The days turned into weeks, and the weeks blended into a full month. In the dim solitude of the forest
caverns that Jianyu had claimed as his own, he trained relentlessly, his Heaven Devouring Art drawing
in qi from every possible source. Beasts fell one after another, their cores dissolved into pure essence
within his veins, their poisonous remnants consumed and refined into strength that no other cultivator
could wield. His body hardened further, each cell nourished, his bones dense like ironwood, and his
meridians tempered into flexible rivers that held vast torrents of energy.
Where once he had been mocked as talentless trash, he now stood as a silent storm at the Peak of Qi
Refining. Yet Jianyu revealed nothing of his progress. Within the sect, he continued to play the role of
the mediocre disciple, bowing his head, speaking little, and never showcasing the frightening depths of
his cultivation.
But silence could not forever shield him. For though he hid his light, the heavens themselves seemed to
hint at his rise. Whispers grew within the sect: Jianyu's presence seemed steadier, his aura more
stable, his gaze sharper than before. Rumors spread that he had grown far too quickly for a supposed
nobody. And in cultivation, rapid unexplained growth always led to suspicion.
It was Elder Zhang, a First Foundation Building expert, who first pieced the fragments together. While
investigating the disappearance of Wu Shifen, the genius disciple of another elder, Zhang stumbled
across traces of blood essence hidden deep within a mountain grove. His keen senses recognized two
signatures: Wu Shifen's vibrant essence—and faintly interwoven with it, Jianyu's. Though Jianyu had
tried to conceal it, even the tiniest drop of blood could not lie before the perception of an elder.
Elder Zhang's eyes darkened. "So it was you all along."
A summons came swiftly. Jianyu was called to a secluded chamber within the sect's inner court, its
stone walls etched with suppressive formations. The moment Jianyu stepped inside, he felt the
oppressive weight of the elder's qi locking him down like chains. He bowed low, masking the quiet
flame burning in his chest.
"Disciple Jianyu," Elder Zhang's voice was cold and sharp, like a blade. "You rise too quickly. From
trash to Peak Qi Refining in a mere month? And yet you show no elixirs, no treasures borrowed from
the sect. Tell me, how does a weed suddenly grow into a towering pine?"
Jianyu kept his face calm, but inside, his mind raced. He had expected suspicion, but not so soon. "This
disciple has only been diligent, Elder. Hard work, long hours in meditation, and fortune when slaying a
few beasts."
"Lies!" Elder Zhang thundered, his qi surging through the chamber, shaking the air. "I have seen the
blood! Wu Shifen's and yours, mingled together. You killed him, didn't you? And whatever treasure you
found, it is mine by right. Hand it over, and I may spare your miserable life."
The killing intent rolling off the elder was suffocating, pressing down on Jianyu like a mountain. For a
moment, the façade of meekness flickered, and in its place, Jianyu's eyes gleamed coldly.
"You think I rose through mere luck, Elder?" Jianyu whispered. "No. I forged my path through pain,
through blood, through endless devouring. And if you want what I have…" He straightened, his qi
beginning to surge despite the suppressive formation. "…then come take it."
With a roar, Elder Zhang unleashed his Foundation Building might, his qi forming a crushing palm that
threatened to obliterate Jianyu in a single blow. Yet Jianyu's Heaven Devouring Art stirred violently, a
vortex of all-absorbing energy that devoured the elder's attack at its edges, pulling strands of qi into his
own body. The clash shook the chamber, stone cracking and dust raining down.
The elder snarled. "Impossible! You're only at Qi Refining! How can you resist my power?"
Jianyu's body trembled under the force, blood seeping from his lips, but his stance never faltered.
Every strike the elder launched, Jianyu absorbed fragments of it, refining it into fuel for his own
counterattack. His foundation, built on countless cores, qi of every element, and the scarlet elixir's
transformation, was deeper and sturdier than anyone could imagine.
With a guttural roar, Jianyu struck back, his fist wrapped in a swirling vortex of devouring energy. It
clashed against Elder Zhang's protective qi barrier—and shattered it. The elder reeled, coughing blood,
disbelief written across his face.
"No… you can't… defeat me… I am Foundation—"
The words never finished. Jianyu's strike pierced through, crushing the elder's chest and devouring his
very life force. When the light faded from Elder Zhang's eyes, Jianyu stood alone in the chamber,
breathing heavily, body aching yet victorious. A Qi Refining disciple had slain a Foundation Building
elder—something unheard of, something that would shake the entire sect if known.
Jianyu dragged the elder's corpse into his vortex of devouring energy, erasing every trace of the battle.
Nothing remained but dust and silence. His heart pounded, but his mind was cold and steady. He could
no longer remain in this sect. Too many eyes, too many risks. His secret could not survive here.
When the sect elders later asked about Elder Zhang's sudden disappearance, Jianyu bowed his head
respectfully and volunteered to take on an extended mission outside the sect's territory. Permission
was granted, for none suspected the quiet disciple who had always seemed so ordinary.
And so Jianyu departed. Alone, cloaked in the guise of duty, he walked beyond the familiar peaks of his
sect into unknown lands. Before him stretched a world vaster than he had ever imagined, where greater
sects, stronger cultivators, and endless opportunities awaited. The heavens were wide, and his path to
the peak had only just begun