His name was Murong Xiao, and he grew up following his grandfather from a young age.
He wasn’t always called a genius.
Since childhood, he had scaly patterns on him, which often led to being bullied by other kids in the neighborhood.
Every time he came back from the private school looking like a coal miner, his grandfather would tell him he was too good-natured and timid to hit back, even when he was getting punched and kicked.
Only he knew the truth.
When he was faced with a barrage of fists, what scared him wasn’t losing a fight but a voice deep down that whispered:
“I’m hungry.”
So he dared not strike back.
He feared seeing bl**d and losing control to that ravenous monster inside him.
As the years passed, that inner desire gradually faded, and he still maintained his vegetarian habits.
Murong Xiao thought he had become just like everybody else.
Until today.
He had reached the seventh floor of the Divine Edge Cave.
“You are a Jiao, a born big shot, living without consuming bl**d food?”
“Stop underestimating yourself.”
“Return to your true self, and you will never be bullied by the weak again…”
All those years of suppressed instincts hadn’t disappeared.
It was as if a pile of dry grass was accumulating; once it ignited, the flames would spiral out of control.
Just as Murong Xiao felt his consciousness wane, scales began to cover his cheeks.
In the next second…
Someone pried his mouth open and stuffed something inside.
Round and plump.
Before he could figure out what it was, it rolled down his throat.
The miraculous thing was…
His mind quickly cleared up.
Murong Xiao blinked, and before him stood a boy roughly his age, handsome and with a sunshiny smile.
He held a porcelain bottle, the aroma wafting from it was so refreshing it would make anyone feel invigorated.
He recognized him; this was the boy who had also been accepted as a true disciple during the initiation ceremony.
“Wow, you really saved the day.”
Ke Mo let out a sigh of relief.
Goodness, that was close.
In this seventh floor, there were hardly any people, and he was the closest to him.
If Murong Xiao had succumbed to the killing intent, he would likely be the first target.
“Thank you.”
Murong Xiao murmured his gratitude.
Even he understood that it was this boy who had saved him.
What he just swallowed must be some expensive pill.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t have such an immediate effect.
“Thanks, Brother Ke for coming to my aid. I was momentarily careless and fell under the influence of killing intent.”
“It seems there’s more to it than just that, right?”
“Huh?”
Murong Xiao’s expression stiffened as he looked up.
He felt as if the other boy’s sly gaze had seen right through him.
“Actually, I’ve also read about this in an ancient book. It says that half-demons tend to be influenced by their bloodlines.”
“The higher the bloodline rank, the deeper the influence. If not controlled, their demon nature could awaken… Your bloodline must be that of a Jiao…”
“I just saw some horns growing on your head…”
Before Ke Mo could finish, Murong Xiao’s expression changed several times.
Finally, his face turned serious, as if he had made some kind of decision.
Step by step, he slowly approached.
Ke Mo took two cautious steps back.
Could it be that Murong Xiao had some crazy thoughts and wanted to eliminate him?
Just as this thought crossed his mind…
Thump—
Murong Xiao simply went down on his knees.
And did it so firmly that the blue stones beneath him cracked.
“Please, don’t tell anyone.”
Ke Mo: “…..”
The heavens must be blind to label him as good-natured; he really was quite kind-hearted.
He even suspected that if he leaned closer and whispered to Murong Xiao: ‘You wouldn’t want the world to know about your half-demon identity, would you…’
Next, any request he made could be met with compliance.
“Did Elder Han He not know about your half-demon body?”
Suppressing his inner little devil, Ke Mo was puzzled again.
Murong Xiao replied with a bitter smile:
“You know, everyone in Ziyang Mansion calls me the ‘Qilin Child’… that’s actually a lie my grandfather made up.”
After Murong Xiao’s explanation, Little Ke finally understood the whole story.
Ming Jiao was a disaster beast.
If one appeared, it would stir up a bloody storm.
Years ago, Murong Xiao’s father took a woman—Murong Xiao’s mother.
They got married shortly after.
But it wasn’t until she became pregnant that the old master of the Murong family realized his son was a tough cookie, stronger than any hero.
A lot of things happened in between.
In the end, Murong Xiao was born safe and sound.
The old master knew the secret of the half-demon body couldn’t be hidden, so he decided to spread some rumors around the city instead.
Over the years, everyone in Ziyang Mansion believed Murong Xiao had some bloodline of a water qilin.
Qilins were auspicious beasts.
Before long, Murong Xiao had earned the nickname ‘Qilin Child.’
