A man in his early thirties stood there, his long hair draped around his shoulders, his body marred by patches of dried blood. In the darkness, his eyes held the fierce glare of a wild beast; a mere glance would send shivers down the spine of an ordinary person, and the faint of heart might even soil themselves and collapse to the ground.

“K-k-krr…”

Despite the various restraints binding him, the captive struggled relentlessly, as if pain were an alien concept. The grating sound of bone against metal echoed continuously, making one’s scalp crawl.

The Binding Spell wasn’t a Gravity Spell; it enveloped a person from all sides, rendering them immobile. Now, it seemed as though the spell was on the verge of failing at any moment.

A formidable Battle Soul constantly surged from behind the man—the Battle Soul of a ferocious tiger! Overbearing and majestic! Now, the Battle Soul seemed to have followed its master into madness. Its tiger eyes glowed with frenzy, suggesting it would mercilessly devour anyone who dared approach.

“Kill…” “Kill…” “Kill…” The man fixed his gaze intently on Fen Tulang: “Fight, fight, fight! Come! I will break through; I will become the strongest! No one, absolutely no one, will be my match!”

With a sudden roar, Battle Qi erupted from the man’s body once more. This violent Qi was like flame; it gave the sensation of burning upon contact with the skin, even though it wasn't explicitly a combustion-type energy.

If you’re not mad, you won’t succeed! Qian Jin recalled the cold words of Ba Huang Wu Sheng. It now seemed the Bandit King had truly turned prophecy into reality.

Fen Tu Kuangge looked on in disbelief at the man trapped in suffering. He was stronger than before, both in his Battle Soul and his body, yet he no longer possessed self-awareness. Was it truly worth it?

“Little friend Qian Jin, is there a way?” Fen Tulang gazed at Qian Jin with a flicker of hope, “Can he be cured?”

Qian Jin observed Fen Tu Kuangxiao, trapped in his frenzied state—a condition Master Adams had once spoken of: “If we gather all the medicinal ingredients... I am confident I can restore his lucidity. It’s just…”

“Just what?” Fen Tulang pressed urgently. He had sought out countless apothecaries these past few days, even bringing in the Guild Master, but the answer had always been impossibility. Now, finally, he heard an answer suggesting a cure was possible.

“It seems he went mad voluntarily,” Qian Jin frowned as he carefully studied Fen Tu Kuangxiao. “He actively chose madness in pursuit of power. Because of this madness, he became more determined, focused, and ruthless, achieving what can only be described as Quasi-Saint strength now. Xian…”

Qian Jin sighed: “If he takes my elixir and regains consciousness, all this strength will vanish. Forget Quasi-Saint power; he might even struggle to maintain his Battle Soul.”

Fen Tulang’s usually composed face twitched beneath his thick eyebrows. The price of regaining consciousness was the loss of his strength!

For a moment, the dungeon was filled only with the beast-like roars of Fen Tu Kuangxiao.

Awaken him? Or leave him asleep? Fen Tulang had made countless decisions in his life, many affecting tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people!

At those times, Fen Tulang had never once hesitated, his decisiveness earning the admiration of countless soldiers.

Now, Fen Tulang hesitated. Before him was his own grandson, the genius among geniuses of the Fen Tu family. His lifelong goal was to defeat the Bloodline Warriors. If Fen Tu Kuangxiao were awakened, and then realized how much power he had lost, could he bear that blow?

Could Kuangxiao, stripped of most of his strength, still live on? Or would he succumb to the massive shock?

Gaining immense power through madness was something Kuangxiao chose willingly. But if awakening him meant losing that power, would Kuangxiao agree to it?

Fen Tulang didn't care if the Fen Tu family lost a Quasi-Saint level powerhouse; as long as his grandson could be saved, he would gladly trade his own life for it!

But did his grandson want to wake up? Knowing the cost of awakening, was he truly willing to return?

No! He won't! Fen Tulang knew his grandson too well. This grandson who deliberately courted madness for strength would never agree to such an exchange. He would rather gain power through frenzy than be weak in his senses.

“Regarding whether to awaken him…” Fen Tulang finally looked at Fen Tu Kuangge, “Kuangge, you are his younger brother. This time, you decide for your brother. If you do, he will know the decision was yours, and he will accept any consequence.”

