Trial Forest Outskirts

Early in the morning, three days later, the sky was still dark.

Li Xuan stood in the open space outside the back door of the martial arts school, accompanied by another handyman.

He was a man in his forties named Wang Laoshi, true to his name—reticent and capable of nothing more than burying his head in hard work.

Five outer-court disciples stood in front of the two men.

At the head was a young man in his early twenties, dressed in gray martial arts attire with a black belt tied around his waist and three silver lines embroidered on his cuffs. He was strikingly an elite disciple of the outer court.

He had a handsome face, yet an undisguised arrogance hung between his brows.

"My name is Zhou Peng." The young man spoke, his voice clear, his gaze sweeping over the two handymen as if looking at a pair of tools. "This time we are entering the Trial Forest to gather Iron Bone Grass. The two of you will be responsible for carrying the pack baskets, water, and dry rations. Remember three rules: do not look at what should not be looked at, do not ask what should not be asked, and do not take what should not be taken. Violators die!"

That final word—die—was spoken very softly, yet it made Wang Laoshi shiver.

Li Xuan lowered his head and replied, "Yes, Senior Brother Zhou."

His gaze swept over the remaining four disciples. Two men and two women, all dressed in ordinary gray robes with unembroidered black belts. Among them, a male disciple with a stern face gave Li Xuan an extra look, his eyes thoughtful.

"This is Senior Brother Chen Feng, this is Junior Sister Zhao, Junior Sister Qian, and Junior Brother Sun." After a brief introduction, Zhou Peng said, "Let's move out."

Six disciples and two handymen—the eight-person team left the martial arts school and headed toward the mountain forest to the north.

The Trial Forest was thirty miles north of Black Stone City, a primitive mountain forest with a radius of a hundred miles.

It was said that demonic beasts haunted the depths, but the outer fringes were relatively safe and often used by the martial arts school as a training ground for disciples.

Along the way, Zhou Peng walked at the very front, with Chen Feng bringing up the rear. The two female disciples chatted softly the whole way, occasionally letting out light laughs.

Junior Brother Sun followed closely behind Zhou Peng, wearing a sycophantic expression.

Li Xuan carried a pack basket weighing fifty pounds, filled with supplies inside.

Wang Laoshi carried even more, his back bent under the weight.

"Li... Li Xuan," Wang Laoshi panted, saying in a low voice, "have you heard? Three handymen died in the Trial Forest last month."

"I heard." Li Xuan looked straight ahead.

"They all say they were rammed to death by an Ironhide Pig," Wang Laoshi's voice trembled. "Their rib cages were completely shattered. When they were carried back... sigh."

Li Xuan did not pick up the thread.

Of course he knew the danger, but the temptation of fifty Contribution Points was too great. Moreover, the old handyman had deliberately dropped hints: besides Iron Bone Grass, there might be other medicinal herbs to be found in the Trial Forest, or even... Demonic Beasts.

Potential.

He needed more potential.

After walking for about two hours, the sun rose directly overhead, and the team entered a dense forest.

The trees towered into the sky, their branches and leaves blocking out the sun.

Thick, rotting leaves accumulated on the ground, feeling soft and spongy beneath the feet, and a damp, moldy stench permeated the air.

"Stop." Zhou Peng raised a hand. "Search right in this area. Iron Bone Grass loves the shade and mostly grows in the crevices of shaded rocks. Search in pairs of two, split up, and gather here before sunset."

The disciples dispersed.

Zhou Peng looked toward the two handymen. "You two stay here to guard the supplies and make a fire to cook. We want to eat hot food when we return."

With that, he led Junior Brother Sun toward the east.

Chen Feng went west alone, and the two female disciples hesitated for a moment before choosing the south.

Only Li Xuan and Wang Laoshi remained in the spot.

"Let's make a fire." Wang Laoshi put down his pack basket and began gathering firewood.

Li Xuan, however, did not move.

He glanced around the surroundings, his nose twitching slightly.

Aside from the smell of rotting leaves, there was a faint, fishy stench in the air.

Something was not right.

Li Xuan surveyed his surroundings and finally walked over to a big tree, squatting down to inspect it.

