Lin Xian had just finished cultivating. He could feel that more qi had been absorbed than before. However, his cultivation level still hadn't increased.
"This still isn't enough," Lin Xian muttered in frustration.
He opened the system again and saw the 'shop' menu. He had 45 karma points. That was enough to buy many things in the shop. However, the prices listed there were extremely high.
[Heaven's Marrow Reforging Pill: 400 karma points]
That was insanely expensive. Lin Xian was confused—he didn't even know how he got the 45 karma points he currently had. He was about to close the system window when he noticed something interesting.
[Mad Devil Pill: 40 karma points]
Lin Xian touched the pill.
[Mad Devil Pill]
[Grade: Rare]
[Main Effect: Grants 30x strength boost for 5 minutes.]
"Hah, thirty times? Isn't that a bit too much?" Lin Xian grumbled.
He hesitated to take it. There were no side effects listed in the description, but he was certain that such a pill had side effects as terrifying as the power it offered.
Even so, Lin Xian was still intrigued. A thirtyfold increase in strength—how could he ignore that?
"Fine. What's the harm in buying it? It's not like I'm losing anything." Lin Xian tapped the system screen and finally selected 'buy.'
One second later, the pill appeared. Lin Xian stored it away and resumed training. He had already recovered 20% of his dantian. This was supposed to be a great opportunity.
Especially because leveling up would give him rewards as well. If he managed to get three more Heaven's Marrow Reforging Pills, he would become a completely different person.
Unfortunately, that was difficult. The rewards for leveling up +5 were random. Lin Xian couldn't predict what he would get.
Cultivators were divided into three major realms: Mortal Realms, Soul Realms, and Divine Realms. Each realm consisted of several stages, and each stage had multiple layers.
The Mortal Realms consisted of Body Tempering (1–9 layers), Qi Gathering (1–9 layers), and Foundation Establishment (Early, Mid, Peak). The Soul Realms were made up of Core Formation (1–5 layers), Nascent Soul (1–5 layers), and Spirit Ascension (Early, Mid, Peak). Finally, the Divine Realms consisted of three stages: Saint Path (1–5), Void Emperor (1–5), and Immortal Ascension (1–3).
Currently, Lin Xian was still in the Mortal Realms, at the third layer of Qi Gathering. He was far from being considered strong. In this world, there were countless people stronger than him. Even among people his age, there were probably around two thousand disciples who surpassed him.
Now, standing before him was Mu Tianzheng. His face was filled with fury—more than ever before. This time, he clenched his fists tightly. Not only that, but a murderous aura radiated intensely from Mu Tianzheng.
"I knew he would come," Lin Xian thought.
Mu Tianzheng was a father who dearly loved his child. He wasn't an evil man and never killed people without cause. Despite his temper, this time felt different. Mu Tianzheng seemed like he wouldn't hesitate to strike Lin Xian down.
"You've been spreading lies about my daughter. You will pay for that, Lin Xian!" shouted Mu Tianzheng.
Lin Xian's legs trembled. He was genuinely scared—standing before him was a cultivator in the Soul Realms, specifically at the Early stage of Spirit Ascension. He was incredibly powerful. Compared to Lin Xian, it was like heaven and earth. His chance of winning was zero.
"Do you have any proof?" Lin Xian tried to buy time.
He had a plan—to make his father and Mu Tianzheng meet. If his father saw him being attacked by Mu Tianzheng, both of them would end up dead. The winner of that clash would be his father.
That was Lin Xian's plan, but what was the result? He wasn't so sure anymore. His father's presence couldn't be sensed at all. That meant his father was still very far away. This was bad. He had to stall for as long as possible.
Mu Tianzheng didn't stop. His eyes blazed, his right hand clenched, and heat began to radiate from his arm. Fire engulfed his palm, writhing like a dragon ready to rampage. He was using the technique Flame Mist Fist.
"You think I care about proof?! You've tarnished my daughter's name. You slandered the innocent Mu Yueran. I won't forgive that!" Mu Tianzheng roared.
Lin Xian gritted his teeth. "If I really did something wrong, I'd apologize… but I didn't do what you—"
Before he could finish, Mu Tianzheng had already dashed forward. In a blink, he was right in front of Lin Xian. His blazing fist shot forward like a flaming meteor. Lin Xian tried to dodge, but it was too late. He hadn't expected Mu Tianzheng to attack so suddenly.
BRUUAKK!
The punch struck his chest. The sound of cracking bones echoed loudly. Lin Xian's body was flung back several meters, crashing hard into the house wall. Blood spewed from his mouth. His breath caught. His ribs were clearly broken. His whole body throbbed with pain. That punch had been far too strong.
"Damn. I can't stall for time," Lin Xian looked to the side. "Father should be here."
Lin Xian didn't understand why his father hadn't arrived. They had made a promise. If this kept up, Mu Tianzheng would kill him.
But Mu Tianzheng wasn't done. In an instant, he appeared before Lin Xian again. The fire on his hand blazed brighter, his killing intent peaked. His eyes showed pure rage.
"No… if this punch lands, I'm really going to die!"
But somehow, Lin Xian's survival instincts flared. A split second before the fist hit his face, his body twisted to the side. He rolled away, then staggered to his feet. Though his breathing was ragged and his body trembled, he endured.
Mu Tianzheng turned. He moved again. A barrage of fiery punches scorched the air. Lin Xian kept dodging—jumping, ducking, spinning, slipping between blows. But every move made his bones feel like they were shattering. The broken ribs seemed to stab into his organs.
DUARR!!
One punch hit his stomach. Lin Xian's body lifted off the ground, then slammed into a massive tree, splitting its trunk. He coughed blood again, his body nearly paralyzed. He was done. His vision began to blur from exhaustion. Meanwhile, Mu Tianzheng stood before him once more.
"You little bastard, you'll die here."
He raised his right hand. The coming punch was devastating. Lin Xian couldn't dodge it. His body had lost all strength. He was completely drained.
Lin Xian gave a faint smile. "Am I really going to die?" he whispered. As the punch was about to strike his face, Lin Xian reached for something. He smiled in relief. "Ah, right. I have this."