It was whispered in alleyways, traced in blood, and marked by the burnt smell of alchemical fumes. Hidden beneath Ironroot City’s old sewer tunnels, it was where rogues, assassins, fallen cultivators, and forbidden sect remnants gathered under moonless nights.
Li Feng followed Jin down a maze of cracked stone tunnels. The boy was fast, darting like a rat through gaps and rusted grates.
“You sure this place has what I need?” Li Feng asked.
“Qi stones, blood pills, poison manuals—you name it. But you better not show weakness there, or they’ll skin you alive.”
Li Feng smirked.
“Good. I’ve been waiting to test something.”
They entered the market through a half-collapsed wall, where a rusted gate bore a fang-shaped insignia.
Inside, the space expanded into an underground arena of chaos.
Stalls of bones and weapons. Merchants in black cloaks. Cages of spirit beasts howling. A chained elder spat fire onto cauldrons. Fighters brawled for coin and pills in a central pit.
Overhead, holographic system-like banners flickered from alchemy stalls:
[FORBIDDEN ARTIFACT: DEMONIC CORE FRAGMENT – 300 BLACK JADE]
[AUCTION TONIGHT: LOST TECHNIQUE – “THREE VEINS BLADE SONG”]
Li Feng’s eyes narrowed at a glowing sign:
[Qi Stones – Rogue Grade | 20 Black Jade]
He approached the stall, where a man with pale eyes and a snake tattoo smiled.
“Cripple trying to climb again?” the vendor said. “You’ll need more than rocks.”
Li Feng slammed a pouch of stolen jade chips from the thugs he'd beaten.
Stolen story; please report.
“Just give me the stones.”
[Quest Update: First Qi Activation]
– Collect 3 Rogue-Grade Qi Stones
– Absorb Qi under pressure
– Optional Bonus: While in combat
Reward: New Passive Skill
The vendor laughed but passed over the stones. “When you explode from Qi rejection, I’ll be here to sell your teeth.”
Jin stayed back as Li Feng entered the abandoned chamber behind the market—a dueling room, cracked and silent.
He sat, placed the stones around him, and began the process.
Qi swirled—raw, chaotic energy trying to rip through his broken core.
He gritted his teeth as heat tore into his flesh.
[WARNING: Dantian Damage Detected]
[Reconstructing Spiritual Core using System Override…]
[Passive Skill Unlocked: “Wrath Qi Engine – Lv. 1”]
– Converts pain into Qi regeneration
– Increases breakthrough chance under stress
– Tier: Rare (System-Born)
His body convulsed. His vision blurred.
A memory flashed: Yu Xuan standing above him at Heaven’s Cliff. “You were never meant to ascend.”
Li Feng’s voice trembled with rage.
“Then watch me ascend… in flames.”
Suddenly, the chamber door creaked open.
Three masked figures entered. Assassins.
“Target acquired. Kill him before the system stabilizes.”
So it was a setup.
Li Feng rose slowly, fists clenched, blood dripping.
[Wrath Ascension Triggered – Combat at <25% HP]
[Stat Boost: +30% Strength, +20% Agility]
“Perfect timing,” he muttered.
The first assassin lunged with a curved dagger.
Li Feng ducked under the blade, twisted, and drove a stolen blade into the man’s ribs.
The second came from behind, but—
[Skill Activated: Improvised Counter Lv. 1]
He reversed the man’s wrist, snapping the arm mid-motion, and elbowed him into the wall.
The third dropped a smoke bomb—smart.
But Li Feng smiled through the smoke.
“Wrath... sees all.”
His Qi flared red. Through the haze, the assassin’s outline glowed like fireflies to his senses.
He struck.
[Enemies Defeated: +120 XP]
[Level Up: Lv. 3]
– New Skill Acquired: "Smoldering Step" – short-range Qi burst dash
– Qi Capacity +5
– Strength +1
As the bodies fell, Jin peeked in, wide-eyed.
“You’re... not human, are you?”
Li Feng wiped the blood from his blade.
“No. I’m something worse.”
He glanced at the hovering system UI above his palm.
[New Quest Unlocked: “Bait the Bounty” – Let the ones who betrayed you come to you.]
Stage 1: Spread word in the underworld that Heaven’s Wrath has returned.
End of Chapter 3