The night was black as ink, and the cold wind cut like knives.
Lin Xiao curled up in a sheltered mountain hollow. Thick dead grass lay beneath him, while the thin hemp clothes on his body had long since been soaked through by the night dew, cold enough to pierce the bone.
He had already been gone from Qingyang City for three days.
Over those three days, he had followed the map by day, struggling along rugged mountain paths toward Cloud Creek City. At night, he found relatively safe places to meditate, cultivate, and recover his strength.
The wilderness was far crueler than he had imagined. Hunger, cold, and loneliness clung to him like parasites gnawing at the bone, eroding his will every moment. The little dried meat and water he had brought had been exhausted by the second day. At this moment, he was holding on solely through the tough physique granted by Body Refinement First Level and a ruthless refusal to fall here.
"Grrr..."
The protest from his stomach pulled him out of his shallow cultivation. The intense hunger made his vision darken in waves.
"I can't keep this up." Gritting his teeth, Lin Xiao crawled out of his hiding place.
Under the moonlight, his face looked somewhat pale, but his eyes were exceptionally bright. He knew that if he wanted to survive, he had to take the initiative. He needed food, needed water, and he could only seize them from this perilous wilderness.
He tightened his grip around the rusty dagger he never let leave his side, lowered his body, and slipped soundlessly into the shadows of the forest like a ghost.
After becoming a cultivator, his five senses had become extraordinarily sharp. No slightest disturbance borne on the wind could escape his ears. As he advanced cautiously, he continuously circulated the Qi Gathering Art in his mind, absorbing the thin spiritual energy in the air to replenish his strength.
[Qi Gathering Art Proficiency +1] [Qi Gathering Art Proficiency +1] The occasional notifications that appeared on the system panel were his only comfort in this dead-silent mountain forest.
After walking for roughly half an hour, his steps suddenly halted.
A faintly fishy breeze drifted from ahead, mixed with a trace of blood scent that came and went.
A wild beast!
Lin Xiao's heart instantly leaped into his throat. Rather than retreating, he lightened his steps even further and crept toward the source of the stench.
Pushing aside the last patch of brush before him, the sight before his eyes made his pupils contract sharply.
In the clearing not far away, a giant wolf the size of a calf, covered in azure scales and bearing a single horn on its head, was tearing into a wild boar's corpse. Blood and chunks of flesh were splattered everywhere. The scene was exceptionally gory.
[System Notification: Discovered First Order Lower Grade Demonic Beast—Azure Scale Wolf] [Scanning Target: Azure Scale Wolf] [Realm: Body Refinement Second Level] [Weakness Analysis: The scales on its abdomen offer weak defense; it is cruel and easily enraged, with a simple attack pattern.]
Body Refinement Second Level!
Lin Xiao's heart sank abruptly. This demonic beast was a full minor realm above him. Whether in strength or speed, it was absolutely superior to him.
Run?
The instant that thought arose, he crushed it. He was already so hungry he could barely walk. If he ran now and was discovered, with his depleted stamina, he would be walking straight into a dead end.
His only path to survival was to gamble!
While it was eating, when its vigilance was at its lowest, he would launch a fatal strike!
Lin Xiao stared fixedly at the Azure Scale Wolf, his mind racing as he analyzed the information provided by the system.
Its abdomen was its weak point, but it was lying down as it ate. There was no opportunity to attack at all.
Easily enraged, simple attack pattern... perhaps that could be used against it!
He drew a deep breath and restrained his presence to the utmost. Like a stubborn rock, he lay silently hidden behind the bushes, waiting for his chance.
Second by second, time passed. The Azure Scale Wolf finally ate its fill. It let out a blood-reeking burp, rose lazily to its feet, and seemed to be preparing to find somewhere to rest.
Now!
The very instant the Azure Scale Wolf rose and exposed the weak point of its abdomen to the air, Lin Xiao moved!
Like an arrow loosed from the bowstring, he shot out of the bushes. The rusty dagger in his hand flashed with a frigid gleam beneath the moonlight as it stabbed straight toward the Azure Scale Wolf's soft abdomen!
"Pfft!"
The sound of the dagger piercing flesh was distinctly audible.
"Awoo—!"
The Azure Scale Wolf let out an agonized howl. It had never expected that, on its own territory, "food" would dare take the initiative and attack it.
The searing pain instantly drove it into a frenzy. It violently swung its head, and its enormous jaws, like iron pincers, savagely bit toward Lin Xiao.
Having landed his blow, Lin Xiao did not dare linger even a moment and immediately withdrew. But the Azure Scale Wolf was simply too fast. Although he escaped the fate of having his throat bitten through, its fangs tore a bone-deep wound across his left shoulder, and blood instantly dyed his clothes red.
Pain surged through him, yet Lin Xiao did not even furrow his brow. Enduring the pain, he widened the distance between himself and the enraged Azure Scale Wolf, his eyes locked firmly on it.
He knew that he had only one chance.
The Azure Scale Wolf was thoroughly enraged. Its eyes bloodshot, it abandoned all defense and transformed into a bolt of azure lightning, pouncing fiercely at Lin Xiao once more!
