Into the Wild

Luo Zheng sat in his courtyard, staring at the shattered remnants of what was supposed to be his first sword. The refining process had failed, but it had opened his eyes—he needed more knowledge, better materials, and most importantly, resources.

And resources meant Soul Coins.

His fingers tightened around the old refining book he had found the previous night. The more he read, the clearer it became: Refining is an art of precision, and without the right guidance, failure is inevitable.

But books and refining materials weren't cheap. The few coins he had wouldn't be enough to buy anything worthwhile.

That's when he remembered Hamiana Forest.

If I can hunt beasts and collect their beast cores, I can sell them for Soul Coins.

Beast cores were valuable, as they contained condensed spiritual energy. Higher-ranked beasts had stronger cores, but they were also more dangerous. For now, Luo Zheng could only hope to fight low-ranked beasts and gather as many cores as possible.

With a deep breath, he grabbed a basic iron knife—the only weapon he had—and set off for Hamiana Forest.

The Depths of Hamiana Forest

The Hamiana Forest stretched for miles beyond the Luo Clan's territory, filled with ancient trees, thick foliage, and hidden dangers. The deeper one went, the stronger the beasts became.

Luo Zheng wasn't foolish—he stayed near the forest's outskirts, where only low-ranked beasts roamed. Even so, his senses remained sharp.

His plan was simple: Find beasts, kill them, and collect their cores.

The first hour passed without much luck. He spotted a few beasts—mostly Shadow Rabbits and Leaf Vipers—but none were worth hunting. Their cores, if they even had one, were nearly worthless.

Then, he heard it.

A low, guttural growl.

Luo Zheng froze. His eyes darted toward the bushes ahead.

A creature emerged—a Crimson Fang Wolf.

It wasn't large, but its crimson-tinted fangs dripped with venom.

[Rank: Low-Grade Beast]

Luo Zheng's muscles tensed. This one is worth hunting.

The wolf lunged.

Luo Zheng barely dodged, rolling to the side as its fangs snapped inches from his face.

Drifting Shadow Step!

Using the footwork he had trained, he sidestepped the next attack, narrowly avoiding the beast's claws.

Then, he countered.

With a swift motion, he slashed his knife across the wolf's throat.

SPLURT!

The wolf yelped, staggering backward. Blood poured from its wound, but it wasn't dead yet.

It growled, eyes burning with rage.

Luo Zheng didn't hesitate. He dashed forward, driving his knife straight into its skull.

The wolf collapsed.

He stood over the beast's corpse, breathing heavily. I did it.

Now, for the real test—

He cut open its chest cavity, searching for the beast core.

…Nothing.

Luo Zheng gritted his teeth. Not all beasts have cores. It's a gamble.

He wiped his blade and moved on.

Luo Zheng spent the next few hours hunting.

He killed a Stone-Scaled Lizard, but no core.

He fought two Night Stalkers, retrieving one small beast core.

He encountered a Razor Boar—a tough battle, but he finally won and got another core.

By nightfall, he had only three cores.

It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Exhausted and slightly wounded, he made his way back to the Luo Clan, gripping the three beast cores tightly.

Tomorrow, I'll sell these and get one step closer to refining.

The next morning, Luo Zheng walked into the Luo Clan Market.

He approached a merchant stall that specialized in trading beast materials.

The merchant, an older man with a sharp gaze, eyed Luo Zheng's three beast cores.

"How much can I get for these?" Luo Zheng asked.

The merchant examined them and chuckled.

"These? Barely worth anything. 20 Soul Coins each."

Luo Zheng's eyes narrowed. That's it?

"That's 60 Soul Coins total," the merchant added, shrugging. "You expected more? These are low-ranked beasts. Only high-grade cores fetch real money."

Luo Zheng clenched his fists.

The cheapest refining book cost at least 300 Soul Coins.

At this rate… I'd need to hunt dozens of beasts just to afford one book.

His excitement from last night faded.

This wasn't going to be as easy as he thought

Luo Zheng took the 60 Soul Coins, his mind racing.

