Three Sins Against Heaven

Dylan Chen had just returned to his room and was about to share some steamed buns with Little Tiger when a sudden knock on the door interrupted him. Opening the door, he was surprised to see Ryan Ji standing there.

He hadn't expected Ryan to come looking for him so soon.

Dylan smiled slightly at Ryan, his gaze shifting to the girl standing beside him.

"And who might this be?"

"A friend," Ryan replied casually, then turned to Carol Yan. "Stay back a bit; I need to talk to him."

Carol nodded and stepped back.

Ryan entered the room and closed the door behind him, his eyes sharp and focused on Dylan. "I want to bring my friend into your group. You'll need to kick out two people, and in return, I'll help you with whatever you need. You know my strength; even someone like Thomas Yang, I can take down easily."

"No," Dylan shook his head.

"What?" Ryan was taken aback, disbelief filling his eyes. "With my strength, even if I bring along a burden, I'm still far stronger than any two people. I'm offering myself to you, and you refuse? Are you out of your mind?"

Dylan replied seriously, "If I can abandon two people just because of you, then when someone stronger than you comes along, I would abandon you without hesitation. How could anyone trust me then? They've been with me from the start, and I won't replace them for anyone."

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"Then why did you give me the steamed buns? Wasn't it to recruit me?" Ryan asked, puzzled.

Dylan explained, "Recruiting you was part of it, but more importantly, I have a grudge against Thomas Yang. Watching you subdue him yesterday felt satisfying."

"Is that so? I didn't even use half my strength. I'll show you real skills another day," Ryan laughed heartily. "Alright, I won't beat around the bush anymore. I don't need the buns, but I have one condition: protect the girl outside and don't let Thomas Yang bully her."

"You knew her before?" Dylan asked.

"Just met her today," Ryan replied.

"Oh, I see," Dylan said, a knowing smile on his face, understanding but not saying more.

Ryan rubbed his nose, seeming a bit embarrassed, and changed the subject, "So, have you eaten?"

"No, have you?" Dylan smiled slightly.

Ryan opened the door and called out to Carol, "Come over and eat some steamed buns."

Carol walked into the room slowly, looking nervously at Dylan, seemingly a bit scared.

Little Tiger placed four steamed buns on the table, and Ryan added three more from his arms, looking seriously at Dylan.

"How many can I eat now?"

"Three," Dylan answered with a smile.

"From now on, you eat a few, I eat a few. Let's eat!" Ryan laughed heartily, handing two buns to Dylan and one to Carol, leaving just enough for each of them to have two.

Dylan smiled warmly, taking a bite of the steamed bun, savoring the sweet taste that gradually spread across his tongue.

Ryan, too, ate heartily. After finishing the buns, he moved his bedding into Dylan's room to stay with him.

Over the past few days, dozens of young people had died. After some coordination by Dylan, the nearby room was soon vacated, and Carol moved in alone. Whenever something happened, she could call out for Ryan, and he would be there.

Dylan's efforts to recruit Ryan were not just because of his strength but also because of his character.

Someone like Ryan, with his heroic and generous nature, was worth befriending.

The more time Dylan spent with Ryan, the more he felt he had made the right choice.

With Ryan's help, Dylan found it much easier to handle conflicts. Ryan could resolve issues effortlessly.

As for the steamed buns, with Carol included, each person got two. It wasn't enough, but it was better than starving.

Moreover, as they consumed more dark green pills, their bodies became increasingly filled with spiritual energy, reducing their dependence on food.

***

As time passed, everyone continued to cultivate as usual, consuming the dark green pills daily. Deaths occurred regularly.

The conflict between Dylan and Thomas Yang also intensified, but it remained controllable. With equal numbers on both sides, it was hard to determine a winner.

Despite their private disputes, they maintained a facade of harmony in front of Brian Qin.

Even though Brian orchestrated all this, they had to pretend, as it was what he wanted to see.

Brian usually ignored everyone, but occasionally, in a good mood, he would speak a few words to Dylan and Thomas.

Through these interactions, Dylan learned things that other young people didn't know.@@novelbin@@

There existed a special energy in the world, predating all things and nurturing all life, omnipresent in the universe.

This special energy was called spiritual energy. Those who could harness it were known as cultivators.

Through generations of exploration, cultivators had developed a complete cultivation system.

From weakest to strongest, the stages were Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, and Core Formation.

Qi Refinement cultivators drew spiritual energy into their bodies to open their Qi Sea, storing the energy within. They then used it to unblock all their acupoints.

Qi Refinement was divided into ten levels. The human body had 720 acupoints along the twelve meridians and eight extraordinary vessels. Unblocking 72 acupoints completed one level.

Most cultivators in the world were only at the Qi Refinement stage. If fortunate enough to unblock all their acupoints, they had a chance to enter the Foundation Establishment stage.

Foundation Establishment cultivators were no longer ordinary sect disciples but stewards, even holding a place in the Demonic Extreme Sect.

As for the elusive Core Formation stage, those who reached it were considered powerful figures. In the Demonic Extreme Sect, breaking through to Core Formation meant becoming an elder with the power of life and death over many disciples.

Dylan and his peers were all under the command of an elder in the Demonic Extreme Sect, their lives and deaths at his mercy.

The only difference was that those with good aptitude were disciples, while those with poor aptitude were called disciples too, but in reality, they were just glorified servants.

Aptitude was determined by one's spirit root. Humans were composed of the Five Elements, and everyone's spirit roots varied.

From one to ten, the numbers represented the completeness of the Five Elements spirit root. One was the lowest, ten was perfect, indicating a complete spirit root. The more complete the spirit root, the more sensitive one was to spiritual energy, and the faster the cultivation progress.

Dylan's best spirit root was the Wood Spirit Root, at level five, meaning he had half of a Wood Spirit Root. Though it was half, the cultivation effect was vastly inferior to someone with a complete Wood Spirit Root.

Half a Wood Spirit Root was considered inferior. Any spirit root reaching seven or above was considered average. Nine or above was superior. A complete spirit root was exceptional.

Someone like Mark Ye, with two complete spirit roots, was a rare genius seen once in centuries, even in the entire Demonic Extreme Sect.

The dark green pills they consumed were called Spirit Breaking Pills, providing a burst of spiritual energy to impact the Qi Sea. With enough impacts, one could break through to the first level of Qi Refinement.

As time passed, the number of Spirit Breaking Pills consumed daily increased from one to two. This number would continue to rise until they broke through their Qi Sea.

As more people died, the remaining youths gradually understood the rules here.

Absolute obedience was required. They had to do whatever Brian Qin ordered and never leave the area.

By following these rules, they could ensure their survival.

Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan