The Martial Arts School's Temptation

In the early morning, with the Crimson Sun vital energy and blood in his body growing purer after a night of cultivation, Li Yuan once again left the Li Family residence silently. The "Crimson Sun" within him was like a never-satisfied furnace, continuously emitting a desire for energy. Since the market stalls were rudimentary and opportunities were rare, he had to find a more stable and inconspicuous source of energy.

His footsteps traversed the slightly chilly streets of Black Mountain City, finally stopping before a grey wall plastered with various notices. His gaze swept over the jumbled papers advertising missing persons and bounties, precisely settling on a newer notice.

[Blustering Wind Martial Hall is recruiting disciples]

Learn the Iron Body Technique, temper muscles and bones, and strengthen vital energy and blood!

Anyone aged twelve or older, without disabilities, is welcome to register!

Monthly tuition: Ten taels of silver.

Direct instruction from the Hall Master, limited spots available!

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

Ten taels of silver! To him, this was an astronomical sum. He couldn't scrape together a single copper coin even if he emptied his pockets, let alone ten taels of silver.

But this notice was like a lightning bolt, striking his heart ignited by the "Crimson Sun."

A martial arts school!

This was a relatively formal place where he could reasonably acquire physical cultivation methods and resources! The Iron Body Technique sounded like a foundational technique for tempering the body, perfect for him to build a foundation. More importantly, once he became a martial arts school apprentice, he could interact with other martial artists, perhaps learn about other ways to obtain resources, and even have the chance to accept some missions posted by the martial arts school to earn money.

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

He stood before the notice, his mind racing. Relying on theft? The risk was too high, and targets were hard to find. Continuing to scavade at the market stalls? Too uncertain, and he needed a continuous, large supply of energy; scavenging alone was far from enough.

His gaze involuntarily drifted towards the undulating Black Mountain Forest outside the city, resembling the backs of giant beasts.

The forest meant danger, but it also meant opportunity. Various fierce beasts lived within it, their flesh and blood containing vital energy and blood essence far richer than that of domestic animals, making them one of the most coveted "fuels" for the "Crimson Sun." Hunting fierce beasts would not only strengthen himself by consuming their flesh and blood but also allow him to sell materials like hides, bones, and claws for money!

A single copper coin could stump a hero. He needed seed money, his first pot of gold, to knock on the doors of the martial arts school and to find a stable supply chain of fuel for his "Crimson Sun" furnace.

The Black Mountain Forest became his only, and best, option for now.

Although his strength had greatly increased, far surpassing ordinary youths, there was still risk when facing actual fierce beasts. He needed to prepare, to understand, and even more... he needed a suitable weapon.

He touched his empty pockets, his brow furrowing slightly. Without money, he couldn't even afford the roughest iron knife.

His eyes scanned the sides of the street, finally landing near a construction site where a house was being repaired. Some discarded materials were piled there, including an iron rod about arm's length and as thick as a child's wrist. One end was flattened and sharpened, covered in mud and dust, clearly abandoned.

Li Yuan walked over nonchalantly, and when no one was paying attention, he quickly picked up the iron rod and hid it in his embrace. The heavy, cold sensation in his hand settled his heart slightly.

This crude iron rod was his only "weapon" at the moment.

Without lingering, Li Yuan turned and walked towards the city gate. His steps were firm, his gaze sharp, completely different from the surrounding pedestrians struggling for a living.

The guards at the city gate lazily checked the flow of people entering and exiting. They paid little attention to Li Yuan, a lone youth in slightly tattered clothes.

Stepping out of the tall city gate, a more primitive scent, mixed with the fresh aroma of grass and a faint musky odor, assailed him. In the distance, the Black Mountain Forest looked like an endless dark green ocean, with faint roars of unknown beasts adding to the somber atmosphere.

Li Yuan tightened his grip on the iron rod in his embrace and, without hesitation, stepped onto the path leading to the forest.

The path was rugged, and the deeper he went, the denser the trees became, and the dimmer the light. He slowed his pace, activating the senses sharpened by the "Crimson Sun," carefully listening to the sounds around him and sniffing the air.

He was looking for lone, relatively weak, low-level fierce beasts. With his current strength, he was not yet capable of challenging groups or overly powerful existences.

After walking for about half an hour, apart from a few startled rabbits and pheasants that darted away, he found no suitable targets. Li Yuan was not impatient; his patience was like that of the most experienced hunter.

Suddenly, he stopped, his nose catching a faint, musky, fishy odor. At the same time, rustling sounds came from the bushes to his left.

He immediately crouched down, hiding his body behind a tree trunk, his gaze sharply fixed on the source of the sound.

A moment later, a stout wild boar with glossy black fur and two curved tusks protruding from its snout grunted its way out of the bushes. Its size was comparable to a calf, with short, powerful limbs, bulging muscles, and a pair of small eyes flashing 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. It had tough skin and flesh, astonishing strength, and its tusks could easily pierce tree trunks when it charged. For ordinary hunters, it was a dangerous target that required a team to hunt.

If it were before, Li Yuan would have fled for his life upon seeing such a creature. But now, looking at the boar, his eyes held no fear, but instead a burning fighting spirit, and... the excitement of seeing a "walking vital energy pack."

This was it!

Li Yuan took a deep breath, gripping the iron rod in his embrace tightly, its sharpened end aimed at the Tusked Boar, which had not yet sensed the danger. The Crimson Sun vital energy and blood began to flow faster, and a sense of power filled his body.

The hunt begins!