Martial arts stages

The group left the sect at dawn, heading toward the Darkness Forest. But unlike the first where they knew nothing about that place. Now they've come fully prepared, at least within the realm of possibilities.

It was extremely cold outside the sect, still with the help of the hunter's robe they didn't feel it.

Here in this part of the land, the sun couldn't warm the place, it only made it a little warmer during the daytime and illuminated the place.

After walking for a long time the group chooses a little cave to camp in.

Unfortunately this time they wouldn't be able to enjoy a proper meal since they didn't hunt anything on the way, after all, normal animals don't stay in this place due to its extreme coldness, as for those abnormal ones who could, they should be demons and those would be killed by the sect's cultivators the instant they appeared. This is the reason why it's rare to meet animals on this mountain.

Even without hunting, the group had some dry meat, at least they had something to eat as hunters, they couldn't afford to be picky in their food.

Nonetheless, today was a special day for Wang Yu and Li Fu as they were going to learn about the world of martial arts.

Ah Shu looked at the boys "It's been two weeks since Wang Yu start learning martial arts as for you even though you've learned some basics before you still needed more training with brother Lu min who by the way is one of the best archers within our generation, he comes from a big family of archers so you have a lot to learn from him"

Lu Fu nodded approvingly, he has been training with Lu Min all this time and had seen how great he was. He was way better than the hunters of the village, compared to him their techniques were crude and barbaric.

Ah Shu continued "for you Wang Yu, you've only started training two weeks ago so it's somewhat fast for you to start cultivating martial arts nonetheless as a hunter you need to grow stronger so that you can protect yourself"

"I don't know much about cultivation, but from what I have heard in the city and within the sect, cultivation has realms, and each time you advance you grow stronger and increase your longevity while martial arts cultivation doesn't increase your longevity it gives a boost in your body strength allowing you to do a lot of things like this." While speaking he punched a big boulder. Looking at the boulder Wang Yu could see the print of Ah Du's fist on it, he then looked at Ah Shu's hand only to see it was completely fine.

"This is great," said Lu Fu, he had never seen Ah Shu display his power.

"As I said before the martial arts are divided into three tiers, I'm at the second which is called the silver tier, within the first tier, the bronze tier a martial artist will start to gain strength, he'll be able to lift heavy things move faster and have some resistance to heat and cold."

"At the second tier, his strength will rise explosively, he'll have a great increase in strength allowing him to do many things, like what I showed you, he'll also become able to lift 200 kilos at least, which is extremely hard if you consider the small and slim stature of some of them."

Wang Yu was pleased to hear that even if he couldn't become a cultivator he'll have sufficient strength to travel by himself and maybe go to the imperial city, he then asked "Brother Shu does that mean you can fight against a tiger."

"Normally yes, but the animals here in the darkness forest are stronger than usual, the tigers that Fuigui had hunted last time were both at the middle stage of the silver tier as was Fuigui, that's why even though I can protect myself from its attacks, still killing it is by no means easy."

Wang Yu and Lu Fu were shocked, in their imagination only immortals could do fight against beasts but they knew that Ah Shu wasn't kidding, unconsciously they started to look at Ah Shu differently, which couldn't escape from the eyes of Lu Min, who snorted and said jokingly "Kids don't forget about us, even though we haven't reached the silver tier yet we are at the peak of the bronze tier"

The group started to laugh after hearing this comment.

After some time Wang Yu asked again "What about Fuigui's friends and that young whom they respected," asked Wang Yu

"Fuigui's friends are also at the peak of the middle stage of the silver tier while that young man is at the peak of the silver tier, that's why they respected him, in the world of martial arts strength is the most important thing." Said Qu Shi, unlike the other girls of the same age who preferred being protected and taken care of, she was valiant and pursued the path of martial arts which is governed by strength above all.

"Then why does he hunt by himself isn't be afraid of meeting monsters in the third tier?" Asked Wang Yu.

