Dust billowed into the air, swirling as trees cracked and fell to the ground with loud thuds. Roars echoed through the forest, accompanied by the thunderous sound of explosions. In the clearing, a young man, no taller than 1.7 meters, faced off against a massive rhinoceros Spirit Beast, towering at 3 meters in height.

Despite the drastic difference in size, the young man held his ground, moving nimbly, dodging the rhino's heavy attacks with ease. He launched quick strikes, but the beast’s thick, armored hide deflected his blows. The Stonebreaker Rhino, a Rank-2 Spirit Beast, boasted three large, sharp horns—one jutting from its nose and two from its head. Its skin was as tough as armor, providing strong defense and blocking most of the young man's attacks.

The rhino snorted, its breath hot and heavy as it charged forward with terrifying momentum. The young man waited until the last possible moment before leaping into the air, dodging the beast’s charge. The Stonebreaker Rhino slammed into the boulder behind him, shattering the one-meter rock into pieces.

Even then, the boulder wasn’t enough to stop the rhino, which only came to a halt dozens of meters away.

With a snarl, the beast turned to face the young man again. One of its front legs kicked up dust as it pawed at the ground, preparing to charge once more. Hot air billowed from its nostrils, its enraged eyes locked onto its target, ready to unleash its fury again.

Several people approached the area, drawn by the commotion. They watched from a distance as the young man faced off against the massive rhinoceros Spirit Beast.

"Is that Chen Rongwei?" one of them asked.

"That's right, it's him. What's he doing fighting a Stonebreaker Rhino? Should we help him?" another replied.

"Hmm, he doesn't seem to be in trouble. Let's just wait and watch for a while," someone else suggested.

The rhino charged toward Chen Rongwei. His eyes gleamed with determination as he held his sword, which began to glow crimson.

"[Crimson Serpent Sword Style]!" Chen Rongwei shouted. His sword became enveloped in a crimson aura as he dashed toward the incoming rhino. Just before they collided, Chen Rongwei slashed, his sword slicing through the air like a serpent.

His body moved in sync with his blade, dodging the rhino’s charge as he brushed past it, delivering a sharp slash to its body.

The exchange happened in an instant. The rhino continued its charge, and Chen Rongwei dashed in the opposite direction. After several meters, both stopped and turned to face each other again.

Blood trickled from the corner of Chen Rongwei's mouth—he had dodged the rhino's charge but was grazed in the process, breaking several ribs. The rhino bore several sword slashes on its hide, though they were shallow, with only a small amount of blood.

"Whoa! That's a Rank-2 Spirit Beast, Stonebreaker Rhino, and Chen Rongwei—at just the 9th stage of Qi Condensation realm—managed to injure it! He's a monster!" one spectator exclaimed.

"That's right! Rank-2 is equivalent to the Foundation Establishment realm. Chen Rongwei is incredibly strong," another agreed.

"If I'm not mistaken, the technique he used was the [Crimson Serpent Sword Style], a sword technique belonging to the Chen family. Truly impressive," someone added.

"Hmph! What's so special about him? He barely injured that Stonebreaker Rhino. And look at him—he already seems tired and wounded from the last exchange. He's lost this fight," another person sneered.

"Oh... you're right. Senior Brother, as expected, your eyes are sharp," another agreed, noticing Chen Rongwei's pale face.

"Exactly! He's just a Qi Condensation realm cultivator, yet he dares to fight a Rank-2 Spirit Beast. Who does he think he is?" someone else chimed in.

"Should... should we help him?" someone asked hesitantly.

"If you want to help, then go ahead," the senior brother replied coolly.

"Ugh..." The person hesitated, unwilling to face a Rank-2 rhino Spirit Beast. At just the 5th stage of Qi Condensation realm, he knew any casual attack from the rhino could easily kill him.

"It would be easy for Chen Rongwei to escape if he wanted, but it seems he’s determined to fight the Stonebreaker Rhino. Why should we care?" The senior brother added.

The others hesitated as well, uncertainty clear on their faces. The strongest among them was their senior brother, at the 1st stage of Foundation Establishment realm, but he didn’t seem interested in helping Chen Rongwei at all.

Chen Rongwei and the rhino engaged in another fierce, close-quarters battle. The rhino remained strong and full of energy, while Chen Rongwei was slowing down, growing weaker, barely able to dodge. The spectators continued to watch from afar.

"Chen Rongwei's almost finished. If this keeps up, he's going to die," one of them muttered.

"Hmph, it'd be good if he dies. He's a complete scumbag," another sneered.

"Exactly. He's infamous for being a troublemaker. As the second young master of the Chen family, he uses his background to bully others, stirring up trouble wherever he goes. Many innocent girls have fallen victim to him. Ptui!" the person spat in disgust.

Chen Rongwei's reputation as a good-for-nothing troublemaker was well-known, and none of the spectators watching had a good opinion of him.

"Will we get into trouble if something happens to him and we don't help?" one of the more timid onlookers asked, hesitating.

"What does it have to do with us?" the senior brother replied coldly.

