C9 Dusk!

Yeh Yulin sprinted through the night.

As he ran, his wounds began to heal, a testament to the benefits of his Holy Body, which also earned him the nickname "punching bag."

He was headed for the No-falling Forest.

More precisely, the No-falling Forest that overlapped with the No-falling City. Geographically, it was part of both the No-falling Forest and the No-falling City.

Nestled against a mountain, the small courtyard was serene, with a stream babbling not far from the entrance, reminiscent of a heavenly abode.

This was a prized spot for self-cultivation, reserved for only a handful of the Yeh Family's elders. Yeh Yulin had access to it because a prominent figure had bestowed it upon his mother.

The thought of that influential person stirred a mix of emotions in Yeh Yulin's heart: a sigh, hatred, resentment, respect... It was all so muddled.

"Young Master, you've returned?"

As Yeh Yulin entered the cottage, a gentle voice greeted him, followed by the sight of a young woman with long purple hair.

She was in her early twenties, her shoulder-length purple hair gleaming, her large eyes sparkling like amethysts. She was tall and shapely, her allure accentuated by her fair skin, which contrasted starkly with her purple cheongsam.

Her presence was captivating, with an otherworldly charm that made even her simple purple cheongsam seem dazzling.

"Mmm, Sister Mu, I'm back!"

Upon seeing her, Yeh Yulin instinctively touched his face, realizing that the grime had concealed his bruises and that the bloodstains on his body had been thoroughly cleaned. This put his mind at ease.

"Young Master, you really should have told me you'd be late. I was so worried," Mu chided as she approached Yeh Yulin.

"Hehe, I got caught up in my training and lost track of time!" Yeh Yulin chuckled awkwardly, adding, "You know how slow my cultivation is. I have to start early and push myself harder. Oh, it's gotten so late. I'm going to take a bath. Don't worry about dinner; I've already eaten outside."

After finishing his sentence, Yeh Yulin hurried back to the inner room, looking rather disheveled.

"Young Master, you should wash your face properly; it's covered in dirt."

"I know!"

The young woman, named Twilight, had been the maidservant to Yeh Yulin's late mother and now served Yeh Yulin.

She was the only person in the entire Yeh Family who truly cared for Yeh Yulin.

However, due to certain circumstances, she faced many restrictions, such as not being able to step outside the courtyard...

As a result, even if Yeh Yulin were to vanish for years, she would be unable to search for him.

Naturally, Yeh Yulin would never want her to look for him.

"Young Master!" Twilight's eyes betrayed a hint of sorrow as she watched Yeh Yulin's somewhat frantic retreat.

...

"Alright, it's do or die now!"

Bursting into the small courtyard, Yeh Yulin first composed himself before cautiously moving aside the sole large cabinet. He unearthed the green stone from the ground, revealing a small bottle concealed beneath.

Upon opening it, a blood-red Pill was revealed.

The Pill was a deep red, nearly transparent, and began to emit a mist of blood as soon as it was exposed to the air, which slowly dispersed.

Yeh Yulin knew that if he kept the Pill exposed to the air, it would soon vanish completely. Yet, he made no move to prevent this, instead gazing through the window at the sky outside.

He might never see that azure sky again.

...

"Little brat, you're really getting bullied terribly."

"Mind your own business!" The six-year-old Yeh Yulin glared at the slightly older girl in front of him with a hostile look. He was taken aback by her red eyes and hair.

"You're quite defiant!" The girl chuckled, her eyes turning cold as she suddenly kicked Yeh Yulin.

"Oof!" Yeh Yulin was hit hard in the stomach, causing him to fall to the ground, clutching his belly and convulsing.

The girl stood over Yeh Yulin with one foot on him, looking down with a grin. "Little brat, you're worthless anyway. What's the point in living like this? You might as well be my guinea pig."

Despite his smile, Yeh Yulin was shivering all over, as though gripped by an unseen terror.

It was like a frog frozen beside a snake, desperate to flee but unable to move. The little girl possessed a strength that belied her appearance, completely overpowering the six-year-old Yeh Yulin.

Then, she forced a Pill into Yeh Yulin's mouth.

What happened next was astonishing to Yeh Yulin.

The pain in his body began to fade, and his wounds rapidly healed.

"How about that?" the little girl released Yeh Yulin, boasting, "Isn't my Pill incredible?"

