After being left behind, Wang Hui sits in silence for several hours, unmoving, letting the weight of what happened settle in his mind.
Only after that does he rise and begin moving across the island again.
Perhaps now… he is truly alone here.
The island will not open again for another five years.
Which means, for that entire duration, every resource on this island belongs to him alone.
But before thinking about gathering resources, he makes a decision.
He must first break through to the Late-Level Wizard Apprentice stage.
He searches carefully and finds a secluded place, a hidden location where even magic beasts cannot easily reach him.
There, he sits down and begins cultivating.
He draws in magic energy, guiding it to nourish his spirit.
Time passes.
Minutes turn into hours.
Hours turn into days.
And then,
One day, his spirit space trembles.
It expands.
It swallows more of the Sea of Consciousness.
A transformation occurs.
When he opens his eyes, a bright light flashes within them for a brief moment before fading away.
He has reached the Late-Level Wizard Apprentice stage.
Now, he begins to think about the next five years.
Why is he here?
Because he was betrayed.
Zhao San betrayed him.
But Wang Hui knows he has no true enmity with Zhao San.
Zhao San is only a piece.
The real conflict lies with Tang Li.
If he wants revenge after five years…
Then his cultivation must reach the Official Wizard stage.
But to become an Official Wizard, he must form a Talent Spell.
A Talent Spell is a First-Tier spell.
And forming it requires First-Tier runes.
Each First-Tier rune is constructed from eighty-one Zero-Tier runes.
Zero-Tier runes exist in two dimensions.
First-Tier runes… exist in three dimensions.
And a Talent Spell requires nine First-Tier runes.
Which means,
He needs an enormous number of Zero-Tier runes to simulate that structure.
But there is a problem.
He does not possess a First-Tier spell.
He does not even know a single First-Tier rune.
So how can he break through?
He falls into deep thought.
Then a possibility appears in his mind.
Can he… construct a First-Tier spell entirely using Zero-Tier runes?
He begins calculating.
He knows all the basic Zero-Tier runes, three hundred and sixty in total.
Some overlap with the runes he already uses in his spells.
So in practice, he can access nearly four hundred usable runes.
"If eighty-one Zero-Tier runes can form one First-Tier rune…"
"Then constructing a First-Tier spell using Zero-Tier runes…"
"…will require around seven hundred and twenty-nine runes."
He pauses.
Then refines the thought.
"Not all runes need to be unique."
"Some can be repeated."
The idea stabilises.
He reaches a conclusion.
It is possible.
Because all higher-tier runes, First, Second, Third, and even Divine, are ultimately built upon Zero-Tier runes.
That is their foundation.
So in theory…
He can bypass the need for First-Tier runes entirely.
Determination fills his eyes.
He immediately begins.
His focus turns inward.
Into his spirit space.
Inside, his spirit space resembles a vast sky filled with stars.
Each spell model appears as a constellation, formed from runes that shine like points of light.
At the centre, the Blood Nourishing Formation glows like a dense crimson cluster, its structure intricate and layered, with countless rune-lines flowing like veins, circulating energy continuously.
Nearby, the Liberation spell appears as a separate constellation, more aggressive, sharper, its rune structure radiating explosive force.
Wang Hui observes both carefully.
Then he acts.
He begins guiding the Blood Nourishing Formation toward the Liberation spell.
The two constellations approach.
As they come closer, the runes begin to react.
They clash.
Crimson lines tremble.
The structure destabilises.
For a moment, it seems like both spell models might collapse.
Wang Hui remains calm.
He analyses.
The Liberation spell is independent.
Violent.
Explosive.
The Blood Nourishing Formation is stable.
Circulatory.
Sustaining.
If he forces them together directly…
They will reject each other.
So he changes his approach.
Instead of merging them as equals,
He begins to restructure the Blood Nourishing Formation itself.
He modifies its rune pathways.
He creates empty nodes.
Places where external structures can be integrated.
Then,
He disassembles parts of the Liberation spell.
Not destroying it.
But breaking it into segments.
Rune clusters.
Energy nodes.
He slowly feeds those segments into the Blood Nourishing Formation.
One piece at a time.
The formation trembles again.
But this time,
It adapts.
The crimson network shifts.
Absorbs.
Refines.
The Liberation runes no longer remain separate.
They begin to circulate within the formation's structure.
Not as an independent spell,
But as a function.
A component.
Wang Hui's eyes light up.
He understands.
To merge spells,
One must become the foundation.
The other must become a part of its operation.
Not two stars colliding,
But one star devouring another.
Slowly, the process stabilises.
The Blood Nourishing Formation grows more complex.
More powerful.
The Liberation effect now exists within it,
Triggered through its circulation rather than separate activation.
Wang Hui exhales slowly.
He has taken the first step.
Toward constructing something far beyond ordinary spells.
A few days later, the Liberation spell fully integrates into his spirit space.
Now, within the vast sky of his spirit space, only six star constellations remain.
At the centre, two constellations dominate.
The Blood Nourishing Formation shines as a dense crimson network, now composed of one hundred and one Zero-Tier runes, its structure more intricate than before, its circulation deeper, stronger, and more stable.
Beside it, the Hide Spell floats as a quieter constellation, formed from forty-two runes, its light faint and restrained, as if deliberately concealing its own presence.
