Jin Xiao sat in a dark, abandoned warehouse, the flickering light of a single candle illuminating his surroundings. The bodies of the three cultivators he had killed were already cold.
But their energy?
That was now his.
He could feel the stolen qi coursing through him—raw, unstable, but undeniably powerful.
"I need control."
Jin Xiao had no system to guide him. No ancient sect to pass down techniques. He was forging his own path.
And that meant understanding what he had taken.
Step One: Identifying the Qi Types
Jin Xiao closed his eyes, focusing inward. He could sense the energy within him, but it wasn't uniform.
The first man, Scar-cheek, had a rough, jagged qi—aggressive, violent, like a wild beast.
The second, the red-haired woman, had a more fluid qi—hot, volatile, filled with explosive potential.
The last, the weak one, had a soft, cowardly qi—thin, lacking density.
Jin Xiao smirked.
"So even qi reflects personality."
If he wanted to refine his power, he needed to strip away the weak, chaotic parts and only keep the essence.
But how?
Step Two: Purging the Impurities
Jin Xiao pressed his palm against his chest, concentrating. He forced the stolen qi to collide, watching how it reacted.
It resisted.
The different types of qi fought inside him, trying to reject each other.
A normal cultivator would use their system's automatic purification function.
Jin Xiao had no such luxury.
"Then I'll do it manually."
He focused on the weakest qi—the cowardly energy from the last man. It was thin, fragile.
Useless.
Jin Xiao exhaled slowly and began compressing it, treating it like air inside a pipe.
Then—he crushed it.
Pain.
His bones felt like they were being squeezed by an iron grip. The weak qi shattered like brittle glass, dispersing into nothingness.
And in its place…
The remaining qi grew stronger.
Step Three: Fusion
Now, he had two types of qi left—the violent beast-like energy and the explosive, hot one.
Jin Xiao smirked.
"Instead of purging one, what if I force them to merge?"
He concentrated, guiding the two forces together.
They resisted at first, like two wild animals trying to rip each other apart.
"Submit."
Jin Xiao clenched his fists, forcing them to combine.
The result was instant.
A new type of energy was born.
It was neither chaotic nor pure—it was ruthless, consuming, and predatory.
[Qi Refinement: Success]
[New Qi Type Created: Devouring Qi]
Jin Xiao's eyes snapped open.
His entire body felt different.
Lighter. Sharper. Deadlier.
He slowly stood up, stretching his fingers. The warehouse around him felt smaller. His senses had sharpened, his movements smoother.
He had taken power. And now, it was truly his.
Step Four: Testing the Result
Jin Xiao needed to test his new qi.
He stepped out of the warehouse, moving through the slums. His steps were silent, his breathing controlled.
Ahead, a group of low-level cultivators were harassing a woman, laughing as they surrounded her.
One of them—a man with a smug grin—reached out, grabbing her wrist.
"Come on, girl. We'll make you useful."
The woman struggled, terror in her eyes.
"Let me go! Please—"
Jin Xiao moved.
One step. Two steps.
He was already behind them.
The man turned just in time to see Jin Xiao's hand piercing through his chest.
SCHLICK.
The cultivator gasped, his body trembling.
Jin Xiao leaned in, whispering in his ear.
"I'm testing something. Let's see how well you work."
Then he drained him.
The man's screams were brief. His qi rushed into Jin Xiao, far smoother than before.
[Qi Absorption: 20% Faster]
Jin Xiao grinned.
The refinement worked.
"Next."
The remaining cultivators barely had time to react before he tore into them.
One tried to run—Jin Xiao snapped his spine.
Another pulled out a blade—Jin Xiao ripped his arm off.
The last one fell to his knees, begging.
"P-Please, spare me! I—I'll serve you! I'll do anything—"
Jin Xiao stared at him.
"Anything?"
The man nodded frantically, sweat pouring down his face.
Jin Xiao smiled.
Then he stepped on his skull, crushing it like a rotting fruit.
"I don't need worms."
The woman, still frozen in shock, stared at him with wide eyes.
Jin Xiao glanced at her, his gaze empty.
She flinched.
"Th-Thank you…?" she whispered, not sure if she was about to be killed next.
Jin Xiao studied her. She was nothing special—just another weak mortal.
"You should've died."
She paled, her hands trembling.
But Jin Xiao turned away.
"Remember this. No one saves you. You either become strong… or you break."
Then he walked into the night, leaving behind bodies and fear.
The Predator Watches
Far above, the silver-haired woman smiled.
"So that's how you do it… Interesting."
She licked her lips, golden eyes flickering with intrigue.
"What a fascinating little monster you're becoming."
The hunt was far from over.