C2 Origin and Destruction

Feilong's punch, seething with rage, shattered the air currents, causing the wild grass around them to dance in the forceful wind. Chu Haoyun stood his ground, clenched his fist, and met the attack head-on, his fist shimmering with a faint red glow.

The collision of their fists erupted with a thunderous boom, sending shockwaves in all directions and scattering vegetation. Chu Haoyun remained steadfast, while Feilong staggered back a dozen steps before regaining his composure, his eyes wide with astonishment. "Impossible! Do you really possess the strength of a thousand kilograms?"

A cold smirk crossed Chu Haoyun's mind. 'A thousand kilograms of strength?' He himself was at the fifth level of Body Forging. An unknown transformation had recently multiplied the power in his arms, and that punch was merely a fraction of his full capability—only 30% of his strength.

"So this is your justification for mocking others?" Contempt was etched across Chu Haoyun's youthful face.

"Hmph, this time I'll break your legs, just like I did to Chu Lin," Feilong bellowed, channeling all his might as he charged forward.

"You deserve death." Chu Haoyun's fury ignited upon hearing Feilong's continued insults toward Chu Lin. His punching power soared, rivaling the explosive might of a Mountain Moving Ant.

In an instant, a sickening crack of bone echoed, followed by Feilong's agonized scream. A figure arced through the air, his arm grotesquely twisted and broken, pain nearly rendering him unconscious.

"Uhh... How can this be?" Feihu, who had been ready to celebrate, collapsed in shock, his legs giving out beneath him. His face a mask of disbelief, he scrambled over to his brother.

Chu Haoyun was momentarily taken aback. As he delivered the punch, it felt as though an invisible shackle had been released from within him.

"You dare to ruin my arm?" Feilong's face contorted with pain as he bellowed.

"You tried to kill me, and I merely broke your arm. Leave now, before I reconsider," Chu Haoyun warned, his expression fierce, his body quivering as if he were holding back a formidable force.

"You..." Feilong began, but Feihu cut him off.

"Just wait, we will surely annihilate your Tharannora Village." With that menacing threat, the brothers vanished from Chu Haoyun's view.

Chu Haoyun paid no mind to Feilong and his cohort. He sensed something within him yearning to break free.

His awareness was blurred, caught between reality and illusion. Countless Aberrant Insects, minuscule as dust yet as grand as mountains, shimmered transparently, forming constellations in the night sky, cleaving through stars and moon.

The Glimmering Soul Orb was a conduit to insects, capable of harnessing their soul essence and bestowing upon them innate talents. It granted him control over these creatures. Nourished by the soul of a Fellbeast, it could dominate such beasts and harness the power of starlight.

This was the most valuable knowledge Chu Haoyun had gleaned. When the jade bead merged with his body, it had inadvertently absorbed the power of the Mountain Moving Ant, which explained the exponential increase in his arm strength.

Smoke lazily rose from chimneys, and the stone cottages were connected by a serpentine path. At the village entrance stood a colossal Black Panther statue, its gaze fixed on the horizon.

A crowd had gathered before the statue, where Feihu and his father, Feishi, were locked in a heated dispute with the village elder. Feifeng stood deferentially behind a young man, who sported a smirk as if amused by the scene. A blue-haired girl, her nose wrinkled in concern, clutched the hand of a white-haired elder, bombarding him with questions.

As Chu Haoyun approached, he overheard the argument between the village elder and Feishi.

It turned out that a terrified Feihu had returned to accuse Chu Haoyun of stealing a secret treasure they had discovered and of crippling Feilong. Coincidentally, Feifeng had brought Mu Qing and others from the Silent Cloud Sect to the village for a temporary stay. The mention of a "secret treasure" had piqued their interest, especially after recalling the mysterious light they had seen earlier, overshadowing their initial plans to venture into Spirit Mountain for treasure.

Thus, Feishi, leveraging the reputation of the Silent Cloud Sect, had assembled a posse to confront Chu Haoyun.

Chu Haoyun stepped forward boldly and declared, "I am the one you're looking for. Leave Grandpa Village Chief out of this."

"Father, that's him! The wild brat!" Feihu pointed at Chu Haoyun, shouting repeatedly. Upon catching Chu Haoyun's gaze, Feihu was so frightened that he hastily retreated two steps, taking cover behind Feishi.

"What a disgrace!" Feishi's brow furrowed slightly. He was seething inside. Feihu had foolishly lodged his complaint without assessing the situation, and now, any secret treasure would default to the possession of the Silent Cloud Sect.

Nevertheless, Feishi saw an opportunity to leverage the Silent Cloud Sect's power to eradicate Tharannora Village and settle old scores. With a chilling look, he commanded the elder village chief, "Have him surrender the secret treasure he pilfered from my son and then come with us to apologize in front of Feilong's quarters."

