The Spiritwood Forest was alive with killing intent.
Every step Kai Ren took sank into damp earth, the crunch of dead leaves masked by the distant cries of beasts. The air was thick, heavy with the musk of predators and the metallic tang of blood. The canopy above was dense, shafts of light stabbing down like blades that illuminated the mist curling between roots and vines.
This was no ordinary forest. It was a hunting ground designed by the academy to sift out the weak from the strong.
And Kai knew one thing for certain: weakness was death.
---
Whispers of Survival
Behind him, the murmurs of other students carried faintly.
"Did you see? Liu Feng's group already lost someone."
"That quickly? Spirits help us…"
"I heard Crimson Fang packs are moving near the river. Stay away from there."
Fear clung to their voices. For many, the Outer Ring Trials were a death sentence wrapped in the guise of an opportunity.
Kai ignored them. His steel rod rested lightly across his back, his senses sharp. The Silverhorn Ape he had slain earlier had given him more than points—it had given him clarity.
He wasn't here to survive. He was here to evolve.
The system's presence pulsed faintly in his mind, a constant reminder of his path.
> [Host Objectives: Survive Trial. Gather Beast Cores. Gain Upgrade Points.]
[Points: 2.]
[Silverhorn Core Fragment: 1/3.]
Two points. One fragment. Progress, but not enough. He needed more. Much more.
---
The Wolf Pack
The undergrowth rustled. Kai froze, body coiling with tension. His eyes scanned the brush until—SNAP!
A wolf lunged out, jaws snapping for his throat. Its fur was mottled grey streaked with faint qi, eyes glowing like embers. A Crimson Fang Wolf, slightly larger than the one he had slain earlier.
But this one was not alone.
Shapes emerged from the shadows. Two. Three. Four. An entire pack. Their growls harmonized, forming a chorus of hunger that rattled the air.
The system chimed.
> [Target Identified: Crimson Fang Wolf Pack.]
[Rank: Low-Mid Mortal Spirit Beasts.]
[Suggested Action: Evade if alone. Probability of victory: 57%.]
Kai smirked faintly. "Fifty-seven? Sounds like a challenge."
The first wolf lunged. Kai's staff whistled, smashing across its jaw with bone-cracking force. Blood sprayed as it tumbled aside.
Two more pounced simultaneously. Kai blurred—Shadow Step!—reappearing behind them. His staff lashed out, slamming into a spine. CRACK! One wolf collapsed with a whimper.
The others circled warily, snarls low and furious.
Kai exhaled slowly, his aura surging. His movements were sharper, more precise than ever. Each clash fed his instincts, his body adapting, evolving with every strike.
The wolves lunged together. Kai roared, staff spinning in a sweeping arc. BOOM! Three bodies flew, blood staining the earth.
Moments later, silence.
> [Victory Achieved.]
[Upgrade Points +2.]
[Total Points: 4.]
Kai crouched, ripping a faintly glowing core from the alpha's chest. His lips curved. "Closer."
---
Predators and Prey
Hours passed, each moment painted with struggle.
Kai fought a serpent with scales hard as iron, its coils crushing trees with terrifying strength. He killed it by driving his staff through the roof of its mouth, barely escaping its death throes.
He ambushed a rival student—desperate, half-mad—who tried to slit his throat in his sleep. The boy's corpse now fed the roots of a Spiritwood tree.
Each battle hardened him. Each kill added to his reservoir of points and fragments.
The system hummed with approval.
> [Points: 5.]
[Silverhorn Fragment: 2/3.]
Five. Enough to attempt his first Spirit Core Upgrade.
Kai's hand hovered near his chest, where his core pulsed faintly, fractured yet stubborn. His heart raced with temptation. Now? Here?
But the forest was merciless. To refine in the open was to invite death. He needed the right moment.
---
Rival Hunters
It came sooner than he expected.
As Kai leaned against a fallen tree to catch his breath, voices approached. Harsh, arrogant.
"Spread out. That wolf pack's core is ours."
"I heard some weakling cripple was seen around here. Easy prey."
Kai's eyes narrowed.
Three figures emerged from the mist. Students, older and stronger, their uniforms marked with insignias denoting higher rankings. Their leader, a tall youth with a spear, sneered the moment he saw Kai.
"Well, well. The trash himself."
Kai gripped his staff, silent.
The leader chuckled. "Hand over your cores and crawl away. Maybe I'll let you keep your life."
Kai's lips curved in a humorless smile. "Come take them."
The boy's sneer faltered. Then he roared, lunging with his spear.
Kai's body blurred. Shadow Step! His staff cracked against the spear shaft, redirecting it. His free fist slammed into the youth's chest, ribs crunching beneath the blow.
