Three months had passed since Xiao Tian entered the Abyssal Forest once again. Day after day, he hunted spirit beasts and absorbed their essence through the Blood Devour Technique.
"Only by becoming stronger… can I bow to no one," he muttered, eyes burning with resolve.
Through relentless training and deadly combat, he broke through multiple barriers—finally stabilizing at Foundation Establishment Realm, Stage 5.
But strength alone wasn't enough.
"I must reclaim my father's kingdom," he thought, gripping his father's broken medallion. "But for that, I'll need allies… and power."
To win support from his father's old comrades, he needed leverage. No one would bow to a weak cultivator. If any of them believed they had more to gain by siding with the traitorous Prime Minister—who now ruled with cruelty—they might betray him.
"I need tools," he whispered. "And information."
His next destination: the Inzian Market—the largest cultivator market in the entire Chen Kingdom, located at the edge of the Abyssal Forest.
As he walked into the bustling marketplace, Xiao Tian marveled at the variety of items—rare herbs, talisman scrolls, weapons, and cultivation pills. But he had a goal: to buy rare talisman papers, materials he could use to trap or bind his targets—especially in case one of his father's old friends betrayed him.
"If they try to hand me over…" he smirked, "I'll make them my blood servants."
After buying a set of talisman papers, he wandered into a narrow alley. There, a young master bumped into him, clearly from a noble family.
"Watch where you're going, peasant!" the young master barked.
Xiao Tian smiled coldly. "I was walking straight. You just don't see anything past your ego."
"You dare!?" the young master's guards stepped forward, ready to strike.
But with a flick of his fingers, Xiao Tian cast a low-tier illusion formation, trapping them all in a mental maze. He calmly walked away, heading to a nearby inn.
That evening, he heard a rumor in the inn's tea hall.
"Did you hear? City Pavilion's auction has rare artifacts tonight!"
Rare artifacts?
Without wasting a moment, Xiao Tian sold some spiritual herbs and stones he had found in the Abyssal Forest to gain enough gold coins and entered the auction.
The first two items were standard—refined iron pills, spirit grass. But the third item drew gasps:
"A unicorn-type beast mount—silver horned, mid-tier spiritual beast!"
Xiao Tian's eyes lit up.
"I want it."
Just as he was about to place his bid, a cultivator in golden robes—early Golden Core Realm—shouted his offer. A bidding war began.
"Two thousand gold!"
"Twenty-five hundred!"
"Three thousand!"
Xiao Tian clenched his fists. "Three thousand five hundred!"
The hall went silent. The golden-robed cultivator narrowed his eyes at him.
"You dare compete with me, brat?"
Xiao Tian met his gaze. "You talk too much."
The gavel fell. "Sold!"
The cultivator left in anger, muttering threats. Xiao Tian knew he would face trouble once he left the city—but ignored it.
Then came the fifth auction item.
"An Assassin's Set forged by Chen Kingdom's best blacksmith! Robes made from Nansent Soul Beast skin, ten crimson daggers, and a shadowblade!"
Even the auctioneer trembled while announcing it.
Xiao Tian's heartbeat raced.
"This… this set alone can make me invisible in the night."
He bid fiercely, outpacing all others. Even the arrogant young master from earlier tried to outbid him, but in the end, Xiao Tian won—though he spent almost all his gold.
"My gold's gone… but this will help me survive betrayal."
To earn back some money, he quickly crafted a mid-level skill scroll and sold it to the pavilion.
With the earnings, he bought more talisman paper and returned to his inn for the night.
That night, he crafted several new talismans—traps, bindings, blood marks.
By dawn, he packed his belongings and stood atop his newly acquired unicorn mount.
"I name you... Ciao Bai."
The majestic creature neighed, as if accepting him.
He rode off toward Baisa City—the place where his father's most loyal friend still ruled.
But shadows were moving behind him.
Enemies. Assassins. Fate.
And Xiao Tian smiled.
"Let them come."