Just as the system had analyzed, its attack pattern was simple!
A gleam flashed through Lin Xiao's eyes. Instead of retreating, he faced the lunging Azure Scale Wolf and suddenly slid to the side. At the same time, he drove the dagger in his hand into the wound in the wolf's abdomen from an incredibly tricky angle!
"Pfft—"
This time, the dagger sank into the Azure Scale Wolf's body almost without obstruction!
Lin Xiao did not even have time to pull out the dagger. Using all the strength in his body, he gripped the hilt and viciously slashed upward!
Eviscerated!
"Aw..."
The Azure Scale Wolf's charge came to an abrupt halt. It let out a short, despairing whimper before its enormous body crashed to the ground. Entrails and blood spilled everywhere. It twitched a few times, then fell completely silent.
[Successfully Killed First Order Lower Grade Demonic Beast: Azure Scale Wolf] [Experience Gained: 25 points] [Level Up! Current Level: 2 (6/50)] [Strength +1, Agility +1, Spirit +1]
The string of system notifications gave the exhausted Lin Xiao a jolt of energy. Ignoring his wounds and the blood covering his body, he dropped onto the ground and gasped for breath.
He had won... He had actually killed a Body Refinement Second Level demonic beast!
The joy of surviving a calamity and the sensation of strength brought by leveling up washed away his exhaustion and pain. Looking at his improved attribute panel, the corners of his mouth could not help but curl into a smile.
[Name: Lin Xiao] [Realm: Body Refinement First Level (26/100)] [Level: 2 (6/50)] [Strength: 8 (Mortal limit: 10)] [Agility: 8 (Mortal limit: 10)] [Spirit: 10 (Mortal limit: 10)] [Technique: Qi Gathering Art (Proficiency 15/100)]
Both his Strength and Agility had reached 8 points, while his Spirit had even reached the mortal limit of 10 points!
After resting for a while, Lin Xiao struggled to his feet and walked to the Azure Scale Wolf's corpse. Enduring the bloody stench, he began clumsily processing the demonic beast.
He used his dagger to cut off a large piece of wolf leg meat, then found some dry branches nearby and lit a bonfire.
When the first mouthful of charred, fragrant, grease-dripping wolf meat entered his mouth, Lin Xiao nearly burst into tears. This might have been the most delicious meal he had eaten across both his lives.
The wolf meat contained faint spiritual energy. After entering his stomach, it turned into streams of warmth that nourished his body. Even the wound on his shoulder seemed to hurt less.
After filling his stomach, Lin Xiao began carefully examining the Azure Scale Wolf's corpse. He remembered reading in some miscellaneous novels that the most valuable thing within a demonic beast was its demon core.
He split open the wolf's head and groped around in the foul-smelling brain matter for a long while. At last, he found a thumb-sized crystal that emitted a faint azure glow.
[Item Obtained: First Order Lower Grade Demon Core (Wind Attribute)] [Item Description: The essence of a First Order Demonic Beast's power, containing pure energy. Can be used for cultivation, artifact refining, and pill refining. Extremely valuable.]
He was rich!
Lin Xiao's heart pounded wildly in spite of itself. He knew that this demon core alone would be enough to let him gain a foothold in a large city like Cloud Creek City!
This was the first fortune he had truly earned with his own hands and wisdom since coming to this world!
He carefully wiped the demon core clean and hid it close against his body.
The night passed without incident.
The next day, Lin Xiao had recovered more than half his condition. After eating a feast of wolf meat and turning the remaining meat into jerky, he contentedly continued on his way.
With the experience of that successful hunt, his courage also grew. Over the following days, he no longer hid and dodged about as before, but actively sought lone low-level demonic beasts to hunt.
Though every encounter was fraught with danger and he gained quite a few new wounds, his combat skills and experience improved rapidly through one life-and-death struggle after another.
By the fifth day, his level had finally risen to Level 3.
At noon that day, after he finished off an Ironhide Boar and was washing away the blood by a river, the sounds of hoofbeats and rolling wheels came from the official road not far away.
Lin Xiao's heart tightened, and he immediately hid behind a massive boulder.
A caravan of seven or eight horse-drawn wagons slowly approached. More than twenty guards armed with weapons surrounded the caravan. Their temples bulged high and their breathing was steady; they were clearly skilled fighters of the Body Refinement Realm.
At the very front of the caravan, a plump middle-aged man in fine clothes sat atop a tall horse, speaking with a worried face to the guard leader beside him.
"Team Leader Zhang, this damned weather is stuffy and hot. Black Wind Pass lies ahead, and I can't shake this uneasy feeling."
The man addressed as Team Leader Zhang was a burly one-eyed fellow. Hearing this, he grinned, exposing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Rest easy, Boss Zhao. With our Black Wind Escort Agency here, your goods will definitely arrive safely. Those bandits at Black Wind Pass were just encircled and suppressed by the authorities not long ago. I doubt they would dare come out and cause trouble again."
Even so, the trace of gravity in his eyes did not escape Lin Xiao's notice.
Watching them, thoughts raced through Lin Xiao's mind.
