The night sky, as dark as ink, presses heavily upon the forest. Silas weaves through it, and the moonlight filters down through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting mottled shadows over his body. Earlier by the lakeside, he carefully selected a straight and sturdy tree. With patience, he sharpened one end with a stone and firmly fixed it with vines, crafting a simple yet sharp spear. At this moment, the spear glimmers coldly in the moonlight, as if foretelling the impending battle.
As he reaches an open clearing, a deep, menacing howl suddenly shatters the night's tranquility. A pack of wolves emerges slowly from all around. Their lithe forms are covered in dark - gray fur that glows with a cold sheen in the moonlight, and their amber eyes burn with a blood - thirsty ferocity, locking tightly onto Silas.
Silas quickly scans his surroundings and fixes his eyes on a large boulder not far away, along with the thick trees around it. Holding the spear firmly, he approaches steadily. The wolves spread out in a fan - shaped formation, gradually tightening the encirclement. The lead wolf throws its head back and howls, giving the attack signal, then lunges forward like a bolt of black lightning. Silas swiftly sidesteps, evading the fatal strike, and simultaneously thrusts the spear with all his might, accurately piercing the side of the lead wolf's abdomen. The lead wolf emits a pained howl, writhing and struggling on the ground, blood splattering everywhere.
Seeing this, the other wolves bare their fangs and claws, pouncing towards him. Silas leans against the boulder, his spear stabbing and slashing in all directions. A wolf leaps high into the air, and he quickly raises the spear to parry, the sharp tip slicing through the wolf's abdomen, causing blood to gush out. The wolf crashes heavily to the ground, twitching a few times before falling still.
However, the pack shows no sign of retreating; instead, their attacks become even more intense. Silas's arm is scratched by the sharp claws of a wolf, and blood flows freely. But in an instant, it heals. The blood congeals, then forms a scar which falls off, revealing fresh new skin. This is the confidence that allows Silas to continue his desperate battle with the wolves. He seizes the right moment, hurls the spear with force, and it hits a wolf right in the throat. The wolf drops dead instantly.
After successive deaths, a hint of panic finally emerges among the wolves. Silas takes this opportunity to let out a fierce roar, rushes forward, and assumes an attacking stance. Intimidated by his imposing manner, the wolves hesitate for a moment and then slowly withdraw, disappearing into the darkness.
Silas sits wearily on the boulder and begins to integrate the abilities of the lead wolf. During the integration process, a warm current surges through his body, as if countless tiny electric currents are coursing through it. After completion, he curiously looks around. The once - dark forest suddenly becomes crystal - clear. The veins of each leaf and the texture of each branch are as distinct as in broad daylight. He can even see a small insect crawling slowly on a distant tree trunk. He tries running and finds that his speed is astonishing. His feet barely touch the ground, and the wind whistles in his ears. With a gentle leap, he can jump several meters away, landing lightly and steadily. He takes a deep breath, and all kinds of smells in the air rush into his nostrils. He can clearly distinguish the scents left by different animals and even trace an unfamiliar smell to its source.
The next day, Silas arrives at the waterfall. He takes a moment to catch his breath. The waterfall cascades down like a silver river, with splashing water and a deafening roar. He stands in the shallows, intently watching the water flow, searching for traces of fish. Suddenly, a tiger's roar comes from above the valley, followed by a panicked clatter of hooves. It turns out that a group of mountain goats is being chased by a fierce tiger and is running towards the waterfall.
Silas feels a thrill of excitement at first, thinking of challenging the tiger to test his strength after integrating the wolf's abilities. But an instinctive feeling warns him to run. So, Silas quickly surveys the surroundings and realizes there is no suitable place to hide. He takes a deep breath and dives into the water. The splashing water from the waterfall continuously buffets him, but relying on the ability to breathe underwater obtained from integrating the spirit fish, he firmly grasps the stones at the bottom of the water to keep his balance. Through the water surface, he sees the mountain goats scurrying about in a panic in the shallows. Some are knocked down by the waterfall's current, and others are colliding with each other. A tiger, over three meters tall and nearly six meters long, stands on a high place, eyeing its prey hungrily and occasionally growling in a low voice. Silas can't help but feel fortunate that he didn't act rashly. Otherwise, he would have become a meal by now. Recalling the intuitive sense of unease just now, he realizes it might be an instinct brought about by integrating the beasts. That tiger must be the king of this mountain. As for its specific realm, Silas can't tell because he has never seen other cultivators. It seems he needs to learn more about cultivation knowledge in the future.
When the tiger's roar fades away, Silas pokes his head out of the water. He climbs onto the shallows and finds a dead mountain goat beside him. Could it be that the tiger was full? Looking at this gift from above, after confirming the surroundings are safe, he starts to deal with the mountain goat. He activates the Beast - Transformation Art, and familiar pain spreads from his legs and fingers. After the process is over, Silas walks to the valley wall and tries climbing. He finds that climbing has become extremely easy for him. His feet can firmly step on the tiny protrusions on the rock wall, and his hands can grip the edges of the stones. His body moves nimbly upwards. He also tries the anti - joint jump. Using the angle of the rock wall, he gives a strong push, and his body arcs through the air, easily landing on a higher position, as if becoming one with the rock. As expected, the ability of the mountain goat is for climbing mountains.
