A guttural snort echoed through the dense jungle.
Thump! Thump!
A red-haired wild boar, over a meter tall and nearly three meters in length, thundered through the undergrowth like an unstoppable battering ram. Its vibrant scarlet fur glistened with sweat and blood, the thick gash on its neck oozing crimson as it barreled through the foliage, painting the earth with its lifeblood.
Despite not being classified as a first-level demon beast, this red-haired boar teetered on the edge of that threshold. Even among lesser first-level creatures, few dared challenge its feral might and unrelenting aggression.
Perched high upon a sturdy tree branch, Dustin Rhys watched with calculating eyes, the wind gently rustling his robes.
"Its hide's tougher than ironwood," Dustin muttered, shifting his stance.
Crash!
With a maddened squeal, the boar charged, slamming its tusks into the tree trunk with earth-shaking force. Bark exploded, and the massive trunk trembled. Two jagged tusks embedded themselves deep within the wood—but Dustin, balanced above, didn't even flinch.
"Beasts like you never learn. Strong—but stupid."
With a fluid motion, Dustin leaped down, sword gleaming in hand. His eyes locked onto the wound he had carved earlier—a precise strike that had failed to finish the creature due to the limitations of his common-grade blade.
"Let's end this."
He channeled inner energy into his blade, and with a powerful downward slash augmented by momentum and internal qi, he struck true.
The sword tore through flesh and bone with a sickening sound, severing the boar's head in one decisive stroke. Blood spurted across the ground, steaming in the cold forest air.
Panting lightly, Dustin retrieved the boar's valuable tusks from the tree trunk, carved a large slab of meat from its haunches, and swiftly departed. Lingering amidst the scent of blood would be an invitation for predators, and Dustin had no intention of becoming prey.
By the time he reached a clearing, the sky had faded to twilight, shadows deepening beneath the thick canopy overhead. The forest had grown still—ominously so.
"No beasts nearby," Dustin murmured, his senses sweeping the area with uncanny precision.
Satisfied, he settled near a secluded thicket and took stock of the day's hunt. He hadn't encountered any true monsters—just ordinary beasts, none stronger than a sixth-level martial artist. It had been a day of patient kills, not dependent on the life-draining power he possessed. This was deliberate.
He knew that leaping realms through borrowed power came at a cost. To endure, he needed a solid foundation—strength honed through effort, not shortcuts.
As the forest darkened, Dustin found refuge in a hollowed-out tree trunk he had scouted earlier. It wasn't spacious, but it was concealed, and more importantly—safe.
He removed his worn sword, placed it beside him, and muttered to himself, "I've used this blade all day, yet I've never learned proper swordsmanship... If only I could find a true sword manual."
With a sigh, he crossed his legs and initiated the refined I Ching Bone Forging Technique, the modified method passed down through his Life-Vein Diagram system. Energy surged through his veins as he breathed rhythmically, pulling the ambient vitality of the forest into his body.
Even in this meditative state, Dustin remained hyper-aware. The Life and Death Beads embedded in his soul sharpened his senses. He could perceive the minute movements of life nearby—a crawling ant, the fluttering wings of a moth, the pulse of trees around him.
"I've plateaued at the peak of fifth-level body refinement," Dustin mused, feeling the sluggishness of his advancement. "At this rate, I'll need three more days to reach the sixth level... unless I can find more vitality."
Ordinary qi was no longer enough. Pills and formations were costly. He needed another path—one faster, more potent.
Just then
"Om..."
A soft resonance echoed within his soul. The Life and Death Beads pulsed faintly, and from the forest around him, streams of pure life force converged toward his body. His cultivation surged, far faster than before.
His eyes widened.
"Life essence?" Dustin whispered, awestruck. Through the beads, he instinctively understood—it was a purer, more potent form of vitality, extracted directly from life itself.
Crack!
His muscles rippled as a wave of power erupted from within. Bones shifted, skin hardened, blood raced. He had broken through.
"The sixth level... I've advanced!" He clenched his fists, marveling at the strength coursing through him.
But as he looked outward, his expression darkened.
The vegetation in a hundred-meter radius had withered. Leaves browned, flowers wilted, the grass withered to dust. Their life force had been siphoned.
"This... is plunder."
He understood. The Life and Death Beads gave him the power to give and to take. Life... and death. He could drain the very essence of living beings to strengthen himself.
It was dangerous—but effective.
"If this treasure was given to me, it must be for a reason." He recalled faint fragments of knowledge from when he first fused with the beads. He didn't yet understand their origins—but he knew they were ancient, powerful, and meant for greatness.
And now, he had a way to grow stronger—rapidly.
In the nights that followed, Dustin hunted relentlessly across Shuidu Mountain. Each time his pack filled, he returned to Novaridge City to sell his spoils. In just five days, he had earned over ten thousand coins of silver—a fortune to the common folk.
"Money comes easy when you're strong... if I reach Energy Gathering Realm, I'll earn even more."
Yet he knew—silver alone wasn't enough to fuel his cultivation. He needed more life essence, more strength.
As dawn painted the sky, a thunderous roar shook the forest. Even from a distance, the sheer force of it rattled Dustin's bones and made his blood stir.
"A monster... and a powerful one."
He moved without hesitation, weaving through the trees toward the source of the roar. Within minutes, he spotted it—a massive tiger-like beast with blue-white fur and a body like a moving mountain. Its tail, thick as a battering ram, smashed boulders effortlessly.
"Iron-Tailed Demon Tiger..."
Dustin's breath caught. This was no ordinary beast—it was a first-level peak demon beast, only a step below a second-level monster. Even a ninth-level martial artist would hesitate to face it head-on.
His eyes narrowed as he sensed movement nearby—six figures, well-concealed but not enough to escape his enhanced perception.
Whoosh!
A black arrow streaked from the shadows, piercing the tiger's neck. Blood spurted, and the beast roared in rage, eyes glowing crimson.
"A hunter team," Dustin realized, watching as a burly warrior with twin axes charged from cover.
The hunters moved in coordination—five engaged the tiger directly, while a hidden archer provided cover from afar.
Bang!
The tiger's tail lashed out like a steel whip, slamming the axe-wielding warrior into a tree with bone-crunching force.
"Big brother!" the others cried.
The battle raged, chaos and blood blending beneath the shadow of the Iron-Tailed Demon Tiger. And Dustin, concealed in the trees, watched intently—calculating.
Should I intervene... or let fate take its course?