Kael and the mysterious man walked in silence through the depths of the forest.
Kael's posture was rigid, his senses sharp, always on edge. He didn't trust the man, but he knew this was his best chance to grow stronger.
Survival always came before distrust.
The man glanced at Kael from the corner of his eye, a faint smirk of disdain tugging at his lips.
"You're like a scared animal," he said. "But at least you're smart. That's a start."
Kael didn't reply.
He was observing.
The way the man moved, silent and fluid, his footsteps leaving no trace. His posture was relaxed but radiated the sharpness of a blade.
This man was a warrior.
Narrowing his eyes, Kael finally spoke. "Who are you?"
The man chuckled, the sound low and calm.
"That doesn't matter," he said. "But if you need a name, call me Shen."
Shen, the Wanderer.
The title echoed in Kael's mind. A wanderer meant he didn't belong to any sect or faction. And "Shadow Art"? That suggested he, too, wielded forbidden power.
Shen caught the analytical look in Kael's eyes and smirked.
"I've seen that look before," he said, his voice suddenly serious. Turning to face Kael fully, Shen's sharp gaze bore down on him.
"You want power, don't you? You want revenge? You want to become strong enough to crush those who tried to kill you?"
Kael didn't hesitate. "Yes."
Shen nodded slowly. "Good."
The smirk disappeared from his face.
"Then prepare for hell."
Kael had no idea what to expect.
But it definitely wasn't this.
A spiritual blade whistled through the air, grazing his cheek as he barely managed to dodge.
Shen's voice was cold.
"If you don't dodge, you die."
This wasn't a warning. It was a rule.
Shen attacked with relentless speed, each strike designed to force Kael to move or suffer the consequences.
Kael's body was too slow to keep up.
In the first five minutes, he was struck eight times.
Four times, he fell to the ground.
Twice, he nearly blacked out.
Each mistake cost him pain, but something began to change.
With every hit, his body grew faster, sharper. His reactions improved as though the pain itself was teaching him.
A faint surge of power stirred within him.
Passive Skill Unlocked: Adaptive Reflexes (Level 1).
Each strike made him stronger, his body learning to respond better to the same attack.
Pain wasn't punishment.
It was instruction.
Blood dripped from his mouth as Kael smiled, his teeth stained red.
Shen noticed—and laughed.
"Now you're getting it, kid. Now you're starting to understand."
The training didn't end there.
Shen pushed Kael through a brutal regimen designed to break him.
Phase 1: Extreme Physical Conditioning.
Kael carried 100kg spiritual stones for hours on end. He dodged strikes while running along thin logs, balancing above rivers that roared with violent currents.
Phase 2: Chaos Resistance.
Shen hurled Kael into a field of unstable spiritual energy, forcing him to endure the crushing pressure without passing out. The Dark Spiritual Lotus within him began to react, growing stronger with each session.
Phase 3: Real Survival.
Shen left Kael alone in the forest for seven days. With no assistance, Kael hunted, fought, and survived as feral beasts stalked the area.
By the end of the month, Kael was no longer the same boy who had staggered into the forest, weak and hungry.
His body had hardened, his senses sharpened. He could hunt larger prey, endure hostile energy, and adapt to combat with terrifying efficiency.
But the most profound change lay within him.
The Dark Spiritual Lotus had evolved.
On the thirtieth day, Shen stood across from Kael, his expression uncharacteristically serious.
"You've learned pain. You've learned survival. Now it's time to understand your true power."
He tossed a gleaming red orb to Kael, who caught it midair.
Kael's chest tightened as he stared at it.
Name: Abyssal Spirit Orb.
Classification: Red (Legendary).
Shen's voice was calm but firm. "Absorb it."
Kael pressed the orb to his chest.
The energy erupted.
A wave of raw, chaotic power surged into Kael's body.
His vision blurred, and his skin burned as the overwhelming energy coursed through him.
The Dark Spiritual Lotus absorbed the orb's power greedily, pulling it deep into his core.
But something went wrong.
The energy wasn't stable.
Kael screamed as his body convulsed, his veins igniting with searing heat. His eyes turned pitch black, and a violent aura exploded from him, shaking the very trees around them.
Shen's calm demeanor faltered for the first time as he stepped back, his hand instinctively reaching for his blade.
"This... isn't normal," Shen muttered, his eyes narrowing.
Kael's screams grew louder as the chaotic energy threatened to tear him apart. The ground beneath him cracked, and the air around him vibrated with unrestrained power.
Shen's expression darkened.
Kael Zhan wasn't just a cultivator.
He was something far worse.
And then, the energy exploded outward, shaking the forest to its core.
As the dust and chaos settled, Kael stood, his eyes glowing faintly with dark energy.
A new power had been born.