"If you dare to dawdle for even a second, I will strike you down with my sword."
There was not a shred of mercy.
Having been deeply influenced by the cruelty of reality, Su Chen had gradually come to understand one truth: no matter the circumstances, one must never show the slightest bit of kindness or pity toward an enemy.
Without lingering, Su Chen turned and left.
The Heavenly Punishment Forest.
Located to the northeast of Panyou City, the fastest way to reach the Eastern Wasteland Academy was to pass through this forest.
It was a world of demonic beasts. Rumors even claimed that deep within the forest, there existed beasts in the Condensing Spirit Realm.
The dense forest blocked out the sun and sky. As dusk fell, it cast shadows over the towering trees. A sense of desolation swept through the woods, making one feel deeply unsettled.
By the time Su Chen reached the Heavenly Punishment Forest, the sky had turned completely black. The gloomy, oppressive atmosphere was enough to stifle one's breath.
Under the shroud of night, the forest echoed with the roars of beasts and occasional, harrowing cries—a sign that some unfortunate martial artist had likely been devoured by a beast. Many martial artists chose to enter the forest for training or to hunt beasts for profit.
Looking at the pitch-black forest before him, Su Chen’s eyes were cold and chilling. It was here, just days ago, that Su Hao had crippled his Blood Wheel.
He would take his first step back from this very place.
The moment he stepped into the forest, Su Chen sensed a powerful surge of energy, indicating something unusual was happening. Without hesitation, he moved quickly toward the disturbance.
A black bear, over four meters tall, was engaged in a ferocious battle with a man.
"Both of them are in the Void Pill Realm."
His eyes lit up. Su Chen did not intervene, nor did he leave. His plan was to watch the fire from across the river, waiting for the man and the beast to both suffer grievous wounds so he could step in to clean up the aftermath.
He had already begun practicing the Primal Chaos Devouring Art. The most tyrannical aspect of this cultivation technique was its ability to devour any power for one's own use, without any backlash or side effects.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
The life-and-death struggle between the man and the beast escalated. The ground, unable to withstand the collision of their powerful auras, began to crack and spiderweb in all directions.
Blood stained the earth. The two were evenly matched; continuing the fight would only result in mutual destruction. Both sides knew this, yet neither dared to be the first to stop.
*Bang!*
In their final, strongest collision, both the man and the bear were thrown violently to the ground. In the silence of the night, the sound of bones shattering was clearly audible.
Su Chen’s expression brightened. Without the slightest hesitation or delay, he lunged forward.
He was closer to the black bear. Because the bear was so severely injured, even as it watched someone approach with hostile intent, it could only glare fiercely, unable to stand and strike.
Using his finger as a sword, he fused his Sword Blood Wheel into his sword qi. The sharp, tyrannical energy, imbued with a cold killing intent, pierced directly through the black bear’s skull.
He rapidly circulated the Primal Chaos Devouring Art, and strands of devouring force enveloped the bear’s soul, beginning a frenzied erosion.
The Primal Chaos Devouring Art could devour everything, including the souls of beasts and martial artists. Su Chen knew clearly that to rapidly improve his cultivation, he had to rely on this devouring ability; otherwise, his progress would be limited.
As for whether this was cruel, Su Chen ignored the thought. In a world where martial arts reigned supreme, the path of the warrior was everything. Fists determined life, death, and dignity.
As a Void Pill Realm beast, the bear’s soul was devoured into Su Chen's body and immediately refined by the Primal Chaos Devouring Art. He couldn't be sure exactly how much pure energy he would gain, but in just a few seconds, the soul was completely consumed.
"Thank you, friend, for your help. I will surely repay you a hundredfold in the future."
Seeing the youth slay the black bear, the man’s heart skipped a beat, but he maintained his composure. Under normal circumstances, he would never have looked twice at a Foundation Establishment Realm martial artist, but the situation was different now. Having been critically wounded in his battle with the bear, even a commoner could have easily finished him off, let alone a martial artist.
"I am not helping you, and you need not thank me."
Feeling the terrifying killing intent erupting from the youth, the man’s heart sank. It was the very thing he had feared.
"If you stop now, I am willing to trade a secret about the Heavenly Punishment Forest. How about it?"
"Speak."
"You must promise me—"
Before the man could finish, a bolt of sword qi tore through the air and struck his left arm. A miserable shriek echoed through the night as the arm was severed, blood spraying like a fountain.
The man’s face turned paper-white, sweat rolling down his forehead. He gritted his teeth in agony. He never expected this person to act so decisively.
"If you dare to dawdle for even a second, I will strike you down with my sword. Let’s see how many strikes you can endure."
How ruthless! The man had hoped to use the secret to save his life, but it was useless against a madman who wouldn't even grant him a chance to negotiate.
"I obtained this map fragment by chance. There is a great fortune in the depths of the Heavenly Punishment Forest."
Su Chen took the fragment from the man's hand. He flicked his finger, and a sharp sword qi pierced the man’s brow. As he collapsed, the man’s eyes bulged, unable to comprehend why he had been executed after handing over the map.
Su Chen again circulated the Primal Chaos Devouring Art, immediately devouring the man’s soul. Both the man and the bear had been at the Void Pill Realm. After devouring both souls, Su Chen sat cross-legged to refine and fuse their strength.
The refined energy surged into every part of his body. Under the cover of his three Blood Wheels, the power flowed and converged into his Sword Blood Wheel.
Advancing in the Foundation Establishment Realm meant continuously pouring energy into the Blood Wheel. With the power of two Void Pill Realm souls surging in, Su Chen let out a long howl. He instantly broke through the bottleneck, successfully advancing from Level 7 Foundation Establishment Realm to Level 8.
"Devouring really is the fastest way to breakthrough."
He was very satisfied with the results. To Su Chen, if he wanted to improve his strength quickly, he could not be burdened by morality. Slaughter was the stepping stone of martial cultivation; no one could avoid it.
After taking the man’s spatial ring, Su Chen looked at the map fragment in his hand. It marked half a location; pinpointing it shouldn't be too difficult.
However, the location shown on the fragment was deep in the forest. If he encountered a beast at the Solid Pill Realm or above—including those at the Nascent Soul, Soul Palace, or Condensing Spirit levels—how would he cope?
Should he go?
Su Chen looked toward the depths of the forest, clutching the map fragment tightly. If he gave up in the face of opportunity simply because he feared death, he might as well go hide somewhere. How could he ever hope to avenge his grievances, let alone reach the pinnacle of the martial path?
Opportunities are rare and cannot be sought; they must be seized.
His eyes gradually grew firm. Su Chen finally decided to head deeper into the forest to seek the fortune recorded on the map fragment.