ep 9

Tianze’s ragged breath echoed through the dense forest. His legs burned, his heart pounded like a war drum.

I have to run. No—I must run or I will die!

Behind him, crashing through the undergrowth, was a towering creature—seven meters tall, black fur as dark as the abyss, cyan-blue eyes glowing like cold fire. Dagger-like fangs gleamed beneath its snarling mouth. Its presence radiated a primal killing intent that pressed down on Tianze like a mountain.

It had been only a few hours since Tianze entered the forbidden part of the forest, and this was the first greeting he received. He had never run this fast in his life—his muscles screamed in protest, his lungs strained to keep up. He sensed only one wolf behind him, but he knew how wolves hunted. A lone predator was never truly alone.

And then he saw them—eight more wolves emerging from the shadows, flanking him from the sides. Their eyes flashed hungrily. Tianze’s path was blocked by massive trees and thick undergrowth, but it didn’t matter. He was a hunter in the forest—but so were they.

If this keeps up, I’m dead.

Then he felt it.

His inner energy was rising—exploding within him with every breath he took. His body was adapting to the intensity of the hunt. His veins bulged, his muscles trembled. He made a split-second decision and channeled all his energy into his legs.

A sudden surge of raw power coursed through him. His speed exploded. His feet tore through the ground as he shot forward like an arrow released from a bow. His legs screamed in agony, bones threatening to shatter under the sudden strain—but he ignored it.

The wolves blurred behind him as he sped through the forest. He could feel the gap widening. I can make it!

But then—

A massive figure emerged from the shadows ahead. Cyan eyes glowing brighter than the others. The Alpha.

Tianze’s eyes widened as the beast lunged at him. He couldn’t stop in time—his legs were already failing under the strain. He tumbled forward, collapsing before the enormous predator.

No…I won’t die like this!

As the Alpha’s massive jaws descended toward his neck, Tianze’s hands shot out—catching its upper and lower jaw. His muscles screamed, his veins burned with surging inner energy. Cyan-blue light crawled under his skin as he pushed back with all his strength.

“GRAAAAAAHHHH!”

With a monstrous roar, Tianze’s muscles bulged unnaturally, his arms shaking as he pulled. And then—

SNAP!

The Alpha’s skull was torn apart. Its lifeless body collapsed to the ground.

But the other wolves had caught up.

Tianze’s breathing steadied. His pupils sharpened—his inner energy now pulsing through his entire body. His mind slowed, his senses expanded. He could see the inner energy flowing through the wolves’ bodies—he could see their weak points.

The next wolf lunged. Tianze stepped into its attack, his hand plunging through its chest and tearing out its heart. Another wolf bit into his leg—he didn’t even feel it. He grabbed its throat and twisted until the sound of snapping bone filled the air.

Berserk. Unstoppable.

His hands became claws. His body was no longer human—it was a beast. Blood splattered across the ground as Tianze moved through the pack like death incarnate. A crushing punch shattered another skull. A vicious grab tore open a throat. One by one, the wolves fell.

When the last one lay dead, Tianze stood in the midst of their torn bodies. His breath was ragged. His veins pulsed with wild energy. His mind screamed with hunger.

His gaze shifted toward the bodies.

He crouched down and began to devour them. Flesh and bone. He tore into them like a starving predator, swallowing their cores. Each core exploded into his body like fire, but he absorbed it—his body assimilating the violent energy. Cyan-blue light pulsed beneath his skin, making his veins glow in the darkness.

When the hunger finally subsided, Tianze stumbled toward a nearby lake. Its dark, shiny-blue surface reflected his broken figure under the starlit sky.

He collapsed at the edge of the water, his body trembling violently. His muscles were shredded, his bones barely holding together. The immense energy he had absorbed was tearing him apart from the inside.

But Tianze had already decided.

He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and pulled the wild energy into his dantian. The chaotic storm surged within him—but he forced it down. Compressed it. Shaped it.

Most human cultivators could only refine energy into a denser form within their dantian—but Tianze’s body was different. His energy wasn’t just becoming dense—it was materializing. His core was forming.

Once the core took shape, he directed threads of energy through his blood vessels and extraordinary eight meridians. Slowly, he began constructing specialized channels throughout his body, weaving them into his skeletal system, nervous system, muscles, and organs.

His heart thumped violently in his chest—stronger, harder. A human heart circulated blood through the body—but Tianze was building something more. His new core was pumping inner energy through his body like blood.

To handle the power produced by it, his heart, blood vessels, and musculoskeletal system needed to be reinforced. His muscles twisted and strengthened. His bones hardened. His heart adapted. His senses sharpened beyond human limits.

No one had ever tried this before.

Because no one had ever survived it.

But Tianze did.

Morning light broke across the dark forest. Tianze opened his eyes and stood. He walked toward the lake and looked at his reflection. His eyes now shone with a cyan-blue glow—a second lens forming beneath the first. He blinked and his vision shifted. He could see over 100 kilometers away, and the darkness no longer blinded him.

He clenched his hand. His muscles rippled beneath his skin, his entire body now radiating a predator's aura. His body felt like netherite, his core pulsing with wild, destructive power.

He was no longer a cultivator. No longer a human.

He was a monster.

Tianze’s gaze turned toward the depths of the forest. His path was clear now.

I will keep going until I breathe my last.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***