Chapter 110: Picking a Fight

As his senior sister once said, the world is a place where the strong prey upon the weak. Since he had no desire to be consumed, he had no choice but to become the predator himself. Truth be told, Lu Daolin still harbored regrets about stepping into the world of cultivation, but regret was clearly useless. Abandoning his hesitation, a fierce glint flashed deep in his eyes as he slowly closed them and focused on his practice.

Before long, with a series of booming roars erupting within his body, Lu Daolin’s cultivation broke through once more.

Soon after, another thunderous boom resonated. Lu Daolin could already sense a formidable barrier within his body; it felt as if the medicinal pills he currently possessed were simply insufficient to sustain further progress.

Realizing this, Lu Daolin gradually calmed down and ceased his cultivation.

Without delay, a pensive light flickering in his eyes, he opened the *Scroll of Condensing Qi* and began to peruse the techniques recorded within.

Although his natural aptitude for cultivation was extremely poor, Lu Daolin discovered that whenever he read the scroll—whether it was techniques or other supernatural abilities—everything became instantly clear. A single glance was enough for him to grasp the essence. If he encountered something more complex, he only needed a second look, which did not hinder his comprehension at all.

Before long, through constant deduction, he had mastered several minor techniques. With a contemplative glint in his eyes, he closed the scroll. After a brief pause, a sharp light flashed in his gaze. As spiritual energy surged around him, he rapidly condensed a faint blue, phantom dagger in the void before him.

The dagger appeared to be only seven or eight inches long, yet it radiated a terrifying aura. Had his senior brother been present, he would have surely recognized it instantly.

This technique was the "Art of Enlightened Qi," a skill that only disciples at the fifth level of Qi Condensation could attempt. Yet, not every disciple at that level could master it. Only someone like Lu Daolin—who had forcibly broken through his cultivation realm without leaving any hidden dangers, possessed a formidable physical body, and held exceptional affinity for the five elements—could achieve it.

Setting aside the sphere of influence of Qingyunzi, even in the lands beyond the Qingyun Sect, including the sect where Lu Daolin resided, a disciple like him had never been seen before.

To have mastered the Art of Enlightened Qi on the very first day of cultivation was something that could perhaps only be encountered in the vast lands of Yunzhou beyond the sect. Lu Daolin’s comprehension was truly peerless.

After completing this, Lu Daolin did not tarry and continued with the second technique recorded in the scroll: the "Art of Lightning Attraction."

The principle was simple: by compressing the surrounding spiritual energy with the ambient air, one could form a "Lightning Seed" capable of drawing down lightning. Only with this seed could one summon the thunder.

Soon, as Lu Daolin repeatedly formed seals and compressed the energy, a sphere emitting a faint blue light appeared before him.

Then, a thunderous, unprecedented roar shattered the silence!

As the sound erupted, Lu Daolin’s pupils shrank violently. A faint sense of impending death surfaced in his heart, and in an instant, he was drenched in cold sweat. His cave dwelling trembled violently.

The roar gave Lu Daolin a fright. Not daring to delay, he dashed out of his dwelling, only to realize that his attempt at the Art of Lightning Attraction had nearly pierced straight through it. One had to understand that the cave was shielded by a thick layer of earth, which had prevented a collapse. If such a lightning strike were to hit a person—or even a cultivator—it would undoubtedly inflict severe, life-threatening wounds. It could cripple or kill in an instant.

Seeing the damage caused by the technique, Lu Daolin felt a measure of relief. With such a skill, he would at least have the means to defend himself when others came for him.

After a brief pause, he sat cross-legged and began to gather the surrounding spiritual energy. However, he did not expect that five or six people were already rapidly approaching his location.

Before long, another boom echoed. Lu Daolin’s pupils contracted as a sharp sense of mortal danger emerged. He snapped his eyes open, a cold light he had never possessed before radiating from them.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Looking at his cave, which had been pierced and shattered by the others' techniques, his rage reached its peak. His voice rang out, cold and icy, as he stared at them with unprecedented hostility.

"Nothing much. Just avenging my younger brother."

The leader, a man in a black robe with a cold, sinister aura, spoke without a hint of emotion. As he moved, an indescribable energy surged, and a long sword appeared in his hand, which he thrust directly toward Lu Daolin’s heart.

"Despicable!"

Sensing the murderous intent in the man’s eyes, Lu Daolin let out a roar. He dodged sideways, spiritual energy flooding his hand, and countered with a swift stab toward the man’s chest.

Though it seemed slow, it all happened in the blink of an eye. The man was startled, his eyes flashing with cold light as he narrowly dodged to avoid the fatal blow.

"Die!"

Since he had already drawn blood, Lu Daolin would show no mercy. A sword of spiritual energy manifested in his hand as he stepped forward and lunged at the leader.

Just as he closed in, he shouted, "Explode!"

A shrill, terrifying blast rang out. Lu Daolin’s pupils shrank as a violent, unprecedented storm of energy erupted from the sword and swept outward.

The entire exchange, from Lu Daolin’s strike to the storm engulfing the area, happened in a heartbeat. Enduring the churning sensation in his body, Lu Daolin lunged toward the exit of his cave.

If he stayed, he would have to face all three of them at once. Surrounded, he would have no chance of survival. His only hope lay in the mountain forests outside the outer sect.

Having made up his mind, he dashed into the endless night, weaving through the woods.

"Chase him!" The leader’s face was grim as he shouted, leading the other two into the darkness.

But after a short while, the leader stopped, his face darkening. They had lost track of Lu Daolin.

Just then, a rustling sound came from the bushes nearby. The leader signaled his men: "You two, go after him. He won't get far."

"Yes!"

The two men bowed and split up. Lu Daolin, however, was quite calm. After running for a while, he had doubled back, using some noise to lure the leader away, and was now stalking the man who had gone to the right. To him, this man was the weakest—the only one he could reliably kill.

With this thought, he caught up to the man. A fierce glint in his eyes, he accelerated, closed the distance in an instant, and slashed his spiritual dagger at the man’s throat.

"It’s you!"

The man was shocked, rolling away to avoid the fatal blow, but he had already lost the initiative. Lu Daolin pursued like a cold shadow. If he did not kill all three today, he would never have peace in the sect.

With a few tearing sounds, the man fell dead under Lu Daolin’s blade.

After looting the man’s storage bag and swallowing a medicinal pill, Lu Daolin steeled his heart and headed toward the next target. He repeated the same strategy, hunting the second man down like a predator, and soon, the second assailant lay dead.

He collected the second storage bag, steadied his breathing, and sat cross-legged on the ground to rest. The final man would surely realize his companions were gone and come searching. Lu Daolin would wait for him in ambush; even if he had to suffer an injury, he would finish this.

Though he had only just entered the world of cultivation, the brutality of it was overwhelming. Yet, thinking of the villagers in Lu Village who had cast him out, his heart grew even colder.