The midday sun scorched the earth, but inside Area A's Cloudtop Manor, the climate control system maintained a comfortable 22 degrees Celsius.
Su Yu returned home half an hour early. As he stepped into the front garden, before he could even take off his shoes, a deep, primal roar pierced through the villa's thick walls, faintly reaching his ears.
"ROAR—!!"
The sound was laced with savagery, bloodlust, and the clanging of violently rattling metal chains, sending shivers down his spine.
Su Yu froze for a moment, then realized—this must be the "special training" his father had mentioned.
He hadn't expected the commotion to be so intense, as if they'd opened a zoo inside the house.
"Dad, what's that noise coming from Back Mountain?" Su Yu asked casually as he entered the kitchen, where Su Wu, wearing an apron, was skillfully preparing ingredients.
"You're back?" Su Wu replied without turning around, his cleaver dancing through the air. His tone remained calm. "Wash your hands and eat first. You need energy to endure... oh, I mean, to practice."
Su Yu nodded and sat down at the dining table.
Though the table was laden with colorful and fragrant dishes, he ate distractedly. The faint, intermittent roars of the beast felt like an invisible hand tickling his heart.
After all, as a student raised in a sheltered environment, his knowledge of feral beasts came entirely from holographic textbooks and videos. This was his first-ever face-to-face encounter.
Seeing his son's absent-minded state, Su Wu chuckled and shook his head. "Alright, stop counting rice grains. If you're so eager, skip the meal. Let's start early."
With that, he casually untied his apron, his movements so composed he didn't even bother wiping his hands, and strode toward the backyard.
Su Yu's eyes lit up. He immediately dropped his chopsticks and hurried after his father.
Passing through the exquisite garden and pushing open the heavy iron gate leading to Back Mountain, Su Yu gasped, his pupils dilating at the sight before him.
The once lush and scenic Back Mountain of Cloudtop Manor had been violently cleared, leaving a patch of barren yellow earth the size of a football field.
In the center of this clearing stood over a dozen thick alloy stakes. Each stake was secured with wrist-thick, specially crafted shackles, restraining a variety of feral beasts, each radiating a pungent, bloody stench.
To the left, an Ironclad Porcupine covered in sharp, black iron spikes was frantically slamming its body against the ground, each impact shaking the earth.
In the middle, a Giant Rock Bear stood nearly three meters tall on its hind legs. Scars from its capture still marked its thick, rocky hide, and its blood-red eyes glared fixedly at Su Yu, viscous saliva dripping from its jaws.
To the right, several lithe and malevolent Gale Wolves crouched in ambush postures, their throats emitting low, guttural growls despite being shackled.
This place was practically a miniature Ancient Roman Colosseum!
"D-Dad, did you capture all these?" Su Yu asked, his throat dry as he stared at the ferocious creatures he had only ever seen in bestiaries.
So this is what E-grade feral beasts, the kind that correspond to the Qi Blood Realm, are like?
The overwhelming murderous aura, the undisguised killing intent—these were nothing like the sparring partners at school, who wore protective gear!
Su Wu nodded slightly, crossing his arms and leaning against a shattered tree trunk, his expression as relaxed as if he were watching his pet dog. "That's right. From today onward, they'll be your sparring partners."
"Sparring partners?" Su Yu's lips twitched.
Any one of these feral beasts could cause panic in District F, yet his father casually referred to them as "sparring partners."
"Dad, are you saying... I have to train with them now?" Su Yu pointed at the most agitated Ironclad Porcupine.
"What else? Save them for New Year's?"
A mischievous grin spread across Su Wu's face as he suddenly flashed forward, appearing instantly before the Ironclad Porcupine's iron cage.
"This is an early E-grade Ironclad Porcupine, equivalent to the early Qi Blood Realm in humans. Since you're currently at the mid-Qi Blood Realm, you should be able to crush it. Go ahead and show me what you've got."
No sooner had Su Wu finished speaking than a cold glint flashed in his hand, and he severed the porcupine's chains in a single swift motion.
"ROAR!!"
The newly freed Ironclad Porcupine unleashed a deafening roar.
Its crimson beast eyes instantly locked onto Su Yu in the arena.
Rumble!
Its massive body, like an out-of-control heavy truck, pounded the ground with its hooves, kicking up a cloud of dust and charging straight at Su Yu with unstoppable force.
"So fast?!" Su Yu thought in alarm.
The books lied about porcupines being slow! This explosive power is terrifying! New chapters come out on g.com first.
"Catch!"
Su Wu tossed an unsharpened alloy training longsword through the air in a graceful arc.
Su Yu frantically caught the blade just as the porcupine's fetid tusks closed to within three meters of him.
"Dodge!"
Reacting instinctively, Su Yu stumbled to the left, his footwork clumsy and desperate.
Whoosh!
The porcupine's spiky body brushed past Su Yu's sleeve, the gust of wind stinging his cheeks.
Before Su Yu could regain his balance, the porcupine displayed agility belying its bulk.
It slammed on its front hooves, pivoting on its hind legs. Its thick tail, like a steel whip, swept across with a whistling crack!
"Damn it!"
Su Yu could only raise his longsword to block.
Clang!
A piercing metallic clang rang out.
A massive force surged through the sword's hilt, instantly splitting the web of skin between Su Yu's thumb and forefinger. The brute force sent him staggering backward seven or eight steps before he barely managed to steady himself, his arms numb.
This is real combat? Cold sweat streamed down Su Yu's forehead.
