A lone boat drifts over the restless waves, its wood creaking under the pull of the ocean.
On the bow stands Merin, hair swept back by the salt wind, eyes fixed on the endless expanse ahead. The rhythm of the sea masks his stillness, but within his body, lightning stirs like a storm waiting to burst.
Then he sees it—his prey.
He bends his knees and launches into the air. Thunder erupts from his body, the boat beneath him splintering to ash as lightning engulfs him. His form twists and expands until wings of pure electricity spread wide, and a Lightning Eagle cries across the sky.
He soars upward, piercing clouds, the storm following his flight. With a sudden fold of his wings, he dives. The air screams with his descent.
From below, the ocean answers. With a roar like cracking stone, a colossal shark explodes out of the sea, maw wide, its body wreathed in black demon energy. Water cascades down in sheets as its jagged teeth gleam, rushing upward to meet him.
They collide in mid-air, lightning tearing into corrupted flesh, demon energy ripping back at the storm. The sea shatters beneath them, waves crashing outward in every direction.
For an hour, the ocean rages with its struggle. Then silence.
A piercing screech splits the air above Mulin City. Citizens tilt their heads upward in awe as the Lightning Eagle descends, talons clutching the bloodied corpse of the giant shark. Its eyes glow, thunder crackling in its feathers.
Relief and joy break across the faces of martial artists and celestial masters watching from the streets. Murmurs of "He did it again" ripple through the crowd.
The Lightning Eagle lowers itself, vanishing in a crack of thunder as both it and the massive shark disappear within the walls of the Lin Estate.
The city stirs into motion at once. Merchants, Martial artists, and even Celestial Masters begin to gather coins and notes, their expressions eager.
One by one, they set off toward the Lin Family Estate, for whenever Merin hunts, the entire city profits.
On the roadside, a man and his daughter watch the Lightning Eagle vanish into the estate walls.
The man says, "Lili, do you understand now why we travelled for a month to come here?" He licks his lips, recalling the image of the colossal shark. "And we came at the right time."
Lili nods, joy lighting her face. "But how did you know an intermediate demon would be hunted in Mulin City?"
Her father replies, "I heard from a good friend that every month, a celestial master named Lin Yu hunts an intermediate demon from the Demon Sea."
Lili's eyes widen in shock. "Then he must be from a great noble family."
Her father shakes his head. "No, he is a commoner."
Lili freezes, disbelief plain in her expression. In her city, only nobles held power—every martial artist, every celestial master of renown was born into wealth and legacy. "How…?"
"If someone has talent, a commoner can rival a noble scion," her father explains. "And if they work harder than nobles, they can surpass them. Celestial Master Lin Yu has both talent and determination."
He lowers his voice as they continue walking toward the estate. "Before coming here, I inquired about him. Lin Yu climbed from mortal to peak third-ring celestial master in a single month. And in only three years, he reached the peak of the sixth ring—one step away from the Seventh Ring."
Lili stares ahead in silence, her heart stirring with both awe and disbelief.
Around them, the streets swell with travellers—merchants, cultivators, and hopeful onlookers. Dozens, then hundreds, all hurrying in the same direction. Like her and her father, they had come from Liulin Prefecture and even farther prefectures, drawn by the legend of Lin Yu's monthly hunts.
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Merin sits cross-legged on the training field, practising the vitality forging exercise.
He opens his mouth, and a maid immediately places a strip of demon shark meat between his lips. Three other maids sit beside iron cauldrons, cooking the meat in turns so that whenever he opens his mouth, another strip is ready. He chews slowly, refining the energy and tempering his vitality.
A celestial master cannot practice martial arts, but Merin is keenly aware of the weakness of a celestial master's mortal body. After familiarising himself with the vitality law of the world, he created this technique.
"Brother," Lin Zhu's voice comes from the side, "after selling one-third of the demon shark meat, we collected 878 large gold coins."
Merin, eyes closed, replies calmly, "You don't have to tell me this."
Lin Zhu ignores him and continues, "And after giving another third to the Four Gates, you obtained 146 merit. You are short of 356 merit to exchange for the top-rank celestial master cultivation technique."
