(29) Advancing to the Next Level

Deep in the mountain forest, beside the stream.

Liang Zuan had absorbed the abilities of over a thousand gifted individuals, along with the crystal cores and flesh of countless mutated beasts. Halfway through the battle, he sensed the threshold of ascension, but the situation was far from optimistic, and he could not leave Liu Yi in danger. As time slowly passed, he felt his meridians gradually heating up. It was reminiscent of the scorching sensation from the day he broke out of his shell, though now the heat was much gentler. He felt as if he were immersed in potent wine—slightly intoxicated, dizzy, and short of breath.

In this hazy yet buoyant state, their side finally wiped out the invaders. He quickly sought a place away from Liu Yi’s attention. Whether dealing with mutant beasts or gifted humans, the fifth tier was a watershed—not only did his power to wield objects and slay enemies increase, but his mental strength was now incomparable to what it had been before. Yet, ascending carried the risk of losing oneself; it was not a task accomplished lightly.

During his clouded consciousness, he saw the man he had called father for twelve years. Di Guofeng, upon discovering he'd raised the wrong son, flew into a rage, set things right between him and Di Yan, and denied all the efforts Liang Zuan had made for the Di family. Di Guofeng seemed to have forgotten that, years ago, Liang Zuan was merely an unvalued illegitimate child. It was Liang Zuan who, among more than twenty grandchildren, stood out, enduring Old Master Di’s rigorous trials, enabling Di Guofeng to ascend as the head of the Di clan thanks to his son’s merit.

Everyone claimed he had enjoyed the immense wealth bestowed by the Di Group, reaping undeserved benefits. Yet no one knew he had never had a childhood; in the years meant for carefree laughter, he lived each day on tenterhooks, walking on thin ice.

He thought returning to a working-class family would allow him a normal life, but Di Guofeng seized the opportunity to stir up publicity for the Di Group, thrusting him once more into the spotlight. Whenever the Di Group's popularity waned, he would drag Liang Zuan out, spinning the narrative anew. Everyone cursed him, and the Liang family as well. The internet had no secrets—every bit of privacy was stripped away, exaggerated, and posted online.

His biological parents lost their jobs under public pressure and tried to make ends meet by selling goods at a street stall, only for self-righteous netizens to vent their anger by smashing it. His father was injured and hospitalized, only to discover, upon examination, a terminal illness. Liang Zuan dropped out of school to care for him. The exorbitant medical bills crushed the already tight-knit family. His father jumped from a building. The pillar of the family was broken, and the family scattered.

Then the hospital revealed that the report of his father's illness was a mistake—a system error. The coincidence was uncanny. With false sympathy, they paid compensation. Under the influence of her family, his mother sold their home, resolutely abandoned her burden of a son, and took the blood-stained money to remarry.

His world became a muddled void, as if only he remained, no one else...

Liang Zuan was lost in the sorrows of his childhood, sinking deep, unable to escape.

He did not wish to struggle, letting himself be buried by dust. No, that was not right—there was someone important to him, but why couldn't he recall who? That person never despised him, patiently sang lullabies, always asked if he was cold or hungry...

It was her—Liu Yi!

Amidst the lush, verdant forest stood a young woman in white, her long hair cascading to her waist. Her face radiated a gentle beauty, her features refined and lovely, her smile as warm as the spring sun. Her graceful and poised bearing evoked the clarity of wind and moon.

In that instant, he shattered the darkness of his memories and forced himself awake. His vision seemed sharper, his hearing keener. Even the sound of wind brushing sand at the foot of the mountain was distinctly audible. After a brief moment of astonishment, he sat cross-legged to check his physical state.

He had legs—no longer claws! He had broken through the fifth tier of beast transformation, and with his own abilities now at the sixth tier of wood manipulation, he had unconsciously returned to human form. It was far smoother than his previous life's ascension.

"Little Feng~ Little Feng~"

"Little Feng... Your mother is calling you home for dinner!"

Liang Zuan heard Liu Yi’s voice and instinctively wanted to respond. Suddenly realizing he was unclothed, he sprang into the nearby stream. The canopy at the peak of Nine Mountains offered layered protection, making the temperature during the polar night warmer than outside, but still a bit chilly.

Liu Yi wrapped herself in the white shed skin of a snake and continued searching deeper into the forest. At that moment, she heard the sound of water nearby. Turning her head toward the source, she was stunned by what she saw, her gaze lingering for a long time.

Her vision was excellent, and she clearly saw a young man bathing in the stream a hundred meters away.

Oh my, a handsome fellow has dropped from the sky~

The chill of the polar night seemed not to bother him. He was half-submerged in the clear stream, his strong waist and back exposed as the water flowed over him. Droplets clung to his well-defined skin.

From her vantage, she could only see his back, but even so, she could estimate his handsome features. Amid the sparkling water, his figure was lean and athletic—broad shoulders, narrow waist, muscles taut and fluid. Her gaze wandered lower.

She could see no further! A slight pity...

Liu Yi silently admired the scene, and in this dreamlike moment, she forgot to question why a grown man was in the remote mountain forest. Her beautiful almond eyes were filled with hopeful anticipation for him to turn and reveal his true face.

She waited and waited, but he never turned.

Just as she was about to politely retreat and continue searching for her little bird, the man seemed to sense something and looked back.

Their eyes met.

A cold wind blew, and goosebumps prickled across Liu Yi’s skin, as if a bucket of icy water had been poured over her.

It was Liang Zuan!

She had seen his body—would he silence her to protect his secret?

Accompanied by the sound of rushing water, she quietly shuffled backward in small steps.

Where was Hu Hu?

Why wasn’t he rushing to her rescue!

A moment ago, she had forgotten that on her own territory, aside from herself, the only breathing human, there remained only her mysterious ally.

Seeing that he said nothing, she coughed to ease the awkwardness. Clever as she was, she immediately adopted the stern manner of a school principal, taking the initiative.

"The polar night is getting colder. You can't just rely on youth and good health to mistreat yourself—when you get older, your body will suffer!"

"I... won’t do it again," Liang Zuan said, hearing her chatter and feeling inexplicably delighted.

Liu Yi nodded earnestly, her eyes shifting to the shore. "Where are your clothes? Hurry up and come out, don’t catch a cold!"