He needed a new strategy.

Hunting stronger beasts? Impossible—he wasn't strong enough yet.

Finding rare beasts? Maybe, but that would take time.

Other ways to earn money?

As he walked through the market, he overheard a conversation between two warriors.

"They say a group of young disciples is planning an expedition deeper into Hamiana Forest. Rumor has it, there's a high-grade beast spotted there."

"A high-grade beast? If they can kill it, its core would be worth hundreds of Soul Coins!"

Luo Zheng's heart pounded. An expedition?

Maybe this was his opportunity.

He would have to be careful. He wasn't strong enough to take on high-grade beasts alone…

But if he played it smart, he might just find a way to profit.

With a new sense of purpose, he turned toward the deeper parts of the forest.

Returning to the Forest

Luo Zheng clenched his fists as he walked away from the market, the weight of reality settling in.

Sixty Soul Coins is nothing. If I keep hunting the same weak beasts, I'll never be able to afford a decent refining book.

He needed a new approach.

After a quick meal and some rest, he set out once more for Hamiana Forest. This time, he wouldn't waste energy on low-ranked beasts. He needed something stronger, something that could drop a core worth more than mere scraps.

As he stepped into the dense woods, the sunlight barely pierced through the thick canopy. The air was humid, carrying the faint scent of damp soil and wild beasts.

Luo Zheng tightened his grip on his worn-out knife. This time, I need to be smarter.

After an hour of searching, Luo Zheng spotted a pair of Iron-Clawed Badgers.

Unlike the beasts he had hunted before, these were more aggressive and tougher. Their thick fur and iron-like claws made them difficult opponents.

[Rank: Low-Rank Middle-Level Beast]

Luo Zheng didn't rush in. If I try to fight them head-on, I'll be torn apart.

Instead, he climbed a nearby tree, using the branches to hide his presence.

After watching them for a few minutes, he got an idea.

Not far from where the badgers were digging, he spotted a narrow ravine covered in vines.

Luo Zheng climbed down silently and carefully

positioned himself near the edge of the ravine. He picked up a few stones and threw them toward the badgers.

Clack!

The first stone missed, landing a few meters away. The badgers stopped digging and looked up, ears twitching.

Luo Zheng threw another.

Thud!

It hit the larger badger on its back.

It snarled.

Luo Zheng turned and ran. The badgers, enraged, charged after him.

With his Drifting Shadow Step, he maneuvered around trees, carefully leading them toward the ravine.

Just as the badgers lunged—

Luo Zheng jumped to the side.

The larger badger, unable to stop in time, tumbled into the ravine with a startled yelp.

The second badger skidded to a halt, its claws digging into the soil. It turned toward Luo Zheng with murderous intent.

Now, the real fight began

The Battle Against the Iron-Clawed Badger

The badger charged.

Luo Zheng barely dodged as its iron-like claws slashed past his chest, cutting through his shirt.

He retaliated with a quick knife strike to its side.

Clang!

His blade barely pierced its tough hide.

Damn… its fur is too thick.

The badger lunged again, swiping with its claws.

Luo Zheng jumped back, but he wasn't fast enough—

Slash!

Pain shot through his left arm as the badger's claws ripped into his flesh.

He gritted his teeth.

He couldn't win in a direct fight.

Luo Zheng looked around and spotted a low-hanging branch from a nearby tree.

That might work.

When the badger lunged again, Luo Zheng dashed toward the tree and jumped up, grabbing the branch.

The badger, blinded by rage, followed—right into his trap.

Luo Zheng swung from the branch and kicked the badger in the side, sending it crashing into a pile of jagged rocks.

Crack!

Its body spasmed as the sharp rocks pierced its ribs.

Luo Zheng didn't waste the opportunity.

He landed, rushed forward, and drove his knife into the badger's throat.

It thrashed for a moment before falling still.

Breathing heavily, Luo Zheng staggered back, clutching his bleeding arm.

He had won.