Chu Haoyun had already been aware of the reputation of Jackal's Maw's inhabitants for being unruly and overbearing. Feishi's demeanor today only reinforced that notion.

Maintaining his dignity, Chu Haoyun responded, "What secret treasure? I'm clueless about that. They sought me out first, insulted my elders, and even tried to kill me. I merely defended myself out of necessity."

"Hmph!" Feishi shot Chu Haoyun a disdainful look and rebuked, "Silence. When an elder speaks, a wild child like you has no place to interject!"

"Feishi, you're crossing the line," the old village chief protested, shaking with indignation.

"Crossing the line? He harmed my son. Isn't that crossing the line?" A glint of malice flickered in Feishi's eyes.

With a menacing smirk, Feishi surveyed the crowd and addressed them warmly, "Ladies and gentlemen, beneath the vast skies of the Silent Cloud Sect, we ought to live in harmony and strive together to forge a sanctified realm. Yet this young upstart has already shown a propensity for thievery and violence. What if he grows bolder? Could he then resort to murder for treasure? How can our Silent Cloud Sect's sanctuary abide such a contemptible youth?"

Feishi lobbed a grand accusation and simultaneously managed to suck up to the Silent Cloud Sect.

"Indeed, how could such wickedness occur in the hallowed grounds of the Silent Cloud Sect?"

"Aren't you aware? He's a feral child found in the woods. His parents must have recognized his malevolent nature and abandoned him there for the beasts to devour. Unexpectedly, he was rescued by this worthless village."

As Feishi's words hung in the air, the people of Jackal's Maw murmured incessantly, infuriating the Tharannora villagers who were itching to retaliate but restrained themselves.

"Your two sons have been no strangers to such deeds..." The old village chief was cut off mid-sentence by Feishi, who retorted, "All I saw was Feilong's arm broken!"

"The epitome of shamelessness!"

Feishi, far from embarrassed, only smirked with self-satisfaction.

Chu Haoyun observed Feishi's antics with a detached air, his youth belying his deep understanding of the jungle's harsh laws. Amid the jeers from Jackal's Maw, a discordant voice rang out—light and brittle, yet it resonated with everyone present.

"Grandpa, you're right. They are utterly shameless!" The little girl, clutching the hand of an elegantly dressed elder, looked disdainfully at the people of Jackal's Maw. The elder chuckled and affectionately patted her head.

The innocent remark didn't offend but certainly made for an uncomfortable moment.

Mu Qing, standing before Feifeng, approached with a smile, the very picture of a dashing young noble.

"Little one, fear not. I am Mu Qing, a disciple of the Inner Sect, and I will ensure justice is served on your behalf." Mu Qing's smile belied his deep-seated loathing for Feishi. The elder, though not a member of the Silent Cloud Sect, wielded significant influence within it. With the situation now awkward, Mu Qing felt compelled to intervene.

"Can you truly deliver justice?" Chu Haoyun asked coolly. Without his presence as a member of the Silent Cloud Sect, how much more would the old village chief and the others have endured? Mu Qing, with a benevolent smile, assured him, "Certainly. But you must return what you've taken from others, as that is only right."

Regarding the injury to Feishi's son, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and suggest an apology will suffice." Mu Qing reflected briefly before addressing Feishi.

Feishi hesitated, caught by Mu Qing's firm gaze, and finally sighed in resignation. "Young Master Mu, since you've spoken, I'll let the matter of the stolen treasure go. However, my son's arm was broken. If I don't respond, what will people think of me? Let's do this: I won't lay a hand on him. If he can withstand three punches from Feifeng and then apologize to Feilong, we'll consider the matter resolved."

Feishi's tactics were deviously cunning. Feifeng, an eighth-level Body Forging warrior and Feilong's nephew, was an Outer Sect disciple of the Silent Cloud Sect. With this status, even if Feifeng were to accidentally kill Chu Haoyun, the residents of Tharannora wouldn't dare retaliate.

Chu Haoyun was seething with anger. Feilong and his group had instigated the conflict, yet now they were accusing him of theft and assault. Mu Qing and Feishi were conspiring to cast him, the actual victim, as the villain, demanding he apologize to the very people who had caused the trouble. His youth was no shield for his rage, which was unmistakably evident.

Mu Qing's brow furrowed as he spoke, "What's the matter? Feishi has dropped the issue of the treasure, and you're still not content?"

"Silent Cloud Sect, I see now," Chu Haoyun inhaled deeply, his gaze resolute. In this merciless jungle of a world, it was clear that only strength could make one's voice heard.