Zheng yun!

The class at the school was anything but ordinary. Teacher Hi Wei stood at the front, his voice steady as he introduced the students to the basics of Rana Worm-type cultivation. The students sat in neat rows, listening intently, but there was one student whose presence seemed to overshadow the rest.

Zheng Zhi, Zheng Yun's younger brother, sat with an air of quiet confidence, his posture straight and his gaze unwavering. He had decided that he would not remain the timid figure he once was. His dream was clear: to become someone different, someone powerful. But, as always, the students around him couldn't help but whisper and laugh at Zheng Yun, who sat with his eyes half-closed, seemingly indifferent to everything.

"Look at him," one of the students sneered. "He'll never be anything but a failure."

"He's too lazy to even listen in class," another mocked.

Zheng Yun, however, didn't react. His head remained resting on his arms, his eyes closed as if in a deep slumber. His calmness only fueled their teasing, but he was beyond their petty remarks. The class continued, but Zheng Yun's mind was elsewhere—focused on the spirit stone he had recently acquired. He needed more power, and he was prepared to take the necessary steps to achieve it.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Zheng Yun gathered his things and left the classroom. His body moved with purpose as he headed to his room, shutting the door quietly behind him. There, he placed the spirit stone before him and took a deep breath.

The stone glowed softly, and a surge of energy seemed to pulse from it. Zheng Yun's hands trembled slightly as he reached out, feeling the connection form between him and the stone. With a deep concentration, he focused all his energy into the stone, channeling the raw spiritual force that flowed through him. Slowly, he felt his body vibrate with energy, and his spiritual power surged.

The breakthrough was instantaneous. His internal energy coiled around him, flowing with greater precision. He had reached Rank 3 of the Novice stage—the Initiate of the Core. His control over his spiritual energy deepened, and the world around him seemed to hum with newfound clarity.

Just as Zheng Yun began to revel in his success, the door to his room suddenly crashed open. Standing in the doorway, eyes burning with hatred, was Han Lu, the young master of the Han family.

"You think you're better than me, don't you?" Han Lu's voice was thick with anger. "I've been patient, waiting for the right moment to make you pay for what you've done!"

Zheng Yun didn't even blink. His cold eyes met Han Lu's with a chilling indifference. The young master's words fell on deaf ears as Zheng Yun, now fully aware of his power, calmly rose from his seat.

Han Lu stepped forward, his cultivation level matching Zheng Yun's at Rank 3—he was no longer a weakling. But it didn't matter. Zheng Yun had transcended. In an instant, his energy flared to life, and with a swift motion, the air seemed to freeze around him.

Before Han Lu could even react, Zheng Yun raised his hand. The power he had just unlocked erupted from his palm, slicing through the air like a blade. Han Lu's scream was cut short as his body was torn apart, his limbs and torso reduced to bloody remnants in a matter of seconds.

Zheng Yun stood over the mangled corpse, his expression unmoving. The blood from Han Lu's dismembered body stained the floor, but Zheng Yun showed no remorse. In fact, there was a cold satisfaction in his gaze. He picked up the scattered remains of Han Lu's body with unhurried precision and wrapped them in a cloth.

With a final glance at the ruined room, he calmly walked to the Han family's mansion. When he arrived, he threw the remains of Han Lu's body before the family, his voice low and steady as he spoke:

"Your son failed to understand his place. I suggest you remember this lesson, and never cross me again."

The Han family stood in stunned silence, their faces pale and horrified. They dared not speak a word, knowing that the young man before them had not only surpassed them in power but had also shown that he would not hesitate to act without mercy.

Back in his room, Zheng Yun closed the door behind him, his thoughts empty of any moral concern. He returned to the spirit stone, now glowing even brighter with energy. His journey had just begun, and with every step, he would grow stronger. There was no turning back now.

As the room filled with the hum of spiritual energy, Zheng Yun's cold smile spread across his face. He was no longer the boy who had been mocked. He was becoming something far more dangerous.

And there was no one who could stop him.