The next day, Chen Wu took Chen Xiaojun out through the stone wall at the village's North Gate. They crossed several li of open ground. It was precisely because of this stretch of open land that Soul Beasts didn't dare attack the village: everything was clearly visible, and they would easily be exposed and slaughtered.
When they reached the edge of the Black Moon Woods, Chen Wu told him, "Little Xiaojun, go in by yourself. Uncle Yu wants you to get some blood on your hands, so I can't follow you. Otherwise, I'll scare them off."
"So, although I've already spoken with the Black Moon Gray Wolves, there are always some loners out there, savage and violent. Be careful."
Though Chen Wu's name included the character for "martial," he wasn't the least bit burly. On the contrary, he was well-proportioned. As soon as he finished speaking, he disappeared.
He was a few years younger than Chen Xun and ranked fourth among their generation. Uh, Chen Xun was third.
Innate Soul Power: Level Eight. Agility Attack Type Soul Saint.
"Uncle Wu, you've got too much beard. It'll slow you down." Chen Xiaojun called out with a laugh, then walked into the woods.
"... My beard is famous for being sparse!"
Chen Xiaojun searched through the woods for over an hour before spotting a Soul Beast in a strange place: a Gale Wolf.
Although both were Wolf Clan Soul Beasts, they didn't get along. It was strange to see a Gale Wolf in the territory of the Black Moon Wolves.
Whatever. It looked to be two or three hundred years old, and there was only one of it. It was definitely alone. For now, he wouldn't worry about anything else.
Chen Xiaojun circulated his Soul Power and took a sheathed treasured sword from his Storage Bracelet. The sword had a long, slender blade with a pointed tip. Its two edges were silver, while its spine and flat were blue. The blade was two chi, two cun, and three fen long and one cun wide. Its hilt had a black base with gold-edged spiral patterns, and its pommel was shaped like a bird's head. It had no guard or hand protection; it was an Integral Sword.
The sword was two chi, eight cun, and seven fen in total. It was called the Wind Luan.
Its appearance was elegant and imposing, its ring clear and bright. Forged in one piece, it had an extraordinarily sharp blade and a resilient, lightweight body. It could bend ninety degrees and spring straight again without deforming. It excelled at thrusting, scoring, and slashing.
It was a fine sword made from special metal that the Chen Clan had collected. A year ago, Grandpa had given it to Chen Xiaojun for everyday use, and Chen Xiaojun adored it.
Though Chen Xiaojun was only six, he'd soaked in Medicinal Baths and eaten medicinal meals for years. The Douluo Continent had even richer spiritual energy than Blue Star, so he was in good shape. He stood 1.3 meters tall, making a 95-centimeter sword a fairly suitable size. It felt very comfortable in his hands.
(PS: The physical development index for six-year-old boys in Blue Star's Celestial Empire puts their height at 104.1-132.1 cm, with an average of 117.7 cm. Because of the difference in spiritual energy between the two worlds, the height here was set at the upper end.)
Chen Xiaojun activated "Sword Shadow Form" and entered a battle stance. The sword shadow behind him flashed and vanished as he charged straight at the Gale Wolf.
As soon as the Gale Wolf spotted Chen Xiaojun, it unleashed its Innate Skill, "Gale Blade." Two Wind Blades hurtled toward him.
As the Wind Blades drew near, Chen Xiaojun stepped forward with his left foot and stamped hard on the ground, dodging the first. Then he spun on his right foot to evade the second. It was a move from the Sword Step, "Lotus Sway in a Square Inch."
The move had many uses, following the principle, "Movement knows no fixed rule; peril and safety are hard to tell." It was like dancing on the tip of a sword.
Then came "Starstream Thunderstrike." Like a streaking meteor, he suddenly appeared at the Gale Wolf's right side. His Wind Luan Sword blossomed into several sword flowers as he thrust toward the wolf's waist.
The Gale Wolf was over two meters long and about one and a half meters tall. It looked to have a Cultivation Level of over two hundred years.
They said, "A copper head, an iron tail, and a tofu waist." Wolf-type Soul Beasts were no exception. The wolf twisted its body and swung its tail at him. If Chen Xiaojun took that hit, he'd be hurt.
Though this was Chen Xiaojun's first time facing a Hundred-Year Soul Beast, years of Chen Clan education had left him fairly composed. He blocked the tail with his left-hand scabbard, used its force to activate "Swift Body, Flying Wild Duck," and moved with the Gale Wolf, his Wind Luan Sword scoring the wolf's waist with a shower of tiny strikes.
