Blood Hot, Fury Crowned

Zhuge Xiang groggily opened his eyes and looked around, only to discover in astonishment that he was lying in his own bed rather than beside the little lake.

He sat up from the bed in confusion and lowered his head. A black ring was tightly fitted around his finger as though it had taken root in his flesh. He felt as if it were linked to him by blood, as though the black ring had already become a part of his body.

As Zhuge Xiang examined the ring on his finger, a stream of information suddenly surfaced in his mind. It was information about the black ring. As if by instinct, Zhuge Xiang understood its strange properties.

This ring was called the Super Game System. He had no idea where it had come from. Due to his limited strength, its specific functions had not yet been fully unlocked. However, from what Zhuge Xiang currently knew, it had opened the Character Interface, allowing him to view his own information. It could also let him kill monsters and level up. Defeating targets would reward him with experience points and might even cause various items to drop—equipment, magical artifacts, pills, materials, or even skill books.

"What an incredible ring. Could this be a Treasure Artifact said to surpass magical artifacts!?" Having learned about the game system, Zhuge Xiang was both shocked and delighted.

By a stroke of fortune, he had actually obtained something so miraculous. It seemed that as long as experience points filled up, his strength could automatically achieve a Breakthrough, with no bottleneck whatsoever. This function alone would likely make even the elders of the Asura Sect green with envy.

As though it were instinctive, Zhuge Xiang opened his Character Interface. The interface that appeared in his mind displayed some basic information about him: Zhuge Xiang, male, fourteen years and eight months old, ordinary person, experience points: 80/100.

Looking at the information on his Character Interface, Zhuge Xiang secretly frowned. Judging by the interface, once his experience reached 100 points, he would successfully comprehend Qi Energy. Yet after nearly a year of bitter training, he had only accumulated 80 points. With just half a month left, the chances of raising his experience to 100 were infinitesimal.

The stroke of fortune that was the Super Game System had indeed filled Zhuge Xiang with immense joy, but upon seeing his Character Interface and his experience points, that joy vanished without a trace. No matter how good the Treasure Artifact was, if he could not comprehend Qi Energy and become an official disciple of the Asura Sect within half a month, it was useless.

"Zhuge Xiang, you're awake. Cultivation has to proceed step by step. If you overwork yourself, you may end up trying to be clever only to spoil things. If I hadn't noticed you hadn't returned and happened to find you by the lake, you might have already become food for a Monster Beast." Just as Zhuge Xiang was studying his Character Interface, the door was pushed open and a tall, sturdy youth entered, concern in his eyes.

The youth who entered looked to be fourteen or fifteen, but he stood nearly 1.7 meters tall. His body was powerfully built, his muscles knotted, and he looked more like an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old. His face bore an honest simplicity. This youth was named Niu Geng, and he was naturally guileless and straightforward. Among the Hundred Thousand Disciples undergoing harsh training, three people shared each room, and Niu Geng was Zhuge Xiang's roommate.

"So it was you, Niu Geng, who brought me back. Thank you." Seeing the tall, sturdy youth, Zhuge Xiang finally understood why he was in the room and sincerely thanked him.

"Hehe..." Niu Geng scratched his head awkwardly at Zhuge Xiang's thanks. "Li Bin said we all live under the same roof. That's fate. Helping each other is only natural."

"Li Bin?" Hearing that name, a trace of displeasure flashed through Zhuge Xiang's eyes. "I told you before, don't get too close to Li Bin. He isn't worth being friends with."

Li Bin was their other roommate. However, Zhuge Xiang could not agree with his character. Li Bin relied on the fact that his distant younger cousin had already comprehended Qi Energy, carrying himself as though a brother rose to glory through his younger brother. He always acted as if he were superior to others, as though he himself had comprehended Qi Energy. Because Niu Geng was straightforward and honest by nature, Li Bin often ordered him around. Yet Niu Geng always believed that, as roommates, they should help one another. Whenever he came up with an excuse to boss Niu Geng around, Li Bin would use that very reasoning to fob him off.

"Alright, Zhuge Xiang, don't be so prejudiced against Li Bin. We're all friends..." Niu Geng did not care in the slightest and clearly did not think he was being taken advantage of.

Zhuge Xiang felt like iron that had failed to become steel. It was good to be loyal and righteous, and being able to endure losses showed broad-mindedness. But if the other party was deliberately targeting and bullying you, yet you still meekly endured whatever came your way, that was simply foolish.

Still, after so long, Zhuge Xiang knew Niu Geng's temperament. He knew Niu Geng would not listen, so he merely shook his head inwardly and said no more.

At that moment, a short, skinny youth pushed open the door and entered. He looked about fourteen or fifteen, with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks. His eyes darted about, and one glance was enough to tell he was the sort who loved intrigue and scheming. He was Zhuge Xiang's other roommate, Li Bin.

"Haha, you're both here. Let me tell you some good news. My younger cousin Zhao Feiyun comprehended Qi Energy only two months ago, and he chose the Ghost Step Martial Art from the Martial Arts Pavilion. He's already reached Entry Level. Even the steward said my younger cousin is a rare talent!" Seeing Zhuge Xiang and Niu Geng in the room, Li Bin laughed loudly. Yet his expression was plainly one of showing off.

