"Holy shit! In just a couple of days, I've racked up more money than I've ever seen in my life," said Long Huang as he reflected on both his past life as a broke college kid and his current one. He arrived at his camp and cooked some meat soup using various wild beasts. After enjoying a hearty meal, Long Huang headed towards a creek he had discovered a day after entering the Sky Cloud Forest. While bathing, he thought back to the survival series he had watched with his girlfriend in his previous world. "This is so easy; why did they make it seem so hard?" That thought made him sad, as he realized he had barely thought of his girlfriend since coming to this world. Although they had only been dating for a month, he had truly cared for her.
"I wonder if she ever thinks of me," Long Huang said, his eyes filled with self-pity as he gazed at the stars in the beautiful night sky. He regretted dying so young, having just begun to live life after leaving the orphanage. When Long Huang awoke in his infant body, he thought he had a chance for a fresh start and possibly a family. However, he soon found himself alone again. Thankfully, Huang Peng and Su Yan helped raise him, as he struggled to feel a sense of belonging in this world or his last. The Huang family became his anchor. Shaking off these thoughts, Long Huang finished his bath and returned to his tent.
Exhausted from the day's events, Long Huang headed to bed for the night.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a shadowy figure darted by, not far from Long Huang's tent. For the past few days, this figure had been observing him and was the reason no wild or demon beasts had bothered Long Huang at night. Its golden eyes were filled with curiosity as it stared at his tent.
The next morning, as the sun rose, the vast sky looked spectacular with shades of blue and reddish-orange. "Oh, this is what I live for," Long Huang said, admiring the morning sky.
"Alright, today we find a Red Tiger so I can learn this damned combat art," he declared. He packed up his camp and ventured deeper into the forest in search of the Red Tiger. Applying some tracking methods he learned in his sect's youth classes, Long Huang found tiger paw prints that were smaller than those of the Green Eye Tiger King.
Roar!!!
A roar echoed in the distance, and sure enough, thirty meters away, A Red Tiger, its vibrant red fur gleaming under the sun, stood boldly against a pack of white-horned wolves. The wolves, their pristine white coats shimmering against the verdant backdrop of the forest, darted around the tiger with a feral grace, their horns glinting menacingly as they circled their formidable foe.
With every growl and snarl, the tension thickened in the air. The Red Tiger unleashed a thunderous roar, the sound echoing through the trees like a call to battle. Each roar reverberated with a mixture of defiance and fury, a testament to its spirit. It lunged forward, powerful muscles coiling and releasing in a fluid motion, claws extended, aiming to catch the nearest wolf.
The lead wolf, agile and cunning, quickly dodged to the side, its horn barely grazing the tiger's flank. The Red Tiger winced but didn't falter, spinning around just in time to face another wolf that lunged in with bared teeth. A swift swipe of its massive paw sent the wolf sprawling, yelping in surprise.
Long Huang, perched on a nearby rock, watched with bated breath as the fight unfolded. He couldn't discern the cause of the conflict, but the fierce struggle between predator and pack held him entranced. The wolf pack, sensing the shift in momentum, rallied together, coordinating their attacks with a strategy honed through countless hunts. One wolf feigned an assault from the left, while another darted in from the right, forcing the Red Tiger to split its attention.
With a sharp snap of its jaws, the tiger caught one of the wolves by the scruff, shaking it like a rag doll before letting it go. The remaining wolves hesitated for a moment, but hunger drove them on. They pressed in, a blur of white fur and flashing horns, hoping to overwhelm the tiger with sheer numbers.
Just as the tide seemed to turn, the Red Tiger leaped onto a large boulder, using the higher ground to its advantage. It scanned the pack, eyes glinting with determination, before launching itself into the fray once more, a magnificent display of strength and agility.
Long Huang wrestled with his instincts. He felt the urge to jump in and assist the majestic creature, to turn the tide of this brutal struggle. Yet, as he observed the Red Tiger's fierce resilience, dealing blow after blow amidst the chaos, he opted to stay back, his heart torn between the thrill of battle and the respect for the natural order unfolding before him. The fight raged on, an intricate dance of power and survival, with the forest itself holding its breath, watching to see who would emerge victorious.
Blood stained the forest floor as the Red Tiger clawed its way through the wolves one by one.The fight seemed to last forever, until the alpha wolf howled for the pack to retreat and regroup. The Red Tiger roared with pride, having survived this ordeal. Seizing a rare opportunity, Long Huang watched intently, etching the scene into his memory. Once he confirmed that the white-horned wolves had truly left, the Red Tiger began to move away.
Whoosh!
