A Week after Lin Yuan got into Peak Stage..

"Where the hell can I find this so-called Mid-Tier food," Lin Yuan grunted, walking in the market of the city. "I wasted a whole week cultivating wild berries and some rank 1 beast cores, but yesterday I got to know a thing about ascension to the next stage."

Yesterday in the cultivation academy...

"Darn it.. Fuck... Why is my beast essence not growing?" Lin Yuan shrieked, throwing a bunch of wild berries away. He walked quickly, thinking how to break into the next realm.

"Because it has a specific requirement for that, brat," Mo Qinghe stated, standing five paces away at the entrance of the newbie training hall. "Anger is not a solution."

Lin Yuan halted, tilting his head back slightly to exchange a glance at Mo Qinghe. Mo Qinghe walked inside the training hall.

"It’s too early, brat, no student has arrived at the academy, but you are already in the training hall," Mo Qinghe mumbled, picking up a bunch of wild berries on the ground. "Say, why are you so anxious?"

"Master, I just came to see Chen Ming, but he was asleep," Lin Yuan whispered, his voice calm and gentle. "So I came here to cultivate with the wild berries. But for 6 days, no matter what I feed my turtle beast and try to refine it... I still can’t break through into Spirit Beast Realm. I don’t know why, could you help me with it?"

’Although, he has an uncommon beast as a core beast, this monster was already in the Peak stage of Baby Beast Realm?’ Mo Qinghe analysed, staring at Lin Yuan. ’How can he grow so fast? What secret is he using?’

"Don’t worry, which food you used to feed your beast?" Mo Qinghe grilled, his eyes focused with a sharp grin.

"Umm... Small Mushrooms, Rank 1 beast cores, Spirit Grass, and yeah now these wild berries, master," Lin Yuan retorted, his face filled with disappointment.

"Hahaha..." Mo Qinghe laughed.

"Why are you laughing master?" Lin Yuan scowled, clicking his tongue.

"Sorry, brat, but those foods are mere waste when you are in the Peak stage," Mo Qinghe deflated, placing a hand on Lin Yuan’s shoulder. "Listen... Those are low tier and low rank resources. A cultivator can gain good beast essence with them in Baby Beast Realm Lower and Mid Stage, but when one breaks into Peak stage they will become a mere dross, and they only provide low beast essence in Spirit Beast Realm. To nurture your aperture into Spirit Beast Realm requires a Mid-Tier food like Lotus from River of Origin, Blue Essence Fruit, Crystal Leaf Herbs, but it was not too easy or too difficult. And there is another way, which is forbidden to lower realm cultivators, because one can ascend by attaining Rank 4 or more beast cores. As Baby Beast Realm and Spirit Beast Realm cultivators cannot defeat a Rank 4 beast and their aperture can’t hold the beast essence by Rank 4 beast core, so this method is forbidden."

"Humph... Where can I find Mid-Tier food, master?" Lin Yuan galled, taking a step forward.

"Find it yourself, brat," Mo Qinghe smirked, leaving the training hall.

Mo Qinghe left the hall, and Lin Yuan groaned in anger. "Wasted a week using this low-tier food..."

****

Lin Yuan walked towards his home on the path of the market. He was in a storm of thoughts.

’I think, the mid tier food can be found in the Green Jade forest near River of Origin,’ Lin Yuan sneered, his right hand’s thumb and index fingers tracing his chin.

"Hey Lin Yuan..." A male voice called out from the right side of Lin Yuan. "Chen Ming is awake!"

Lin Yuan whipped his head to the right side. A male guy sprinting towards Lin Yuan. Lin Yuan was in front of a handicraft shop, watching the boy coming towards him. He was a white-haired boy from the academy, his name is Lian Nichang, a Baby Beast Realm - Mid stage cultivator with a wolf as core beast.

"Lian Nichang, why are you he—"

"Chen Ming is fully healed now; he was able to walk," Lian Nichang leaped, halting in front of Lin Yuan. "Thanks to the Apothecary Dan Zhenren, Chen Ming was healed in a week."

"Okay, let’s go to see him!" Lin Yuan smirked, his eyes in faint relief. Lin Yuan and Lian Nichang rushed towards the academy.

****

At the Medic hall

"Are you fine now, Chen Ming?" Dan Zhenren asked, holding Chen Ming’s hand as support to walk.

"Yeah, I am fine, master Dan Zhenren," Chen Ming grunted, offering a pale look towards Dan Zhenren.

Chen Ming grappled to walk, but slowly his steps got steady and firm. Finally, Chen Ming was fully healed after a week.

"Running already, bastard," Lin Yuan whined, standing at the academy gate.

"Not as fast as you, ruthless kid," Chen Ming smirked, raising his head up. "Come let’s go for a walk."

