The forest grew thicker the deeper Kael traveled
Tall ancient trees blocked most of the sunlight, leaving the ground covered in shadows and moss. Strange sounds echoed through the wilderness distant roars, snapping branches, and the low hum of unseen creatures moving through the undergrowth
Kael moved cautiously
Even though he had grown much stronger, he understood something important now
the forest was still dangerous
But danger also meant opportunity
"Origin Sense."
A faint blue ripple spread outward from his body
Immediately, the world around him changed
Energy signatures appeared like glowing lights in the darkness
Small creatures moved everywhere rabbits, birds, and lesser beasts
But among them were several much stronger presences
Kael followed the strongest one
After walking for nearly half an hour, the forest suddenly opened into a wide valley surrounded by steep cliffs
Kael stopped at the edge
His eyes widened
"This place…"
The valley floor was filled with beasts
Dozens of them
Horned boars
Ironfang wolves
Even a pair of massive Rockhide Lizards crawling along the valley floor
Kael slowly crouched behind a boulder
"A beast gathering ground."
Hunters sometimes spoke about places like this locations where the natural energy of the land attracted monsters
For cultivators, such places were extremely valuable
For Kael…
It looked like a training paradise
His heart began beating faster
"If I train here… my progress will explode."
But he also knew he couldn't rush in blindly
Too many beasts at once would overwhelm him
Kael studied the valley carefully
At the far side, one lone Ironfang Wolf wandered near the trees
Perfect
Kael stepped quietly down the slope
The wolf noticed him almost immediately
It growled and bared its fangs
Kael didn't hesitate
"Origin Rush!"
A burst of blue energy surrounded his legs
In an instant, he crossed the distance
The wolf lunged
Kael twisted his body and slammed his fist forward
"Origin Strike!"
BOOM!
The impact threw the wolf across the ground
It tried to stand
But collapsed
Dead
The system appeared
Enemy Defeated
Ironfang Wolf
Experience +40
Progress: Mortal Body Stage 7 → 7.4
Kael grinned
"That worked perfectly."
He placed his hand on the corpse
"Absorb."
Energy flowed from the beast into his body again
Warm strength surged through his muscles
Beast Essence Absorbed
Strength +3
Agility +2
Progress: Mortal Body Stage 7 → 7.8
Kael looked across the valley
Dozens more beasts waited
He cracked his knuckles slowly
"Looks like I'll be staying here for a while."
For the next several hours, Kael hunted
One beast at a time
Careful
Efficient
Each victory pushed him closer to the next stage
By sunset, his entire body was covered in sweat and dust
But the system flashed brightly again
Realm Advancement
Mortal Body Stage 8 Achieved
Kael leaned against a rock, breathing heavily
Stage 8
He was already approaching the peak of the Mortal Body Realm
But just as he prepared to rest
A powerful roar shook the valley
All the beasts suddenly went silent
Kael slowly looked toward the center of the valley
Something enormous had just awakened.