The forest outside Ashen Vale was never quiet. Even at night—when the sky turned deep blue and the moon hung like a cold lantern above the treetops—the beasts hunted, the insects hummed, and the wind rustled the leaves like soft whispers.
For an entire week, Valerius lived inside that sound.
A week of battle.
A week of absorbing the essence of wild beasts.
A week of pushing his spiritual veins to their very limits.
He stood on the curved branch of a blackwood tree, overlooking the corpse of the creature he had just defeated—a Razorback Forest Boar. Heavy-bodied, formidable, covered in sharp bristles that could pierce the hide of lesser beasts. A creature that would have killed any normal man with ease.
But for Valerius, it had become just another stepping stone.
He placed his palm over its still-warm ribcage.
Soft spiritual essence—thick, warm, and wild—rose like steam, flowing into his hand and then rushing into his veins like fire sliding through cold iron.
He inhaled deeply as the essence settled.
The system chimed softly.
[Essence Absorption: Complete]
[Vein Capacity: +4%]
[Host continues to progress efficiently.]
He closed his eyes.
He had done this every single day—morning to night—without pause.
Boars. Wolves. Serpents.
Beasts with claws sharp enough to cut bone.
Beasts that spat poison.
Beasts with hides as tough as armor.
One by one, he hunted them.
One by one, he grew stronger.
At the beginning, the forest had felt unpredictable—dangerous.
But after a week…
He moved through it like a shadow.
Silent.
Efficient.
Untouchable.
Every movement perfectly measured.
Every fight perfectly controlled.
Every kill perfectly clean.
Valerius opened his palm, allowing a faint ripple of shadow to gather there—an early, unrefined form of the Abyssal Shadow Devouring Art. Even its incomplete stage held a strange allure, a power that pulsed like something forbidden but irresistible.
The shadow slowly faded.
Then—
It started.
A warm vibration gathered at the center of his chest. His veins tightened, then loosened, then tightened again. Sweat slid down his cheek as he gripped the tree trunk to steady himself.
His muscles trembled.
His vision blurred.
His breathing slowed.
Then—
BOOM.
A burst of spiritual force exploded from his body.
Leaves trembled.
Branches shook.
Birds took flight from distant trees.
A second pulse followed, spreading like a wave.
Then silence.
Deep, powerful, complete silence.
Valerius stood still—feeling his spiritual veins expanding, widening like rivers being carved deeper by relentless storms. He felt new pathways open inside him, allowing his spiritual essence to flow faster, cleaner, and stronger.
Then the system announced it clearly:
[Breakthrough Achieved]
Realm: Spirit Vein Stage Two — Vein Expansion
Veins Expanded: 31%
Stat Increase: +4 Strength, +3 Constitution, +2 Agility
Valerius opened his eyes.
His entire body felt refreshed—renewed. His veins no longer just carried essence… they flowed with force. It felt as if someone had carved new channels inside his body, widening them to hold far more spiritual energy than before.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Vein Expansion… finally."
He clenched his fist.
His strength had increased.
His speed had increased.
His spiritual capacity had multiplied.
But he wasn't satisfied.
This was only the beginning.
With a calm breath, he stepped off the branch and dropped lightly to the ground below.
"It's time to leave this forest."
By noon, Valerius reached the forest's outskirts. Smoke rose from small houses in the distance, and merchants pushed carts of grain across dusty paths. Children ran along the roadside, laughing and chasing one another.
A peaceful life.
A normal life.
Valerius passed it all without even slowing.
His world was not here.
He belonged where cultivation paths were forged—sects, clans, and places filled with ambition and power.
As he walked across a wooden bridge, he overheard two travelers speaking excitedly.
"Hey, did you hear? The Radiant Crest Sect is recruiting this month!"
"What?! In this region?"
"Yes! Right here in the Fallen Star Continent! They're setting up at the Lunar Crest Plains."
Valerius slowed.
Radiant Crest Sect…
He had seen the name briefly within the system's stored information. A righteous sect of great reputation. Disciplined, powerful, respected. The true main headquarters was located far away on the Celestial Meridian Continent, one of the strongest continents in the world.
This small branch was just a shadow of their real power.
Still, it was more than enough for him—for now.
He approached the travelers.
"Where is the recruitment site?" Valerius asked.
The first man blinked, startled by Valerius's calm tone. "Ah—east of here. A three-day journey if you walk quickly."
The second added, "But the examinations are brutal. Only a handful pass."
Valerius nodded.
He didn't fear examinations.
He feared stagnation.
Without another word, he turned east and began walking.
His footsteps were steady, yet full of purpose.
Three days and three nights…
Just enough time.
The first night, he rested beneath an ancient oak tree.
The second night, he fought two wind wolves and a stone-scaled lizard.
By the third night, the Lunar Crest Plains appeared on the horizon—vast, open, beautiful.
A wide field of waving grass mirrored the twilight sky.
And at its center stood a huge white pavilion filled with people—young men and women hoping to become disciples.
The pavilion shimmered with spiritual light.
Cultivators in white robes moved around the area with calm authority, each bearing the silver crest of the Radiant Crest Sect on their sleeves.
A massive banner was pinned above the entrance:
RADIANT CREST SECT — FALLEN STAR BRANCH
OUTER DISCIPLE RECRUITMENT
APPLY HERE
Valerius walked straight toward the line of applicants.
People whispered when he passed.
"He looks strong…"
"What realm do you think he is?"
"Maybe Stage One?"
"No—look at his aura. He's more."
He ignored them.
When his turn came, he stepped forward.
A young cultivator sat behind a desk, quill in hand.
"Name?"
"Valerius."
"Place of origin?"
"Ashen Vale."
"Cultivation realm?"
"Spirit Vein… Stage Two. Vein Expansion."
The young cultivator froze mid-writing.
"Stage Two? At your age?"
He blinked, then quickly composed himself and wrote faster. "Not bad. Not bad at all."
He handed Valerius a jade token.
"You're registered. The examination begins in two days at sunrise. Keep the token. Lose it, and you're disqualified."
Valerius nodded once and stepped aside.
The moment he left the pavilion, several applicants glanced at him nervously, giving him space. His calm expression and intimidating aura made it hard for anyone to approach him casually.
He found a small hill overlooking the plains and sat beneath a leaning cedar tree. The jade token glowed faintly in his hand.
Wind brushed across the grass.
Lanterns lit up around the Radiant Crest Sect camp.
Night fell quietly.
Valerius gazed at the distant sky—the sky of a world far larger than he had seen so far. Beyond the Fallen Star Continent were three greater lands:
Celestial Meridian Continent — home of the main sects
Dragonspire Continent — land of ancient beasts and powerful clans
Stormfall Continent — wild, chaotic, unpredictable
He was at the bottom.
But he wouldn't stay there.
He whispered softly:
"This is where the real path begins."
His fingers tightened around the jade token.
"Vein Expansion… a sect… and soon, more."
For the first time since arriving in this world, Valerius felt something new—
a spark of hope.
No matter who stood at the peak, he would climb.
Step by step.
Realm by realm.
Until the world itself bowed before him.
Night deepened.
The plains grew still.
Valerius closed his eyes.
Tomorrow, the exam would decide everything