Shijia

Within the Stone Palace of the Shi family in Tianyun City, an alliance of merchants gathered.

Yang Hai, a slightly overweight man, sat upright on a stone slab, his small eyes narrowed as he flipped through the account books, reporting the mining activities of the past few months to Shi Jian, the patriarch of the Shi family.

Shi Jian, though in his seventies, appeared vigorous with a full head of black hair. As the head of the Shi family, he wore only a simple coarse cloth robe meant for martial training. He sat with authority on a large gray-brown rock, his expression calm, his eyes sharp yet reserved, listening attentively to Yang Hai's report.

When Yang Hai finished explaining the situation, Shi Jian furrowed his brow and asked, "Hai'er, the amount of ore mined has decreased by twenty percent compared to previous months. What's going on?"

"It's because of the Mo and Ling families," Yang Hai sighed. "Many skilled miners have been lured away by them with high wages, leaving us short-handed. We've suffered significant losses in our covert conflicts with these two families. The miners fear we can't compete with them, and with the higher pay they're offering, they've moved on."

"Hmph!" Shi Jian snorted coldly. "Those two families are clearly targeting us. Ever since the marriage between Mo Yanyu and Ling Shaofeng was arranged, they've become increasingly close. Recently, even in our skirmishes with the Mo family, the Ling family has sent people to intervene. They must have reached a secret understanding; otherwise, the Mo family wouldn't be able to contend with us."

"Should we retaliate, Patriarch?" Yang Hai asked.

"Don't worry, I have a plan," Shi Jian replied with a knowing expression. After a pause, he suddenly frowned and asked, "Has that rascal Shi Yan returned yet?"

"No, I was just about to mention that," Yang Hai said with a bitter smile. "That boy said he was going to the Dark Forest and has been gone for almost a year without returning. I recently received word that Mo Chaoge and Mo Yanyu are also in the Dark Forest. Do you think something might have happened to him? He didn't take any formidable family guards with him when he left. With Qing'er gone early, I only have this one child left. I'm worried..."

Shi Jian frowned, remaining silent for a moment before sighing. "That boy... He was born without the Shi family's 'Stone Spirit Martial Soul,' and he's never been interested in martial arts, always tinkering with strange things and running off. He really is a handful."

"Patriarch, it's my bloodline that's the issue. If I had the 'Martial Soul,' Qing'er and I would have had a different child, not like this one," Yang Hai said, ashamed.

"This is fate," Shi Jian shook his head. "Hai'er, I found you in the Endless Sea. Although you're not my biological son, I've always treated you as one. Otherwise, I wouldn't have married Qing'er to you. You may not have the Martial Soul or be dedicated to martial arts, but the Shi family's strategic planning and the management of our mines wouldn't be the same without you. Without you, I wouldn't have amassed so much wealth. You may not excel in martial arts, but your contributions to the Shi family are no less than anyone else's!"

"But nowadays, a peak warrior is far more valuable than wealth," Yang Hai said with a self-deprecating smile. "If only I had the Martial Soul, I would have pursued martial arts diligently. If Yan'er had inherited his mother's 'Stone Spirit Martial Soul,' he might have continued to train as well. But why must the Martial Soul be predestined? Ah..."

Shi Jian nodded, sighing, "You're right. A peak warrior is indeed more precious than wealth these days. That's a fact."

"Patriarch, do you think anything might have happened to the boy?" Yang Hai still couldn't let go of his worry.

"There shouldn't be anything wrong," Shi Jian pondered. "That boy isn't interested in martial arts, so the Mo family hasn't paid him any attention. Neither Mo Chaoge nor Mo Yanyu has likely met him. They don't know him, so there's no reason for them to target him."

"But I still feel something's not right. He should have been back by now."

"Hmm, I'll have the people stationed in Youji Town keep an eye out. Youji Town is close to the Dark Forest, so as soon as the boy shows up, we'll get word. Don't worry."

"Thank you, Patriarch."

"Thank me? That boy is your son, but isn't he my grandson too?" Shi Jian glared and barked, "How many times have I told you, don't call me Patriarch. I'm your foster father, as well as your father-in-law. You can call me anything but Patriarch."

