Volume 1, Chapter 8: Benefactor, Adversary

Chu Ge felt a sudden, sharp pain in his forehead, as if it were splitting open. He clutched his head with both hands and slammed it against the headboard, hoping to alleviate the agony. Only after five minutes did the pain slowly subside.

Chu Ge hurried to the mirror to examine his forehead. He discovered a silver mark in the center, shaped like an "S" with both ends curving slightly in opposite directions. Seeing the black sludge covering his body, he was overjoyed.

The Eight-Nine Mystic Art—transforming and refining essence to return to pure Yang. He had already completed the first transformation and refinement, qualifying him as a Tier 1 body-refining practitioner. As for the S-shaped mark between his brows, it was naturally the first divine ability bestowed by the Eight-Nine Mystic Art: the Eye of the Heavenly Dao, commonly known as the Heavenly Eye.

This eye could look up to the Nine Heavens, gaze down into the Nine Underworlds, observe the three thousand great worlds from afar, and peer into the smallest mustard-seed worlds nearby. It could also unleash beams of immense destructive power, though it was extremely draining on spiritual energy. With the meager amount of energy currently in his body, a single shot would leave him completely spent.

Chu Ge reached out, stroked the S-shaped mark, and channeled a wisp of spiritual energy into it. The mark slowly split open, the gap widening until a silver eyeball emerged from within. This eye was devoid of any emotion, like a deity coldly looking down upon the mortal world—entirely divine, lacking any humanity. Below it, his two human eyes were filled with human emotion, forming a striking contrast.

Chu Ge cut off the flow of energy, and the Heavenly Eye snapped shut, returning to its S-shaped form. It would only open when he chose to use it. This brought him relief; having an eyeball stuck to his forehead was unsettling, to say the least.

Beyond reaching Tier 1 and awakening the Heavenly Eye, his F-rank "Void Fire" talent had successfully evolved into the A-rank "Golden Flame." Chu Ge slowly extended his hands, and a cluster of golden flames suddenly appeared in his palms. The heat was terrifying; the room filled with scorching air, and his dog, Xiao Heizi, could not help but pant incessantly, tongue lolling out.

Chu Ge closed his eyes, familiarizing himself with the power of the Golden Flame. A moment later, he remarked, "This Golden Flame... it’s truly terrifying." Even a small cluster could melt ten pounds of steel into liquid in just five seconds. Beyond its extreme temperature, it possessed the mystical ability to devour an enemy's spiritual energy in battle.

Chu Ge closed his eyes and cast his consciousness into his sea of energy, where his diary floated above. After his body’s transformation, the diary had entered his dantian, merging with him. The diary flipped open to a new page of its own accord.

[Congratulations on becoming a Tier 1 practitioner. It took me six months after the spiritual recovery to reach this stage; you have already far surpassed my achievements.]

"It is only Tier 1," Chu Ge dared not be complacent. Finally, he asked, "Let’s continue from before. Who is Su Ran? Who do you want me to kill?"

[Su Ran is your savior. I awakened the most useless F-rank talent and only managed to survive for ten years in the era of spiritual recovery because I was under her care for a long time. Su Ran was one of the top practitioners of the human race in that era. She awakened the SSS-rank talent "Flawless Sword Body" and was known as the Green Lotus Sword Immortal, hailed as the peerless killer of her tier. With a single Green Lotus sword, she slaughtered countless demons and beasts, carving out a sanctuary for the human race of Kyushu in those chaotic times.]

Chu Ge took a light breath and asked, "And then?"

[The ending for most heroes is tragic, and Su Ran was no exception. The strongest fortresses are often breached from within. Who could have imagined that the Tianjing Military District would collude with demons to hunt down human prodigies... I died in that catastrophe, too.]

"The Tianjing City Military District?" Chu Ge raised an eyebrow.

[Yes, those animals from the Lin family in Tianjing City—Lin Qing, Lin Long, Lin Qingyan... Su Ran lived in Jiangcheng City. You must find her. Furthermore, a few days before the spiritual recovery begins, the young master of the Lin family, Lin Long, will come to Jiangcheng. You must find an opportunity to finish him off.]

"I understand."

Chu Ge’s eyes flickered. The spiritual recovery was both a time of chaos and a time of great contention. In this life, his path to invincibility would begin with the destruction of the Lin family.

The diary did not mention Su Ran’s specific address, as the author had only met her three years after the spiritual recovery. They knew little about her, only that she had graduated less than six months ago and was currently working at Xingmeng Cosmetics. Although the information was sparse, finding someone in this day and age was hardly a challenge.

...

Late at night, after finishing her day's work, Su Ran was riding her electric scooter home.

Boom.

As she passed the overpass, two vans quickly swerved to surround her. A woman jumped out of a vehicle in a rage, followed by several burly, muscular men. Su Ran recognized the woman—it was the legal wife of the chairman of Xingmeng Cosmetics. Why was she blocking her path in the dead of night?

The woman rushed forward, grabbed Su Ran’s wrist, and roared, "You bitch, I’ve finally caught you!"

"Mrs. Xu, what is this..." Su Ran was stunned. Before she could ask what was happening, the woman slapped her across the face. A stinging, burning pain flared on her cheek.

"Shut up!" Mrs. Xu sneered hideously. "Su Ran, when you seduced my man, you should have expected this day. You dared to touch my husband—you’re courting death."

"You’re quite capable, aren't you? Bewitching my man until he’s lost his soul. If I hadn't checked his phone in private, I might have really let a bitch like you steal him away."

"What seduction? What photos?" Su Ran covered her face, completely bewildered.

"Look at this." Mrs. Xu pulled out her phone, which displayed several photos of Su Ran working diligently in her OL uniform.

Su Ran frowned. The photos were indeed of her, and judging by the angles, they had clearly been taken secretly. But the problem was, what did this have to do with her? She had only been on the job for two days. Was she to bear the stigma of a mistress just because she was the person in the photos?

"Little bitch. Xingmeng Cosmetics is not a place for a rookie like you to enter. I can see you’ve been seducing other people's husbands for more than a day or two."

"What are you standing around for? Break both of her legs for me!" Mrs. Xu stood with her hands on her hips, cold and heartless.

As the words fell, the burly men surrounding her closed in. Su Ran was panic-stricken and began to plead, "No, Mrs. Xu, I beg you. If you let me go, I will do anything."

"Anything?" A playful smile appeared on Mrs. Xu's lips.

Su Ran bit her lower lip, nodding in terror.

"Alright. If you’re willing to ruin your own face, then we'll call it even." Mrs. Xu produced a bottle of concentrated sulfuric acid she had prepared beforehand and handed it to Su Ran.

Su Ran was too perfect. Her features were as exquisite as a painting, her temperament as ethereal as a fairy; she was in no way inferior to a top-tier celebrity. Men coveted her, and women were filled with envy and hatred. Such a perfect woman should not exist. Once her face was ruined, no man would ever want to look at her again. The thought alone was pure pleasure.

Looking at the bottle of acid, Su Ran realized that the woman’s purpose was to destroy her face. She scanned the burly men around her, her delicate body trembling uncontrollably. As a weak woman, how could she possibly resist?

A few passersby saw the scene and scurried away, wishing they had an extra pair of legs to escape faster. There was no helping it; this was an era where trying to be a hero only brought trouble upon oneself. There was no one to save her.

Su Ran closed her eyes in despair.