Zhuge Xiang gave no verbal response to Li Bin's words. Any response would only feed his arrogant flames.

Anyone who successfully comprehended Qi Energy within a year could select one Martial Art from the Martial Arts Pavilion before the Assessment Tournament a year later. This was also to prevent the disciples from becoming slack before the Assessment Tournament.

There were four levels of Martial Art mastery: Entry Level, Proficient Level, Mastery Level, and Perfection Level. Li Bin's younger cousin Zhao Feiyun had trained a Martial Art to Entry Level in two months, which was indeed quite impressive.

"Zhao Feiyun is amazing. He mastered a Martial Art in just two months." Niu Geng's eyes widened slightly as he praised him from the bottom of his heart. Then, looking deeply stirred, he said, "I need to train harder too. There are only half a month left until the Assessment Tournament. I have to strive to comprehend Qi Energy before then."

"You two keep talking. I'm going to train." With no intention of exchanging pleasantries, Zhuge Xiang truly could not stand Li Bin's smug appearance. He tossed out those words flatly and prepared to leave.

The Asura Sect was a Demonic Sect to begin with. It valued settling grudges and repaying favors as one pleased. If one liked something, one liked it; if one hated something, one hated it—clean and decisive.

Zhuge Xiang's obvious impatience made Li Bin secretly furious. But Zhuge Xiang had spirit and was not as easy to bully as Niu Geng, so Li Bin did not dare go too far. Then he remembered that he too would soon comprehend Qi Energy and become an official disciple of the Asura Sect. Within the Asura Sect, apart from those who had comprehended Qi Energy, who was there he could not provoke?

With that thought, Li Bin's courage swelled. Normally, he only dared bully Niu Geng, but this time he stopped Zhuge Xiang. "Don't be in such a hurry to leave. I have another piece of good news to tell you. My younger cousin Zhao Feiyun knows of a Blood Spirit Fruit that is about to ripen. When the time comes, he'll pick it and give it to me to help me comprehend Qi Energy. In half a month, I will definitely become an official disciple of the Asura Sect."

"Really? Then congratulations!" Niu Geng said happily to Li Bin, clearly delighted for him.

"Then congratulations. But there was no need to deliberately stop me just to tell me that, was there?" Zhuge Xiang's expression remained neither warm nor cold, and he did not even raise his eyes.

If you had the ability, you had every right to be smug—Zhuge Xiang had nothing to say about that. But he truly could not stand people who borrowed a tiger's might to throw their weight around. Since he looked down on you, there was no need to greet you with a smiling face. Demonic cultivators followed their hearts.

The Blood Spirit Fruit was a rare spiritual fruit found between heaven and earth. Once consumed, it contained an enormous amount of vital blood essence. To cultivators at the Refining Essence to Qi stage, it was an excellent tonic. Especially for people like Zhuge Xiang, who had yet to comprehend Qi Energy, its vast, dense blood essence had immeasurable benefits for comprehending Qi Energy.

Among the Hundred Thousand Disciples in training, if the chance of comprehending Qi Energy through one's own efforts was only ten percent, then consuming a Blood Spirit Fruit while attempting to break through Qi Energy would raise the chance of success to at least ninety percent.

Li Bin had originally not wanted to reveal the matter of the Blood Spirit Fruit. But Zhuge Xiang's attitude angered him. He had spared no effort in revealing news of the Blood Spirit Fruit just to show that becoming an official disciple of the Asura Sect was already as certain as a nail in a board for him. Li Bin had been waiting for Zhuge Xiang to curry favor with him, yet he had not expected Zhuge Xiang's attitude not to change in the slightest. He still looked at him with those contemptuous eyes.

"Of course I didn't stop you just to say that. The room is such a mess—don't you know how to clean it? What an ill-bred bastard." Li Bin's breathing quickened slightly. Looking at the messy room, he seized the topic to vent his anger and blurted out whatever came to mind.

"Who are you calling ill-bred? Do you want to die?" Li Bin's words made Zhuge Xiang's face turn cold in an instant. His icy eyes fixed on Li Bin, brimming with chilling intent. For Zhuge Xiang, who had been born a beggar, being called ill-bred was the one thing he found hardest to accept.

Those gloomy eyes were like those of a venomous snake. Li Bin retreated several steps in fright. He had never seen Zhuge Xiang look so terrifying before. His mouth opened and closed, but for a moment, he could not utter a word.

"Alright, alright. We're all roommates. Harmony is precious—don't damage our friendship." Niu Geng hurriedly stepped in to mediate.

Niu Geng's intervention brought Li Bin back to his senses. He had actually been frightened by a single look from Zhuge Xiang. Humiliated into anger, Li Bin stubbornly doubled down and became even less willing to apologize. "So what if I said it? Look at yourself—you don't even clean up the room. I, Li Bin, am ashamed to live under the same roof as you."

Zhuge Xiang's eyes nearly split apart, bloodshot veins filling them as he stared at Li Bin with murderous ferocity. "Li Bin, I challenge you to a duel!"