The Li clan was quiet, but inside the residence of the Seventh Young Master, Li Meiran, the atmosphere was heavy.
One of his subordinates knelt in front of him, head lowered. "Young Master… your subordinate went to check Li Wei's residence. Li Wei isn't there at the moment. As for Li Yujing and the three clan members you sent... there are no traces of them either. Only… signs of a fight outside the house. We don't know what happened."
Li Meiran's brows tightened. The moment he heard "Li Wei isn't dead," irritation surged through his heart like a burning fire. He thought of Li Xue's gentle expression when she looked at Li Wei earlier. That alone made him feel sick with jealousy.
Why?
Why Li Wei of all people?
Why did a useless piece of trash get Li Xue's favor?
Fury twisted inside him. That was why he had sent Li Yujing earlier, to provoke Li Wei, force a conflict, then kill him when the time was right. And he had arranged a "reward" for Li Yujing's family, promising wealth and comfort if he killed the patriarch's son.
That was how he convinced Li Yujing to take such a bold risk.
But then news came: Li Xue had gone to give Li Wei medicine. Li Wei was alive.
Anger boiling, Li Meiran sent Li Yujing again, this time to finish the job.
That was the real reason Li Yujing barged into Li Wei's room without fear or respect.
Yet now… everyone was gone. And for the first time that night, a cold feeling crept into Li Meiran's chest.
"Search!" he snapped. "Search until you find something! Dead or alive, I want to see them both!"
"Yes!" The men bowed and rushed out.
Li Meiran still wasn't satisfied. "Li Wang, you go as well."
A towering man in a blue robe stepped forward. He was built like a fortress, with eyes sharp as knives.
Li Wang, the strongest dog-leg under Li Meiran, is a nine-star warrior, only half a step from entering the War Division. He possessed a high-grade Yellow martial art and was once known as "Invincible Under War Division" until Li Chengzhi, the Li clan's peerless genius, defeated him.
Still, Li Wang remained terrifyingly strong.
"Yes, Young Master." He cupped his fists and strode into the night with several others, heading straight for the Forest of Death.
*
Meanwhile, inside the fores;
Ding! Killed Level 1 Monster – Skin Snake. Gained 50 EXP.
Ding! Level up! Current level: Warrior.
Ding! Reward obtained: Phantom Step. Movement speed +5 permanently.
Ding! Gained item: Small Gold Sore Medicine.
Ding! Gained item: Strength Pill.
Li Wei grinned so widely his face almost split, reading the notifications.
Why wouldn't he be happy?
In less than one day since crossing into this world, he had risen from a useless "waste" who couldn't cultivate to a full warrior, someone who could crush many of his former bullies like insects.
He opened his status panel, heart pounding with joy.
*
Player: Li Wei
Level: Warrior (Level 10)
Experience: 30 / 10,000
God of War Value: 10
Martial Art: Desolate Landslide
Skills: Basic Fist, Basic Blade, Basic Sword
Movement Skill: Phantom Step
Ultimate Skill: Mountain Splitting (Lv. 1)
Sub-Professions: alchemy, forging, puppetry…
*
"Let's check that new movement skill."
Phantom Step
Increases movement speed, leaving afterimages behind the user.
(Beginner: 3 afterimages)
Li Wei let out a small whistle.
"With Sky Eye Technique, Three Thousand Flames, and now Phantom Step…"
He could run.
He could chase.
He could burn corpses.
He could see everything.
A perfect kit for… *Ahem* Robbing the rich and helping the poor.
He checked the items next.
Small Gold Sore Medicine: Restore 30% HP in 5 seconds.
Strength Pill: Permanently increases strength by 1.
Li Wei couldn't help grinning. In any game, the scariest thing wasn't the boss… It was a player who could chug potions like water.
He swallowed the strength pill without hesitation. In an instant, he felt the power coursing through his veins. Even his muscles tightened, and his bone density became stronger.
"One day, I'll split mountains with my bare hands at this rate," he said proudly.
A while later, he continued deeper into the forest.
That was when he saw it.
It was a massive silver wolf that stepped into the moonlight with its fur shining like polished metal. Its eyes were sharp and seemed ruthless. Just its presence made the surrounding air tremble.
Li Wei immediately activated Sky Eye.
Ding!
Wind Wolf King
Level: 17 (Second-Level Monster, Silver Boss)
Description: Extremely fast. Can fire dozens of wind blades instantly.
Threat Level: Mid–High
Li Wei's excitement shot through the roof, looking at its details. "A BOSS!"
However, his joy lasted only a second, because then he saw something else alongside this boss monster.
Dozens of wind wolves appeared behind the giant wolf with their glowing red eyes. They followed the Wolf King in a tight formation, baring their fangs.
"Ugh… this damn mutt brought a whole pack." Li Wei's face froze.
The forest suddenly felt narrower in his eyes. Meanwhile, the wolves' killing intent pressed down like a suffocating blanket.
He took a step back but hesitated to run away.
Retreating was possible; Phantom Step could easily carry him away.
