Chapter 6: The Road to City

At dawn, a pale silver light filtered through the pine canopy. The forest floor was littered with blood-soaked needles, wolf corpses lying stiff and cold.

Jian Tian knelt among them, breathing heavily as he harvested their spoils. With trembling hands, he cut open each wolf's chest cavity to extract the small, translucent beast cores. Each core pulsed faintly with qi, a swirling silver glow trapped within. These cores, though only Tier 2, were still valuable resources for cultivation, alchemy, or forging spiritual weapons.

He glanced at Ren Moxi, who sat cross-legged upon a flat stone nearby, eyes closed in silent cultivation. Remembering his master's earlier teachings, Jian Tian murmured softly to himself,

"Beasts have nine Tiers… each matching human cultivation realms…"

His mind recalled Ren Moxi's explanations during their previous nights of travel:

Tier 1 beasts: equal to Body Tempering cultivators – rabbits, foxes, boars.Tier 2 beasts: like these Silver Fang Wolves, similar to Qi Refining realm, their fangs and claws infused with qi.Tier 3 beasts: Foundation Establishment, with minor elemental attacks.Tier 4 beasts: Core Formation realm, able to manipulate elements directly.Tier 5 beasts: equal to Nascent Soul or Earth Descending cultivators, like the Flood Dragon Master slew days ago.Tier 6–9 beasts: approaching Immortal and divine ranks, holding power to bend heaven and earth's laws.

He exhaled, staring at the beast core in his hand. "Even these Tier 2 cores are precious to me now… but one day, I will hunt Tier 5 beasts myself."

Resolving himself, he swiftly finished extracting cores. His small space pouch bulged near its limit. Worry crossed his expression as he glanced at dozens of wolf pelts, claws, and bones left unused.

"Master…" he said softly, "what should I do with the rest?"

Ren Moxi opened his eyes slightly, his gaze cold and indifferent.

"Take what you can carry. Abandon the rest. Sentimentality is a burden cultivators cannot afford."

Jian Tian lowered his gaze, though his heart ached at wasting such resources. He made a silent vow to acquire a larger spatial treasure someday.

Using thin vines and sharpened pine branches, he sliced remaining wolf meat into long strips. Stringing them together, he suspended the strips over their dying campfire to dry into jerky. The fragrant scent of roasting flesh filled the clearing as white smoke coiled lazily upwards.

By midday, two large bundles of jerky hung from his pack. Though heavy, each strip contained dense qi and nutrients, enough to sustain him and Master for weeks.

Finally, Ren Moxi stood. His tall figure seemed almost ethereal in drifting mist as he turned and began walking eastward.

"Come."

Jian Tian bowed towards the slain wolves in silent gratitude before hurrying after his master.

Five Days Later

The forest gradually changed. Towering pines gave way to oaks and maples, their broad leaves rustling with summer breezes. Birdsong echoed in the mornings, and small herbivorous beasts scurried among the undergrowth.

During these days, Jian Tian trained relentlessly. Each night, under moonlight, he sparred with Ren Moxi's illusions and dictations. His footwork sharpened, his sword strikes grew precise, and his cultivation advanced steadily, nourished by wolf jerky and his master's qi circulation guidance.

On the dawn of the sixth day, golden light revealed an open mountain pass ahead. The forest ended in rolling hills. Beyond lay a winding dirt road snaking across the plains.

Excitement welled within Jian Tian. After days of silent wilderness, civilization beckoned.

They descended the final slope, brushing aside knee-high grass and wildflowers. Distant shouting reached their ears.

"Halt your carriages, you fools!"

"Leave your valuables and we may spare your lives!"

Peering between tall reeds, Jian Tian saw a caravan of four horse-drawn carriages halted upon the road. Nearly twenty bandits surrounded them, clad in patchwork leather and steel, brandishing sabers and short bows.

The bandit leader was a burly man with a thick black beard and a ragged wolf-pelt cloak. His qi flickered faintly, showing he was at peak Body Tempering realm.

Kneeling beside Ren Moxi, Jian Tian whispered urgently,

"Master, those people… they will be slaughtered!"

Ren Moxi's gaze remained cold as he watched silently.

