The Allure of the Martial Hall

At dawn, carrying the Crimson Sun Qi and Blood that had grown purer after a night of cultivation, Li Yuan quietly slipped out of the Li Family estate once more. The "Crimson Sun" inside him was like an insatiable furnace, constantly yearning for energy. Finds at the Marketplace were few and far between; he needed to find a steadier source of energy, one that would draw less attention.

His footsteps carried him along the somewhat chilly streets of Black Mountain City, until he finally stopped before a gray wall plastered with all sorts of notices. His gaze skimmed over the jumble of missing-person notices and wanted posters, then fixed precisely on a notice whose ink was still fairly fresh.

[Blustering Wind Martial Hall Is Recruiting Disciples]

Learn the Iron Body Technique, temper your bones and muscles, and strengthen your qi and blood!

Anyone at least twelve years old and free of physical disabilities may apply!

Monthly tuition: ten taels of silver.

Personal instruction from the hall master. Limited places!

"Blustering Wind Martial Hall... Iron Body Technique..." Li Yuan murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Ten taels of silver! To him, it was an astronomical sum. He could turn out his pockets and still not scrape together a single copper coin, let alone ten taels of silver.

But the notice struck his heart, already kindled by the "Crimson Sun," like a bolt of lightning.

A martial hall!

It was a relatively legitimate place where he could obtain a method for cultivating his body and access resources without raising suspicion! The Iron Body Technique sounded like a basic method for tempering the body, perfect for laying his foundation at this stage. More importantly, once he became a martial hall apprentice, he could meet other martial artists. Perhaps he would learn other ways to obtain resources, or even get a chance to take on tasks issued by the hall and earn silver.

The tuition was a huge obstacle, but not an insurmountable one.

Standing before the notice, he rapidly weighed his options. Stealing? Too risky, and finding a suitable target would be difficult. Keep searching for bargains at the Marketplace? Far too uncertain. What he needed was a steady, abundant supply of energy. Bargain-hunting alone would never be enough.

His gaze drifted, almost of its own accord, toward the Black Mountain Forest beyond the city, its rolling ridges like the spine of a gigantic beast.

The forest meant danger, but it also meant opportunity. All sorts of Fierce Beasts lived there, and their flesh contained far richer Blood Qi Essence than that of domesticated livestock. It was precisely the sort of "fuel" the Crimson Sun craved most. Hunting Fierce Beasts would let him devour their flesh to strengthen himself, while selling their pelts, bones, claws, and fangs for money!

A single copper coin could bring a hero to his knees. He needed starting capital, his first pot of gold, to knock on the martial hall's door—and to find a steady fuel supply for his Crimson Sun furnace.

The Black Mountain Forest had become his only choice for now, and the best one.

Though his strength had increased greatly and far surpassed that of an ordinary boy, he would still be taking a risk against a true Fierce Beast. He needed to prepare, to learn more, and, most of all... to find a weapon that suited him.

He patted his empty pockets and furrowed his brow. Without money, he couldn't even buy the crudest iron knife.

His gaze swept across the shops lining the street, finally settling on a construction site where a house was being repaired. A pile of discarded materials lay nearby, including an Iron Rod about as long as his forearm and as thick as a child's wrist. One end had been beaten flat and sharpened, and was caked with mud and ash. It had clearly been abandoned.

Li Yuan walked over without drawing attention. When no one was looking, he quickly picked up the Iron Rod and tucked it into his clothes. Its weight and icy touch put his mind somewhat at ease.

This crude Iron Rod was his only "weapon" for now.

Without lingering, Li Yuan turned and headed toward the city gate. His steps were firm, his gaze keen—nothing like those of the passersby struggling to make a living.

The guards at the city gate lazily inspected the people coming and going. They paid little attention to a solitary boy like Li Yuan, whose clothes were somewhat shabby.

Once he passed through the towering gate, a far more primal scent washed over him, mingled with the fresh fragrance of plants and a faint, rank stench. In the distance, the Black Mountain Forest stretched like a dark green ocean with no end in sight. Unfamiliar beasts roared somewhere within, adding to the air of slaughter.

Li Yuan tightened his grip on the Iron Rod beneath his clothes. Without the slightest hesitation, he set off down the narrow path leading into the forest.

The path was rough, and the deeper he went, the thicker the trees grew and the dimmer the light became. He slowed his pace, tuning his senses, sharpened by the "Crimson Sun," to listen carefully for sounds around him. His nostrils twitched as he picked apart the scents in the air.

He was looking for a lone, relatively weak, low-level Fierce Beast. With his current strength, he wasn't ready to challenge a pack or anything too powerful.

After roughly half an hour, he had found no suitable target, only a few startled rabbits and pheasants darting away. Li Yuan didn't grow impatient. He waited with the patience of the most experienced Hunter.

Suddenly, he stopped. His nose caught a faint, rank, animal scent. At the same time, a rustling sound came from the bushes to his left.

He immediately crouched low, using a tree trunk to conceal himself, and fixed his sharp gaze on the source of the noise.

A moment later, a stocky boar with glossy black fur and two curved tusks jutting from the corners of its mouth snorted its way out of the bushes. It was as big as a calf, with short, powerful legs and knotted muscles all over its body. Its small eyes glinted with ferocity.

"Tusked Boar!" Li Yuan's heart tightened.

This was a common low-level Fierce Beast on the outskirts of the Black Mountain Forest. Its hide was thick and its strength astonishing; with those tusks, it could easily pierce a tree trunk when it charged. For ordinary hunters, it was a dangerous quarry that could only be hunted in a group.

In the past, Li Yuan would have turned tail and run at the sight of one. But now, as he looked at the boar, his eyes held no fear. Instead, they kindled with a burning will to fight—and the excitement of spotting a "walking bag of qi and blood."

This was the one!

Li Yuan drew a deep breath and gripped the Iron Rod tightly, pointing its sharp end at the Tusked Boar, which had yet to sense the danger. Crimson Sun Qi and Blood began to flow faster through him, filling his whole body with power.

The hunt began!