Ethan felt fortunate—extremely fortunate. If it had been anyone else in his place, their fate would already have been sealed. Death would have been the only possible outcome. Even with his upgraded Strength Attribute, he had still suffered serious damage. If it had not been for the System-enhanced physique, he would have been torn apart in that single exchange. Realizing this, Ethan once again felt a deep sense of gratitude toward the System. Without it, his journey would have ended long ago.
He forced himself to calm down.
Pain still lingered throughout his body, but it was no longer overwhelming. Ethan steadied his breathing, clenched his jaw, and slowly pushed himself up from the ground. His chest still throbbed faintly where the giant monster's claw had struck him, but the injury was no longer worsening.
Even so, Ethan understood one thing very clearly: even with his upgraded Strength Attribute, he was no match for that monster in raw power. Its strength was undeniably higher than his current limits. The gap was real.
Yet, Ethan did not feel discouraged.
Instead, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and lifted his gaze, fixing his eyes firmly on the towering figure before him. His expression was no longer one of panic—it was serious, focused, and alert.
The monster's speed surprised him more than anything else. That was the real threat. Its movements were faster than his own, and more importantly, he lacked experience dealing with such overwhelming speed. That, he realized, was his greatest weakness in this battle.
But weakness did not mean impossibility.
Ethan inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. He evaluated the situation with a clearer mind. The monster's speed was only slightly higher than his own. It wasn't unreachable. It wasn't absolute. If he could observe its movements carefully and adapt, then he could find a way to counter it.
Understanding was the key.
The giant monster crouched suddenly, its muscles tightening before it launched itself forward in a furious leap. The ground cracked beneath its feet as it lunged toward Ethan with murderous intent.
Ethan reacted instantly.
Having learned from the previous attack, he did not hesitate. He pushed his body backward with all his strength, relying on his agility and speed to retreat just in time. The monster's massive fist slammed into empty air, missing him by a hair's breadth.
The impact still sent a shockwave rippling outward.
Even though the attack did not land, the residual pressure alone made Ethan's heart skip a beat. He was absolutely certain—if that blow had struck him directly, his body would have suffered catastrophic damage.
The monster froze briefly, clearly surprised.
In its limited understanding, Ethan was weak—far weaker than itself. And yet, this weak human had evaded its attack. Not only that, but his body was resilient enough to survive a direct hit earlier.
The monster began to recognize something unusual.
It slowly realized that Ethan's physical strength and agility far exceeded what should have been possible for someone at his cultivation level.
Ethan, meanwhile, remained calm.
Back on Earth, he had endured countless humiliations and hardships. He had learned patience through suffering. He had learned to endure helpless situations without losing himself. Against people like Kurt and Umang, he had swallowed his anger and waited, observing carefully.
That patience now became his greatest asset.
In games, Ethan had often relied on psychological tactics—baiting stronger opponents, intentionally taking hits to lure them into false confidence, and then striking when they relaxed. But those were games. The pain wasn't real.
This time, it was different.
This was reality.
Here, pain was real. Injuries were real. Blood was real. Death was permanent.
He could not afford reckless tactics.
Yet, psychological warfare still had its place.
The giant monster was confused. It was surprised. And surprise—even for a brief moment—was enough.
Ethan took advantage of that moment.
Relying on his enhanced agility, he vanished from the monster's sight. His figure blurred as he moved, appearing instantly behind the giant creature.
The monster roared in alarm and tried to turn, but it was already too late.
Ethan had prepared himself.
He raised his sword, focusing all his remaining strength and resolve into a single, decisive strike. Drawing upon the instincts he had absorbed from countless movies, anime, and novels, he aimed for the monster's neck.
The blade flashed.
With a clean, brutal arc, Ethan chopped downward.
The monster had never fought a real battle before.
Despite having transcended a major realm, its entire life had been spent within the confines of Golden Immortal Mountain. It had never faced an intelligent opponent who could analyze, adapt, and exploit weaknesses.
Its cultivation strength alone was not enough.
Before the monster could even react, its head was severed from its body.
The massive corpse collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Silence followed.
Ethan stood frozen for a moment, his sword still trembling in his hands. His breathing was heavy, uneven. His heart pounded violently in his chest.
Then the System's notifications appeared.
[User killed a monster which has cultivation base of 1st Level of Physique Strengthening Stage]
[Rewards:
System Exp: +300
User Exp: +300
Skill Points: +100
Attribute Points: +100
System Currency: +5000]
[User killed an opponent whose cultivation base is a major realm higher than yours]
[Additional Rewards:
Golden Points: +20
System Credit: -5000 Skill Points]
[System has leveled up to Level 6]
[Congratulations to the User for leveling up the Cultivation Base]
[User's cultivation base: 6th Level of Elementary Stage]
Ethan stared at the notifications, his mind momentarily blank.
He had done it.
He had killed a monster far stronger than himself.
A surge of exhilaration rushed through him, followed immediately by relief. Killing stronger opponents granted him experience points directly, sparing him from spending Skill Points and Attribute Points manually.
But excitement faded quickly.
Ethan knew better than to let victory cloud his judgment.
This fight had been dangerously close.
He lowered his sword and exhaled slowly, forcing himself to calm down. As the adrenaline subsided, a dull ache spread throughout his body.
He checked himself carefully.
On the surface, he looked fine. His wounds had already begun to heal thanks to his strengthened physique and recent breakthroughs. But deep inside, something felt… wrong.
