Lu Zhenhai stood in silence, the distant echo of the explosion still ringing in his mind.
"Farewell, brother."
He exhaled slowly,the wind howled around them. The journey had been long, and the weight of responsibility pressed heavily on his shoulders. Han Zhennan's last words, his sacrifice—none of it would be in vain.
But now, in the present, his thoughts had shifted.
"That Lightning Steps technique… it was one of the battle skills Han Zhennan personally taught his students."
Yet someone else had possessed it. Someone who sold it at the auction, where Han Yi had bought it.
"The seller is most likely not connected to the attack, but if we trace back where he got it from, we might uncover a clue—one that will lead us to those who destroyed our home."
Lu Zhenhai wasn't foolish. He wasn't going to charge blindly into vengeance.
"Not yet."
Han Lei and Han Yi—they needed to grow stronger first.
The amulet Han Zhennan entrusted to Han Lei was the key to reclaiming their legacy, but they still hadn't found the inheritance location. Without it, the full inheritance of the Han family remained out of reach.
"Even with the resources his father left him, it's not enough. Han Lei must rise far beyond that if he is to stand at the peak one day."
His mind turned to their enemies.
"A clan, a sect, or perhaps a demonic organization… but one thing is certain—they specialize in fire techniques."
Yet, there was one thing that puzzled him.
"How did they control the Glacier Tyrant?"
That beast hadn't attacked their enemies—it had only attacked him.
"Perhaps they had a beast tamer among them. The only clan known for using bloodbeasts in such a way is the Chi Clan, but they focus on flame-related beasts, not ones like the Glacier Tyrant."
That meant it likely wasn't them.
"Then who? Did the attackers hire a beast master? Or was there another force at play?"
The questions piled in his mind, but there were no answers yet.
"No matter. We will uncover it, piece by piece."
His thoughts drifted to Han Lei.
"I wonder how he's doing at the Stormbreak Sect."
By now, with his talent and resources, he should have reached the peak stage—if he hadn't already broken through.
"He's fourteen now."
And Han Yu…
"He would have been sixteen this year."
A shadow crossed Lu Zhenhai's face.
"But unfortunately, he passed away."
After sorting out his thoughts and emotions, Lu Zhenhai returned to his cultivation.
In another place stood Lin Shu, clueless about the many enemies he had made and the problems he was in. He stood in front of the building where the institute's treasury was located.
"Now, I need to get a good cultivation skill," Lin Shu thought as he stepped inside.
A man sat on a chair near the entrance and stopped him. "Your token."
Lin Shu handed over the token, which granted him access to a mid-tier Rank 1 technique. The man inspected it and said, "The first floor is for low-tier techniques, the second is for mid-tier, the third is for high-tier, and the last one is for peak-tier. Now go. Someone will stop you on the second floor to take your token after you choose a battle skill. He will also make you take an oath that you will never share the contents of the technique with anyone, in any way, shape, or form. Do you understand?"
"I understand," Lin Shu responded politely before proceeding to the second floor.
There, he was stopped again. After confirming his token, he was given further instructions. "You have two hours. Choose one technique and return here. Do not try to steal anything—we will always know."
Lin Shu had no intention of stealing. He valued his survival far too much to take such a foolish risk, especially in a place where he could not even defeat most of the students, let alone the instructors or the dean.
Upon entering, he noticed the difference from the first floor. While the first floor had at least a hundred techniques, the second floor contained only fifty. It became clear to him that the higher the rank, the fewer the available battle skills and cultivation techniques.
He began reading the titles and descriptions next to the battle skills and cultivation techniques. He could not open the manuals or see their full contents, only their explanations, effects, and requirements.
After some time, Lin Shu found a battle skill that suited him—Thunderbolt Arc. This mid-tier Rank 1 technique allowed him to manifest lightning arrows with his hands and shoot them, eliminating the need for a bow. It provided him with a much-needed long-range attack, an area in which he was currently lacking.
As for cultivation techniques, he found none that were both suitable and attainable. Some had powerful effects but required rare resources he could not acquire, and he needed to save all of his wealth for his body refinement technique. Thus, he made his decision and prepared to leave with Thunderbolt Arc in hand.After making the oath, Lin Shu left to learn the battle skill. He was required to return it in one week, which was the time needed to memorize it. He would probably take a little longer to master it.
After leaving, Lin Shu went inside his house and started thinking. "After I learn this skill, should I leave to look for the materials for the Thunderforge Physique first stage, or should I try to get a better house in the institute? Since the closer the house is to the institute center, the better the Qi concentration, my cultivation speed would increase as well. But to do that, I'll need to find someone to challenge. It's better if it's someone who is weak against my fighting style. However, that would also mean I have to defend myself against some challengers."
He pondered further. "Once I reach a certain area, I heard that the missions required per month are reduced to one. But the missions will also get harder the stronger I get and the better house's I move into. That way, the institute will know my actual strength and assign missions accordingly."
After careful consideration, Lin Shu made his decision. "I'll search for the materials needed for the first stage of the Thunderforge Physique. Once I master it, securing a better residence within the institute will be much easier."
This approach would grant him greater strength before he challenged anyone for a higher-ranking house. Moreover, it would allow him to manipulate how others perceived his abilities. "If I deliberately conceal my full strength, my challengers will always be slightly weaker than me. That way, the institute will only assign opponents based on the level I reveal, not my actual capabilities."
More importantly, staying under the radar was crucial. A lone cultivator without a powerful clan or backing—yet displaying extraordinary strength—would inevitably attract unwanted attention. "If I seem too strong for someone without a family or sect, people will start suspecting I've obtained some rare treasure or secret inheritance. That could tempt others to ignore the institute's rules and come after me. I can't allow that."
With his path set, Lin Shu prepared to embark on his next step toward power.
Lin Shu dedicated two relentless weeks to training his new battle skill while continuing to cultivate. His routine was brutal—pushing himself to the limit, only pausing when his Qi was nearly depleted or when hunger forced him to eat. Yet, even in exhaustion, he never allowed himself to reach a state where he was too weak to defend himself.
His paranoia was ever-present, whispering constant warnings of unseen threats. No matter how isolated his training ground seemed, he remained on edge, always expecting an attack. This was the nature of Lin Shu—an unyielding, wary soul who trusted no one and prepared for everything.
Somewhere else, two figures clashed fiercely against a lone opponent—a woman dressed in a resplendent robe adorned with the emblem of a serpent with violet eyes. Yet, despite the elegance of her attire, her current state was anything but graceful. A deep, bloody gash ran across her chest, and the ground around her was littered with corpses—some belonging to mere mortals, others bearing the same robes as hers.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" one of the attackers sneered, a wide, sadistic grin stretching across his face. His eyes gleamed with excitement, as if this moment was the culmination of some long-anticipated pleasure.
The second figure let out a mocking laugh. "All I see is a little worm squirming in the dirt. A small Pathetic little insect."
The first one chuckled darkly. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy skinning you alive, girl."
Their words dripped with malice, their expressions filled with nothing but delight. To them, this wasn't just a fight—it was a moment of pure, twisted satisfaction, as if they had been waiting for this encounter for a long time.