Wang Zifan was shocked when he saw Oldman disappear. "Where did that old man go?" he muttered, before deciding to leave it. "I will eat my meal first."
After eating, he started going towards his house, thinking to himself, "Today I have escaped from those people. If anyone comes to know about this treasure, then I may get into trouble."
"Now I have to become strong, but I don't have a spiritual root."
Wang Zifan started going home sadly. After walking for a while, he reached home. He lived in a small hut.
He started thinking about something and went inside the house, closing the door behind him. Wang Zhifan said, "My father gave me a book a long time ago. Maybe I can find some information related to the spiritual root in it."
Then he started turning the pages of the book, not finding any information. But then, he saw a shining thing in the middle of the pages. It was like a golden paper. He tried to touch that thing but suddenly teleported somewhere else.
He opened his eyes and said, "Where am I? Why does this place feel familiar? It was dark everywhere. Ain't no way, am I inside my body, but how can this happen?" Then he saw something and was shocked.
"Th-This is a spiritual root, but how is it possible? I got it checked many times. I did not have any spiritual root." Then he saw something else and said, "Why is this spiritual root chained? Is it some kind of disease? Or has anyone done this deliberately when I was younger?"
Suddenly, the same golden paper from the book appeared in front of him. That paper started unblocking his spiritual root little by little but could not completely unblock it. There, in the paper, his father had left information about how to fully unblock the spiritual root.
Wang Zifan said, "This paper describes the Death Flower, which is a herb. Maybe this might help unblock my spiritual root."
Then he opened his eyes in his real body and said, "Is it morning? Well, leave it, I will have to go to the market to find out about the Death Herb."
Then he started going towards the market. On the way, he saw a couple. Those couples were romancing. Wang Zifan thought, "What has happened to people nowadays? Romancing in an open space..."
Suddenly, the two couples attacked Wang Zhifan. Due to the sudden attack, Wang Zhifan was unable to save himself, and he got very injured.
The girl from the couple said, "Kid, give us whatever treasures you have. I don't want to spoil your cute face."
Wang Zhifan said, "Who are you guys? What enmity do I have with you?"
Then that girl said, "You do not understand from the words." She moved to attack Wang Zifan.
Then the boy who came with her, suddenly an unknown cultivator put a huge sword slash on him. He turned into ashes.
Seeing that, the girl fell to her knee and said to the unknown cultivator, "How can this be? My partner was on the 4th layer of the Body Tempering Stage. Are you at the Core Formation Stage?"
The unknown cultivator said, "Mere ants trying to ask questions of this venerable one." Then he put a sword slash on the girl too.
After that, he went to Wang Zifan and said, "Kid, are you fine?" Wang Zifan said, "I am fine, but who are you?"
The unknown cultivator said, "My name is Bai Lin, what is yours?" Wang Zifan also said his name. Bai Lin said, "Boy, this place is very dangerous, where were you going?"
Wang Zifan said, "I was going to the market to take some herbs." Then Bai Lin said, "I am also going to the market, let's go together." Wang Zifan also agreed.
Then they reached the market in a while. The market was quite huge. They were walking on the streets of the market, only then they saw something. People were shouting and shoving, trying to get a look at something. Curiosity piqued, Wang Zifan and Bai Lin exchanged glances and made their way through the crowd.
What they saw made them stop in their tracks. In the center of the square, a large crowd had gathered around a stage. Two figures were locked in combat, their movements a blur of motion as they exchanged blows crackling with spiritual energy.
The air crackled with raw power as fists met palms, each strike sending ripples of force through the gathered spectators. One combatant, cloaked in robes the color of deep night, unleashed a flurry of swift, precise attacks, their spiritual energy manifesting as shimmering blades that cut through the air.
Their opponent, a burly figure with a defiant roar, countered with powerful, sweeping movements, each blow radiating a heavy, earthy aura that shook the very ground.
Dust and debris kicked up from the makeshift stage as the intensity of their battle escalated, proving that mere physical strength was inconsequential when faced with the might of true cultivation.
The roar of the spectators intensified, a collective gasp escaping their lips as one fighter was sent skidding across the stage, narrowly avoiding a devastating blow.
Cheers and shouts of encouragement, mixed with anxious murmurs, erupted from all sides.
Many clutched at their chests, caught up in the thrill of the unfolding spectacle, while others, more seasoned cultivators, watched with discerning eyes, analyzing each technique and assessing the strength of the spiritual fluctuations.
The stench of sweat mingled with the faint, metallic tang of spiritual energy, creating a heavy, electric atmosphere that permeated the square.
The makeshift stage, crudely constructed but surprisingly sturdy, vibrated with each powerful impact, threatening to give way under the sheer force of the cultivators' strikes.
Spectators strained their necks, desperate not to miss a single moment of the awe-inspiring display of power. The night-robed figure, despite their graceful movements, carried an air of cold determination, their eyes gleaming with focused intent.
The burly warrior, though seemingly more reliant on brute force, displayed an unyielding spirit, his grimaced face a mask of resolve as he pushed back against the onslaught. This was no mere brawl; it was a testament to years of arduous training and relentless pursuit of greater power.
Just as the night-robed figure seemed to gain the upper hand, pushing the burly warrior further back with a relentless barrage of shimmering blades, something shifted. The burly man's eyes, previously narrowed in concentration, suddenly blazed with a fierce, untamed light.
A guttural roar tore from his throat, not of pain, but of pure, unadulterated defiance. The earthy aura around him intensified, forming a swirling vortex that seemed to absorb the very air.
He stomped his foot, and the entire makeshift stage groaned in protest as a wave of concentrated spiritual energy erupted outwards, shattering the ground beneath him.
The night-robed figure, momentarily caught off guard by this unexpected surge of raw power, faltered in their attack. This was the opening the burly warrior needed.
With a mighty bellow, the burly warrior charged forward, abandoning all semblance of finesse for a single, overwhelming strike. His massive fist glowed with a dull, earthen light, pulling in every ounce of his cultivation into a single, focused point.
The night-robed figure attempted to parry with a shield of spiritual energy, but it was like a fragile pane of glass against a battering ram.
With a deafening CRACK, the burly warrior's fist connected, not with the shield, but directly with the night-robed figure's chest. A shockwave rippled through the square, causing spectators to stumble back.
The shimmering blades dissipated, and the night-robed figure was launched backward through the air, skidding across the ground and crashing into a market stall with a splintering thud.
A stunned silence fell over the crowd, quickly followed by an explosion of sound. Cheers erupted, louder than before, as the burly warrior stood panting in the center of the shattered stage, his chest heaving, but a look of triumphant exhaustion on his face. He had won.
The air, thick with dust and the lingering scent of spiritual energy, slowly began to settle.
Seasoned cultivators in the crowd nodded in approval, recognizing the raw, indomitable spirit that had carried the burly warrior to victory. It was a victory not just of power, but of sheer, unyielding will.
Seeing all this, Wang Zhifan's mind was stunned. These people are very strong, I will become very strong like them in the future.