Outside the Tribe

The village was already bustling with activity as Kellan made his way toward the familiar training grounds. His thoughts lingered on the breakthrough from earlier; his senses felt sharper, and his body lighter. It was as if the world had subtly shifted around him, the air charged with an unfamiliar energy.

"Kellan!" A loud, cheerful voice called from behind, snapping him out of his thoughts.

He turned just in time to see a large, grinning figure barreling toward him—Big Bone. True to his name, Big Bone was a massive guy, towering over most with broad shoulders and a muscular build. Yet, his wide smile and carefree attitude always made him seem less intimidating.

"Kell! You look… different," Big Bone said, squinting at him with a puzzled expression, trying to figure out what had changed. "Did Elder Wei teach you the Shi Clan's cultivation technique?"

Kellan chuckled, the sound light and airy. "Yeah, I started today."

Big Bone's eyes widened in surprise. "No way! You already look stronger. I was gonna say, your arms are looking kind of buff!" He puffed out his chest and flexed his own arms, laughing as he struck a ridiculous pose. "But you're still not as big as me! You've got a lot of catching up to do!"

Kellan laughed, the camaraderie bringing warmth to his heart. "I'm working on it, don't worry. What about you? You look like you've been training hard."

Big Bone grinned proudly. "Oh yeah! I've started cultivating the [Titan Refinement] technique. It's a fleshy body cultivation method, so I've been lifting those heavy logs behind the house! My arms feel like they could crush rocks now."

Kellan raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "Oh? Are there other cultivation techniques in the Shi Clan aside from the [Temporal Breathing Technique]?"

Big Bone's eyes widened, shock etched on his face. "What? You're cultivating the [Temporal Breathing Technique]?"

"Why? Is there something wrong with it?" Kellan furrowed his brow, genuinely puzzled.

"It's just that… my dad said the [Temporal Breathing Technique] is a hoax," Big Bone replied, glancing around as if worried someone might overhear.

Kellan's shock was palpable. "A hoax? Why would your dad say that?"

"Well… I'm guessing Elder Wei told you that cultivators who use the [Temporal Breathing Technique] are weaker than others at the same cultivation level, right?" Big Bone asked, his tone serious.

"Yeah, but he also mentioned it allows you to cultivate faster, which is why the tribe remained strong," Kellan replied, his brow furrowing in thought.

"That's true, but it's not the full story. The current clan leader and the previous one didn't use the [Temporal Breathing Technique], and it's been that way for a while now," Big Bone explained, concern creeping into his voice.

"Why?" Kellan asked, his heart racing.

"Because it's incomplete, Kell. There's no way to get to the Bone Sacrifice Realm through the [Temporal Breathing Technique]; that knowledge was lost."

Kellan looked horrified. "What? Why didn't I know about this?"

"I don't know why Elder Wei didn't warn you beforehand, but that's the drawback," Big Bone said, his expression grave.

"So not only is it weaker in combat, but it's also incomplete?" Kellan felt a wave of disappointment wash over him, like a sudden downpour on a sunny day.

"Well, it's fine. It's not like I can do anything about it now, since I've already broken through the first level of the Blood Solidification Realm," Kellan said, trying to shrug off the weight of his newfound knowledge.

"What? You already broke through?!" Big Bone exclaimed, nearly shouting in disbelief.

Kellan quickly covered Big Bone's mouth, looking around to make sure no one overheard. "Hey! I know it's surprising, but it can't be that uncommon, right?"

"Do you know how long it usually takes for someone to break through to the first level of the Blood Solidification Realm? Two months, Kell, and you broke through in a single day!" Big Bone's eyes were wide with amazement.

"Even I don't know what's going on," Kellan admitted, shaking his head.

"Well, it's okay. The stronger you are, the more you can protect yourself. More strength is always better," Big Bone grinned.

"It seems you'll be showing Shi Lin a thing or two during the Clan Tournament two months from now," Big Bone added, excitement glimmering in his eyes.

"I hope so. I need that pendant back from him," Kellan said, determination creeping back into his voice.

"Anyways, what's the plan for today, Kell?" Big Bone asked, his eagerness evident.

Kellan smiled, the anticipation bubbling within him. "I was thinking we could head over to the task board and see what kind of tasks they have. Maybe we can find something that'll earn us some cultivation materials—you know, like those shiny pills the elders always talk about."

Big Bone's eyes lit up. "That's actually a great idea! Let's go check it out!"

Together, they made their way to the center of the village, where the task board stood, a wooden structure adorned with parchment papers fluttering in the breeze. Big Bone hummed a random tune as they walked, waving at villagers along the way. When they reached the board, they scanned the tasks, each one detailing different objectives: gathering herbs, hunting, or delivering goods.

Big Bone's face scrunched up as he tried to read one of the tasks. "Uh… this one says we gotta… get three… Clear Frost Grass stalks. And… ooooh! If we do, we get a Qi Gathering Pill!"

Kellan raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "A Qi Gathering Pill? That could really help with our cultivation."

Big Bone nodded enthusiastically, excitement bubbling over. "Yeah! And it sounds like an easy job! Just picking grass, right? How hard can that be?"

Kellan thought for a moment. Clear Frost Grass was rare, but the task didn't seem too dangerous. They'd have to leave the village, but it wasn't like they were venturing far into uncharted territory. With Big Bone's brute strength and his cultivation at the first level of the Blood Solidification Realm, they should be fine if anything unexpected happened.

"Alright, let's go for it," Kellan said with a grin. "We'll split the reward."

Big Bone beamed with excitement. "This is gonna be exhilarating! It's been a while since we've gone beyond the borders of the tribe without any of the hunting party with us."

"Yeah, we're cultivators now, so I guess they're less strict about what we do," Kellan replied, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

With that, the two set off toward the village outskirts, passing through the wooden gates that marked the boundary. Beyond the gates lay the wild, open forest, where the Clear Frost Grass was said to grow near the shaded riverbanks.

As they walked, Big Bone chatted non-stop, pointing out birds and trees, discussing how he would use his share of the reward to get even stronger. Kellan smiled.

As they ventured deeper into the forest, Kellan couldn't shake the feeling that this was more than just a simple task. Something about the day felt different—like this was the start of something bigger.