Time to hunt
Sunlight escaped through the window of Wuji's thatched house, illuminating his muscular figure as he sat up. He immediately called for Little Red, signaling it was time to head to the Night Guard's training ground.
"Little Red, it's time for us to eat those demonic beasts," Wuji said, his lips curling into a ferocious smile.
"Hoo Hoo Ha!" Little Red screeched in excitement, fierceness flashing in his golden eyes.
"It seems Aunt Mei left early for work," Wuji muttered, noticing her absence. However, on the table sat a big bowl of millet porridge.
"I forgot to tell Aunt Mei that I've been accepted as a Night Guard and can now eat for free at the training ground," he said, scratching his head. "But it'd be a waste to leave this behind."
The duo quickly finished the porridge and headed toward the Training Ground.
...
"Boss, over here! I've been waiting for you!" Fatty Wong called out, waving with a big smile as Wuji arrived at the entrance.
"Alright, Fatty, let's go meet Captain Long," Wuji said, and the trio walked together to the Captain's Hall.
"Wuji, you're here," Captain Long greeted him.
'It's strange that Captain Long didn't call me brat,' Wuji thought, noting the shift in tone. Clearly, the power Wuji displayed the day before had left a lasting impression on the captain.
"Captain Long, I have an important question," Wuji said. "What are the realms of martial artists, and what exactly are these so-called demonic beasts?"
Captain Long nodded, realizing this was important knowledge Wuji lacked. "Indeed, I forgot to tell you before. I'll explain everything, so listen carefully."
Martial artists, Captain Long explained, are inherently weak in this world. The envoy from the town had once told him that no martial artist had ever broken through the realm above Body Tempering. Martial artists' ranks stop at the Body Tempering realm, which is divided into four sub-stages: Early Stage, Middle Stage, Late Stage, and Peak.
As for demonic beasts, they are animals corrupted by abyssal energy, turning them into ferocious monsters. These creatures have two main classifications: low-level demonic beasts, comparable to Peak Body Tempering martial artists, and high-level ones, which can easily crush even the strongest Peak Body Tempering fighters.
"Although high-level ones aren't seen in this area," Captain Long continued, "there is a lair of low-level demonic beasts in the forest. These beasts have been our enemies since this village was established."
"I am the only Peak Body Tempering martial artist in the village," he added, "but we also have five Late Stage fighters, ten Middle Stage fighters, and twenty Early Stage fighters. Together, we've managed to repel these beasts time and again. But recently, they've become more ferocious, and we lost ten members during their last attack."
Captain Long's expression darkened. "But Wuji, with your Peak Body Tempering realm, we have a chance."
He paused, then added, "Although martial artists are weak, the envoy once told me about beings called Devas. Even the lowest-level Deva can easily kill a high-level demonic beast."
Captain Long's eyes flickered with the memory of the envoy's fanaticism when speaking of these supreme beings.
'I see,' Wuji thought. 'Even though martial artists in this world stop at the Body Refining realm, it seems I can break that barrier. And those Devas… they might be formidable opponents someday.'
Though, if any martial artist heard Wuji thinking he was an "ant," they'd want to chop him into pieces. After all, he could unleash 22,500 kilograms of force.
"Alright, it's time to eradicate those beasts," Captain Long declared. "Ishar, recall every Night Guard member. We'll act this afternoon."
...
At the Captain's Hall, all the Night Guard members stood at attention as Captain Long issued instructions.
"We're going to lure the demonic beasts one by one and launch surprise attacks," Captain Long explained.
Wuji, leaning against the wall, thought, 'There's no need for all this. If a low-level demonic beast rivals a Peak martial artist, I can just slap them into a blood mist.'
Captain Long then gestured toward Wuji. "Also, I'd like to introduce our new member, who will be our trump card this time."
The guards turned to look at Wuji. Murmurs broke out among them.
"Huh? I didn't notice him before, but his aura feels like a demonic beast's."
"What the hell are those muscles? Is he even human?"
"He's probably a Peak realm fighter, too. That explains why we didn't sense him entering the hall."
"Hey, Captain Long, you're embarrassing me," Wuji said with a laugh, scratching his head.
Fatty Wong, who had been eagerly listening in, suddenly frowned. "Boss… does this mean I can't join the fight?" he asked hesitantly.
Captain Long looked at him and shook his head. "You haven't even started learning a martial art yet, Fatty. Without proper training, you'd just be throwing your life away."
Fatty's face fell, but Wuji patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Fatty. I'll take care of things for now. Once you've learned a technique, you'll have your chance."
Fatty nodded, determination sparking in his eyes.
...
Figures moved carefully through the towering trees in the forest, their steps light and deliberate to avoid detection.
"Captain Long, I found two of them," one scout reported. "But what's strange is that they seem to be guarding a territory together."
The scout's discovery surprised Captain Long. Typically, demonic beasts didn't cooperate unless there was a significant threat to their lair. The group observed the two beasts lying near the entrance of a cave.
Captain Long frowned. "They've become more ferocious and territorial. Something is wrong."
Worried expressions spread across the team. Wuji, however, thought, 'Just like in those novels. There's definitely a high-level demonic beast behind this. We'll be discovered, and the big boss will show up. Classic."
As if on cue, the two demonic beasts stood up, sensing the group's presence.
"Shit, they noticed us!" one guard whispered urgently.
'As expected,' Wuji thought, a smirk tugging at his lips.