With a crimson flower clutched in his hand, Feng Qi ran for his life. The instant he seized the flower and leaped over the serpent's massive body, the earth trembled violently.A Demonic Beast at the Qi Refinement Realm—if it caught him, he would be killed a thousand times over.
So the young Feng ran. And ran.
He crossed dense forests, jagged peaks, and rolling hills. His speed was now far greater than before—an Iron-Paw Bear wouldn't stand a chance of catching him. However, a Qi Refinement–level serpent was still terrifyingly fast.
At first, Feng Qi managed to shake off the Crimson-Scaled Serpent, but that abomination could track prey by scent from hundreds of meters away. No matter how many times he tried to lose it, the serpent always followed the trail left by the thief.
Soon, Feng Qi found himself cornered on a cliff, with no route of escape. The height was considerable—even with his strengthened body, a fall could cause serious injuries. Below lay a vast river where many streams converged. Even if he fell into the water, the impact would be tremendous.
"N-No… no, no, no…"
Behind him, the serpent roared as if the world itself were ending. The ground shook violently, and enormous clouds of dust and shattered trees were flung into the air.
Feng Qi looked down, then at the flower in his hand. He knew that if he fell into the river, he would likely lose it—and it was almost certain he would be gravely injured, or even die. With no other choice, he bit into the flower, chewed, swallowed it whole, and leapt from the cliff in the same instant.
At that very moment, the serpent surged forward, trying to devour him. It had finally seen the thief's appearance. It knew these beings—those hateful creatures. Feng Qi escaped as the serpent clung to the cliff with its enormous tail, staring at the wretched human with a cold, vengeful gaze.
Suddenly, the rock beneath it gave way. Its reaction was swift—it barely managed to save itself. But its beloved treasure had already been taken.
The serpent roared again, consumed by fury.
In the river below, Feng Qi was swept away by the raging current. He was unconscious. His body was dragged into the depths—this should have been his second death.
However, the Sanskrit markings on his body began to glow. Steam rose into the air as an intense transformation took place within him. Empowered by the miraculous effects of the Spiritual Blood Flower, Feng Qi's innate talent underwent another drastic evolution, rising to unprecedented heights.
A force even more miraculous than that of the Vital Purity Spiritual Root flooded his body.
His flesh, blood, bones, skin, tendons, organs—his entire body evolved once again. Combined with the mysteries of the Sanskrit Armor, Feng Qi broke through to the Fourth Layer of the Body Refinement Realm. This breakthrough granted far greater enhancement to all attributes than a normal advancement ever could.
This was the true power of the Sanskrit Armor.
What exactly was this artifact?
Feng Qi didn't know—but this was his greatest Fortuitous Encounter. He was destined to obtain it.
Suddenly, a radiant light enveloped him, and a mysterious force pulled him upward, lifting him from the depths and carrying him to the riverbank. The distance from where he had fallen to where he emerged exceeded ten miles.
The young man abruptly awoke. It took him a moment to process what had happened, until—
"The serpent!!!"
He looked around. Water still covered his feet, yet he was completely unharmed. As he stood up, he realized he had truly broken through to the Fourth Layer. Confused, he searched for the flower—then remembered swallowing it just before jumping.
"So that's why I advanced? Ha… hahaha!"
Feng Qi burst into laughter. He was overjoyed, but suddenly recalled something and looked toward the horizon in alarm. He didn't know how far the serpent was, but the cliff was nowhere in sight—that meant he was very far away.
"But this is strange… I thought I'd drown and sink. What luck!"
He had no way of knowing that the Sanskrit Armor had saved him twice. To him, it was merely luck. Perhaps it truly was—after all, luck itself was an attribute.
Feng Qi continued onward. Away from the riverbank, he sat down and examined the effects of the Spiritual Blood Flower. The latent Qi within him vibrated as his Innate Qi waited for the perfect moment to merge with the Qi of the Vital Purity Root and the Qi of the Spiritual Blood Flower.
The three forces fused—and suddenly, something seemed to shatter within Feng Qi.
Nothing dramatic occurred outwardly, yet countless difficulties that once plagued him suddenly lost their terrifying edge. He could recall everything he had learned and practiced with perfect clarity. Everything became astonishingly easier.
Feng Qi felt the natural energy of Heaven and Earth flow around him. Each breath filled his body with pure spiritual energy, strengthening his meridians and connecting him to the world.
Then, his Innate Qi surged once more, granting him insight into the secrets of techniques he had only read once before. He circulated Qi throughout his body and realized he could now use it far more efficiently. Gradually, he gathered Qi in his dantian and refined it, transforming it into Spiritual Qi.