"Foster father, Hai'er will remember."

"Good."

...

In the Dark Forest, under the quiet night.

On a secluded lawn, Luo Hao stood as firm as a mountain, releasing a fivefold gravity field centered on himself. The immense pressure made it difficult for anyone to breathe.

Shi Yan, drenched in sweat, was leaping and bounding around Luo Hao, his body making intricate combat movements. His veins bulged, snakelike, trembling on his neck.

In the grass, Mu Yudie chewed on a blade of grass, watching secretly.

"How long do you think that boy can last today?" Diyalan sneaked up, squatting beside Mu Yudie, and whispered.

"Finished with your task today?" Mu Yudie asked with a soft laugh, not answering Diyalan's question.

"Zhao Xin has taken over. It was close just now—a silver-horned snake was coiled on a branch, and I nearly got bitten. Luckily, I reacted in time, or I wouldn't be here with you now."

Diyalan, still shaken, cursed, "We've been running into more and more demon beasts lately. We need to be more careful. In the past three days, we've encountered five groups of them. Especially at night, many demon beasts are active. You should bring me along next time you spy on him. There might be danger."

"Is that the main point you wanted to make?" Mu Yudie chuckled.

"Ha, you caught me." Diyalan didn't bother to hide it. "That boy is something else. In the past three days, he's pushed past his limits every time, with his endurance growing stronger each time. Even I, at the Third Sky of the Nascent Realm, wouldn't dare mess around in Uncle Luo's fivefold gravity field. But this guy's a maniac—he won't stop until he passes out. A complete lunatic!"

"His endurance isn't even the scariest part," Mu Yudie shook her head, her beautiful eyes gleaming.

"Yeah, his recovery is even more monstrous. It's hard to believe he's only at the First Sky of the Nascent Realm with such terrifying recovery abilities," Diyalan agreed, puzzled.

"This guy has a lot of secrets..." Mu Yudie murmured after a while. "I've never seen anyone eat as much as him. In these three days, he's almost eaten through our entire food supply. I'm starting to worry about running out of food. He really is a bottomless pit."

"Haha." Diyalan laughed. "That little rascal is amusing. He can make anyone laugh with just a few words. He has so many novel ideas I've never heard of before. Talking about how emperors should be elected by commoners and how merchants could control a country, and he even composes those flowery poems. I can't understand how, at seventeen, he has so many strange thoughts in his head."

"Yes, and this seventeen-year-old boy looks at you and me like he wants to swallow us whole. I've never seen such possessive eyes before. That bastard is utterly incorrigible!" Mu Yudie ground her teeth and made a chopping gesture. "I'll make him pay one day!"

"Maybe when your Martial Soul recovers, you will. Haha, what's the harm in letting him look? It's not like it'll cost you anything. Compared to Zhao Xin and Hu Long, who only dare to sneak a glance at my backside, that kid's got guts. I like it," Diyalan said with a bold laugh.

"Are you infatuated?" Mu Yudie teased. "He's still just a boy. Don't go seducing him."

"Have you ever seen a boy with eyes like his?" Diyalan asked in a low voice. "I suspect he's older than he looks. He might have used some secret method to appear younger—he's pretending to be innocent! Who knows, it could be some kind of hidden, special Martial Soul..."

"Good point. We should keep a closer eye on him," Mu Yudie nodded thoughtfully.

...

"Boom!"

Shi Yan collapsed, spreading his limbs as he lay on the ground, exhausted to the point of collapse. His voice was hoarse as he asked, "How many laps?"

"Fifteen," Luo Hao replied with a complex expression. "You performed leaping, dodging, and striking movements throughout those fifteen laps, which put you under far greater strain than others. Boy, can you really handle it?"

"Cough, cough, whether I can or not, I'll know tomorrow," Shi Yan replied, feeling that even speaking was a struggle.

For the past three days, whenever he had free time during the day, he secretly practiced "Berserk."

Through his arduous training, the acupoints in his chest and waist could now release negative energy at will, making his entire body appear much leaner