Zhang Yang gave an order, and immediately twenty or thirty subordinates armed with weapons rushed out from an entrance at the side of the arena, surrounding Bai Yunfei in the center. However, seeing the brick in his hand still dripping with blood, none dared to charge first.
"You said if I won, you would let me leave." Bai Yunfei continued to stare coldly at Zhang Yang, his voice calm.
"You!... I..." Zhang Yang choked on his words, his face flushing crimson.
The surrounding audience had also snapped out of their shock. For them, who died was unimportant; surprise and excitement were paramount. Bai Yunfei's "outstanding performance" had clearly satisfied them immensely. Now, seeing the situation in the arena, they pointed and whispered at Bai Yunfei and Zhang Yang.
"Well said! Since he won, he should naturally be allowed to leave. What? Are the rules of the Zhang family's Beast Arena dictated solely by the Zhang family, deciding who lives and who dies?" The sudden speaker was none other than the Second Young Master of the Zheng family. He gestured towards the wealthy nobles present and continued, "Then what's the point of these people coming here at all?"
He hadn't deliberately raised his voice, but the arena had grown quiet. The softly murmuring audience clearly heard his words, their expressions showing agreement. Many looked at Zhang Yang with distinct dissatisfaction.
Zhang Yang's face alternated between green and white. Finally, he forced a smile, clasped his hands towards Second Young Master Zheng, and offered an apologetic look to the crowd. "Heh heh... Second Young Master Zheng is right. My manners were lacking just now. I will let him leave immediately..." He signaled his men in the arena with a glance.
But then, Second Young Master Zheng spoke again, "Friend, I am also preparing to leave. Shall we go out together?" This was directed at Bai Yunfei.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang's face instantly turned the color of pig liver. Furious but unable to vent it, he had planned to let Yunfei leave and then find some way to kill him later. But Second Young Master Zheng had clearly seen through his scheme; this was open protection for Bai Yunfei's life.
Bai Yunfei in the arena remained expressionless, but his mind was crystal clear. He obviously understood the situation. Without another word, he walked towards the passageway from which these people had emerged earlier. Soon, he appeared on the spectator stands, standing silently behind Second Young Master Zheng.
Bai Yunfei kept his head down, avoiding looking at Zhang Yang, who was only a few meters away. The hand gripping the brick bulged with veins, his gums clenched so tightly they felt raw. He dared not raise his head. He feared he couldn't restrain himself, couldn't stop himself from charging forward to smash that brick into the other's skull. He knew that if he truly charged ahead, he wouldn't even get close, and his life would end right there.
"Well then, Young Master Zhang, I shall take my leave." Second Young Master Zheng uttered casually, not bothering to look at Zhang Yang's expression again. He stood and walked towards the exit. Bai Yunfei followed closely, carrying Old Wu's corpse. Old Qin brought up the rear, watching Bai Yunfei thoughtfully as he walked ahead...
...
In a secluded alley in the northwest corner of Falling Stone City, after leaving the Beast Arena and walking for a while, Second Young Master Zheng turned around. He looked at Bai Yunfei, who had remained silent behind him, and smiled slightly. "I am Zheng Kai, of the Capital Zheng family. May I know your name, friend..."
"Bai Yunfei."
"Brother Yunfei, what... are your plans for the future?"
Bai Yunfei looked at Zheng Kai, remained silent for a moment, then said, "I owe you. I will repay you manifold in the future..."
"Heh heh, that's not what I meant... I merely spoke a few words for you, don't take it to heart." Seeing Bai Yunfei had misunderstood, Zheng Kai waved his hand dismissively. "My intention was that you should try your best not to appear before that Zhang Yang again. While I secured your release, I will be leaving soon. After that, he might come looking for trouble. I think you should leave this place."
Bai Yunfei fell silent again. He lowered his head and stared at Old Wu's corpse for a long time...
"Thank you..."
He spoke softly, then, ignoring Zheng Kai, walked out of the alleyway with his head bowed.
"You helped me today, Bai Yunfei has engraved it in his heart. If I gain strength in the future, I will repay you manifold!"
Watching Bai Yunfei gradually disappear into the distance, Zheng Kai shook his head helplessly and let out a sigh...
...
Old Wu had mentioned that his home was beside a small street in the western district, not far from where they were. Fortunately, the route didn't pass through any bustling main streets. Otherwise, Yunfei, covered in blood and carrying a dead body, would have surely attracted the attention of the City Lord's guards long ago.
After startling away three or four people, he finally found Old Wu's home thanks to the trembling directions of one terrified resident. He handed over Old Wu's body to his family. Ignoring the mixture of fear, shock, and grief among them, he turned and left.
Returning to his own dwelling, he cleaned the blood from his body and changed into his only spare set of clothes. Bai Yunfei took one last look at the room where he had lived for eighteen years, then resolutely walked out…
...
Under the dim moonlight, outside Falling Stone City, in a secluded grove, Bai Yunfei knelt before the graves of his mother and grandfather, murmuring softly.
"..."
"And then... I escaped that place with the help of that Zheng Kai..."
"Mother... I understand now. To avoid being bullied, to avoid being treated like an insignificant ant, to live freely... one needs incomparably powerful strength... strength that makes everyone afraid to provoke you!"
"Mother, Grandfather said... to live with a clear conscience..."
"Old Wu died saving me... I... I must avenge him! I must make Zhang Yang pay for what he has done! For Old Wu! For his granddaughter, Little Jade! And for myself!"
"Right now... I possess a special kind of power. I feel... if I study it carefully, learn to use this power well... I can become strong..."
Bai Yunfei wiped the tears from his face and was about to stand up when suddenly, a hoarse, aged voice came from behind him:
"Do you want power?"
