The mountains loomed like jagged teeth against the gray dawn as Liang Feng trudged behind Master Shen. The mist clung to his clothes, cold and damp, but the fire in his chest—the Blood Qi—kept his body burning with unnatural warmth.
"This is the Blood Valley," Master Shen said, his voice echoing against the cliffs. "Here, life and death are one. Only through bloodshed will your Qi awaken fully. Are you ready?"
Liang Feng's eyes gleamed red with determination. "I am ready."
They entered a narrow canyon where the air seemed heavier, tinged with the iron scent of long-decayed corpses. The valley was alive with movement—hulking, shadowy shapes darting through the fog.
"First lesson," Master Shen said. "Survive. Only then can you cultivate."
Before Liang Feng could ask what he meant, a monstrous shape lunged from the mist—a blood wolf, twice the size of a normal wolf, its eyes glowing crimson and fangs dripping with venom. Its howl shattered the silence, and the valley seemed to tremble.
Liang Feng dropped into a fighting stance, dagger in hand. The Blood Qi flared, surrounding him like a storm of red fire. The wolf charged, fast as lightning.
Steel met claw in a spray of sparks. Liang Feng barely dodged a swipe that would have taken his arm off. The taste of fear, sharp and metallic, surged in his mouth—but he didn't flinch. Every strike, every step, every heartbeat was guided by the Blood Qi.
He slashed across the wolf's shoulder. Blood gushed, sizzling as it met the aura around him. The creature yelped, leaping back, but not retreating. Its eyes burned with hunger, its claws digging deep into the soil.
"Focus your Qi!" Master Shen barked. "Let your blood guide your strikes!"
Liang Feng gritted his teeth and channeled the Crimson Qi into his dagger. The aura flared violently, and with a roar, he lunged. The blade sliced through the wolf's chest in a single, brutal arc. Blood sprayed like a crimson waterfall, soaking Liang Feng's clothes and face. The beast collapsed, twitching, before going still.
Liang Feng fell to his knees, panting. He could feel the Wolf's life force feeding into him, the Blood Qi growing stronger, hotter, alive. Pain and power mingled, coursing through every vein, every muscle. He had survived—but only barely.
Master Shen nodded grimly. "Good. But this is only the beginning. More dangerous foes await. You will fight every day, until your body, your soul, and your Qi are forged in blood."
Liang Feng wiped the wolf's blood from his face, staring at his hands. He realized then that the Blood Qi was not just power—it was hunger. Every life taken, every drop of blood absorbed, made him stronger, sharper, faster. And with every fight, he felt a piece of his old self—the frightened boy from Qingfeng—fall away.
"Tomorrow," Master Shen continued, "you face five more. Each one stronger than the last. You will feel pain, fear… and death will whisper at your door. Only by embracing it can you truly awaken your potential."
Liang Feng clenched his fists, teeth grinding. "I will not die. Not here. Not now. I will kill, and I will grow stronger. Blood will answer blood."
The sun rose behind the jagged peaks, casting long shadows over the valley. Red mist swirled around Liang Feng like a crown of fire. The path ahead was brutal, bloody, and merciless—but for the first time, he felt alive.
The Baptism of Blood had begun.