News of the Beast Blaster spread through the Grand Le Clan faster than Ken expected. Wherever he went, someone was already talking about the strange weapon that fired Beast Qi like a martial technique. Some disciples called it a miracle. Others dismissed it outright as a useless toy that could never replace real cultivation. A few elders had apparently started arguing about it behind closed doors, which Ken found more amusing than concerning.He paid the rumors little attention. At the moment, he had better things to focus on, namely a thick book on herbs and medicinal properties, and the quiet courtyard outside his home.Morning breeze drifted through the flowers his mother had planted years ago. Lady Le Li knelt nearby, carefully watering each one, and the sight of her moving around freely again still caught Ken off guard sometimes. Not long ago she had spent most of her days confined to bed, too weak to manage even this much."You have been reading since dawn," she said without loo

The brighter a star shines, the more shadows apparently gather just to snuff it out.The morning after his breakthrough to Beast Geek Level Thirteen, Ken woke up in an unusually good mood. Sunlight poured through the wooden windows, carrying the scent of flowers from the courtyard, and for once he felt like life had genuinely started moving in the right direction.He sat up and clenched his fist, feeling the faint pulse of Beast Qi move through his meridians, denser now, steadier. Even his senses felt sharper, birds chirping outside, the distant clatter of disciples training somewhere across the grounds.*Getting stronger,* he thought, allowing himself a small smile. *Not strong enough yet to face down the second elder head on, or keep Mirinda fully safe, but closer than I was yesterday. That counts for something.*Inside his soul space, Mirinda's eyes opened. "You seem pleased with yourself."Ken let his consciousness drift over. "Broke through again," he said. "Of course I am please

If surviving one enemy feels difficult, wait until three of them decide to show up at once.Ken heard the blade before he ever saw it — a sharp whistle slicing through the night air. His body dropped before his brain even finished processing the sound.Whoosh.A black dagger sailed over his head and buried itself in the wooden wall behind him.He froze for half a second, fingers tightening around the small badge he had just pulled from the ruined hut. Someone was here. He lifted his head slowly.Three figures stood among the trees, faces covered, dressed in black, their weapons plain but the Beast Qi wrapped around them anything but. Ken's stomach dropped as he read their cultivation.Beast Geek. All three of them. And none of them below him.The man in the middle stepped forward. "Le Ken."Ken rose slowly. "Who are you?""You do not need to know that." His hand drifted toward his sword hilt. "You only need to understand one thing. You saw something you were never meant to see.""So t

Talent makes people notice you. A bottleneck makes you question yourself.The sun had barely climbed above the Grand Le Clan when Ken sat cross-legged beneath the old tree outside his courtyard, dew still clinging to the grass. His breathing stayed slow as Beast Qi circulated through his meridians, one cycle, two, twenty, and still nothing changed.He opened his eyes with a quiet sigh.The barrier between Beast Geek Level 13 and Level 14 remained exactly where it had been an hour ago, except now it felt less like a locked door and more like a mountain he was trying to move with his bare hands.Inside his soul space, Mirinda watched him without speaking. Only when he stopped did she finally say, "Again.""I have been cultivating since before sunrise.""Then you will cultivate again.""I barely made progress."Her silver eyes stayed calm. "Wrong. You made foundation progress." She knelt beside the lake and touched its surface, small ripples spreading outward. "If you pour water into a c

Ken stared at the strange purple herb resting in Mu Qing's palm. Faint threads of lightning ran through its veins, then vanished as quickly as they appeared.Neither of them spoke for several seconds.Ken finally reached for it. The instant his fingers touched the herb, a small spark jumped across his skin, and he flinched.Inside his soul space, Mirinda opened her eyes sharply. "Do not consume it."Ken stopped mid-motion. Mu Qing tilted her head, studying his face. "What is it?""I am not sure," Ken said, turning the herb carefully between his fingers. "Where did Elder Mei find this?""A servant found it near the old storage grounds," Mu Qing said. "She thinks it may have mixed in with herbs brought from outside the city.""Outside." Ken's brow furrowed. Mu Qing smiled, amused. "You always look like that when you are thinking.""Like what?""Your eyebrows move together." She reached up without thinking and lightly pressed the space between his brows.Ken froze completely, breath caug