Top Soldier Pursued by a Beauty

Hatred flashed in Zhao Dong's eyes. "If you have the guts, kill me now!" he said coldly.

"You're fucking asking for it!"

Zhao Dong's defiance completely infuriated Kuang Tianhao. His eyes filled with murderous intent—he was actually going to kill him!

He pointed his finger at Zhao Dong's throat, ready to strike.

Just then, Song Zixuan rushed to intervene. "Cousin! Stop!"

Kuang Tianhao said coldly, "This kid's all talk. I might as well send him to meet King Yan!"

Song Zixuan's face turned pale. She hadn't expected things to escalate this far. She had only called Kuang Tianhao to teach Zhao Dong a lesson. Although she was annoyed with him, she didn't want him dead.

She quickly grabbed Kuang Tianhao's arm. "Cousin! Don't! A lesson is enough. Let's go!"

Kuang Tianhao turned back to Zhao Dong. "Apologize to me," he said coldly. "Then, call me 'Grandpa' three times, and I'll let you go today."

Zhao Dong spat out a mouthful of bloody spittle, a cold smile in his eyes. "In your dreams."

Rage erupted from Kuang Tianhao. He had never met someone so unafraid of death. Veins bulged on his forehead. He was truly ready to kill.

In that instant, Song Zixuan stepped between them and yelled angrily at Zhao Dong, "Zhao Dong, would it kill you to apologize? Do you have to be so stubborn?"

Zhao Dong replied coldly, "I have no quarrel with you. You're the one who repeatedly made things difficult for me. Now you've brought someone to beat me up and even threaten my life, and you expect me to apologize? I'd rather die. And let me make one thing clear: if I survive today, I will make you both pay!"

"You—"

Song Zixuan was so infuriated she was at a loss. Zhao Dong was just too unyielding!

Kuang Tianhao's voice was frigid. "Cousin, step aside."

Song Zixuan's face was pale. "Cousin, there's really no need to make such a big deal out of this. It's not worth taking his life. Besides, you're a Dragon Captain of the Enforcement Squadron. You can't have a man's blood on your hands."

Kuang Tianhao's expression wavered. He nodded. "I know. I won't kill him, but he will pay a price. Step aside."

Song Zixuan sighed. "Alright, Cousin, that's enough. Let's just go."

"Step aside!"

Song Zixuan shuddered. Biting her lip, she knew Kuang Tianhao was serious and reluctantly moved away.

Kuang Tianhao stared at Zhao Dong and snorted. He gathered Spiritual Energy in his right palm and viciously struck Zhao Dong's chest!

THUMP!

Zhao Dong flew backward like a kite with a severed string, crashing heavily to the ground and coughing up blood in agony.

Only then did Kuang Tianhao speak, his voice indifferent. "You'll probably be bedridden for at least ten or fifteen days. Useless trash. Go home and lie down!"

"Cousin, let's go!"

Without a second glance at Zhao Dong, Kuang Tianhao pulled Song Zixuan away.

Song Zixuan gave Zhao Dong one last look, her face a mask of complex emotions. Did I... go too far? A faint thread of regret appeared in her heart. Bringing someone to teach Zhao Dong a lesson was a profound insult.

At that moment, Zhao Dong was staring coldly right at her, their gazes locking.

When she met his eyes, Song Zixuan involuntarily shivered.

That look in his eyes... why was it so terrifying?

After Song Zixuan and Kuang Tianhao left, Zhao Dong slowly stood up. He dusted himself off, coughed up another mouthful of blood, and clenched his fists, his voice hoarse. "Kuang Tianhao, for everything you've done today, I will surely repay you in full!"

He exhaled sharply, sat down cross-legged, and meditated for a moment to stabilize his breathing before rising again.

He had to become stronger!

He must!

Once you embark on the path of cultivation, even if you don't compete with others, they will come to compete with you. Even if you don't bully others, they will come to bully you.

Therefore, the only path forward is to become stronger. This is a world where the strong prey on the weak; only by becoming strong can one carve out a place for themselves.

Zhao Dong drove home, showered in the yard, and changed into a fresh set of clothes. Though his face was slightly pale, his self-healing ability was terrifying. Coupled with the support of the Mystic Sky Technique, he was not seriously injured.

His mind turned to his most pressing need: alchemy. Only pills could provide the rapid boost in strength he needed in the short term. However, while he had the herbs, he lacked the necessary equipment, like an Alchemy Furnace. An Alchemy Furnace was not an ordinary cauldron; it had to be specially crafted. Such items were typically only found in major families due to their exorbitant cost.

Xu Yafei certainly wouldn't have one, and it was even less likely for Song Qingwan. Wait... the Han Family! The Han Family might have one!

At this thought, Zhao Dong immediately called Han Qingtian.

Han Qingtian answered the phone cheerfully. "Ah, Zhao Dong, what do you need this old man for?"

Zhao Dong smiled. "Elder Han, I apologize for the intrusion, but may I ask if the Han Family possesses an Alchemy Furnace? I need to borrow one."

On the other end, Han Qingtian's jaw dropped. "Zhao Dong, what did you just say?" he exclaimed in shock. "You need an Alchemy Furnace? You... you know alchemy?"

