A figure moved through the trees at a steady speed, advancing without disturbing the rhythm of the forest. The leaves barely shifted in his wake, and the ground did not crunch beneath his feet. The movement technique, now refined, allowed him to distribute his weight with precision.

  Sunlight descended in slanted beams that pierced the foliage, drawing golden streaks across the damp earth. Fang Li moved within those shadows as if he had been born there.

  Several meters away, a wild boar rooted through the soil with its snout, unaware of any threat. Its sturdy body suddenly tensed; it lifted its head and turned its ears, sensing something out of place. It sniffed the air and took a sideways step.

  Too late.

  Fang Li appeared beside it in a short, clean displacement. There was no warning and no hesitation. His arm shot forward, and his fist struck directly against the animal's skull. The sound was sharp, and the boar fell without even letting out a squeal.

  He withdrew his hand and shook it to fling off the blood beginning to stain his knuckles. He observed the corpse for a few seconds to confirm there was no residual movement, then lifted his gaze toward the sky, calculating the sun's position between the treetops. He still had time before it grew completely dark.

  Notifications appeared before his eyes.

  [+88 beating Points]

  [+1]

  [+1]

  He raised an eyebrow slightly. The eighty-eight were expected, but the two additional increments indicated progress in some technique used during the attack. He made no comment; he simply let the interface fade while evaluating the surroundings for the next prey.

  Twenty-eight days had passed since Fang Li ventured into the forest behind the outer courtyards. During that time he had reduced his routine to the essentials: move, hunt, rest the bare minimum necessary, and move again. Minor beasts, wild boars, lone wolves, snakes as thick as a man's arm; everything that represented a stable source of points ended up on the forest floor.

  After bringing down another beast and confirming there were no nearby threats, Fang Li cleaned the blood from his hands with a piece of cloth and opened the status window.

  Beating Points: 14,464

  Martial Techniques:

  "Light Wind Step" Level 8 (32/800)

  "Basic Three-Impact Fist" Level 5 (78/500)

  He observed the numbers carefully. Almost a month in the forest had given him a solid base of points and real progress in his techniques, especially in movement, which was now far above the original.

  He closed the interface and leaned his back against the trunk of a thick tree. Fourteen thousand points were not a small amount, but they were not enough to recklessly leap into the next great realm without planning.

  He clicked his tongue with slight annoyance. Common beasts gave points, yes, but in disappointing amounts for the effort invested. Killing ordinary creatures was safe and consistent, though slow. If he wanted to accelerate the process before the competition for the inner sect, he would have to consider something riskier.

  He raised his gaze toward the deepest part of the forest, where the trees grew denser and the energy felt slightly heavier. Perhaps it was already time to stop hunting small prey.

  As he considered his next move, a sound foreign to the forest's usual rhythm caught his attention. It was not the clumsy movement of a beast nor the casual crunch of branches stirred by the wind. It was the clear, continuous sound of someone running.

  He frowned slightly.

  For twenty-eight days in this area, he had only seen outer disciples along the edges, gathering herbs or hunting minor prey with evident caution. No one ventured this deep without a concrete reason. Much less at that speed.

  The sound came again, clearer this time. That was enough for curiosity to prevail.

  He adjusted his breathing and activated "Light Wind Step." His body projected toward the direction of the noise in a low, controlled displacement, avoiding dry leaves and exposed roots.

  He advanced through the trees for several minutes, gradually closing the distance. The sound of running grew more defined until he finally distinguished a silhouette moving through the vegetation.

  A young man dressed in outer sect robes ran without looking back, pushing branches aside with hurried movements. He did not seem to be training; his posture and breathing indicated urgency.

  Fang Li reduced his pace even further and maintained some distance, hiding behind thicker trunks as he followed. He made no sound. Every step was calculated to avoid betraying his presence.

  He continued advancing between the trees, keeping the proper distance, when he murmured softly without taking his eyes off the fleeing figure.

  —Why is he running in such a hurry? Did he shit himself?

  He had barely finished the sentence when the fleeing youth stepped badly on a protruding root and fell flat on his face. The impact was clumsy, without any elegant attempt to cushion the fall.

  That made Fang Li stop abruptly behind a thick tree and look at him with disbelief.

  How can someone who's a cultivator trip like that? What a disgrace.

  The young man tried to get up, clearly shaken, when the crack of branches announced the arrival of others.

  Fang Li turned his head slightly toward the sound.

  Three figures emerged from between the trees and advanced confidently until they surrounded the fallen youth. They did not move with the urgency of those pursuing dangerous prey, but with the calm of those who already knew their target had no escape.

  He remained hidden, observing from the shadows.

  One of the three stepped forward and spoke in a relaxed tone.

  —You have nowhere left to run. We know you have a bottle of body-tempering pills. If you hand it over obediently, we'll let you go.

  The other two nodded, reinforcing the promise with unconvincing smiles.

  The young man on the ground clenched his teeth but did not respond immediately.