But…
All that EXP…
He couldn't abandon such much of the leveling experience.
And also, this was his first real boss encounter, too. Who knew what loot it would drop?
Li Wei's mind spun. Retreat? Stay? How to survive?
As a bunch of things came to his head, suddenly, something clicked in his head, and his eyes lit up right away.
"That's right… The ultimate skill! How did I forget it..."
He opened the page again.
Mountain Splitting (Lv. 1)
Cost: 10 God of War Points
Effect: Summons a sword of blood energy and slams the ground, releasing a massive shockwave and lava-like magma. Range: 10×10. Power = Strength × 2.
*
Li Wei stared at the description, and a grin slowly stretched across his lips. "Perfect," he whispered.
His smile grew brighter. And then he stepped forward.
Meanwhile, the wind wolves seemed to be quite restless, but they couldn't move unless the order was given. And they didn't have to wait for a long time. Soon, the Wind Wolf King gave a low, eerie howl, and the entire pack surged forward like a tidal wave. Dozens, perhaps hundreds of wolves rushed together and closed in on Li Wei.
Any ordinary warrior, even a one-star warrior, would've frozen in terror. With so many wolves charging in formation and the Wolf King lurking behind them, a normal person would've had only one ending.
Death.
But Li Wei wasn't normal.
He had a system. And there is an ultimate skill, too.
He grinned with excitement boiling in his chest. "Good. Let's see how you beasts handle my finishing move."
He took a quick step back, waiting until the wolf pack came within range and even surrounded him, and then he raised his right hand. His fingers curled as if grasping the hilt of a giant unseen weapon.
Why a gripping gesture? Maybe the skill originally required holding a weapon. Li Wei didn't care; he just followed the instinct that came with the technique.
He lowered his stance, kept his left fist at his waist, then leapt up. His right arm swung down with explosive force.
"Die you all..."
His voice thundered across the forest.
"THE MOUNTAIN SPLITTING!"
His palm struck the ground.
BOOM!
The earth beneath him roared as if hit by a meteor. A massive crack ripped open in front of Li Wei, stretching ten meters wide. From it, molten red magma erupted upward, spraying the battlefield with burning light. Violent flames burst out, sweeping across everything like a hungry storm.
The entire forest shook. Trees snapped like dry twigs. The temperature skyrocketed as black smoke rose toward the sky.
The blast wolves didn't even have time to whimper. The first wave was swallowed by magma instantly. Their bodies melted into ash, bones and all. The flames rushed in waves, wiping out the second and third lines of wolves.
In seconds, the entire pack vanished.
Trees that once stood tall collapsed into heaps of ash. The forest floor glowed red, then slowly began cooling.
When the flames finally faded, the ground sealed itself again. The magma hardened, turned into clear water, and then disappeared into the soil. Only a layer of black charcoal remained, still hot enough to make the air shimmer.
The forest looked like nothing had happened, except for the burnt smell hanging in the air.
Li Wei stared at the devastation he created.
"Holy..."
Even he sucked in a cold breath.
The grassy field in front of him was gone. Completely erased. Wolves, trees… all turned into fine ash.
This finishing technique…
No wonder it costs ten God of War points.
While he was still stunned, the system notifications exploded in his head like fireworks.
Ding! Killed Level 1 Monster – Wind Wolf. +50 EXP.
Ding! Killed Level 1 Monster – Wind Wolf. +50 EXP.
Ding! Killed Level 1 Monster – Wind Wolf. +50 EXP.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
The chimes kept ringing and ringing until Li Wei lost count.
Then,...
Ding! Level up! Current level: One-Star Elite Warrior.
Ding! Completed 100-kill combo. Reward: Ten Strength Pills.
Ding! Completed 200-kill combo. Reward: Ten Agility Pills.
Ding! Killed over 100 Blast Wolves. Title Obtained: Wolf Killer.
Ding! Reward: Five Strength Pills.
Ding! Reward: Five Agility Pills.
Ding! Reward: Five Constitution Pills.
Ding! Reward: Five Intelligence Pills.
When the notifications finally stopped, Li Wei stood there, heart thumping in delight.
This haul was insane.
Only one level up, but thirty stat-boosting pills and even a new earth-rank martial skill. Permanent stat increases were priceless. Strength, agility, constitution, intelligence… each one was a game-changer.
All of this from one ultimate skill.
He almost cried tears of joy. Losing ten God of War points was painful, but the profit was worth it a hundred times over.
He was just about to check the new martial art when a cold chill crawled up his spine.
A silver shadow materialized silently behind him.
It was the Wind Wolf King.
It had hidden itself during the explosion and survived. Now its silver fur bristled with fury, and its fangs gleamed with killing intent. Its scarlet eyes glowed like twin fires of hatred. Even the air around it felt heavier, filled with rage and bloodlust.
Like a ghost, it moved without sound and appeared right behind Li Wei before aiming its fangs at his neck, intending to give a killing blow.
And Li Wei, alert as always, instinctively turned around, just in time to see the silver flash lunging at him.
"Shit!"
His pupils dilated...