Fen Tu Kuangge stared blankly at his brother, bound by sinews and bones. How could he not understand what his grandfather intended? How could he not understand why his brother was like this?

Madness for power! Now, his brother had achieved his goal, but the price was too immense!

Sensing every eye in the room fixed upon him, Fen Tu Kuangge slowly closed his eyes and said, “Everyone, please leave. I need time to consider this. I want a moment alone with my brother.”

The crowd retreated from the vast, dark dungeon. Some felt they could relate to the situation, but in truth, they only understood conceptually; they could only sympathize with Fen Tu Kuangge’s state of mind.

In the dark dungeon, Fen Tu Kuangge quietly watched Fen Tu Kuangxiao, who occasionally let out bestial sounds. This was the brother who was once as loving and radiant as the sun; this was the brother who always faced any situation with cheerfulness and confidence.

The brother who proudly declared he would certainly defeat the Bloodline Warriors had now gone mad in pursuit of greater power!

“Brother…” Was it worth it?”

Fen Tu Kuangge spoke, perhaps to Fen Tu Kuangxiao, but perhaps more to himself. His faint voice echoed in the wide dungeon. “…Every gain…”

The beast-like roar completely vanished, replaced by a voice filled with affection and warmth emanating from Fen Tu Kuangxiao’s mouth.

“Come…”

“Kuangge, you’ve grown up.”

The madness in Fen Tu Kuangxiao’s eyes was wiped away, replaced by the tender affection of an elder brother; his voice softened.

“Brother…” Y-you…” Fen Tu Kuangge couldn't believe his eyes. His brother, lost to frenzy, had awakened.

“Kid, do you know? For a long time, I felt like I was trapped in a wilderness with no exit. I didn't even know who I was…” Fen Tu Kuangxiao looked down at the chains binding him with a wry smile. “Just now, your single word, ‘Brother,’ was like a lamp in the deepest night, illuminating my thoughts and pulling me free from the madness.”

“Brother…”

“It’s been a long time. You’ve grown strong. You even possess a Battle Heart. I hadn't managed to condense mine by your age, let alone reach the peak of the Battle Heart stage like you have,” Fen Tu Kuangxiao breathed out deeply. “Kid, I am proud of you. Come! Step closer, let me see you.”

Fen Tu Kuangge subconsciously moved forward. The surrounding Binding Spells had no effect on him because he lacked the inscribed runes necessary to amplify the spell; all the energy from the restraints automatically flew toward Fen Tu Kuangxiao.

“You’ve gotten taller, and your body is stronger too. This is truly good.” Fen Tu Kuangxiao watched as Fen Tu Kuangge approached, slowly lifting his hand with difficulty to gently caress his cheek. “Kid, Brother Tian is so happy you came to see Elder Brother. It seems Sixth Uncle found you.”

“Sixth Uncle…” Brother… you…” A sudden sense of foreboding gripped Fen Tu Kuangge’s heart.

“Yes…” Fen Tu Kuangxiao’s smile remained benevolent, but Fen Tu Kuangge suddenly found himself unable to move, for two magical artifacts inscribed with Binding Runes had appeared on his shoulders without him realizing it. “I woke up briefly some days ago, just when Sixth Uncle came to visit me. My conscious moment was short, but I heard him telling me about the outside world… ‘Brother…” Y-you…” Fen Tu Kuangge tried to activate the Battle Soul within him, but he found it completely suppressed by the Quasi-Saint level Fen Tu Kuangxiao.

“Such powerful Battle Soul energy! And such a strange Battle Qi secret art. It seems you’ve had your own good fortune, which makes me happy,” Fen Tu Kuangxiao maintained his smile. “Brother, my time of clarity is short…”

Fen Tu Kuangge’s body was immobilized, but his mind raced, grasping the entire situation in an instant! Sixth Uncle’s appearance was utterly premeditated! Sixth Uncle’s domineering nature was real, but it contained an element of performance! Because it aligned so perfectly with his character, his acting was too convincing!

So real that even Qian Jin and the others couldn't see through it—a performance perfectly fitting Sixth Uncle’s personality.

And all this planning was aimed at getting him here!

