Murderous Heart

Deep within the enigmatic Dark Forest, Qin Wentian carried Fan Le, their pace hurried. Exhaustion clung to them, a reality forced by the urgency to escape their pursuers. In this perilous landscape, survival relied on swift movement and evasive actions; battling was a luxury they couldn't afford in their weakened state.

"Talk about unlucky," Fan Le grumbled disheartedly. "If I knew this venture would turn into a deadly escapade, I would've refrained from signing up. I mean, I'm still a virgin, you know?"

"Shut up," Qin Wentian shot back in a low growl. This chubby companion of his had an unparalleled gift for verbosity.

"Hehe, how's the Bloodline Limit doing now? All calm and peaceful?" Fan Le's curiosity was insatiable. "And what's up with that puppy? It's been tailing us like a devoted guardian."

"If you don't put a cork on it, I swear I'll abandon you," Qin Wentian retorted with mounting fatigue. Their earlier surge of strength, when their Bloodline Limits flared, had been followed by a period of weakened vitality – the body's natural way of recovering. Their Astral Energy was fully depleted, rendering them feeble and vulnerable.

Fan Le, however, was the worse for wear. Even after their explosive battle, Orchon's parting strike had landed, leaving Fan Le with a bleeding head. Thanks to Qin Wentian's skillful use of acupuncture, the bleeding was halted. But Fan Le was utterly drained.

Sighing to himself, Fan Le murmured, "An old vendetta demands swift retribution. But then again, brilliant as I am, I've got a few more years of cultivation ahead. Revenge can wait."

"Qin Wentian, why's your cultivation level so meager? If you were at the Arterial Circulation Realm, you'd have wiped the floor with him," Fan Le griped, his voice a blend of complaint and concern.

"There's a cave up ahead," Qin Wentian interjected, ignoring Fan Le's ceaseless babble. He veered towards the cave, aware that encountering a demonic beast in their current condition would be a fatal mistake.

Once inside, Qin Wentian gently lowered Fan Le to the ground before collapsing himself, panting heavily. The strain of their ordeal was evident, their breaths ragged as they recuperated within the shelter of the cave.

"Let's replenish our energy, Fatty," Qin Wentian advised with a sense of urgency. "If we don't, this place might just become our final resting ground at the hands of a single demonic beast." With that, he settled into a cross-legged position, slipping into meditation. Fan Le nodded in agreement and followed Qin Wentian's example.

"Surely, we can't be that unlucky," Fan Le muttered as he shut his eyes. However, mere moments later, his eyes snapped open, and he saw a malevolent demonic leopard lurking nearby, its eyes fixed on them.

Qin Wentian's expression froze as he struggled to his feet. In the blink of an eye, the demonic leopard pounced with lightning speed, closing the gap between them. Simultaneously, though, the snowy puppy at Qin Wentian's side blurred into action, leaving behind afterimages that moved even faster than the demonic leopard.

A low growl rumbled from the snowy dog as it lunged forward, clamping its jaws around the demonic leopard's throat. In an instant, the leopard's life ebbed away, its throat torn asunder.

"Transformation? It can do that?" Fan Le and Qin Wentian stared at the snowy puppy, flabbergasted. Their disbelief intensified as the puppy scampered back to the cave, sporting a fawning expression. This fawning look, though, made them want to scold it. The puppy gradually reverted to its original size, rendering its fawning demeanor even more endearing.

"This little fellow played possum to outwit a formidable enemy. Let's call it Little Rascal," Fan Le chuckled.

"Rather pedestrian," Qin Wentian remarked, shooting Fan Le a disdainful glance. "But it does suit it."

Both of them then shared a grin, and thus, the puppy was christened "Little Rascal."

With "Little Rascal" stationed outside as a guard, Qin Wentian and Fan Le felt a renewed sense of security. By nightfall, their Astral Energy had fully recovered. Fan Le opened his eyes, only to hear crackling sounds emanating from within Qin Wentian's body. Fan Le couldn't help but click his tongue in annoyance. Even as a genius chubby, he hadn't made such a racket while cultivating.

Nonetheless, Fan Le begrudgingly admitted that Qin Wentian's dedication was undeniable. As soon as he'd finished replenishing his energy, Qin Wentian embarked on refining his body using various techniques.

Naturally, Fan Le was acutely aware that after the day's events, Qin Wentian had an urgent desire to elevate his cultivation. A horde of adversaries still lurked, waiting for their chance.

"Orchon, Orfon, just hold on," Fan Le muttered, sporting a wicked grin tinged with coldness. He got to his feet and patted his stomach, sauntering towards the lifeless demonic leopard's body. Now that they'd regained their strength, it was time for a meal.

Qin Wentian, upon opening his eyes, observed Fan Le handling the leopard's flesh in a rather uncouth manner, greedily devouring it and ending up with a face smeared in grease.

"You clumsy fool! Why do you have to attract so much attention once you've regained your strength? Don't you realize the scent of roasted meat and the fire could draw other demonic beasts here?" Qin Wentian chastised Fan Le in hushed tones. Despite their earlier exertions, their strength had fully returned within half a day.

"Let's eat our fill quickly and move on," Qin Wentian urged, and Fan Le, who was enjoying his meal, concurred. As they feasted, Little Rascal sidled over, whining, and casting a puppy-eyed gaze at Qin Wentian.

