CHAPTER 7

As Kelin's cultivation level reached Novice 7th stage, he embarked on his journey to meet Zaran, his old friend. Along the way, he decided to test his skills and the effectiveness of his villain cultivation technique.

Stopping at a remote village, Kelin encountered a man whose demeanor irked him. The man, with a weathered face and hardened gaze, seemed to radiate an air of defiance.

"Watch where you're going, old man," Kelin remarked, his tone laced with thinly veiled contempt.

The man regarded Kelin with a steely glare. "Mind your tongue, young one. Disrespect earns you no favors here."

Kelin chuckled, unfazed by the man's warning. "Oh, I'm not here for favors. I'm here for a challenge."

The man raised an eyebrow, his expression a mixture of curiosity and skepticism. "A challenge, you say? You're looking for trouble, boy."

Kelin grinned, a glint of excitement dancing in his eyes. "Trouble finds me wherever I go. But enough talk. Let's see what you're made of."

With that, Kelin launched into a barrage of verbal jabs, each barb aimed at goading the man into a confrontation. The man, though initially hesitant, soon found himself drawn into the verbal sparring match, his temper flaring with each taunt.

"Listen here, old man, we don't want to fight," the man cautioned, his voice tinged with warning.

"Try me," Kelin shot back, his tone daring the man to engage.

Their exchange escalated, tensions mounting with each passing moment. Kelin's words grew sharper, more cutting, as he deliberately provoked the man's ire.

"You think you're tough, huh?" Kelin taunted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You're nothing but a washed-up relic, clinging to past glory."

The man's nostrils flared, his fists clenching at his sides. "You'll regret those words, boy. I'll teach you some respect."

In that moment, Kelin seized control, his fingers deftly weaving the intricate patterns of his villainous technique. With a swift motion, he planted a qi string behind the man's neck, channeling his energy into the invisible tether.

As the qi was siphoned from the man's body, he staggered, his resolve weakening with each passing second. Despite his valiant efforts, he was no match for Kelin's cunning manipulation of qi.

With a final surge of energy, the man collapsed to the ground, his consciousness slipping away as his energy was drained. Though the man retained his cultivation level, he was left weakened, his qi reserves depleted.

Unfazed by the repercussions of his actions, Kelin stood victorious, a triumphant smirk gracing his features. To him, the encounter was merely another step on his path to enlightenment, a testament to his unwavering determination and indomitable will.

As Kelin absorbed the Qi from the man he provoked, he felt a surge of energy coursing through his veins, invigorating every fiber of his being. The raw power of his victim's cultivation flowed into him, filling him with a sense of newfound strength and vitality.

With each passing moment, Kelin could feel his own cultivation advancing at an unprecedented rate. The Qi he had stolen from his unwitting adversary fuelled his ascent, propelling him forward on his journey towards mastery.

In the wake of his victory, Kelin found himself elevated to heights previously thought unattainable. No longer bound by the limitations of his former self, he stood on the precipice of a new dawn, ready to embrace the challenges that lay ahead.

As he reached the 9th stage of the Novice realm, Kelin's understanding of the Dao deepened, and his control over his Qi became more refined than ever before. He could sense the subtle fluctuations of energy around him, attuning himself to the rhythms of the world with unparalleled precision.

With his newfound power, Kelin's journey took on a renewed sense of purpose. As he continued on his path towards enlightenment, he vowed to wield his strength wisely, to carve out his destiny with the precision of a master craftsman.

For Kelin, the road ahead was fraught with peril and uncertainty, but he faced the challenges head-on, secure in the knowledge that he had the strength and determination to overcome whatever obstacles stood in his way.

And so, with each step forward, Kelin's legend grew, his name whispered in hushed tones by those who witnessed his ascent. For he was no longer just a scholar turned cultivator; he was a force to be reckoned with, a beacon of hope in a world shrouded in darkness.

Indeed, Kelin's journey was not governed by the conventional notions of morality. He traversed the realms of cultivation with a singular focus: to ascend to greater heights of power and mastery. To him, the concepts of good and bad were but fleeting shadows, insignificant in the pursuit of his ultimate goal.

Driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge and strength, Kelin saw no distinction between right and wrong. He was willing to employ any means necessary to further his cultivation, even if it meant resorting to methods deemed unethical by society.

For Kelin, the ends always justified the means. Whether it was manipulating others to enhance his own qi reserves or engaging in morally dubious practices, he remained steadfast in his commitment to self-improvement.

In his quest for enlightenment, Kelin embraced the darkness within, harnessing its power to fuel his ascent. He understood that true strength lay in the ability to transcend conventional boundaries, to embrace the full spectrum of human experience without reservation.

Thus, Kelin walked a path shrouded in shadow, guided by his own inner compass rather than the moral dictates of society. In his eyes, morality was but a fleeting illusion, a construct born of human frailty and ignorance. Only by transcending such limitations could he hope to achieve true greatness.