Feng Qi would never return to that place. His ties with the Feng Clan had been completely severed. If he ever returned, it would be to destroy the clan. Of course, he knew that the Feng Clan had its base in Qingyao City, but in this vast world, the Feng Clan was nothing more than a drop in the ocean.
If fate allowed it, he would leave Qingyao City as quickly as possible. In his heart, he had already decided on his next destination: the Chenyang Empire, in the Far East. Even so, Qingyao City was home to many powerful sects. Perhaps he could obtain something from these forces. Who knew? Perhaps a Legendary Master might take an interest in his persistence?
Feng Qi ran without stopping. He did not head toward the place where he usually lived, nor did he take the road leading to Qingyao. That would have been foolish. The guards were clearly pursuing him.
After crossing a vast grassland where cattle were usually raised, Feng Qi plunged into the forest without worrying about his direction. He heard footsteps, the clanging of armor, and shouts of command—the village guards were right behind him. The young man ran as though there were no tomorrow.
He was exhausted. Sweat poured down his face like a waterfall, and fatigue slowly overwhelmed him. But Feng Qi was no longer an ordinary person. Ordinary guards would never be able to catch him, and soon, he disappeared into the forest. Even so, he refused to rest. He knew that those experts could find him at any moment—and when that happened, it would mean death. So, he continued running.
Gradually, his body adapted to the intensity. Feng Qi felt his speed and endurance improving. He realized that he could maintain this pace for a long time.
After crossing a dense forest, the sky suddenly opened up. The path ended at a narrow valley, where a stream meandered peacefully between the rocks below. The drop was considerable—a normal person would certainly die from such a fall. Feng Qi hesitated, fear tightening around his heart. Then, upon hearing the footsteps of his pursuers behind him, his determination strengthened. A bead of sweat slid down his face as he stared at the stream below and swallowed hard.
Without thinking twice, he jumped.
As he fell into the water, he sank beneath the surface and disturbed the riverbed. His goal was to completely throw off his pursuers. His body trembled from the impact, but he felt no pain—at least not under the effects of adrenaline.
Feng Qi held his breath and swam with the current, tirelessly, for a long time. He remembered how, when he was still a mortal, he could barely remain submerged for a few seconds. Now, as an Immortal cultivator, he swam for nearly five minutes without breathing—and felt that he could go even farther.
After nearly thirteen minutes, Feng Qi finally surfaced in the middle of the river. He was exhausted, but his eyes immediately scanned his surroundings, alert for any danger. After floating with the current for some time and confirming that the area was safe, he swam toward the shore.
His body was strangely warm. He did not quite understand why, but the warmth gave him strength. Getting up, he moved forward through the dense vegetation.
The sky quickly darkened as storm clouds formed, and soon, the rain poured down heavily. Feng Qi continued forward without knowing exactly where he was or whether he was heading in the right direction. Fear began to overwhelm him—he might already be completely lost. Finally, he found shelter in a shallow cave to protect himself from the rain.
After carefully examining his surroundings, Feng Qi let out a long, weary sigh inside the small cave. He sat down and reflected on everything that had happened.
It was clear that everything had been a setup. Feng Qi felt a deep sadness—sadness that Li Yuhuan had abandoned him, sadness that she herself had sentenced him to death. In the end, he had no choice but to leave the village much earlier than he had originally planned.
Now, lost in the vast wilderness, strengthening himself was an urgent priority. Dangerous beasts could be lurking nearby. Although this region was considered relatively peaceful, it still housed creatures capable of threatening someone at his level.
This very cave, for example, could have been the lair of a wild bear—or even a Demon Beast. That would have been extremely dangerous.
Fortunately, the place showed no signs of habitation. Feng Qi relaxed a little. Outside, the rain fell heavily as he breathed slowly and deeply.
The silence around him was oppressive.
Leaning his back against the cold rock, Feng Qi took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling. The Qi he had compressed for days finally broke free from its restraint. It was like a dam bursting, flooding every muscle, bone, and drop of blood.
The moment he released control, the change was immediate.
A violent wave of heat erupted from his abdomen, spreading throughout his body in brutal waves. His muscles contracted like stretched ropes, his bones cracking as if being hammered from within. The pain was not sudden—it was deep, continuous, and suffocating.
Feng Qi clenched his teeth.
His vital energy, or Qi, traveled through his newly opened meridians, scraping against their inner walls and forcibly purifying the impurities within them. His blood accelerated, pulsing with a heavier and steadier rhythm. With every heartbeat, something inside him became denser and more resilient.