Yeh Yulin remained silent, giving her an odd look.

"Take this!" She tossed a small bottle to Yeh Yulin and whispered in his ear, "Do you want power?"

"Yes!" Yeh Yulin replied without a moment's hesitation.

The little girl was pleased.

"So, on your birthday each year, take one Pill from this bottle. On the tenth year, when you take the last Pill..." She giggled, her smile radiant, yet her words sent shivers down Yeh Yulin's spine.

"Eat it, and you'll endure immense torment. Survive, and your potential will be fully unleashed. Fail, and you die!"

"Remember, there's a 99% chance of death, but your unique constitution might just give you an edge!"

"Besides that..."

...

"Phew, I'm sixteen now!"

Yeh Yulin inhaled deeply, his gaze returning to the Pill as his handsome face twisted with resolve.

He was fed up with his current life!

He yearned to be powerful.

He refused to be bullied any longer.

He sought the approval of that man.

Above all, he was determined to vindicate his mother!

His mother, who had suffered false accusations to protect him.

"Thirteen years, and I'm merely a Level One Battle Soldier. Given the rule that higher levels are harder to achieve, I'll never make it to Level Five or beyond. So, what's the point of living?"

"I've lost all hope. With that in mind, I'm ready to gamble my life on this Pill!"

"I'd sell my soul to the devil if it meant gaining power!"

"And that's saying something, considering I'm just an experimental subject!"

"Ah!"

Yeh Yulin bellowed in rage before shoving the Pill into his mouth with ferocity.

"Boom!"

As soon as the Pill touched his tongue, it dissolved into a liquid and surged into Yeh Yulin's body at an insane pace.

Then, nine muffled thuds emanated from within him, and a mist of blood formed around him, shrouding his figure.

"Ah!"

An indescribable sensation overwhelmed him, and Yeh Yulin let out a harrowing scream.

The pain was unbearable.

It felt as though every single piece of flesh was being devoured.

As if he was being hacked to pieces.

As if he was being torn limb from limb.

"Ahhhhh!!!"

In a frenzy, Yeh Yulin rolled on the ground, beating himself, crashing into walls and the floor, trying desperately to alleviate the agony.

What a cruel joke! No matter how strong he was taught to be, how much he learned to persist and endure, this torment was beyond human tolerance!

"Remember the humiliations you've endured. Why do you seek this power? Does your perseverance have any meaning?"

The red-haired girl's parting words echoed in his ears once more.

The years of shame he had endured came flooding back, contorting Yeh Yulin's face into an even more ghastly expression.

Especially the memory of what happened to his mother when he was just five...

"Ah!" Yeh Yulin lost all control, howling like a beast.

In the throes of excruciating pain, he somehow managed to stand!

His screams were jarringly loud in the peaceful courtyard, yet they could not escape, blocked by a faint purple glow.

It was Twilight!

She appeared at Yeh Yulin's side.

Her beautiful purple eyes betrayed her shock and fury as she trembled, looking at Yeh Yulin.

"What is this thing? It seems to be unlocking the Young Master's potential. Damn it, who gave this to the Young Master? If I find out, I swear I'll tear them to shreds!"

The idea of stimulating potential sounded promising, but Twilight knew all too well that this so-called stimulation was actually a brutal force tearing at the body, forcing a choice between destruction and the unveiling of potential.

If Yeh Yulin couldn't tap into his potential, he would face certain death. And even if he managed to unleash it, should it prove insufficient to withstand the destructive force ravaging his body, death would still claim him.

In essence, for Yeh Yulin to survive, he must meet several critical criteria.

Firstly, his body must be robust enough to resist and slow the onslaught of the destructive power.

Secondly, his willpower must be unyielding, capable of enduring even as his body is repeatedly crushed.

Thirdly, the innate talent within him must be of the highest caliber found on the continent.

Only by satisfying these three conditions could he stand a chance at life. But achieving even one of these feats is a rarity within the vast Human Clan Empire, let alone all three converging within a single individual.

"Madam, my apologies. I understand that you do not wish for the Young Master to awaken the Devil Clan's power within him, but without doing so, he is doomed," Yeh Yulin said, watching Yeh Yulin writhe in agony, murmuring to himself.

"I must awaken the Devil Clan's power that lies deep within him, in addition to his Holy Body!"