Zhou Feng sat in the quiet cave, repeating the cycle over and over. He crushed each Essence Blood Stone between his palms, drawing its rich, warm energy deep into his core. The stones shrank steadily, dissolving into pure power that flooded his meridians.Around him, the air itself seemed to respond — spiritual energy swirling inward like water down a drain, drawn to him as if he were a bottomless abyss. Hours passed in stillness. Then, without warning, the air within a hundred meters rippled. A sudden gust rose from the ground, kicking up dust and swirling dead leaves. Zhou Feng’s eyes snapped open — and two piercing beams of light shot from his gaze, cutting through the dimness of the cave like sunlight through mist. "Incredible…" He breathed in wonder. Through a small crack in the cave wall, he could clearly see a line of ants marching across a rock face a hundred meters away. His vision had sharpened to something almost supernatural. He flexed his hand, feeling the thrumming pow

"Zhou Feng." Zhou Bilin and the others gasped in shock, their faces pale with astonishment. Hadn't Zhou Kang already sent five condemned criminals into the mountains to end Zhou Feng’s life? How could he be standing here alive? Zhou Bilin’s mind raced. The bandits were all ruthless killers. Even Zhou Kang himself would have struggled to escape them. The only explanation that made sense was that the five cowards had simply taken the money and fled — they’d never gone after Zhou Feng at all. "Damn those Five Ghosts… they ran away!" Zhou Bilin hissed through gritted teeth, hurrying to stand behind Zhou Kang. "My dear brother," Zhou Kang said, smoothing his expression into a stiff, unnatural smile. "How are you feeling these days?" "Thank you for asking, Zhou Kang. I’m in excellent health!" Zhou Feng replied evenly, keeping his anger locked tight within. He knew exactly who had ordered that ambush in Sky Mountain. Zhou Kang was the Zhou family’s celebrated genius — grandson of the p

After Zhou Kang stormed off in a rage, Zhou Feng parted ways with Zhou Yanlin and returned to his room. There, he sat cross-legged, closing his eyes to steady his breathing and solidify his breakthrough to the third level of Body Tempering. He knew that every bit of strength counted now — and patience was his sharpest weapon. Meanwhile, deep within the woods on the outskirts of the city, Zhou Kang unleashed his fury. He struck a thick old tree with his fist — and the massive trunk splintered and cracked clean in two. At the sixth level of Body Tempering, his punch carried three thousand pounds of force. Nothing standing in his way could survive it. "Zhou Yanlin… one day you’ll regret humiliating me like this! I’ll make you mine — my slave!" he gritted out, the echo of his own voice ringing hollow through the trees. It galled him that she stood at the ninth level — higher than him, untouchable for now. And so every bit of his frustration turned toward the one person everyone thought w

"Oh…" The pale-faced young man blinked in surprise, then stared wide-eyed at Zhou Feng. "Your dantian… it’s healed?" "I said — get out of my way." This was Zhou Kong — Zhou Kang’s younger brother. And he was no ordinary cousin. At just thirteen years old, he was already an outer disciple of the Sky Sect, a rising star whose talent was spoken of in the same breath as the greatest young masters of the region. He stood at the fifth level of Body Tempering, barely one realm behind his older brother — and with two years less cultivation time. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before he surpassed even Zhou Kang. "So that’s how it is." Zhou Kong’s surprise faded, replaced by a cold, arrogant smirk. "Just as my brother warned me — you’ve grown far too cocky for someone who was recently a cripple. Fine. Let me see exactly how much of that 'number one genius' reputation you still deserve!" He pushed the young girl aside, his posture shifting instantly. He didn't even bother to remov

"Congratulations on your return from seclusion, Senior Bai!" Zhou Min bowed deeply, sweat beading on his forehead. "The Clan Leader and elders will be overjoyed to hear this news!" Senior Bai was more than just a revered guest — he was the Zhou family's living legend. Even the very first generation founders of the family had treated him with profound respect. No one knew exactly how long he had dwelt within the family grounds, but everyone knew it spanned at least five hundred years. The oldest elder of the family, himself over five centuries old, still bowed to this frail old man. Senior Bai ignored Zhou Min completely and turned his gaze toward Zhou Feng. "Your name is Feng?" he asked gently. "This junior is indeed Zhou Feng, Senior." Zhou Feng bowed respectfully. He knew of the family's ancient hermit — the one spoken of only in whispers. Standing before him now, he felt a natural awe. Even with two lifetimes behind him, he was in the presence of someone who had watched empires