  Fang Li narrowed his eyes as he studied the newcomers' faces, and to his surprise, he recognized them.

  If he remembered correctly, those three idiots were the same ones who had ambushed and beaten the original owner of this body to death.

  The three surrounded the youth with the same unpleasant confidence he had seen in the original body's memories.

  So they're still doing the same thing.

  An uncomfortable sensation began to grow in his chest. It was not simple disgust. It was a denser, more visceral irritation that did not entirely align with his own temperament. Fang Li knew how to recognize his emotions, and that one was not completely his.

  He frowned.

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  The anger increased slightly when he saw one of the three push the fallen youth with the tip of his foot, forcing him to slide back over the damp soil.

  He had to exhale slowly to calm that feeling.

  —So you haven't completely died, huh…? —Fang Li murmured softly, almost as if replying to someone invisible—. You want me to kill those three? Hm. That would be troublesome.

  It was not fear. It was calculation. Three against one in the forest was not impossible for him, but neither was it something to do without weighing the consequences. If he left them alive but humiliated, the outcome would differ from if they disappeared forever.

  While he evaluated, a notification appeared before his eyes.

  [Mission detected: Give a beating to the three idiots who beat you up.

  Reward: 3000 beating Points.

  If certain conditions are met, a mysterious reward may be obtained.]

  Surprised, he blinked once.

  The System did not usually use such a direct tone.

  —I see… —he murmured.

  So even the System wants me to do something.

  He looked at the three again, who were now laughing as one extended his hand demanding the pills.

  Fang Li tilted his head slightly, and a slow smile appeared on his face.

  —Well… —he thought calmly—. What bad luck for you.

  The three continued surrounding the fallen youth, mocking him without hurry. One gave him a small shove with his foot, another let out a short laugh, and the third crossed his arms, waiting. The boy on the ground breathed with difficulty; he knew he had no escape. After a few tense seconds, he slipped a hand into his pouch and slowly pulled out a small bottle. The glass reflected a ray of sunlight filtering through the branches.

  It was obvious those pills had cost him dearly to obtain.

  One of the thugs smiled when he saw it.

  —See? That wasn't so hard.

  Another added, with feigned friendliness:

  —Yes, we're fellow sect members. We promise we'll let you go.

  The third nodded, reinforcing the lie without bothering to disguise it much.

  The young man hesitated a moment longer and extended the bottle with a trembling hand.

  Before he could release it, a figure appeared behind them in a displacement so silent that none managed to react. Fang Li closed the distance in a single step and, without announcing himself, delivered a sharp smack to the back of the head of the one standing in the middle.

  The blow was not devastating, but it was forceful enough to completely destabilize him. The thug lost his balance and fell face-first into a pile of animal excrement left on the forest floor.

  The other two turned in shock, while the youth on the ground widened his eyes in disbelief.

  Fang Li withdrew his hand naturally, as if he had merely brushed aside a branch, and smiled calmly.

  —Hello, my fellow sect brothers —he said lightly—. How have you been? It's been a while since we last saw each other, huh?

  The forest fell silent for a few seconds after the smack. The thug with his face buried in excrement took a moment to react, and the other two stood frozen, trying to understand where Fang Li had come from.

  One of them found his voice.

  —You…

  He did not finish the sentence.

  Fang Li's fist shot forward without warning and smashed into his face. The impact was clean and direct; the thug was sent flying backward and ended up embedded in a bush, snapping branches before lying among leaves.

  Fang Li lightly shook his hand, as if merely testing something's firmness.

  Then he looked at the youth still on the ground holding the bottle of pills.

  —You, the one still lying there —he said kindly—, why don't you get up and leave? I'll take care of these three idiots.

  He said it with a sincere, almost benevolent smile, as if offering selfless help in the middle of a trivial dispute.

  The young man hesitated. He looked at the three aggressors, then at Fang Li.

  —Are you sure…? If the two of us join forces, there wouldn't be—

  —No —Fang Li interrupted without losing his smile—. I alone am enough. Leave, dear fellow sect member.

  The youth looked at him with moist eyes, visibly moved by that confidence. He quickly got to his feet.

  At that moment, the only thug still standing tried to step forward to block his path.

  He did not get far.

  Fang Li twisted his body and delivered a sideways slap with the same natural ease as before. The impact sent him flying until he crashed back-first into a nearby tree, sliding down with a dazed expression.

  The youth no longer hesitated. He carefully stored the bottle of pills in his pouch, slightly bowed his head toward Fang Li in gratitude, and ran off between the trees, disappearing within seconds.

  Fang Li watched him leave without changing his expression. Then he turned his attention to the three remaining on the forest floor.

  He observed them as they tried to recover. One was still half-buried in the bush, another clumsily wiped his filthy face, and the third barely managed to stand, still disoriented from the blow.

  With his hands relaxed at his sides, he spoke calmly.

