C1 The King of Trash

The Wu family was a minor clan on the Mystic Devil Continent, a realm where martial artists were revered, and the mighty were like storms overshadowing the world, their presence as vast as the mountains and rivers, commanding respect from all. In contrast, the weak were like Wu Yang at this moment, huddled in a woodshed, his gaunt frame, listless eyes, and tattered hemp clothes barely covering his body.

Among the Wu family's younger members, a few stood out with exceptional talent. But if one were to name the most worthless among them, Wu Yang would have no rival. Despite his inner defiance, Wu Yang's efforts were futile. Years of dedicated training had not enabled him to break through to the Qi Stage Layer Two. Now fifteen, he was frequently humiliated by relatives barely twelve or thirteen, fueling his rage.

In the flickering candlelight, he eagerly read a half-torn book. Its protagonist, born with a rare gift, possessed a destiny beyond anyone's wildest dreams. At two, he practiced martial arts; by three, he was unbeatable among his peers; and by ten, he was a celebrated prodigy.

"How powerful! What on earth did I do in my past life to deserve such a wretched fate in this one?" Wu Yang bemoaned with tears of frustration.

"If only I could get my hands on a copy of the Heaven-defying God-slaying Invincible Manual, maybe I could turn things around and be the one to boast."

Wu Yang was referring to the cultivation technique practiced by the protagonist in the tattered book—a mere figment of an ordinary person's imagination, with no basis in reality.

He had devoured the first half of the book, but the second half had been snatched by a mischievous child in the clan. Ironically, this little thief was technically his junior and should have shown him respect. Unable to best his own kin, Wu Yang had no choice but to let it go.

As he was about to stretch out on his straw mat and escape into his dreams, the discarded book beside him burst into an extraordinary glow. A dazzling spectrum of light filled his humble abode, causing Wu Yang to squint in discomfort.

"The Heaven-defying God-slaying Invincible Manual has acknowledged its master!"

With a whoosh, the radiant light converged into a single point, like a star shooting straight into Wu Yang's mind.

It was a resplendent golden tome, its surface etched with ancient script. Surprisingly, Woo Yang found he could decipher bits and pieces of the text. The only imperfection was that some of the minuscule golden characters were smudged, their outlines blurred by some mysterious force.

"Talent test, Rank Zero! Physical fitness test, Rank Zero! Wisdom test, Rank One!"

"What in the world, whose voice is that?" Woo Yang jumped, trying to locate the source of the voice.

"The difficulty of cultivation is high!"

"Big brother, are you the one speaking?" Woo Yang addressed the golden book with a look of utter bewilderment.

"The test is complete! Master, from this day forward, you must fulfill the Cultivation Mission within a set period, or the Golden Book will automatically claim your soul!"

"Mission, soul? Hold on, big brother, you can't be serious? I've never managed to reach Rank Two in my life. My measly soul isn't worth your trouble, right?" Woo Yang was convinced he was hallucinating. Since when could the Golden Book speak?

"Ownership confirmed. Abandoning cultivation will result in the Golden Book automatically seizing your soul. Now, begin your cultivation. Time allotted: three days. Goal: breakthrough to Rank Two!"

"Wait a second, Lord Golden Book, is there something I've done wrong? Just tell me, and I'll correct it! By the way, Lord Golden Book, you're quite the looker. How about I introduce you to Miss Du from the tofu stall on West Street?"

The notion of reaching Rank Two in just three days sent Woo Yang into a panic, his skin breaking out in a cold sweat.

Three days to reach Rank Two?

He couldn't achieve that even if he had three years. A stampede of mythical creatures seemed to race through Woo Yang's mind. "If Miss Du isn't to your liking, there's also the formidable Miss Shi from the blacksmith shop in the city's west end. She's strong enough to lift and haul, though her complexion is a bit dark. But she's the epitome of reliability."

"Disrupting the Golden Book incurs a penalty!"

Zi Zi ~ ~

A streak of lightning struck down from the heavens, coursing through Woo Yang's body. He collapsed to the ground, convulsing as if struck by a stroke, his eyes rolling back and his body shaking uncontrollably. The shock was beyond intense.

"Let the forging of bones and tendons commence. Master, brace yourself for the ordeal."

Snap!

Woo Yang felt as though lightning had coursed through his entire body. The itching and pain that had plagued him vanished without a trace, replaced by an agonizing sensation akin to his bones being shattered!

It was as if his internal organs had been scoured with spiritual energy. But did it have to be so intense? Why subject me to such excruciating pain?

That night, Woo Yang's humble abode echoed with his screams.

Exhausted, Woo Yang collapsed to the floor as dawn broke. Upon awakening, he was astounded to discover his body had become more receptive to spiritual energy, and his physical strength had significantly increased. As he practiced his breathing exercises, the bottleneck between Qi Stage Layer One and Two began to loosen—a breakthrough seemed imminent.

Stuck at Qi Stage Layer One for three long years, Woo Yang was stunned by this unexpected progress. He was overjoyed, yet he scarcely dared to believe that his cultivation could undergo such a miraculous transformation in just one night.

"Holy smokes, this Golden Book is incredible."

In that moment, Woo Yang realized the previous night's trials were indeed reality.

"Manual!" he called out, yet there was no response.

Had he gotten the name wrong?

In his excitement, Woo Yang remembered the absurdly long name he had used: "Heaven-defying God-slaying Invincible Manual!"