Traveling alone through the wilderness left him cut off from information, and the risks were too great. If he could travel with this caravan for a stretch, not only would his safety be ensured, he might also learn some news about Cloud Creek City.
Having made up his mind, he did not rashly reveal himself. Instead, he waited until the caravan stopped by the river to set up cooking pots and relax their guard before stepping out from behind the boulder.
He deliberately made himself look utterly miserable. His clothes were ragged and covered with blood and mud, while he smeared a few streaks of ash across his face. He looked like an unfortunate soul who had lost his way in the wilderness.
"Good sirs, have mercy. Please give me a mouthful of water." He called out weakly, staggering as though he might collapse at any moment.
His appearance immediately put the caravan guards on alert. More than ten gleaming steel blades instantly pointed at him.
"Stop! Who are you?" Team Leader Zhang barked.
With a thump, Lin Xiao dropped to the ground and panted. "I... I'm a hunter from a nearby village. I went into the mountains to hunt and encountered a demonic beast. My companions all died. Only I escaped... I haven't eaten anything for three days..."
His acting was not particularly refined, but paired with his miserable appearance, it was convincing enough.
Team Leader Zhang sized him up for a few moments. Though Lin Xiao looked bedraggled, his eyes were clear and he did not seem like some treacherous villain. Moreover, he was still young and only at Body Refinement First Level, posing no threat. Team Leader Zhang waved his hand, signaling his men to lower their weapons.
"Give him a bun and a bowl of water."
A guard immediately tossed over a dry, hard black-flour bun and a waterskin.
Lin Xiao did not stand on ceremony. He grabbed the bun and stuffed it into his mouth, then gulped down several mouthfuls of water, looking like a starving ghost reborn.
Boss Zhao, the plump man in fine clothes, walked over and asked down at him, "Kid, are you familiar with this area? Do you know whether there's been any activity around Black Wind Pass lately?"
Lin Xiao's heart stirred. He knew his chance had come. Swallowing the bun in his mouth, he put on a thoughtful expression and said, "Black Wind Pass? It isn't peaceful there. When I escaped, I think I saw quite a few people moving around over there. Every one of them looked fierce and vicious, not like good people."
The words were half true and half false, fabricated from the conversation he had just overheard.
Sure enough, both Boss Zhao and Team Leader Zhang's expressions changed slightly.
"Kid, are you telling the truth?" Team Leader Zhang pressed.
"Absolutely true!" Lin Xiao slapped his chest in assurance. "How would I dare deceive you, good sirs? If I hadn't run fast enough, I'm afraid I would have become a ghost beneath their blades as well."
Boss Zhao pondered for a moment, then said to Team Leader Zhang, "Team Leader Zhang, it looks like we need to take a detour. Better to travel a few dozen extra li through the mountains than lose the goods."
Team Leader Zhang nodded in agreement.
Boss Zhao looked at Lin Xiao again. His eyes turned as a shrewd merchant's look surfaced. "Kid, you seem quite familiar with these mountains. How about you guide us around Black Wind Pass? Once we reach Cloud Creek City, I'll pay you ten Silver Coins. What do you say?"
Ten Silver Coins!
Lin Xiao rejoiced inwardly, though his face showed hesitation. "This... I..."
"Twenty!" Boss Zhao raised the price.
"Deal!" Lin Xiao agreed immediately, afraid the man would change his mind.
And so, Lin Xiao naturally joined the caravan as a "guide."
He was assigned to a wagon loaded with bolts of cloth. Along the way, he acted quiet and cautious, but secretly observed every person in the caravan without drawing attention. At the same time, he pricked up his ears to listen to the guards' conversations, gathering every useful piece of information.
Before long, he figured it out. This caravan had departed from a place called Nanfeng Town, transporting a shipment of silk fabrics to Cloud Creek City. And the bandits of Black Wind Pass truly existed; they were a notorious blight in the area.
By evening, the caravan set up camp in an open area.
Lin Xiao was gnawing on the dried meat given to him by the guards when a guard with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks sidled over. With a false smile, he said, "Hey, kid, I heard you killed a demonic beast by yourself in the mountains?"
Lin Xiao glanced at him and said nothing.
Seeing Lin Xiao's indifferent response, the guard could not save face. His voice turned cold. "Kid, don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. Hand over the demon core you hunted, and your big brother here will guarantee your safety along the road. Otherwise, out here in these desolate mountains, no one will know if there's one more corpse."
A threat! A naked, undisguised threat!
Lin Xiao's eyes instantly turned cold. He had not expected trouble to come knocking so soon.
He slowly rose to his feet. Though he stood half a head shorter than the other man, the eyes tempered through brushes with death were like blades, making the guard's heart tremble.
"Get lost."
One word left Lin Xiao's mouth, devoid of the slightest emotion.
"You're courting death!" The guard flew into a rage and reached for Lin Xiao's collar.
Lin Xiao did not dodge. The instant the other man's hand was about to touch him, he struck like lightning and seized the guard's wrist.
His current 8 points of Strength were no small thing!
Crack!
With a crisp snap, he crushed the guard's wrist alive!
"Aah—!"
A pig-slaughtering scream tore through the camp's stillness.
Before you continue