The others shouted, blades flashing. Kai spun, staff whirling in a storm. CLANG! CLANG! Sparks rained as steel met steel, his strikes brutally efficient.
Moments later, the clearing was painted red. Three corpses lay broken, their cores warm in Kai's hand.
The system chimed coldly.
> [Victory Achieved.]
[Upgrade Points +2.]
[Total: 7.]
Kai wiped blood from his lip, chest heaving. "Better."
---
The Silverhorn's Kin
Dusk bled into night. Shadows thickened, the forest shifting into a darker, deadlier realm.
Kai pressed deeper, drawn by instinct. His system pulsed faintly.
> [Warning: High-level Beast Presence Detected Ahead.]
He stepped into a moonlit clearing—and froze.
There it stood. Towering, muscle-bound, silver fur bristling in the dark. Horns gleamed like polished blades.
A Silverhorn Ape, larger and stronger than the one before. Its aura crashed down like a tidal wave, primal and suffocating.
The system's voice was sharp.
> [Target Identified: Silverhorn Ape (Alpha).]
[Rank: Mid-High Mortal Beast.]
[Reward: 3 Points + Core Fragment.]
[Danger: Extreme.]
Kai's grip tightened on his staff. His blood raced.
"Perfect."
The ape roared, charging like a living boulder. Trees splintered in its path.
Kai roared back, qi flaring wildly, and the clearing erupted in chaos.
---
Battle of Survival
The ape's fists were hammers, each strike gouging craters in the earth. Kai dodged, ducked, countered, his staff smashing against limbs thicker than his torso.
The impact rattled his bones, his body screaming in protest. But his strikes landed true—cracking joints, bruising flesh.
The ape bellowed, swinging both fists downward. Kai blurred aside, reappearing behind its leg. His staff slammed into the knee joint. CRUNCH! Bone cracked, the beast stumbling.
Kai didn't stop. His fists blurred, qi-enhanced blows raining against its ribs. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ape shrieked, backhanding him with terrifying force. Kai flew, crashing through a tree. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he staggered up.
His vision blurred. His core pulsed. The system's voice sliced through the haze.
> [Upgrade Available: Spirit Core Refinement.]
[Cost: 5 Points + 2 Fragments.]
[Confirm?]
Kai's chest heaved. The ape roared, charging again.
"Do it."
---
Refinement Amid Chaos
The world froze.
His core ignited in his chest, fractured shards grinding together as light blazed within. Pain ripped through him, knees buckling.
But then—clarity.
The shards melted, reforging into a single, refined core. Energy surged, doubling, tripling, flowing with perfect efficiency.
> [Spirit Core: Refined.]
[Qi Capacity Doubled.]
[Energy Flow Efficiency: +300%.]
Kai's eyes snapped open, blazing with light. His aura exploded, the ground cracking beneath his feet.
The ape froze, instinctively recoiling.
Kai grinned savagely. "Round two."
He blurred forward, staff glowing with raw qi. CRACK! It slammed into the ape's chest, ribs snapping.
The beast howled, swinging desperately, but Kai was gone. Shadow Step! His staff smashed into its skull base, horn shattering in a shower of sparks.
"IRON BREAKER!"
His fist followed, exploding against its jaw. BOOOOM!
The ape collapsed, skull caved, body twitching before falling still.
Silence.
The system chimed.
> [Victory Achieved.]
[Points +3.]
[Silverhorn Fragment +1.]
[Total: 5.]
Kai stood over the corpse, chest heaving, blood dripping from his lip. His aura blazed like a torch in the night.
He had broken his shackles again.
---
The Shadow in the Trees
But he wasn't alone.
From the shadows, a slow clap echoed.
Kai spun, staff raised.
A figure stepped into the moonlight, tall, broad-shouldered, a greatsword resting casually on his shoulder. His eyes gleamed with cruel amusement.
"Impressive," the figure drawled. "I didn't think trash could bite so hard."
Kai's chest tightened. He knew that voice. That aura.
Jian Hao.
Ranked fifth among the outer disciples. Ruthless. Arrogant. Deadly.
The system chimed.
> [Warning: Jian Hao – Mortal Stage, Middle.]
[Combat Power: Elite.]
[Suggested Action: Evade.]
Jian's grin widened. "But don't get cocky. Whatever miracle you've stumbled into, it ends here."
He raised his blade, its edge glinting under the moonlight.
Kai's grip tightened. His blood burned. His system pulsed.
"Then come," he said coldly. "Let's see who breaks first."
The clearing trembled as the two prepared to clash.
And the Spiritwood Forest held its breath.