Young Chen Feng

Black Source City, an inconspicuous small city in the vast Northern Region.

Though tucked away in a corner, this small city boasted a population of millions, with a significant number of cultivators and countless factions. Even at night, the city was bustling with activity, its streets brightly lit.

As evening approached, dark clouds covered the sky, and distant rumbling thunder approached. The air was filled with a moist mist, which soon turned into pouring rain and thunderstorms.

In this weather, a 16 or 17-year-old youth was running out of the city. He was of short stature and somewhat frail, his face turning pale from the rain. Ignoring the pouring rain, he rushed towards a valley located thirty miles away from the city.

This youth was obviously not an ordinary person. His speed was incredibly fast, covering several meters with each step. In less than half an hour, he had already entered the valley and ran straight to a towering ancient tree before coming to a stop.

"Ah!"

The youth suddenly roared, raising his fists and pounding the giant tree before him.

The towering ancient tree was thick enough for several people to encircle it, yet even in this strong wind, its trunk barely moved. Soon, the youth's fists began to bleed from the impact, but he seemed oblivious to the pain, continuing to strike the tree fiercely.

"Why? Why must I endure so much suffering? Why must I face all these oppressions? I refuse! Heaven, tell me why!" The youth shouted as he relentlessly punched the tree.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Countless thunderbolts continuously tore through the sky, as if to destroy the world.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The youth seemed like a madman, roaring and punching wildly. The rainwater mixed with his blood dripped onto the ground.

"Why do I have to suffer so much and experience various hardships? I can't accept it! Why? Heaven, tell me why?" After throwing hundreds of punches, the youth finally stopped and shouted at the sky. But his voice quickly disappeared under the might of the thunder.

Crack!

At that moment, an incredibly thick lightning bolt descended from the sky. It was hundreds of feet long and as thick as a water tank, like an ancient divine dragon set to destroy the world. The lightning struck the ancient tree directly.

With a loud bang, the several-people-wide ancient tree turned into ashes. The youth stared blankly at everything that happened, his mind buzzing. His blood boiled, and his vision darkened. Just now, the thunderous might had annihilated countless ancient trees, but the youth remained unscathed. Yet, he was almost petrified by the experience.

Just as the youth was lost in thought, another thunderbolt struck. This one was even larger and more dazzling than the previous one, radiating a destructive aura. The lightning accurately targeted the youth, who looked terrified. He tried to dodge, but it was impossible. He could only watch as the lightning struck him.

"Ah!"

The youth managed to scream once before falling to the ground, his eyes closed, unconscious.

If someone else were here, they would be astonished. The previous thunderbolt could easily shatter a small hill, yet it disappeared when it hit the youth. It was as if it had vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.

At this moment, the youth was unconscious. Unbeknownst to him, while he thought he was doomed, the lightning had inexplicably disappeared when it hit his chest.

As the youth lay unconscious in a pool of water, the rainwater around him increased. It looked like he would be submerged soon. Just then, a gentle light emanated from his chest, projecting faint green rays. The light enveloped the youth, creating a protective barrier that kept the rainwater at bay.

In his unconscious state, various chaotic scenes flashed through the youth's mind, mostly memories from his childhood until now.

From being an orphan begging and suffering various hardships, being beaten by others, and even bitten by dogs, to finally being taken in by an old man at the age of ten. The old man was a cultivator who brought him to a sect and gave him the name Chen Feng.

He went from being a wandering orphan to becoming a cultivator, thinking that he could change everything. However, he still suffered bullying and humiliation. His talent in cultivation was poor, and after six years of practice, he was only at the entry level. He endured ridicule and contempt from his peers, especially after the old cultivator died. The sect treated him like a waste, denying him even basic cultivation resources. The reason he ran out this time was to find the higher-ups and get some answers after unexpectedly learning about the old cultivator's unclear death. However, he was beaten up instead.

These scenes occupied his mind, but soon, the scenes changed. Chen Feng saw a massive lightning bolt striking towards him, enough to turn him into ashes. However, this time, he could see everything clearly. The scenes seemed to slow down intentionally, and the lightning, capable of shattering the earth, struck his small tower on his chest, then vanished as if absorbed by the tower.

Within his daze, the memories continued to play.

This is an inconspicuous little tower, only one inch tall, dark yellow, with nine layers and sharp edges. It is covered with numerous scratches, and even things picked up from the garbage dump would be much better than this.

In Chen Feng's memory, this little tower has always hung on his chest. It is the only external thing on Chen Feng's body and can be said to be his most precious possession. Although it is worn out, Chen Feng has never thought of throwing it away.

But today, this unremarkable little tower actually absorbed such a huge thunderbolt cleanly.