However, the accumulation of Spiritual Qi placed pressure on his dantian and meridians. Spiritual Qi was naturally far stronger than ordinary Qi—Vital Energy—so Feng Qi had to adapt to wielding it.
It wasn't just that. His body leaped forward in strength and endurance. With Spiritual Qi, Feng Qi could become vastly stronger. This energy transformed every part of him, elevating his mind and granting insight into matters that once seemed difficult.
Thus, Feng Qi remained there for several hours, fully grasping the use of Spiritual Qi and stabilizing his foundation.
"Fourth Layer of Body Refinement… I feel incredibly powerful. Could I go back and teach that old man a lesson?" He paused. "Nah. I won't return unless I have absolute confidence."
And so, his journey continued.
Night fell once more. As Feng Qi prepared to hide, he spotted a faint light on a distant hill. He leapt forward, excitement surging—he could finally return to society. The light flickered again, and Feng Qi rushed downhill.
His heart felt relieved and excited. For days, he had wondered if he would ever meet another person again. Since entering the vast northern forest, two weeks had passed.
Meanwhile…
In the village pagoda, an old man tapped his finger repeatedly on the table. Across from him sat the village chief, Feng Zongyuan, alongside others—including Feng Chen Haoran, Li Yuhuan, and their Protector.
"It's been two weeks since the incident. Patrols have searched the surroundings frequently, but no trace of him was found," reported an informant.
"I received a letter from Qingyao this morning. No young man of the Feng family matching these traits has been found," said another, holding a sketch resembling Feng Qi, along with technique manuals and old notebooks.
"Who would've thought…" Feng Zongyuan said coldly, staring at his elderly father.
"That's why we must eliminate any future threats," the old man spoke. "He already had suspicions. If he returns, he could cause havoc."
"I… know I shouldn't speak—we're not officially part of the clan yet—but did that really happen?" the Protector, Li Zhonghai, asked hesitantly.
Silence filled the room, until Li Yuhuan spoke.
"Protector, mind your manners. We are not in our clan. As a professional, you should know certain questions shouldn't be asked."
Li Zhonghai coughed awkwardly and fell silent.
"There's no harm in knowing," Feng Chen said disdainfully. "She was a greedy woman who brought disaster to Uncle Feng Hai. Her plan was to get pregnant and trap him, enjoying the clan's wealth while ruining Grandfather's plans. Getting rid of her and her child was the least of our concerns."
There was no usual smirk on his face. It was disfigured—bruised, swollen, his nose broken, teeth missing.
Feng Shidao looked at the battered young man—who resembled a decrepit old wreck—and felt both shame and fury. A vein bulged on his forehead.
"I understand… but what I meant was—"
"Protector! That's enough!" Li Yuhuan snapped.
"Grandfather Feng Shidao, please forgive the intrusion," she said, bowing slightly.
"Enough of this," the old man growled. "Continue the patrols. If you find him, bring him here. Send a letter to Qingyao and keep searching. If he doesn't appear within a month, we'll assume he was killed by Demonic Beasts and close the case."
He turned to leave, then stopped and fixed Feng Chen with a cold stare.
"If I had known, I would've chosen him instead of this useless trash."
The room froze. Feng Chen's remaining eye widened, his body trembling with hatred.
Feng Qi… you'd better be dead. If I discover you're alive, I won't kill you—I'll torture you for the rest of your life.
Beside him, Li Yuhuan stared distantly. That day, Feng Qi had looked at her with cold indifference, as if she no longer mattered. It hurt—but she had no right to complain. In her heart, she prayed to the world, to the God of Creation, that her former love would be given a chance to turn the tables.
At the main table, Feng Zongyuan was also lost in thought. When he learned of his father and nephew's intentions, he had chosen not to take part.
Poor Feng Qi… I hope you're alive.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, about an hour later…
Feng Qi finally reached the flickering light among the trees. He cautiously observed from afar—then realized they were houses, bonfires, people.
Joy filled him.
Approaching closer, he saw fields of wheat, barley, and potatoes. He took a few potatoes and placed them in his bag.
Upon entering the village, he secretly surveyed the area, wary of Feng Clan members. After some time, he noticed clothes hanging to dry—reminding him that he'd worn the same outfit since the day he nearly died. It stank and was worn thin.
With clean clothes now on, he walked through the village. His appearance was neat, drawing attention from a few young women. His hair was tidy—nothing a river hadn't fixed.
His goal was Qingyao. He asked around and learned he was already close.
"One day's travel?" Feng Qi asked.
"Yes. We're heading there tomorrow to sell goods. If you want, I can give you a ride," said a friendly old man.
"I'd be grateful," Feng Qi replied.
And thus, Feng Qi's journey toward Qingyao began—his heart light, his future finally his own, walking the path toward becoming a True Immortal.