"He chose to face a Rank-2 Spirit Beast, overestimating his abilities. Why should we care? We're not his lackeys, and we're not even close to him. This is a forbidden training ground—there are dangers everywhere, and people die. If he can't handle it, he shouldn't have come here. If he dies, the sect won't care and what can the Chen family do to us?"

The others remained silent, reluctantly agreeing with the senior brother, as they watched from afar. As time went by, Chen Rongwei became even more overwhelmed by the rhino's relentless attacks. He struggled to stand as the rhino's horn glowed ominously, charging toward him. Seeing the incoming rhino, he dropped his sword to the ground, standing unmoved before the beast.

"Fufufu, it’s over for him," the senior brother remarked.

Chen Rongwei watched the charging rhino close in, gritting his teeth. "I’m too weak! Power, I need more power!" he muttered, clenching his fists tightly.

"HHEEEAAAA!!! [BERSERKER BLOOD]!" he roared. His muscles bulged, veins swelled along his neck and face, and his eyes turned bloodshot. A red mist seeped from his body, enveloping him in a violent aura.

With a powerful stomp of his right leg, the ground beneath him cracked like a spiderweb, and a thick cloud of dust rose, obscuring him from the spectators' view. The rhino, with its already poor eyesight further hindered by the dust, couldn't see Chen Rongwei's position and continued charging toward where he had been. The onlookers, unable to see through the dust cloud, also couldn’t tell what was happening within.

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Feeling the tremors of the approaching beast through the ground, Chen Rongwei extended his arms forward. As soon as the rhino crashed into his palms, he gritted his teeth, not trying to stop it but immediately gripping its front horn and lower jaw.

"EEAAA!!!" Chen Rongwei roared as blood trickled from his seven orifices. He was pushing his body to the limit.

His legs dug into the ground as the force of the rhino's charge drove him back, but through sheer effort, he lifted the massive beast.

With a final surge of strength, he hurled the rhino, smashing it into the ground. The massive beast, along with its momentum, crashed loudly into the ground.

Boom!

The rhino lay on its back, belly exposed, in a small crater formed by the impact, spiderweb-like cracks spreading from the spot where it slammed into the ground.

Debris scattered, and dust billowed into the air. Despite its thick armor, the immense momentum from its charge, combined with its heavy weight and the force of the slam, had knocked the beast unconscious.

Chen Rongwei immediately slumped to the ground, dropping to his knees as he gasped for breath. He glanced at the rhino, which lay unconscious and motionless, and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

The onlookers were speechless, staring in shock at the scene. Some gaped, their mouths wide open.

Moments ago, Chen Rongwei had been in a precarious situation. The dust cloud had obscured him completely, and they could only see the rhino charging toward it. Then, in an instant, a deafening crash sounded, the dust cleared, and the next moment, the rhino was lying on its back, smashed into the ground.

They could hardly believe the sudden turn of events.

"What the hell? Did Chen Rongwei really defeat that rhino?" someone blurted out.

"Am I dreaming?" another asked in disbelief.

"Ouch! Why are you pinching me? Pinch yourself!" another complained, rubbing his arm.

"Damn, wasn’t that technique [Berserker Blood]?" one exclaimed.

"That’s right! That Chen Rongwei is really bold to use a forbidden technique," another murmured, still shocked.

Voices erupted among the onlookers, some in awe, others in disbelief or praise.

"That technique is incredibly powerful. Maybe I should learn it too?" one person wondered aloud.

"Dream on. Someone like you could never master it," another retorted dismissively.

[Berserker Blood] was a forbidden technique. It boosted the user’s strength several times over but at a terrible cost.

The technique burned the user’s blood essence, resulting in severe weakness afterward. Worse, the lost blood essence was permanently gone and required a lot of effort to recover even a tiny amount. On top of that, using it inflicted excruciating pain.

Because of these drawbacks and the difficulty in mastering it, the technique was rarely practiced and considered forbidden. Yet, the allure of such a drastic power boost made it tempting for some, especially in desperate situations, as it could serve as a useful trump card.

"Senior brother, didn’t you say earlier that Chen Rongwei lost this fight? That it was over for him?" one of the onlookers questioned.

"Hmph, let’s go. We don’t have time to waste standing around here. We need to finish our mission quickly," the senior brother grumbled, his face reddening slightly.

"Senior brother? Wait—wait for us!" the others called, scrambling to follow as the group hurriedly left the area, trailing behind the flustered senior brother.

Chen Rongwei watched the group in the distance as they departed. They wore the same robes as him—fellow disciples of the White Crane Sect, likely out on a mission or also training. He ignored them as they disappeared from sight.

After resting for a while, he struggled to his feet and slowly walked toward the unconscious rhino. Venting his frustration, he kicked the beast several times before feeling satisfied. Then, he retrieved his sword from the ground and left.

It had been about a month since Chen Rongwei joined the White Crane Sect. He had been stuck at the peak of the Qi Condensation Realm, struggling to break through to the Foundation Establishment realm.