Luo Zheng sliced open the badger's chest.

A dull glow greeted his eyes—

A Beast Core.

Unlike the ones he had gotten before, this one had a slightly brighter sheen.

This should be worth more than the previous ones.

But as he held the core, pain shot through his body. His wounds were deeper than he thought.

He sat against the tree, catching his breath.

Fighting stronger beasts was dangerous, but necessary.

If I keep this up, I'll eventually gather enough cores… but I also need to recover.

Luo Zheng wrapped his wounds with torn pieces of his shirt. He would have to return home and heal before coming back again.

As Luo Zheng made his way back, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.

The forest was silent. Too silent.

Then—

A faint mark on a distant tree caught his eye.

It wasn't a natural mark. It was deliberate, as if someone had carved it there.

The design was strange—a swirling, intricate pattern.

Luo Zheng frowned.

Someone else has been here. But who?

He didn't know it yet, but this was his first hint of the same boy existence.

With the beast core in hand, wounds aching, and his mind filled with questions, Luo Zheng stepped out of Hamiana Forest—knowing he would return.

Returning Home—Wounded but Victorious

Luo Zheng clenched his jaw as he limped back toward the Luo Clan estate.

His fight with the Iron-Clawed Badger had left him with deep wounds. His left arm burned, his shirt was soaked in dried blood, and every step sent pain shooting up his leg.

But he had done it—he had taken down a low-rank middle-level beast.

As he entered the outer section of the Luo Clan, servants cast curious glances at him. Some whispered, but no one approached. Luo Zheng was used to it.

When he reached his courtyard, he collapsed onto the wooden floor.

I need to recover before I think of anything else

Luo Zheng forced himself to sit cross-legged despite the pain. He had no expensive medicine or healing pills like the main branch disciples.

His only option was cultivation.

Taking a deep breath, he activated "Primal Essence Circulation", a basic technique for stabilizing his qi flow and repairing injuries.

A faint glow covered his body as he guided his internal energy to his wounds.

First Day – The deepest wounds closed, but his strength was still weak.

Second Day – The sharp pain faded, replaced by a dull ache.

Third Day – He could move freely again, though his body was still exhausted.

By the time the third night ended, Luo Zheng stood up, clenched his fists, and smiled.

Time to get stronger.

Luo Zheng had spent weeks hunting weak beasts in Hamiana Forest. He had gained some battle experience, but it was clear—

I'm still too weak.

If he wanted to reach higher realms of strength, he needed proper training.

And so, he began his rigorous cultivation.

Luo Zheng spent his mornings in intense physical training.

Running around the clan courtyard with weights on his legs.

Punching wooden pillars until his fists bled.

Swinging a heavy iron rod to simulate wielding a weapon.

By the end of the month, his arms were like steel, his legs could endure long sprints, and his stamina had increased significantl

After strengthening his body, Luo Zheng turned his focus to cultivation techniques.

He practiced "Flowing Qi Circulation", a technique that allowed qi to move more efficiently through his meridians.

He also began training a low-grade battle skill—"Piercing Fang Strike."

This technique focused qi into a single point, allowing his attack to have greater penetrating force.

After weeks of training, he could split a wooden board with his bare hands.

Luo Zheng knew that pure strength wasn't enough—he needed real combat ability.

So, he started practicing shadow sparring, imagining facing opponents stronger than himself.

He also started using his knife more effectively, testing out different grips, angles, and movements.

By the end of the third month, his skills had taken shape.

One evening, as Luo Zheng rested, he overheard two outer disciples talking.

"Did you hear? The Master of Drafting Cloud Academy is visiting the city soon."

"Su Ling Yun? The woman who teaches elite warriors? If only I could be her disciple..."

Luo Zheng's ears perked up.

Drafting Cloud Academy… Su Ling Yun…

His gaze sharpened.

If I could enter that academy, I could grow even stronger.

He clenched his fists.

I must find a way to get in.

With his newfound strength and determination, Luo Zheng set his sights on his next challenge.