Blue And Bruised | Titan Of Avarice

"Brat, wake up," Li Wei pulled the blanket and tapped on Lu Feng's shoulder.

Lu Feng opened his eyes, seemingly irritated. Looking at the source of the disturbance, he was surprised. He sat up on the bed as he questioned Li Wei.

"Uncle Wei, what are you doing here? I hope no one saw you entering. Everybody knows who you are..."

Li Wei interjected with a look of annoyance on his face, "Brat, what do you take me for? I'm a perfected Empyrean. Even the grand elder of the holy palace isn't above me. How can I be seen if I don't want to be?"

"I was just asking out of caution. Forget it. What brings you here?"

With a smirk, Li Wei answered, "Brat, next time you come here, you too will need to sneak in like a mouse." Saying this, he threw a scroll at Lu Feng.

Puzzled, Lu Feng inspected the scroll. The scroll was made of expensive materials, and a pleasant fragrance emanated as it was unrolled.

It is with great joy that the Baihu Clan declares to the world the celebration of a momentous occasion.

Following the tragic events of four years past, it brings us great delight to announce that our esteemed young master, Baihu Ming, has been found alive and in good health, reuniting with our noble clan.

Throughout his journey, beset by numerous trials and blessed with fortuitous encounters alike, the young master has exhibited unwavering resilience, proving his mettle to the world.

In recognition of his extraordinary journey and acknowledging the guidance of an unparalleled mentor, the young master has chosen to adopt the name Lu Feng, bestowed upon him by his esteemed teacher, signifying his transformation and newfound wisdom.

In homage to this transformative decision, the Baihu Clan hereby proclaims the official name change of our cherished young master.

Young Master Lu Feng will make his first appearance at the forthcoming Brightmoon City auction, marking his triumphant return.

For those esteemed forces desiring to extend their felicitations on this auspicious occasion, we invite you to convey your good wishes directly to Young Master Lu Feng.

Lu Feng looked at Li Wei with a blank face.

Li Wei chuckled, "The Patriarch decided that it was best to make it public. All forces, both friendly and otherwise, will have received it by tomorrow. One more thing... You need to get ready— There's a chance things might turn ugly on the day of the auction."

"Why? I don't even know who set me up, and I don't care too much... Oh, is this grandfather's play?" Lu Feng was initially puzzled, but with his recovered memories, he immediately figured it out.

This grandfather of his was always up to something. He always had to put one over others, every chance he had.

Li Wei nodded his head with a smile, "Good that you understand. The Patriarch wants us to put the Holy Palace in its place if we have the chance to... And it's time I test your abilities... Let's go."

Before Lu Feng could respond, Li Wei grabbed him by the scruff of his robes and flew out of the city at an insane speed.

***

Near a river bank, far away from Brightmoon City, Lu Feng was standing on one side while Li Wei stood at the other end.

The scene resembled something straight out of a western. Like two men ready for a duel, they stood at opposing ends. The scenic backdrop of the river added to this feeling.

Lu Feng's face twitched, "Uncle Wei, is this necessary?"

Li Wei grinned, "I haven't trained you in four years, let me see if your muscles have withered..."

Giving no chance for Lu Feng to respond, Li Wei dashed ahead.

Two hours later, Lu Feng was seated in a lotus position, fuming, as he glared at Li Wei.

Li Wei, on the other hand, couldn't stop laughing at the sight.

Lu Feng's face was blue and bruised. He even had a black eye. His hair was disheveled, and his robes were tattered. Lu Feng looked miserable, a far contrast from the dignified appearance he otherwise had. He even seemed to have lost the ethereal aura he acquired just a day ago.

'Bastard Uncle Wei... You didn't even show me mercy... Hmph, if I truly used the means at my disposal, you'd have turned to ash!'

Lu Feng couldn't beat Li Wei no matter how hard he tried. Even the Immortal Daggers he stowed away in his sleeves couldn't do the trick. His cultivation was far too distant from this merciless "Uncle" of his.

However, Lu Feng figured if he could fetch some powerful items from the System Space, he'd be able to turn the tide. But much to Lu Feng's ire, Li Wei didn't spare him a single minute, let alone the time to retrieve the items.

Lu Feng, of course, understood that Li Wei was just playing with him. Even in his brief contact with Li Wei, with the memories he recovered, he couldn't help but be fond of him. He was a caring individual, though that didn't stop him from being merciless toward Lu Feng's host or now toward Lu Feng himself when it came to training.

'Next time we spar, I'll tie you up on a pole and beat you till you beg... Hmph.'

After consuming a few healing pills and a newly minted Essence Nourishing Pill, Lu Feng began to recover. Using a Perfection-grade Sovereign class pill for healing such trivial injuries was lavish beyond description, but Lu Feng couldn't care less.

Observing this from a distance, Li Wei seemingly had a smirk on his face.

'This brat could nearly hold his own... How come he's so fast... If it wasn't for my speed, even an Empyrean cultivator might have trouble catching him...

'And his combat intuition... It's monstrous... Four years ago, he wasn't even one-hundredth of what he was today. Even I had to put in some effort... He must've truly suffered to improve so much...'

Thinking along these lines, Li Wei felt pity for his young master, but he was also thankful, that the boy who was lost years prior had returned a very capable man.

"The clan is truly blessed." Contented, Li Wei sighed.

***

Twenty minutes later, Lu Feng sneaked into his room in the new building.

The reason he was being careful was because of his plan to use the "Crimson Hall" to gain a foothold in this world. It would become very difficult if the various forces had their guard up knowing that it was related to the Baihu Clan.

Being disappointed with his performance against Uncle Wei, Lu Feng began to reflect as he sat at the table.

Lu Feng concluded that while he had a compelling cultivation art in the Immortal Vajra Scripture, he lacked a truly impressive fighting technique.

Throughout his myriad lives, Lu Feng witnessed many young heroes who could fight beyond their cultivation. Some could even fight several levels above. These were the true protagonists— They weren't just relegated to stories back on Earth. In these vast worlds, such people truly existed.

Having a clear idea of his objectives— Stepping out of this vast world and reaching the stars— Lu Feng knew what he had to do. To do this, he would need a pure combat technique that would enable him to crush even the most resilient opponent.

Lu Feng retrieved a parchment and scribe from his ring and started to write. It was a cultivation technique of his own creation. Ever since he transmigrated from Earth, Lu Feng has been fascinated by the concept of power and force.

Despite now being proficient with all sorts of weapons, his passion for body cultivation couldn't be extinguished.

Pummeling foes with your bare fists, breaking their bones, and cracking their skulls— There was something magical about being a body cultivator. They needed no swords nor sabers, for their body was the ultimate weapon.

While Lu Feng wasn't as accomplished as the Sixth True Buddha who comprehended a supreme law of the world, Lu Feng had his own achievements. His comprehension and understanding of the profound law of power had culminated in him creating a simple but profound technique of his own. One that was in the works for ten thousand years and half a dozen lives.

Titan of Avarice.

Consume the Earth, Consume the Heavens, and Consume everything in between. Refine the blood and flesh— For you shall become the Titan.

Ten minutes later, Lu Feng finished writing. Being a self-created technique, his comprehension of it was as high as it could get.

Lu Feng smirked as a single thought crossed his mind.

'Time for lunch... System Space'

***