"Hhhh, I haven't explained to you yet about the third tier of martial arts which is the gold tier, within that tier a martial artist's strength is equivalent to cultivators at the beginning of the Qi condensation realm. That's the realm of giants, it's also called the general realm because all the generals of the empire are at that stage." Said Ah Shu who couldn't hide his deep respect for the martial artist of that tier.

Wang Yu was flabbergasted by what he had just heard, he had never thought mortals could fight against immortals.

"But don't get confused, even if they have the strength as early cultivators, their bodies are still mortals which means that they don't have the same immunity against diseases like immortal and their longevity doesn't increase, still they are strong enough to lead armies and they have many fortunes."

"By the way, have I ever told you that Qu Shi's father is the youngest general of the empire. He's awesome. At the age of 21, he became a general of the empire."

Looking at Qu Shi Wang Yu could tell that she wasn't the type of woman who cares about their beauty, she was extremely bold and often did many dangerous things, which doesn't conform with the image he had of girls. So it turned out that she inherited this quality from her father.

Qu Shi was amused by Wang Yu's reaction which said "so that's why".

Ah Shu then continued "That's why he hunts by himself, being at the peak of the force realm unless he were to meet a demon, which shouldn't be in the forest's periphery, he'll be extremely safe even when hunting alone."

That night Wang Yu and Lu Fu couldn't sleep. They were thinking about the new door that had opened to them. They've been disappointed each time they tried to cultivate the manual which showed how impossible for them to cultivate without resources, so knowing that there is a way to gain strength and then resources to hopefully cultivate was like a dream that came true.

At dawn, the group entered the forest while keeping the formation that Fuigui had shown them last time.

Unlike the first time when they didn't know anything about the forest, this time they chose to go to a lake where animals would come to drink water.

After reaching their destination, they choose a hidden place to wait for prey. It was still dawn so they had to wait for about one hour before a zebra came, the instant it started drinking water Lu Min shot it down on its neck.

"It's weak only a bronze tier beast at a lower stage," said Lu Min

"Yes, I don't think it's worth much, let's skin it" and leave its body," said Ah Shu who took a knife and went to skin the zebra.

After finishing the skinning process, the group chooses another place of those shown up by Fuigui last time. This time they've been more fruitful and met a wolf at the lower stage of the silver tier, at first Lu Min and Lu Fu started to fire him, but after hitting it with two arrows Ah Du, Qu Shi, and Wang Yu started to fight against it, Wang Yu still fell some fear so he didn't manage to help out, at least he didn't do any reckless move, after half an hour of fighting Ah Du's spear entered the wolf's stomach, in his final moment of anger, the wolf managed to hit him back on the shoulder throwing him away, but before he could continue attacking Ah Du's a sword sliced his neck off.

It was Qu Shi's sword who after killing the beast started running toward Ah Du to see his state as did the other group members, fortunately, Ah Du wasn't hurt much, only some bruises which are by no means fatal.

This time the group didn't skin the wolf but took its entire body. It was valuable and unlike the last where Fuigui had to teach how to skin strong animals like that tiger.

They decided to return to the sect and hunt on their way back. Nevertheless, the beasts in the forest are very sensitive and were wary of the humans so they only hunted three hyenas at the middle stage of the bronze tier.

While the group was walking, there was a snake following them waiting for the right moment to attack Wang Yu or Qu Shi at the back.

Wang Yu suddenly looked at the back, unsure if it was a hallucination or not.

"Wang Yu what are you doing," said Qu Shi when Wang Yu stopped walking and turned around to look.

The group stopped walking and looked at Wang Yu.

"I heard something and when I turned back, there was no more"

Ah Shu who at the vanguard walked back to look for the problem, suddenly a snake jumped on him, fortunately, he had been ready the all-time so he moved nimbly dodging the snake, he then cut its head with his sword.

"Great move brother Shu, this snake is at the lower stage of the silver tier," said Lu Fu.

"It was Wang Yu who did a great job, if not we might have been poisoned."

Wang Yu was pleased with himself, he liked to be useful and this was the first time he did something.

The group continued their way but this time they've become more vigilant.