His qi and blood levels were higher than the beast's, his strength should have been greater, yet in that brief clash, he had been completely overwhelmed!
The porcupine gave him no respite, charging again with a roar, its razor-sharp tusks gleaming with a chilling light, intent on piercing the human youth.
Su Yu could only rely on instinct, dodging clumsily time and again.
His Sky-Piercing Blade technique had completely disintegrated, his movements chaotic and without form.
The occasional strike that landed on the porcupine's body merely struck its hard, black iron quills, sending sparks flying but failing to breach its defenses.
"Too rigid," Su Wu said, shaking his head from a short distance away. His voice was low but carried clearly to Su Yu's ears.
"You're just going through the motions you learned at school. Do you think feral beasts will wait for you to strike a pose before attacking? Is your mid-stage Qi Blood Realm cultivation just for show?"
"Su Yu, don't forget your physique!"
Su Wu's gaze suddenly sharpened as he barked, "The Chaos Body isn't meant to be a meat shield! The moment you make contact, try to... devour its qi and blood!"
"Devour?" Su Yu's heart jolted violently as he desperately dodged the porcupine's relentless attacks.
Buzz!
The Ironclad Porcupine charged again. This time, Su Yu didn't retreat.
Forcing himself to remain calm amidst the overwhelming tension, he focused his mind.
Deep within his dantian, the hazy gray Chaos Vortex began to spin slowly.
An indescribable hunger suddenly surged through every pore of his body.
"Come on!" Su Yu narrowed his eyes, locking his gaze on the charging porcupine.
At the instant the porcupine's tusks were about to strike, he slid sideways with ghostly agility, no longer panicking but executing a deliberate maneuver.
He extended his left hand, pressing it seemingly lightly against the porcupine's spiky flank.
Before, such a strike would have sent a painful jolt through his palm. But this time...
"Chaos Body, activate!"
A small, negative-pressure vortex of qi and blood instantly formed in Su Yu's palm.
"Augh?!"
The once-ferocious Ironclad Porcupine suddenly let out a terrified shriek.
It felt its own rampaging internal energy, upon contact with the human's palm, gushing out like a dam bursting! New chapters come out on g.com first.
The sudden weakness caused a fatal rigidity in its charge.
"Now's my chance!"
Su Yu clearly felt a surge of warm, violent qi and blood essence flow from his left hand into his body, instantly replenishing his depleted stamina and even briefly amplifying his strength!
A transfer of power!
This was the terrifying nature of the Chaos Body!
The panic in Su Yu's eyes vanished completely, replaced by the hunter's thrill of spotting prey.
Seizing the porcupine's moment of paralysis, he steadied his grip on the alloy training longsword, which had been trembling moments before.
The newly plundered qi and blood, now mixed with his own, surged wildly into the blade.
Sky-Piercing Blade, First Form—Severing Current!
"Open... up!!"
With a thunderous roar, Su Yu's longsword transformed into a searing white streak, its piercing whistle tearing through the air as it slashed viciously at the porcupine's vulnerable neck joint.
Thwack!
This time, there were no sparks, no recoil.
It felt as smooth as a hot knife slicing through butter.
The Ironclad Porcupine's tough armor proved as flimsy as paper against the blade. The longsword plunged deep into the creature's neck, severing its spine and arteries in a single stroke!
"Aowuu..."
The Ironclad Porcupine let out a mournful wail. Its massive body slid forward several meters under its own momentum, carving a deep furrow in the ground before crashing to a halt. Its limbs twitched a few times, then went still.
A torrent of blood gushed forth, staining the ground crimson beneath Su Yu's feet.
Su Yu remained in his sword-swinging stance, panting heavily.
Though his body was exhausted, his spirit surged with unprecedented exhilaration.
He gazed at the colossal beast sprawled at his feet, then at his left hand.
The intoxicating sensation of "plundering" lingered, leaving him slightly dazed.
"This is... real combat?" Su Yu murmured to himself.
The transformation from desperate flight to instantaneous kill, all because he had learned to exploit the Chaos Body's "properties."
Clap, clap, clap.
Su Wu's applause echoed from behind.
He approached, glanced at the thoroughly dead porcupine, and nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. Good comprehension. That final strike, using its own momentum against it—you're getting the hang of it."
"Dad, this Chaos Body... it's insane!" Su Yu turned, his eyes gleaming. "I didn't feel like it was attacking me just now—it was like it was 'supplying me with energy'! The harder it hit, the stronger I got!"
"Naturally," Su Wu said, handing his son a towel with a meaningful look. "But don't get too cocky. This was just a stupid E-grade pig in its early stages. If you encounter a feral beast with speed or ranged attacks, you won't even get close enough to absorb its qi and blood."
As he spoke, Su Wu glanced at the nearby Gale Wolves, which were eagerly waiting their turn.
"Rest for ten minutes and regulate your qi and blood," Su Wu said with a devilish grin. "Next round: two Gale Wolves, both at once."
Su Yu's relief vanished instantly, his heart leaping back into his throat. "Dad! Isn't this pushing me too hard? Two at once?!" he wailed.
"Enough whining. If you want to survive in this dog-eat-dog world, if you want to protect those you care about..." Su Wu pointed at himself, then gestured toward the distant starry sky. "You need to keep getting stronger."
Su Yu paused, meeting his father's stern gaze. He tightened his grip on his alloy training longsword, his fatigue completely forgotten.
"Bring it on! Two wolves? Perfect—I need more practice anyway!"
The young man wiped the blood from his face, his eyes sharpening to a razor's edge.