The man wore a luxurious robe and carried himself with calm authority. His features resembled Li Wei's so closely that there was no mistaking it—this was Li Gengxin, the head of the Li Clan.
Li Gengxin smiled lightly, his gaze gentle yet sharp. It felt like he could see right through Li Wei.
"Wei'er, was that Xue'er who just ran off?"
"Yes," Li Wei replied calmly. "She came to give me medicine."
Though he had just crossed, the memories of this body made this man feel naturally familiar—warm even. But a hint of worry flickered inside him.
What if his father had seen the fight?
What if he saw Li Wei kill four people?
Li Wei tightened his grip slightly. If it came to it, he had the system. He could fight, even against him.
But surprisingly, Li Gengxin didn't question anything. He didn't ask about injuries or why Li Wei was standing there perfectly fine. He didn't mention the bodies—or the lack thereof.
He simply looked pleased.
Li Wei let out a quiet sigh of relief.
He didn't want to think about what he'd do if his dad treated him like some kind of monster. Thankfully, nothing like that happened.
*
Li Gengxin gazed into the distance where Li Xue had run. "Xue'er is a good girl—virtuous, beautiful… but…" He stopped suddenly and sighed. "Wei'er, if you truly want to be with her, you must work harder. If you can't keep up… It's better to let go."
Li Wei frowned. "Why?"
"She…" Li Gengxin hesitated. "Just trust me on this."
Li Wei nodded slowly. He wasn't the type to overthink. Whatever the problem was, once he became strong enough, he would crush it.
His father seemed to sense the heavy atmosphere and quickly changed the topic.
"Anyway, there will be a VIP guest visiting tomorrow. I came to tell you so you can prepare yourself and not be rude."
"A guest? Who?"
"You'll know when the time comes." Li Gengxin patted his shoulder, then walked away with a mysterious smile.
Li Wei stood there speechless.
Something about that conversation felt off.
He should've been gravely injured. Yet his father didn't ask a single question.
No surprise, no suspicion—nothing.
And he showed up immediately after Li Xue left… right after Li Wei erased four bodies.
Had he seen everything?
Maybe he had…
But still said nothing.
Li Wei bit his lip. He was too tired to keep guessing.
Whatever Li Gengxin was thinking did not include killing him. That alone was enough.
And as for the "VIP" tomorrow?
Psh.
If the guest didn't give experience, he wasn't interested.
Sleep?
Sleep for what?
Li Wei felt the excitement buzzing inside him. His blood was boiling. He had a system. He had new skills. And he had monsters out there begging to be farmed.
"Sleep my foot," he snorted. "I'm leveling tonight."
He thought for a moment, then remembered the perfect place.
Forest of Death.
Without hesitation, Li Wei slipped away from the Li Clan estate, his figure disappearing into the night.
Finally—
Time to get high on leveling up.
But unnoticed by him… Moments after he left, Li Gengxin's silhouette quietly returned, watching the direction Li Wei had gone.
Li Gengxin watched silently as Li Wei's figure disappeared into the night. A complicated look flashed in his eyes—part pride, part worry.
"It seems Wei'er really stumbled upon a great opportunity," he murmured to himself. "The power he showed when he killed Li Yujing… that was close to a nine-star warrior at least."
His gaze darkened as he recalled the purple-black flame Li Wei had used earlier.
"And that flame… was that… a different fire?"
He fell silent for a moment, lost in thought, then let out a small sigh.
"If this continues… maybe he truly will have the qualifications to pursue Xue'er. But… children and grandchildren must walk their own paths."
He chuckled softly and walked away in the opposite direction, leaving Li Wei to his own choices.
*
Forest of Death
Night settled over the Forest of Death like a cold blanket. Dark clouds crawled across the sky, hiding most of the moonlight. Only thin beams of silver pierced through, giving the winding forest paths an eerie glow. The trees rustled under the night wind, and beastly cries echoed through the deep woods—long, sharp, and unsettling.
This was why the Forest of Death was known as the graveyard of adventurers.
The place overflowed with monsters.
On the Paladin Continent, beasts were ranked just like human warriors—ten levels in total. Levels 1 through 7 matched human realms all the way up to the War Sect. Levels 8 to 10 were feared even more—Beast Venerable, Beast Emperor, Beast God—each corresponding to human Warlords, War Saints, and the legendary God of War.
And unlike humans, monsters were born amid rare herbs and natural treasures. Their bodies were tougher, their instincts sharper, their growth faster. A beast of the same level could overwhelm most human fighters.
In short, going too deep inside the forest meant death.
Luckily, Li Wei wasn't planning to charge into the center. He wasn't stupid. Strength had to be built step by step, by killing monsters slowly and steadily.
His goal tonight was simple—farm EXP until morning.
It took him barely an hour to reach the outer area of the Forest of Death. The dense trees greeted him with shadows and danger in every direction. For ordinary adventurers, night was the most terrifying time to enter the forest. Monsters hid everywhere, waiting for prey to let down its guard.
But Li Wei wasn't an ordinary adventurer.
He activated his new ability.
Sky Eye Technique.
The world around him instantly sharpened. What was dark to others became bright as day to him. The shadows lost their mystery. Hidden dangers glowed like lanterns.
"The night wind is high… perfect time to—"
He stopped himself.
"Bah! Why do I always mess up the line?"
He cleared his throat.
"The night wind is high. Perfect time to… level up!"
There. Much better.
He stepped deeper into the forest, and before long, a dark shape crouched in the grass, ready to lunge. A wind wolf—quick, quiet, and deadly for normal adventurers.
Li Wei smirked.
"I see you, idiot."
He activated Sky Eye again.
Ding!
Wind Wolf
Level: 1
Description: Pack monsters that excel in ambush. Capable of spitting small wind blades.
Threat: Very low.
Li Wei clicked his tongue. "So weak."
He dashed forward, leaving only a blur behind.
His fist came down like lightning.
BOOM!
The wind wolf never even had time to yelp. Its head burst open like a smashed watermelon.
Instant kill.
Ding! 50 experience gained.
Li Wei grinned. "One down. Plenty more to go."
With the confidence of a man farming slimes in a beginner zone, he pushed deeper into the forest.
Soon, the notifications kept coming—
Ding! Killed Level 1 Monster – Skin Snake. Gained 50 EXP.
Ding! Killed Level 1 Monster – Wind Wolf. Gained 50 EXP.
Ding! Killed Level 1 Monster – Iron Boar (Elite). Gained 150 EXP.
The forest echoed with roars, the thud of bodies hitting the ground, and Li Wei's cheerful laughter.
He was leveling like crazy.
And he was just getting started.