“…….”
Ke Mo was shocked.
Your whole family is made of tough cookies!
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep my lips sealed.”
“Even if I don’t say anything, you’ll eventually slip up.”
“Sigh…”
Murong Xiao fell into a long silence and sighed deeply.
Did he not know that?
Even if he got past today, what about tomorrow?
As a martial artist, he couldn’t just be a nice guy forever, could he?
Just then, Murong Xiao suddenly brightened up:
“By the way, what pill did Brother Ke just give me?”
“Here, it’s called the Clear Heart Pill.”
Ke Mo handed him the bottle.
“Clear Heart Pill?”
“I’ve had it before; it shouldn’t have such an effect…”
Murong Xiao poured one out, examined it, and his expression dimmed again.
This was indeed a Clear Heart Pill.
But it was… a six-pattern one!
A six-pattern pill, even for the simplest healing pills, was a rare find, its worth far exceeding the pill itself.
No wonder the effect was so impressive…
Even though the Murong family had considerable sway in Ziyang Mansion, such a treasure was still hard to come by.
Because even if one was made, alchemists usually wouldn’t trade them.
“Alright, I’ll take my leave, I still need to practice.”
At that moment, Ke Mo waved his hand.
“Brother Ke, wait! Your pill!”
“Keep it for yourself. A man’s knees are covered in gold; it’s only fair you received such a great favor.”
“Huh?”
“As for the bloodline issue, I’ll dig out that ancient book and see if there’s a solution.”
“Huh?!”
Murong Xiao stood there stunned, kneeling on the ground.
He too had grown up with a silver spoon in his mouth, but this was the first time he felt like poverty had limited his imagination.
No way, dude.
A six-pattern pill.
And not just one, but an entire bottle!
He didn’t even know how much it was worth.
For someone who needed it, this was priceless.
Murong Xiao suddenly felt a little regretful.
Since he was already kneeling, he should have just knocked his head a couple more times.
He wanted to catch up and at least say a couple of thank-yous.
But just a few steps out, he found he could no longer move forward.
“Brother Ke! Ke Mo!”
“That’s the third floor!”
Murong Xiao’s voice echoed in the cave.
With his own bodily strength, he could only make it to the mid-second floor.
Reaching the third level of the Divine Edge Cave?
Just the thought sent chills down his spine!
“No way, Brother Ke just rescued me; I can’t let him get in trouble!”
“If I can’t handle the third floor, then I’ll have to seek my master…”
Murong Xiao quickly scrambled to his feet.
He dashed towards the Divine Edge Cave.
But Little Ke was completely unaware of this.
As he walked, he saw a message from the system pop up:
【You have a pending investment feedback. Do you wish to claim it?】
“No.”
Ke Mo stepped into the third floor, fully focused.
Looking up, he saw various weapons embedded in the rock walls.
Each of these weapons had once belonged to masters of the inner realm.
Seeing them was like catching glimpses of their past lives.
He could envision them stabbing into someone’s body, wielded by the masters as they fought brutally against enemies.
Just like that, the killing aura emanating from these weapons surged, amplified many times over!
On this floor, perhaps there were still others.
At least outside of Ke Mo’s sight.
“This should be about right.”
“If I go down further, even with my Extreme Battle Body, I might still face danger.”
Ke Mo found a blue stone to sit on.
He first pulled out a gourd and took a couple of hearty swigs.
Ice Fire Wine.
Entering his mouth, it felt like a cool spring in the mountains, refreshing and crisp. Yet, once it hit his stomach, it felt like it was igniting, warming every inch of his meridians, fascia, and even bones.
“Let’s begin!”
Ke Mo exhaled a breath of alcohol, crunched up the Clear Heart Pill, and gulped it down.
He began to circulate his energy.
As he activated his Extreme Battle Body, that killing aura washed over his body.
Ouch!
Ke Mo’s forehead beaded with sweat as he grit his teeth and persevered.
It felt as if his muscles were being constantly polished like stubborn rocks, gradually revealing their glimmer, growing ever stronger.
The potency of the Ice Fire Wine acted as a lubricant, enhancing the tempering effect while also promoting muscle restructuring.
Sweat drenched his clothes as steam rose from his head.
Little Ke instinctively felt how excruciatingly painful it was to undergo brutal training.
But he was already invested!
After some trial and error, he began to incorporate his meridians into the process of tempering.
Buzz—
Just as Ke Mo was honing his skills, the weapons embedded in the stone walls seemed to sense something, all starting to tremble violently.
