C3 Sitting down and Dying

Woo Yang was beside himself with rage. On instinct, he swung his fist down hard on the Invincible Manual. What happened next left him stunned: a blinding flash of golden light streaked by, and the Invincible Manual vanished from his sight.

A sensation akin to an electric shock coursed through his body, followed by a distinct pulling force that seemed to be draining his soul. Moments later, Woo Yang's hair had sprouted several white strands.

"Damn, is it really sapping my life away?"

Woo Yang was acutely aware of his body's transformation. The gasping for air, the fleeting sensation of life slipping away—it was unnervingly terrifying.

"If you become the strongest in the cosmos, your life will be boundless," the Invincible Manual's voice echoed in Woo Yang's ears. "Until then, seize this chance to advance your cultivation swiftly."

The voice's vibration slowly coalesced into a vortex above Woo Yang's head.

A vortex of spiritual energy?

"So it's using spiritual energy to aid my cultivation breakthrough. By my reckoning, even if it costs me five years of life, if I manage it well, I can reach the next level—the Spirit Spring Martial Cultivator—before death. A Spirit Spring Martial Cultivator has at least one hundred fifty years of life. It's a fair trade."

Despite the five-year toll, the immense spiritual energy at his disposal was enough to propel him through two minor realms. It didn't feel like a bad deal.

Yet, Woo Yang had miscalculated...

Boom!

A thunderous crash echoed as a massive black shadow plummeted from the sky. Woo Yang looked up only to see a gigantic Vicious Beast descending upon him.

In an instant, the unfortunate Woo Yang was flattened into a mush.

"Breakthrough candidate confirmed deceased. Initiating rebirth!"

In no time, Woo Yang found himself back beneath the vortex, facing the same mountainous Vicious Beast that had just crushed him.

This beast was surely at the level of the Spiritual Spring Realm.

Its mere presence made Woo Yang struggle for breath.

But the Vicious Beast seemed delighted to see Woo Yang again, its gaping maw curving into a sinister, almost human, lascivious grin.

It resembled a cross between a lizard and a wild dog, though it bore a closer resemblance to a lizard.

"This... This is the Tyrant Mastiff, isn't it? I thought it vanished thousands of years ago!" Woo Yang's legs shook as he stumbled backward in terror. How could he, a mere weakling, stand against a Vicious Beast on par with the Spiritual Realm?

"Roar!"

The Tyrant Mastiff's roar nearly burst Woo Yang's eardrums.

In the next instant, the beast's eyes blazed a fiery red as it barreled toward Woo Yang like a rampaging fortress. Acting on pure reflex, Woo Yang dodged. Prepared for the worst, he was astonished to evade the strike.

Of course, it was primarily because the Tyrant Mastiff, after years of solitude, was toying with him, playing a cruel game of cat and mouse without exerting its full force.

"Wait a minute. I'm a Rank Two Qi Stage martial artist with mastery of Rank Three martial skills. What do I have to fear?"

Woo Yang's realization snapped him back to reality. He had the strength to at least avoid the Tyrant Mastiff's most savage assaults, if not defeat it outright.

To the Tyrant Mastiff's surprise, it had effortlessly crushed Woo Yang before with no technique whatsoever. Now, exerting just a fraction of its power, it found Woo Yang slipping away from its grasp.

The Tyrant Mastiff intensified its onslaught, its claws, sharp as steel knives, shooting out from between its fingers and slicing through the air with a chilling gleam, aiming straight for Woo Yang.

"Royal Tyrant Fist!"

Woo Yang bellowed, deploying his martial skill in defense just as the Tyrant Mastiff's steel claws descended. Through these exchanges, Woo Yang discerned that the beast wasn't intent on a lethal battle but was instead provoking him to unlock his latent potential.

Even so, the Tyrant Mastiff's restrained attacks dealt Woo Yang significant pain. The agony was palpable, compelling Woo Yang, driven by an intense will to live, to defend with all his might.

The Tyrant Mastiff seemed to relish in the abuse, delighting in the sheer thrill of domination.

As the battle wore on, Woo Yang noticed a pattern: whenever his physical strength neared depletion, a vast influx of spiritual energy would surge into his veins.

"This isn't just about breaking through with spiritual energy; it's about achieving a breakthrough on your own strength."

Woo Yang had an epiphany; the Invincible Manual indeed had some impressive techniques up its sleeve.

Martial artists who rely solely on spiritual energy to advance their levels can't compare to those who grow stronger through the crucible of physical combat.

Immersed in the secrets, Woo Yang lost all track of time, training in this spot for six days straight. He progressed from merely dodging the Tyrant Mastiff's attacks to engaging it in close-quarters combat. Now, like a parched sponge, Woo Yang eagerly absorbed all that he had learned.

On the seventh day, his moment for a breakthrough arrived.

He struck the expansive black earth with a punch, and from his fist, cracks as wide as arms burst forth, rapidly spreading beneath the Tyrant Mastiff's feet.

Caught unawares, the Tyrant Mastiff tumbled into the abyssal fissure, vanishing without a trace.

Seizing the moment, Woo Yang redoubled his efforts, pushing toward the third layer of the Qi Stage with all his might!

Boom!

The sound of his bones popping and the sensation of his pores opening were strangely satisfying. In that instant, Woo Yang felt an incredible relief. The spiritual energy cleansed away all the fatigue from his seven-day battle with the Tyrant Mastiff.

He had reached the third layer of the Qi Stage!

