The Nightmare

The warm glow of the setting sun spilled across the glass facades of the high-rises, reflecting dazzling rays of light. The streets were full of traffic and people, a picture of modern urban prosperity.

Li He headed toward the city center and soon arrived at the neighborhood where his new home was located.

The neighborhood was elegant, shaded by lush trees, and tightly secured—a world apart from the old, rundown community on the outskirts of the city, where all sorts of people mingled.

He soon reached the point where the old and new districts met.

A shrill siren sounded in the distance, drawing closer.

At the intersection, police cars sped past one after another, too many to count. Large numbers of special police officers in black tactical uniforms and armed with live ammunition set up a cordon.

A crowd of onlookers packed the area outside the cordon.

"What happened?"

"I heard there's been religious trouble in the old district."

"Trouble? Why such a huge response?"

"Apparently, some group called the Abyss Revenge Society stirred up trouble in a crowd. They said destroying the Abyss would bring retribution, and they've smashed up several shops."

"The Abyss Revenge Society? Those lunatics? I heard they'd been preaching in the old district for a while. Didn't they just get cracked down on? They're back again?"

"What a disaster. The old district was already a mess. Now it'll be even more dangerous."

Li He listened to the people around him.

"Destroying the Abyss will bring retribution?" Li He sneered inwardly. Abyssal monsters threatened humanity's survival. Eliminating them and protecting their home was only right. How could anyone talk about retribution?

Still,

looking at the long line of police cars, the special police officers standing ready, and the terrified refugees fleeing toward him, Li He couldn't help feeling a little emotional.

"Good thing I got Mom and Dad to move out in time."

The old district where they'd lived before was noisy and disorderly, with poor public safety. If his parents still lived there, they'd surely be frightened by all this chaos.

Now they lived in a high-end neighborhood in the city center, with tight security and far greater safety.

He didn't linger and hurried home.

The door opened from the inside.

"Xiao He? You're back." His mother, Zhang Xiujuan, sounded delighted.

Li He looked up.

His parents were standing in the entryway. It seemed they had just gotten home, too.

Li Jianguo wore a crisp, dark blue work uniform, with a brand-new Zhenhai Group Logistics Center ID badge pinned to his chest. He looked a little tired, but even more than that, he seemed triumphant and full of energy.

His mother, Zhang Xiujuan, wore a smart cream-colored business suit, her hair tied up neatly. She looked capable and polished.

"Dad, Mom, did you just get back, too?" Li He greeted them with a smile.

"Yeah. It's my first official day on the job, so there was a bit more to do." Li Jianguo laughed heartily as he changed his shoes. "Son, was training tiring today? You must be hungry, right?"

Li Jianguo set down his briefcase and waved a hand. "Come on! Let's go out to eat and celebrate. We'll celebrate moving into our new home, your mom and me starting our new jobs, and you making a splash at the martial arts school."

Zhang Xiujuan smiled and chimed in, "I know a private restaurant nearby with great reviews and a nice atmosphere."

"Let's go there, then," Li He said with a smile. Seeing how happy his parents were, he wasn't about to spoil the mood.

The family changed clothes and headed out, chatting and laughing. Over dinner, his parents told him about their new jobs. His father mentioned seeing a lot of old classmates at Zhenhai and said he planned to catch up with them in a few days.

After dinner,

when they returned home, they found a delivery worker in a Zhenhai Group uniform standing outside their door.

"Hello, Mr. Li. Mr. Sun asked me to bring you these specially selected ingredients." The delivery worker handed over a temperature-controlled cooler.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Li He said as he took the box. It was heavy in his hands, and a rich aura of vital energy seemed to seep faintly through its walls.

"No trouble. Mr. Sun said the specially selected ingredients will arrive promptly at this time every evening from now on. Enjoy your meal." The delivery worker bowed slightly and left.

"Son, what's this?" Li Jianguo asked curiously.

"Exotic Beast Meat from Mr. Sun," Li He explained. "It's for my cultivation. I'll be getting some every day from now on."

"That's the good stuff." Li Jianguo's eyes lit up. "Mr. Sun is really thoughtful."

"Yeah." Li He nodded. "Dad, Mom, you're both tired today. Get some rest early."

"Okay. And don't train too late yourself." Zhang Xiujuan knew Li He's temperament all too well. She knew he'd definitely put in extra training tonight.

"I know, Mom."

Li He carried the cooler into the kitchen, took out a fist-sized piece of Exotic Beast Meat, and cooked it. As soon as he ate it, a surge of rich energy erupted from his stomach and swept through his entire body.

Feeling his vital energy surge through him, Li He got up and went into the bathroom.

The bathtub was already full.

He took out the body-tempering herbs he'd collected from the post station and sprinkled them into the tub. The powder dissolved as soon as it touched the water, turning the clear, warm water dark brown and filling the room with a pungent, spicy smell.

Next, he dropped in several scalding-hot stones. The water temperature rose rapidly, and the dark brown herbal liquid began to churn and bubble.

Li He took a deep breath and stepped in.

The scorching liquid enveloped his body like countless red-hot needles stabbing into his skin and burrowing into his bones.

Having already experienced cultivating the Ape Demon Iron Body Technique, Li He was used to this kind of pain. He calmed his mind and absorbed the energy in the herbal liquid.

A moment later.

[Rock Body Forging Technique: Beginner (0%)]

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

...

Time passed second by second.

The liquid in the bathtub gradually faded in color, and the bubbling subsided.

[Rock Body Forging Technique: Proficient (0%)]

[Life Force: 19.5→20]

Li He climbed out of the tub. His skin was as red as blood, his muscles bulged, and the veins that stood out beneath his skin throbbed like twisting dragons.

"Breaking through 20 means that, by rank, I'm now a Second-Rank Martial Artist."

Li He dried himself off. The breakthrough had come naturally.

It was eleven at night, the time when the liver detoxified, so he needed to get to sleep as soon as possible.

"More tomorrow." Li He silently resolved, tidied up a little, then lay down and quickly fell asleep.

The next morning,

Li He got up early and prepared to go out for a jog and some morning exercise. But he discovered that his father had risen even earlier and was standing on the balcony smoking.

"Dad, you're up early." Li He greeted him.

Li Jianguo turned at the sound of his voice.

The moment Li He saw his father's face, his heart sank.

Li Jianguo looked visibly exhausted. His eyes were sunken, dark circles shadowed them, and they were bloodshot. He looked utterly drained.

That was definitely not the look of someone who'd slept well.

"Dad, what's wrong? You don't look well."

Li Jianguo fell silent for a moment, then stubbed out his cigarette. "I had a nightmare."

"A nightmare?"

"Yeah..." Li Jianguo's voice was low. "I dreamed about that little girl—the one who disappeared in the Safe Zone. In my dream, she stared right at me as if she were begging for help, but I couldn't do anything."

"Maybe it's because you've been thinking about it so much. Anyway, it's probably just that I've been under a lot of pressure lately."

He patted Li He on the shoulder. "Don't worry, son. I'm fine. I'll be all right after some rest."

With that, Li Jianguo went back to his room.

Li He watched his father's retreating figure, pondering for a moment, then opened his phone and sent Sun Zhenhai a message telling him what had happened.

Sun Zhenhai had seen a lot. Maybe he'd have some insight.

To Li He's surprise, Sun Zhenhai replied almost instantly. "One of my subordinates encountered that little girl, too. There's definitely something strange about this. I'll report it to the Federation... Also, when your dad comes to work, I'll give him a full physical. Don't worry. Leave this to me."