2026-04-15 02:30:14The hunger was the first thing Han Feng felt every morning. It wasn't the normal hunger of a boy who had missed a meal. It was a deep, gnawing ache that felt like his stomach was trying to eat his own spine.
His Copper Skin transformation was progressing, but it had a high price. His body was like a furnace now. To keep his muscles vibrating and his bones hardening, he needed massive amounts of energy.
The watery porridge the sect gave the servants was no longer enough. If he didn't get concentrated nutrients soon, his body would start to break down its own muscle for fuel. He would wither away before the Culling even began.
"I need Vitality Pills," Han Feng whispered to himself.
Vitality Pills were not magic. They were essentially power food, highly concentrated spheres of meat protein, herbal fats, and mineral salts, compressed under high pressure.
One pill could provide a man with enough calories for a week. For a cultivator, it was the fuel for their internal engine.
The problem was the cost. One Vitality Pill cost ten silver coins. A servant like Han Feng earned two copper coins a month. It would take him decades to buy just one.
But Han Feng was no longer just a servant. He reached into his hidden pocket and felt the heavy weight of Enforcer Tie’s money pouch.
Inside were fifteen silver coins and a handful of copper. It was enough to buy a small jar of pills, provided he didn't get caught.
Han Feng waited until the sun began to set, casting long, bloody shadows over the Azure Cloud Sect. He pulled a tattered, hooded cloak over his shoulders to hide his metallic eyes and his copper skin. He headed toward the "Under-Alley."
The Under-Alley was the sect’s unofficial black market. It was located in a damp canyon between the servant quarters and the outer wall.
Here, failed disciples, crooked merchants, and desperate thieves traded goods that the sect officially forbade.
The air here was thick with the smell of cheap tobacco, roasting meat, and the metallic tang of old weapons.
Han Feng kept his head down as he pushed through the crowd. He saw men with missing limbs, women with scarred faces, and young disciples looking for a shortcut to power.
He stopped at a large, wooden stall draped in purple silk. Behind the counter sat a fat man with greasy hair and rings on every finger.
This was Merchant Gao, a man known for having the best supplies, and the worst temper.
"What do you want, rat?" Gao barked, not even looking up from his ledger.
"I need a jar of Second-Grade Vitality Pills," Han Feng said. He kept his voice low and raspy.
Gao looked up then. He squinted at Han Feng’s tattered cloak. He saw the dirt on Han Feng’s boots. A sneer curled his lip. "Second-Grade? Those are for real disciples. You look like you belong in the Discard Pit. Move along before I have my guards toss you out."
"I have the silver," Han Feng said. He produced three silver coins and placed them on the wooden counter.
Gao’s eyes widened for a second, but then his sneer returned. "Only three? A jar is twelve. And besides, even if you had the money, a Null like you would just blow up if you ate a Second-Grade pill. Your broken roots couldn't handle the pressure. It would be a waste of good medicine."
A few nearby shoppers laughed. "Look at the beggar!" one shouted. "He thinks he can buy his way out of being trash!"
Han Feng felt a spark of anger, but he forced it down. He didn't want a fight. He needed the pills. He looked around the stall, trying to find something he could use to bargain.
That was when he felt it.
Since his Bone-Forging began, his senses had changed. He didn't see "magic," but he was incredibly sensitive to vibrations. Everything in the world has a frequency. Solid wood vibrates differently than hollow wood. Gold vibrates differently than lead.
Han Feng’s nerve sight, his brain's ability to process these micro-vibrations, suddenly focused on a display case behind Merchant Gao.
Inside the case was a beautiful, glowing red root. It was labeled as "Crimson Heart Root: 500 Silver Coins." A wealthy-looking outer disciple was currently leaning over the counter, mesmerized by it.
"Is it true, Master Gao?" the wealthy disciple asked. "Will this root really triple my blood-flow speed?"
"Oh, absolutely!" Gao said, his voice turning oily and sweet. "It was harvested from the Blood-Peak Mountains. It’s a rare treasure. If you eat this, your physical strength will reach the Second Realm in a week!"
Han Feng looked at the root. In his mind, he "sent out" a small vibration through the floorboards. The vibration hit the display case and bounced back to him.
The root didn't vibrate like a living plant. It vibrated like... wax. And the "glow" wasn't coming from the plant’s energy. It was coming from a small, battery-operated heating stone hidden in the base of the velvet cushion.
Han Feng walked forward. "Don't buy it," he said clearly.
The market went silent. The wealthy disciple turned around, looking confused. Merchant Gao’s face turned a dangerous shade of purple.
"What did you say, you piece of filth?" Gao roared.
"It’s a fake," Han Feng said. He stepped closer to the counter. "The Crimson Heart Root is supposed to have a pulse. If you touch it, you should feel a rhythm like a heartbeat. This thing is dead. It’s just swamp ginger soaked in red dye and coated in wax."
"You dare!" Gao screamed. He reached for a heavy club under the counter. "I’ll kill you for slandering my business!"
"Wait," the wealthy disciple said, holding up a hand. He looked at Han Feng, then at the root. "If it's a fake, prove it. If you're lying, I'll let Master Gao break your arms."
Han Feng didn't hesitate. He didn't use a punch. He simply reached out and flicked his finger against the glass of the display case.
He didn't just hit the glass. He used "Internal Resonance." He sent a high-frequency shockwave through the glass, tuned specifically to the frequency of wax.
The glass didn't break. But inside the case, the "Crimson Heart Root" suddenly began to shiver. The red wax coating began to crack and flake off. Underneath, a pale, smelly piece of common swamp ginger was revealed. The "glow" flickered and died as the heating stone was knocked out of place.