Just as it was about to leave the scene, a branch flew out and pierced its head. "Headshot!" Long Huang exclaimed, grinning from a nearby tree. "I should really use a bow and arrow; my marksmanship is peak," he chuckled. He then inspected the Red Tiger, committing every detail to memory. Looking into its eyes, he saw a mix of defiance and unfairness, having just won a battle but lost the war. "He may not have been as strong as the Green-Eyed Tiger King, but his will was comparable," Long Huang thought, feeling a twinge of regret for killing the Red Tiger. Yet, he reasoned, with its wounds, it was likely to die soon—better by his hand than at the jaws of the wolves, which would be a humiliating end. "It's better to die by my hands than at theirs," he murmured softly to the corpse.
Taking advantage of the situation, Long Huang began practicing the Red Tiger Roaring Art, envisioning the might, ferocity, courage, and pride of the Red Tiger. After half an hour, a roar echoed through the forest, resembling that of an unyielding Red Tiger. Long Huang's Red Tiger Roaring Art had officially reached minor completion, halfway to major completion.
"Hahaha! All my combat arts are finally at least at minor completion!" Long Huang laughed with joy. "I wonder how that old fart will react when he sees me with all my arts at major completion at the competition," he thought, recalling how the elder had made it seem like he was destined to die before mastering any of these arts.
A month passed, with each day unfolding in rigorous training and relentless pursuit of mastery.
During this time, Long Huang dedicated himself to deepening his understanding of qi within the confines of his modest tent, where the flickering light of a single lantern illuminated his diligent notes and combat manuals. He honed his combat skills with precision, and in the wilderness surrounding his camp, he ventured out to hunt formidable wild beasts and even engaged in battle with low-level demon beasts. After weeks of arduous training and unwavering commitment, he finally broke through to the extreme realm of the Skin Tempering Realm, achieving an impressive milestone at the 12th stage. Yet, for reasons unbeknownst to him, he struggled to break through to the elusive 13th stage. After several near-failures that left his robes tattered and burnt, he learned to engage only in battles where his confidence soared, preserving what little remained of his gear.
One night, as the moon hung high and the stars shinned like gems, Long Huang stood solitary in the heart of a dense forest. Clad only in his brief, he was an embodiment of focus and determination, practicing combat arts under the canopy of towering trees.
The stillness of the night enveloped him, the cool air scented with earth and leaves as he assumed a peculiar stance. With his legs crossed and his gaze turned inward, he immersed himself in the Chaos Battle Dragon breathing technique, drawing in the spiritual energy that surrounded the atmosphere. This energy, rich and vibrant, became visible to him, swirling like motes of light as it rushed into his meridians. With each inhalation, he transformed this raw energy into pure qi, feeling it circulate and amplify within his body.
As the night yielded to dawn, the first light pierced through the dense foliage, causing the dewdrops clinging to the grass to sparkle like jewels. Long Huang concluded his breathing technique, his eyes flickering open with newfound clarity. He then got up and started to perform the Ocean Wave Fist art.
Suddenly, he unleashed a profound shout, adrenaline surging through him. With a fluid motion, he thrust both fists forward and leaped high into the air. His fist strikes cast intricate shadows on the grass below, like the chaotic dance of waves at the ocean's edge.
The wind whipped around him, howling fiercely as he executed the Ocean Wave Fist, now at major completion. A few days prior, he had stumbled upon a cascading waterfall, thinking that some secret was behind this waterfall, he jumped through, eager to uncover secrets behind its shimmering veil, only to be met with disappointment in his search. However, the waterfall's momentum had sparked a revelation, guiding him as he refined the Ocean Wave Fist. Each strike was now imbued with the essence of crashing waves, magnifying his combat power threefold.
As the fluid movements of his fist cleaved through the air, they appeared almost otherworldly, capturing the intangible essence of a colossal ocean wave. Each resounding boom echoed around him, an expression of raw power that lingered long after the strike.
Afterhalf an hour of intensive practice, he gradually brought his training to a close, sweat glistening on his brow. As he caught his breath, he turned to assess the aftermath of his training, only to find numerous trees uprooted, each trunk marred by the brutal imprint of his fist. The visual spectacle ignited a spark of curiosity within him.
"I wonder what realm my strength equals now?" he pondered, contemplating the depths of his newfound abilities. " I should head to bed now," he thought.
Snap!...
At that exact moment, the sound of a broken twig interrupted his reverie.. He turned sharply, eyes widening in surprise as he beheld a creature the size of a meter hanging gracefully from a nearby branch. Its coat was a brilliant snowy white, and its golden eyes gleamed with an otherworldly intelligence.
"Nine Element Spirit Deer!" Long Huang exclaimed, astonishment washing over him as he recognized the legendary creature of myth and lore.