Chapter 11: The First Hunt

and biting as dawn broke over Azure Wind Ridge. Thin mist curled along the forest floor like spectral serpents, and the shrill cry of a distant spirit hawk echoed from the peaks. Lin Feng stood at the base of the ridge, clutching a worn cloth satchel and an ironwood spear gifted to him by Elder Mu. Though the weapon was simple, it was sturdy, and it would have to do for what came next.

"System, show quest details again," Lin Feng muttered, eyes scanning the ridge above for movement.

[System Quest: Beginner Hunt]

Objective: Slay 5 Spirit-Touched Wild Beasts

Rewards: +500 XP, Beast Essence (x3), Skill Book: "Low-Level Beast Sense"

Time Limit: 24 hours

A tingle of anxiety danced in his chest. These weren't ordinary animals. Spirit-touched beasts had absorbed small amounts of Heaven and Earth Qi, making them stronger, faster, and sometimes even capable of rudimentary techniques. For a newly awakened cultivator, they were a dangerous challenge—but a necessary one.

He tightened his grip on the spear and took a steadying breath. "I can do this."

Climbing the ridge was slow and silent work. Every rustling leaf or snapping twig made his heart pound. But after nearly an hour of cautious travel, he spotted his first target.

A green-furred Rockfang Boar rooted near a cluster of spirit herbs, its tusks long and glinting in the morning sun. It was massive—easily the size of a small horse—and Lin Feng's hands began to sweat.

[Analyze Beast?]

"Yes," Lin Feng whispered.

[Species: Rockfang Boar (Spirit-Touched)]

Level: 4

Strength: High

Speed: Low

Aggression: Moderate

Weakness: Exposed underbelly and poor vision]

"Alright," he breathed. "Patience. I need to strike before it knows I'm here."

Creeping down from a rocky ledge above, Lin Feng narrowed his eyes, visualizing the movement. He would jump, plunge the spear downward, then roll away.

Three… two… one—jump!

He soared from the ledge, spear tip aimed for the boar's back. The beast let out a guttural grunt of surprise, but the attack was already descending. With a loud thunk, the ironwood spear drove into the beast's side—but not deep enough.

The boar reared and thrashed, slamming Lin Feng against a tree. Pain exploded through his ribs, but he rolled away just as a tusk gouged a furrow into the ground where he'd been.

His system flared in his mind.

[Vitality dropping! Recommend: Dodge left. Weak point exposed!]

Trusting the system, Lin Feng dodged left and drove his spear under the boar's foreleg. This time, the weapon struck true. With a shuddering squeal, the beast collapsed.

Lin Feng fell back, gasping.

[Enemy Defeated! +100 XP]

Beast Essence x1 acquired.

Current Progress: 1/5]

A shaky laugh escaped him. One down. Four to go.

By midday, Lin Feng had slain three more beasts—a Windtail Fox, a Horned Badger, and a small Flame Lizard. His body ached, and blood—some his, some not—spattered his robes. But each battle felt easier. He was learning to trust his instincts, to move with the system's guidance instead of questioning every alert.

Still, fatigue gnawed at him. He knelt beside a creek, washing the blood from his hands.

"Not bad for a cripple," a voice drawled from behind.

Lin Feng froze, then turned. A boy with short, messy hair and a smirk on his lips stepped out from behind a tree. He wore the outer disciple robes of the Skybound Sect, with a thin sword strapped to his hip.

"Huo Yan," Lin Feng muttered, recognizing the boy from the entrance ceremony.

Huo Yan sauntered closer, arms crossed. "Word is you suddenly shot through two cultivation levels overnight. People are wondering how a nobody like you pulled it off."

Lin Feng straightened. "Hard work."

Huo Yan laughed. "Sure. And I'm the reincarnation of an Immortal. No one believes you."

Without warning, he drew his sword and leveled it at Lin Feng's chest.

"You've got something, and I want it. Hand over whatever treasure you found, or I'll take it myself."

Lin Feng's expression hardened. He had fought to the brink all morning. He would not be bullied now.

"I don't want trouble," he said. "But if you force my hand…"

"Force it, then," Huo Yan grinned—and lunged.

Steel flashed.

Lin Feng barely dodged in time, the sword grazing his sleeve. He ducked, rolled, and snapped his spear up in a defensive arc. He wasn't a swordsman, but the system flared to life, feeding him data mid-battle.

[Enemy Skill Detected: "Flickering Slash"

Timing Suggestion: Counter in 2.1 seconds]

When the moment came, Lin Feng jabbed with precise force—catching Huo Yan's wrist and twisting hard. The sword clattered to the dirt.

Eyes wide, Huo Yan staggered back. "What… what the hell are you?"

Lin Feng didn't answer. He planted his spear in the ground and turned away.

"If you attack me again," he said coldly, "I won't let you off next time."

That night, beneath the canopy of stars, Lin Feng finished the hunt. The final beast—a Night-Howl Wolf—lay dead behind him.

[Quest Complete!]

+500 XP

Skill Book Received: "Low-Level Beast Sense"

Beast Essence x3 acquired]

As he walked back toward the sect with the moon at his back and blood on his hands, Lin Feng felt something shift inside him. The village boy with severed meridians was gone.

He wasn't just surviving anymore. He was rising.