Chapter Thirty-Seven: Rebirth

He didn't know how much time had passed before he finally woke up. Su Yi shook his head in a daze, feeling his throat parched. He got up and drank a few sips of fresh water, only then realizing that his clothes were torn and filthy beyond repair.

“Ugh… these clothes… Oh, right, last night, after swallowing that pill, my whole body felt like it was being torn apart. I nearly thought I wouldn’t make it!” Thinking back on the events of last night, Su Yi couldn’t help but feel a lingering fear. He couldn’t imagine what possessed him to make such a reckless decision.

He found a fresh set of clothes and changed, all the while wondering what had happened after he lost consciousness. Looking at his pale, almost sickly skin, Su Yi felt somewhat unaccustomed to it—it made him seem weak and frail.

Yet, in truth, he felt a sense of ease and vitality coursing through his body, as if he’d been reborn. There was an unprecedented lightness and strength within him, as though he had inexhaustible energy. His mind, too, was clear and invigorated, brimming with boundless vigor.

He racked his brains but couldn’t fathom the reason. With a helpless sigh, he gave up. “Never mind, it’s not a bad thing anyway… But what time is it now?”

He surveyed the room, erasing any unnecessary traces. Apart from the white mask, the bone scythe, the mysterious black thread, the crystal box with the pills, several combat art scrolls, and the two golden coin cards—all safely stored in his interspatial ring—everything else was unchanged.

He had initially thought to hide the ring somewhere in his room, but recalling the mysterious elder who appeared and disappeared at will and the evil spirit that had somehow invaded his body, Su Yi decided against it. With lingering trepidation, he imprinted his soul mark on the interspatial ring and tucked it securely into his chest.

After making sure everything was in order, he opened the door and stepped outside.

Daylight greeted him, the sun already slanting toward the west. Su Yi looked up in surprise. “It’s already afternoon? Have I slept for several days?”

Outside lay a wide open field. As he walked, he found his steps both steady and light, his movements quick as the wind yet infused with power. It seemed that with the slightest stomp, he could crack the ground beneath his feet! This sensation reminded him of the time he first became a level ten Dou Fighter. Could it be…

His heart skipped a beat, barely containing his excitement. He clenched his fists, glanced around, and moved to a secluded spot.

He looked down at the hard stone ground, planted his feet, tightly clenched his right fist, bent his body, and raised his arm high, gathering all his strength. In the next instant, he smashed his fist downward!

A muffled bang resounded. From the spot where his fist struck, cracks as wide as fingers spread outward, spiderwebbing across the ground! The force shattered the stone, sending shards flying.

He withdrew his hand to find that, at the point of impact, there were no cracks or debris left—only a pile of rock powder, ground to dust by the immense force.

Staring at the astonishing damage, at the yard-long fissures, Su Yi’s eyes widened in disbelief. Such power—he could only achieve something like this before by channeling all his Dou Qi and unleashing his strongest combat art as a level ten Dou Fighter!

Could it be that now, with sheer physical strength alone, he had reached the level of a ten-star Dou Fighter?

A surge of joy nearly made Su Yi laugh aloud.

If this was true, he had regained his formidable strength! All the doubts, ridicule, and contempt would be utterly swept away before this power! At eighteen years old and with the strength of a level ten Dou Fighter, he was once again the foremost genius of Changling City!

Wiping his face with both hands to calm himself, Su Yi gradually regained composure. Though the past year had brought all manner of treatment, it had also taught him much, making him wiser and more mature. Even now, excitement quickly gave way to tranquility.

Could all this have happened because of that mysterious pill? He’d already taken it, and now only remembered that it was black. Given the eccentric elder’s twisted experiments, was that pill his handiwork?

That seemed unlikely. Pills of such value were beyond imagination—surely that old man didn’t have so many at hand.

Since it was left for him, perhaps it had little effect, or was too precious to use lightly. There were also many unfamiliar medicinal ingredients in the ring—could they be meant to complement that pill?

Suddenly, Su Yi recalled the elder’s words—something about a warrior who specialized in physical cultivation!

He tightened his right fist, feeling the strength surge within. So this was a body “enhanced and transformed.” That mysterious pill must have had this effect. The result was remarkable—his strength erupted swiftly, unlike a Dou Fighter who first had to channel Dou Qi into his Qi Cyclone.

Moreover, even after delivering such a powerful blow, his hand felt nothing. In the past, it would have ached from the impact. Physical cultivation truly had its merits.

