The next morning, a faint groan echoed from within the treehouse. The teenager had awakened; his weary eyes gradually regained focus as he looked at the ceiling made of intertwined roots and smelled the wood. He staggered outside, watching Thuong Sinh practicing with his sword in the middle of the clearing—every swing carried a wind-tearing whistle and blurred streaks of black aura.
"Big... Big Brother..." the teenager called hoarsely.
Thuong Sinh retracted his sword and turned around. His gaze made the boy shiver slightly, but he was no longer as terrified as before. The boy dropped to his knees, kowtowing before Thuong Sinh: "Thank you for saving my life."
"It was nothing," Thuong Sinh replied in a bone-chilling voice, his gaze shifting toward the extinguished fire where white smoke still lingered. "I saved you because the old blacksmith repaired my sword. Consider it a fair exchange."
Just then, a rustling sound came from the mutated thorn bushes. Lam Thanh Moc stepped out, her clothes touched by a bit of dew. In her hand was a bundled piece of clothing, filled with various wild fruits—some jade green, others bright red.
"Is everyone awake?" Lam Thanh Moc smiled; the rare smile carried a breath of warmth amidst the dead forest. She approached the fire, placing the cloth containing the fruits onto a large leaf.
"Eat; these are all clean fruits I just picked near the underground stream," Lam Thanh Moc said while handing a red fruit to the teenager.
The boy took the fruit, looking at Thuong Sinh then at Lam Thanh Moc.
"Thank you, sister... thank you, Big Brother. My name is Tieu Viem. I was an orphan picked up by the Master and brought to the forge when I was six."
Thuong Sinh nonchalantly took a purple fruit, peeled the outer skin, and put it in his mouth. A refreshing sweetness mixed with a slight astringency spread out.
"Tieu Viem," Lam Thanh Moc called his name. "Your Master is dead, and the smithy is in ruins. Do you have any plans?"
Tieu Viem held the wild fruit in his hand but didn't eat it immediately; his eyes stared fixedly at the ashes as memories of the horrific night at the smithy flooded back. He clenched his fist so hard his fingernails dug deep into his palm.
"Big Brother... I want revenge!" Tieu Viem looked up at Thuong Sinh, his eyes red but burning with a fire of hatred. "But I know, with the strength of someone who only knows how to swing a hammer like me, I could never touch even a hem of their clothes in my entire life."
Tieu Viem looked at Thuong Sinh's hand, then at the Marsh-Blood Sword radiating a faint purple mist.
"I have watched Big Brother fight... Big Brother's strength isn't like an ability user; it's Extraordinary, isn't it? Master said that before the apocalypse, this world had people who trained in martial arts to the ultimate level. Please, teach me! I only want enough strength to make them pay for their sins with these very hands."
Lam Thanh Moc paused, looking at Thuong Sinh. She knew the path Thuong Sinh was walking was a road full of deathly aura and extreme poison—not everyone could withstand the brutality it brought.
Thuong Sinh leisurely chewed the last piece of wild fruit, his gaze looking deep into Tieu Viem. Memories of the battle with Thanh Xa appeared in his mind. Thanh Xa was a strong individual, someone who possessed true "Martial Arts"—a power tempered from bone, sinew, blood essence, and killing intent, rather than relying on genetic mutation or other abilities.
In the eyes of ordinary people, Thanh Xa was almost an elite of the "Extraordinary." But to Thuong Sinh, a cultivator, he clearly understood the boundary between mortal martial arts and the martial path of cultivation. No matter how strong Thanh Xa's martial arts were, they remained within the limits of muscle and technique, whereas Thuong Sinh had touched the level of controlling the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
Thuong Sinh looked deep into Tieu Viem's eyes, which burned with hatred. He remembered the long nights when the toxic internal force tore through his bone marrow, remembered the feeling of his heart gradually being encased in a pitch-black and emotionless shell.
The path of the "Marsh Blood Corrupting Heart Manual" was the path of a loner—using poison to nourish the self, using killing intent as the Way. He did not want, nor would he permit, anyone to follow in his tragic footsteps. It was too brutal, too dark for a child who still held onto loyalty like Tieu Viem.
"Martial arts?" Thuong Sinh whispered, his voice dissolving into the forest wind. "If you want to learn a killing method for revenge, I can show you. But I will not teach you my manual. However, before that, I need to check your body a bit."
Thuong Sinh reached out; his slender but sturdy fingers were placed gently on Tieu Viem's wrist. He didn't exert force, but Tieu Viem felt as if a cold electric current ran from his pulse point up to his brain, through every fiber of flesh and bone marrow. He closed his eyes, circulating a strand of internal force as thin as a hair to begin the process of "Internal Inspection of Meridians."
In the world of cultivation, cultivating toward immortality wasn't something anyone could do just because they wanted to. It required things called Bone-foundation and Spiritual-root. He was very lucky to have the "Marrow-Washing Pill" to enter this path, but others might not be. In this apocalyptic era, most humans had their meridians clogged with impurities, allowing them at most to train in external martial arts like Thanh Xa.