Three feet off the ground on the tree trunk, there was a fresh scratch.

A large patch of bark had been scraped off, exposing the white wood, and a few thick, coarse black bristles still clung to the edges of the scratch.

As thick as a finger, hard as steel needles.

An Ironhide Pig.

Li Xuan's pupils constricted.

This kind of demonic beast was known for its thick hide and sturdy flesh, and an adult Ironhide Pig was difficult for even ordinary swords and sabers to injure.

Although it was only a low-level demonic beast, it was already an extremely dangerous prey for martial artists in the Body Tempering Realm.

No, it was no longer safe here.

He had to hurry and find Zhou Peng and the others, otherwise...

As for leaving by himself—setting aside the consequences of returning to the martial arts school alone, the mere possibility of encountering an Ironhide Pig halfway prevented him from acting independently.

"Brother Wang, look here..." Li Xuan called Wang Laoshi over, pointing at the black bristles as he spoke. "Look at what this is."

"An... an Ironhide Pig!!" Wang Laoshi sat down hard on the ground, retreating hands and feet together, utterly frightened out of his wits.

Seeing this, Li Xuan shook his head helplessly.

"Brother Wang," Li Xuan stood up. "Get the fire going. Make the smoke thick."

"What for?"

"Demonic beasts fear fire and smoke." As Li Xuan spoke, he pulled two spare wooden sticks from the pack basket, bound them together with strips of cloth, and turned them into a simple torch. "You stay here and keep watch. I'll go notify the senior brothers."

"You're going alone?" Wang Laoshi's face turned pale. "No, it's too dangerous!"

"It's safer than waiting for them to find us." Li Xuan ignited the torch. "Remember, the fire cannot go out."

With that, he chased in the direction Zhou Peng had left.

The eastern slope was rugged with rocks.

Zhou Peng was squatting beside a boulder, carefully digging up a grayish-black grass.

Iron Bone Grass, its leaves resembling iron flakes and its roots and stems hard, was one of the main ingredients for refining Body Tempering Powder.

"Senior Brother Zhou," Junior Brother Sun flattered from the side, "can't this single stalk be exchanged for at least twenty Contribution Points?"

"More than that." Zhou Peng was in a good mood. "A good-quality one can fetch thirty. If we can harvest ten stalks on this trip, it'll be enough for me to trade for a bottle of Bone Strengthening Pill."

"Congratulations, Senior Brother!"

Zhou Peng placed the Iron Bone Grass into a jade box and was just about to stand up—

"Boom!"

The sound of trees collapsing came from afar.

The two turned their heads simultaneously.

In the dense forest a hundred paces away, a grayish-black figure crashed through a bowl-thick tree and was charging straight toward them.

Nearly six feet in length and four feet high at the shoulder, its entire body was covered in thick, iron-gray hide, and two curved tusks protruded from the corners of its mouth, casting a cold glint in the sunlight.

An adult Ironhide Pig!

Zhou Peng's expression changed, but he quickly steadied himself.

"Junior Brother Sun, pincer attack from the sides!" He drew the longsword at his waist. "The Ironhide Pig's weaknesses are its eyes and behind its ears. Find an opportunity to stab and wound it!"

"Y-Yes!" Junior Brother Sun's voice trembled as he also drew his sword.

The Ironhide Pig moved extremely fast, charging to close quarters in the blink of an eye.

Zhou Peng sidestepped to evade the charge, his longsword thrusting diagonally with precision toward the Ironhide Pig's left eye.

The tip of the sword struck the eyelid, actually producing the sound of striking metal and leaving only a white mark.

The Ironhide Pig felt the pain and jerked its head, its tusks sweeping toward Zhou Peng's waist and abdomen.

Zhou Peng retreated in a hurry, narrowly avoiding the blow, but his lapels were slashed open with a tear.

"Such tough hide!" His heart sank.

This Ironhide Pig was stronger than anticipated, the toughness of its hide approaching the defense of a martial artist at the Body Tempering fourth layer.

"Junior Brother Sun, attack its hind legs!" Zhou Peng shouted.

Junior Brother Sun gritted his teeth and rushed forward, thrusting a sword toward the joint of the Ironhide Pig's hind leg.

