Xiao Feng stood staring at the twisted trees marking the entrance to the Demon Forest. His grip tightened around his staff as a cold breeze sent shivers down his spine.
One month to live. One chance to get stronger. I'm really living the life of my favourite cultivation books!
"This is either the smartest thing I've ever done," he muttered to himself, "or the stupidest way to die."
His mind raced with doubts. No resources, no proper cultivation technique, and that idiot Liu Chen waiting to kill me at the end of the month. What am I even doing here?
Everyone knew about the Demon Forest. Even labourers whispered its stories with fear in their voices. The forest didn't just have ordinary beasts, it had Darkbeasts, creatures twisted by the dense spiritual energy that saturated the place. They fed on cultivators, growing stronger with each kill. Some said the forest itself was alive, drawing in the foolish and the desperate.
Which was exactly what he was. Desperate.
"At least if I die here, it'll be quicker than whatever Liu Chen has planned," Xiao Feng laughed dryly, giving himself a weird motivation. He took a deep breath and finally stepped into the shadows of the ancient trees.
The moment he entered, the air changed. It felt heavier, charged with energy that made his skin tingle. Sounds became muffled, as if the forest swallowed them whole. He could almost feel eyes watching from the darkness, almost as if predators were sizing him up as their prey.
He walked cautiously, testing each step before committing his weight. The stories said many never made it past the first mile.
Just need to find a safe spot to practice,
he thought. As safe as anything can be in this death trap.
After an hour of careful movement, Xiao Feng found a small clearing. Sunlight filtered through the canopy, creating shifting patterns on the ground. He placed his pack down and began stretching.
"Okay, new cultivation body," he whispered to himself. "Let's see what you can do."
He had just started his first form when he heard it, a low growl that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.
Xiao Feng froze mid-movement. His eyes scanning the treeline, searching for the source.
A flash of silver was his only warning.
A big wolf burst from the undergrowth, jaws open, fangs gleaming in the dappled light. It moved like lightning, aiming straight for his throat.
"SHIT!" Xiao Feng yelled, bringing his staff up just in time.
The wolf's teeth clanged against the metal, sending vibrations down his arms. Its weight knocked him backward, and he stumbled, barely keeping his footing. He stared at it recognition dawning on him from Xiao Fengs memory.
A Silver Fang Wolf! A Tier One First stage beast!
Beasts were usually characterized by tier, with each tier the same as an order. This as a beast of the same rank with him but he remembered the last beast he faced, beast of the same rank with humans were stronger than the humans because of their natural attributes.
Yellow eyes burned into his, filled with hunger and rage. Drool dripped from its fangs as it circled him, looking for an opening.
"Nice doggy," Xiao Feng said stupidly, his voice shaking slightly. "Very nice doggy who doesn't want to eat the skinny human, right?"
The wolf answered with another lunge. This time, Xiao Feng swung his staff, catching the beast in the side. It yelped but recovered almost instantly, spinning to snap at his leg.
Pain exploded as teeth sank into his calf. He cried out, bringing the butt of his staff down hard on the wolf's head. Once, twice, three times until it released him.
Blood soaked his pant leg, but he couldn't focus on that now. The wolf was already regrouping, its silver fur bristling as it prepared for another attack.
I'm going to die here
Xiao Feng thought. Day one in the forest, and I'm wolf food.
Why did I think I was the main character of this book?! I would die stupidly a virgin again!
When the beast charged again, Xiao Feng suddenly felt the staff pulse, and immediately he was different. Xiao Feng could suddenly understand every movements, predict where the wolf would be, what it would do as it's wild attacked now seemed planned. He pivoted, channeling what little qi he had into his staff, and struck the moment the Wolf attacked again.
The blow caught the wolf perfectly in the throat. There was a sickening crack, and the beast crashed to the ground, twitching before it went still.
One hit kill! A headshot! I really hit it big with this strange staff!
Xiao Feng collapsed beside it, breathing hard. His leg throbbed with pain, but there was something else, a strange warmth spreading through his body, centering on his dantian.
"What the..." he whispered as he felt his energy pathways expanding, strengthening.
He'd heard that near-death battles could accelerate cultivation, but this was his first time experiencing it. With each throb of pain from his wounded leg, he could feel his energy growing stronger, his body adapting.
"Wait a minute," he said, remembering stories from his past life. "Is this... body refinement?"
In one harem cultivation novels he'd read back on Earth, body refinement was known to be the most painful path. Cultivators would deliberately subject themselves to torture and injury, forging their bodies through suffering.
"No way," Xiao Feng shook his head. "No freaking way am I doing that. I didn't sign up for the 'pain is growth' plan."
He'd been reincarnated into a cultivation world, sure, but he wasn't about to start the whole "break my bones to make them stronger" routine. There had to be another way.
As he bandaged his leg with strips torn from his robe, Xiao Feng considered his options. The forest had helped him advance, but at what cost? Could he survive a month of this?
He had no choice. It was this or face Liu Chen as a weak First Stage cultivator.
"One battle down," he muttered, using his staff to help him stand. "Who knows how many more to go."
Night was falling. He needed shelter before more predators came hunting.