Volume One: First Signs of Brilliance Chapter 102: A Windfall Beyond Measure!

“No, that kid definitely wasn’t hiding his cultivation before.” The man was startled by the sudden surge in Wang Jue’s strength, and the greed in his eyes grew even more intense. “If that’s not the case, then he must have some secret technique that allows for rapid breakthroughs. I must get my hands on it!”

With that thought, his spear swept out like a dragon’s tail, striking fiercely and ruthlessly at Wang Jue’s waist and abdomen.

The gulf between the Spirit-Nurturing Realm and the Red Star Realm was immense.

With a dull boom, Wang Jue failed to dodge in time and was sent flying. He skidded over ten meters across the ground, crashing hard into a tree trunk before coming to a halt.

Gritting his teeth against the searing pain, Wang Jue wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Anger flared within him. “You really think you’ve got me? Let’s see who dies first!”

The man laughed heartily, shaking off the numbness in his arm. “I’m really in luck today. Not only can I kill the Blood Wolf King, but I can also seize the secret to rapid cultivation!” His eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty excitement.

He had never seen Wang Jue as a threat—from the Body Tempering Realm to the Spirit-Nurturing Realm, in his eyes, Wang Jue was nothing but trash to be crushed at will. Such was the confidence of a Red Star Realm martial artist.

Standing above Wang Jue with a haughty air, he looked down as if regarding his captive. “Kid, hand over the secret technique willingly and spare yourself—”

But before he could finish, an even more powerful aura surged from Wang Jue, involuntarily radiating outward.

The man’s voice rang out, “Or face pain and suffering—I promise I’ll make it quick—”

He was abruptly cut off. Wang Jue snapped his head up, eyes fierce and wild, and spat two words: “Keep dreaming!”

In the next instant, an explosively savage sword light erupted from his hand. He darted forward, his speed even swifter than before.

A piercing sound split the air, sharper and shriller than ever.

“Refuse a toast, you’ll drink a forfeit!” The man’s anger boiled over. With a cold snort, he sneered, “Stubborn fool!”

His spear thrust out once more, a flash of light exploding in the air with a terrifying, ear-splitting roar.

Once again, the two forces collided.

Feeling the power through his weapon, the man’s expression darkened instantly. What’s going on? How has his strength increased so drastically all of a sudden? It must be because I’m injured—damn it, I can’t drag this out any longer!

With a murderous glint, he barked, “Hand over the secret technique, now!”

“Keep dreaming.” Wang Jue growled through clenched teeth, his face cold and fearless.

Before the man could respond, Wang Jue suddenly launched himself forward like a cannonball, sword in hand, striking with even greater ferocity and dominance than ever before.

A violent gale erupted from the blade, whipping the air around them into a frenzy. The very atmosphere seemed to convulse.

Sword light exploded. Sparks flew wildly. The surrounding air burst forth like a detonated warhead, unleashing a mighty shockwave.

The two figures clashed again, their battle sending tremors rippling for hundreds of meters. Even the blood wolves, drawn by the scent of blood, howled in terror and scattered. Trees toppled in swathes.

With star power surging, Wang Jue seemed almost invulnerable, his strength soaring. More importantly, his reckless, life-for-life fighting style unsettled the man deeply. “You lunatic! You’re insane!”

Wang Jue said nothing, jaw clenched tight. All he could do was radiate a savage aura, cutting down with his sword again and again.

Seeing Wang Jue’s desperate, reckless assault, the man’s face grew uglier by the moment. A Red Star Realm martial artist, unable to defeat someone from the Spirit-Nurturing Realm after all this time? The humiliation would be unspeakable if word got out.

What enraged him even more was that he’d actually been wounded!

Drip…

He heard the sound of blood trickling from his arms onto the ground. The urge to tear Wang Jue limb from limb was overwhelming. “You have no idea what the Red Star Realm is truly capable of!”

Wang Jue spat out a mouthful of blood, retorting scornfully, “I think you’re the one who knows nothing about me.”

With that, he slashed his sword onto the man’s spear, sending a shower of sparks flying.

The man twisted, stabbing with his spear. Just as the tip was about to pierce Wang Jue, Wang Jue parried with his blade, deflecting the point aside.

Missing his mark, the man swung his spear hard, smashing it against Wang Jue.

Wang Jue let out a muffled grunt, his feet digging into the ground. The pain in his shoulder was excruciating, as if his bones were about to shatter, but he ground his teeth and let blood seep through them rather than cry out.

Pushed to the edge, Wang Jue’s fury boiled over. He stubbornly withstood the man’s power. With his left hand, he grabbed the spear, roaring, “Die!”

The man’s expression changed drastically. He tried to yank the spear back, but found himself unable to do so in that instant.

Wang Jue’s right hand swung his sword straight at the man’s head.