If Starstream Thunderstrike relied on explosive power in the legs for a straight-line assault, and Lotus Sway in a Square Inch involved quick movements of the lower legs for short-range lateral shifts, spins, and evasions, then Swift Body, Flying Wild Duck lay between the two. The body moved as lightly as a flying wild duck, drifting and weaving without any set pattern, its changes flowing without end. It was a footwork technique for close-range attacks paired with swordplay.
The Wind Luan Sword didn't disappoint him. It was indeed peerlessly sharp and impressively resilient. The Gale Wolf let out a scream, several sword marks appearing across its waist as blood stained its body.
The Gale Wolf's eyes turned bloodred. Green light spread over its body, and a whirlwind enveloped it as it pounced at Chen Xiaojun.
Chen Xiaojun charged toward it instead, sliding into a low tackle. The Wind Luan Sword passed through the whirlwind and cut across the Gale Wolf's belly.
"Awooo... woo..." It gave a wretched cry. Its belly split open, and blood and shattered organs spilled across the ground. The sight was gruesome.
A few seconds later, the Gale Wolf fell with a mournful "whimper, whimper, whimper," its expression dimming. A Hundred-Year Yellow Soul Ring rose, gleaming brightly.
"What a pity about this Hundred-Year Soul Ring. It's not what I want. It doesn't make the cut." Chen Xiaojun shook his head and prodded the wolf's corpse.
"Just as I thought, no Soul Bone. And wolf meat doesn't taste good either. I'll let the other Soul Beasts have it as an extra meal." As he spoke, he continued deeper into the woods.
After fighting the Gale Wolf, Chen Xiaojun had a rough idea of his own strength. He shouldn't have much trouble dealing with Hundred-Year Soul Beasts.
He went on to kill several more small Soul Beasts, then found a small pool. He watched the area around it, looking for a Soul Beast that he could handle and that would taste good.
Before long, he spotted a Yellow Cattle-type Soul Beast. It seemed to be just over a hundred years old. He used Starstream Thunderstrike to swiftly appear beside it, thrust through its head, and killed it.
Chen Xiaojun began butchering the beef. Ever since he'd started practicing swordsmanship, he'd deliberately trained in slaughtering and cutting Soul Beast meat under the pretext of helping his mother.
Actually, he'd been a decent cook even before transmigrating. He'd grown up surrounded by cooking, it was one of his interests, and he'd watched food streamers teach people to cook step by step. His skills weren't especially outstanding, but they were better than average. After transmigrating, he'd cooked a few dishes at home.
Suddenly, Chen Xiaojun's sword dipped as he cut the meat. The blade bent and sprang back, narrowly avoiding a sharp, pointed gray-black beast claw. A figure appeared three meters away from him. It was a Shadowless Leopard.
The leopard was gray-black all over, with purple star patterns. It was over two meters long, which wasn't large for a Soul Beast. Shadowless Leopards were already considered small among leopard-type Soul Beasts, perhaps because small bodies were better for hiding.
The Shadowless Leopard was an Upper-ranked Soul Beast, a seventh-grade Soul Beast. Its attack power wasn't strong compared to others of its kind, but its skills were extremely troublesome.
It had surely used its Innate Skill, "Leopard Shadow Stealth," to creep close to Chen Xiaojun and spring out silently. Fortunately, Chen Xiaojun had been on guard, and it had to reveal itself to attack.
Legend had it that there was a Parallel Shadow World attached to the material world. Only Soul Beasts and Soul Masters with Shadow-type talents or skills could enter it.
Since it was a shadow realm, perhaps due to interference from the real world, anyone entering or leaving the world would inevitably become visible if they emerged within a certain distance of a living creature in reality. The distance depended on the Cultivation Level of both sides, but it was at least one zhang.
Fortunately, that was how it worked. Otherwise, Soul Beasts and Soul Masters who could travel between two worlds would be everyone else's nightmare. Even so, they were still dangerous.
Fortunately, there weren't many Soul Beasts or Soul Masters of this kind.
As soon as the Shadowless Leopard landed, it activated "Leopard Shadow Stealth" again. Its figure flashed and vanished, as if it had jumped back into the Parallel Shadow World.
"This is troublesome. I can only use that move."
Chen Xiaojun immediately slid the Wind Luan Sword back into its scabbard and gripped the hilt, standing motionless. Only the soft rustle of a gentle breeze passed by. For a moment, the surroundings seemed utterly silent, as if the air had frozen.
Chen Xiaojun was completely focused. Suddenly, a series of footprints appeared not far to his left. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. Using the method for circulating Soul Power through Sword Palm, he sent a Sword God Pearl whistling toward that spot and struck the Shadowless Leopard's figure into view.
But just then, a black claw shot from behind Chen Xiaojun toward his back, revealing a lethal danger.
Chen Xiaojun tapped the tip of his foot and spun around with Lotus Sway in a Square Inch, drawing his sword in an instant.
