Two horses pulling a carriage galloped fiercely through the night, their hooves pounding against the earth as they burst through the gates of the Jin manor.
They ran in a single determined direction, not through the city’s bustling streets, but behind it—towards the quiet edges where buildings grew sparse and tall trees thrived in silence, as if untouched by the world behind them.
With time, a massive gate loomed into view, surrounded by towering walls that curved like a protective dome around the entire city.
The carriage finally slowed as it reached the gate and came to a halt just outside it.
Inside, three men sat quietly on the cushioned seats, while one figure sprawled pitifully on the floor, eyes dull and soul seemingly departed.
Shen glanced down at the miserable boy and nudged him with his boot. “Get up. We’re here.”
Jin Yu raised his head slowly, his eyes red from crying. “Don’t talk to me. I’m mad at you.”
“Okay,” Shen replied calmly—and without hesitation, grabbed him by the collar and lifted him effortlessly from the carriage.
Chen Haoran sighed and stepped out after them, with Haozi trailing behind.
Jin Yu didn’t resist. He just slumped in Shen’s grip like a sack of grief.
As Shen approached the massive gate, he stopped a few paces before it and called out, “Greetings, old one.”
A raspy voice responded from beyond the gate. “Is that the Jin brat?”
“Yes,” Shen replied, then lifted Jin Yu slightly as proof.
“Alright… pass.”
With a deep rumble, the gate creaked open.
Beyond it stretched a vast expanse of bare land—flat and dead, not a single blade of grass in sight. But far in the distance… a different world awaited.
Towering trees stood like ancient giants, their thick canopies swallowing the moonlight.
The forest beyond cast a cold, eerie shadow across the earth, exuding an oppressive aura that sent shivers crawling down the spine.
Shen and Chen Haoran walked forward calmly.
But Jin Yu and Haozi? Their expressions shifted immediately.
The moment they crossed the gate, a bone-deep chill wrapped around them.
Even Jin Yu, who’d all but given up minutes ago, twitched to life.
“Put me down,” he mumbled quickly, and Shen dropped him on his feet.
Jin Yu looked ahead and gaped. “Did… did we cross into another world?”
Shen tilted his head with a smirk. “Who’s the frog at the bottom of the well now, caveman?”
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“…”
Jin Yu was startled and and turned to look at him, That line—it was his!
Chen Haoran chuckled in the background
“You’re really this petty?” Jin Yu asked in disbelief
Shen didn’t reply. He simply brushed past him, walking ahead with the same cold indifference
Jin Yu looked at Shen in disdain and walked toward Chen Haoran.
"Chen Hao..."
"Brother," Chen corrected casually.
"Pfft, you wish."
"Then don't call me." Chen Haoran brushed past him and walked away coolly—just like Shen.
"..."
Chen is sick too?! Whatever.
"Let's go, Haozi." Jin Yu grabbed the cautious Haozi by the arm and dragged him along.
"It's getting colder," Jin Yu muttered, rubbing his arms. The closer they walked towards the forest, the more the chill sank into their bones. Even the other three felt it—shoulders hunched, breaths fogging.
Then....Shen suddenly stopped. With a flick of his finger, a chair manifested from thin air. He sat down in one smooth motion, arms crossed, eyes closed like a meditating sage.
Chen Haoran: "..."
Jin Yu: "..."
He Haozi: "..."
The three of them exchanged looks. This guy was serious?
"The fuck you doing?!" Jin Yu blurted out.
"Exactly, Brother Shen," Chen Haoran echoed with a frown.
Haozi’s intense gaze did the speaking for him—he didn’t have the courage to add anything, but he was thinking it.
Shen’s reply came with the weight of finality: "We stay here till dawn."
"You're kidding, right?" Jin Yu asked, disbelief creeping into his voice.
No reply.
He suddenly got angry, His chest rising and falling , anger building with every breath.
This bastard has got to be kidding me!