The Ironhide Pig seemed to sense it and kicked out fiercely with its rear hoof—

Junior Brother Sun was struck in the chest, sent flying backward, and crashed against a boulder, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

"Useless trash!" Zhou Peng cursed, but the intent to retreat had already arisen in his heart.

The Ironhide Pig changed direction, its scarlet eyes locking onto Zhou Peng as its front hooves pawed the ground, preparing to charge once more.

Cold sweat seeped from the palm with which Zhou Peng gripped his sword.

His Body Tempering third layer cultivation ranked upper-middle among the disciples.

Yet facing this Ironhide Pig, his odds of winning were at most fifty percent.

Furthermore, even if he won, he would inevitably be injured.

It was not worth it.

Just as he hesitated, a figure rushed out from the forest at the side.

It was Li Xuan.

He held a torch high and shouted loudly, "Senior Brother Zhou, lure it this way! There are traps over there!"

Zhou Peng was momentarily stunned.

Traps? What traps?

Yet he had no time to ponder in detail, for the Ironhide Pig was already charging over.

"Damn it!"

Zhou Peng turned and ran, heading precisely in the direction Li Xuan indicated.

The Ironhide Pig pursued relentlessly.

Li Xuan watched the rapidly approaching Ironhide Pig, his heart pounding wildly.

He had no traps whatsoever; he was simply spouting nonsense.

However, having observed the battle just now, he knew that although this Ironhide Pig had a thick hide and sturdy flesh, it turned slowly, and during a charge, its eyes would lock dead onto its target ahead.

If...

Li Xuan took a deep breath, drove the torch into the ground, and pulled a spare iron spear shaft from the pack basket.

He had found this in the scrap pile: six feet long, as thick as a thumb, with one end ground to a point.

Originally intended as a weapon for self-defense, he had never expected to actually use it.

The Ironhide Pig was thirty paces away.

Twenty paces.

Ten paces!

Li Xuan moved.

Instead of fleeing, he rushed toward the flank of the Ironhide Pig.

"Are you courting death?!" Zhou Peng looked back, his expression a mixture of shock and anger.

The Ironhide Pig's attention was entirely focused on Zhou Peng, paying no heed to Li Xuan on the flank.

The instant the Ironhide Pig was about to slam into Zhou Peng, Li Xuan lunged from the side right against the Ironhide Pig's flank.

He gripped the iron spear shaft tightly with both hands, channeling all his strength into his arms, twisting his waist and legs to use the shaft like a long spear—

The spear tip pierced with precision into the spot three inches behind the Ironhide Pig's ear.

That was the gap in the skull where the hide was thinnest.

Puff!

Half a foot of the spear shaft sank into the flesh!

"Awooo—!"

The Ironhide Pig let out a shrill, miserable screech, its momentum coming to an abrupt halt as its massive body collapsed to the ground with a crash, its four limbs twitching frantically.

Li Xuan gripped the spear shaft fiercely and gave it a hard twist.

The shaft churned inside the wound, and blood spurted out in a torrent.

The Ironhide Pig's struggles grew weaker and weaker until it finally stopped moving altogether.

Silence.

Only the rustling of the wind blowing through the forest remained.

Zhou Peng stood in place, looking at the Ironhide Pig lying on the ground, then looking at Li Xuan, who was covered in blood, his expression shifting uncertainly.

That spear strike just now...

Fast, accurate, and ruthless.

The timing was seized to absolute perfection. Half a breath earlier, and the Ironhide Pig would have turned to attack him; half a breath later, and Zhou Peng himself might have been struck.

And it pierced the fatal point behind the ear.

This was no coincidence; this handyman knew the Ironhide Pig's weakness.

"You..." Zhou Peng spoke, his voice somewhat dry.

Li Xuan withdrew the iron spear shaft, took two steps back, and lowered his head, saying, "Please forgive me, Senior Brother Zhou. In my urgency, I acted without authorization. Please punish me, Senior Brother."

Punishment?

Zhou Peng stared at Li Xuan, his gaze complex.

Should he punish him? This handyman had saved his life.

Yet for a handyman to kill an Ironhide Pig right before his eyes—one he had not been confident he could handle himself—

Where was he supposed to put his face?

