Chapter 13 Essence Of Life

Words : 2583 Updated : Oct 8th, 2023

"Huff, huff, huff..." A boar, with bright red fur, standing over a meter tall and stretching three meters long, charged wildly through the forest. This creature was known as a Red-Furred Boar. Although it wasn't classified as a first-level demonic beast, it was close enough in strength that even weaker first-level demonic beasts would often avoid provoking it. Blood flowed from a wound on the boar's neck, leaving a trail as it ran through the dense forest. "This beast's hide is tough," Stanley remarked as he leaped up, landing on a tree branch. "Boom!" The boar's bloodshot eyes gleamed as it rammed the tree with full force. Its sharp tusks pierced the bark, embedding deep into the trunk. The entire tree shook, but Stanley, standing atop it, remained perfectly steady. "A beast is still just a beast—dumb as ever," he said with a smirk. He jumped down from the tree and, with his sword raised, struck the boar's injured neck. The wound was from an earlier blow Stanley had inflicted, but since his sword was an ordinary weapon, it hadn't been enough for a fatal strike. "Slice!" With the added momentum from his descent and the infusion of internal energy, Stanley's sword cleaved through the boar's neck, sending its head rolling across the ground, blood splattering everywhere. The two most valuable tusks were still stuck in the tree trunk, and Stanley had to put in considerable effort to pry them loose. Afterward, he cut off a piece of the boar's meat, packed it away, and quickly left the area. The scent of blood would surely attract other beasts, and finishing the job quickly was the wisest course of action. Before he knew it, the sky had darkened. With the dense canopy overhead, the forest had grown even dimmer. "There doesn't seem to be any dangerous beasts nearby," Stanley muttered as he scanned the area with his life sense. Satisfied that the coast was clear, he began to take stock of the day's gains. He hadn't encountered any demonic beasts that day—his targets had all been wild animals, the strongest of which were comparable to sixth-level Lian Ti Realm martial artists. He hadn't needed to rely on any of his special abilities, instead choosing to hone his own skills and physical abilities. While his life-thread technique allowed him to easily challenge opponents beyond his level, he knew that developing his fundamental strength was the most crucial aspect of his growth. Despite his youth, Stanley's humble upbringing had taught him many important survival lessons. "Wild animals don't have much valuable material on them, but I've hunted seven or eight today. I should be able to sell everything for two or three thousand taels of silver," he said, smiling to himself. Although a few thousand taels wouldn't make much of a difference in his cultivation journey, the fact that he earned it on his own made it all the more satisfying. Stanley was confident that as his strength grew, so would his ability to accumulate greater resources. "Hunting at night isn't ideal with limited visibility. I'd better find a place to rest." Soon after, Stanley found a small tree hollow. It was not particularly spacious, but it was secluded and safe enough for the night. He had discovered it earlier in the day, and its hidden location made it less likely that he'd be disturbed. Stanley set his Azure Sword aside reluctantly. "Even though I used the sword to hunt all day, I've never actually practiced swordsmanship. If only I could find a sword manual to train with," he mused. Sitting cross-legged inside the hollow, Stanley began practicing his modified Yi Jin Bone Refining Technique. No matter the time or place, he never allowed himself to slack in his cultivation—this was a rule he set for himself. While in his meditative state, Stanley extended his life sense, his connection with the Life and Death Bead allowing him to feel every small movement around him. Even an ant crawling nearby would be detected through the faint fluctuations of its life energy. He continued breathing in the world's spiritual energy, drawing it into his body through every pore. With each breath, the energy condensed into internal power and flowed through his bones and muscles. "Although I'm at the peak of fifth-level Lian Ti Realm, breaking through to sixth-level will still take at least three days," Stanley estimated. Since reaching fifth-level, he had noticed that his cultivation speed had slowed considerably. The limitation wasn't the grade of his cultivation technique—the modified second-tier internal technique was more than sufficient for his current level. The issue was the lack of spiritual energy available for him to absorb and refine. "Besides relying on pills and formations, how can I get more spiritual energy?" Stanley longed for a way to accelerate his progress. Suddenly, a faint tremor pulsed from the Life and Death Bead within his soul. Though the sensation was subtle, his attunement with the bead allowed him to sense it clearly. Then, a surge of pure life energy began to gather around him, flowing into his body with each breath. His cultivation level rapidly began to climb! "This...," Stanley was both shocked and delighted. Through his connection with the Life and Death Bead, he received information that what he was absorbing was essence of life! The essence of life was a form of energy, but it was of much higher quality than the ordinary spiritual energy found in the world. The benefits of absorbing and refining it were incomparable. "Crack!" In just a brief moment, the bones in Stanley's body made a series of cracking sounds. A surge of power, far stronger than before, filled his body. "I've actually broken through to sixth-level Lian Ti Realm this quickly!" Stanley opened his eyes, his face full of excitement. Sixth-level Lian Ti Realm marked the completion of tempering his muscles and bones. The next stage would be the tempering of internal organs, entering the seventh-level Lian Ti Realm. "Was I absorbing the essence of life from the plants around me?" he wondered. Stanley quickly realized that the plants within a hundred meters of him had significantly weakened. "This is a cultivation method that's almost