  —What's wrong? Surprised to see a corpse, boys? Don't be like that. Last time you took care of me… this time I'll return your kindness multiplied by a hundred.

  The words took a second to sink in.

  Then they recognized him, and one pointed at him, his voice trembling with confusion.

  —You… we beat you enough to kill you…

  The one emerging from the bush also stared as if seeing something impossible. Even the one whose face had been buried in excrement froze briefly before wiping himself with his forearm and standing up.

  His expression shifted first from disbelief to rage.

  —Bastard… how dare you? —he spat—. What are you so afraid of? He's just a talentless mediocre. He must've survived by pure luck. If we could beat him before, we can do it again now.

  The words had an effect. The initial fear transformed into forced determination. The three began moving, forming a semicircle around him.

  Fang Li followed them with his gaze, a faint smile forming.

  —Good that you think so —he said calmly—. That way I won't have to hold back.

  Fang Li exhaled slowly and stepped forward. He did not adopt an elaborate stance nor announce his intent; he simply moved. "Light Wind Step" activated naturally, and his figure blurred. The three barely had time to tense their muscles before losing sight of him.

  By the time they realized he was no longer in front of them, it was too late.

  Fang Li appeared behind one of them, so close his voice sounded almost beside his ear.

  —You know, boys? I don't hate you… but there's an annoying guy who won't leave me alone until I get rid of you.

  The man tried to turn, but the fist was already coming. It was the "Basic Three-Impact Fist" executed with clean technique; a concentrated blow powered by the refined physical strength of perfect Organ Tempering. The impact sank into the target's chest with a brutal, dry sound.

  The body flew backward, slammed violently into a tree, and slid down motionless, the torso unnaturally deformed.

  A notification appeared before Fang Li's eyes.

  [First blood detected: +5000 beating Points]

  But he paid it no attention.

  His gaze was on his own fist. He opened and closed it slowly, evaluating the sensation. For a brief moment, doubt crossed his mind. The line between striking and killing was not always blurred; this time he had crossed it clearly.

  The discomfort did not last. That foreign emotion erased the last reason to restrain himself.

  The other two stared pale-faced at their companion's body slumped against the tree, chest caved in and unmoving.

  Fang Li lifted his gaze toward them and smiled cordially.

  —Well —he said lightly—, I suppose this will be quick, since there's no audience.

  The remaining two needed no further proof. At the sight of their companion collapsed against the tree, survival instinct overcame any feigned pride. They exchanged a glance and ran in opposite directions.

  He did not pursue them in chaotic haste; he moved with the precision of someone who had already decided the outcome. "Light Wind Step" propelled him left, his figure crossing the distance like a contained gust. Within a few heartbeats, he caught up to the first. The man tried to turn to block, but only exposed his side.

  Fang Li raised his leg and delivered a sharp kick to the neck. The impact was exact. The body instantly lost strength and fell without resistance, the unnatural angle of the head confirming there would be no second attempt.

  Without stopping, he changed direction.

  The last one ran without technique, stumbling over roots and branches. Hearing the sound behind him, he knew he would not escape. He stopped abruptly, turned, and driven by panic, threw himself to the ground.

  —Spare my life —he said in a trembling voice—. I won't bother you or anyone else for the rest of my life.

  Fang Li observed him in silence. There was no trace of mockery in his expression.

  —I know —he replied with unusual serenity.

  The disciple looked up, believing he had been forgiven.

  The last thing he saw was a fist approaching.

  The blow was direct and decisive. The neck twisted under the applied force, and the body lay motionless before fully touching the ground.

  The forest quickly regained its silence. From the first movement to the last impact, no more than thirty seconds had passed.

  He remained still for a few seconds, observing the three bodies lying among the trees. The tension he had felt since recognizing them began to dissipate slowly. That resentment that was not entirely his, that dull pressure pushing him to act, faded as if it had never existed.

  —So that was all… —he murmured.

  At that moment, the interface appeared before his eyes.

  [+500 beating Points]

  [+500 beating Points]

  [Mission completed: +3000 beating Points]

  Fang Li barely shifted his gaze as the numbers accumulated. He had expected that part.

  But a new notification immediately followed.

  [It has been detected that the host fulfilled the hidden conditions for the special reward]

  That made him narrow his eyes.

  —Hidden conditions?

  He had no time to ask more questions.

  An intense light manifested before him, suspended in the air at chest height. It did not come from the surroundings; it was a projection of the System, defined and concentrated. The luminosity condensed into a point and then descended gently.

  A solid object fell directly into his hand.

  Fang Li looked down. Between his fingers he held something small and thin, with a faint glow that did not seem to reflect sunlight but to emit it slightly.

  Another notification appeared.

  [+1 Special Ticket]

  There was nothing more. No additional description and no explanation.

  The forest remained silent, as if nothing extraordinary had occurred.

  He observed the object for several seconds, feeling its texture. It did not seem dangerous. Nor did it seem ordinary.

  He had only one question in mind.

  —What the hell is this?