13: Chapter 13 The Correct Way to Understand Chaos

The midday sun scorched the earth mercilessly, but inside Cloud Peak Manor in District A, the climate control System maintained a comfortable twenty-two degrees Celsius.

Su Yu returned home half an hour early. Just as he stepped into the front garden, before he even had time to change his shoes, a dull, wild roar pierced through the thick villa walls and faintly reached his ears.

"Roar—!!"

The sound was mixed with tyranny, bloodlust, and the sharp clattering of heavy metal chains, making one's scalp tingle.

Su Yu was slightly startled, but then he realized—this must be the "special training" his father had mentioned.

He just hadn't expected the commotion to be so loud, as if someone had opened a zoo inside the house.

"Dad, what's making that noise on the back hill?" Su Yu asked casually as he walked into the kitchen, seeing Su Wu wearing an apron and skillfully handling ingredients.

"You're back?" Su Wu didn't look back; his kitchen knife was flying as he spoke indifferently. "Wash your hands and eat first. You'll only have the strength to take a beat... oh no, to practice your skills once you're full."

Su Yu nodded and sat down at the dining table.

Although the table was filled with delicious food that looked and smelled amazing, he ate somewhat distractedly.

Those faint roars of beasts were like an invisible little hand, scratching at his curiosity.

After all, as a student raised in a greenhouse, his entire knowledge of Vicious Beasts came from holographic textbooks and videos.

This was the very first time he would be coming face-to-face with one.

Seeing his son's distracted state, Su Wu shook his head with a smile. "Alright, stop counting your rice grains. Since you're in such a hurry, don't eat. Let's start early."

With that, he casually untied his apron, moving with such composure he didn't even bother to wipe his hands, and headed straight for the backyard.

Su Yu's eyes lit up, and he quickly dropped his chopsticks to follow.

Passing through the exquisite garden and pushing open the heavy iron gate leading to the back hill, the scene before him caused Su Yu to gasp instantly, his pupils dilating sharply.

The originally lush and scenic back hill of the manor had been violently cleared into a patch of yellow earth the size of a football field.

On that open ground stood a dozen thick alloy pillars. To each pillar, a different Vicious Beast, emitting a strong, foul stench, was locked with specialized shackles as thick as a wrist!

On the left was an Armored Porcupine covered in black iron spikes. It was frantically slamming its body against the ground, each impact making the earth tremble.

In the middle was a Giant Rock Bear that stood three meters tall. Its thick, rocky skin still bore scars from its capture. A pair of blood-red eyes stared fixedly at Su Yu, with thick saliva dripping from its mouth.

On the right were several Wind-Swift Wolves with lithe bodies and sinister gazes. Though locked up, they maintained an ambush posture, low whimpers vibrating in their throats.

This was simply a miniature "Ancient Roman Colosseum"!

"These... were these all caught by you, Dad?" Su Yu's throat felt dry as he looked at these hideous creatures he had only seen in illustrated handbooks.

Were these the E-rank Vicious Beasts that corresponded to the Qi and Blood Realm?

The Evil Qi blowing toward him and that undisguised killing intent were things his classmates in protective gear back at school simply couldn't compare to!

Su Wu nodded slightly, his arms crossed as he leaned against a snapped tree, his expression as relaxed as if he were looking at pet dogs. "That's right. From today on, they are your sparring partners."

"Sparring partners?" Su Yu's mouth twitched.

Any one of these Vicious Beasts would cause panic if released into District F, yet in his old man's mouth, they were just "sparring partners."

"Dad, you mean... I have to practice with them now?" Su Yu pointed at the most violent Armored Porcupine.

"Otherwise? Are we keeping them for the New Year?"

A mischievous smirk curled on Su Wu's lips. Suddenly, his figure flickered, and he instantly appeared before the iron cage of that Armored Porcupine.

"This is an Early Stage E-rank Armored Porcupine, corresponding to the Early Stage of the human Qi and Blood Realm. Since you're now at the Middle Stage of the Qi and Blood Realm, logically, you should be able to crush it. Go on, let me see what you've got."

As soon as he finished speaking, a cold light flashed in Su Wu's hand, directly severing the chains on the porcupine!

"Roar!!"

Regaining its freedom, the Armored Porcupine let out a deafening roar.

Its crimson beastly pupils instantly locked onto Su Yu in the middle of the field.

Rumble!

Its four hooves pawed the ground, and its massive body, like an out-of-control heavy truck, kicked up clouds of dust. With an unmatched impact force, it charged straight at Su Yu!

"So fast?!"

Su Yu was greatly shocked.

The books said porcupines were slow—they were lying! This explosive power was terrifying!

"Catch the blade!"

Su Wu casually tossed an unsharpened alloy training longsword, which traced an arc through the air.

Su Yu hurriedly caught the longsword. By then, the porcupine's tusks, accompanied by a foul wind, were already within three meters of him!

"Dodge!"

Su Yu reacted instinctively, his footwork messy as he lunged to the left.

Whoosh!

The porcupine's spike-covered body brushed past the edge of Su Yu's clothes, the resulting wind stinging his cheeks.

Before Su Yu could even steady himself, the porcupine displayed a level of flexibility completely at odds with its size.

Its front hooves braked hard, and using its hind legs as an axis, its thick tail—like a steel whip—swept across with the whistling sound of wind!

"Dammit!"

Su Yu could only raise his longsword to parry.

Clang!!

A piercing sound of metal clashing rang out.

Su Yu felt a massive force travel down the hilt. The webbing of his thumb instantly split, and he was thrown back seven or eight steps by the sheer brute force before he managed to steady himself, his arms completely numb.

