Chapter 3
Fan Wuyi's trail vanished into a deeper part of the Kenkai forest, but Liang Chen had no intention of following.
Not yet.
"A hunter doesn't chase a tiger with a twig," he muttered.
There were two reasons he didn't go after Fan Wuyi. The first was obvious, very obvious, Fan Wuyi was late-stage Qi Condensation, the kind of guy who could snap Liang Chen's spine with a single flick of his saber. No contest.
The second was worse. Wuyi's father was an Elder of the Crimson Lotus Sect, Elder Fan, Head of the Law Enforcement Hall. Killing his golden boy would be suicide. Liang Chen might as well hang a sign on his neck saying "Please execute me."
"No," Liang Chen told himself. "Not yet, I must get stronger first"
Let the tiger roam for now. He needed power. And to get that, he needed Qi. Experience. Allies.
And a beast.
His eyes darted to the golden screen glowing faintly in the corner of his vision.
[Tracking Spirit Beast…]
[Target Locked: Rank 1 Spirit Beast – Ironhide Boar (Early-Stage)]
[Distance: 87 meters northwest]
"Perfect" Liang Chen muttered.
Liang Chen's bare feet walked softly across the wet earth as he stalked through the trees, bo-staff slung across his back, eyes narrowed.
Liang Chen crouched low, peering past a thick bush. There it was.
The beast stood at about five feet tall, broad-shouldered and built like a tank with skin shining like iron. Its tusks were curved like sickles, and its breath steamed in the cold morning air.
[Ironhide Boar – Early-Stage Rank 1 Spirit Beast]
[Traits: Tough hide, low agility, aggressive temperament]
[Drop: Spirit Core (Common), Boar Meat, Toughened Hide, Chance of Ironbone Tusk]
[Danger Level: Moderate]
[Recommended Strategy: Blind Spot Attack – Rear Flank]
Liang Chen took a deep breath and steeled his resolve.
He currently had no sword techniques, all he had was a bo-staff that looked like it would shatter on impact with the boars hide. One thing he did have in abundance however, was knowledge.
And coupled with experience, he was a formidable fighter.
"Let's dance, you ugly slab of pork."
He darted out of the bush, bo-staff in hand, and slammed the end of it into a nearby rock.
CLACK!
The beast's ears perked.
It turned. It stared at Liang Chen, its ember eyes glowing. It snorted and mist emerged from its nose. It dragged its hoof on the ground twice and charged at Liang Chen.
The ground shook under its hooves as it lunged forward like an arrow. Liang Chen sidestepped cleanly, feet splashing through a muddy puddle. The boar skidded past him, confused.
'Still as dumb as ever'
He pivoted, staff swinging with a sharp whistle.
THWACK!
He aimed for the boar's eye, but the beast flinched, the staff grazing its iron-hard cheek instead. The rebound sent a vibration through his arm, making them go numb temporarily.
'SHIT!!. I forgot how dense these bastards were.'
The boar roared and swung around, tusks gleaming in the mist. It charged again.
This time, Liang Chen didn't dodge.
He waited.
When it was maybe 2 meters away from him….
He rolled under.
He came up on the side, staff thrusting forward like a spear, jabbing the soft spot behind its front leg.
THUNK!
It let out a pained howl.
It spun wildly, spraying blood all around, and knocked Liang Chen flat with a swing of its head. His back hit a tree.
All the air was knocked out of his lungs, his ribs rattled. He was definitely not going to be able to sleep on his back tonight.
'You little shit…'
He spat blood on the ground. The boar was staggering. One of its front legs was twitching. It was hurt.
But it wasn't done.
And neither was Liang Chen.
As the beast charged again, Liang Chen waited till the very last second, then vaulted over its back using his staff like a pole.
Mid-air, he reversed the grip, brought the staff down with both hands.
CRACKKK!
The staff slammed into the boar's skull. A sickening crack resounded through the woods. The beast screamed and collapsed, twitching violently in the dirt before going still.
