A few hours passed quietly.
Lao Xie sat cross-legged beside the large boulder, his posture calm and composed. Eyes closed, his breathing was steady as gentle wisps of qi slowly cycled through his meridians.
The steady roar of the waterfall served as background noise, masking the sounds of smaller creatures rustling through the brush. Every passing minute sharpened his senses, and the longer he cultivated, the more natural his control over qi became.
He wasn't in a rush.
His golden eyes opened. His breathing slowed.
A shift in the wind.
A faint crunch of stone and brush just beyond the treeline.
His pupils narrowed slightly, gaze locked on the edge of the clearing.
The panther had returned.
Its dark fur blended with the forest shadows, moving low and silent as it emerged from between the trees. Silver patterns shimmered faintly on its pelt, marking it unmistakably as the Shadow-Furred Panther.
Sleek and deadly, it crept toward the shallow pool at the base of the waterfall.
Lao Xie's gaze sharpened, however he didn't make a move.
"Not yet." he said inwardly while maintaining his focus towards the beast as if observing it.
The beast stepped closer, muscles coiled beneath its sleek hide, its eyes scanning the surroundings as it prepared to settle.
Few moments later, right at the moment where the beast is slowly settling down, "Now." he whispered under his breath.
Fwoosh~
He moved like wind, closing their distance.
"Mirage Walk, First stage... Fleeting Steps."
His figure blurred, vanishing from his position leavind behind and afterimage. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind the panther, his sword slashing in a precise arc.
Clang!
Claws met steel as the panther twisted mid-motion, faster than expected. Its powerful limbs launched it backward, narrowly avoiding a fatal wound.
It snarled, blood seeping from a shallow gash across its shoulder.
The beast lunged.
Lao Xie sidestepped cleanly, his sword flicking as fast as lightning. The blade grazed its flank but the panther recovered midair, twisting to swipe at him. A claw ripped into his sleeve, nearly catching his arm.
"Tch. Aggressive."
He slid back, boots skidding across the slick rocks. "It's more alert than I thought." he muttered under his breath
The panther circled him, growling low, glowing eyes locked onto its prey.
Lao Xie's lips curved faintly. "Worthy of being a 3rd Stage Wild Beast."
He dashed forward again, this time aiming low. His blade hummed as it swept upward—
The panther leapt to dodge.
"Perfect", That was exactly what he was waiting for.
Lao Xie twisted his wrist, abruptly pulling his blade back and shifting his angle mid-movement, thrusting it upward toward the beast's exposed underbelly.
The panther snarled, twisting just in time. The tip of the blade tore across its side, but it avoided a fatal blow.
Crash!
The beast landed hard, claws gouging the stone as it skidded across the wet ground. It growled low, black fur bristling, its silver markings pulsing faintly under the misty light. Qi stirred around it, wild and untamed.
"Oh?" Lao Xie narrowed his eyes.
Without warning, the panther pounced again. It came from above this time, its claws extended, aiming for Lao Xie's head.
Clang! Clang!
Lao Xie raised his sword in a diagonal block, sparks flying as metal met claw. The sheer force drove him back a step but he didn't lose balance.
The panther pressed the assault, swiping in rapid arcs. Its claws moved with brutal speed, striking from different angles - high, low, then spinning.
Lao Xie parried each one, his body shifting in rhythm, his footwork flowing like water.
But one strike slipped through,
Slash!
A shallow wound opened on his shoulder. Warm blood seeped through his sleeve.
He didn't flinch.
Instead, he stepped in.
"Your speed's impressive," he whispered, his blade suddenly rotating into a reverse grip. "However you're predictable."
In one seamless motion, he ducked under the next swipe and slid across the slick ground, slicing upward from below.
Shink!
The blade cut deep into the beast's hind leg.
"Despite 3rd Stage Wild Beast, your strength are on par to the demonic wolf. You can't beat me."
The panther shrieked, staggering as its limb buckled beneath it. Blood spattered the rocks.
Now it was cornered, injured and furious.
But it wasn't giving up.
With a savage roar, it gathered qi into its core. The silver lines across its fur flared as it unleashed a burst of wild energy.
A shockwave erupted outward, kicking up water and dirt.
Lao Xie leapt back, shielding his eyes.
"A berserk qi burst?" he muttered. "Shit, this beast is crazy, I need the core to stay unharmed"
When the dust settled, the panther was crouched low, its body emanating a dark, pulsing aura.
"That's your last resort?" Lao Xie exhaled slowly. He flipped his sword into a forward grip again, blood from the panther dripping from its edge.
"Fine by me." He said as he focused on his next stance.
The familiar stance, just like when he went against the demonic wolf.
"I'll let you live if you can withstand this attack." he shouted.
"Heavenly Echoing Sword Arts, First Move... "
Sensing the danger, the Shadow-Furred Panther let out a defiant roar and lunged forward, dragging its injured leg behind.
Lao Xie smirked.
"Beasts stay beasts. That's a fake, you stupid."
The figure the panther charged at… vanished.
Lao Xie had already moved. What it attacked was only an afterimage, left behind by his footwork technique.
From behind, his voice rang cold.
"You never saw this coming."
"Heavenly Echoing Sword Arts, First Move .... Sky's Whisperer."
Swoosh—
The blade moved like a breeze, soft and silent, yet carrying death in its wake. It sliced clean through the mist with an eerie whisper.
Shlkk—!
The blade cut deep. A whisper through the air—clean, effortless.
The panther's body trembled. Its momentum broke mid-lunge. The light in its eyes dimmed as it collapsed onto the floor, its massive form crashing into the ground with a dull thud.
The forest fell silence.
Lao Xie stood behind the fallen beast, his blade dripping crimson. His golden eyes were cold, unshaken.
He exhaled softly.
"Sky's Whisperer... worked better than last time."
Cling~
A panel appeared.
[TECHNIQUES]
Heavenly Echoing Sword Arts (0/7)
First Move - Sky's Whisperer : 6% mastery
Mirage Walk (0/5)
First Stage - Fleeting Steps : 8% mastery
He glanced at the progress bar. "It increased."
Stepping calmly through the blood-slick rocks, Lao Xie crouched beside the corpse. With practiced ease, his fingers pressed against the beast's ribcage, locating the core with surgical precision.
Moments later, he pulled out the beast core, a translucent orb pulsing faintly with qi.
"Still intact." he muttered under his breath.
He nodded in satisfaction and wiped his blade clean against the beast's fur before storing the core and the body into his storage ring.