Regret gnawed at him for wasting his potential in the past—spending his days playing, indulging, and never cultivating seriously. He had relied heavily on pills to quickly boost his cultivation, which now left his foundation shaky and unstable, making it difficult to advance.

Ever since joining the sect, Chen Rongwei had been cultivating diligently, spending many Spirit Stones and dedicating long hours to cultivation, with no time left to waste on playing around like in the past. He also trained his combat abilities intensely after realizing how weak he truly was.

The incident with Orion had been a harsh wake-up call. Without the status and protection of being the second young master of the Chen family, he was nothing. His previous rapid cultivation progress, which relied heavily on pills, had slowed down and reached a bottleneck, and his combat prowess was embarrassingly weak. The only thing he had been proud of was his family background, which he had used to bully others.

But after receiving a harsh lesson from his older brother, reality hit him—Chen Rongwei realized that the Chen family didn't belong to him. When he asked his brother and the family experts to help him take revenge on Orion, he was beaten by his brother instead, and the rest of the family refused to support him. They saw no benefit in offending Orion.

That day, he finally understood: the Chen family’s power wasn't his. From that moment, he became obsessed with gaining true strength—his own strength, his own power, cultivated by his own efforts.

"Sigh... I really was a fool," Chen Rongwei muttered bitterly, reflecting on his wasted potential and past mistakes.

Chen Rongwei limped along the dirt path, wincing in pain from his injuries and the backlash of using the forbidden technique.

The forest he was in was one of the sect's forbidden training grounds—called forbidden because it was a dangerous place where death was a real possibility. There are many Spirit Beasts in the forest, and disciples can hone their skills, fight against them, and gain valuable experience.

While they were allowed to battle the beasts, killing them was forbidden since they were nurtured by the sect. This forest also contained Spiritual Herbs that disciples could search for and pick. Many disciples came here not just for training, but also to complete various missions and earn contribution points.

Chen Rongwei had been coming to this forest frequently, battling various Spirit Beasts from weaker to stronger. One day, while fighting against a Rank-1 Spirit Beast, he got cornered and nearly lost his life. In that moment, he truly felt just how weak he was and craved more power, prompting him to go to the Scripture Hall to learn the forbidden technique [Berserker Blood].

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, slow clapping echoed through the trees. A figure stepped out from behind a tree on the side of the dirt path. Chen Rongwei immediately became vigilant and turned toward the person.

"Congratulations. You managed to defeat that Rank-2 Rhino Spirit Beast. That’s quite impressive," said a young man who looked around twenty years old, with a well-formed, handsome face.

Upon recognizing him, Chen Rongwei quickly adopted a respectful stance and cupped his hands. "Greetings, Senior Brother Wu."

The young man, Wu Yulin, nodded in acknowledgment. "Your strength has improved tremendously, Chen Rongwei. You have a bright future ahead."

He was genuinely impressed—Chen Rongwei, only 15 years old, was already at the 9th stage of the Qi Condensation realm, just a step away from breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm.

"Thank you for the compliment, Senior Brother Wu," Chen Rongwei replied cautiously. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"About my offer—have you thought it through?" Wu Yulin asked.

"I'm sorry, Senior Brother Wu, but I’m not interested in your offer," Chen Rongwei responded.

"Are you sure?" Wu Yulin’s smile remained unfazed. "By joining me, you’ll have powerful backers within the White Crane Sect, and I can provide you with abundant resources to aid your cultivation. Although your Chen family is respected, here, they don’t hold as much influence as the Wu family. It would be better to align yourself with me."

"Thank you very much for your kindness, Senior Brother Wu, but for now, I only wish to focus on cultivating and have no interest in other matters," Chen Rongwei answered carefully.

He knew he could not afford to offend Wu Yulin, and he subtly emphasized that his lack of interest was only temporary, hoping to decline without inciting offense.

Wu Yulin’s smile remained unwavering. "I heard you’ve had some... conflict with Liu Jian. If you join me, I can help you deal with him."

"I truly appreciate it, Senior Brother Wu, but I must refuse. I’m exhausted from today and would like to rest. Please excuse me," Chen Rongwei said, eager to end the conversation and escape Wu Yulin’s grasp.

In the past, he would have eagerly seized this opportunity, even if it meant becoming Wu Yulin’s lackey. Having such a backer would allow him to throw his weight around, bullying others without fear of consequence—not only in Yanjing City but also within the White Crane Sect.

His old self, who loved causing trouble, would have relished the chance to stir up even bigger troubles. But now, he desired only his own strength, not the borrowed power that would bind him to someone else.

Wu Yulin kept his smile as he watched Chen Rongwei depart. Once Chen Rongwei was far enough, his warm expression turned cold, and he gave a disdainful snort before leaving.

Chen Rongwei left the forbidden training ground and headed toward the largest market in the outer sect area. There were several sizable markets, but he chose the biggest, as it offered a wider selection of items and higher-quality goods.

Planning to buy pills, Spiritual Herbs, and Spirit Beast meat, he hoped to replenish his depleted blood essence and heal his injuries from the fight.