"Who?!" The sudden voice jolted Bai Yunfei with fright. He swiftly grabbed the brick beside him and spun around to face the speaker.
"Oh? Soul Force has already begun to awaken? Though it's still very faint..." A voice tinged with surprise spoke, then continued with a hint of amusement, "Heh heh, young friend, don't be afraid. I mean you no harm."
By the moonlight, Bai Yunfei saw a kindly-looking old man in grey robes step before him. His demeanor was amiable, and he smiled as he scrutinized Bai Yunfei.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Bai Yunfei asked the two most critical questions directly. Seeing the other party seemed to harbor no ill intent, he relaxed slightly, though the brick remained tightly gripped in his hand.
"I overheard roughly what you said earlier. I see your Soul Force has begun to awaken. I presume that 'special power' you mentioned refers to this?"
"However, I can tell you that relying on such a minuscule amount of power alone... vengeance is impossible. You are not even a Soul Warrior yet. That Zhang family youth, though only mid-stage Soul Person, is already far beyond your current ability to handle."
"What I wish to tell you is... I can make you much stronger. Strong enough to achieve the vengeance you desire. Are you willing to accept?"
The old man had expected that upon hearing this, the youngster opposite him would beam with joy and eagerly ask how to become stronger. However...
"Why should I believe you?"
"Huh..." The old man was momentarily dumbfounded, then said helplessly, "What exactly do you have that's worth me deceiving you? Fine. Then I shall make you believe..."
As soon as the old man finished speaking, Bai Yunfei suddenly felt his surroundings become intensely bright, followed by a wave of scorching heat washing over him—a vast expanse of roaring flames had instantly appeared around him and the old man!!
And these flames weren't burning on the ground; they were floating in the air!!
Illuminated by the fiery glow, the old man smiled and pointed towards a large boulder the size of a water vat not far away. With a faint rumbling sound, the boulder slowly rose from the earth, hovering in the air. The old man flexed his fingers slightly—Crack! Crack!—the sound of splitting rock echoed as the boulder shattered into dozens of pieces that then fell back to the ground...
Bai Yunfei stared in shock at the spectacle before him when he suddenly felt dizzy. When his senses cleared, he discovered... he himself was floating in the air!!
The successive events left Bai Yunfei's mind in disarray. He stared blankly down at the old man, who still smiled as he watched him.
Seeing the expression of utter astonishment on the other's face, the old man finally smiled with satisfaction. With a wave of his hand, Bai Yunfei gently descended back to the ground. The surrounding flames also contracted, though they didn't vanish completely. A fireball the size of a washbasin floated nearby, seemingly left by the old man deliberately for illumination.
"Well? Young fellow, do you believe me now? I'll ask once more: I can make you stronger and aid you in your revenge. Are you willing to accept?"
Bai Yunfei lowered his head in prolonged silence. He stared at the old man for a long moment before finally speaking slowly, "What's the condition?"
"Huh..." The old man was stunned again, feeling a twinge of inner frustration. "This little guy is different from the others I've met before... Everyone else encountering such a fortuitous encounter would be excited and impatient... Him?..."
"Well... Old Man sees you possess extraordinary bone structure, a unique natural talent. I wish to pass on to you..."
"Don't believe it." Yunfei cut him off directly.
"Eh..." Black lines seemed to form on the old man's forehead. He was stunned for quite a while, then suddenly chuckled.
"You are quite a unique little fellow. Alright. Old Man won't deceive you either. I wish to impart cultivation techniques to you. Besides helping you take revenge, I do indeed have another purpose."
"I am from the Heavenly Fate Sect. Our sect may face a calamity of annihilation in the future. My helping you now is in the hope that if you achieve greatness later, you might also assist my sect in overcoming that great tribulation."
"What is the Heavenly Fate Sect?"
"Huh..." The old man felt like he was walking in the dark, bumping into walls at every turn.
"The Heavenly Fate Sect is a Soul Master sect. Though not ranked among the Top Ten Great Sects of the world, it is not weak. Let me also tell you, the head of the Zhang family in Falling Stone City, Zhang Zhenshan, and his son Zhang Yang, are disciples of the Frost Ice Sect in the eastern part of Azure Cloud Province. While the Frost Ice Sect is only a minor sect, it possesses more than enough power to deal with the likes of you currently. If you wish to deal with the Zhang family, you'd best be careful about hiding your identity."
Bai Yunfei fell silent, seemingly pondering the old man's words. After a moment, he asked again, "What is a Soul Master?"
"All living beings in this world are composed of Body and Soul. Training the body, everyone can do that, but it only leads to becoming an ordinary martial artist. Some individuals, however, can cultivate their souls, strengthening their Soul Force. Through this, they use the Soul to control the Body, pushing their physical limits, even harnessing the power of the elemental forces of heaven and earth to unleash immense might. Those capable of cultivating the soul are called Soul Masters."
"Based on the strength of Soul Force, the power of Soul Masters is divided into nine ranks: Soul Person (Tu), Soul Warrior (Zhe), Soul Soldier (Shi), Soul Sprite (Ling), Soul Ancestor (Zong), Soul Lord (Zun), Soul Emperor (Huang), Soul Sovereign (Di), and Soul Saint (Sheng); each rank is further divided into early, middle, and late stages."
"Ascending through Soul Force tiers is exceedingly difficult. That Zhang family head, Zhang Zhenshan, is at the early Soul Sprite (Ling) stage. The Frost Ice Sect Master is merely at the mid Soul Ancestor (Zong) stage."
"Your Soul Force has awakened initially. Once it fully awakens and you can perceive the Soul Force within your body, you will be at the early Soul Person (Tu) stage."
"I can impart to you methods to cultivate your soul and wield Soul Force. So now... are you willing to accept?"