The crowd gasped. The wealthy disciple’s face went pale with rage.
"You... you tried to sell me a piece of trash for five hundred silver?" the disciple hissed at Gao.
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Chapter 64
"I am not a human body," Han Feng said. He took a step forward. Thud. His silver boot hit the ground, and a small crack appeared in the marble dust under his heel, running straight toward the Sect Leader."I am the Watchman," Han Feng said. "I am the mountain. You can shatter a man, Sect Leader. But you cannot shatter the earth."The Sect Leader backed away two steps. He looked at Han Feng’s silver-black knuckles. He looked at the choir of children who were still humming, their voices holding the black fire of the ship. He looked at the giant silver ship above, which was still shaking, its blue alchemical light flickering frantically under the pressure of the song.The Sect Leader realized the truth. He could not win this fight with simple techniques. He could not win by being fast. This boy was not just a cultivator. He was a living metamorphosis. He was a weapon that could rebuild itself in real-time."You..." the Sect Leader growled, his face twisted in a mask of manic fury. "You
Chapter 63
The Sect Leader stood back three feet. He pulled his hand away. His palm was no longer black; it was pale and clean again. He looked at Han Feng with a quiet, satisfied look."A good body, Han Feng," the Sect Leader said. "But the sky always wins. The Void Palm has turned your inside parts to ash. In thirty seconds, your silver blood will stop moving. You will be a cold statue of obsidian, and I will take the core."He turned his head to look at the children "Now," the Sect Leader said. "Let us stop the song."But Han Feng was still alive. His mind was in a dark place. He was standing in a void of his own, surrounded by grey shadows. He could hear his father’s voice. He could hear the wind.“Do not let go, Feng,” the voice said.Han Feng’s will did not break. He was the boy from the pit. He had survived the culling of his family. He had survived the Void-Rot. He would not let this sky-god have the mountain.He reached into his chest with his mind. He did not have Qi. But he had his "L
Chapter 62
The black fire from the Exordium ship was very close. It came down from the grey sky like a giant, falling wall of dark ink. It did not smell like a normal fire. It did not smell like dry wood burning. It smelled like burning hair, wet rust, and the cold metal of a grave. But the black fire did not hit the dirt. It hit the song.In the Great Training Square, the fifty outer disciples were still humming. Su Yan was standing by the broken stone wall, her throat dry, her lips bleeding, but she did not stop. She held her hands flat against the rock.Hmmmmmm... hmmmmmm... hmmmmmm... The hundred voices had turned into a solid shield. It was a shield of gold-grey light that hung thirty feet above their heads. When the black fire hit the shield, there was a loud, wet rushing sound, like water hitting a hot iron pan.Sssssssssss! The sky was split. The black fire ran down the sides of the gold-grey shield, falling into the deep ravines around the square, turning the ancient pine trees into b
Chapter 61
Han Feng did not answer. He was already leaping. He jumped from the terrace of the barracks to the roof of the Outer Sect kitchen. The kitchen was an old building made of wood and dry straw.BOOM! When his heavy silver feet hit the roof, the wood shattered into splinters. But before he could fall through, the stone pillar under the kitchen rose up, supporting his weight.He looked at the Sect Leader, who was floating in the air above the garden. "Try this," Han Feng said. He swung his arm in a big circle.In the medicinal gardens below, the ancient pine trees began to shake. Their needles shivered, and their branches bent. Suddenly, the giant roots of the trees broke through the dirt like big, wooden snakes. They shot into the air, reaching for the Sect Leader’s ankles.At the same time, Han Feng threw his left fist forward.The air in front of his hand compressed, creating a wave of sharp, grey stone shards that flew out of the broken roof, following the roots like a swarm of angry
Chapter 60
Han Feng did not answer. He was already leaping. He jumped from the terrace of the barracks to the roof of the Outer Sect kitchen. The kitchen was an old building made of wood and dry straw.BOOM! When his heavy silver feet hit the roof, the wood shattered into splinters. But before he could fall through, the stone pillar under the kitchen rose up, supporting his weight.He looked at the Sect Leader, who was floating in the air above the garden. "Try this," Han Feng said. He swung his arm in a big circle.In the medicinal gardens below, the ancient pine trees began to shake. Their needles shivered, and their branches bent. Suddenly, the giant roots of the trees broke through the dirt like big, wooden snakes. They shot into the air, reaching for the Sect Leader’s ankles.At the same time, Han Feng threw his left fist forward.The air in front of his hand compressed, creating a wave of sharp, grey stone shards that flew out of the broken roof, following the roots like a swarm of angry
Chapter 59
The wind was very strong. It made a loud, whistling sound in the deep chasm. Han Feng was falling. The dark walls of the Sovereign Gate rushed past his face like grey shadows]. Below him, the giant brass gears were turning, making a heavy, metallic grinding sound. Clank... clank... clank… He did not want to hit the gears yet. He needed to stop his fall. He reached out with his right arm. His fingers were no longer soft flesh; they were made of solid, black obsidian and silver. He slammed his hand into the grey stone wall of the cliff.Screeech! The sound was terrible. It was the sound of metal tearing through rock. A shower of bright silver sparks flew into the dark air as his hand carved a deep, five-inch line in the basalt wall. He slowed down. His boots hit a stone terrace on the side of the cliff, and he stopped.Thud. He landed on his feet. The ground here was covered in dirt and broken pieces of wood. It was the lower terrace of the Outer Sect barracks.The Sect Leader was alr
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