Should he follow this path? Su Yi mused. Gathering a Qi Cyclone always seemed elusive for him… but now, with the Qi Cyclone Dispeller in hand, was he destined to cultivate both body and Dou Qi?

Yet he didn’t know any physical cultivation methods. Remembering the elder’s talk of burning, drowning, and lightning strikes as training, Su Yi’s scalp tingled. Then he suddenly remembered the Blood of Heaven and Earth.

If that substance was as powerful as described, possessing it would greatly aid either path—body or Dou Qi cultivation.

“But the Blood of Heaven and Earth won’t be easy to find. Still, the old man once said I have an energy inside me similar to it. If I’m lucky, perhaps that’s the case. And he mentioned, ‘There should be water near the Blood of Heaven and Earth. Have you ever fallen into water there?’ That might be a clue… Should I find a chance to return to where I was rescued three years ago?”

He scratched his head, deciding to leave these thoughts for later. Leaving his small room, he headed toward the auction house.

…

Upon entering the auction house, Su Yi suddenly realized he didn’t know where to go. He should report to the appraisal room, but it was already afternoon; he’d be late and might earn a few cold stares.

But he was unconcerned. In the past, though he’d tried not to care, lack of strength had left him feeling uneasy and powerless.

Now, after careful testing on the way here, he could confirm his strength matched a level ten Dou Fighter’s. He hadn’t fought anyone yet, but he had enough experience to judge.

“Never mind, it doesn’t matter if I go or not. At worst, I’ll lose some wages… Not like I need the money now,” Su Yi thought, withdrawing the foot he’d just raised toward the appraisal room.

But if not there, where? He frowned slightly. Rather than face those unpleasant people, he might as well visit Maya. At least he could enjoy the sight of her alluring figure and lift his spirits.

But what excuse did he have to see her? Should he just go and ask what day it was? He sighed, figuring he’d only slept a night.

After hesitating a while, Su Yi suddenly remembered the long black thread he didn’t recognize. Perhaps Maya could take a look at it for him.

He took out the thread, tucked it into his robe, and counted the places Maya might be. Then he set off to meet this mature beauty who seemed ready to overflow with charm.

But fate had other plans. Before he even took a step, a mocking voice sounded behind him: “Well, look who it is—our great genius!”

Su Yi turned to see a group of guards approaching. It was afternoon, so this area should have been deserted—likely they were on their way to change shifts. When he saw who it was, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

They were the ones who had always been at odds with him, aggressive and provocative types. Their leader, Ke Yue, was a level five Dou Fighter and a prominent member of the guards, aligned with Di Yuan’s faction. He was always making things difficult for Su Yi.

Truth be told, Su Yi didn’t know everyone in the auction house, but Ke Yue stood out for his strength and his constant posturing before Su Yi. Among the group, Su Yi also recognized Lin Tie, the weakest guard, only a level two Dou Fighter.

Ke Yue, seeing Su Yi silent, mistook it for fear and intimidation. His face twisted with contempt as he sneered, “Su, our great genius, you’ve been missing all day. Hiding because you’re ashamed to show your face?”

The other guards burst into raucous laughter, Lin Tie joining in, though his smile seemed forced.

“If you’re hiding, you might as well stay out of sight!” one guard jeered.

“What do you know? He’s not a turtle—he has to eat, too!”

“Oh, really? But he’s done nothing for over a year and still eats. Isn’t that just sponging off others?”

“Haha, don’t you know? He’s gotten addicted to being a pretty boy!”

The taunts and jibes kept coming. Ke Yue, seeing Su Yi standing silently, felt the same twisted pleasure as always. His sneer deepened as he jabbed a finger at Su Yi and spat, “You’re just a useless piece of trash! And yet you still have the gall to stay in the auction house. You’re really something!”

Su Yi ignored Ke Yue, instead glancing at the other guards. Their strength was nothing special, and they bullied the weak and cowered before the strong. In the past, his lingering reputation had kept them in check, but over time, emboldened by Di Yuan and Ke Yue, they’d grown more brazen.

Suddenly, Ke Yue lunged forward, grabbing Su Yi by the collar and shouting, “Are you deaf?”

A cold light flashed in Su Yi’s eyes, gone in an instant. He decided to deal with this quickly, sort out this trouble, and then go see Maya. As for settling the score with Ke Yue, there would be time for that later.

But just then, a violent urge surged through him—

Kill him!

[End of Chapter 37: Rebirth]