A strange discomfort lingered within him—subtle, yet persistent.
Ethan frowned.
He sighed softly and accessed the System Marketplace without delay. Using his System Currency, he purchased a basic healing potion and consumed it immediately.
Warmth spread through his body.
The pain from his injuries eased rapidly, his muscles relaxing as the potion did its work. Within moments, he felt physically restored.
Yet the uneasy sensation remained.
Something was still off.
It wasn't physical pain.
It was deeper.
Ethan clenched his fist and frowned. After a brief hesitation, he decided not to guess blindly.
"System," he said, "I feel like I'm not completely recovered. Is this just my imagination, or am I injured somewhere I don't know about?"
[Command Accepted]
[Scanning the User's body…]
[Scanning Completed]
[User's physical body has been completely healed]
[However, the User has suffered damage to the Soul]
[Basic healing potions cannot heal Soul injuries]
[User's Soul remains injured]
"So that's how it is…"
Ethan finally understood.
All the monsters he had killed were connected to the Soul God's power. The Soul God's primary force originated from Soul Energy—not the Spiritual Energy of Heaven that ordinary cultivators used.
This entire mountain was permeated with Soul Energy, fundamentally different from the natural energy of the outside world.
When the giant monster attacked him, traces of Soul Energy had been embedded in its strike.
That single blow had not only injured his body—it had wounded his Soul as well.
If the monster had cultivated Spiritual Energy of Heaven instead, the outcome would have been different. Ethan would not have suffered Soul damage.
But this place was not ordinary.
This was the domain shaped by the Soul God.
Ethan felt helpless.
He had no Spirit-recovery potions available. Worse, his System did not currently offer any Spirit-healing items. Such advanced resources would only unlock at higher System levels.
He recalled that the System underwent major upgrades every ten levels, unlocking more advanced items—potions, pills, formations, weapons, and techniques.
But for now, he had no such luxury.
All he could do was wait.
"System," Ethan asked quietly, "show me my Soul recovery progress."
[Soul Recovery Process: 0%]
Ethan let out a long sigh.
Zero percent.
Still, he did not despair.
The battle had given him something invaluable—experience. Real combat experience. Pain, danger, fear—he had felt all of it firsthand.
He knew now what kind of suffering awaited him on the path of cultivation. Injury, bloodshed, and even death were inevitable.
Mentally, he was prepared.
Ethan sat down cross-legged and entered a meditative state. Since he could not actively heal his Soul, he decided to pass time by meditating and allowing natural recovery to take place.
From time to time, he checked his recovery status.
Three hours passed.
[Soul Recovery Process: 9%]
Ethan frowned.
The progress was painfully slow.
Meditation felt dull, tedious. His concentration wavered, his attention constantly drifting back to the recovery percentage.
Eventually, he sighed and stood up.
Forcing meditation clearly wasn't working.
Instead, he decided to inspect the giant monster's corpse.
He remembered reading that monsters which reached the Physique Strengthening Stage often formed a core within their bodies. While useless to him directly, such cores could be sold for valuable cultivation resources—enough to sustain him for an entire month.
Suppressing his discomfort, Ethan approached the corpse.
The stench was overwhelming.
He covered his nose instinctively, resisting the urge to gag. After carefully searching the massive body, he finally located the monster's core.
Without hesitation, Ethan grabbed it and immediately moved away, desperate for fresh air.
He began wandering the mountain casually.
Golden Immortal Mountain was vast—far larger than he had initially imagined. Covering it entirely would take an enormous amount of time.
As he walked, he gathered rare medicinal herbs and edible plants along the way, planning to cook them once he returned to Phoenix Feather City.
As he moved deeper into the mountain, his mind gradually cleared.
Then—
A strange sensation washed over him.
It was subtle at first—refreshing, soothing, unlike anything he had felt before. His mind felt lighter, clearer, as if something pure had entered his body.
[A very pure Soul Energy has entered the User's body]
[Soul recovery process accelerating]
[Soul Recovery Process: 7% → 9% → 14%]
Ethan stopped walking.
His eyes widened in shock.
The recovery that had taken hours was now advancing rapidly.
Earlier, he estimated it would take two full days for his Soul to recover. But now, something had changed drastically.
His recovery speed had multiplied.
"What's going on…?" Ethan muttered.
Without hesitation, he asked the System for clarification.
"System, what's causing this abnormal Soul recovery?"
[Possible cause detected: Spirit Pool]
[Spirit Pool:
A natural phenomenon formed in areas where Soul Energy is extremely dense.
Since this region was created by the Soul God using his own Soul Energy, the Soul Energy here accumulated over countless ages.
As no one has entered this place for eons, a Soul Pool formed naturally.]
[The surrounding air has been infused with pure Soul Energy, accelerating the User's recovery.]
[Uses:
Bathing in a Spirit Pool can instantly heal Soul injuries and significantly increase Soul cultivation, depending on its quality.]
Ethan's heart raced.
A Spirit Pool.
Not only could it heal him instantly—it could also strengthen his Soul cultivation.
His excitement surged.
"System!" Ethan exclaimed. "Show me the route to the Spirit Pool!"
[Command Accepted]
[Golden Immortal Mountain map not found in System database]
[Calculating most probable route to the Spirit Pool…]
A rough route appeared in his vision.
It wasn't guaranteed—but it was his best lead.
Ethan clenched his fist, determination shining in his eyes.
He followed the path without hesitation.