Wang Li moved deeper into the valley.
The further he went, the colder the air became—until a fine, chilling rain began to fall.
Each droplet carried a biting frost.
He slowed slightly, his eyes narrowing.
"What kind of treasure can influence the environment like this…?"
The thought had barely formed when the sound of clashing steel cut through the rain.
Without hesitation, he shifted direction.
"Luo Hei! You actually betrayed me?!"
A woman's furious voice rang out, sharp and desperate.
Wang Li neither quickened nor slowed his pace.
By the time he arrived, the battle had already ended.
A woman stood drenched in rain, a sword piercing straight through a man's chest. Yet she still gripped the hilt tightly, her expression twisted with hatred… and something unhinged.
The man's lifeless body sagged against her.
Wang Li glanced once.
Then looked away.
Not worth it.
His gaze drifted instead to a white flower blooming quietly in the distance, untouched by the chaos.
"Hey! That is mine! How dare you?!"
The woman's shrill voice chased after him.
Wang Li didn't even bother turning back.
"Crazy."
The word fell lightly from his lips, calm and dismissive.
She had already pierced the man's heart, yet still screamed betrayal.
Even the most absurd scriptwriters from his past life wouldn't dare write something this ridiculous.
Shaking his head, he lost all interest.
The woman, the corpse—none of it mattered.
But the flower…
That was different.
As he approached, a strange clarity washed over him. The cold, the rain, even the noise of the world—it all seemed to fade.
Just looking at it felt like his thoughts were being purified.
"Interesting."
Without hesitation, he crouched, carefully plucked the flower, and stored it in his pouch.
Behind him, the woman continued screaming and cursing, still trapped in the dead man's grip.
Wang Li walked away as if he hadn't heard a thing.
---
He didn't get far.
The moment he stepped into the next clearing—
Figures appeared.
From all directions.
They didn't rush him.
They simply… blocked every path.
Wang Li stopped.
His gaze swept across them, calm and unreadable.
"Interesting," he said lightly. "So there was never any treasure here."
"Isn't there one in that bag of yours?" one of them sneered, pointing at his waist.
Wang Li smiled.
"True."
But the smile was cold.
"How about you leave the bag," another said, "and you might walk out of here alive."
"Might?" Wang Li echoed softly.
Then his smile vanished.
"You dare block my martial path… and still speak of 'might'?"
His voice dropped.
"Then don't leave."
Boom.
Within fifty meters, the air turned heavy.
It was as if the heavens themselves pressed down.
The group froze—faces paling as an invisible force crushed their bodies, locking them in place.
Before they could react—
Wang Li had already moved.
A single step.
He appeared before the one who had spoken first.
His hand shot out, gripping the man's throat.
"Repeat that."
The man's face turned red, veins bulging. Not a single word escaped.
Wang Li tilted his head slightly.
"Can't?"
His fingers tightened.
Crack.
Then—
His other hand struck down.
A brutal, precise blow.
The man collapsed instantly.
Wang Li tossed the body aside like trash.
No pause.
No hesitation.
He moved to the next.
Their pupils shrank in terror.
They couldn't move.
Couldn't run.
Could only watch.
Wang Li didn't kill the rest.
Instead, he broke legs, crushed arms, and knocked them unconscious with ruthless precision.
Efficient.
Controlled.
Merciless.
When he was done, the clearing fell silent except for the rain.
He crouched and calmly looted them.
"Two treasures…"
A faint glint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.
He stood and walked away, not even sparing them a glance.
Revenge?
Let them try.
What mattered more… was securing a place among the peak disciples.
Killing here might bring unnecessary trouble.
After all—
Rules were never equal.
Not for those with backing.
And certainly not for someone like him.
---
Not long after he left—
A figure emerged silently from the void, watching his retreating back.
"Not bad," the figure murmured, jotting something down. "Still knows where to stop."
Then it vanished.
Across the spiritual plane, similar scenes unfolded.
Observers watched.
Recorded.
Judged.
---
Wang Li eventually came to a stop.
His expression turned thoughtful.
"There were eyes there…"
He exhaled slowly.
"Until I gain backing… I need to be careful."
The Spirit Stream Sect was not fair.
It protected its own—
And crushed the rest.
He needed to become one of the "own."
Any peak would do.
For now.
With three treasures in hand, he continued searching—
But his luck had run dry.
A day and a half passed.
Nothing.
Even his attempt to push the Mountains and Seas Art further yielded no results.
Then—
Space twisted.
A force descended.
Before he could react—
The world shifted.
---
He reappeared outside the spiritual plane.
The sect square.
He looked around.
Less than half had returned.
And among those who did—
Many carried a faint, unmistakable aura.
The aura of killing.
Wang Li's lips curved faintly.
"Interesting…"
"Let's see how this plays out."
---
"Those who obtained treasures of heaven and earth—step forward."
The voice came from the sky, vast and authoritative.
Wang Li stepped forward without hesitation.
Others followed.
He counted.
Fewer than twenty.
A strange fluctuation swept over them—
Then vanished.
"Fourteen remain. The rest, withdraw."
Just like that, the first selection ended.
Moments later, beams of light descended.
Wang Li felt the contents of his pouch vanish.
His three treasures—gone.
"So this is the method of true experts…"
His eyes flickered.
Then—
"Peak Masters, make your selections."
Tokens shot down from the clouds.
Each disciple received one.
Wang Li looked at his.
A purple token.
His brows furrowed.
He wasn't the only one.
Even the sect master and peak masters showed strange expressions.
---
Above the clouds—
"Wang Lu! What is the meaning of this?!"
A red-haired elder roared.
A woman lay lazily on a cloud bed, propping her chin with one hand.
Her white hair flowed like silk. Her eyes were half-lidded, filled with amusement.
Wang Lu.
"What?" she drawled. "Only your peak can take disciples? This old woman can't?"
Her gaze drifted downward—
Locking onto Wang Li.
A slow, dangerous smile formed.
"That one is mine."
The air stilled.
"You should be grateful," she added lazily. "I'm not competing with you for the others."
"Junior Sister," a blue-haired woman said gently, "taking disciples is not a game. Perhaps reconsider—"
"Green tea bitch," Wang Lu cut in instantly, her tone sweet and venomous. "Why not dye your hair to match your personality?"
Silence.
Then—
The red-haired elder burst out laughing.
The sect master rubbed his temples.
"Wang Lu…" he said cautiously.
She didn't even look at him.
Her gaze remained fixed on Wang Li.
Sharp.
Possessive.
Almost playful.
"Sect Master," she said lightly, "you wouldn't compete with me over a man, would you?"
The sect master nearly slipped.
"What nonsense are you spouting?!"
Wang Lu smirked.
"Relax. I know you don't swing that way."
She paused—
Then added lazily:
"Your harem of female disciples already proves that."
The sect master choked.
The other peak masters turned away, pretending not to hear.
Wang Lu, however, didn't move.
Her eyes gleamed as she stared at Wang Li.
"Interesting little thing…"
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"Mine."
---
Below—
Wang Li suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
As if something—
Or someone—
Had just claimed him.
He slowly raised his head toward the clouds.
For a brief moment—
He felt a pair of eyes lock onto his.
Ancient.
Playful.
And terrifyingly possessive.
His heart skipped.
Then—
The purple token in his hand began to burn.
Not with heat—
But with something far more dangerous.
A voice echoed directly in his mind:
"Come find me."
Wang Li's pupils shrank.
Because in that instant—
His body moved on its own.
---