At Beast King's Cliff, a young man was diligently moving massive stones to fill the caves he had carved out earlier.
From the base of the cliff, the Beast King, Xie Lun, observed the youth scaling the rock face. "In just half a day, he's already filled over sixty caves. It seems he's completely adjusted to the intense gravity of the Beast King's Cliff," he murmured.
The young man leaped from the cliff, landing steadily on the ground below. Not a trace of exhaustion marred his face, though a sheen of sweat glistened on his brow, as if he'd merely completed a warm-up exercise. "This pace won't do. It's too slow," the youth muttered. Gripping a massive stone, he hurled it high into the air. He continued launching several more stones upward in quick succession before leaping hundreds of meters up the cliff face.
As one stone plummeted back toward the ground, the youth timed his movements precisely, springing away from the rock face. With a focused shout, "Wave Palm!" he struck the descending stone, sending it flying into one of the caves, sealing it perfectly. Two more stones followed, and he twisted in midair, striking them with his feet and filling additional caves. Each descending stone was met with a series of precise, fluid movements, filling the openings in rapid succession.
When the young man finally landed, his breathing was uneven, and sweat poured from his body. "This method burns a lot of energy," he muttered before resuming his task, launching another volley of stones skyward.
As the sky darkened, Xie Lun sat cross-legged at the cliff's base, his small dragon companion sprawled lazily across his lap. The surrounding area, once littered with jagged boulders, had become remarkably clear. Only a single stone remained. "This kid's crazier than I was at his age," Xie Lun chuckled.
Suddenly, a loud crash broke the stillness as the youth landed on one knee, stirring up a cloud of dust. He looked even more drained than before.
"Little An, maybe it's time to call it a day. There's only one left; you can finish tomorrow," Xie Lun suggested.
"I'm fine. I can finish this," the youth replied, dragging himself toward the final boulder. With a deep breath, he gripped the stone, planted his feet firmly, and hurled it skyward with all his might. He dashed back to the cliff, scaling it with astonishing speed. Reaching the summit in mere seconds, he leapt toward the falling stone and, using the last reserves of his strength, sent it into place, sealing the final cave.
At the moment the last cave was sealed, a sudden shock ran through the youth's body. Both he and Xie Lun heard a voice echo in their minds: "Third task complete. The Beast King's Cliff appoints Luo as its master, succeeding Xie Lun."
The youth instinctively tapped into his Qi Sea, and a surge of energy filled his body. His face lit up with excitement as he unleashed his Qi to its fullest extent. His cultivation had advanced significantly, rising to the third-to-fifth tier. Experimenting with his new abilities, he used Shadow Step, his movements creating afterimages that danced along the cliff face. Drawing the Crescent Moon Blade from his Ling Ring, he executed a Swift Slash, its power and speed far surpassing anything he'd achieved before.
After testing his techniques, the youth descended to the base of the cliff, his elation barely contained. To his surprise, Xie Lun was staring at him with a mixture of shock and unfamiliarity.
"Beast King, what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Xie Lun snapped out of his daze. "You're not Sitou An. You're Luo."
The youth's heart sank. The voice from earlier had betrayed his true identity. "Yes," he admitted after a pause. "My real name is Luo. Using an alias was my brother's idea—he taught me to be cautious when traveling the martial world. I planned to tell you later, but I didn't expect the Beast King's Cliff to reveal it."
"Oh, your brother?" Xie Lun sneered. "Are you talking about Sitou Juekong, or do you mean Dongfang Yifeng?"
Luo froze. "How… how do you know that name?"
Xie Lun chuckled darkly. "That's nothing. I also know the Dragon Seal on your body wasn't originally yours—it belonged to Dun, didn't it?"
"Yes… it's true." Luo sighed, realizing there was no point in hiding anymore.
"Explain," Xie Lun demanded. "How did the Dragon Seal end up on you?"
Luo recounted the events in the divine realm's subterranean palace, leaving nothing out.
