Survival of the Fittest

When Chu Heng woke the next morning, there wasn't a part of his body that didn't ache.

After restoring his Soul Power last night, he had planned to get a good night's sleep and recover his spent energy.

But in the Soul Hunting Forest, one disturbance after another had kept him from sleeping soundly. He had jolted awake several times, and even now, exhaustion still weighed on his mind.

Yesterday's fight had taken a heavy toll. He hadn't felt much right after it ended, but after a night's rest, even the slightest movement sent aches through his whole body.

Fortunately, no Soul Beast had come looking for him during those worst hours. In his current state, he might otherwise have had no choice but to use his last resort...

Shouting "Sister, help!" at the top of his lungs.

Chu Heng lay on the ground for another hour, drifting in and out of sleep.

Knowing he couldn't lie there forever, he finally forced himself to sit up. He crossed his legs and began circulating the Mysterious Heaven Skill to tend to his injured body and meridians.

It was noon before Chu Heng opened his eyes again.

After carefully assessing his condition, he breathed a sigh of relief. He was still far from fully recovered, but he felt much better than he had that morning. At least getting up and moving around was no longer a problem.

"Grrr..."

An ill-timed rumble came from his stomach.

Chu Heng looked down and rubbed his belly, then opened his pack with a helpless sigh and took out some food.

He had brought only enough food to last three days.

He had assumed Su Xianling would have prepared extra supplies for him once they entered the Soul Hunting Forest. Now, it seemed she hadn't.

If he still couldn't survive in the forest on his own after those three days, he would probably have to ask her for help.

And if he wanted a steady source of food here, the most obvious choice was the forest's true inhabitants: Soul Beasts.

Compared with low-level Soul Beasts raised in captivity, wild ones living in the Soul Hunting Forest generally had more energy in their flesh and greater nutritional value.

So Chu Heng's chief goal for the next two days was to hunt a suitable Soul Beast for food.

Before that, though...

Chu Heng looked around, carefully studying the terrain.

He had to admit his luck was good.

There were few signs of frequent Soul Beast activity in this area, and the terrain offered several natural features he could use.

With a little work, he could turn this place into a relatively safe temporary Shelter.

At that thought, Chu Heng steeled himself and got to work.

Soul Masters were naturally stronger than ordinary people. After a month of continuous physical training, Chu Heng was now nearly as strong as an average adult.

Some of the heavier materials took effort to move, but he could still manage them.

After working all afternoon, Chu Heng finally hauled most of what he needed back near his camp. Before darkness fell, he began building his Shelter.

First, he leaned the logs he had gathered against the side of an overhanging rock, arranging them tightly together at an angle and leaving only a narrow opening just large enough to squeeze through.

Then he took out the special insect-repellent powder Spirit Hall had prepared and sprinkled it evenly around the logs.

Next, he laid the broad leaves he had picked over the gaps between the logs. They provided some cover and made it harder to see inside from outside.

With the exterior done, Chu Heng collected plenty of dry grass from the other side of the raised ground and spread it thickly over the dirt floor as a makeshift mattress.

By the time he finished, dusk was settling in.

Chu Heng gathered some fairly dry branches nearby, cleared a small patch of ground outside the Shelter entrance, and piled them together.

Then he took his fire-starting tools from his pack. Soon, a small flame sprang to life.

Orange-red firelight danced in the dim forest, pushing back a small patch of darkness outside the Shelter. Light streamed through the narrow entrance, finally letting Chu Heng see the results of his day's work.

Once everything was done, Chu Heng sat cross-legged and began his meditation technique.

The conditions here were nowhere near as good as those in Spirit Hall's meditation room, and his own condition was hardly ideal.

Still, he couldn't neglect his daily training.

Another day began.

Chu Heng felt noticeably better than he had the day before.

At the very least, he had gotten a solid night's sleep.

But when he opened his pack and saw that only one day's worth of food remained, he couldn't help feeling a sense of urgency.

In this place where only the fittest survived, staying alive was all that mattered.

"Forget it!"

Chu Heng gritted his teeth.

"I have to find more food today!"

If he put it off any longer, he really would go hungry tomorrow.

After quickly packing his things, Chu Heng left the Shelter and began searching the surrounding area for a "suitable" Soul Beast.

Meanwhile...

"The little guy finally decided to come out."

Perched on a branch high above, Su Xianling watched Chu Heng leave the area. A faint smile returned to her lips.

She had worried that the shortage of food might make him panic.

But judging by his actions over the past two days, he had made quite sensible choices.

Whatever else happened, he had first secured himself a relatively safe place to stay. Only after ensuring he could rest safely could he afford to think about what came next.

Now, though, his food stores were almost gone. One way or another, Chu Heng had to leave the Shelter and seek out prey if he wanted to keep going.

With that thought, Su Xianling moved and silently followed him.

Elsewhere...

After leaving the Shelter, Chu Heng marked his route as he went so he could find his way back if he got lost.

He also remained alert, watching carefully for the slightest movement around him.

Yet after walking for a full half hour, he hadn't seen so much as a glimpse of a Soul Beast.

"You've got to be kidding."

Chu Heng felt a little frustrated.

"Am I really that unlucky?"

When he had first been left alone, several Soul Beasts had immediately set their sights on him. Now that he was actively looking for one, he couldn't find any.

What kind of luck was that?

Grumbling aside, Chu Heng kept walking in the direction he had chosen.

Fortunately, it wasn't long before...

"Rustle..."

A clump of grass nearby stirred.

Chu Heng stopped and quickly took the longbow from his back. He drew an arrow from his quiver, nocked it, then crept toward the grass with careful, quiet steps.

When he was only a few meters away...

Whoosh!

A gray shape burst from the grass and lunged straight at him.

Chu Heng released the string almost by instinct.

Fwoosh!

The arrow tore through the air!

The next instant, its tip struck the gray shape squarely.

"Eek...!"

With a short, pitiful cry, the creature tumbled to the ground.

Chu Heng approached cautiously. Only then did he see that his attacker was a Rabbit-type Soul Beast.

Judging by its aura and physical features, it had around ten years of cultivation. But because of its species, it wasn't particularly strong despite its age.

Chu Heng stared at the struggling rabbit for two seconds.

"Oh, I'm sorry, little bunny."

He pressed his palms together and bowed with great sincerity.

"If you don't die, I might be the one who dies tomorrow..."

With that, Chu Heng hesitated no longer. He bent down, picked up a nearby rock, and brought it down squarely on the Rabbit-type Soul Beast's head, ending its life.

Before long, a pale white Spirit Ring rose slowly above the corpse and pulsed gently before Chu Heng.

Chu Heng gave it a glance.

"Tch. Like I'd want that..."

It was only a ten-year Spirit Ring. He couldn't be bothered to look at it twice.

Chu Heng bent down, picked up the rabbit's body, and headed back, satisfied.