The remaining four constellations position themselves along the four directions of the spirit space, each maintaining balance within the system.
Wang Hui does not attempt to merge the Hide Spell into the Blood Nourishing Formation yet.
He has not mastered it.
Forcing integration now would only destabilise everything he has built.
So he stops.
And makes a decision.
He needs more resources.
He opens his eyes.
Leaves his hiding place.
And begins searching across the island once more.
Days turn into weeks.
Weeks into months.
He roams through forests, across rivers, through ruins and valleys, constantly fighting, constantly refining, constantly growing.
And then,
One day.
As he walks through a dense forest…
He suddenly freezes.
Something feels wrong.
He frowns.
"What is it…?"
His senses sharpen.
Then he realises.
"It's too quiet."
There are no insect sounds.
No bird calls.
No movement.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
His eyes move rapidly, scanning the surroundings.
Then,
He sees it.
A Mandrill.
High up in the trees.
It had been watching him.
Waiting.
The moment their eyes meet, the Mandrill roars.
It leaps down.
Straight toward him.
Wang Hui reacts instantly.
He steps back.
Raises his arms.
And catches the Mandrill's hands with his bloodthirsty gloves.
The impact is heavy.
The force pushes into his bones.
They lock together.
Struggling.
Testing strength against strength.
For the past few months, Wang Hui has fought every battle without activating the Blood Nourishing Formation.
His physical body alone…
Has been enough.
With the support of the bloodthirsty gloves, he has defeated every magic beast he encountered.
But now,
For the first time,
He slides backwards.
His feet dig into the ground.
But he cannot hold his position.
The Mandrill is stronger.
Far stronger.
Its body ignites.
Crimson fire erupts around it.
The flames lash outward.
They strike Wang Hui.
The heat seeps into his skin.
Into his blood.
He feels it.
His blood begins to boil.
Racing violently through his veins.
Pain spreads through his body.
His expression tightens.
Without hesitation,
He activates the Blood Nourishing Formation.
Crimson runes appear across his body.
They glow.
Pulse.
Circulate.
Power surges through him.
His strength rises.
His body stabilises.
And slowly,
He begins to push back.
The crimson runes across his body flare brighter as the Blood Nourishing Formation circulates violently, reinforcing his muscles and stabilising the boiling blood within him.
The Mandrill roars, its crimson flames intensifying, pressing down with overwhelming strength.
Its arms bulge, veins pulsing beneath scorched fur, as it tries to crush Wang Hui's resistance.
But Wang Hui does not retreat.
He steps forward instead.
His feet dig into the ground, cracking the soil beneath him as he forces the Mandrill back inch by inch.
The flames lash across his body, burning his skin, searing through his clothes, but he grits his teeth and endures.
With a sudden twist of his arms, he breaks the stalemate.
He shifts his weight and throws the Mandrill off balance.
The beast stumbles.
Wang Hui steps in immediately.
His fist, wrapped in the bloodthirsty glove, drives forward.
A heavy punch lands on the Mandrill's chest.
A dull cracking sound follows.
The Mandrill lets out a furious roar, retaliating with a claw strike.
Wang Hui tries to dodge, but he is too close.
The claw tears across his shoulder.
Blood sprays.
Pain flashes through his body.
He stumbles half a step.
But he does not retreat.
Instead, he steps deeper into the Mandrill's range.
Another punch.
Then another.
Each strike carries the weight of his entire body, empowered by the circulating formation.
The Mandrill fights back wildly.
Its flaming fists slam into Wang Hui's ribs.
A sharp crack echoes.
His breath is forced out.
His vision blurs for a moment.
Yet his eyes remain locked on the beast.
Cold.
Focused.
He shifts his stance again.
Grabs one of the Mandrill's arms.
Twists.
The joint snaps with a sickening sound.
The Mandrill screams.
Wang Hui uses that moment.
He steps in close,
Too close for the Mandrill to use its strength properly.
His fist rises.
Then drops.
A crushing blow lands on the Mandrill's throat.
The flames flicker.
Weaken.
But the beast is not dead yet.
It thrashes wildly, its remaining arm slamming into Wang Hui's side.
Another wave of pain spreads through him.
Blood spills from his mouth.
Still,
He does not stop.
He grabs the Mandrill's head with both hands.
His fingers dig into its fur, into its skin.
The bloodthirsty gloves glow faintly.
Then,
With a roar of his own,
He twists.
A sharp, tearing sound echoes.
The Mandrill's neck breaks.
Its body goes limp.
The crimson flames extinguish instantly.
Silence returns to the forest.
Wang Hui stands there, breathing heavily.
Blood runs down his arms, his chest, his shoulder.
His ribs ache with every breath.
Burn marks cover his skin.
But he is alive.
He looks down at the corpse.
Then immediately acts.
Without wasting even a moment, he bends down and lifts the Mandrill's body onto his shoulder.
The weight is heavy.
His injured body protests.
But he ignores it.
He moves quickly.
Leaving the battlefield behind.
He heads toward a nearby hiding place he had scouted earlier.
A concealed location among rocks and dense vegetation.
Reaching it, he lowers the corpse carefully.
Only then does he allow himself a moment to breathe.