Silence returned to the Kenkai woods.
Liang Chen stood there, panting and sweating profusely. What kind of shitty-ass body was he regressed into?
Then he heard that familiar ding.
[Beast Defeated: Ironhide Boar – Early-Stage Rank 1]
[Reward: +10 EXP | +1 Spirit Core (Common) | +5 Contribution Points | Inventory Updated]
Name: Liang Chen
Age: 17
Realm: Qi Condensation (Mid-stage)
Physique: Mortal Grade Physique(Rank 4)
Bloodline: Crimson Lotus Sect - Liang Clan (Downgraded)
Soul Type: [Awakened] - Fragmented Deva Soul
Martial Path: Undefined
System Integration: 12% (Basic Functions Available)
Level: 1[XP:0/20]
Contribution points: 5
Known Techniques:
— Crimson Flow Spear Art (Fragmented)
— Lotus Steps (Level 1)
— Blazing Qi Palm (Level 1)
Liang Chen dismissed the system status screen and immediately went to work.
Using a large enough stone, he broke the tusks of the boar, the two made perfectly good dual sickles.
Using one of the sickles, he crouched and harvested the beast's core, a small, pulsing crystal of energy.
It would sell well. Or better yet, he could refine it.
No, he needed a manual to do so, and he couldn't do so at the Mortal Grade Physique.
Liang Chen clutched the still-warm Spirit Core in his hand.
It pulsed faintly, like a tiny crystal heart.
So much power, trapped in something so small. A single beast's life, crystallized. And this was just the beginning.
He slipped it into his pouch, then he lifted the carcass of the boar. He slung it over his shoulders with a grunt. And then he made his way back towards the sect.
…
Back at the sect, Liang's return was met with utter shock. As he emerged from the Kenkai woods, sweating, bleeding from some injuries with the body of a Grade 1 Ironhide boar slung over his shoulder, the entire outer sect was in confusion.
Chatter died.
People stopped moving.
Mouths hung open like gaping fish.
Somebody even dropped a gourd of water. It shattered.
Liang Chen, a cripple with a broken dantian, had just casually walked in with the corpse of a Spirit Beast.
And not just any beast. An Ironhide Boar, infamous for its near indestructible skin and berserker charges.
The kind of creature even late Qi Condensation disciples wouldn't touch without a team.
The sect gatekeeper, Elder Zheu Yi, raised a single trembling brow.
"You—" he began, voice cracking like dry leaves, "you hunted this?"
Liang Chen dropped the body with a thud. Dust rose into the air.
"Yeah," he said, casually. "Was blocking the path. Figured I'd make some space."
Of course, they were lies. The boar was deep in the forest. Everyone who'd ever gone into Kenkai knew that. But the way he said it? Like he was bored. Like killing a spirit beast was just a warm-up.
A few inner disciples watching from the balcony leaned in closer. One of them, Jiang Wen, scoffed. "Maybe someone helped him."
"Who would help a broken dantian cripple?" sneered another. "He probably just found it dying and dragged it back."
Because Liang Chen, the one who everyone thought was done, washed, cast aside was now suddenly relevant again.
"Take the corpse to the Contribution Hall," Elder Zhen Yi finally muttered. "They'll weigh the reward."
"Already did." Liang Chen flashed a tired smile, tapping his sect token. "+5 Contribution Points. Got the Spirit Core too."
He turned away from the Elder like the whole thing bored him to death. Then glanced up at the gathered crowd, who were unsure whether to mock him or fear him.
"Anyone got a spear manual they're not using?" he called out, half-joking. "I need to trade."
No one responded.
He chuckled to himself and walked towards his rundown hut, blood still dripping down his back, the broken staff tapping softly against the stone floor.
Behind him, the crowd remained frozen.
A whisper floated through the silence.
"Is this the same Liang Chen who's dantian has been crippled."
Another voice replied, trembling:
"...No. Something else came back wearing his skin."