Overjoyed, Woo Yang clenched his fist, eager to gauge his newfound power. But before he could, a colossal palm descended from the heavens.

With one fell swoop, Woo Yang was slapped to death once more.

Shua!

After his demise, Woo Yang didn't resurrect as he had before. Instead, he awoke in his humble abode, catching his reflection in the mirror. He noticed white hairs at his temples and the nape of his neck, a sign of his power growing even more potent.

"Each death costs you a year of your life. Exceed the allotted training time, and you'll forfeit anywhere from one to ten years. Master, you were close to biting the dust for good."

The Invincible Manual watched Woo Yang with a mischievous grin. Its loyalty system bound it to him, unable to leave. Truth be told, the Golden Book was eager for its current owner to meet his end, hoping to find a new master sooner rather than later. Surely, the next one couldn't be as hopeless as Woo Yang, could they?

"I'm nobody's master, especially not yours—I'm practically a dead man walking! You've sapped seven years of my life in one fell swoop. What are you, an emissary of the Yama King come to claim my soul? Have you no shred of humanity?" Woo Yang ranted, his frustration boiling over. If it weren't for his formidable resilience, he'd have kicked the bucket with eyes wide open by now.

The Golden Book offered a consoling response: "Humanity? I've long since abandoned that. But look on the bright side, Master. Your breakthrough to the next level has earned you an extra six months of life."

"Just six measly months, and you have the gall to mention it?"

Woo Yang heaved a sigh of relief. At least he had made a breakthrough. If he hadn't, he'd be facing a death so gruesome it didn't bear thinking about.

Gazing out at the sun and the freshly planted herbs beneath the fence, Woo Yang had an epiphany. Despite the many days he'd spent cultivating, time here seemed to have stood still.

"The flow of time in the secret realm isn't like that of the outside world," the Invincible Manual explained. "A single day here is merely a quarter-hour outside. For martial artists, the secret realm is a haven for cultivation."

"Damn it, you've robbed me of seven years of life in just a handful of hours?" Woo Yang lamented.

"You humans have a saying, 'you get what you pay for,' right? You've made no loss here!"

Woo Yang's temper flared. He put on airs, acting like a formidable master as he tried to bargain with the Invincible Manual. "Can't you cut me a deal?"

"This is a small-time operation—no haggling allowed." The Invincible Manual, usually so reticent, became loquacious in the heat of the argument. Woo Yang was outmatched in both brawn and banter, a truly sorry sight.

Amidst his futile quarrel with the air in his dilapidated abode, a violent kick suddenly thundered against the door. The number of assailants, judging by the noise, was not small.

"Trash, come out and face me!"

Upon hearing the voice, Woo Yang instantly recognized the intruder. With a furrowed brow, he pushed open his door and stepped into the courtyard to confront the seven or eight menacing figures that had barged in.

"Who are you calling trash?"

"You, trash!"

"Oh, I see. So I'm the 'trash' you're referring to."

With an innocent shrug, Woo Yang faced Xiaosi, the one hurling insults, with a look of bewilderment plastered across his face.

Xiaosi's second brother was a force to be reckoned with. He berated his younger sibling for being useless and delivered a sharp slap to Xiaosi's head, muttering under his breath, "How many times have I told you not to answer these kinds of questions? Why can't you ever learn?"

Xiaosi's second brother had a fiery temper, and his rapport with his brother was far from warm. However, he was compelled to show up with his men because Woo Tong had been beaten.

It was common knowledge that Woo Tong's older brother, Woo Tieh, was the undisputed powerhouse among the family's younger members. He saw this incident as a chance to stand up for his cousin and, in doing so, earn a debt of gratitude from Woo Tieh. By his calculations, it was a deal with no downside.

"Look at you, Trash Yang. A few days out of sight and suddenly you're the big man, able to take down Woo Tong at the Qi Stage? Impressive, really impressive," Woo Chenghao sneered, casting a disdainful look at the battered Woo Tong, who Woo Yang had trounced.

"In truth, it was all a big misunderstanding. Woo Tong and I, along with a few brothers, were merely engaging in friendly sparring, not an actual brawl. Next time, I'll make sure to pull my punches, okay?"

Woo Yang had no desire to get into a scrap with Woo Chenghao. He was well aware that despite his recent breakthroughs, his strength still ranked at the bottom within the family. But Woo Yang had a strategy. With the Invincible Manual in his possession, he planned to train at his own pace and eventually outclass them all. That would be his moment of glory.

Clearly, though, Woo Chenghao wasn't about to let things slide.

Strutting up with a swagger, Woo Chenghao spat viciously before jabbing a finger in Woo Yang's face. "Is this your idea of sparring? Huh? Take a good look at our dear Woo Tong's face—once so handsome, now what have you turned it into?"

Woo Yang glanced at Woo Tong, whose head had swelled even larger in the short time since the fight, matching his hefty frame. He now bore a striking resemblance to a pig's head. If someone were to slap a pig's ear on him, he'd likely be mistaken for the real thing and haggled over in the market.

"Pfft, that is... quite pitiful."

Woo Yang couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Woo Tong. It wouldn't have been a big deal if he had kept his amusement to himself, but the moment he chuckled, Woo Chenghao's face soured with envy. How dare this good-for-nothing, Woo Yang, allow himself even a smirk?

A nobody like him shouldn't even have the privilege to lift his head, let alone laugh.

Woo Chenghao's expression darkened instantly, and through clenched teeth, he commanded, "Go on, I want you to beat him to a pulp."