C10 The Rebellion Everyone Was in Danger!

After Wang Pingfan ventured deeper into the forest, he discovered that the main group had vanished without a trace. Left with no choice, he proceeded cautiously on his own.

He was well aware that the inner reaches of Mount Tempest were home to several Tier 3 Demonic Beasts. The Autumn Hunting Competition was, in truth, confined to the periphery; even the intermediate zones harbored Tier 2 Demonic Beasts, on par with the human Martial Master realm—a level they couldn't hope to match.

Wang Pingfan hadn't gone far when he abruptly spun around, his expression icy. Two massive black bears, nearly three meters tall, burst from the trees behind him, baring their teeth and with fresh blood still visible at the corners of their mouths. It seemed they had just finished a feast and were now looking for more trouble. The bears, eyeing Wang Pingfan's slight frame, charged at him with a roar.

With a cold laugh, Wang Pingfan assessed the bears' aura, which suggested they were roughly equivalent to a human Five-star Martial Cultivator. Given that Demonic Beasts were inherently stronger than humans, even a Six-star Martial Cultivator might struggle against them, let alone two simultaneously. Yet, it was their misfortune to encounter Wang Pingfan.

He charged at the bears, his fist clenched, and threw a punch that resounded with explosive force. One bear was sent flying, crashing through several large trees, its life force extinguished. The other bear, stricken with terror, realized its companion had been slain with a single blow and turned to flee.

Wang Pingfan examined his fist with a sense of satisfaction, marveling that a mere five strikes had sufficed to kill the bear. He doubted even a Six-star Martial Cultivator could withstand such a punch. Watching the fleeing bear, he sneered, "Hmph, do you think you can escape?"

Like a gust of wind, Wang Pingfan swiftly caught up to the escaping bear and delivered another punch. The bear let out a roar, attempting to retaliate, but it was too late. The punch struck squarely on its back, and the bear fell, lifeless.

Drawing a dagger from his leg, Wang Pingfan pierced the skulls of the two black bears and extracted their demonic cores. He pondered, "So this is a demonic core? I've only read about them in books. These are the points for the competition; I can't let you slip away."

Wang Pingfan had been an orphan since childhood, and for him, slaughtering chickens and ducks was routine. He even once assisted a butcher in killing a pig. To Wang Pingfan, taking down a bear was no different than dealing with a larger animal, though he couldn't help feeling a bit of excitement inside.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind, "Level 1 biological energy detected. Would you like to absorb it?"

Startled, Wang Pingfan wondered what biological energy was. The system clarified, "Actually, the advancement of a person's cultivation is an accumulation of biological energy. The system can directly transform and channel this energy into your body, Master, allowing your cultivation to rise immediately."

"What? Is that even possible? If I had an endless supply of biological energy, couldn't I become invincible?" Wang Pingfan exclaimed in astonishment.

The system responded, "That's not possible, Master. Your body must be able to endure it. If it can't, the influx of too much biological energy would cause your body to burst and lead to death. Furthermore, as your cultivation progresses, your spirit must also develop in tandem. Otherwise, you'll become nothing more than a walking corpse. In many powerful factions, if your mental fortitude and body can withstand it, your cultivation can be elevated directly, saving you the time it would take to slowly accumulate biological energy."

Wang Pingfan was amazed. "So it's possible."

It seemed his perspective had been too narrow. Among his peers in the vastness of space, many had likely already ascended to incredible heights. "Enough with the sentimentality, Master. As I mentioned, only a select few elites in major forces receive such treatment. Just keep working hard, and you'll be no less than them in the future," the system consoled him.

Indeed, he was just an ordinary person who had been given the extraordinary chance to travel to this world. The fact that he could look forward to a remarkable future was already beyond belief. Wang Pingfan cast aside his trivial concerns and pressed on.

Throughout his journey, Wang Pingfan faced numerous demonic beasts, none of which could withstand a single punch from him. Among them was a beast on par with a Seven Star Martial Cultivator, its power comparable to that of an Eight Star Martial Cultivator. Any team encountering such a creature would have no choice but to retreat. Even Wang Pingfan had to exert considerable effort to defeat it.

Despite their journey thus far, they hadn't encountered a single team and were clueless about their condition. Suddenly, Wang Pingfan heard the clash of combat ahead. "Zhao Donglai, Qian Fugui, what's the meaning of this? Weren't we only supposed to target those who opposed me? What are you up to now?"

Zhao Donglai and Qian Fugui exchanged glances and burst into laughter. "Oh, Wang Yan, are you truly naive, or just feigning ignorance? We can't pass up such an opportunity. We're going to capture all of you at once. Before long, the Wang family will be forced off the stage in Rerora."

"You're breaking your promise! If I die, my father will surely expose your deeds, and you won't be able to escape the consequences," Wang Yan roared.

"Hahaha, Wang Yan, you're hopelessly naive. We won't get our hands dirty. After we've taken you all captive, we'll just find some demon beasts to finish the job. Who could trace it back to us? Even if your father speaks out, the Wang family will have to deal with him. Besides, with all of you dead, there will be no witnesses to speak against us. If these are your final words, we're ready to act," the Zhao and Qian families taunted, encircling the Wang family members.

From within the ranks of the Wang family, someone accused, "Curse you, Wang Yan, you traitor! None of this would've happened if it weren't for you."

"Enough bickering," interjected a young woman. "We need to figure out how to escape."

"Escape? Don't even dream of it. Today, none of you will get away. Wang Qingshui, I've heard you're the most beautiful of the Wang family's younger generation. Seeing you now, I must say, the rumors don't do you justice. Perhaps if you entertain us, we might consider sparing you. And the other Wang family women are quite lovely too. If you kneel and plead, maybe you'll earn yourselves a chance," jeered a voice from the Zhao and Qian ranks.

With a defiant tone, Wang Qingshui retorted, "Don't get ahead of yourselves. If even one of us escapes and reports this to the City Lord's Palace, they won't stand for your actions against us, in their interest to maintain balance among our families."

"You're absolutely right; the City Lord's Palace would intervene, but only if you manage to escape first. See this pill in my hand? It's a Qi Burst Pill, specially concocted for you," Zhao Donglai said, producing a pill from his pocket with a grin.

Members of the Wang family gasped in disbelief. "Impossible! Before ascending Mount Tempest, all three families thoroughly checked each other. We agreed to bring only healing pills. How on earth did you smuggle this in?"

"How did I smuggle it in? Simple—I bribed your inspectors. Without such basic precautions, how could I possibly confront you? It's entirely due to Wang Yan's foolishness. If you still had the strength to fight, we might have had some use for you. But now, it's clear you were just too naive," Zhao Donglai chuckled.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yan coughed up another mouthful of blood. He had enticed the Wang family into a trap, not anticipating that he would be severely wounded the moment they fell into it. His frustration was palpable.