After another ten minutes of trekking through the forest, Tian Shen finally encountered company—though not the kind he would've preferred.
A low growl echoed through the trees. In front of him stood a sleek, wolf-like beast with steel-gray fur and eyes filled with killing intent.
"A high-grade 1-star beast… Black Iron Wolf," Tian Shen muttered. "Fast and tough, huh? Shame."
He smirked. "Thanks for the company, buddy. But I'd prefer a beauty to a beast."
Without hesitation, Tian Shen dashed forward. His figure blurred, and in the next instant, a dull thud echoed. The beast didn't even have time to react before it was reduced to a heap of mangled flesh under the overwhelming force of impact.
He paused, slightly stunned. He knew his strength had increased considerably after breaking through, but even he hadn't expected to overwhelm the beast so completely.
Before he could think further, several attribute bubbles floated toward him. The familiar system prompt rang out.
『Congratulations, host! You have slain a high-grade 1-star Black Iron Wolf. Gained: Physique +20』
『Gained: Qi +10』
『Gained: Qi +10』
Tian Shen frowned slightly.
"That's it?" he muttered. "Shouldn't the yield be higher?"
Then again, he had just stepped into the Qi Refining Realm. Perhaps the disparity in strength reduced the attribute output.
Still, he wasn't discouraged. With this system, even low-level beasts could serve as stepping stones. As long as they dropped attributes, it was worth the effort.
He glanced toward the depths of the forest. "Sticking around here is pointless. Let's find something stronger—maybe a second-tier beast. If I rely solely on low-level ones, it'll take too long to make real gains."
With a faint grin, Tian Shen shot forward again, heading deeper into the mountains.
---
Shortly after Tian Shen's departure, several figures dressed in Beast Taming Sect robes arrived at the scene near the stream.
The leader, a handsome youth, scanned the surroundings cautiously. Beside him, a junior disciple crouched beside the remains of the Black Iron Wolf.
"Senior Brother Qi! Over here!" the disciple called out. "It's a Black Iron Wolf! High tier 1-star one at that. And dead! This one's worth at least two hundred spirit stones!"
Qi Lianghui raised an eyebrow. "That's some luck…"
Despite its tier, the Black Iron Wolf was notoriously fast. Even 1th stage Qi Refining Realm Cultivator had trouble catching it. For one to be found dead here, untouched, was suspicious.
He stepped closer and observed the corpse. His expression turned serious.
"This seems like it was hit by something very heavy or powerful and turned into meatpaste."
The disciples around him gasped.
"What? Which beast had such powerful brute strength?"
"Could it be one of the elders passed by and did this?"
"No way. Elders don't leave behind beast corpses worth this much. They harvest everything."
Qi Lianghui stayed silent. He trusted his judgment. This wasn't the work of a sect elder. But who else could've done it?
"Take the corpse and leave immediately," he ordered. "If there's a group of these wolves nearby, it could be dangerous."
...
On the other side.
Tian Shen had no idea that the crushed wolf he'd left behind would end up startling a group of Beast Taming Sect disciples—especially a core disciple like Qi Lianghui, who'd now be speculating wildly about the mysterious force behind such devastation.
At this moment, Tian Shen had already ventured more than twenty kilometers deep into Beast Taming Mountain.
The aura of demonic beasts had grown denser with every step, and the forest around him grew darker and more oppressive.
No signs of human activity remained.
"Tch. It's a pity trees don't drop attributes," he muttered.
If they did, with how massive Beast Taming Mountain was—spanning hundreds of kilometers and filled with millions of trees—he could've farmed attributes to astronomical levels just by strolling around.
The thought made him sigh.
Even so, the abundance of spiritual energy in the air told him this place was brimming with beasts.
But oddly enough, after his encounter with the Black Iron Wolf, he hadn't run into a single creature.
It made him suspicious.
"Don't tell me some elder cleaned this area up recently?"
ROARRRR!
A thunderous roar shook the mountain forest.
Tian Shen's eyes lit up.
Without hesitation, he bolted in the direction of the sound. Even though the pressure from that distant roar made his heart tremble slightly, he didn't care.
In fact, he welcomed it.
If the sound could make his blood stir, then it was likely a 2-star beast—or stronger.
Ten minutes later, the trees ahead began to thin. A wide, barren valley spread out before his eyes.
Tian Shen slowed to a stop, recognition flashing in his gaze.
"This… is the Blood Fox Valley?"
The name stirred a distant memory.
This valley was a well-known danger zone within Beast Taming Mountain. Years ago, an elder from the Beast Taming Sect had come here to investigate.
It was said a 3-star beast resided within—a monstrous Blood Fox, a creature so powerful it rivaled human martial cultivators who could glide through the air and wipe out armies single-handedly, albeit mortal armies.
That elder had been the only one in the sect's history to challenge it and live. He later became a founding ancestor of the Beast Taming Sect.
Tian Shen narrowed his eyes.
"That roar just now… it didn't come from the Blood Fox. Could it be that I stumbled into a beast fight?"
A grin spread across his face.
Lucky. Very lucky.
He completely forgot the fact that he was still, technically, just a rookie who had barely broken into the Qi Refining Realm.
Naturally, he wasn't reckless enough to charge into the valley directly.
He surveyed the cliffs on either side. They were tall, steep, and jagged—perfect for climbing and observing from a safe distance.
"The terrain here's pretty treacherous," he muttered as he leapt toward the rock face on the right. "But as long as I can get a bird's-eye view, I can plan accordingly."
Like an agile monkey, he darted up the cliff with practiced ease.
As he reached the summit and peeked into the valley—
His eyes widened.
"What the…?!"
He was dumbfounded.
The scene below was a battlefield.
But before shock could set in, a wave of exhilaration surged through him.
So many beasts. So many attribute bubbles.
This… was a gold mine.