The Southern Mist Valley stretched before Tian Shen like a sleeping beast.
Thick veils of silver fog curled between ancient trees, and the air shimmered faintly with spiritual energy — rich, potent, but wild. Every rustle of leaf and flutter of wing carried the weight of unseen predators.
He stood at the valley's edge, dressed in a plain azure robe that bore the faint insignia of the Azure Cloud Sect, and gripped his Ironwood Sword tightly. His mission was simple: collect three Silver Moon Herbs for the sect's alchemy hall. Yet every disciple knew — this valley was where "simple" tasks turned into survival trials.
"Beasts here… are said to match human cultivators one realm higher," Tian Shen muttered, recalling the elder's words. "I can't afford mistakes."
He took a slow breath, circulating his Qi through his meridians, strengthening his limbs. The early stage of Qi Awakening Realm pulsed faintly within him — not strong, but stable, his foundation solid after months of tempering.
Each step into the valley felt heavier. The mist seemed alive, shifting as though it watched. Crickets fell silent.
Then — crack. A branch snapped to his right.
Before Tian Shen could turn, a shadow leapt from the fog — a Scarlet-Furred Fang Wolf, its crimson eyes glowing like coals. The beast was large as a horse, its fur glistening with moisture, its fangs sharp enough to pierce iron.
"Mid-stage Qi Awakening!" Tian Shen's heart skipped. His first true opponent — and it outclassed him.
He raised his sword just in time as the wolf lunged.
Clang! The impact numbed his arms, his feet sliding several paces back through the wet moss.
"So strong!" he hissed, forcing his Qi into his limbs. The wolf prowled, circling, its growls low and intelligent — testing him.
He remembered Elder Ru Han's lecture: "Beasts are born of heaven and earth; their bodies are tempered by nature itself. Never fight one head-on unless you can match its spirit force."
But retreating wasn't an option. Without contribution points, he couldn't access higher cultivation manuals or resources. He needed this.
The wolf moved first — a blur of red. Tian Shen ducked low, slashing horizontally. His sword grazed the beast's side, sparks flying as the Ironwood blade scraped against hardened hide. The wound was shallow. The wolf snarled and spun, claws slashing through the air.
He barely blocked — the force flung him back into a tree.
"Damn…!" Blood trickled from his lip. His chest ached.
But instead of fear, something inside him stirred — the faint whisper of that hidden mark on his chest. His vision sharpened; time seemed to slow, each motion of the beast clearer than ever.
'So… this is danger,' he thought. 'Then let's see if I can surpass it.'
The wolf pounced again. This time Tian Shen stepped forward — not away. His sword danced in a crescent arc, Qi flaring along the blade's edge. Shing! A bright streak cut through the mist.
The beast howled — its left eye burst, dark blood spraying across the moss. It thrashed wildly, claws digging trenches into the earth.
Tian Shen didn't celebrate. He pressed his advantage, but fatigue already gnawed at his muscles. Every swing drained his Qi faster than it regenerated. The wolf's movements slowed, but each counterattack still carried the weight of a hammer.
They clashed again and again — steel and claw, blood and breath.
Minutes stretched into what felt like hours. The valley echoed with the sound of battle: the beast's roars and the rhythmic hiss of Tian Shen's blade cutting through air.
His robe was shredded, his arms trembling, but his eyes… his eyes burned brighter.
"Come on!" he roared, voice breaking through the mist. "If this is what the path demands—then I'll carve it with blood!"
Gathering the last of his Qi, Tian Shen focused it into his sword. A faint flicker of blue light wrapped the blade — the first manifestation of Qi Edge.
He dashed forward, sidestepped the wolf's desperate strike, and thrust upward — the blade driving clean through the beast's throat.
Grrr—! The wolf gurgled, convulsing violently before collapsing with a thunderous crash.
Tian Shen fell to one knee, panting, his entire body trembling. His vision swam with exhaustion and blood loss.
He could smell the iron tang of the beast's lifeblood, feel the fading pulse of spiritual energy ebbing from its corpse.
For a long moment, silence reigned.
Only his heartbeat — and the soft hum of his meridians — filled the valley.
Finally, he forced himself up. "A narrow victory… but mine."
He sheathed his sword and approached the corpse, placing his hand over the wolf's chest. Channeling his Qi carefully, he followed the guidance Elder Ru Han had once given: "Every spirit beast leaves behind a core. To the beast, it's their life essence; to a cultivator, it's treasure."
Moments later, the beast's body shuddered — and a crimson crystal orb, the size of a fist, emerged slowly from its chest. It pulsed faintly, filled with wild spiritual energy.
Tian Shen held it up to the faint light filtering through the mist. "A mid-grade beast core… this will help me strengthen my foundation."
He sat cross-legged beside the fallen creature, circulating his Qi slowly, absorbing a trace of the core's residual essence. The chaotic energy within it resonated faintly with his hidden mark — the spiral on his chest glowing for an instant before fading again.
A cold wind whispered through the mist.
Somewhere deep in the valley, a low growl answered — far larger, far more dangerous.
Tian Shen opened his eyes, expression steady.
"One battle won," he murmured, standing and sheathing his sword. "But the valley still breathes. I'll return when I'm stronger."
He turned back toward the fog-veiled path, the crimson core safely tucked into his satchel.
The beast's blood dried on his hands — his first true scar on the long path of cultivation.
Unseen behind him, the slain wolf's corpse trembled once — and from its wound, faint motes of chaotic energy drifted upward into the air.