The three outer disciples surrounding Ye Tian completely underestimated his sheer physical strength. In just three swift exchanges atop the black tree branch, Ye Tian shattered their leader's massive axe and kicked the other two down to the ground, fracturing their chests. Witnessing such raw brutality without a trace of Qi, they fled frantically into the fog, leaving Ye Tian alone in the depths of the Mystical Forbidden Forest.

Yet the true betrayal within this forest was far from over.

By the fifth day of the competition, Ye Tian had collected dozens of low-grade beast cores and a pouch filled with High-Grade Spirit Stones. As he navigated a misty valley, he encountered a group of Cloud Sword Sect outer disciples led by a senior disciple named Lin Dong.

Lin Dong acted remarkably friendly, praising Ye Tian's strength and inviting him to team up to hunt stronger beasts for sect points. Ye Tian, assuming fellow outer disciples would support one another under the pressure of rival sects, accepted the offer with cautious optimism. However, his guard was shattered by Lin Dong's meticulously structured deceit.

"Ye Tian, the Armored Rhino beast is inside this cave. Since you possess the greatest physical strength, please lure it out. We will pin it down from behind with a formation!" Lin Dong urged convincingly, pointing to a dark, vertical cave at the bottom of the valley.

Ye Tian nodded and leaped down into the ten-meter-deep cave. But the moment his feet touched the ground, he found something far worse than a low-grade rhino.

In the pitch-black darkness, a pair of blood-red eyes flared like lanterns of death. An oppressive aura equivalent to the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm instantly locked Ye Tian in place. It was the Human-Faced Demon Spider—a feared territorial beast guarding the forbidden depths.

"Lin Dong! This is a high-tier beast! Pull me up!" Ye Tian shouted toward the cave mouth.

Above, however, Lin Dong stood at the edge with a demonic grin. Beside him, Gao Lu emerged from the bushes, bursting into loud laughter.

"Haha! Ye Tian, you absolute fool!" Gao Lu yelled triumphantly. "We lured you here on purpose! Enjoy your death in the stomach of the Demon Spider. Boulder Seal Formation, activate!"

Lin Dong and his lackeys hurled several yellow talismans at the entrance. Instantly, a massive, energy-infused boulder slid into place, sealing the opening and trapping Ye Tian in eternal darkness with the lethal beast.

SHRIEEK!

The Demon Spider shrieked piercingly, its eight long legs—hard as heirloom daggers—slashing straight toward Ye Tian.

With no room to dodge in the narrow cave, Ye Tian was forced to parry the attack with his bare hands. CRASH! The spider's legs pierced through his steel-like physical defense, tearing into his shoulders and chest as fresh blood spouted out. To make matters worse, a thick green venom seeped into his wounds, scorching his flesh and organs with unbearable agony.

BOOM! BLAM!

Ye Tian's body was hurled against the cavern walls again and again. His ribs shattered, his vision blurred from severe blood loss, and the deadly poison began closing in on his heart. The remaining Ascension energy from Lady Mei worked frantically inside him to suppress the venom, but the onslaught from a Foundation Establishment monster was far too overwhelming for his Ninth-Layer mortal frame.

Ye Tian collapsed to his knees on the cold floor, his consciousness slowly fading into dark quiet. The absolute chill of death began to wrap around his soul.

Am I... going to die here? Ye Tian thought, his trembling hand brushing against the hemp pouch at his waist, now soaked in his own blood. I failed... I can't go home...

At the quietest brink of death, as his heartbeat faltered, a voice of profound longing echoed through the void of his mind.

"Gege... Xiao Mei's tummy hurts... Gege promised to bring back rice..."

The memory of his sister's thin face and her tears falling onto the worn straw mat back in the mortal world erupted in Ye Tian's soul. The desperate desire to survive, his responsibility as an older brother, and his rage against the injustice of fate sparked an unprecedented emotional explosion.

"NO! I WILL NOT DIE HERE!"

Ye Tian roared, his voice booming so violently that it cracked the cavern walls.

In that critical instant between life and death, his pure determination acted as a radical catalyst. The half-bag of rice at his waist suddenly emitted a warm, mortal spiritual glow, resonating with both the lingering celestial Ascension energy within his bone marrow and the unrefined essence of the Soul-Cleansing Fruit.

These three distinct forces—the warmth of mortal love, the purity of celestial energy, and the essence of the earth—fused into a brand-new reservoir of power inside Ye Tian. The surging energy exploded outward, shattering every remaining fetter within his mortal meridians.

KABOOM!

A pillar of mixed gold and silver light erupted from Ye Tian's body, annihilating the toxic mist in the cave and forcing the Demon Spider back in terror.

Ye Tian's dark hair fluttered wildly as his wounds and broken bones healed in the blink of an eye. His skin radiated a pure, divine luminescence. His soul and physique transcended human limitations entirely. Without centuries of tedious meditation, his unyielding resolve forced an instant breakthrough—bypassing the Qi Gathering Realm, shattering through the Foundation Establishment Realm, and stepping directly onto the threshold of a physical True Immortal Realm!

He opened his eyes, flashing a golden glare so intense it distorted the surrounding space.

Sensory shock struck the Demon Spider as it realized its prey had transformed into a apex predator. It scrambled to turn and flee, but its movements now appeared painfully slow to Ye Tian's eyes.

"Die," Ye Tian uttered softly, his voice echoing like a decree from a god of death.

Ye Tian stepped forward, his speed breaking the sound barrier. He clenched his right fist, now wrapped in an aura of pure golden radiance. With no complex martial art, he drove his fist straight toward the Demon Spider's massive head.

BLAAAM!

A violent shockwave of pure physical force pulverized the Foundation Establishment monster into meat and ash in a single strike. The cavern shuddered violently, and the multi-ton boulder sealing the entrance above disintegrated into fine dust from the sheer blast of Ye Tian's punch.

Sunlight poured back into the cave. Ye Tian stood amidst the rubble, his posture tall and impeccable. Though his gray robes hung in rags, he was draped in the divine majesty of a True Immortal. At his waist, the mortal rice bag remained completely unscathed, glowing with a soft, gentle warmth.

He looked up at the sky above the Mystical Forbidden Forest. His time of laying low was over.

"Gao Lu... Lin Dong..." Ye Tian whispered with a cold smile capable of freezing the blood of anyone who heard it. "You up there, get ready. The Fallen Leaf... is coming for his retribution."