Brian Carter finally came to his senses and nodded without hesitation, saying, “Of course I want to become stronger, but all my meridians have been sealed. I can’t advance to become a bloodline martial artist…”

The middle-aged uncle showed a hint of disdain on his face. “It’s just the Sixfold Meridian Locking Technique. Although it’s profound, and even a deadlock, it’s not impossible to break.”

Brian Carter looked in surprise at the plain, even utterly ordinary-looking middle-aged uncle before him, hardly able to believe his ears. What did he just say?

He said he could unlock his sealed meridians?

Chapter Two: Envy of Others

Ecstatic joy surged in Brian Carter’s heart. He looked around and finally couldn’t help but ask, “Uncle, where is this place, and who are you…”

The middle-aged uncle smiled faintly. “My name is Ryan, but not many people know me… As for this place, it’s inside your heart, or to be precise, it’s a void space. What has entered here is your consciousness.”

Brian Carter carefully pondered the uncle’s words for a long while before asking, “Then… why are you here?”

A hint of amusement appeared on the uncle’s face. “Because some unlucky fellow happened to fall onto the Soul Devouring Orb where I was residing. Coincidentally, this person is also a bloodline holder of the Nine-Winged Heavenly Dragon, and by chance, his blood dripped onto the shattered Soul Devouring Orb, lifting its seal… So here I am.”

Unlucky fellow?

Isn’t that me?

My recent streak of bad luck seems to have turned into a stroke of fortune?

“This is a void space? Is it like those storage spaces that some people have?”

Uncle Ryan shook his head. “No, it’s different. This is a space I constructed, and the energy that built it comes from the crystal energy you absorb. Everything here is just a manifestation of energy; it can’t be taken out into the real world, nor can things from outside be brought in. But you, as the vessel of this world, can enjoy many special things here.”

“If you want this place to become more suitable for your cultivation, just absorb more crystal energy. With enough energy, you’ll find that the wonders here will far exceed your imagination.”

At this point, Uncle Ryan’s expression seemed a bit odd as well. “It’s even beyond my own understanding…”

While Brian Carter was still digesting Uncle Ryan’s words, Uncle Ryan had already turned and walked over to the table. “If you want to become strong, follow me and complete every task I give you.”

“Today’s first task is very simple…”

Brian Carter’s gaze followed Uncle Ryan’s movements, and to his surprise, he found that at some point, a large, flat wooden board had appeared on the once-empty tabletop—like a chopping board. On top of the board was a pitch-black kitchen knife, and neatly piled on the table were a bunch of large radishes.

“The first task is to slice radishes.”

Under Brian Carter’s astonished gaze, the uncle reached out, and the heavy-looking kitchen knife landed in his hand. The knife danced, and in an instant, a large radish was sliced into countless thin pieces. Then, with a flurry of rapid chopping sounds, the slices were shredded into fine strips, each one perfectly uniform, as if stamped out of a mold.

Casually tossing the huge, pitch-black kitchen knife onto the board, the uncle turned to Brian Carter and waved him over. “Your turn. Today’s task is to finish slicing all these radishes, just like I did—into strips. Hmm, with your current strength, use the hundred-jin kitchen knife.”

As the uncle spoke, the kitchen knife shrank considerably, but Brian Carter still couldn’t help but gape in shock.

“A hundred jin?”

The uncle glanced at Brian Carter. “What, can’t do it?”

Brian Carter shook his head, walked up, gripped the kitchen knife with his right hand, and picked up a large radish with his left.

What the heck, what kind of kitchen knife is this?

So heavy?

Lifting a hundred-jin weight would be easy for a level-seven strength user like Brian Carter, but to hold a hundred-jin kitchen knife with just his wrist and slice radishes as if it were nothing—that was even harder than carrying five hundred jin.

Brian Carter held his breath, gathered his strength into his right hand, and slowly lifted the pitch-black kitchen knife.

“Clang!”

Like a guillotine falling, the knife sliced off the first piece of radish, but the thickness of that slice made Brian Carter want to bang his head against the wall in shame.

A fierce fighting spirit welled up in Brian Carter’s heart. No matter what happens, at least this is an opportunity for me!

Didn’t Uncle Ryan say he could break the seal on my meridians?

Go for it!

Just like Edward Clark once said: only by giving your all will you have no regrets, no remorse!

Brian Carter tried his best to shift his focus away from the immense weight and instead concentrated his mind on where the blade fell, doing his utmost to slice each radish piece as thin and even as possible.