“Kid, I was truly awakened by you this time; I am very happy,” Fen Tu Kuangxiao continued smiling. “You still care for me, your elder brother. I know this might be my last moment of clarity, so there are things that must be done now, or they never will be.”

“Brother…” A secret technique surfaced in Fen Tu Kuangge’s mind—a technique Mu Ne Zhen Ce had once mentioned: Battle Heart Inheritance!

In this world, there was only the Inheritance of the Battle Heart. But Fen Tu Kuangxiao had unexpectedly obtained a special secret art, rumored to be capable of inheriting a Battle Soul—a technique with a cost far more terrifying than inheriting a Battle Heart!

“Kid, your perception has improved. Come now! Accept my Battle Soul!” Fen Tu Kuangxiao suddenly lifted his face, still stained with dried blood. “Brother knew there wouldn't be a good end to courting madness, but I still did it. Do you know why?”

“Brother…” Tears streamed uncontrollably down Fen Tu Kuangge’s eyes. “Stop! Don’t! You will die if you do this! I brought friends—they can save you! They can make you lucid while preserving your current strength.”

“Silly boy, your ears always turn red when you lie. That weakness hasn’t changed,” the Battle Soul behind Fen Tu Kuangxiao seemed to ignite, its power soaring endlessly. “Kid, the moment I chose madness, I knew this day would come. Ba Huang Wu Sheng told me I would have several chances to awaken; at those moments, I made my decision…”

“Come…”

“Why are you crying? I’m not dead yet.” A faint, warm smile touched Fen Tu Kuangxiao’s lips, showing no hint that he was undertaking an act that would lead him to death. “Very good. You know why I chose this path. That’s right! Kid, I give you my Battle Soul! Go fight!”

Boom!

Fen Tu Kuangge’s body was struck by a massive impact, instantly placing him in a state between semi-consciousness and clarity. Fen Tu Kuangxiao’s voice, full of happiness, echoed in his ears: “Little brother, carry all my glory and go fight! Go complete what I could not achieve! Carry my dream and walk forward! Walk towards that ultimate brilliance! I will watch you, whether I live or die… I will watch you walk that path… My little brother…”

Boom!

The Battle Heart within Fen Tu Kuangge rapidly transformed. Tremendous power flooded into his body, instantly elevating his unique Battle Heart to the Golden Battle Heart realm, and it continued to grow!

“Excellent! The quality of your Golden Battle Heart is superb. It would have been difficult to open normally, but today, let Big Brother help you!”

Blood began to seep from Fen Tu Kuangxiao’s pores. His complexion, initially ruddy, turned pale—whiter than snow! This was Fen Tu Kuangxiao’s secret art: his Battle Soul was being transplanted into Fen Tu Kuangge’s body, while simultaneously helping Kuangge break open his own Battle Heart!

Indeed, the Battle Soul entering his body did not destroy Fen Tu Kuangge’s Battle Heart. The Battle Soul was one thing; the Battle Heart was another!

Rumble! Rumble!

Fen Tu Kuangge’s Golden Battle Heart swelled again and again, instantly becoming extraordinarily robust. Fine cracks began to appear on the surface of the Golden Battle Heart, and in the next moment…

Boom!

Another deafening sound erupted within Fen Tu Kuangge. The Golden Battle Heart instantly shattered its shell, and a golden figure ascended! An immensely tall golden figure of a Battle Soul, its appearance almost identical to Fen Tu Kuangxiao—confident and powerful!

The awakening of Fen Tu Kuangge’s Battle Soul also brought him to consciousness. However, as he woke, he saw Fen Tu Kuangxiao before him, eyes closed with a smile on his face.

“Brother…” “Brother…” “Brother!”

The two artifacts of the Binding Spell were utterly incapable of restraining Fen Tu Kuangge at this moment, who now possessed a Dual Battle Soul, one of which was at the Quasi-Saint level.

“Damn artifacts! Dissolve!” Fen Tu Kuangge grabbed the magical artifacts binding Kuangxiao with both hands, pouring his Great True Gold Battle Qi fiercely into the metal energy covering them.

These sturdy restraints instantly showed signs of corrosion, as if years of neglect had passed.

“Dissolve! Dissolve! Dissolve!”