Thuong Sinh felt his strand of internal force bumping into walls within Tieu Viem's body; however, as it went deep into the dantian region, his eyes flickered. Beneath the rough exterior of a manual laborer, Tieu Viem's meridians possessed a certain resilience. Perhaps due to years of exposure to the heat of the coal furnace, this boy's bones and sinews had been unconsciously tempered. More importantly, his spiritual root was not entirely muddied by radiation but harbored a spark of Fire-attribute.
Thuong Sinh narrowed his eyes; his internal force glided deeper into Tieu Viem's meridian system. Besides that spark of Fire-attribute smoldering like a coal ember, he sensed another surge of energy—gentle yet persistent—clinging to the blood vessels, preventing them from being incinerated by the Fire-attribute's heat.
"Fire and Wood symbiosis?" Thuong Sinh muttered, his normally cold face showing a bit of surprise—even he only possessed the Wind attribute.
"Your potential is better than I thought." Thuong Sinh withdrew his hand.
Thuong Sinh turned back, his deep black eyes looking at Tieu Viem: "I have a foundational manual. It won't give you instant power for slaughter, but it will help you train from the roots."
Thuong Sinh decided to pass the "Primordial Breath-Taking Manual" to Tieu Viem. This was the very first cultivation manual he had learned—the sturdiest foundation to sense and mobilize the spiritual energy of heaven and earth without needing toxins or slaughter.
"Sit down, keep your heart tranquil. Don't think of hatred; think of your own breathing rhythm."
Thuong Sinh placed a finger in the middle of Tieu Viem's forehead. This time, the surge of internal force he transmitted did not carry destruction but was a refreshing stream, slowly opening the most basic acupoints.
Lam Thanh Moc stood beside them; she sensed a completely different atmosphere radiating from Thuong Sinh. No longer a cold "God of Slaughter," at this moment he was like a master guiding a disciple. She smiled softly, her hands mobilizing her wood-type ability to create a protective circle around the two, blocking out all distracting noises from the forest.
Tieu Viem closed his eyes tightly, his face gradually relaxing. He felt a warm current begin to circulate in his lower abdomen, following strange paths he had never known before. It wasn't the strength of muscle, but a much deeper and more enduring power.
"Remember the formula: The heart is like the Taiji, energy returns to the dantian, all things are void, the origin is eternal..."
Thuong Sinh withdrew his hand, standing to watch Tieu Viem sinking into a state of meditation for the first time in his life. He knew that from this moment, Tieu Viem had truly stepped into the ranks of the true Extraordinary, but in the most upright manner.
Time passed silently, leaving only the sound of wind whistling through the leaves and Tieu Viem's steady breathing. After nearly two hours of meditation, sweat on his body began to evaporate into faint plumes of white smoke, carrying the burnt smell of impurities being expelled from his pores. Tieu Viem slowly opened his eyes; a blurred spark of light flashed then vanished deep into his pupils. He looked at his hands in astonishment.
"How does it feel?" Thuong Sinh asked in a low tone.
Tieu Viem hurriedly stood up, bowing deeply: "Reporting to Big Brother, I feel as if... the whole world is breathing with me. Even the smallest sounds in the forest, the musty smell of the earth—I sense them all clearly."
Thuong Sinh's gaze swept over Tieu Viem's body. Although it was only a faint trace of primordial energy within him, the fact that he could sense the surrounding breath proved his meridians were cleared.
"That is only the first step," Thuong Sinh said slowly, throwing a bucket of cold water on his excitement. "Your body at this moment is like an empty jar that has just been washed clean. You sense the world because impurities no longer block your senses, but to keep the power, you must continue to fill that jar."
Lam Thanh Moc stepped closer, looking at Tieu Viem and smiling: "Don't be discouraged."
Tieu Viem clenched his fist, sensing the fresh strength coiling beneath his skin. He took a deep breath, kneeling once more, but this time in the posture of a disciple: "I understand. I will not fail Big Brother's expectations."
Lam Thanh Moc stood nearby watching Thuong Sinh and the small but determined figure of Tieu Viem; this was the first time she had seen him so patient—even speaking significantly more than usual to explain the path to a child. "Perhaps... beneath that toxic shell, he still has a hidden corner for care," she thought, her lips forming a relieved smile.
He turned to Lam Thanh Moc: "Thank you for the wild fruits. It helped in neutralizing the toxicity during the process of leading the energy for him."
Lam Thanh Moc was slightly surprised by his sudden thanks; she nodded. She turned to walk into the treehouse made of ancient roots, leaving the quiet space for the two. Tieu Viem was still moved, staring at the fire, sensing the warmth still silently moving in his dantian.
After explaining, he spoke to Tieu Viem. "Go on with your training; do not disturb me."
Tieu Viem nodded and sat cross-legged to continue circulating the "Primordial Breath-Taking Manual".
Thuong Sinh walked away from him, sitting on a stone slab quite far from the house, looking at the familiar blue system board before him.