"A little," Zhao Dong replied with a faint smile.

Han Qingtian's mind buzzed. He shot to his feet, his eyes burning with an intense, shocked fervor. "You... you really know alchemy? Heavens, Zhao Dong, I never would have imagined! We don't have one, but a family allied with us does! I'll send someone to fetch it right now!"

Han Qingtian was truly stunned. Across all of Huaxia, those who could perform alchemy were exceedingly rare. This rarity drove the price of pills to astronomical heights, with even the most ordinary pill fetching a sky-high price at auction.

Firstly, an Alchemist must be a cultivator, as only cultivators can sense the extraordinary properties within medicinal herbs. Secondly, an Alchemist's cultivation realm cannot be too low, or else nine out of ten attempts at alchemy will end in failure.

In short, Alchemists were the cream of the crop among cultivators. If two or three Alchemists emerged from a group of a hundred cultivators, it was considered an astonishingly high number. Thus, Alchemists held an extremely lofty status, and nearly all cultivators treated them with the utmost respect.

However, what Han Qingtian and the others didn't know was the fundamental difference. While the chance of a cultivator becoming an Alchemist was low, Zhao Dong was a Cultivator, and all Cultivators could perform alchemy.

Both Cultivators and cultivators could perceive nature's spiritual energy. However, Cultivators could draw that spiritual energy into their bodies, nourishing themselves to enhance their strength. They could even manipulate spiritual energy as their own.

Cultivators, on the other hand, could not. They could only improve their strength through Body Refinement and by consuming large quantities of pills. While they could sense spiritual energy, only an extremely small fraction of them could absorb a tiny amount to use in their techniques. They were unable to use it to nourish their bodies or truly make it their own. The two were fundamentally different.

This was why Han Qingtian was so shocked. Even major families like his had no way to curry favor with an Alchemist. If Zhao Dong truly knew alchemy, he could guarantee the eternal prosperity of the Han Family.

"Zhao Dong, come to the Han residence at once! Grandfather has already sent someone to get the Alchemy Furnace for you!" Han Qingtian was bursting with impatience, a broad smile spreading across his aged face.

Zhao Dong smiled, nodded, and set off for the Han Family's home. He was determined to refine pills today. He had to at least break through to the sixth level of Qi Refinement. That way, he could face a sixth-level master head-on, and might even stand a chance against a seventh-level master. Kuang Tianhao had truly lit a fire under him today.

「Meanwhile, at the Han Family estate in the East Sea.」

Han Chuxue had been summoned by Han Qingtian. When she heard Zhao Dong was coming, the smile on her exquisite, nation-toppling face vanished, replaced by an icy chill. She was still harboring resentment over what had happened with Zhao Dong last time.

"Grandfather, why did you invite that Zhao Dong again? Don't you know the sight of him irritates me?" Han Chuxue snapped.

Han Qingtian said earnestly, "Chuxue, listen to your grandfather. That boy, Zhao Dong, is a golden dragon in a small pond! One day, he will soar to the highest heavens. You must cherish him! If you don't, you'll regret it one day!"

Han Chuxue was taken aback. She bit her lip and muttered, "So what if he's a golden dragon? What does that have to do with me? I... I don't like him!"

Han Qingtian gave a helpless, bitter smile. His granddaughter was truly one of a kind. If any other family knew of Zhao Dong's abilities, they would have probably thrown their daughters into his bed. Yet his own granddaughter, who had already been intimate with Zhao Dong, was treating him so coldly. He was at a loss for words.

After a moment's hesitation, Han Qingtian said, "Chuxue, if you truly can't stand Zhao Dong, then Grandfather won't meddle in your affairs any longer. I won't force you two. I'm thinking of introducing Zhao Dong to your older cousin. What do you think?"

Elder Han had two sons: the elder, Han Jianping, and the younger, Han Jian'an. Han Chuxue was Han Jianping's daughter. Han Jian'an also had a daughter, named Han Churan, who was Han Chuxue's cousin.

Hearing this, the corner of Han Chuxue's beautiful mouth twitched. For a moment, she was speechless. She did indeed hold a grudge against Zhao Dong, but... what was this about introducing her cousin to him? That was... completely disrespectful!

It was like having a toy she didn't want to play with. She could say she didn't like it, but the moment someone else tried to take it away, she suddenly had a problem with it. This mindset is quite common, and Han Chuxue was no exception.

She stamped her foot, shooting an annoyed glance at Han Qingtian. "Do whatever you want!"

With that, she spun around and stormed off.

Han Qingtian sighed helplessly and made a call. His voice was cheerful again. "Ah, Churan, could you come back for a bit? Grandfather has something to discuss with you... Yes, it's about the Zhao Dong I mentioned to you before!"

A beautiful, excited laugh came from the other end of the line. "I know, Grandfather! I've been wanting to meet him! I'll head back right now!"

After hanging up, Han Qingtian waited for Zhao Dong, a wide smile on his old face. He was now deeply grateful that when the conflict between Zhao Dong and Xiao Hongtian arose, he had chosen not to cut ties, but to help him instead.

It seemed his bet had paid off.

Soon, Zhao Dong arrived at the Han Family's estate.