"Morning has already arrived? How did I not notice that?"
Rune discovered that the lamp had gone out long ago, yet the room was still illuminated by the narrow opening above his bed.
"I was too absorbed in my memories and the system," Rune thought.
He quickly got up from the bed, deep in thought. As he reached the door, he heard an explosion.
"Alright, I need to hurry," Rune thought.
He quickly left the room after hiding the cultivation technique in a secret place, then rushed toward the source of the explosion.
"Old man, someone from your village stole my technique, and I want it back! Otherwise, I'll turn this village upside down until I find it!" Shu shouted angrily, his aura flaring.
The old man was Dovos—a towering figure over two meters tall, with black hair and gray eyes, dressed in a black embroidered robe.
Dovos stood there like an unshakable mountain, resting his massive sword casually on the ground as he gazed at the arrogant young man before him.
In Dovos's eyes, Shu's aura was almost equal to his own. But that didn't matter—strength was everything.
"How can this weakling be stronger than me?"
When Shu woke up and found his precious scroll missing, he flew into a rage, nearly destroying half of the restaurant in his fury.
This reckless act drew the attention of Dovos, who was already near the center of town.
The moment Shu saw Dovos, he attacked immediately. But upon sensing the old man's power, he chose not to engage in an unnecessary battle.
As long as he retrieved the scroll, he would leave peacefully.
"Brother Shu, why would anyone steal your scroll if they can't cultivate? Didn't you say you were the only one qualified to use it?" asked Liza, standing beside Shu.
Shu had promised Liza that he would take her to the cultivation world, and she was eager for the opportunity—perhaps she could find her own chance to become a cultivator.
"Yes, of course, I'm the only one with the qualifications," Shu forced a smile and replied.
Then he quickly added, "But I still need the scroll. It's very precious."
In truth, this was the only technique his father had given him after he reached the first stage.
Shu's talent was terrible—so bad that it took him seven years and countless resources just to reach the first rank.
In fact, he only broke through after using a breakthrough pill that his father obtained upon reaching the second stage.
Breakthrough pills were used to force cultivators past bottlenecks, allowing them to ascend ranks with sheer force.
Of course, such methods had major drawbacks and couldn't be used often, but they were better than being stuck at the same level.
"You lost your scroll because you lacked the strength to protect it. My village has nothing to do with this," Dovos said with disdain.
From Dovos's perspective, if you had power, you could protect whatever belonged to you.
"I lack strength? Alright, you asked for this," Shu sighed, suppressing his anger.
"I'll show you the power of cultivators!"
Shu pulled a small dagger from his robe, and his aura surged with terrifying intensity.
"Moon Steps!" Shu shouted, moving at incredible speed.
"Moon Steps?" Rune was surprised as he watched.
He had just arrived but didn't want to get involved in this fight.
Instead, he focused on observing Shu's movements, analyzing his technique.
[Your proficiency in "Moon Steps" has increased]
The system notified him immediately.
Mastering a cultivation technique was entirely different from understanding it—it required practice and grasping its essence.
"Well, this has its benefits too. It saves me some time," Rune thought.
Although he couldn't use the skill yet, as soon as he reached the first stage, his execution of "Moon Steps" would be flawless.
He wouldn't have to waste time learning it from scratch.
"It seems 'Moon Steps' increased Shu's speed by 20%," Rune analyzed as he observed the battle closely.
With his sharp senses, he could easily track Shu's movements.
The fight dragged on for several minutes, and the outcome became clear.
"Looks like Dovos is going to lose," Rune thought regretfully.
Even though Dovos was stronger than Shu, he couldn't keep up with his speed, and his injuries kept piling up.
"What do you think now, old man? Still think I lack strength?" Shu sneered.
"Anyway, let's finish this."
Shu dashed forward, expertly dodging Dovos.
Another strike! This time, the wound was deep.
"This is unfair! How is he this fast?" one of the spectators complained.
They could only see Shu for a moment—just before he landed his blows on Dovos.
"One more attack, and it's over," Shu thought, preparing for the final strike.
"Looks like Dovos lost," Rune thought with regret.
But at that moment, Dovos's aura suddenly exploded with a mysterious force!
"Come at me, boy!" Dovos roared, charging toward Shu with astonishing speed!
"This is bad!" Shu immediately sensed danger.
"I have to retreat!" He tried to pull back, but he was a moment too late.
A direct hit! Shu was sent flying, gravely injured.
But he refused to give up! With eyes full of murderous intent, he lunched forward again, delivering a powerful strike to Dovos's chest.
Dovos collapsed, coughing up blood!
"Did I really lose to this weakling?"
That was the last thought in Dovos's mind before he blacked out.
[It seems this man has a natural affinity for the Laws of Strength], the system noted.
"Laws of Strength!" Rune was astonished.
Laws were the foundation of every world, including the Laws of Life and Death, and the Laws of Space and Time.
"The Laws of Strength!" Rune was shocked. "Is this the reason behind his immense power?"
A cultivator could develop a natural affinity for a Law, greatly enhancing their mastery of techniques related to it.
But to develop an affinity before even becoming a cultivator…
That was extremely rare.
And developing an affinity for a powerful Law like Strength?
That was incredibly rare!
"Finally, it's over," Shu sighed in relief. But he realized he wasn't in much better shape than Dovos.
Even standing was difficult now.
"That last strike was too strong… What kind of demonic technique is that old man using?" Shu wondered, struggling to walk straight.
Seeing Dovos fall, Elder Yun and several village elders, including Wang, stepped forward.
"That's enough, young man. If you take another step, we will stand against you," Elder Yun declared, looking toward the other elders.
The elders immediately nodded in agreement.
Elder Yun had no confidence in defeating Shu before, but now that Shu was wounded, at the very least, they could prevent him from rampaging.
"Damn these old fools," Shu thought angrily.
Before, he could have defeated them easily. But now, he could barely stand.
"Fine then. Enjoy my technique while you can. But I'll be back. And next time, I won't be alone." Shu said as he retreated.
Liza watched Shu's retreating figure in sorrow, saying nothing.
Everyone sighed in relief. They had no desire to fight such a powerful cultivator.
"Well, this ended better than I expected," Rune sighed.
He didn't want Shu to defeat Dovos and start searching for the cultivation technique. Even though he had hidden it well, he wasn't confident Shu wouldn't find it.
If Shu discovered the technique in Rune's room, that would be a huge problem.
"Then now.…" Rune thought, looking at Dovos, who was struggling to stay alive. His deep gaze lingered on the old man.