Chapter 112: The Predator's Crucible
The forest depths loomed dark and foreboding,
a tangled maze of gnarled trees and creeping vines,
the air thick with the musky scent of damp earth and the sharp tang of predator musk,
shadows shifting as if alive under the dim canopy light.
The moment Lin Xuan stepped into this wilderness,
his cultivation sealed at the 1st Layer of Profound Heavenly Realm,
his black-and-white eyes—black sclera with faintly glowing white pupils—scanned the terrain,
the Celestial Unity Crest on his back dormant, a silent testament to his choice.
Beasts descended upon him with ferocious intent,
a pack of wolves with gleaming fangs and claws like daggers,
their growls echoing with a guttural snarl as they lunged,
raking his arms with deep gashes, blood staining the earth in dark pools.
He screamed, a raw, guttural sound tearing from his throat,
fangs piercing his legs as he stumbled, the pain a searing fire through his nerves,
but his training kicked in—Kyokushin Karate's low stance absorbing the initial shock,
his fists striking back with a thud, driving a wolf back with a cracked jaw.
Night after night, he dragged himself to a hollow tree,
his body a canvas of torn flesh and bruises,
muscles screaming in protest as he patched wounds with torn cloth,
his resolve hardening with each labored breath.
By the third day, exhaustion had set in,
his arms too sore to lift, trembling uncontrollably,
yet he forced himself to stand, teeth gritted against the agony,
his voice a whisper of defiance.
"I won't break… not yet."
A week later, his movements grew deliberate,
killing awkwardly at first, each wound a brutal lesson—
a Muay Thai elbow shattering a boar's skull with a crack,
a Muay Boran knee strike felling a panther, its body crumpling with a thud.
Two years passed, the forest a crucible forging him anew,
his body a map of scars—jagged lines across his chest, a crescent on his thigh—
yet he strode through the undergrowth like a king,
the predator now, beasts parting before his unyielding presence.
Above the mortal realm, in the vast void,
a celestial expanse shimmered with ethereal light,
ShenYi Ren—Liu Ren—stood cloaked in a long black coat,
his sharp features and piercing gray eyes fixed on the scene below.
Beside him stood a young man with red-black hair and black sclera,
his faintly glowing white pupils a mirror of Lin Xuan's,
his stance tense with anticipation.
Ren smirked at a muscular man with green hair and a scar over his right eye,
whom he called Zoro, his voice laced with mock exasperation.
"So, you bastard Zoro, how the hell did you stumble into the right place?
I thought you'd get lost in some backwater dimension again."
Zoro chuckled, scratching his head with a sheepish grin,
his deep voice rumbling with amusement.
"Yeah, yeah, I really got lost this time.
Ended up here by mistake—pure luck, I guess."
Ren rolled his eyes, a rare smile tugging at his lips.
"As expected of you, you idiot."
The red-black-haired youth tensed, his voice low and urgent.
"They're… coming."
Space tore with a rip, a jagged wound in reality,
five glowing figures emerged, leading an army of celestial beings,
their form gleaming with divine light.
One boomed, his voice a thunderclap,
"ShenYi Ren, we've finally found you!
You can't run this time—your days of evasion end here!"
Ren's smirk widened, a glint of defiance in his eyes.
"You think I'm alone? Think again."
Behind him, space cracked with a shatter,
revealing an army of Humans and Spirits, their banners fluttering,
swords and spears glinting as they prepared for battle.
Two youths stepped forward to Liu Ren,
their movements confident, eyes gleaming with intent.
One, with a sly grin, addressed the glowing leader.
"Hey, we've got a deal.
Give us what we want, and we'll hand over Ren."
The leader's eyes narrowed, his voice dripping with disdain.
"Oh, looks like you've betrayed your own kind."
He laughed, a deep, mocking laugh,
then studied them closely.
"You… you must be Vyuk, the 3rd strongest of Team Professor.
And you—" he turned to the other, "—must be Shinosuke Nohara, Shin-chan, the 4th.
So, tell me, what do you want?"
Vyuk tilted his head, his tone mockingly polite.
"Oh, my my, it's an honor that someone like you knows us."
Shin-chan and Vyuk exchanged a glance,
their evil smiles mirroring each other,
then shouted in unison,
"We want… your MOM!"
Zoro burst into laughter, doubling over,
"Hahaha, sorry, I couldn't—hahaha—hold back, hahaaha!"
A smile crept onto Ren's face, his gray eyes twinkling with amusement,
the tension breaking for a moment amidst the celestial standoff.
The air crackled with energy,
the forest below a distant echo of Lin Xuan's trials,
the divine confrontation a prelude to a larger storm,
his journey as predator setting the stage for a cosmic clash.