Lush ancient trees with dense foliage stood on the academy's rear mountain.
Dao Ling lay in the woods, blood at the corner of his mouth, face taut, eyes tightly shut.
On careful observation, the air around his body rippled faintly, like the concentric circles when a stone drops into a lake.
Unimaginable changes were occurring within Dao Ling. Every inch of his muscles contracted and expanded, unleashing powerful force that made the air tremble and his bones creak.
The Fire Scaled Beast blood contained extremely violent energy. Under the mysterious effect of *Devouring Heaven*, this raging power transformed entirely into nourishment, replenishing his weakened body.
The speed at which he grew stronger was terrifying.
Dao Ling's heart surged with excitement. A problem that had plagued him for so long was finally solved. His eyes reddened, and he longed to roar to the sky.
He could finally grow stronger through cultivation!
Crackle! Crackle!
Bones clattered in unison, internal organs vibrated, muscles flexed ceaselessly, and his spine surged with power like a waking young dragon.
"So strong!" Dao Ling exclaimed, eyes wide. His body felt infinitely more powerful than before. Every muscle brimmed with explosive energy, as if he could shatter a stone.
"This technique is terrifying. Who created this mad cultivation method?" Shock filled Dao Ling's young face. Recalling the mysterious woman's words, he wondered, "100,000 catties? Can I really achieve that?"
"Definitely! If even absorbing ferocious beast blood—a method that should mean certain death—succeeded, maybe 100,000 catties of strength is possible!" Dao Ling was astonished. If word spread, all of Qingzhou would tremble.
The Body Forging Realm tests physical talent, the foundation of one's initial energy—a matter of great significance.
"However, high-grade ferocious beast blood isn't something I can obtain easily." Dao Ling suddenly frowned. *Devouring Heaven* required absorbing rare ferocious beast blood to strengthen the body, and each subsequent absorption needed even stronger blood!
Worst of all, he must absorb divine beast blood to break the limit and reach 100,000 catties of strength. This troubled him deeply—divine beasts were terrifying existences. Where could he find such blood?
"100,000 catties might be impossible for me," Dao Ling shook his head. Without divine beast blood, it was unattainable, but he felt a surge of joy: 50,000 catties was definitely achievable!
"Wang Ya! Wang Ling!"
Dao Ling slammed his fist into the ground, making it tremble. A nearby tree shook violently, leaves fluttering, as a chill swept out, rapidly dropping the air temperature.
"I will kill both of you!" he gritted his teeth. If not for *Devouring Heaven* allowing him to absorb ferocious beast blood, he would already be dead. Wang Ya, in particular, had deceived him with false affection—she deserved to die!
At the academy, Dao Ling had always faced cold stares. He had longed for a friend, only to find that his only "friend" had been using him all along.
"Just you wait!" Dao Ling stood slowly, his eyes filled with chill. "You will pay a heavy price. I, Dao Ling, am not so easily bullied!"
Suppressing the raging anger within, Dao Ling took a deep breath and thought, *"As long as I can continue absorbing ferocious beast blood, my strength will grow rapidly. I must find a way to obtain it."*
Then he wondered, *"What kind of treasures are those ores my lame father brings from the mine?"*
That Wang Ling, of all people, coveted the Blue Crystal, and Wang Ya had even resorted to deception, spending so much time manipulating him—all indicated the Blue Crystal's rarity.
Yet at home, there was a basket full of such crystals, carelessly used by his father: some to scrape pots, some to pick toes, some to prop up tables...
Moreover, the Blue Crystal wasn't even the best. Some stones emitted more beautiful auras. The inferior ones were used for toe-picking, while the better ones were treated like glass marbles. His father often placed ores everywhere while sleeping, which confused Dao Ling—his father wasn't a miser.
"If I sell just one, I can get plenty of ferocious beast blood!" Dao Ling grinned, a smile spreading across his face.
"Sleep God, what are you doing here?"
A cold snort sounded. A youth swaggered out, eyeing Dao Ling with contempt. He couldn't fathom why the mentor had let Dao Ling off today.
Dao Ling's expression hardened at the sight of him—Qian Yi, younger brother of Qian Lin, who had 3,000 catties of strength in the Body Forging Realm and often harassed him.
"Since when do I need to explain myself to you?" Dao Ling clenched his fist, feeling the surging power in his muscles. A smile crossed his face, for he understood that in this world, strength meant freedom from bullying.
"Ah, so you've grown bold enough to talk to me like that? You must have a death wish!" Qian Yi's face darkened. "I must teach you a lesson today!"
凶光 (Fierce intent) flashed in Qian Yi's eyes. He clenched his fist, charging forward with a roar: "Remember this, waste! You'll always be my punching bag!"
Watching Qian Yi charge, Dao Ling冷哼 (coldly snorted). Normally, he would have been injured, but now was different—he could finally test his new strength.
As Qian Yi closed in, he leaped, aiming a punch at Dao Ling's chin to knock out his teeth.
Dao Ling's face turned cold. His fist clenched, bones clattering like a bell, meeting Qian Yi's blow head-on.
"Haha! A waste is still a waste! I'll break your arm today!" Qian Yi laughed at Dao Ling's counterattack. How could a "Sleep God" possibly fight back?
Their fists collided, and a crack echoed. Qian Yi's body stiffened—his arm felt completely numb.
Trembling, he collapsed to the ground, kneeling like a shrimp, blood spurting from his hand.
Dao Ling flexed his fist, his smile deepening. "You asked for this," he said calmly, eyeing Qian Yi's shaking form.
Qian Yi flew into a rage, scrambling up. "You waste! How dare you hit me! You're dead! You're in big trouble!"
"Qian Yi, you're the one who's weak. Who's the real waste here?" Dao Ling approached, shaking his head.
"You're seeking death, you bastard! You're the waste!" Qian Yi raged. "You'll regret this!"
Dao Ling couldn't help but laugh at the threats. "I think it's you who's finished, not me."
The corner of Dao Ling's mouth curled into a cold arc. Under Qian Yi's horrified gaze, Dao Ling's foot lashed out like a drawn sword, smashing the air.
*Bang!* Qian Yi flew into the bushes, vomiting blood and letting out a pitiful scream.
Gasping, Qian Yi glared at Dao Ling with怨毒 (venomous) eyes, shivering at Dao Ling's cold gaze. "Wait, Dao Ling! You'll die! My brother will kill you! Don't run!"
While enraged, Qian Yi was also shocked—was this still the "waste"? How could Dao Ling's punch be so powerful?
"I'll wait to see how I die," Dao Ling said, watching Qian Yi flee in panic. He flexed his fist—he hadn't even used his full strength.
*"I must improve my strength quickly. If Wang Ling and that bitch Wang Ya find out I'm alive, they'll come after me again,"* he thought, hurrying home.
In the slums, in a low house, no one would have guessed that a basket of rare ores lay hidden inside.
Entering the house, Dao Ling skillfully pulled a basket from under his bed. It held stones of various colors: some as red as blood, some as green as jade, some as bright as stars, and some wrapped in red auras.
Eyeing the dozen or so stones, Dao Ling scratched his head and hid the basket again. "Better not touch these. Drawing attention would be troublesome. I must ask Dad where he got these treasures when he returns."
In the kitchen, Dao Ling eyed a thumb-sized, copper-red stone used by his father to scrape pots.
"this one will do." This stone, used for scraping pots, was likely the lowest grade. Although his father had once forbidden taking ores out, he had also said, "If you have the ability, these can all be yours."
"Let's see just how powerful the *Devouring Heaven* technique is." Dao Ling pocketed the copper-red stone, sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and prepared to cultivate for a while.