"The weak are prey. That is the nature of this world."

Jian Tian clenched his fists. He knew Master's teachings were true, but the terrified faces of the merchants burned within him.

"Master… please allow me to help them."

Ren Moxi glanced at him, his dark gaze silent and unfathomable.

"If you act, you must be prepared to face death."

Jian Tian nodded, drawing his crude iron sword.

"I understand. But if I do nothing, I am not worthy to follow you."

For a moment, Ren Moxi watched him quietly. Then he raised a slender hand in a languid gesture.

"Go."

Jian Tian inhaled deeply and sprinted towards the road.

"Stop!" he shouted.

The bandits turned in surprise. Their leader roared with laughter.

"Look, boys, a little pup come to play hero!"

Two bandits lunged forward. Jian Tian dodged left, thrusting his sword into the first man's armpit. Blood spurted across his wrist. The second slashed down; Jian Tian parried desperately, twisted his blade sideways, and sliced the man's wrist open before finishing him with a swift thrust to the throat.

The other bandits snarled, encircling him with flashing blades.

From the reeds, Ren Moxi observed with cold interest.

"Your footwork is too shallow," he murmured softly. "Your wrist tense. Relax or your parry will falter."

Jian Tian ducked beneath a spear thrust, ramming his hilt into the attacker's jaw. Blood and teeth scattered across the road. He gasped for breath, arms trembling, but his mind remained focused with his master's teachings echoing within.

The bearded leader roared and leapt forward, his saber glowing faint bronze with qi. Jian Tian raised his sword but the force sent him stumbling back, pain flaring in his wrist.

Before the killing blow fell, a black silhouette flashed between them.

CRACK.

Ren Moxi gripped the bandit leader's throat with his pale slender hand. The man clawed helplessly as his windpipe collapsed under the cold grip. With a twist, Ren Moxi snapped his neck and tossed the corpse aside like trash.

The remaining bandits froze. Before they could flee, Ren Moxi flicked his sleeve. A ripple of dark qi swept outwards, dropping them silently to the ground, blood pooling beneath their limp bodies.

Silence descended. The merchants stared at Ren Moxi with wide, trembling eyes.

Jian Tian sheathed his sword shakily and bowed towards his master.

"Thank you… Master…"

Ren Moxi simply turned and began walking down the road, his robes drifting like silent shadows.

Jian Tian bowed to the merchants and approached the first carriage, where a fat middle-aged man with a jade merchant token clutched his chest, still panting with fear.

"Senior, young hero… thank you… thank you for saving us…"

"This junior is Jian Tian. I merely did what was right."

The merchant's eyes gleamed. "Young hero Jian Tian, please… we are travelling to Dragon Tale City. If you do not mind, ride with us. We have spare seats and food. In fact…"

He rummaged through a small embroidered pouch and took out three rough, dull-grey spirit stones, each pulsing faintly with spiritual qi.

"I know this is low-grade payment, but… if you would protect our caravan until we reach the city, these will be yours. I am but a humble trader and cannot pay higher, but these stones are clean and untainted."

Jian Tian stared at the spirit stones with wide eyes. Even low-grade spirit stones were precious to a novice cultivator like him. He swallowed his excitement and bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Senior. I will do my utmost."

Behind him, Ren Moxi approached silently. The merchant flinched at his presence, eyes widening at his dark, unfathomable aura.

"Master… will you ride with us?"

Ren Moxi merely flicked his sleeve. "I will rest in the carriage."

Without further word, he stepped into the rearmost carriage, reclining upon a pile of folded blankets and shutting his eyes, his breathing growing deep and slow as he entered cultivation sleep.

Jian Tian climbed to the front of the first carriage, sitting beside the horse helmsman, an old man with wiry arms and a friendly toothless smile.

"Young hero, you saved us today. Dragon Tale City is still two days away, but with you here, I fear no bandits."

Jian Tian smiled faintly, clutching his iron sword tightly.

Dragon Tale City… the gate towards the Ancient Dragon Corpse Burial Ground. My journey has just begun.

As the caravan rattled down the dusty road beneath drifting clouds, the distant mountains rose like sleeping giants, whispering secrets of countless lost eras to those daring enough to awaken them.