"A magic treasure, could this be the legendary magic treasure?" Chen Feng thought in shock, but soon his mind became chaotic. In this episode, Chen Feng didn't see anything clearly. He just felt extremely chaotic and bizarre, and very uncomfortable, as if he had a high fever in the past, with chaotic scenes he had never seen or heard before.

Suddenly, the little tower shook violently and spewed out a jade-green airflow, which then disappeared into Chen Feng's body.

After this airflow entered Chen Feng's body, it started to circulate along his meridians. Although Chen Feng had a small amount of true qi in his meridians before, it was completely dispelled by this jade-green airflow, and only some essence was absorbed and assimilated into the jade-green airflow.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

This jade-green airflow was extremely powerful, like a raging dragon, breaking through Chen Feng's blocked acupoints and meridians. As this airflow circulated, Chen Feng's meridians expanded continuously, his bones cracking, blood boiling, and bone marrow changing, as if he were undergoing a rebirth.

The torrential rain ceased, and the sky brightened. The night passed quickly, and if it weren't for the mysterious light shield enveloping Chen Feng, he would have been drowned and suffocated by the surrounding rainwater.

It wasn't until the fourth morning that Chen Feng finally regained consciousness. Fortunately, no one or wild beasts came to this valley; otherwise, unconscious Chen Feng would have become the food for wild beasts.

"Phew, what's going on?" Chen Feng stood up in a daze. By this time, the light shield around him had already disappeared, and the surrounding rainwater had receded. The sky was clear, and the sun's rays fell on his face, making him feel exceptionally warm. The sounds of birds chirping and the fragrance of flowers filled the air, creating a peaceful atmosphere that was completely different from the violent weather before he lost consciousness.

"Little Tower!"

Chen Feng exclaimed and took the little tower from his chest. It was still ordinary and tattered, calm and quiet, with no changes at all. Chen Feng examined it carefully but couldn't find anything unusual.

"Could this really be a magic treasure? Unfortunately, I haven't cultivated divine sense, so I can't examine it in detail." Chen Feng shook his head. Just as he was about to take a step, he froze, and a look of disbelief appeared in his eyes. He felt a surge of true qi and blood flow throughout his body, making a rumbling sound from within.

"Qi follows intent, true qi fills up, the bones and muscles are roaring. It seems that I have broken through to the third realm of Qi refining and body forging." Chen Feng found it hard to believe.

Chen Feng's current level of cultivation was "Qi Refining and Body Forging, Third Realm." His body was full of vitality, and his physical strength was robust.

In the system of cultivation he was in, there were nine realms of Qi Refining and Body Forging:

First Realm: "Refining Flesh" - a compulsory process for all cultivators and also the foundational stage. Second Realm: "Nurturing True Qi" - a sign of progress for all cultivators. If one cannot cultivate true qi, they are likely to be a waste.

Third Realm: "Forging Bones, Roaring Muscles and Tendons" - which was Chen Feng's current state. His body was vigorous and powerful.

Fourth Realm: "Condensing Organs" - strengthening and nourishing the internal organs, making the physical body even more vital, unlocking hidden potential and strength.

Fifth Realm: "All Meridians Connected" - all meridians throughout the body are opened, marking a significant milestone in the cultivation process.

Sixth Realm: "Gang Qi" - true qi is condensed and enhanced, greatly increasing its power.

Seventh Realm: "True Qi Manifestation" - the true qi cultivated can take various forms, such as weapons for killing or wings for gliding.

Eighth Realm: "Externalizing True Qi" - being able to kill from a hundred paces away with true qi.

Ninth Realm: "Whole Body True Qi Impacting the Sea of Knowledge" - it was rumored that if a cultivator could break through to the ninth realm, they could enter the Secret Realm stage. In the Secret Realm, they could open up their Sea of Knowledge, unlock various hidden secrets and powers within their body, use magical treasures, fly through the air, undergo a transformation of their body, extend their lifespan, and cultivate various divine abilities and secrets. Of course, these were things that Chen Feng could not touch or hope for. Even his sect didn't know if there were such individuals. At this realm, those in the Qi Refining and Body Forging stage were all like ants. With a wave of their hand, they could exterminate them. In places like Black Source City, true masters were high above, becoming the overlords of their respective regions, invincible figures.

"Could it be because of the little tower that I broke through to the third realm of Qi Refining and Body Forging? And I feel that there's something strange about my true qi. It seems to be filled with a powerful vitality. My physical body should be much stronger than that of cultivators of the same realm, even more tenacious. Is it all because the little tower absorbed the thunderbolt?" Chen Feng pondered.

"Forget it, I've made a significant improvement in strength now, and that's a good thing. Humph, when my strength rises, I will definitely find out the truth behind the old man's death." Thinking of this, a glimmer of determination flashed in Chen Feng's eyes. This old cultivator was the first person to treat him well. Now that he had gained power, he had to find out the truth behind his death, take revenge for him if there was enmity, and then carry out his plan to return to Black Source City.