Chapter 21: Slashing the Energy Gathering!

"Damn this weather... Of all times, it starts raining now?"

Koel's clothes were drenched, rain trickling down his face, but his mood was far darker than the storm above. What should have been an easy job—just hunting down a mere seventh-stage Body Refinement brat—had turned into a disaster. Even with Lennox as bait, the target had still managed to slip through their fingers.

"And Lennox... just an eighth-stage Body Refinement warrior... What trash. Did he even deserve to be part of my team?" Koel muttered coldly, recalling how the fool had been killed by a single arrow.

In truth, even if Lennox hadn't been used as bait, Koel had always intended to send him on the most dangerous missions. He had never been anything more than a disposable pawn.

Just as Koel was lost in thought—

Twang!

The soft thrum of a bowstring was barely audible in the pouring rain, but Koel's instincts, honed by his Energy Gathering Realm cultivation, flared in warning. Without hesitation, he sidestepped—

Thud!

A silver-white arrow buried itself into the ground where he had just been standing, its tail feathers trembling from the impact.

Koel's eyes narrowed. Silver-iron arrows?

He snapped his gaze upward and saw a shadowy figure perched on a thick branch, a longbow in hand. The wide-brimmed hat he wore shielded his face from the rain, but there was no mistaking his presence.

"It's you... Did you kill Chena?" Koel's voice was icy, his killing intent rising.

After all, Chena—his team's archer—had used these very arrows.

Splat!

The figure dropped from the tree, landing lightly despite the waterlogged ground. The rain splashed around his boots as he sneered.

"Not just Chena," Dustin Li said. "Your whole team is dead. You're the only one left."

Koel's eyes flashed with shock. All of them? Each of his subordinates had been at the ninth stage of Body Refinement—yet not one had even managed to send a warning signal?

His surprise lasted only a moment before he regained his composure. "You've got guts, kid," he said coldly. "But killing them doesn't mean you can take me on."

Dustin Li stepped forward, rain sliding off his hat. A smirk played at the corner of his lips. "I've never fought an Energy Gathering Realm warrior before. I hope you don't disappoint me."

Koel burst into laughter. "A mere Body Refinement weakling challenging an Energy Gathering expert? You're digging your own grave!"

He didn't care about his fallen comrades—he could always form a new team. But this brat had dared to provoke him.

With a flick of his wrist, Koel brandished his iron spear. A chilling aura surged from his body, carrying an oppressive weight.

Dustin Li drew his sword, his posture shifting into a defensive stance. The gap between the Body Refinement and Energy Gathering Realms was immense. The former refined inner energy within the body, while the latter condensed it into true energy within the dantian, vastly increasing their power.

Koel lunged without warning.

"Die!"

The iron spear tore through the air, whistling with deadly force. Under the infusion of true energy, its tip glowed faintly, cutting through the raindrops like a blade through silk.

Clang!

Dustin Li twisted his body, his sword meeting the spear mid-strike. A tremendous force exploded upon impact, numbing his arms and sending him skidding backward several meters. The sting in his hands told him just how overwhelming Koel's strength was.

"As expected," he murmured. "A true Energy Gathering Realm warrior is on another level..."

Koel sneered. "Your movement technique isn't bad, but brute strength always wins. Against me, you're already dead!"

With a flicker of his spear, he launched another barrage of attacks. The weapon moved like a viper, its afterimages forming a deadly net of flashing light.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Dustin Li was completely on the defensive, barely keeping up. If not for his High-Level Mastery footwork, he would have been impaled several times over.

Crack!

Their weapons clashed once more, sparks flying. Dustin Li's sword quivered violently before—

Snap!

The blade shattered.

Koel grinned. "This Flying Spear is a low-grade magic weapon. What can your pathetic sword do against it? Now... die!"

He thrust forward, aiming to skewer Dustin Li's chest.

Dustin Li, however, didn't panic. With a subtle sidestep, he barely avoided the lethal strike. The spearhead grazed past, slicing a gash across his chest, drawing blood.

Now!

"Tiger Style!"

Dustin Li's fist shot forward like a cannonball, smashing into Koel's chest.

Koel smirked. "Fool. A mere Body Refinement warrior can't harm me!"

His body was reinforced with true energy, and he wore light armor of a lower rank—what could a simple punch do?

Boom!

A dull impact sounded—

Koel's expression changed.

Pfft!

Blood sprayed from his mouth as he staggered back, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Dustin Li didn't let up. Shoving the spear aside, he stepped forward with ghost-like speed. His fists glowed as he unleashed a flurry of strikes.

"Soaring Dragon Style!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each punch struck Koel's chest, shattering his ribs, rupturing his organs, and severing his meridians.

Thud!

Koel collapsed backward, blood pooling around him, his wide eyes filled with regret.

"A dignified Energy Gathering Realm warrior... defeated by a mere Body Refinement brat?" His breath hitched. "I... I'm not reconciled..."

Dustin Li coughed, wiping the blood from his lips. The impact of Koel's body-protecting energy had injured his internal meridians, but he remained standing.

The rain poured, washing away the traces of battle. Looking down at Koel's lifeless body, Dustin Li exhaled deeply.

Activating his life-and-death energy, he channeled it through his body, accelerating his healing.

"I won... but it was close," he muttered.

A Time of Growth

By the time the rain ceased, Dustin Li had already left the Eight Wonders Mountains with his spoils.

Koel's possessions were substantial: a Flying Spear, a set of light armor, and—most importantly—a second-tier storage artifact. Now strapped to his wrist as a bronze bracer, it allowed him to store and retrieve items with a mere thought.

After selling off various monster materials and Koel's lesser weapons at a stronghold, Dustin Li converted his earnings into vitality stones—amassing a wealth of over 1,300 low-grade stones.

With these resources, he secluded himself in the mountains, dedicating himself to cultivation.

Using a first-tier Spirit Gathering Array, along with potent energy pills, he refined his inner energy.

"Boom..."

Within his body, his blood and energy surged like a raging river. His aura flickered between black and white—life and death intertwined.

Moments later, Dustin Li opened his eyes, a fierce glint flashing within them.

Eighth Stage of Body Refinement!

A triumphant smile crossed his face. His inner energy was now as vast as a ninth-stage expert's—and even beginning to gather in his dantian, a sign of impending breakthrough into the Energy Gathering Realm.

"Now… how do I compare to the elites of the Martial Hall?" He clenched his fists, anticipation burning in his heart.