"Huh..?? Take rest, Chen Ming," Lin Yuan wrangled, walking towards Chen Ming.

"I need some fresh air, Lin Yuan," Chen Ming mumbled, his hand landing on Lin Yuan’s shoulder like an anchor, pushing him towards the academy gate. "Let’s go to Qing Feng mountain for a walk."

"Okok! We will go, Chen Ming," Lin Yuan smiled, walking out of the academy with Chen Ming.

Silence followed. Lin Yuan and Chen Ming both are calm, so that their footsteps are louder than anything.

"The wind is kind, isn’t it, Lin Yuan?" Chen Ming’s words finally broke the silence.

"Kind... humph!!" Lin Yuan sighed, watching a lingering wind whipping his hair. "Only for the people who don’t have to fight it. To a sailor on a ship, wind is a predator, not kind. It doesn’t care about the one who fights it, if it wants it can be kind, similarly it can destroy anything ruthlessly."

"Your words are incomprehensible, Lin Yuan," Chen Ming whined, a faint smirk crawling on his lips. "You are talking like a scholar. You see and understand things differently than other children of your age, including me. That’s the reason you are kind at your will and if you want... you can be the most ruthless monster also."

"Ruthless monster... Because I killed Xiao Chen...?" Lin Yuan sneered, taking three steps forward before halting near an oak tree. "I killed him because I sensed a dangerous killing intent from him. If I didn’t kill him, you and I would be dead meat on that day!"

"I ain’t said you are wrong because you killed him," Chen Ming muttered, darting his head towards the straight pathway to Qing Feng mountain. "I am saying that you need to be a ruthless monster to kill a 15 year old boy without a single flinch of emotion in your eyes."

"Why should I flinch?" Lin Yuan urged, turning his head towards Chen Ming. "When I slay the darkness, my heart shall remain cold and absolute. I will not hesitate. I will not falter. Whether it was a sixty-year man or a fifteen-year bastard, I will cut them down if they have killing intent towards me. If this path marks me as a ruthless monster. Yes... I accept that I am a ruthless monster!"

Chen Ming staggered backward, listening to the words of Lin Yuan. For the first time in life, Chen Ming felt a deadly chill in his spine.

’Lin Yuan... Are you really a fifteen-year boy like me?’ Chen Ming frowned, his eyes pale and alone.

"Leave that shitty matter, Chen Ming," Lin Yuan grumbled, closing his eyes. "You know, I am at Peak stage now,"

"W-what?? Really??" Chen Ming replied immediately, strolling towards Lin Yuan. "You broke into the Peak stage just in a week. Do you find any jackpot or what?"

"Hahaha..." Lin Yuan laughed hard, panting heavily due to laughter. "Nah.. Master Mo Qinghe gave the Rank 2 Beast core which I won and the 20 essence stones. With them, I successfully broke into the Peak stage."

It’s a half truth. Lin Yuan hid about the rabbit beast incident from Chen Ming. He didn’t even hesitate when lying. Chen Ming patted Lin Yuan back, which made Lin Yuan take a trip. The laughter of both of them lingered in the howling wind at Qing Feng Mountain.

****

In Green Hollow City... At Xiao Chen’s family residence.

"Its been a week... one student brutally killed our Xiao Chen," A high-pitched man voice echoed in the main hall of Xiao residence. "You bastards, still don’t get to know a mere student’s name."

"Sorry, master, the academy doesn’t reveal the student name," A guard murmured, bowing to the man in front of him. "We will find out from the students of the acade—"

Slash!

A brown fang slashed with impossible speed, severing the guard’s head in a brutal motion. A colossal brown bear stood over the corpse, its fur already stained crimson red. As the remaining guards froze in horror, the beast clamped down the headless corpse, splattering blood and a shredded leg onto the remaining guards.

"Next time, you all will be in his position. Find the name of the student who killed Xiao Chen quickly," The man’s voice rumbled across the hall. The scared guards left the hall with a silent nod, losing their sanity.

The man was Xiao Renjie — Xiao Clan head, father of Xiao Chen, a Core Beast Realm - Mid Stage cultivator. He has dark-brown eyes, his black-white hair whipping sideways messily. Outside the main room, stood a lone figure in despair. She was Xiao Yuelen, mother of Xiao Chen.

"Husband, Xiao Lingtian is back, he was asking for his brother Xiao Chen," Xiao Yuelen mourned, walking towards Xiao Renjie. "I can’t answer. He said he will get a spirit beast meat for Xiao Chen. What should we do now?"

"Lingtian is back?? He is a psychopath..." Xiao Renjie grunted, his head down in despair. "He will destroy every student in the academy, if he knows someone from the academy killed Xiao Chen."

The eerie silence howled in the main room of Xiao residence.