After listening, Xie Lun fell into deep thought. "I see. That explains a lot. Remember this: for now, you're still Dun. That little girl Gan Linger had the right idea. Swapping identities was clever; otherwise, disaster would've struck long ago."
"Disaster? What do you mean?" Luo asked.
"You'll understand in time," Xie Lun replied cryptically. "For now, focus on mastering your Qi and integrating it with your combat techniques. Once you've done that, we'll begin your next round of training."
"More training? Ugh, give me a break," Luo groaned, clutching his head. But one stern glance from Xie Lun sent him diving into the clear water pool to meditate.
Watching the youth, Xie Lun felt a rare sense of joy. "No wonder he seemed so familiar—he's his son. You'd never imagine your boy would learn the Xie clan's ultimate techniques, would you?" Xie Lun's expression darkened. "But without the Dragon Seal, Dun's poison will resurface. Let's hope that rascal Dongfang finds a cure soon. I won't tell Luo about this for now."
Gazing at the starry sky, Xie Lun sighed, lost in memories of his glory days when he, Dun, and Dongfang Yifeng roamed the heavens and earth together. Those were the most triumphant days of his life, but also the most irretrievable.
The following morning, Luo found Xie Lun sitting silently in his wheelchair, unmoving. Panic gripped Luo as he rushed over, fearing the worst.
"Beast King! Wake up!" Luo shook Xie Lun's shoulder, his voice trembling.
Xie Lun stirred, squinting against the sunlight before smiling faintly. "It's you. Up early, aren't you?"
"Early? It's almost noon! I overdid my meditation last night, and when I saw you still sitting here, I thought something had happened!" Luo exclaimed, visibly shaken.
"You silly boy, I'm fine," Xie Lun said with a chuckle. To prove it, he released a burst of energy from his Qi Sea, filling the air with a suffocating pressure.
Luo was stunned, his body frozen under the weight of Xie Lun's aura. It was a power far beyond anything he'd ever encountered. "Is this… the strength of a ninth-tier master?" he muttered, his fists clenched tightly. "One day, I'll grow just as strong."
Xie Lun withdrew his aura, smiling faintly. "Last night, I meditated by accident. My power hasn't fully returned to its peak, but I've reached the main domain level."
"Main domain? Beast King, how strong were you at your peak?" Luo asked in awe.
"Wishful thinking," Xie Lun replied with a wry smile. "This is just a fleeting revival. Returning to my prime is a pipe dream. Anyway, you have a new task today."
"What task?" Luo asked, curiosity piqued.
Xie Lun smirked. "Collect ten beast cores for me."
"Ten beast cores?!" Luo exclaimed, his voice a mix of shock and disbelief.
Beast cores were rare and highly sought-after materials for crafting weapons and potions, far superior to the magical stones harvested by the Sacrificial Guild. Only high-level beasts of the third-to-fifth tier possessed cores, making them exceedingly difficult to obtain.
"Don't look so shocked. This is an excellent opportunity to hone your skills," Xie Lun said with a devilish grin.
"Are you serious? Hunting ten third-to-fifth-tier beasts, each surrounded by their underlings? How am I supposed to manage that alone?" Luo protested.
"Don't underestimate yourself. Your current strength, combined with the Xie Clan's combat techniques and your demonic arts, is more than enough to take on a fifth-tier beast one-on-one. In this forest, such beasts are nobodies. Getting their cores shouldn't be too difficult," Xie Lun explained.
"That's it?" Luo asked skeptically.
"Of course not," Xie Lun replied with a sly smile.
Luo staggered.
"Not all fifth-tier beasts have fully formed cores. Some might not have any at all. Whether you succeed depends on your luck," Xie Lun added.
After a moment of contemplation, Luo began preparing for the journey. He packed dried meat and medicinal vials into his Ling Ring, secured the Crescent Moon Blade at his waist, and stood ready to leave.
Seeing this, Xie Lun's expression softened. "If you think this task is a waste of time, I won't stop you from leaving," he said.
"Leave? No way. This mission is troublesome, but I'll bring back all ten cores intact," Luo declared firmly.