The courtyard was quiet under the pale light of the crescent moon. A soft breeze rustled the leaves of the herbs growing near Tian Jue's wooden training platform. The faint scent of medicinal grass lingered in the air, mingling with the subtle charge of elemental Qi.
Tian Jue sat cross-legged, Silver Guard resting beside him. His body radiated warmth—his meridians trembling, his dantian rotating slowly, as if the five elements inside him danced in perfect harmony.
Then—
BOOM.
A silent internal detonation. The air around him warped slightly, and the array beneath his platform flickered with golden lines.
"Seventh layer..." Tian Jue exhaled slowly, white mist spilling from his lips.
Near-Major Accomplishment: Five Elements Scripture
His mind sank into the Five Elements Scripture. Each element within him pulsed like a miniature sun—Fire sparking like a blade, Water flowing with healing calm, Wood growing patiently, Metal humming with sharpness, Earth grounding all in place.
His comprehension wasn't just high. It was unnatural.
The scripture's intricate rotations and interactions began forming visual diagrams in his mind—patterns that elder cultivators might spend years to glimpse, he now danced through intuitively.
If his current path continued, he'd likely reach Major Accomplishment within a month—and that was without external help or guidance.
"My soul must've been refined by more than just reincarnation," Tian Jue murmured. "Perhaps the curse branded into it… has awakened something else."
He pushed that thought away for now. His progress was undeniable.
Refining the Path Forward
Despite the temptation to implement all five elements into active combat techniques, Tian Jue restrained himself.
"No… not yet."
He looked at his palm, letting threads of elemental Qi flow—wood and fire forming the basis of regeneration, metal and water for dual-force strikes, and earth for resilience.
"My foundation must be solid. Only after ninth refinement stage should I awaken the full cycle."
Even the system, which remained silent most of the time, showed signs of evolving with him. His stats reflected the internal changes:
Level: 24
Constitution: 47
Strength: 22
Dexterity: 24
Intelligence: 23
Wisdom: 38
Spiritual Power: 61
"I'll need everything for what's to come…"
He packed the last of his supplies, his satchel now humming with defensive talismans, pills, and diagnostic tools.
He stood at the edge of his courtyard, looking toward the horizon. The Million Beast Range loomed faintly like a slumbering giant.
A warm breeze passed him.
In that instant, Tian Jue's spiritual sense flared—he sensed someone watching.
But when he turned, nothing was there.
Far in the distance, atop a mountain peak, Tian Zhuzai smiled faintly, her aura hidden within a single breath.
"That boy grows faster than weeds after spring rain."
"But growth without caution…"
She narrowed her eyes toward the direction of the beast range.
"…is always watched by hungry eyes."
As the first light of dawn crept over the peaks surrounding Shenxian Sect, Tian Jue stood at the main gate, a large travel pack strapped over one shoulder, Silver Guard hammer slung across his back. His robes were reinforced with leather at the joints—an outer sect combat uniform optimized for movement and durability.
His spiritual sense flicked out instinctively—a ripple brushed against a familiar presence.
"You're early," came Huan Tao's bright voice.
The beastfolk girl strode toward him, tail swishing, ears alert, a pair of jade green daggers strapped to her hips and a shortbow slung across her back. She wore a travel robe with a sky-blue sash, her expression light yet prepared.
"So what's our mission again?" she asked, tugging her sleeves into place. "Just venturing out for fun or are we actually doing work?"
Tian Jue passed her a copy of the sect's contribution mission slip, sealed in jade.
"Scouting mission into the lower hills of the Million Beast Range," he said. "We're to map out any shifts in beast movement near the outer periphery, especially spirit beasts that are nearing advancement. We'll also collect samples—herbs, minerals, and beast cores if opportunity allows."
Huan Tao tilted her head. "Sounds more serious than I thought."
"You can still back out," Tian Jue said without pressure, scanning her expression.
Huan Tao flicked his forehead.
"Hey! What kind of person do you think I am? I'm not scared of some puffed-up furballs."
Tian Jue smiled faintly, then grew serious. "You've trained here longer than me. What's your experience fighting spirit beasts—especially those around Foundation Establishment?"
Huan Tao's face scrunched slightly. "I've had a few encounters. I can hold my ground against a low Foundation beast, especially if I get the first strike."
She reached into her pouch and pulled out a dark green vial. "Beast-charming mist. Doesn't work on high-level ones, but it'll buy us a few breaths if things go wrong."