"Senior Brother Zhou!"

The other three disciples hurried over upon hearing the commotion.

Chen Feng arrived first. Seeing the corpse of the Ironhide Pig on the ground and then the iron spear shaft in Li Xuan's hand, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"What is going on?" Junior Sister Zhao asked.

Zhou Peng took a deep breath, forcing a smile onto his face. "It's nothing. We ran into an Ironhide Pig. I was just about to slay it when this handyman... helped land an extra strike."

He heavily emphasized the word "helped."

Chen Feng squatted down to inspect the Ironhide Pig's carcass, looked at the wound behind the ear, and then at the spear shaft in Li Xuan's hand, remaining silent.

"Senior Brother is mighty!" Junior Brother Sun climbed up while clutching his chest, flattering him sycophantically. "This Ironhide Pig has a thick hide and sturdy flesh. If Senior Brother hadn't pinned it down, how could this handyman ever have gotten the chance?"

Zhou Peng's expression looked a bit better.

He walked over to the Ironhide Pig, used a sword to slice open its throat, let out the remaining blood, and then began skining, pulling teeth, and digging out the heart.

A Demonic Beast was full of treasures. The hide of an Ironhide Pig could make armor, its teeth could go into medicine, and its heart blood was the material for refining Vitality Pills.

Li Xuan stood to the side, watching silently.

Killing the Ironhide Pig had awarded a full 0.5 potential.

It was worth it.

Yet he did not dare to show it, merely keeping his head lowered like a statue.

"You're Li Xuan, right?" Zhou Peng finished skining the pig, rolled up the bloody pigskin, and looked at Li Xuan. "You performed pretty well just now. When we get back, I'll explain things to Steward Zhao and give you... five extra Contribution Points."

Five.

Li Xuan sneered in his heart.

A complete Ironhide Pig, with the hide, teeth, and heart blood combined, was worth at least one hundred and fifty Contribution Points.

Zhou Peng was only giving five, yet spoke as if he had bestowed a great favor.

However, a look of gratitude appeared on his face. "Many thanks, Senior Brother Zhou!"

"Mn." Zhou Peng nodded in satisfaction, packing all the Demonic Beast materials into his bundle. "Continue gathering herbs. Assemble before sunset."

The crowd dispersed.

When Chen Feng walked past Li Xuan, his footsteps paused for a moment, and he said in a low voice, "Good spear technique."

He left immediately after speaking.

Li Xuan looked at his retreating back, lost in thought.

By evening, the team returned to the assembly point.

Zhou Peng had a bountiful harvest: five stalks of Iron Bone Grass and one Ironhide Pig.

The other disciples also had their respective gains, the fewest being two stalks and the most being three.

Only Li Xuan and Wang Laoshi still had empty bamboo baskets.

"Return journey." Zhou Peng was in high spirits.

Along the way, several disciples surrounded Zhou Peng with flattery.

"Senior Brother Zhou is amazing, soloing an Ironhide Pig!"

"I heard the hide of an Ironhide Pig is extremely tough, hard for ordinary blades to injure. Has Senior Brother's sword technique improved even further?"

Zhou Peng responded with a smile, occasionally glancing at Li Xuan, who trailed at the back of the group.

Li Xuan kept his head down, carrying his bamboo basket without saying a word.

His hand, however, secretly reached into his chest.

Hidden there was a small piece of Ironhide Pig heart meat, which he had covertly sliced off while no one was paying attention.

Demonic Beast heart meat was deeply nourishing to vitality and blood.

More importantly...

Returning to the martial arts hall, the sky had grown dark.

Zhou Peng went to submit the task, and Li Xuan and Wang Laoshi returned to the woodshed courtyard.

"Li Xuan," Wang Laoshi whispered, "you were... really fierce today."

Li Xuan shook his head. "Good luck."

"That wasn't luck," Wang Laoshi said earnestly. "I saw it clearly. That spear thrust... even people who have practiced wouldn't necessarily be able to pierce so accurately. Were you previously..."

"I used to hunt in the mountains." Li Xuan cut him off. "Go to sleep. We still have to work tomorrow."

Wang Laoshi wanted to say more, but ultimately sighed, lay down, and went to sleep.