Then, at the height of the pain, came silence.
The heat stabilized. The pressure disappeared like the receding tide. Feng Qi could feel the ground beneath his feet more clearly, while the air filled his lungs with unprecedented depth. His senses sharpened; even the distant rustling of leaves sounded strangely clear.
He slowly opened his eyes.
The Second Layer of Body Refinement had been reached.
But Feng Qi knew that this was not merely a breakthrough. It was a desperate measure.
Lost in the wilderness and surrounded by numerous dangers, he would need to raise his level even further. Otherwise, survival would be far too risky.
He could feel it clearly: his body was much stronger now. His skin rippled briefly before becoming firmer, possessing a resilience similar to durable rubber. His endurance had improved considerably.
Suddenly, something stirred in his stomach and rose upward. Feng Qi bent over and spat. What came out were bodily impurities—dark, foul-smelling waste expelled during Body Refinement. His body was becoming purer.
Clenching his fist, Feng Qi felt a tremendous increase in strength. He realized that he could now wander through the forest without fearing ordinary Demon Beasts.
A foul odor emanated from his body as impurities seeped from his pores.
After advancing, Feng Qi did not move. He remained seated, guiding the newly born Qi until his body completely stabilized.
He reviewed the fight once more, absorbing the experience and reflecting on the techniques. Feng Chen was more experienced, but his arrogance—and Feng Qi's own adaptability—had decided the outcome. The brutal strength within his body at that moment had allowed him to inflict devastating damage.
Under normal circumstances, such a feat would have been impossible. The difference between their cultivation layers alone would have prevented him from causing any significant damage.
Feng Qi understood his greatest weakness.
Martial techniques.
"I need combat techniques. Cultivating without knowing how to fight makes no sense. At the very least, I need to know how to defend myself."
After nearly an hour of stabilizing his Qi, Feng Qi decided to leave. The rain was still falling outside, darkness persisted, and water poured down incessantly. Even so, he continued forward, once again entering the forest.
Staying in that place was very dangerous—his pursuers could still be searching for him. He would not allow himself to be captured after everything he had suffered.
Two hours later, the rain finally stopped, but night had already fallen. Moonlight guided his path through the darkness. It was dangerous, but Feng Qi feared being captured more than facing Demon Beasts. He could fight or flee from the beasts—but facing true experts would be tantamount to suicide.
Despite the night, the moon illuminated his path. Hungry and exhausted, he tried to light a fire later, but the soaked branches would not catch. With no other choice, he continued onward, his steps firm and his gaze resolute.
After walking for nearly three hours through the silent night, exhaustion overcame him. He rested beneath a tree and slowly fell asleep.
Nightmares consumed him.
He was running again—desperately. Footsteps, torches, and shouting voices echoed around him. His body felt as though it had been abandoned, unable to move forward.
A shadow appeared behind him.
A sword pierced his chest.
Feng Qi suddenly woke up.
…
It was only a dream.
He exhaled in relief, although his body was still trembling. After carefully checking his surroundings and finding no danger, he finally relaxed.
Morning came.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, falling gently upon the damp ground. The air was thick with the scent of earth and sap. Birds sang all around him, while insects crawled slowly among the leaves.
Feng Qi took a deep breath. He could feel it—the area was filled with energy.
Slowing his pace, he hid among the bushes and began absorbing Qi. The day would be long. He sensed that he might not find his way out easily. Walking through the forest at night had thrown him off course.
He had to remain calm.
This forest was vast, but there were territories belonging to other clans and families nearby. Finding pastures would mean that there were people nearby.
However, after wandering through hills and forests for hours, he found nothing. Only endless trees, ridges, and peaks stretched as far as the eye could see.
He had no idea where he was.
Later, while eating roasted rabbit by the fire, Feng Qi finally became full.
"Now that I think about it… my technique manuals were left behind…"
He missed those three books. Without them, he could only refine what he already knew.
After eating, he crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and looked inward. He felt the energy flowing into his body, the Qi refining him little by little.
Suddenly, a sweet and intense fragrance filled the air—rich with Qi.
"What is that?"
Nearby, a creeping grass spread beneath the trees, giving off a fragrant aroma.
"This is…"
Feng Qi did not realize it, but temptation overcame him. He picked a few leaves and ate them.
The effect was immediate.
This was the Ascending Qi Herb.
As he chewed, the surrounding Qi responded, flowing into his body with unprecedented smoothness.
"Incredible… this grass contains an astonishing amount of Qi!"