Merin murmurs, "In two hunts, I would be able to earn it."
But Lin Zhu goes on, "And Li Mei said the Liulin Prefecture headquarters is organising a hunt for a top-rank demon. Every intermediate celestial master participating will automatically receive 200 merit, plus extra merit according to their contribution."
At this, Merin's eyes open, lightning flickering faintly in their depths. "When is the hunt?"
"Three weeks later," Lin Zhu says.
Merin calculates silently. In a week, his vitality will recover enough to hunt another intermediate demon. After trading one-third of it to the Four Gates, he would gain around 150 merit.
Adding the 200 from the prefecture's hunt, he would have enough to exchange for a top-rank celestial master cultivation technique. With that, he could attempt his breakthrough to the Seventh Ring.
Seeing Lin Zhu still standing there, Merin asks, "Is there anything more?"
Lin Zhu hesitates before saying, "A Mu family elder wants to talk with you."
Merin meets the Mu family elder in one of the many meeting rooms of the estate.
Three years ago, after Xiao Yun burned down the main mansion of the Yang family, many of their members perished. Merin struck soon after, and within a year, the Yangs were forced to sell their estate to him and leave Mulin City forever.
Now, sitting across from the Mu family elder, Merin asks, "What should I call you?"
The elder bows slightly. "Young friend Lin, you may call me Seventh Elder of the Mu family—or Elder Jiazi."
"Elder Jiazi," Merin says evenly, "what can I do for you?"
"We want your help to hunt an intermediate demon," Jiazi replies.
Merin narrows his eyes. "Elder Jiazi, I don't think the Mu family lacks hunters capable of killing an intermediate demon."
"This hunt is different," Jiazi says, his tone lowering. "The target is three Swamp Boas. With your thunder magic, the casualties on our side will be greatly reduced."
Merin leans back slightly, fingers drumming on the armrest. "What do I get—and when is the hunt?"
"A complete body of a Swamp Python we already hunted," Elder Jiazi answers without hesitation, "and a fragment of top-ranking magic power."
Merin's expression does not change, but his mind stirs. The body of an intermediate demon means little to him—he can obtain one whenever he hunts. But a fragment of top-ranking magic power… even a fragment is rare and valuable.
His gaze sharpens. "Can I know what type of magic power it is?"
Elder Jiazi says, "You can see it for yourself," and from his sleeve he takes out a sealed parchment, sliding it across the table.
Merin unfolds it carefully. Ancient runes flicker faintly across the page, and the words Wood God Technique glow into view. Only the first three steps are recorded.
Merin's lips curl. "You trust me this much—handing me the main prize before the mission?"
Elder Jiazi's expression remains calm. "We don't. But we believe you understand very well what consequences follow betrayal of the Mu family."
Merin hums, his smile vanishing. "When is the hunt?"
"A week later."
"Then I must leave for Liulan City tomorrow," Merin says flatly.
"I have already prepared a carriage for you," Elder Jiazi replies with a nod.
Merin inclines his head in acknowledgement, and a maid escorts Elder Jiazi to one of the guest rooms in the mansion.
That evening, over dinner, Merin mentions to his brother and sister, "I'll be leaving for Liulan City tomorrow. It will take me about a month to return."
Later, back in his room, he sits cross-legged with the parchment spread before him and begins studying the Wood God Technique.
The first step explains how to sense the wooden spiritual power hidden within the flow of spiritual energy. With his powerful soul strength, it takes him only minutes before he perceives the faint green strand woven inside the energy currents.
The second step describes absorbing that wooden spiritual energy, guiding it toward the liver, and slowly transforming the organ with its vitality.
He doesn't attempt it immediately, choosing instead to read further.
The third step details opening the main acupoint within the liver once it has been transformed, and creating a space inside the acupoint to store pure wooden energy.
Merin exhales slowly, eyes shining. Without hesitation, he begins the second step, drawing in the wooden energy and channelling it toward his liver, starting the slow work of transformation.
And so, at dawn the next day, in a luxurious carriage drawn by spirit horses, Merin and Elder Jiazi depart from Mulin City, the gates closing behind them as their journey begins.