“Damn!” The man dodged desperately—his head escaped the blow, but his left shoulder was slashed, a jet of blood shooting out and exposing bone.

Fiery pain nearly twisted his face out of shape.

With a hideous snarl, he roared, “You little bastard, I’ll kill you—”

But before he could finish, Wang Jue was upon him again.

Blades and spears clashed in a storm of light and shadow. The two figures tangled together once more.

Thunderous crashes shook the earth and mountains as the battle raged from the outskirts of Blood Wolf Valley deep into its heart, the carnage reaching its peak.

“No! I don’t want to die! I refuse to die!” Suddenly, a shrill, despairing howl echoed through the forest.

A sword pierced the man’s chest even as his own blade stabbed through Wang Jue’s abdomen.

With two heavy thuds, both crashed to the ground like falling stars, raising a cloud of dust.

Wang Jue survived. Beside him lay the man’s corpse, eyes wide with unwillingness.

Having survived by a hair’s breadth, Wang Jue lay in a pool of blood, staring up at the crimson sky. No clouds drifted above—only a stillness as cold and hopeless as a dead lake.

After a moment, he struggled to his feet with his sword, gulping in fresh air.

Looking down at the corpse, he spat out a mouthful of blood. “So what if you’re Red Star Realm—you’re dead by my hand all the same!”

Just as Wang Jue was about to leave, countless scarlet eyes suddenly appeared in the surrounding underbrush.

Unfazed, he kicked the man’s corpse with a bang, sending it flying.

At once, the forest shook as a horde of blood wolves surged forward, tearing into the body in a frenzy.

As night fell and his wounds weighed heavily, Wang Jue killed a dozen blood wolves that blocked his path before returning to the place where he and the man had first met. There, he found the man’s pack.

Inside were the Blood Wolf King’s wild essence bead, some materials, and over a dozen medicinal herbs.

“Not bad, this haul is worth it.” Wang Jue grinned, wincing as the movement pulled at his wounds. “Damn…”

After a while, having caught his breath, he headed for where he had buried his own loot.

He’d already decided: collect all his spoils and get out of here—who knew if that terrifying man had come alone or with others. Either way, it wasn’t safe to linger.

He had no intention of returning anytime soon; better to wait for things to settle before coming back.

…

Two hours later.

Wang Jue finally left Blood Wolf Valley. In the man’s spoils, he’d found a healing herb and swallowed it without hesitation, tending his wounds as he traveled.

By the time he emerged from the valley, most of his injuries had healed.

Because he always ended up covered in blood, Wang Jue had developed the habit of hiding a set of clean clothes outside the valley for a quick change.

He didn’t head straight home. Instead, he waited until full dark, then changed into fresh clothes and carried his spoils to a small alley beside the martial arts academy, where he pulled out his phone and called Monkey.

The phone rang a few times before connecting.

Wang Jue gave him no chance to speak: “Bro, can you handle the Blood Wolf King’s corpse?”

Monkey was stunned into silence. After a moment, his voice trembled with excitement, “Of course I can! Tell me where you are, I’ll come get you right away.”

“Same place as always. Just hop the wall.” Wang Jue replied simply.

He knew exactly why his senior was so excited, but he didn’t care. All he wanted now was to sell his materials, take a hot bath, and get a good night’s sleep.

Monkey hung up at once.

About twenty seconds later—

Bang!

Monkey vaulted over the wall of the academy and hurried to Wang Jue, eyes shining. “Bro, where’s the Blood Wolf King loot? Let me see!”

“Here, in this bag. Take a look for yourself.” Wang Jue handed over the bag.

Monkey opened it hurriedly, his whole body trembling with excitement. “Damn, the Blood Wolf King really lives up to its name—its materials still radiate such pressure even in death.”

“Look at this pelt, these fangs, these limbs, these claws…”

“Too bad—the pelt’s badly damaged, so it’s not worth much.”

“One fang is broken, and the other’s got a crack—only two are in decent shape.”

“Of the bones in the limbs and body, half are intact, the rest are cracked or broken.”

“Hmm, well, at least the four main claws are almost perfectly preserved.”

After a long inventory, Monkey glanced at the other bags stuffed with ordinary blood wolf materials, did some quick calculations, and said, “Junior Wang, the regular blood wolf materials come to six million. How’s that?”

“Fine, I have no objection,” Wang Jue nodded.

Seeing no pushback, Monkey grew more serious. “The Blood Wolf King is a tier-three star beast. Even with more than half the materials damaged, they’re worth much more than tier-one blood wolves. I won’t cheat you—I’ll buy them at a price twenty percent above the usual market rate for tier-three star beasts. That’s four million. Together with the regular blood wolf materials, that’s ten million total. How about it?”

“No problem, let’s do it your way.”

“Bank transfer?”

“Transfer!”