I'm a major player in a parallel universe

"Next time, make sure you follow the horn!" The instructor's voice was stern, and he showed no leniency toward Yang Hao Xuan. His face remained grim as he scolded, but when he casually upturned the sack and saw what spilled out onto the ground, his expression changed in an instant—he was stunned.

Like the other disciples, he had assumed Hao Xuan had stuffed a wolf into the bag. But what he saw instead left him completely dumbfounded.

Clatter!

The ground was soon covered in bloody, severed ears. It wasn't just the instructor who was shocked; the disciples watching in the distance were equally struck dumb. They stared in disbelief at the pile of beast ears, which had already formed a small mound.

"Th-that's so many..." One disciple finally broke the silence, swallowing hard. Indeed, it was an overwhelming number. While the others were around the sixth layer of martial artists, the wild wolves they had been hunting were only at the second layer. Even though wild beasts were born fighters, killing them still consumed a lot of internal energy. But now, here was Hao Xuan—he had shattered their preconceived notions.

Even the instructor, a martial artist at the tenth layer, was stunned. He began counting aloud, his voice trembling slightly, "Fifty-four wolf ears... thirty-three mountain leopard ears... thirty-six tiger ears!"

"Tigers and leopards?" The disciples were all in shock. Tigers and leopards were at the third-layer martial artist level, which made them far more challenging to deal with than mere wolves.

"My god!" The crowd gasped, their eyes wide in awe as they turned to look at Yang Hao Xuan—now, he seemed almost like a deity.

"Very... very impressive," the instructor finally managed to speak, though his voice was a bit hoarse from the surprise. "I hereby announce that Yang Hao Xuan is the first place in this trial!"

A heavy silence fell over the disciples. No one knew what to say. They had all heard that Hao Xuan's dantian had been damaged and that his cultivation had dropped to the second layer. But just a month later, could he really have reached the seventh layer or higher?

Impossible! It was simply inconceivable. The speed of his progress was terrifying. It had to be that someone—perhaps the mysterious person who healed his dantian—had passed on some secret cultivation techniques.

As these thoughts raced through their minds, they refused to believe that Hao Xuan had actually achieved this level through his own abilities. They couldn't accept it, couldn't bear to face the truth. Fear, envy, and disbelief filled their hearts.

But they were wrong. Hao Xuan's real cultivation hadn't reached the seventh layer yet. His skills and achievements were primarily based on his special class abilities, not his cultivation level.

"Ah, right... I also killed a Wolf King and left it near the entrance," Hao Xuan casually mentioned, interrupting their thoughts. "I'll be a bit late. Could you have someone carry it back? I'd like to give it to my father as a gift!"

The words hit like a thunderclap. He had killed a Wolf King?!

The disciples were on the verge of passing out. But Hao Xuan simply walked back to the group, ignoring the shocked faces around him. He walked up to Yang Ying, whose face had turned pale, and said with a grin, "Sorry to disappoint you. I didn't die, and I passed the trial. Looks like I'm in first place! So... how about that Qi-Gathering Pill?"

Yang Ying's expression was a mixture of disbelief and reluctance. He tightened his grip on the pill in his hand, then slowly let go, looking toward the instructor for guidance. The instructor gave him a helpless look and shook his head.

After a long hesitation, Yang Ying grudgingly handed over the Qi-Gathering Pill, muttering under his breath, "I was just caught off guard, that's all..."

"Is that so?" Hao Xuan cut him off, snatching the pill and returning to his spot without another word. "Well, I hope you can beat me next time."

"Dammit!" Yang Ying's face darkened, his mood blacker than ever.

Meanwhile, Yang Ruo Lan's eyes were filled with complicated emotions. Having known Hao Xuan the longest, she couldn't shake the feeling that something about him had changed after his time in the forest. The more she watched him, the more she noticed subtle differences, as if he had become... something more.

On the other side, Yang Peng, who had been eyeing Hao Xuan with jealousy, suddenly realized that his beloved was gazing at Hao Xuan, lost in thought. Panic rose in his chest as he quickly turned his gaze away.

———

Back at the Yang family's estate, everyone had been waiting all day for news of the trial's results. Half of them hoped for the worst—that Yang Hao Xuan would perish in the trial. The others, particularly those who supported Yang Batian, secretly wished for his survival.

Suddenly, a young servant rushed into the hall, his face flushed with excitement. He struggled to speak at first, then finally burst out, "Master! Good news!"

"What good news?" Yang Batian asked, his tone curious but wary.

"Today... today, Master Hao Xuan finished in first place! He killed over a hundred beasts!" The servant exclaimed. "And... he even killed a Wolf King. The body is being transported back to the estate now—he said it's a gift for Lord Yang!"

His words made the room fall silent. Some people turned pale, while others, like Yang Batian, could hardly contain their joy.

"Hahahaha!" Yang Batian erupted in a loud, hearty laugh, his chest swelling with pride. The elders, who had previously been smug, were now frozen in place, unable to speak.

The news of Yang Hao Xuan's achievements spread like wildfire through the city, carried by every household, from one to ten, and then a hundred. It was the first time anyone had heard of a martial artist at such a level hunting so many beasts in a single trial—and even slaying a boss creature! If not for Hao Xuan's notorious reputation, many parents would have been telling their children, "Look at how impressive Yang Hao Xuan is! You should strive to be like him!"

But soon, rumors began circulating about how Hao Xuan's cultivation was only at the second layer after his dantian had been healed. Some said he had cultivated an advanced secret technique, others whispered about possible cheating.

Of course, there were also those who were deeply worried. "It's just not fair! How could you let that villain become so strong?" one worried mother said, pulling her daughter close. "We need to leave the city! It's too dangerous!"

Meanwhile, Yang Hao Xuan was unconcerned with the gossip outside. He was locked in his room, deeply focused on studying the Changsheng Decision.

Originally, he had planned to take the Qi-Gathering Pill, but his father had advised him to refine the pill using his cultivation techniques for better results. But as he studied the Changsheng Decision, he realized something troubling. The method wasn't what he expected—it didn't have the usual stages or techniques of other cultivation methods. Instead, it just absorbed spiritual energy, continually increasing his internal power.

The problem was, while his absorption speed hadn't slowed, the experience required to level up had become increasingly difficult. At this rate, he would need over a year to level up just once.

"Impossible! This book can't be as useless as it seems," Yang Hao Xuan muttered to himself, his mind racing. "It has to have a hidden secret!"

He flipped through the remaining pages, which contained diagrams of small human figures, their meridians clearly marked. Yet, all these pages seemed to only describe the benefits of cultivating the Changsheng Decision—the figures looked identical. Something wasn't adding up.

"I need to figure this out." His gaze hardened as he pondered what was truly hidden in this mysterious technique.