Jade Tomb, Year 9960

Flowing Frost City.

Jade Tomb, Year 9960.

Early summer. The air was restless with a hot wave.

In the Bart family's training ground, the ground was covered in thick green slate, now slick with a sheen like wax.

A figure stood silently.

Lei Wen was bare-chested. The youth's once slightly thin frame had now fully stretched out.

Sixteen years old.

He stood nearly one meter ninety tall, but his muscles did not have the bloated, greasy look of those hulking men.

Instead, they were like forged steel, every muscle fiber brimming with explosive power.

Beneath his ancient bronze skin, faint streams of light flickered.

With one hand, he tossed the heavy sword, now weighing another thousand jin, back into its sheath.

He had not even used much strength.

Crack.

Unable to bear the terrifying weight, the stone slab let out a mournful groan before shattering into powder.

Lei Wen lowered his head and glanced at the back of his hand.

The black mark there had grown much paler.

His once blurry features were now clearly defined.

A huge mouth occupied two-thirds of the pattern, its shadow seeming capable of devouring heaven and earth.

Whenever he stared at the mark on the back of his hand, a hunger he could barely suppress rose in his heart.

It was not the hunger of his stomach.

It was his cells crying out, longing for energy, craving flesh and blood.

"Hah..."

Lei Wen exhaled slowly.

Spirit Qi: Rank Six Peak.

Physical body: Nine Peaks.

That was the answer he had produced after five years of cultivation.

This was all thanks to the black mark on the back of his hand constantly feeding Lei Wen back energy.

Otherwise, relying on bitter cultivation alone, it would have been impossible to break through the limits of a human body's physical strength.

Late at night.

The fireplace in the dining hall burned dimly as the long table filled with roasted meat and bread.

In front of Lei Wen, the plates were piled like a small mountain.

He ate quickly, his shadow resembling nothing more than a ferocious beast swallowing its fill of flesh and blood.

At the head of the table.

Barte Lei Bart held up a goblet. The red wine swayed within, yet he did not bring it to his lips.

His gaze rested on his son, his expression complicated, as though he were looking at an entirely unfamiliar monster.

The scene from half a month ago still lingered in his mind.

It had been a family sparring match.

A clash between father and son.

Barte Lei was a Ninth Rank Warrior, only one step away from crossing that threshold and entering Saint Domain.

Naturally, he had suppressed his strength in that battle and used only Rank Six Spirit Qi.

But he possessed the insight and battle experience of a Ninth Rank Warrior.

And yet...

Lei Wen had not even drawn his sword.

Relying only on that monstrous strength, he had forcibly smashed apart the Spirit Qi armor Barte Lei had condensed.

That savage, unreasonable power simply did not seem like something a sixteen-year-old human could possess.

The recoil from that single strike had numbed Barte Lei's arms, leaving half his body numb.

He was practically a monster!

"Father."

Lei Wen swallowed the last piece of steak, picked up a napkin, and wiped his mouth.

"I'm full."

Barte Lei came back to himself. The wine in his hand had already spilled out, and he covered it up by coughing awkwardly.

"Ahem."

"I want to leave Flowing Frost City."

Lei Wen sat upright and looked calmly at his father.

The air in the dining hall seemed to freeze for an instant.

Xue, seated at the other end, set down the spoon in her hand.

The silver spoon struck the porcelain plate, producing a crisp sound.

She was already over forty.

But because she had broken through to Rank Three Magic City, her lifespan had been greatly extended.

Therefore, time had left few traces on her face. She still looked as beautiful as ever.

At this moment.

This mother's brows drew together slightly, her eyes full of reluctance.

"Why?"

Barte Lei was not surprised. It seemed he had been waiting for this day.

"Yes."

Lei Wen nodded.

"Your strength..."

"Spirit Qi, Rank Six Peak. I know."

"But your physical body..."

"Lei Wen, tell me honestly. Just how strong has your body become?"

Barte Lei fell silent for a moment, his fingers lightly tapping the tabletop.

His personality was especially straightforward. He wanted to confirm the guess in his heart.

During the spar half a month ago.

Barte Lei had felt that his son was holding something back.

"Rank Seven Peak."

Lei Wen was silent for half a second.

At this point, there was no need to hide it anymore.

To be honest.

Even though they had prepared themselves mentally.

Barte Lei still could not help drawing in a sharp breath, his tapping fingers freezing in midair.

"How is that possible..."

"The limit of the human body is Rank Six, unless one is a Saint Domain Expert..."

Xue could not help crying out.

As a mage, she understood the limits of human physical structure even more clearly.

"I don't understand it either."

"Every time I break through a limit, my body feels as if it is burning. When I wake up, my strength has grown greatly."

Lei Wen shook his head, a trace of confusion appearing on his face.

This was also the excuse he had prepared for his parents.

After all.

The black mark on the back of his hand was his greatest secret.

Even facing his parents, Lei Wen would not easily reveal it.

"Hah."

Barte Lei took a deep breath and drained the wine in his goblet.

If it had been before, he definitely would not have felt at ease letting a sixteen-year-old boy travel alone.

But this kid...

A Nine Peaks body, hiding Rank Eight Peak Spirit Qi.

Even if he encountered a Ninth Rank Expert, if he could not win, he could still escape.

As long as he did not court death, the whole world was his to roam.

"Fine."

"An eagle must spread its wings and soar through the sky."

"If I keep you beneath my wings, you will never become a true expert."

Barte Lei heavily set down his goblet.

Its glass base struck the marble tabletop with a dull sound.

"Barte Lei!"

"But he's still so young..."

Xue grew anxious.

"He isn't young anymore, Xue."

"When I was his age, I was only just beginning to touch the threshold of Rank Four."

"But he has already forced his old man into a fluster."

Barte Lei interrupted his wife, his gaze burning as he looked at Lei Wen.

Xue choked back her words.

She looked at the tall, handsome boy before her.

That little fellow who had once acted spoiled in her arms now had broad shoulders strong enough to carry a mountain.

In the end, she could not stop him.

"Then... you must be careful."

Xue's eyes reddened as she hurriedly took things from her Spatial Ring.

"These are Rank Five water magic scrolls I made, and these are Rank Six healing scrolls..."

"And these were bought by your father from someone else—Rank Six earth-element defensive scrolls..."

In the blink of an eye.

The table was piled with all kinds of magic scrolls, worth a small fortune.

Lei Wen's heart warmed.

This was the affection only family could give.

"Mother, that's enough."

"If you keep giving me things, I won't be able to leave."

Lei Wen helplessly pressed down Xue's hand.

"If I can't leave, then get me a larger Spatial Ring!"

"You little rascal."

"Your father only has a low-grade magic crystal card with ten million gold coins in it..."

Xue glared at Lei Wen, speaking somewhat displeasedly.

Barte Lei rubbed his nose at the side and smiled bitterly.

That was the private savings he had hidden for half his life.

"Since you've decided to leave."

"There are some matters you should handle before setting out."

After his wife's emotions had calmed somewhat.

Barte Lei spoke again.

Lei Wen looked toward his father.

"Make a trip to Purple Thorn City."

"Go see your aunt."

"She wrote back last time, saying she missed home a little."

A trace of tenderness flickered in Barte Lei's eyes.

Flowing Frost City was not far from the royal city.

But with several cities between them, they could not meet often.

Lian Qiu.

At the mention of that name.

Lei Wen's expression softened considerably.

In a flash.

Lian Qiu had been studying at the Royal Magic Academy for nearly five years.

Naturally, she returned to Flowing Frost City every year during breaks.

But thinking about it.

The four cousins had not seen one another for three months.