The outer mountain was quieter than usual. Mist rolled between jagged rocks, and the scent of wet earth mingled with faint traces of spiritual energy.
Lin Yuan adjusted his grip on his sword, the faint hum of electricity dancing along the blade's edge. His system pulsed softly.
[Daily Quest Available: Hunt Medium-Tier Spiritual Beasts – Recommended EXP ×2]
[Target Suggested: 2–3 Low-Mid Mist-Horned Beasts or equivalent]
He scanned the forest carefully. Yesterday's kills had been easy enough for him to level quickly, but the system's recommendation meant danger was about to increase.
Time to see how fast I can really grow.
He hadn't gone far before the first target appeared: a trio of Mist-Horned Beasts, slightly larger than the pups he had killed before, each radiating a faint green glow. One of them, noticeably larger than the others, had small horns beginning to curve like knives.
[Targets Detected: Level 3–4 Spiritual Beasts]
Lin Yuan's body hummed. The system highlighted weak points in the creatures: flank, neck, shoulder. It also displayed their movement speed and aggression tendencies.
[Combat Mode Activated]
The first two beasts lunged simultaneously. Lin Yuan sidestepped, slicing the smaller one across the flank. A faint arc of blue electricity danced along the blade as it struck.
[EXP +30]
The second beast's claws swiped at his side. He twisted mid-air, landing with a soft thud, and swung with a precise arc of Thunder Strike. Its body stiffened, electricity coursing along its fur.
[EXP +35 – Level Up! Lv 7]
The largest beast, the alpha of the group, hesitated for a moment as if sensing Lin Yuan's lightning-infused aura. Its eyes narrowed. Then it charged—horns glinting in the mist, energy radiating outward.
Lin Yuan activated his newly unlocked skill.
[Lightning Body Lv 1 Activated]
Enhances speed and reflexes
Temporarily channels tribulation lightning through the host body
Lasts 20 seconds, cooldown 60 seconds
Electricity laced his limbs as he moved. The forest seemed to slow around him. With a rapid combination of sidestep, parry, and slash, he avoided the alpha's first horn strike, countering with a strike to the side. Sparks erupted as lightning coursed into the beast's side.
The alpha howled, spinning around for another attack. Lin Yuan ducked under its horn, then leapt onto a nearby rock. His sword sang as he swung downward, cleaving through the air. Thunder Strike augmented the strike—when it connected with the alpha's shoulder, blue lightning arced across its body.
[EXP +100]
Two more swift strikes finished off the remaining lower-tier beasts. Lin Yuan landed lightly on the forest floor, chest heaving but body buzzing with raw power. The system chimed quietly:
[EXP: 345 / 400]
[Level Up Soon: Recommended Kill Additional Beast(s)]
He took a moment to assess himself. The forest was silent again, save for the distant rustle of leaves. His body felt different. Stronger. Faster. The faint burn of electricity lingered under his skin.
Then, a shadow moved.
From the mist, a medium-tier Mist-Horned Matriarch emerged. Its size was immense—larger than any beast he had faced so far, with horns curved like crescent moons. Its presence alone warped the spiritual energy in the air.
[Target Detected: Medium-Tier Beast – Level 5]
[Boss Classification: Recommended EXP ×3]
Lin Yuan grinned. This was exactly the kind of challenge the system was pushing him toward.
[Combat Mode: Target Locked]
The beast roared and charged, shaking the earth with its hooves. Lin Yuan adjusted his stance, activating Lightning Body once more. This time, the electricity was sharper, faster, reacting to the alpha's movement almost automatically.
He dodged a horn strike, parried a swipe, and struck at the beast's flank with precise bursts of Thunder Strike. Sparks flared as the beast roared in pain, but it wasn't done. It spun around, knocking a boulder loose toward him. Lin Yuan leapt over the rock, landing behind it, then drove his sword into its leg.
Blue electricity arced across its massive body.
[EXP +200]
[Level Up! Lv 8]
Lin Yuan's movements were fluid, instinctive. The system whispered subtle guidance in his mind: weak point exposed, strike here, dodge there. Each hint made the kill faster, more precise.
Finally, with a final downward strike infused with the last of Thunder Strike's power, the Matriarch fell. Blue arcs of lightning danced across its body before dissipating into the mist.
The forest was silent once more.
Lin Yuan lowered his sword, chest heaving. The system chimed with quiet approval:
[Level Up Complete: Lv 8]
[Attribute Points Available: 5]
Strength: 14
Agility: 14
Vitality: 15
Spirit: 18
Status: Qi Condensation (Lv 8)
He wiped the sweat and blood from his forehead. The forest had tested him, pushed him to the edge, and he had emerged stronger.
This wasn't just training. This wasn't cultivation as he knew it. This was hunting, leveling, evolving.
And as he looked toward the dense fog ahead, Lin Yuan felt it:
Tomorrow, the forest would be alive again… and he would be ready.