"Why does my body ache like I've been beaten all over?" Yu Zhou muttered weakly. "What... on a mountain?"
How did I end up here?
The last thing he remembered was being chopped down by a Tier-2 beast.
Yet now, aside from the dull ache in his bones, there wasn't a single visible wound on his body.
How could he have survived that?
The wind roared across the peak, biting against his skin as he forced himself to his feet. Each cautious step sent tremors through his legs. Above him, thousands of crows circled and cried, their harsh voices echoing across the mountain as if announcing his survival.
He needed to get down.
His foot struck something unusual along the steep slope.
He looked down.
Carved into the stone was a massive ancient footprint.
It was enormous—far too large to belong to any ordinary creature. Legends spoke of the Giants of the Dawn, colossal beings who once ruled this world. Just standing beside the footprint made Yu Zhou feel painfully small.
A chill crept down his spine.
What other secrets did this mountain hide?
"I need to get down before I'm disqualified," he muttered.
His bow was still in the forest. And he hadn't killed a single beast yet. He still had to complete the minimum—three cores trial.
The moment his foot brushed against a cluster of blood-red petals glinting like fresh blood, a sharp sting shot up his leg.
The Dome Marble Flower was highly poisonous to mortals.
They were said to bloom only where countless lives had been lost.
Yu Zhou sucked in a sharp breath as the burning sensation crawled upward.
Then a gnawing sound cut through the air.
He froze.
Between two massive trees stood the same beast that had nearly sent him to the afterlife. It was tearing into the carcass of a Tier-1 beast, its jaws working ferociously.
"That bastard..." he whispered.
The creature was a monstrous fusion of lion and tiger, its serrated teeth flashing like curved daggers.
His heart pounded.
He could attack now, while it was distracted.
No. He shook his head sharply.
He was an archer.
And his bow was gone.
The beast lifted its massive head, scanning the surroundings before finally turning away, its gigantic body moving deeper into the forest.
Yu Zhou exhaled slowly.
Finally, His chance.
He approached the carcass carefully, suppressing every sound.
The sting from the Dome Marble Flowers intensified beneath his feet, his face paling as the poison bit deeper.
Luckily, he's a cultivator.
Gritting his teeth, he endured it.
Kneeling beside the corpse, he realized he had no blade. His gaze darted around until he found a jagged stone with a naturally sharpened edge.
Without hesitation, he used it to cut open the carcass.
After several moments of struggle—
A core.
He pulled it free.
"At least that fat monster is useful for something," he muttered, slipping the core beneath his robe.
One core down.
Two more to go.
He wiped the sweat from his brow, the poison still burning in his veins.
"From now on, I move carefully," he whispered. "One wrong step, and it's over."
Above him, the crows continued circling like silent witnesses. The forest stood eerily still, almost as if mocking his struggle.
His thoughts drifted to the orb he had swallowed.
He had survived a Tier-2 beast without a single wound.
A cold shiver ran down his spine.
What if the orb wasn't a blessing... but a curse?
What if it requires fighting the world, probably an illustrious expert demanding his smooth sailing peace in exchange for power?
Yu Zhou clenched his fists and forced the thought away.
"Not all power comes with strings attached. Life isn't a novel," he muttered quietly.
He moved cautiously back toward where he'd lost his bow. He couldn't afford to lose it, not after everything Old Bing had sacrificed to get it for him.
Suddenly, the crows' cries shifted—higher, sharper, almost frantic. Yu Zhou's stomach knotted. They had never sounded like that before.
Something was coming, he thought. His hand tensed, heart hammering—and he wasn't anywhere near his bow yet.
Then a sharp tang of blood hit his nose. He froze, eyes scanning the path ahead. Traces of blood marked the grass blackish red. He hesitated a moment before following the trail.
Ahead of him, the trail of blood grew darker. Yu Zhou's stomach tightened. Something had clearly died here... but what?
He stepped cautiously, ears straining for any possible movement. For a moment, the forest fell silent like it was supposed to be.
A shadow became visible among the broken branches ahead. Yu Zhou froze, heart hammering. He squinted. At first, it looked like a pile of broken logs... but then he noticed fur sticking out at odd angles, stiff and darkened.
Closer now, the outline of a beast became unmistakable.
The creature that had nearly ended his life lay before him—but it was torn apart. Bones jutted out from its mangled body, sinews stretched in unnatural angles, yet there was no sign of who—or what—had done this.
Yu Zhou swallowed hard. His pulse raced. If something could kill this terror... then whatever did it is far beyond me—"just a Shenlin Tier-1 cultivator, and a weakling at that".
A shiver ran down his spine.
Yu Zhou stared at the mangled carcass. Whatever killed this beast was still out there. Somewhere close.
But he'd come this far. He couldn't just walk away empty-handed.
He moved quietly toward the corpse, hands shaking. Fear was written all over his face, but he forced himself forward.
If he was going to survive this exam, he needed every advantage he could get.
Kneeling beside the torn body, he dug through the warm, blood-soaked flesh.
His fingers found something hard and smooth.
He pulled it free.
A core. Much bigger than the Tier-1 core he'd found earlier. It gleamed in his palm, catching the dim forest light.
A Tier-2 core.
Yu Zhou's breath caught. This alone might be enough to pass the exam. Maybe even earn him decent attention in the sect.
He slipped it carefully into his pocket, feeling its weight settle against his other core.
Two down. One more to go.
But as he stood, his hand went unconsciously to his chest, where the orb sat. Cold, Silent.
During the attack, something had happened. His skin had Hardened, Protected him from the claws that should have ripped him apart.
Was it the orb? Or something else?
He tried to remember the exact moment—the cold spreading through his body, the feeling of his skin transforming. But the memory was hazy, like trying to recall a dream.
Yu Zhou closed his eyes and focused inward, searching for that icy presence.
Nothing.
The orb remained still. Unresponsive.
Either it only worked when his life was in danger, or he simply didn't know how to control it yet.
He opened his eyes and scanned the forest. The crows had gone completely quiet now. Too quiet.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.
I need to find my bow. Now.
He turned to leave—
A branch snapped behind him.
Yu Zhou froze.
Something has been stalking him.