Wu Kai remained kneeling among the three bodies, the metallic smell of fresh blood permeating the air. His eyes still shone in a deep red, but the murderous fury was gradually giving way to a cold and calculating calm.
He extended his hands over Liu Wei's chest, the leader of the three.
"I can't waste it…"
The flow began.
This time, it was different. Human blood was far richer and more compatible than that of beasts. As soon as Wu Kai activated the Blood Spiritual Physique, red streams poured out of the bodies like furious rivers, snaking through the air before being sucked directly into his palms. It wasn't a slow dripping, it was a torrent.
Liu Wei's blood entered first. Hot, dense, and filled with cultivated vitality. Wu Kai felt each drop being instantly refined within his body, strengthening muscles, bones, and, most importantly, his own blood. The sensation was intense, almost addictive. Much faster and more efficient than absorbing beasts.
He moved his hands to Chen Bo, then to Zhang Ming. The three streams merged, forming a great red current that spun around Wu Kai like a vortex. His body trembled slightly as he absorbed everything with greed.
"It's… much faster." He murmured, voice hoarse.
As the blood entered, his mind also worked.
It was the first time he had killed humans. On Earth, he had never even imagined such a situation. He was an ordinary, calm young man who avoided trouble. Killing someone would have been unthinkable, a horrible crime that would haunt him forever. But here…
Here was different.
This was a world where the strong devoured the weak. A world where excessive mercy meant death. These three had beaten the previous Wu Kai to death for no reason at all, just for fun. And today, they tried to do the same again. If he didn't have the spiritual physique, it would have been him lying cold on the ground.
"Right…" Wu Kai thought, closing his eyes as the blood continued to flow.
"I won't go around killing everyone who crosses my path. I'm not a mindless monster. But if they want to kill me or harm me… I have to act firmly. Or next time it will be me on the ground."
He opened his eyes. Determination shone in them, mixed with the red of blood.
"This world is cruel. I can no longer think like a young man from Earth. Here, hesitation means death."
The absorption continued. The bodies of the three disciples shriveled rapidly, their skin turning pale and dry. In a few minutes, almost all the blood had been devoured. Wu Kai felt a powerful wave of energy run through his entire body. His wounds, the deep cut on his chest, the torn shoulder, and the injured ribs, closed at an astonishing speed. The skin regenerated before his eyes, leaving only pinkish marks that gradually disappeared.
He stood up, flexing his fingers. His body was completely recovered. In fact, he felt even better than before the fight.
"It's going much faster than I thought." he commented out loud, looking at the dried corpses.
"Having a special physique is truly a rare talent. I can cultivate much faster than others just by absorbing blood."
A satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
"I'll reach the fourth stage well before the month ends. Maybe, if I continue like this, I can reach the fifth or even the sixth stage before returning to the sect."
Excitement filled his chest. What once seemed impossible, escaping expulsion and becoming someone strong, now felt increasingly real. He had a talent. A power that no one else in the sect possessed. And he was only beginning to explore it.
Wu Kai looked one last time at the three lifeless bodies on the ground. He felt no guilt. Only a faint coldness. They chose this path. They chose to attack someone they considered trash. Now they paid the price.
"They'll probably be eaten by forest beasts in a few hours." He thought, shrugging.
"There's no reason to bury them or hide them." The forest takes care of the rest."
He wiped the dagger on Liu Wei's clothes, stored it at his waist, and took a deep breath of the damp air of the clearing. The sun was still high, filtering through the tree canopies. There was enough time to continue hunting.
"Let's get back to work."
Wu Kai turned his back on the corpses and plunged back into the dense forest. His steps were lighter, more confident. The fear he had felt in the first days had diminished greatly. Now, what he felt was anticipation, the same excitement he had felt when fighting the black leopard.
During the following hours, he hunted with renewed focus. He found and killed three more beasts, a long-fanged tiger, a mutant eagle with cutting wings, and a boar larger than the previous ones. Each fight was more efficient. His blood needles struck vital points with surgical precision. The dagger cut without wasting movement. And after each kill, he absorbed the blood immediately.
With each absorption, he felt his body getting closer to the fourth stage. The barrier was thin, almost transparent. It only needed a little more blood, a little more essence.
When the sun began to descend on the horizon, Wu Kai stopped near a stream to drink water. His body was dirty with dirt and blood, partly from beasts, partly still from the three disciples, but he felt more alive than ever.
He sat on a stone and looked at his own hands.
"I've changed." He murmured.
"And I will keep changing. If I want to survive and become strong in this world… I need to be like this."
He stood up, stretched his shoulders, and looked at the forest stretching ahead. The shadows were growing, but he was not afraid of the night.
"That's enough for today, I'll continue tomorrow."
With a determined smile, Wu Kai disappeared among the trees once again, choosing a tall trunk to remain and fall asleep.