"How much can a creature your size eat?" Qin Wentian tossed a piece of roasted demonic leopard meat to Little Rascal, who eagerly gnawed on it.

"Though demonic beasts usually absorb the Yuan Qi of Heaven and Earth to aid their growth, this leopard meat is an excellent source of nourishment," Fan Le explained between bites. Qin Wentian agreed; he could sense a surge of energy from the demonic beast meat he had just consumed.

"We're going to savor all these delicious meals in the coming month," Fan Le declared as he rose. "More demonic beasts are approaching. Let's go."

"Agreed." Qin Wentian nodded, beckoning Little Rascal before swiftly exiting the cave.

They found another resting spot, where Fan Le promptly fell asleep while Qin Wentian focused on his cultivation, leaving Little Rascal on guard duty.

During the day, the three ventured deeper into the Dark Forest, hunting demonic beasts and relishing their flesh.

In the blink of an eye, it was already the 10th day since the training exercise had commenced. They were now deep within the Dark Forest, where extreme caution was necessary.

In a forested area, a group of individuals strolled cautiously. A fierce wind blew past, and their expressions shifted dramatically as they witnessed an enormous iron-armored rhino charging through, obliterating ancient trees in its path.

"It's a peak 3rd-level demonic beast, the iron-armored rhino! It possesses incredible strength," the group muttered, their hearts trembling. Despite their attempts to escape, the rhino hurtled toward them.

What astonished them even more was the sight of two young figures chasing the rhino with astonishing determination.

"Fatty, it's your turn," a voice called out. Spectators watched as Astral Arrows streaked in graceful arcs, precisely homing in on the rhino, sealing its path and forcing it to halt. The second youth darted in, his movements nearly imperceptible as he delivered a devastating punch, accompanied by a dragon's roar.

"Boom!" The youth's fist connected with the rhino's head, sending shockwaves that rattled the surrounding trees. The rhino convulsed violently before collapsing to the ground, releasing its final, haunting cry.

"What an overwhelming display of power! Iron-armored rhinos are renowned for their defense, yet this one fell in a single blow," exclaimed the onlookers, their hearts still racing. Moments later, they witnessed a cheeky white puppy leaping onto the lifeless rhino's shoulders, wearing a mischievous grin.

The young men responsible for this feat were none other than Qin Wentian and Fan Le. As Fan Le stepped forward, he remarked to Qin Wentian, "Impressive. Your strength has become even more formidable now that you've reached the 9th level of the Body Refinement Realm."

Over the past ten days of intensive training, Qin Wentian had successfully reached the 9th level, the final stage of the Body Refinement Realm.

His clothing was now worn and tattered, but he couldn't help but grin at Fan Le. "Fatty, feeling a bit envious?"

Fan Le, placing his hands on his hips, burst into laughter and knocked Qin Wentian off his pedestal. "Me, jealous of you? Can you control your Bloodline Limit at will?" he teased. Currently, Qin Wentian couldn't control or direct the energy bestowed by his Bloodline Limit. As a result, its full power remained untapped, locked within his body.

Fan Le continued his playful banter. "Apart from the Subduing Snake Fist, do you know any other techniques?"

"After I break through to the Arterial Circulation Realm, I'll focus on cultivating innate techniques. Right now, my priority is the breakthrough," Qin Wentian replied. He planned to choose an innate technique that suited him after successfully condensing his second Astral Soul.

"Absolutely, hurry up and break through. That day, Orchon made us lose face. Without unleashing our Bloodline Limits, even dealing with Orfon will be challenging," Fan Le chimed in, batting his eyes as they walked on.

Qin Wentian nodded in agreement. He had managed to defeat Orfon, who was a realm above him in cultivation, by igniting his Bloodline Limit, greatly enhancing his combat prowess. Without that, even though he was now at the 9th level of the Body Refinement Realm, it would still be a formidable task to defeat Orfon, who had reached the 2nd level of the Arterial Circulation Realm.

In another part of the Dark Forest, a group of flying beasts circled in the sky. Below them stood Orfon, Makino, and two other individuals.

"Orfon, you wanted me to deal with that Qin Clan youth from Sky Harmony City, a mere Body Refinement Realm cultivator?" one of the unfamiliar figures sneered, his eyes filled with disdain. He was a second-year senior at Emperor Star Academy, who had already cleared four of his nine main meridians and reached the 4th level of the Arterial Circulation Realm. He also hailed from an aristocratic clan.

While the nine martial academies were conducting their examinations in the Dark Forest, they couldn't prevent outsiders from entering. Haku had coincidentally encountered Orfon during his training in the Dark Forest.

The other figure was Ye Zhan from the Ye Clan, a cultivator at the 2nd level of the Arterial Circulation Realm and a member of the Royal Academy.

"That guy has a companion with a Bloodline Limit. Both of them are formidable opponents," Orfon replied, narrowing his eyes slightly. He knew that Qin Wentian possessed a Bloodline Limit but preferred to keep this information concealed. He was determined to ensure Qin Wentian's demise in the Dark Forest to erase the stain of his previous defeat.

"Makino, it's your turn," Orfon ordered. Makino's gaze fixed on the flying beasts hovering in the air. Soon, each beast dispersed in eight different directions, disappearing without a trace.