Among the damp stones, the blue-green grass swayed gently, pulsing with energy. Feng Qi had discovered a treasure. He gathered it and consumed it in large quantities.
"So, this is what Spiritual Herbs are…"
Hours later, he felt a barrier forming.
"The Third Layer!"
The speed surprised him. The Sanskrit Armor clearly concealed secrets beyond his understanding. His talent had been fundamentally altered—this was no longer the aptitude of an ordinary Immortal.
However, being cautious, Feng Qi chose not to break through immediately. Instead, he continued improving his foundation, strengthening himself even further.
While he was cultivating, a sudden boom echoed through the forest.
Feng Qi immediately assumed a defensive stance.
From behind the bushes, a presence suddenly leaped out—
A Black-Fanged Wolf.
"A Demon Beast!"
What Feng Qi feared had finally happened. The beast was furious, clearly enraged by the young man's presence. Feng Qi knew that Demon Beasts were extremely territorial and often protected everything they considered a treasure. And, indeed, this beast was protecting precisely the area where the Ascending Qi Herb grew. Such a place was vital to its evolution—it would never allow an intruder to harvest its riches.
The beast let out another deafening roar and charged straight toward Feng Qi. He narrowly dodged, but its agility was impressive. With a powerful leap, it twisted its body in the air and then leaped again, striking Feng Qi head-on.
He was sent flying away from the bushes. Fortunately, there was nothing behind him—if there had been rocks or tree trunks, his injuries could have been severe.
Feng Qi was visibly shaken, but he knew that facing situations like this was necessary to become stronger. Cultivating alone had no meaning; one had to learn to manipulate the energy within the body, understand one's own limits, and eventually develop one's own techniques.
The beast stared at him, as if waiting for the intruder to flee. Feng Qi had no intention of doing so. Instead, he launched another attack. As he approached, the beast snapped its jaws, but Feng Qi nimbly dodged, creating distance while carefully observing its attack pattern.
In his previous battle, he had studied Feng Chen's movements and, through quick reasoning, learned to counterattack by reading his opponent's movements.
Fighting a Demon Beast of the same level was easier than fighting a warrior of an equivalent cultivation level.
This Black-Fanged Wolf was a Demon Beast of the First Layer of the Body Refinement Realm. Generally, Demon Beasts possessed greater raw physical strength than cultivators of the same level, but lacked the refined techniques and combat abilities of human warriors.
Strangely, Feng Qi adapted to the beast's attack patterns with remarkable speed. This allowed him to understand his own movements more clearly—he was, in fact, beginning to form his own fighting style.
He dodged repeatedly. Bites, claws, charges, and even strange howls followed—sounds whose purpose Feng Qi could not discern. Those howls were far from strong enough to cause real damage; a true sonic attack would require a roar powerful enough to make the ground tremble.
As soon as he became accustomed to the beast's patterns, Feng Qi took advantage of an opening. He advanced and struck with his clenched fist, aiming at the most vulnerable part of the beast's body.
Demon Beasts were simply animals that had awakened to cultivation. They were still beasts—irrational creatures with essentially the same anatomy as ordinary animals. Feng Qi had slaughtered countless animals for the village and knew exactly which areas were most vulnerable.
Taking advantage of the momentum of the charge, he struck the beast's side, just behind the ribs. The impact knocked the breath out of the animal and broke its composure. Feng Qi gave it no time to recover—he immediately grabbed its neck and twisted it. He knew this was possible; after all, a Black-Fanged Wolf was still smaller than a dairy calf. This was a technique he had used countless times while slaughtering cattle in the village.
Although the beast was stronger than a bull, Feng Qi's strength now far surpassed that of an ordinary human.
He quickly restrained the Demon Beast and used all his strength to strangle it. They rolled violently across the ground while a hoarse growl escaped from the wolf's throat. Its limbs thrashed desperately, claws glinting—and at that moment, they scratched Feng Qi's right arm.
Feng Qi immediately released the wolf and jumped backward. Blood poured abundantly from his arm. He gritted his teeth as a bead of sweat slid down his face. Grabbing a beast with claws and allowing it to thrash about was the same as offering yourself up to suffer deep cuts.
Four deep scars marked Feng Qi's arm, with blood pouring incessantly. The beast staggered, trying to regain its balance, collapsing and struggling to stand.
Desperate, Feng Qi attacked again and delivered a powerful closed-fist strike to the beast's throat. The creature let out one final howl and thrashed violently once more. Feng Qi did not stop until the Demon Beast was completely dead.