Unknown to him,a sliver of divine thread had seeped into his sea of consciousness, engulfing his mind like a massive net which in turn fueled his fury (refer to chapter 19:rigged competition, for reference)
Shen didn’t answer. Didn’t even flinch.
"You better answer me now, Shen!" Jin Yu’s voice rose sharply. "That old bastard threatened to take my eyes if I don’t find the books! And you dragged me here—to do what? Sleep?!"
His voice echoed in the cold night air.
'he doesn't care' , a quiet thought whispered in his mind. Jin Yu barely noticed it,it felt like his own frustration slipping out.
"He brought you here to waste time. To break you' The thought whispered again
Jin Yu's hands clenched. Breathing harsher now. The cold felt distant,his skin was burning.
“Say something, damn it!” he thundered, completely losing his cool
Shen remained seated.
Then, for the briefest second, Jin Yu’s irises flickered—a faint, almost imperceptible shade of red passed through them.
His voice, when he spoke again, carried an edge sharper than before.
“Or are you just going to sit there and pretend none of this matters to you?”
That’s when Shen opened his eyes.
Still silent.
But he stood slowly, eyes locked on Jin Yu. Studying him.
The calm in his gaze didn’t feel dismissive anymore,it felt watchful.
Like he’d seen something.
Shen stared directly into Jin Yu’s eyes, silent and unmoving. He was waiting—waiting to confirm what he’d sensed earlier.
Chen Haoran also looked at Jin Yu strangely. Though fleeting, he'd felt a shift in him... like Jin Yu had become someone else, just for a moment.
The standoff stretched in silence, the two men locked in a silent exchange.
Jin Yu struggled to steady his breathing. His chest rose and fell rapidly, as if he were holding back something threatening to burst. The longer he looked at Shen, the harder it became to stay calm.
Unable to hold the tension any longer, he turned away and walked toward the gate. But he didn’t go far. With a frustrated sigh, he dropped to the ground, crossed his legs, and shut his eyes, still trying to suppress the burning in his chest.
He focused. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.
Minutes passed.
Eventually, the fire dulled—but it didn’t fade entirely. He still felt that weight in his chest, that low hum of fury under his skin.
He opened his eyes and called up his system interface.
---
Name: Jin Yu
Physique: 20
Internal Strength: 20
Spiritual Cultivation: Nil
Cultivation Technique: Sanctum Sword Technique (Peak Level)
Innate Ability: Immunity to Invading Qi
Fury Points: 60,350
---
Huh? Weren’t my Fury Points around 40,000 before?
Looks like it jumped again…
But despite the increase, a strange thought slipped in.
So many points… and yet, they feel useless.
He sighed.
If I hadn’t lost those techniques, I could’ve used them already…
Damn that sharp-mouthed lady. If she hadn’t broken my heart, I wouldn’t have spiraled. Wouldn’t have lost the manuals either. Damn bitch! Wait till I catch you—I’ll bash your face in!
The system interface flickered faintly as his irritation spiked.
Tch… I’m getting pissed just looking at these useless points.
Forget it. I’ll just dump them into Physique.
He mentally tapped the [+] beside Physique.
–2,000 Fury Points
+1 Physique
–2,000 Fury Points
+1 Physique
Wait… what the hell?!
When did it start costing 2,000 per stat?! It was just 1,000 this morning!
Don’t tell me… His eyes widened. I reached Human Level Two, didn’t I?
If that’s true... then—
“Fuck! This system is daylight robbery!”
So I spent 10,000 points just on level two. That means...
Level three? 3,000 per stat point. That’s 30,000.
Level four? 4,000 per point. 40,000.
Level five? 5,000…
And I still have Internal Strength to raise!
He groaned and flopped onto his back.
“Cultivation is too damn hard.”
And this system… this flawed, money-sucking system... why Fury Points?! Why not something simple—like gaining power by sleeping or eating!
He stared at the sky, defeated.
I really pity people without cheats. No wonder they spend years stuck in a single level.
