Wang Ling's fingers twitched.
His dark blue eyes remained locked onto the ruined structure in the distance.
Something about it made his stomach churn.
It was massive, towering over the treetops even in its broken state.
Parts of the walls had collapsed, and twisted metal beams jutted out like fractured bones. Thick vines coiled around the crumbling stone, creeping up what remained of its shattered frame.
Nature was reclaiming it.
But the design—
It was nothing like the grand palaces of the Sun Continent.
There were no towering pagodas. No elegant curved rooftops. No ancient calligraphy carved into its walls.
This was something else.
Something foreign.
His fingers curled.
This… isn't the Sun Continent.
The realization settled deep in his chest.
He had assumed he was in some remote forest, far from any city.
But now?
The unease in his gut grew.
He took a slow breath, forcing himself to stay calm.
Panic wouldn't help him.
There had to be answers somewhere.
He just had to find them.
Wang Ling turned his gaze away from the ruined structure and glanced down at his body again.
His grip tightened.
His cultivation… Qi Refinement 1.
His hands curled into fists.
In his past life, even if he was weak compared to the powerhouses of the Sun Continent, he had never been this pathetic.
Foundation Establishment had already been low, but now?
He had fallen even further.
It was humiliating.
And even worse—
His Qi was deactivated.
He gritted his teeth.
That explains why my body feels so sluggish.
Cultivators relied on their Qi as naturally as they breathed. Without it, his movements felt dull.
Slower. Weaker.
He took a deep breath and exhaled.
Calm.
There was no point in getting frustrated now.
First—he needed to understand where he was.
Second—he needed to restore his Qi.
Third—
He had to find civilization.
If there was any.
His gaze flickered back to the ruins in the distance.
A broken building meant people had been here.
At some point.
It was a start.
Wang Ling adjusted the makeshift vines around his waist one last time before taking his first step forward.
The forest was silent.
Almost too silent.
Something about it felt wrong.
Like the moment before a predator strikes.
His instincts prickled.
Then—
Rustle.
His body tensed.
A sound came from the bushes to his right.
Slowly, Wang Ling turned his head.
Something stepped out from the undergrowth.
A small, hunched figure.
Its green skin glistened under the dim sunlight.
Pointed ears twitched. Beady yellow eyes locked onto him.
It was grinning.
Sharp teeth peeked from its lips.
Its long, clawed fingers wrapped around a crude wooden club.
Wang Ling blinked.
…What the hell is that?
He had seen countless demonic beasts in his life.
He had fought bandits, assassins, and rogue cultivators.
But he had never seen something that looked like… this.
The creature tilted its head.
Then—
"Kekeke."
It laughed.
Wang Ling's brows twitched.
…Did that thing just laugh at me?
The creature's grip on its club tightened.
Its eyes gleamed with predatory intent.
It was looking at him like prey.
Wang Ling's body moved before he could think.
His stance shifted.
His muscles tensed.
Even if his Qi was deactivated, his instincts were still sharp.
His body reacted on its own, settling into the Wang Family's traditional battle stance.
One foot slightly forward.
Hands open, loose, ready to strike.
His dark blue eyes narrowed.
I don't know what you are.
But I know one thing.
You messed with the wrong person.
The creature's beady yellow eyes gleamed.
It took a step forward, its clawed fingers tightening around its wooden club.
Wang Ling remained still.
His dark blue eyes observed every movement, every slight shift in the creature's stance.
It was small. Barely reaching his waist.
But the way it grinned—sharp teeth exposed, shoulders relaxed, feet planted firmly into the ground—
It was confident.
It thought it had already won.
Wang Ling exhaled through his nose.
What a joke.
A low chuckle escaped him.
The creature's eyes twitched.
Then—
Bang!
It lunged itself forward.
Its feet barely touched the ground before it was already swinging its club, aiming straight for Wang Ling's ribs.
Fast.
Faster than he expected.
But—
Wang Ling's body moved before his mind even processed it.
He shifted his stance, twisting just enough for the attack to graze past him.
The creature's club whistled through the air, missing him by inches.
A direct hit might've cracked his bones.
His brows furrowed slightly.
This little thing… actually had some strength.
But that was fine.
Wang Ling had faced worse.
His left foot pressed into the dirt—
Then he struck.
His fist whipped forward, aiming for the creature's throat.
The creature's pupils shrank.
It jumped back, barely dodging the blow.
But Wang Ling was already stepping forward.
He pivoted, swinging his elbow toward its temple.
A clean hit—
Or so he thought.
The creature ducked.
His strike missed.
Wang Ling's brows furrowed.
It was faster than he expected.
The creature grinned, baring its sharp teeth.
Then—
Bang!
Its club swung upward.
Right toward Wang Ling's chin.
His eyes widened.
Shit—
He barely had time to react.
He leaned back at the last second, feeling the air shift just above his nose.
A few strands of his black hair fluttered as the club missed by mere inches.
Too close.
Wang Ling clicked his tongue.
Even at Qi Refinement, he shouldn't have had this much trouble dealing with a small creature like this.
It was because his Qi was deactivated.
His strength, speed—everything was lacking.
This was frustrating.
The creature noticed his slight hesitation.
It grinned wider.
Then—
"Kekeke!"
It lunged again.
Wang Ling's expression darkened.
He exhaled through his nose, adjusting his stance.
Fine.
If brute strength wouldn't work—
Then he'd just use technique.
The creature swung its club downward, aiming for his shoulder.
Wang Ling's eyes narrowed.
A familiar calmness settled in his chest.
His movements flowed.
He twisted to the side—
Then stepped in.
His left hand grabbed the creature's wrist.
The creature's eyes widened.
Before it could react—
Wang Ling's right elbow smashed into its jaw.
Crack!
The creature's head snapped backward.
But Wang Ling wasn't done.
His grip on its wrist tightened.
He twisted his body—
Then yanked.
The creature's feet left the ground.
Bang!
It slammed into the dirt.
A cough of dust exploded around them.
For a second, there was silence.
Then—
The creature groaned.
Wang Ling frowned.
It was still moving?
His grip around its wrist loosened for half a second—
That was a mistake.
The creature's free hand shot forward.
Its claws raked toward his face.
His pupils shrank.
Tch—
He let go immediately, jumping back.
The creature rolled to its feet, staggering slightly.
Blood dripped from its lips, but its grin remained.
Wang Ling exhaled.
His hands clenched.
A little longer, and that thing would've torn his face open.
This isn't good.
His body was slower than he was used to.
His reactions were lagging.
It wasn't enough.
Wang Ling's mind raced.
He had to end this quickly.
Then—
An idea came to him.
He adjusted his stance slightly.
His eyes sharpened.
I've used it before.
I can do it again.
The creature noticed the change in his posture.
It hesitated.
Then—
Wang Ling moved.
He lunged straight toward it.
The creature's pupils shrank.
It swung its club—
But Wang Ling was already inside its guard.
His hand shot forward, grabbing its neck.
Then—
"Throat Shattering Crush!"
…
…
But nothing happened.
Wang Ling blinked.
The creature blinked.
there was a brief Silence.
The creature's eyes darted around for a second—
Then it grinned.
Its club swung toward his head.
Wang Ling stared blankly at the approaching attack.
Then—
His gaze flicked toward the blue window still hovering in the air.
[Qi: 0 (Deactivated)]
…
Wang Ling's expression twisted.
"Uhh…"
Then—
Bang!
The club slammed into his skull.
His vision blurred.
His knees buckled.
His balance vanished.
The last thing he saw—
Was that damn Creature's grinning.
Then—
Everything went dark.