"What about close combat?" Tian Jue asked.
Huan Tao unsheathed her jade daggers. The edge shimmered with a light green hue—spirit-forged poison steel.
"Fast, silent, and accurate. I may not have raw power like you hammer-swinging maniacs, but give me ten seconds and I'll find a way to bleed anything that breathes."
She grinned like a fox. "Plus, if things go bad, I have a pretty good pair of legs."
"To run?" Tian Jue raised a brow.
"To jump on your back," she said, and laughed.
Tian Jue shook his head, but there was an ease in his shoulders now. He had no illusions—spirit beasts in the wild weren't like the ones penned for training. They were cunning, territorial, and often brutal.
Still, with Huan Tao's agility, field tools, and poison-laced precision—combined with his raw strength and spiritual sense—they had a decent edge for scouting and surviving.
They passed through the outer gates of Shenxian Sect, presenting their tokens to the guards. A few inner sect disciples glanced at them with curiosity—perhaps wondering why two junior disciples were heading out alone this early.
The sky was painted with the soft orange glow of sunrise as they stepped onto the dirt path that snaked down from the sect toward the wild ranges to the north.
Tian Jue looked forward. The path was quiet—for now. In the distance, layers upon layers of mist-covered hills awaited, like a maze of sleeping beasts.
"Let's move quick and keep quiet once we cross the second ridge," Tian Jue said.
Huan Tao nodded, already scanning for scent trails and claw marks with practiced eyes.
"Welcome to the wild, hammer boy," she said cheerfully.
By midday, the edges of Tian Jue's sleeves were stained with beast blood, and his breath came slow but steady. His hammer dripped with thick, dark fluid, the body of a horned rock lizard crumpled at his feet—its core slowly dimming.
A few steps away, Huan Tao crouched beside the corpse of a spirit-eyed lynx, wiping her jade dagger on a fallen leaf. Despite the battle, her breathing remained calm, ears twitching at distant sounds.
They had already fought twelve spirit beasts, all at the peak of Qi Refinement stage—each one more aggressive and erratic than the last.
"That makes twelve," Tian Jue muttered. "And none of them below peak refinement…"
He turned to Huan Tao, who was rolling her shoulders casually. "Is it just bad luck, or… why are all of them so strong?"
Huan Tao straightened and squinted toward the canopy of the thick forest.
"It's not bad luck," she said. "It's how this place works."
Tian Jue frowned.
"Every decade or so," she continued, "there's a Qi outbreak deep in the Million Beast Range. Natural veins overflow and leak spiritual essence into the surrounding land. When that happens, spirit beasts go mad—some evolve rapidly, others fight to the death. The weak ones... they get pushed out or killed."
She tapped her foot against the ground, indicating the forest they stood in.
"What we're walking through right now—this used to be mid-tier beast territory. But now, it's almost all peak-tier."
Tian Jue's brows furrowed. "Every ten years? That fast?"
Huan Tao nodded. "Yeah. The last outbreak happened seven years ago. The next one's expected in three."
Tian Jue's heart skipped. In his previous world, a Qi outbreak of that magnitude—one that shifted an entire region's ecosystem—only occurred once every few centuries.
"This world… it's far more violent. More condensed. Everything progresses faster," he realized.
"So the beasts are evolving alongside the cultivators," he muttered, staring at the broken fang in his palm from the last lizard he fought. "No wonder sects here emphasize real combat experience."
Huan Tao grinned. "Now you're getting it. Cultivators here can't afford to sit on comfortable mats and meditate for fifty years. If you're weak, this world will devour you. Literally."
Tian Jue looked back at the trail of corpses behind them. He'd already learned more in half a day than most outer sect disciples did in months.
"Let's rest here," he said, pointing to a ledge surrounded by boulders. "We'll rotate guard every half-hour."
Huan Tao tossed him a beast-core from her pouch. "Here. Might as well refine this while I watch your back."
Tian Jue caught it, nodding silently.
But inside, his thoughts swirled.
"If even the wilderness is changing so fast… then my path to strength has to be faster. I can't rely on slow cultivation anymore. I need to push every part of myself—body, soul, and mind."
He closed his eyes, holding the beast core to his chest, letting his Five Elements Qi flow in delicate cycles—wood to fire, fire to earth, earth to metal, metal to water, water back to wood.
The forest rumbled faintly. The next battle could begin at any moment.