like plundering!" Life and death—two extremes. To rob other living beings of their life force was the essence of death's power. Stanley understood that, having fused with the Life and Death Bead, he had inherited both the powers of life and death. Life was about giving and nurturing, while death was about destruction and taking. "The Life and Death Bead must be an extraordinary treasure," Stanley thought. He didn't fully grasp what a treasure of this magnitude truly meant. When he first fused with the bead, fragments of information had flooded into his mind about its mysterious origins. "No matter what, I've finally found a way to rapidly enhance my strength!" With his cultivation now advancing smoothly, Stanley was thrilled that the problem that had been troubling him was finally resolved. He also realized that not only could he absorb the life force of plants within a hundred meters, but all living creatures in this range would have their life force drawn toward him during his cultivation. However, unlike plants, animals that sensed their life force being stolen would panic and flee. Once they escaped the hundred-meter radius, they would be safe. That night, the area within a hundred meters around Stanley became a forbidden zone. Even the fiercest beasts of Shui Wu Mountain dared not come near him. Reaching sixth-level Lian Ti Realm meant that Stanley had completed the tempering of his skin, muscles, and bones. He could feel the life and death dual energy circulating in his body, subtly transforming his physique and leading him through a form of metamorphosis. Over the next few days, Stanley hunted in the Shui Wu Mountain area. Each time his pack was full, he returned to Qing Yun City to sell what he had collected. In five days, he had earned more than ten thousand taels of silver. "Martial artists sure can make money quickly. If I were a Qi Hai Realm martial artist, I'd make even more by hunting second-level demonic beasts," Stanley mused. He sighed, knowing that while ten thousand taels of silver was an unimaginable fortune for an ordinary person, it wasn't nearly enough to sustain his cultivation journey. Despite the steady progress he made while absorbing life essence from Shui Wu Mountain, it wasn't enough to break through to the seventh-level Lian Ti Realm in the short term. "Roar!" Suddenly, a deafening beast's roar echoed through the mountains. Even from a distance, the sound made Stanley's ears buzz, and his blood surged from the shock. "A demonic beast! And not just any demonic beast!" Stanley exclaimed, startled. He swiftly leaped through the trees, heading toward the source of the roar. Moments later, a giant tiger-like creature came into view. It had blue and white fur, stood nearly two meters tall, and was over four meters long. Its tail lashed the nearby rocks, shattering them like fragile pottery. "An Iron-Tail Tiger!" Stanley's eyes narrowed as he recognized the beast. Even among demonic beasts, there were differences in strength. First-level demonic beasts were divided into ordinary, mid-tier, peak, and top-tier classifications. This Iron-Tail Tiger was a peak-level first-tier demonic beast. Even nineth-level Lian Ti Realm martial artists would be wise to avoid confronting it. A top-tier first-level demonic beast could even rival a Qi Hai Realm martial artist in strength. Stanley could feel the immense vitality radiating from the tiger—it was as if a blazing flame had taken form. At the same time, he noticed several people hidden nearby. Though they had concealed themselves well, their life forces were laid bare to Stanley's senses. "Whoosh!" Suddenly, a black streak shot through the air, accompanied by the twang of a bowstring. Stanley squinted and could barely make out that the black streak was an arrow! "These six must be a hunting team, aiming to take down the Iron-Tail Tiger," Stanley thought to himself. "Thud!" The arrow had incredible penetration, and with the Iron-Tail Tiger unguarded, the projectile pierced through its relatively vulnerable neck, sending blood spraying into the air. "Roar!" The Iron-Tail Tiger let out a furious roar, its bloodshot eyes scanning the surroundings. It quickly spotted the archer and charged toward him with a thundering snarl. "Beast, meet your end!" At that moment, a burly man wielding dual axes burst out from a nearby thicket, rushing to meet the charging tiger head-on. Soon, the other hidden members of the hunting team emerged from their cover, surrounding the peak-level tiger and attacking it from all sides. Five of them engaged in close combat, while one provided long-range support with a bow—a common tactic among hunting teams. "Bang!" The Iron-Tail Tiger swung its tail like a steel whip, creating a sharp crack as it tore through the air. The lead fighter, the burly man, tried to block the blow with his axes but was sent flying with a heavy crash, slamming into a tree. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. "Brother!" the remaining four shouted in alarm when they saw their strongest fighter struck down in a single blow. "Watch out for that beast's tail!" the burly man shouted through gritted teeth, forcing himself to his feet before charging at the Iron-Tail Tiger once again. Despite his injury, the man, at Eighth-level Lian Ti Realm, wielded his axes skillfully as he re-engaged the ferocious beast. "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" Arrows continued to streak through the air, aimed at the tiger's neck, but the beast moved with startling speed. Only the first arrow, which had taken it by surprise, had hit its mark. The rest either missed or bounced off its tough hide without doing any significant damage. "Thud!" The tiger suddenly lunged forward, pouncing on one of the hunters. Its claws and fangs tore through the man's flesh in an instant, reducing him to a bloody mess. The man died on the spot, his body unrecognizable. The others tried to retaliate, but the tiger's sweeping iron tail knocked aside their attacks with ease. "Leif!" The surviving members of the team shouted in anguish, their eyes wide with grief as they witnessed their comrade's brutal death.

Chapter 13 Essence Of Life

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