"Failure to meet cultivation standards results in punishment!"

The Golden Book materialized in Woo Yang's mind once more, promptly delivering an electric shock that left him wincing in misery.

"Enough, enough, I get it. Isn't admitting my mistake enough?"

"To recognize and correct one's error is the greatest virtue."

"What exactly are you trying to accomplish?"

"That's beside the point. The real issue is that an entire night has passed since I aided you in reconstructing your bones and tendons, and you still haven't made a breakthrough. You are the first failure I've ever encountered.

"My former masters progressed from Rank One to Rank Two within half an hour, at most an hour. You're the only one who has squandered so much time and remains at Rank One. Clearly, Master, you are the undisputed king of failures," the Golden Book retorted.

This was the most it had ever spoken, and Woo Yang surmised that the Golden Book might have been overpowered by his own insignificant might, prompting it to speak out.

"Have you had other masters before? Did any of them manage to become ultimate powerhouses?"

"Eighty percent committed suicide, and the remaining twenty percent failed their missions, perishing on their cultivation journey," the Golden Book replied with unsettling calm.

"Damn!"

Woo Yang was so startled that he broke into a cold sweat. He quickly seated himself cross-legged and resumed channeling the power within his Dantian, drawing in the spiritual energy from the heavens and earth.

Thanks to the Invincible Manual's modifications to his body, his cultivation speed had skyrocketed, increasing more than tenfold. To the average person, this rate of absorbing spiritual energy would be absolutely terrifying. But for Woo Yang, even a tenfold increase was just enough to edge out some of the warriors in his family.

He was well aware of his own mediocrity.

On the third day's morning, in the same dilapidated house, the same 'trash' Woo Yang, fighting off hunger and dark circles under his eyes, finally managed to advance to the second layer of the Qi Stage.

"Breakthrough Assessment: Record low. Transformation complete, officially commencing cultivation..."

The Invincible Manual sent tremors through Woo Yang's mind, and numerous words began to slowly emerge on the Golden Book.

These words, parts of the Invincible Manual that had been missing, led Woo Yang to speculate that completing all the manual's tasks might restore the faded inscriptions entirely.

"Entering Martial Skill selection. Explosive Essence Palm: Rank Three Low Grade, high difficulty, high single-target damage, high group damage, low Spirit Power consumption.

Tiger Roar: Rank Three Low Grade, medium difficulty, medium single-target damage, medium group damage, medium Spirit Power consumption.

Royal Tyrant Fist: Rank Three Low Grade, low difficulty, low single-target damage, low group damage, high Spirit Power consumption.

Please choose."

"Holy smokes, reaching Qi Stage Layer Two and I get to pick a Rank Three Low Grade martial skill?" Woo Yang's eyes sparkled with excitement. As a talentless disciple in the Woo family, he was only ever eligible to practice Rank One martial skills. Rank Three martial skills were the domain of the family's prodigies.

Woo Yang had long coveted the Rank Three martial skills with a burning jealousy.

He was well aware that now was not the time for excitement. Woo Yang inhaled deeply, his facial muscles involuntarily quivering with the effort.

After a moment, as if making a monumental decision, he declared with pride, "Given my intelligence and exceptional talent, the obvious choice is... the easiest one!"

The Golden Book buzzed, almost in disbelief.

Its previous masters had been men of great ambition, with aspirations as vast as the heavens.

These formidable individuals took pride in mastering the most challenging martial arts. Yet, what on earth was this so-called 'trash king' choosing? He needed such immense courage for this?

The Invincible Manual began to regret being summoned by such a lackluster king.

But it wasn't overly concerned. Based on its predictions and past experiences, this 'trash king' would likely fail to advance in the Qi Stage and have his soul consumed by the manual.

The Golden Book was reluctant; it didn't enjoy consuming humans. For one, humans weren't particularly tasty, and secondly, this master didn't look appetizing at all.

Yet, since the dawn of the Desolate Era, no one had managed to evade its soul consumption. It sighed internally, "Ahem, very well, Royal Tyrant Fist it is. Master has made his selection. Commence the cultivation phase. Time allotted — one day!"

"One day?" Woo Yang's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

Cultivate a Rank Three martial skill in a single day?

Even for a low-grade skill, that was utterly impossible. Forget about him, a 'trash king'; even a prodigy from his family would need a good twenty to thirty days.

The Golden Book feared it might lose its own wits if it continued this conversation. "Indeed, you must choose between self-cultivation or manual-assisted cultivation."

"Manual-assisted cultivation, of course!"

"Very well, Master!" As the Golden Book's voice faded, a golden glow enveloped Woo Yang's form. The light deepened, casting him in the likeness of an indestructible golden figure.

"Initiate the actual combat cultivation phase!"

Before Woo Yang could even process what was happening, the Golden Book guided him out of his humble abode, straight toward the clan's entrance.

Though the human race had few idle members at this hour, some lower-level martial artists were still present. Among them were the very brats who had bullied Woo Yang days before, the ones who had torn his precious book to shreds.

As Woo Yang watched the seemingly innocent children below the entrance hall, tossing pebbles and wearing expressions of pure childlike wonder, he pondered the true nature of real combat training.

Suddenly, the Golden Book let out a sly chuckle and spoke, "Select your enemy target actively; it's time to commence your real combat cultivation..."