The Storm Manor disciple's eyes burned with fury as he raised a jagged stone, his grip tightening with murderous intent.
"Die!" he roared, bringing the stone down toward Su Mu's bloodied, defenseless face.
But just before the strike could land, a firm hand caught his wrist mid-swing.
"Huh?!"
The disciple's eyes widened, shocked as he looked down to find his arm restrained. His gaze followed the hand up to the face of the one who dared interrupt him—a seemingly ordinary High Heaven Pavilion disciple with messy brown hair and calm, unreadable eyes.
Nie Yong.
"Pant... pant..." Su Mu's breath was ragged, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as he looked up through blurry vision, barely registering the figure that had just saved him.
"You've got guts, bastard," the Storm Manor disciple spat, wrenching his arm back and immediately swinging a fist at Nie Yong. "How dare you touch me?"
Nie Yong didn't even blink.
So slow… he thought, watching the oncoming punch as if it moved through molasses. With a simple tilt of his head, the fist missed him completely.
The Storm Manor disciple snarled and lashed out again—punches, kicks, elbow strikes—furious and wild.
But Nie Yong's feet flowed like water, his body swaying and turning at just the right moments. Every blow missed its mark.
The Storm Manor disciple roared in frustration. "Stop dodging, you fucking ant!"
He gathered all his strength, putting everything into a final, enraged strike. His muscles bulged, veins popped, and his fist tore through the air like a hammer.
Nie Yong's expression didn't change.
"Okay," he muttered.
In that split second, before the Storm Manor disciple's fist could reach him, Nie Yong stepped forward—and vanished.
A dull thud echoed through the forest as his own punch landed squarely in the disciple's gut.
The Storm Manor disciple's eyes bulged as his breath caught in his throat. The sheer force behind the blow lifted him clean off the ground. His body arched in mid-air before crashing several meters back, tumbling across the dirt like a broken puppet.
He groaned once—then passed out cold.
Silence.
For a heartbeat, no one moved.
Then chaos broke out among the surrounding Storm Manor disciples.
"He beat Cheng Shao Feng!"
"That guy's a monster!"
"We're no match for him—run!"
One by one, the Storm Manor kids turned and bolted, vanishing into the trees in a panicked scramble. The High Heaven Pavilion disciples who had been on the ground slowly sat up, staring in awe and disbelief at the young man who now stood tall in the center of the clearing.
Nie Yong exhaled calmly and cracked his knuckles.
Then, his eyes shifted toward Hu Mei'er.
Though Hu Mei'er was known for her seductive presence, she now looked nervous, her confident air cracking under the intensity of Nie Yong's stare.
He pointed at Cheng Shao Feng with a faint smirk playing on his lips. His tone, though calm, carried an ominous edge.
"Ohi... that guy... wasn't he... like the Initial Element genius of the Storm Manor?"
Hu Mei'er stiffened, her body instinctively tensing as his eyes bore into hers. She took an involuntary step back.
"Y-Y-Yes…" she stammered, caught completely off guard. "He's… Cheng Shao Feng… one of Storm Manor's most talented young cultivators…"
Nie Yong chuckled, the smirk on his lips widening as he walked past her, paying her no further attention. His eyes remained locked onto Cheng Shao Feng's crumpled figure.
Good… he thought as he approached the unconscious youth. More skills for me to copy.
He stopped just in front of Cheng Shao Feng and nudged the boy's body lightly with his foot, testing the limits of what kind of contact his divine ability needed to activate.
Then—
[Would you like to copy Cheng Shao Feng's abilities?]
Nie Yong's heart raced, but he kept his expression cold and indifferent.
Yes! he shouted inwardly, the thrill of using this divine ability pumping through his veins like fire.
[Copying in progress...]
[You have acquired Sword Talent (High)!]
[You have acquired Thunder Howling Sword Style!]
[You have acquired Storming Thunder Secret Art!]
A sword talent? Not bad! Nie Yong thought. I can make even better use of Yang Kai's Dark Abyssal Sword Art now.
The system didn't stop there.
[You have acquired Charm: Average!]
[Two charms identical have been detected! They will now merge into a superior rank.]
Nie Yong blinked. Charm merging? Right now?
[Merging…]
A sharp jolt of pain suddenly coursed through his body. Nie Yong gritted his teeth as subtle changes spread through him—not dramatic, but noticeable. His features shifted, refined just enough to draw second glances.
His eyebrows sharpened slightly, lending a more defined shape to his gaze. His eyes realigned ever so subtly, gaining a steadier, more balanced expression. His jaw became a bit cleaner, his nose straightened just enough to give his profile a gentle symmetry. Even his musculature seemed to adjust—more harmonious in proportion than before, lending him a quiet, confident aura.
Then, it ended.
[Your charm has been enhanced to Above Average!]
Nie Yong exhaled slowly, his body relaxing as the pain faded. He didn't feel like a different person—he hadn't become a heartthrob—but there was a quiet improvement in how he carried himself. More polished. More... captivating.
Hu Mei'er's eyes briefly flickered over his face, her earlier confidence shaken again. She tilted her head ever so slightly, brows furrowing. Had he always looked this... appealing?
No, she thought. Something's different…
Nie Yong turned his gaze to the battered figure still struggling to sit upright.
He stepped forward and extended a hand. "Are you fine, junior brother?" he asked calmly, pulling Su Mu up by the arm.
The moment their skin touched, the system flickered once again.
[Would you like to copy Su Mu's abilities?]
'Yes,' Nie Yong answered in his mind without hesitation.
[Copying in progress…]
Su Mu wobbled on his feet, barely able to keep himself standing without Nie Yong's support. "Yeah… I'm fine… thanks a lot, senior brother…" he muttered, his breath shallow and his voice hoarse.
Nie Yong looked over at the group of High Heaven Pavilion disciples nearby—bruised, dirty, and stunned silent after the sudden reversal.
"Hey, you guys," he called out, now recognizing them as Su Mu's usual friends from the original storyline. "Take him and go away."
A red-haired disciple nodded quickly, hurrying over and gently slinging Su Mu over his back. He gave Nie Yong a respectful bow, gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you, senior brother."
Nie Yong simply nodded back. "Because I have things to settle…" he said, his gaze shifting coldly to the side, locking onto Hu Mei'er. "With this little girl right here."
The boys stiffened at his tone but didn't question him. They quickly made their exit, disappearing into the forest with Su Mu in tow.
[You have acquired Yang Breathing Secret Art!]
[You have acquired the martial skill, Dragon Subduing Palm!]
[You have acquired Charm: Above Average!]
***
***
Guys, how was this chapter? Liked it? I am finally going back to follow my original fanfiction more.
Also, I have a question: why is it that I received more support with my old one? I mean it was written super poorly in comparison to this... is it because updates were faster?