"This is actual combat?" Cold sweat broke out on Su Yu's forehead.

Clearly, his Qi and blood value was higher than this beast's, and clearly, his strength should be greater, but in that exchange just now, he was completely suppressed!

The porcupine gave him no room to breathe, roaring as it charged again. Its sharp tusks gleamed with a cold light, determined to impale the human youth.

Su Yu could only rely on instinctive reactions to dodge clumsily time and again.

The Void-Breaking Blade technique in his hands became fragmented, completely lacking any coherent form.

The occasional strike he landed on the porcupine only hit the hard black iron spikes, kicking up sparks but failing to break its defense at all.

"Too stiff."

Not far away, Su Wu shook his head. His voice wasn't loud, yet it entered Su Yu's ears clearly.

"Everything you learned at school is just dead routines. Will a Vicious Beast wait for you to get into a stance before attacking? Is your Middle Stage Qi and Blood Realm just for show?"

"Su Yu, don't forget your Physique!"

Su Wu's gaze suddenly became sharp as he shouted lowly:

"The Chaos Body isn't for you to use as a meat shield! Try to... eat its Qi and blood at the moment of contact!"

"Eat it?"

Su Yu, who was dodging clumsily, felt a sudden jolt in his heart.

Buzz!

The porcupine charged again, but this time Su Yu did not choose to retreat.

In his extreme tension, he forced himself to calm down.

Deep within his Dantian, that hazy "Chaos Vortex" began to rotate slowly.

An indescribable sense of hunger suddenly emanated from every one of his pores.

"Come on!"

Su Yu's eyes narrowed slightly, staring fixedly at the charging porcupine.

The moment the tusks were about to touch him, his figure slid sideways like a ghost. It was no longer a panicked evasion, but a calculated entry!

He reached out his left hand and pressed it seemingly lightly against the porcupine's spike-covered flank.

Previously, pressing down like this would have left Su Yu's palm aching from the counter-shock. But this time...

Chaos Body, activate!

The Qi and blood in Su Yu's palm instantly formed a small negative-pressure vortex.

"Oink?!"

The originally aggressive Armored Porcupine suddenly let out a terrified shriek.

It felt the violent power within its body surge out like a bursting dam the moment it touched this human's palm!

That instant of weakness caused its fierce charge to suffer a fatal stall.

"Now!"

Su Yu clearly felt a surge of warm, violent Qi and blood essence flow through his left hand into his body, instantly replenishing the stamina he had just consumed and even causing his strength to briefly skyrocket!

One side wanes as the other waxes!

This was the terror of the Chaos Body!

The panic in Su Yu's eyes vanished completely, replaced by the excitement of a hunter seeing its prey.

Taking advantage of the porcupine's stall, the alloy longsword in his hand no longer trembled but was held in a steady, firm grip.

The Qi and blood he had just plundered, mixed with his own, poured frantically into the blade.

Void-Breaking Blade, First Form—Flow Sever!

"Break for me!!"

Su Yu shouted violently, and the longsword turned into a sharp white light. With a whistle that tore through the air, it slashed ruthlessly at the joint of the porcupine's neck, its weakest point of defense.

Puchi!

This time, there were no sparks and no counter-shock.

It was as smooth as a hot knife through butter.

The hard iron armor was like thin paper before this strike. The longsword sank deep into the porcupine's neck, directly severing its spine and artery!

"Awoooo..."

The Armored Porcupine let out a mournful wail. Its massive body slid forward a few meters under its own momentum, plowing a deep trench in the ground before crashing down, its limbs twitching a few times before it stopped moving altogether.

A large amount of blood gushed out, staining the earth at Su Yu's feet red.

Su Yu maintained his follow-through posture, panting heavily.

Though his body was tired, his spirit was more excited than ever before.

He looked at the behemoth lying at his feet, then at his own left hand.

The pleasure of that "plunder" just now still had him somewhat intoxicated.

"Is this... true combat?"

Su Yu murmured to himself.

From the initial panicked flight to the instant kill after mastering the rhythm, the difference in between was simply because he had learned to utilize the "traits" of the Chaos Body.

Clap, clap, clap.

Su Wu's applause came from behind.

Su Wu walked over, glanced at the dead porcupine, and nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad, your Comprehension Ability is decent. That last strike used the enemy's force against them; it's starting to look like something."

"Dad, this Chaos Body... is too broken." Su Yu turned around, eyes gleaming. "Just now, I felt like it wasn't charging at me, but was 'delivering supplies' to me. The more force it used, the stronger I became!"

"Naturally."

Su Wu handed his son a towel and said meaningfully, "But don't get happy too soon. That was just a stupid E-rank Early Stage pig. If you encounter a speed-type or a long-range attacking Vicious Beast, you won't even get the chance to get close and absorb their Qi and blood."

As he spoke, Su Wu's gaze shifted to the nearby Wind-Swift Wolves, who were eager to strike.

"Rest for ten minutes and smooth out your Qi and blood."

Su Wu revealed a devilish smile.

"Next round, two Wind-Swift Wolves, together."

Su Yu's heart, which had just settled, instantly jumped back into his throat as he wailed, "Dad! Isn't this pushing things too fast? Two of them?!"

"Stop your nonsense. If you want to survive in this dog-eat-dog world, if you want to protect the people you want to protect..."

Su Wu pointed at himself, then at the distant starry sky.

"...you have to keep getting stronger."

Su Yu was stunned for a moment. Seeing his father's serious gaze, he gripped the longsword tightly, his fatigue vanishing instantly.

"Bring it on! It's just two wolves; I was just getting warmed up anyway!"

The youth wiped the blood from his face, his gaze becoming as sharp as a blade's edge.