That night, Silas finds a hidden tree hole in the forest to rest. In his sleep, he suddenly feels a cold and powerful coiling sensation on his thigh. He wakes up with a start. By the faint moonlight, he sees a huge python tightly coiling around his thigh. The python has a thick body, its scales glinting with a strange light, its triangular head held high, spitting out its forked tongue, and its venomous fangs shining coldly.
Silas instantly wakes up. He reaches out and strikes the python's skin with all his might, trying to make it let go. However, the python's skin is as hard as steel, and his blows seem to have no effect. The python's body coils tighter and tighter, and he feels the pressure on his thigh increasing. Just as the python opens its large mouth and lunges at his body to bite, Silas takes a desperate risk, thrusts his hand into the python's mouth, and tries to pry open its upper and lower jaws. The python twists wildly, and its sharp fangs scratch his hand. Silas lets out a roar, and with a sudden pull, the python is torn in two like a cloth bag.
After taking a break, Silas begins to integrate the python's abilities. After the integration is complete, he tries to squeeze his body into a narrow gap beside the tree hole and finds that he can pass through it easily. His body is as soft as if it has no bones. Silas takes the wooden spear and runs it across his arm, leaving only a faint white mark. It seems his body has also been strengthened. From then on, before going to sleep, Silas must seal the entrance of the tree hole. After all, he doesn't want to wake up and find himself in the belly of some wild beast.
After several consecutive enhancements to his body, Silas feels a sense of heaviness in his soul.
Silas: "Is this the soul strength in the memory of the original body? I 没想到 that just four beasts have reached the limit. It seems I need to improve my cultivation first. But before that, there is something more important."
To enhance his combat skills, Silas takes out the artifact left by Auson, the Mirror of Dueling Self, which he has been hiding close to his chest. After all, powerful strength must be used properly. It's like a child holding a big sword; improper use may even harm oneself. Silas looks at the mirror curiously and tentatively infuses it with vital energy. Suddenly, his consciousness enters a space made of mirrors, where countless reflections of himself are reflected. Suddenly, one of the mirrors shatters, and a figure steps out. Without a word, it throws a punch at Silas. Silas hastily catches the punch with his palm and feels the familiar force. He quickly retreats and thinks to himself, "Sure enough, it's a one - to - one replication?" But simply evading is not the purpose of Silas coming here. He dashes towards the shadow and throws a punch at the shadow's head. The shadow simply raises its hand to block the blow and simultaneously kicks forward with its leg. Silas curls up like a cooked shrimp and falls to the ground, moaning in pain. But soon, he stands up again. After all, his recovery ability is remarkable. This time, Silas learns his lesson. While punching with his right hand, he protects his chest with his left hand. The shadow raises its hand again to block the blow and kicks towards Silas's crotch. In a hurry, Silas quickly protects his crotch with both hands and sticks his buttocks back, but now his face is wide open. The shadow doesn't hold back and punches Silas in the face. Accompanied by his teeth flying out, Silas falls to the ground again. "Damn it, this shadow is playing dirty tricks!" But then he thinks that no one will care about such things in a life - and - death battle. He stands up again, but soon, he falls to the ground again. Can't he even withstand one move? Although his body has a strong recovery ability, the pain is real. Although he is complaining, Silas doesn't stop taking the blows. In this world, if you're not strong enough, only death awaits.
After a long time, his consciousness returns to his body. Silas exhales a long breath. Although he has been constantly beaten, his actual combat ability has indeed improved. And this mirror doesn't only simulate himself but can also simulate wild beasts. "Damn it, where's the mirror?" Suddenly, the mirror appears in his hand. Before Silas can react, the mirror disappears again. Could it be...? Silas silently calls for the mirror, and it appears again.
Silas: "Sure enough, this mirror can appear according to my will. No wonder it's an artifact."
Looking at the mirror in his hands, Silas finds an icon similar to a mirror on his right wrist.
Silas: "Is this a sign of being recognized as the master?"
Suddenly, Silas picks up the wooden spear, infuses the mirror with spiritual energy, and when he opens his eyes, he is already in the mirror world, and the wooden spear in his hand is also there. He puts down the wooden spear, gives the command to leave with his consciousness, and when his consciousness returns to his body, the wooden spear in his hand is gone. As expected, this space in the mirror can store other items. After several more experiments, Silas discovers that as long as he holds an item in his hand and thinks about storing it in his mind, he can put the item into the space, but living things cannot be stored. Is this the power of an artifact?
Silas: "Praise the gods."
With the proficient mastery of combat skills, Silas can control his body more dexterously and can better guide the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into his body during daily cultivation. During a deep meditation, he successfully breaks through to the mid - stage of the First Realm. At the moment of breakthrough, the spiritual energy around him surges. His physical body successfully reaches the mid - stage of the Initial Embedding Realm, and his soul strength is also enhanced. The sense of heaviness caused by absorbing too many beasts disappears. Silas knows that he can become stronger again.
In the blink of an eye, a week has passed since Silas came to the forest. Although he has only been on the outskirts, as the depths are still too dangerous, Silas's strength has been greatly enhanced.
Silas: "I wonder how Emma is doing in the manor. I'll go and take her away tomorrow. The manor is too dangerous. Something could happen to her at any time."
Thinking of this, Silas begins to sort out his plan, eagerly waiting for tomorrow to arrive