The night draped itself over Dusk Hollow like a thick, oppressive blanket. Stars blinked weakly through the gloom, but Lin Ze barely noticed them. He stumbled back toward the village, every muscle in his body burning with exertion and the strange, residual energy of the system.
The system…The very thought of it made his skin prickle.
Each step he took felt heavier than the last, as if the world itself had changed weight around him. When he finally reached the village gates, he saw lanterns swinging wildly in the cold wind, and a group of villagers gathering with weapons—rusty swords, farming tools, even sharpened sticks—ready for a fight.
"Lin Ze!" a voice called out. It was Old Man Wu, the village head, hobbling forward with a cane in one hand and a shaking lantern in the other. "What in the heavens happened out there?"
Lin Ze opened his mouth to answer, but the words caught in his throat. How could he explain what had occurred? That he had fought a dire wolf alone? That something… impossible had awakened inside him?
Instead, he forced a tired smile. "It's handled. The beast is dead."
Gasps rippled through the crowd. A few villagers exchanged stunned glances, disbelief written all over their faces.
"Dead?" Wu squinted suspiciously. "A dire wolf? Those beasts… they're stronger than a dozen grown men. Are you injured?"
Lin Ze shook his head. "Some bruises, but nothing serious."
He could feel the villagers' stares. Fear, awe, and curiosity mingled in their eyes. No one in Dusk Hollow had ever been more than a basic cultivator—barely above commoners in strength. Killing a dire wolf was something only elite sect members should be capable of.
"You should rest, boy," Wu finally said, patting Lin Ze's shoulder gently. "Tomorrow... we'll talk more."
Lin Ze nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He was grateful for the reprieve.
As he trudged home under the watchful eyes of the village, a new window flickered into existence in his mind's eye.
[Quest Completed: Defeat the Dire Beast of Dusk Hollow]
Reward: 1,000 System Points. Additional Reward: Forbidden Arts - Beginner Tier unlocked.
Another window immediately followed:
[New Passive Ability Gained: Beast's Endurance]
+30% to Strength Recovery Speed
+20% Physical Resistance
+10% Regeneration
Lin Ze nearly stumbled again. These weren't small bonuses. Even a minor regeneration ability could mean the difference between life and death in a real fight.
He pushed open the door to his small home—a simple hut built from darkwood logs. Inside, it was cold and sparsely decorated. A small fire pit in the center gave off weak warmth. On the walls hung a few old farming tools and his father's broken sword, a relic from a time when the elder Lin had dreamed of cultivation and adventure before being crippled by injury.
Lin Ze sat down heavily next to the fire and exhaled, letting the silence wrap around him like a comforting shroud. His mind raced with possibilities.
Forbidden Arts...The words felt heavy, dangerous. Even in the most remote corners of the empire, people knew one thing: forbidden arts led to destruction. Cultivators who practiced them were often hunted down by major sects, labeled as demons, and erased from history.
But they also knew another truth: forbidden arts granted power beyond imagination.
"System," Lin Ze said aloud, testing the waters, "show me the Forbidden Arts."
Immediately, a new window appeared.
[Forbidden Arts – Beginner Tier Unlocked]
Soul Devourer Technique (Consume the souls of slain beasts to strengthen spirit foundation.)
Flesh Refinement Method (Use life essence to enhance physical body beyond normal limits.)
Dual Cultivation: Yin-Yang Harmony (Through intimate connection, enhance both physical and spiritual cultivation rates.)
Lin Ze's eyes widened.
Soul Devouring? Flesh Refinement?And… Dual Cultivation?
He had heard of dual cultivation in drunken stories at the village tavern, where lewd old men boasted of sects that combined pleasure and power. Lin Ze hadn't paid them much attention back then, dismissing them as mere fantasy. But now, seeing it listed plainly as a technique available to him, he realized the world was far more complex—and darker—than he'd ever imagined.
The possibilities stirred something inside him. A thirst he hadn't realized he had.
"Caution," the system's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Use of Forbidden Arts will attract attention from cultivators, sects, and celestial beings. Proceed wisely."
Lin Ze clenched his fists. He had no choice. Without strength, he was nothing. Here, even the village would one day turn on him if they realized he possessed something they could not control or understand.
He made his decision.
"I want to learn the Flesh Refinement Method," he said.
The system responded instantly.
[Flesh Refinement Method: Beginner Tier acquired.]
Using beast blood and life force, refine body tissues and bones.
Physical capabilities enhanced with each successful refinement.
Warning: Improper usage may result in mutation or death.
A sharp pain lanced through Lin Ze's chest as glowing red lines appeared across his skin, forming intricate runes before sinking into his flesh. He gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his forehead, as the knowledge of the technique flooded into him—how to draw out a beast's essence, how to temper his body in the flames of life and death.
When it was over, he collapsed back onto the floor, gasping for air. His entire body felt raw, as if his very muscles had been reforged.
"Tomorrow," he whispered to himself. "Tomorrow, I'll begin."
The carcass of the dire wolf still lay out there in the woods. Its blood, its essence—waiting for him.
And Lin Ze would not waste a single drop.
As sleep overtook him, the fire crackled softly, shadows dancing on the walls. Outside, the winds carried whispers from distant mountains, from forgotten sects, and from hidden forces watching the world below.
A storm was brewing.
And Lin Ze had just taken his first step into its heart.