Li Xuan lay on the communal bed, looking at the panel.

Adding the 0.04 left from before, it totaled 0.54.

He thought for a moment, allocating 0.04 to strength and 0.5 to constitution.

[Strength: 0.92] → [Strength: 0.96]

[Constitution: 1.05] → [Constitution: 1.55]

A warm current surged through.

The muscles in his arms bulged slightly, and his bones emitted faint, delicate clicks.

Still not enough.

Li Xuan closed his eyes, recalling the spear thrust from the day.

At the instant of the thrust, his vitality and blood had automatically circulated according to the cultivation method's route, gathering his strength at a single point...

If not for his constitution breaking through 1.0, if not for the blessing of the cultivation method, he would never have pierced the defense of the Ironhide Pig.

Grow stronger.

He had to grow stronger faster.

Just as he was thinking, footsteps came from outside the door.

The old handyman pushed the door open, the light of the oil lamp illuminating his wrinkle-filled face.

"You came back alive?" the old handyman asked.

"Mn." Li Xuan sat up.

"How was the harvest?"

"Senior Brother Zhou gave me five Contribution Points."

The old handyman laughed, his laughter hoarse. "Five? The Ironhide Pig is worth at least one hundred and fifty, and he's quite the generous one."

Li Xuan did not speak.

"Still, it's fine," the old handyman sat down by the bed, "at least he didn't give you trouble. That Zhou Peng... is petty and cares about face. For him not to throw a fit on the spot when you made him lose face today can already be considered restraint."

"This disciple understands." Li Xuan nodded.

The old handyman stared at him for a moment, then suddenly said, "Do you know Chen Feng?"

"The Senior Brother Chen from today's team?"

"Mn." The old handyman lowered his voice. "He is Instructor Zhou's distant nephew, but he doesn't get along with Zhou Peng. That trick you pulled today—he should have noticed it."

A thought stirred in Li Xuan's heart. "You mean..."

"More friends make more roads." The old handyman stood up. "Just don't rush to take a side. The waters in this martial arts hall run deep."

The oil lamp went out.

The old handyman left.

Li Xuan lay in the dark, his fingers rubbing the piece of Demonic Beast meat in his bosom.

It was hard, ice-cold, and carried a faint, fishy stench.

Tomorrow, he would find a chance to eat it.

And then...

Continue to grow stronger.

Outside the window, the moonlight was pale.

Deep within the martial arts hall, inside a certain quiet room.

Zhou Peng placed the materials of the Ironhide Pig on the table. Sitting opposite him was a middle-aged man whose features were thirty percent similar to his own—it was precisely his uncle, the outer courtyard instructor Wu Ming.

"Uncle, these are today's harvest," Zhou Peng said respectfully.

Wu Ming glanced over it and nodded. "Not bad. Though the Ironhide Pig is only a low-level Demonic Beast, the fact that you were able to slay it independently shows your cultivation has advanced once more."

Zhou Peng opened his mouth, ultimately failing to mention the matter concerning Li Xuan.

It was humiliating.

"However..." Wu Ming's tone shifted. "I heard that among those who went with you today, a handyman performed quite well?"

Zhou Peng's expression shifted slightly. "Who did Uncle hear that from?"

"Chen Feng," Wu Ming said indifferently. "He said that handyman pierced the fatal spot behind the Ironhide Pig's ear with a single spear thrust, grasping the timing extremely well, not at all like a novice."

Zhou Peng gritted his teeth. "That handyman has a bit of petty cleverness, but it was nothing more than a fluke..."

"A fluke?" Wu Ming glanced at him. "Peng'er, you are at the Body Tempering third layer, yet you still had to engage in a protracted battle when facing the Ironhide Pig. If that handyman truly could kill it with a single blow, either he has concealed his strength, or... his talent is exceptional."

He paused, his voice turning cold. "Whichever it is, it's worth paying attention to. Find a chance to test him."

Zhou Peng lowered his head. "Yes."

"Go." Wu Ming waved a hand.

Zhou Peng withdrew from the quiet room, his expression gloomy.

Li Xuan, a mere handyman, had actually managed to draw his uncle's attention.