He moved like Thunderclap, turning and slashing sideways. The blade raced behind him with the force of his spin, as swift as lightning. Its trace lingered like the wind, impossible to shake off.
His sword was twice as fast as before, as if it had crossed through space. It cut through the Soul Beast's neck behind him. Its head flew up, and a column of blood shot into the air. It was the Shadowless Leopard.
Another Yellow Soul Ring appeared. The false figure of the Shadowless Leopard in front of him also slowly vanished.
It had been only a meter from Chen Xiaojun. At that range, it had been extremely dangerous. Some blood had even splashed onto him.
"Good thing that Illustrated Guide to Rare Soul Beasts told me the Shadowless Leopard also has the Innate Skill 'Shadow Clone Technique.' Otherwise, I'd have gotten covered in blood at the very least."
After recalling the Sword God Pearl, Chen Xiaojun sat down and adjusted his breathing for a while. Then he continued slaughtering and cutting the Soul Beast meat. He washed the hind legs and ribs and packed them into his Radiant Light Bracelet-and there were two of them!
At noon, he ate a little of the dried Soul Beast meat he'd brought, then continued searching for Soul Beasts.
At dusk, Chen Xiaojun came to a cave in the mountains. It was a traditional Chen Clan Rest Camp, with good ventilation and lighting.
Because people had come here to train and clear the area for a long time, the conditions within several hundred meters had been checked. There were no Soul Beasts.
He sprinkled some powder around the cave entrance to keep away bugs and ants, then got ready to enjoy a proper meal and took out a stew pot.
"Stewed tomatoes and beef tonight. It'll definitely be fragrant." Chen Xiaojun thought that the smell wouldn't travel more than a few hundred meters, so the danger was minimal.
He put in the Yellow Cattle ribs and hind leg meat, poured in rice wine, and brought clean water to a boil. He skimmed off the blood and foam, then added Sichuan Pepper, star anise, scallions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and diced tomatoes. His mother, Ye Xiuxin, had prepared a plentiful supply of cooking utensils and seasonings for him.
As he kept the heat low and waited for the stew to cook, he hummed a song: "... plucked flowers south of the Yangtze, with the spring breeze and red candles; ever amorous, as free as me, I love all beneath the heavens... watered my horse north of the Yangtze, with the west wind and yellow sand; even without a heart, like me, I'd cut peach blossoms on my sword..."
Unsung Hero was one of the several ancient-style songs he liked best. Chen Xiaojun had always been fond of songs with a Jianghu flavor: carefree and unrestrained, roaming the world.
"I have to stay here for three days and find Hei Yue and his Black Moon Wolf Clan, then challenge their Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
"This tests not only my combat power, but also my ability to survive in the wild.
"Uncle Wu must be somewhere nearby. Staying with me for three days without showing himself really is hard work.
"Today's fights were on uneven ground. My movements were impeded, and I'm still a little rusty with the Sword Step. I'm not used to it yet.
"Against that Gale Wolf, I could have activated Sword Shadow Form to move faster. I need to make my movements flow like water-or else I could leave it inactive and launch a direct ambush. I have to use it flexibly.
"The Sword-Drawing Technique had decent power. It was twice as fast as an ordinary sword strike, but that still wasn't enough. That Shadowless Leopard's claws had nearly reached me. That was really dangerous.
"What a pity. The leopard's Innate Skills, whether Leopard Shadow Stealth or Shadow Clone Technique, would really suit my First Soul Skill. It was just too young, only three or four hundred years old, and the Shadowless Leopard lacked a bit of that elegant, refined quality.
"I need to find more Hundred-Year Soul Beasts over these next few days and fight them properly."
The next day, after fighting more than a dozen Hundred-Year Soul Beasts during the day, Chen Xiaojun was utterly exhausted. He sat in meditation, clearing away every distracting thought, calming his mind, and devoting himself entirely to circulating the Impartial Sword Qi Art.
Taoism spoke of three ways to regulate the speed of one's breath: the strength of a sheep, a deer, and a tiger. Moving slowly and cautiously was like a sheep pulling a cart; striding quickly was like a deer running at full speed; charging with all one's might was like a tiger racing at a gallop.
Today's battles had nearly exhausted his Soul Power. The two acupoints above and below, Yin and Yang, absorbed Soul Power even more fiercely than usual. Yes, as fiercely as a tiger. His Soul Power surged, like an unceasing torrent rushing through his Meridians. After all, the Soul Power outside was especially active, pouring into him with relentless force.
Chen Xiaojun felt the Soul Power circulating and stored in his Meridians rapidly increasing.
Because he hadn't opened his Soul Nest yet, the Soul Power stored in his Meridians was relatively limited. He had to constantly nourish and expand his Meridians to store more Soul Power.
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