The aftermath of the sixty punches left the clearing in a deathly, ringing silence. Wang Fang body started shake; it felt as if his very bones had turned to lead.
So heavy..." he whisper, his lungs burning with every ragged breath. He tried to shift his weight, but his legs refused to obey. He was a statue of flesh and exhaustion.
He looked toward the rock where Old Lady Shen sat, silently pleading for are help.But she didn't move. A faint, almost invisible smile played on her lips, but she shook her head.
The forest held its breath. Then, the beast leader moved.
The Crimson Claw Tiger, a Tier Three nightmare, stepped over the mangled remains of its pack. It let out a roar so primal, so violent, that the weaker beasts nearby collapsed in fear. It didn't rush. It didn't need to. It leapt into the center of the battle , the air around its maw beginning to distort.
Qi surged, glowing a sickly, violent gold as it condensed into a sphere of pure destruction in front of the tiger's jaws.
Old Lady Shen sighed, her eyes narrowing. "I wanted to push you to the brink," she whispered to the wind. "But perhaps today isn't the day your Old Era Bloodline awakens. If only I could see the truth of the blood in your veins..."
The Qi cannon reached its peak. Wang Fang stared directly into the light, his vision swimming. "Granny..." he shouted, "is this... still not enough? What more do I have to prove?"
BOOM!
The Tiger fired. The blast was a streak of light so fast it blurred the air around it . Wang Fang knew, with the cold certainty of a dying man, that he couldn't dodge. He couldn't even raise his arms. The pressure of the incoming attack bent the air away from him, creating a vacuum that sucked the oxygen from his lungs.
"Death," Wang Fang whispered.
The golden light filled his world, shimmering like a falling star. His pupils trembled as the light triggered a memory, the same blinding brilliance he had seen the moment his first life ended.
I'm going to die. Again.
Meanwhile, At qinghe village.
Mo Xuan stood at the entrance of the village, his mouth agape. "What... what is this place?"
The air itself felt different here. It wasn't just fresh; it was thick with spiritual energy. He Sun stepped forward, his eyes darting around in disbelief. "Brother Xuan, the Qi here... it's denser than the Sect's main peak. How can a backwater village feel like a sacred cultivation ground?"
They moved deeper, their suspicion quickly turning into greed. A local merchant, seeing their sect robes, hurried over with a hopeful grin.
"Honored cultivators! Please, look at my humble wares!" The man held out a shimmering bronze disc. "A Defense Disc! Perfect for travels!"
Bai Lu's breath hitched. "Is that... an Earth-grade artifact?" he hissed.
Mo Xuan didn't say a word. He shoved the merchant into the dirt and stormed into the shop. His eyes scanned the shelves, and for a moment, he forgot how to breathe. Earth-grade. Spirit-grade. Treasures that would cost a fortune at a royal auction were sitting on dusty wooden shelves like common vegetables.
Mo Xuan began to laugh, a high-pitched, manic sound that made the villagers turn their heads in confusion. He ran from store to store, his eyes bloodshot with avarice.
"THIS ENTIRE VILLAGE IS A TREASURE CHEST!" he screamed.
"Brother Xuan, calm down!" He Sun urged, rushing after him. "What are you doing?"
Mo Xuan grabbed He Sun by the collar, his face twisted into a cruel mask. "Don't you see? These people are strange, their cultivation is odd... but they are weak. They are sheep guarding a mountain of gold."
He looked at the peaceful villagers passing by and smiled. "Start packing. Fill every storage ring we have."
Bai Lu hesitated, glancing at the confused locals. "But... we don't have the jade stones to pay for this."
"Pay?" Mo Xuan's laughter was cold and sharp. "Who said anything about paying? We don't have to, you see even if we burn this village to the ground, who will stop us? Only that old woman is a threat, and she's miles away in the woods."
He leaned in, his eyes dark with murderous intent. "Instead of paying, we well take it all, Now