[ Thuong Sinh ] [ Cultivation ]: 1798/2000 [ Realm ]: Energy Refining (Middle Stage) [ Combat Skills ]: Blade Wind (Minor Accomplishment), Phantom Steps (Minor Accomplishment), Sword Kinesis: Gale Transformation (Entry Level), Blood-Condensing Mace (Entry Level) [ Accumulated Points ]: 339
His cultivation was nearly at the threshold of breaking through to the Late Stage of the Energy Refining Realm; if he trained for another day or two, he would break through. At that time, perhaps he would no longer suffer from internal force depletion when using Sword Kinesis Flight.
He glanced toward the treehouse, the silhouette of Tieu Viem in meditation and Lam Thanh Moc busy with the fruit. Thuong Sinh drew the Marsh-Blood Sword and placed it across his knees. The blade sensed its master's will and began to vibrate faintly. He took a deep breath, took a blood bag from his small pouch, opened the cap, closed his eyes, and circulated the "Marsh Blood Corrupting Heart Manual" at the highest intensity.
An invisible suction began to pull deep red blood filaments out of the bag; they didn't fall to the ground but slowly touched his body. Simultaneously, the black aura within Thuong Sinh's body radiated out like octopus tentacles, frantically seizing toxins, fungal spores, and gloomy energy from the surrounding mutated canopy.
Whir... whir...
The air around the stone slab where he sat began to swirl violently. Surges of gray gloomy energy from the forest and bright red blood essence from the bag were crushed, blending together and entering Thuong Sinh's pores. He felt his meridians like steel pipes being stuffed with molten plastic. It was excruciatingly painful.
Lam Thanh Moc, from within the treehouse, sensed this terrifying energy fluctuation; she parted the tree roots to look out, seeing only Thuong Sinh's silhouette enveloped in a purple-black energy cocoon. The power radiating from it made even the naturally aggressive mutated trees tremble, retracting their branches as if afraid of having their life force seized.
As time passed, night covered then light tore through, but the black energy cocoon around Thuong Sinh did not disappear. On the contrary, it grew denser, swallowing all incoming light. Lam Thanh Moc and Tieu Viem could only watch from afar. For an entire day and night, Thuong Sinh was as motionless as a stone statue, but the ground beneath his feet began to fracture, unable to withstand the pressure from the chaotic internal force. The blood filaments from the blood bag had been drained long ago; now he was relying entirely on forcibly swallowing the toxic gas of the forest to fill the vast void in his dantian.
By the night of the second day, the silence was shattered by popping sounds coming from his very bones.
Crack... crack...
Every muscle fiber of Thuong Sinh's contracted then expanded again; black veins rose all over him like small writhing dragons. The toxic internal force no longer just ran through the meridians but began to seep deep into the bone marrow, forging his body into a more perfect vessel for the strength of the new level.
Tieu Viem asked worriedly in a whisper: "Sister Thanh Moc, Big Brother... he will be okay, right?"
Lam Thanh Moc was silent, her hand tightening slightly: "He will be fine..."
At that very moment, the energy surrounding Thuong Sinh was suddenly sucked back into his body. The space fell into a terrifying silence.
Boom—!
Thuong Sinh's eyes snapped open; he slowly stood up. His breathing was no longer heavy but became more profound; his eyes were deeper than before, like an abyss. The toxic internal force in his body now circulated smoother than before, at a speed twice as fast as previously.
Thuong Sinh looked down at his hand, sensing the abundant strength. He turned toward the treehouse, where the two were looking at him with astonished eyes.
"It's finished," Thuong Sinh said in a calm voice—a voice that was low yet carried a sensation that made the forest birds dare not chirp.
Lam Thanh Moc, with a relieved face, walked up to him and reached out to touch his face. "As long as you're okay, it's good."
Thuong Sinh stiffened; Lam Thanh Moc's hand was slightly cold, carrying the pure scent of herbs, completely contrasting with the surge of toxic killing intent he had just retracted into his body. He stood frozen; his body—originally in a state of combat reflex—suddenly became immobilized. In all the time spent cultivating alone and surviving between the boundaries of life and death, no one had ever dared to touch him so gently and without any defense.
Thuong Sinh tilted his head slightly, avoiding her gaze unnaturally. He took her wrist, slowly but firmly pulling her hand away from his face.
"Don't do that again," Thuong Sinh said deeply, hiding the tremor in his heart. "My toxic energy has just stabilized; it could corrode your ability at any moment."
Lam Thanh Moc was not afraid at all; she only smiled. "You seem to have changed a bit again."
Thuong Sinh looked deep into Lam Thanh Moc's clear eyes; the usual coldness in his gaze seemed to be melted by something. He nodded slightly—a rare act showing recognition.
"Thank you... for standing guard all this time."
Lam Thanh Moc was slightly dazed, then the smile on her lips grew even brighter. She said nothing more, simply turning back toward the treehouse to pack the remaining herbal pouches.
Thuong Sinh sat back down on the old stone slab; he closed his eyes, sensing the Late Stage of the Energy Refining Realm internal force within him.