okay, brother. But... what are you cooking?"
He broke off a piece of meat and tossed it to her. "Try it."
She hesitated, but took a bite. Her eyes widened. "Oh... it tastes different, but it's actually really good!"
Li Wei chuckled. "Good. Eat."
Not far away, just beyond the flickering firelight, a skeletal hand lay half-buried in the soil. Nearby, a bloodstained dagger gleamed in the morning light.
In the depths of darkness, two figures stood still, eyes locked on a trembling man before them. The air was thick with tension.
A sharp slap echoed through the chamber. The trembling man staggered but didn't dare raise his head.
"You couldn't kill a single man?" the smaller of the two figures sneered, voice cold and full of contempt.
The taller figure sighed softly. "Even with ten men against him, you lost. Has his cultivation returned?" A hint of unease crept into his voice. "This is troubling."
Just then, hurried footsteps echoed.
A man rushed in, panting. "Lord! Young master!" He bowed quickly, face pale. "We found this dagger at the site of last night's battle."
The lord took the bloodstained dagger and infused it with spiritual energy. As he sensed its aura, his face twisted in horror. His breath caught.
Then, as if struck by an invisible force, he stumbled and fell to the ground.
His body trembled violently. Sweat streamed from his forehead. His lips quivered.
"A... monster..." he choked out, voice barely a whisper.
As the others poured their spiritual energy into the dagger, a vision materialized before their eyes—a game of death.
In the ghostly image, a figure emerged amidst the carnage, his presence suffocating, his laugh ice-cold. A demon.
He surged forward like a storm, tearing through his enemies with ruthless precision. Blood-drenched earth, corpses falling like leaves in a gale. Those who dared oppose him were crushed without mercy.
The young master gasped. "W-What is this? Has he truly become such a monster?" His voice trembled, but his eyes burned with curiosity.
The larger figure narrowed his gaze. "No..." he murmured. "This is something even deeper."
A smile curved his lips. "It seems his cultivation has returned after all. And this... is something we should be very worried about."
A spark of unspoken tension crackled in the air as they realized Li Wei was no longer just a threat.
He was a harbinger.
The elder exhaled sharply, tightening his grip on the dagger. His face darkened.
"We must tread very carefully with him now," he muttered. "We cannot allow him to grow stronger."
The young master clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms. "If he continues down this path... he will become unstoppable."
A heavy silence settled between them, the weight of realization sinking in. The dagger's visions still burned in their minds—Li Wei standing among corpses, his laughter echoing like a death knell.
Finally, the elder spoke, voice urgent. "Send the message. Gather our best assassins. If we don't kill him now, it will be too late."
Dark clouds gathered overhead, as if the heavens themselves sensed the storm that was about to come.