Thunder Claw Hawk II

'What are all these?' Jiang Tian thought as he looked around the subspace.

He picked up one of the books lying on the floor. 'Basic Cultivation Technique? What?' he muttered, flipping through its pages.

As he read the contents, his eyes widened in realization. 'Hmmm, this book must be a manual for this world's cultivation system.

Based on its content, I should be around the Mortal Realm, Body Forging Stage,' he concluded, clicking his tongue in mild frustration.

'That's pretty low compared to all the others, so it's no wonder I lost to that bird,' he thought, closing the book with a sigh. 

Well, there's one solution to that—getting stronger and upgrading my realm,' Jiang Tian thought, tucking the book under his arm.

He began rummaging through the piles of books scattered around the subspace. 'And I also need to learn these various techniques and arts.

Maybe it's like learning Taekwondo or boxing in my former life,' he pondered, picking up books based solely on their intriguing titles. 

'Shadowless Step? Sounds useful.

Thunderclap Fist? Hmm, yeah, that sounds strong. Golden Pill Scripture? Sounds a bit bland—let's skip this for now,' Jiang Tian muttered as he sifted through the books.

After selecting a handful of martial arts manuals and scriptures, he grabbed a few random elixirs, figuring they might come in handy later.

With his arms full, he channeled his Qi, attempting to exit the ring. The next moment, he was back on the ground, the manuals and elixirs neatly piled on his lap. 

"That was surprisingly simple," Jiang Tian said as he got to his feet, balancing the stack of books and elixirs in his arms.

He started walking back toward his cave, but before he got too far, he paused and glanced over his shoulder.

Squinting in the direction of the Thunderclaw Hawk, which hadn't noticed him, he muttered,

"I'll definitely come back to settle this grudge." With that, he turned and continued his march to the cave, his arms full of newfound treasures.

When Jiang Tian returned to the cave, he immediately sat in a meditation pose and drank one of the elixirs he had brought.

"Okay, let's do this," he said, steeling himself as he began to cultivate and refine his Qi.

Thanks to the book he had read, which clearly explained the process, he found it somewhat easier this time.

He could feel the vast amount of Qi tangled up inside him, and he focused on channeling it through his meridians.

Whenever he felt his focus wavering or his progress slowing, he would pause and switch to practicing the martial arts manuals and scriptures he had gathered.

This cycle of cultivation and training became his routine. With the help of the elixirs and pills, he made multiple breakthroughs, each one more dramatic than the last.

After four months of consistent cultivation and martial arts training, Jiang Tian had grown at an alarming rate.

He had already reached the Earthly Realm, Core Foundation Stage—a level that most cultivators would only achieve after at least seven years of dedicated effort.

He stood up, stretching his arms and feeling the immense power coursing through his body.

"Ugh, that's enough for now. There's something that can't wait any longer," he said, a determined glint in his eyes as he headed out of the cave.

Inhale 

Jiang Tian took a deep breath, then dashed off in a specific direction. He had put on pants and shoes he found in Li Wei's ring, and now he ran with incredible speed—so fast that a normal eye wouldn't be able to track his movements.

In less than a minute, he came to a stop beneath one of the massive trees. Looking up, a smile crept across his face. '

Ahh, there you are,' he thought, spotting the same Thunderclaw Hawk resting in its nest among the thick bushes of the tree. The bird that had nearly killed him months ago was now within his reach. 

Jiang Tian squatted down, then leaped into the sky with incredible force. In an instant, he was at the hawk's level, grabbing it by the back of its neck since it was sitting facing the opposite direction.

He latched onto a tree bark with one hand while holding the bird tightly with the other. The surprised hawk screeched and flailed, trying to break free, but it was no use.

"I learned the Lightning Palm just for this," Jiang said, a smirk on his face as he channeled his Qi into the palm holding the bird.

A powerful, electrifying shock surged through the hawk, lasting for about ten seconds.

The bird screeched in agony, its body convulsing as it struggled in vain. When the shock ended, a faint wisp of smoke rose from the hawk's body, its insides seared by the high-voltage attack.

"Well, what do you know? You're not immune to lightning attacks after all. I was afraid that might be the case, so I even learned a few backup techniques.

But that was easier than I thought," Jiang said, talking to the now-dead bird as he released his grip, letting it slump lifelessly in his hand.

Before jumping back down, Jiang Tian noticed the hawk's nest contained three eggs it had been trying to hatch.

He stared at them for a moment, then carefully picked them up and placed them inside his ring.

"Bonus points," he said with a grin, pleased with his unexpected find.

Returning to the cave, he prepared a meal of roasted hawk meat with boiled eggs on the side.

As he ate, he couldn't help but lament, "If only I had rice with me, I could've made oyakodon." Despite the missing ingredient, he devoured the meal with satisfaction.

After fulfilling his sole reason for getting stronger—at least for the moment—Jiang Tian sat down in the cave, leaning back on one arm as he gazed up at the sky through the hole in the cavern's ceiling.

His eyes drifted to his left hand, where the ring previously owned by Fang Hao rested.

"Hmm, I never checked this ring out since I was so dead set on killing that damn hawk.

Now that I've done it, I might as well see what's in this one," he said, curiosity sparking in his eyes. Without hesitation, he injected his Qi into the ring.