Lin Wei's eyes slowly opened.
His pupils glowed faintly for a moment, then faded.
He felt cold. His body was heavy. His chest ached.
He tried to sit up, groaning. His head spun, but he forced himself to move.
His gaze swept across the desolate city. The only remnants left were the severed head and lifeless body of the City Lord,
Everything came back to him, the memory.
They were all gone and that's the reality representing itself in front of him.
His face didn't twist in rage. He didn't scream. He didn't cry.
He just stared, Quiet, Cold.
Then, slowly, he got up.
With a heavy heart, Lin Wei buried them—each and every one. Relatives, strangers, allies,—none were left out ( he conducted a mass burial). When it came time to bury his lover, his hands trembled. He lit incense, whispering prayers to the departed souls, but he knew—they were already vaporized, erased from existence.
He called out to them—not with his voice, but in his heart.
He spoke to the dead. To everyone who had died. The innocent. The loyal. The helpless.
He buried them all, even strangers. All of them was buried. He owed them that much.
When the last handful of dirt was thrown, he sat by the graves dedicated to those he considered relative even though all of them have already vaporized by what he didn't even know, he still carved out a monumentum.
He brought out his flute, It was cracked but still played.
A slow, painful tune, No melody, No rhythm.
Just pain.
Each note dragged like a wound being opened.
Tears rolled down his cheeks. Not from weakness—but from the kind of pain that eats your soul from the inside.
Not just for the dead—but for himself. For the man he once was. For the man he would never be again.
With nothing left to tie him to this wretched city, Lin Wei mounted his Stallion and rode toward the gates, ready to vanish into the world beyond.
But fate had other plans.
At the city's border, he found it sealed—a massive dome of energy encasing the entire perimeter, trapping everyone inside. Worse yet, he sensed powerful auras lurking beyond—elite guards, imperial enforcers
If they saw him, questions would come. Maybe even arrest.
He couldn't risk that.
There was only one path left.
The wilderness.
A place even the City Lord had feared.
Demonic beasts. Carnivorous trees. Unknown horrors lurking in the shadows.
But Lin Wei didn't have a choice.
Legends spoke of cultivators who ventured in_never to return.
Before heading in, he went back into the ruined city, searching for anything that might help.
Nothing useful. Nothing left.
Then he remembered—his stones.
Those treasure stones he bought during his last expedition. Each one holding something inside.
He found a hidden spot inside the ruins, under a half-broken stone building.
He sat down. Brought out the Stone Breaker, a special hammer he bought along with the stones.
He laid out the rest of the stones.
Then he began breaking.
First Five Stones: A bundle of rare herbs—Soulroot Ginseng, Frostbloom Petals, Blackvein Lotus—some so potent they could heal near-fatal wounds in seconds.
A book—"Beast Taming Chronicles"—detailing the weaknesses of thousands if not millions of demonic creatures and the weight of it was so heavy that Lin Wei couldn't even hold it in his hands, he was also wondering how this kind of book can actually fit in inside such a small stone which is actually due to the property of the stones.
A rope—"Serpent's Coil"—a legendary treasure capable of extending infinitely, moving on its own, and binding even Saint Realm beasts. A single strand of it could fetch billions of gold coins, yet here it was, coiled innocently in his palm.
People killed each other for this.
Even the biggest markets never had one.
Its price? Unmeasurable.
A vial of beast-attracting pheromones—useful for luring prey… or diverting predators.
Lin Wei's face remained emotionless. Even as fortune smiled upon him, his heart was cold.
He continued.
Some were rare herbs. Some were traps_small stones that explode on command. Some were useless even when it gave him a sign when he was picking them but it is not useful to him and that's why he considered it useless.
Then came the last ten stones.
The ones that glowed or reacted to him the most.
He had broken three of them before returning to the city.
1st Special Stone: Beast Commanding Blood
A single drop could enslave any beast below the Saint Realm.
Even creatures stronger than the City Lord could be subdued.
Method: Mix with his own blood and introduce it to the beast through food, wound, or even the air but comes with disadvantage because any beast it was used on will eventually die within four days of using it no matter how strong the beast is_this treasure is the one that provide temporary benefit.
Saint Realm Beast Core
A priceless treasure, worth billions.
Could be absorbed for cultivation or sold for an empire's ransom.
Ocean Egg
A mythical delicacy.
One bite could feed a man for a week and permanently enhance physical strength.
Mysterious Expanding Metal
A spear-like shard that could lengthen or shrink at will.
It twisted in his hand when he tested it. Flexible. But sharp.
Lin Wei's enhanced eyes couldn't trace its origin—meaning it came from somewhere beyond his knowledge.
Insane," he whispered. "This is too dangerous…"
A box of powder. He sniffed it—immediately, his senses sharpened.
A beast attractant. Dangerous, but useful in the wild.
A stone trap. Activates when thrown. It summons illusion beasts to confuse enemies. Perfect for ambushes.
A tiny orb with a swirling wind inside. A single-use wind burst. Could boost his speed tenfold for a few seconds. ( Works for both cultivators and mortals)
Shadowmeld Cloak
A garment woven from void essence.
When worn, it could blend the user into darkness, making them near-invisible.
( Can only work on something below sky realms, not quite impressive but still it can go a long way for Lin Wei)
Divine Dagger – "Fang of the Eclipse"
The moment the stone cracked, the sky darkened.
A black dagger, humming with divine energy, materialized in his grip.
Its edge could sever souls, and its presence distorted space around it.
He grabbed it.
The ground under him cracked.
His arm stung—his veins lit up.
This was no ordinary dagger.
It was a Divine Weapon that he can't even handle.
( A mortal can't handle some stuff that are meant for divine beings)
He stored it immediately
Then… the last stone.
The one he had felt darkness from the moment he bought it.
He stared at it for a second.
Then smashed it.
A black smoke exploded from it, spiraling into the sky.
The ground shook again.
A massive energy wave spread out.
Inside was a single drop of iridescent liquid_"Primordial Godblood."
Effects:
If consumed by a mortal, it grants them a divine physique and it form naturally by the nature but not by ordinary means.
If consumed by a cultivator, it evolves their existing physique to a a level above even to godly tier.
Even in the Divine Realm, this treasure was considered extinct. Wars had been fought over less precious ones like this.
The moment he broke it open—a celestial phenomenon erupted.
The skies split open. The earth trembled.
And deep within the wilderness, ancient beings stirred.
Lin Wei didn't hesitate.
He stored the Godblood.
Mounting his horse, he vanished into the wilderness just as powerful figures descended upon the city.
Behind him, the dome shook.
The city gates opened.
People poured in—soldiers, experts, treasure hunters. Drawn by the light and energy.
But Lin Wei was gone.
The wilderness welcomed him with silence.
And danger.
Ahead of him—only darkness awaited.
But he didn't care.
He had nothing left to lose.
Only one path was left now—
Forward.