Dawn broke over the West Garden.
It didn't look like a garden anymore. It looked like a crater.
The poisonous mist had dissipated, absorbed into Kaelen's blood. The bodies of the ten elite guards were gone.
Not buried. *Gone.*
Kaelen stood in the center of the ruin. He flexed his hand.
> **[Status Update]**
> **Cultivation:** Body Refining Stage 6 (Peak).
> **Strength:** 60.
> **Agility:** 58.
> **Essence Absorbed:** 10/10 Targets.
"Stage 6 Peak," Kaelen exhaled. A wisp of grey steam escaped his lips. "I hit a bottleneck."
To break into Stage 7—the realm of Iron Skin—he needed more than just fodder. He needed combat. Or a higher quality of energy.
But first, he needed a way to move.
The fight with the Elder had revealed a flaw. The **Nameless Slab** was devastating, but it was slow. If the Elder had been faster, or if he had kept his distance, Kaelen would have been a sitting duck.
"I have the hammer," Kaelen muttered, sheathing the giant blade. "Now I need the legs."
He walked out of the garden.
Servants saw him coming and dove into bushes to hide. The rumor mill was working overtime. *Kaelen the Demon. Kaelen the Cannibal.*
He didn't correct them. Fear was a useful shield.
***
**The Martial Pavilion.**
A three-story pagoda in the center of the Vane estate. This was where the family kept their techniques.
Kaelen walked in.
The first floor was crowded with disciples. When the door slammed shut behind Kaelen, the noise died instantly.
Dozens of eyes watched him.
Kaelen ignored them. He walked to the reception desk.
"Access to the Second Floor," Kaelen demanded.
The disciple at the desk was shaking. He didn't ask for a token. He didn't ask for permission. He just pointed to the stairs.
"P-please go ahead, Young Master!"
Kaelen walked up.
The Second Floor was quieter. Only elites were allowed here.
Rows of bookshelves lined the walls.
* **Raging Bull Fist (Middle Tier)**
* **Stone Skin Defense (Middle Tier)**
* **Gale Sword Art (Low Tier)**
Kaelen pulled scrolls off the shelf, scanned them, and tossed them on the floor.
"Trash. Trash. Too slow. Too flashy."
He wanted efficiency. He wanted a movement technique that didn't waste energy on "looking cool."
He reached the back of the room.
There was a dusty shelf in the shadows. It held a single, black scroll.
It was covered in warning seals.
> **[Item Analysis]**
> **Name:** The Phantom Step.
> **Grade:** Earth Tier (Incomplete).
> **Flaw:** The technique requires explosive bursts of Qi in the ankles. Usage tears the Achilles tendon after 3 steps.
> **Status:** Forbidden.
Kaelen's eyes lit up.
"Tears the tendons?" he whispered. "Perfect."
For a normal human, a torn tendon meant months in bed.
For Kaelen, with **[Pain Nullification]** and the **Heaven-Devouring** regeneration, it was just a cooldown timer.
He unrolled the scroll.
"System. Memorize and Simulate."
> **[Processing...]**
> **[Optimization Complete.]**
> **[Technique Learned: Phantom Step (Modified).]**
Kaelen didn't wait. He channeled Qi into his legs.
*SNAP.*
A sharp sound echoed from his ankles. The tendons strained to the breaking point.
*WHOOSH.*
Kaelen vanished.
He didn't run. He teleported. One millisecond he was at the shelf, the next he was across the room, leaning against the window.
"Fast," Kaelen grinned, ignoring the burning sensation in his heels. "I can kill before they blink."
"An interesting choice."
A voice drifted from the staircase.
Kaelen turned.
Standing there was a young man. He was slim, pale, and holding a folding fan. He wore green robes that were immaculate.
**Jarek Vane.** The Second Young Master.
Thorne was the brawn. Jarek was the brain.
Jarek smiled. It didn't reach his eyes.
"Brother Kaelen. Everyone is talking about your... transformation. Thorne is still crying in the medical ward. He says a demon stole his garden."
Kaelen looked at Jarek.
**[Target Analysis]**
> **Name:** Jarek Vane.
> **Cultivation:** Qi Condensation Stage 2.
> **Weapon:** Hidden Needles.
> **Threat:** High.
Qi Condensation. A true cultivator.
"Do you want the garden back?" Kaelen asked, his hand drifting to the Slab handle.
"Heavens, no," Jarek laughed, snapping his fan open. "I hated that pond. Too many mosquitoes."
Jarek walked closer. He glanced at the forbidden scroll in Kaelen's hand.
"Phantom Step. A suicide technique. You truly have a death wish, don't you?"
"It works," Kaelen said.
"Does it?" Jarek leaned against a bookshelf. "You have strength, Kaelen. I admit that. But strength alone won't save you from what's coming."
Jarek's expression turned serious.
"The Frost Sect isn't just sending scouts to the Tournament. **Lady Elara** is coming back. And she's bringing her new fiancé."
Kaelen raised an eyebrow. "She moves fast."
"He is a Core Disciple of the Frost Sect," Jarek warned. "A genius. **Qi Condensation Stage 5**. And he has heard rumors that you insulted his woman."
Jarek stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"I'm not like Thorne. I don't care about bullying. I care about the Family's survival. If you provoke the Frost Sect, they will wipe us out."
Jarek placed a small pouch on the table.
"100 Spirit Stones. And a ticket to a merchant caravan leaving tonight. Take it. Run. Survive."
It was a generous offer. A logical one.
Kaelen looked at the pouch.
Then he looked at Jarek.
"You're smarter than Thorne," Kaelen said. "You know how to cut losses."
Kaelen picked up the pouch.
Jarek sighed in relief. "Good. I knew you were rat—"
Kaelen tossed the pouch back. It hit Jarek in the chest.
"But you're wrong about one thing," Kaelen said.
He stepped into Jarek's personal space. The pressure of his Killing Intent made the air cold.
"I'm not the one who needs to run."
Kaelen walked past him toward the stairs.
"Tell Elara to bring her boyfriend," Kaelen called back.
"I need a new test subject for my sword."
Jarek stood frozen. He watched Kaelen disappear down the stairs.
He looked down at his trembling hand.
"He's insane," Jarek whispered.
Then, a shiver ran down his spine.
"Or," Jarek swallowed hard. "He knows something we don't."