The golden figure flickered with light, and the rust on the artifacts intensified, gradually… gradually…

…

Fen Tu Kuangge forcibly snapped the rusted artifacts. The magical binding devices broke one by one. With their point of absorption gone, the Binding Spell energy surged towards the artifacts still attached to his shoulders. Fen Tu Kuangxiao’s body, unsupported by the binding, slowly slumped toward the ground.

“Brother!”

Fen Tu Kuangge ripped the remaining artifacts from himself, caught the collapsing Fen Tu Kuangxiao in his arms, and sprinted toward the stairs leading to the surface, shouting loudly, “Qian Jin…” “Qian Jin…” “Qian Jin!”

His massive Battle Soul broke through the ground. Qian Jin, upon seeing the two Battle Souls behind Fen Tu Kuangge, froze momentarily. Then, seeing the pale face of Fen Tu Kuangxiao, he immediately understood what had transpired.

Fen Tulang’s eyes flickered with astonishment as he saw the Battle Souls behind Fen Tu Kuangge, but shock was quickly overshadowed by sorrow. What did this signify? How could he not know?

Mu Ne Zhen Ce closed his folding fan, looked at the unconscious Fen Tu Kuangxiao, and gave a thumbs-up: “Now it seems this was the goal of your descent into madness? Are you a good brother? Or a bad brother?”

Duan Feng Bu Er didn't know how to answer Mu Ne Zhen Ce. Fen Tu Kuangge had gained the power he had always dreamed of, instantly becoming one of the strongest in their small group—the greatest gift Fen Tu Kuangxiao could have bestowed.

But at the same time, what an unbearable burden this gift represented? How could Fen Tu Kuangge face this gift?

“Don’t rush, there’s still hope,” Qian Jin said, looking at the panicked Fen Tu Kuangge. “However, he probably won't live for more than a year…”

“Less than a year?” Fen Tu Kuangge looked at the unconscious Fen Tu Kuangxiao. “Then I’ll return the Battle Soul to him…”

Before Fen Tu Kuangge could finish speaking, he was kicked sharply in the rear, sending him sprawling onto the floor before he even registered what happened. He turned back to see Mu Ne Zhen Ce slowly retracting his foot. “What do you take a Battle Soul for? Is it a cabbage? Something you can just give away? Give it back to him? He has no Battle Qi left; transferring a Battle Soul to him now would instantly kill him.”

“The giving of a Battle Soul, or a Battle Heart, is a transference of life itself,” Mu Ne Zhen Ce looked coldly at Fen Tu Kuangge. “Instead of considering how to fulfill this trust, you think about returning it? If you give away a Battle Soul, the Fen Tu family will lose two young warriors! Ask your grandfather—can he endure such grief at his age?”

Fen Tu Kuangge looked at Fen Tulang. The old man, whose face had remained stern through multiple near-death experiences, now had tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.

“The Fen Tu family carries too much expectation from the common warriors…” Fen Tulang’s face was grave. “I didn't know Kuangxiao would do this, but if I had known, perhaps I couldn't have withstood such temptation…” Kuangge, your brother’s life is less than a year. The Battle Soul cannot be returned. Do you know what you truly need to do for him now?”

Fen Tu Kuangge froze in place. What should he do? The Rookie King Tournament!

Qian Jin sighed as he held Fen Tu Kuangxiao. The Fen Tu family bore the hopes of all common warriors under the guise of glory. But who knew that behind that splendor lay the blood and lives of countless people fighting to uphold it!

Unconsciously, this family no longer belonged solely to the surname Fen Tu; it belonged to all common warriors.

Compared to the distant and inaccessible War Hall, the Fen Tu family possessed greater approachability and felt more real.

Several life-extending elixirs were administered into Fen Tu Kuangxiao’s throat. Qian Jin stood up and asked, “Patriarch, where is your potion room? Also, inform the apothecaries there that Qian Jin needs to prepare an elixir; ask them to cooperate and not interfere.”

P.S. This chapter is relatively long for no other reason than that it constitutes a single narrative arc. In future chapters, Fen Tu Kuangxiao will linger in a dying state, watching from the stands as his brother battles in the Rookie King Tournament, carrying his glory and dreams.

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