The Magic Beast Mountain Range.
Even the outer region of this place was filled with danger—dense forests, hidden ravines, venomous creatures, and magical beasts that fed on humans without hesitation.
But to Xiao Feng, it was exactly what he needed.
He had been moving cautiously through the forest for half a day now, wind masking his steps, senses sharpened to their peak. Every movement in the brush, every bird call or sudden silence—he noticed it all. This was nothing like Wu Tan City.
It was real.
Alive.
And unforgiving.
He crouched by a shallow stream, washing his hands after collecting a few medicinal herbs. His eyes flicked toward a patch of trees across the water. Something had been following him for the last ten minutes. Quiet. Patient.
But not quite patient enough.
A low growl echoed through the trees.
From the underbrush emerged a creature about the size of a large leopard, its fur black with deep green streaks. Its eyes gleamed yellow with predatory intent.
> Name: Shadow Claw Wolf
Class: Rank 1 Magical Beast
Traits: Speed, Stealth, Moderate Defense
Estimated Strength: Comparable to 2-Star Dou Zhe
Xiao Feng stood slowly and unsheathed Stormedge, the wind-forged sword humming faintly in the air.
> "Good. I need the practice."
The beast circled him, tail lashing, testing him. Then in a burst of motion, it pounced—claws extended, mouth wide.
Xiao Feng's eyes narrowed.
Whoosh—
He sidestepped with the Swift Leaf Steps, moving as if he had vanished. The beast missed and skidded, turning quickly—but Xiao Feng was already on the move.
Slash!
Stormedge cut across its flank. Blood sprayed, and the beast howled.
Fast.
But not fast enough.
The wolf lunged again, this time swiping with both claws. Xiao Feng ducked, rolled, then jumped back. He exhaled calmly.
Time to end it.
He focused Dou Qi into his blade and activated the first form of Falling Wind Slash. A flurry of three quick slashes tore through the air, the final one filled with compressed wind energy.
Ssschk!
The blade cleaved through the wolf's neck.
Silence.
The beast dropped, blood soaking into the forest floor.
Xiao Feng stood still for a few seconds, letting his Dou Qi settle. His breathing was steady, his eyes cold.
> Kill confirmed: Rank 1 Beast – Shadow Claw Wolf
Battle Analysis: Efficiency – 82% / Weakness – hesitation during mid-lunge
Experience Gained. Slight increase in combat awareness.
He knelt beside the corpse and extracted the beast core—small, greenish, pulsing faintly.
> Item acquired: Rank 1 Beast Core (Wind Attribute)
He cleaned his blade and continued deeper into the forest, vanishing into the trees once again.
This was only the beginning.