Chapter Three: The Might of the Warrior

Records of Mountains and Seas: The Misty Mountains, Volume Seven, Strange Tales—Deep in the clouds, mountains rise in unbroken succession. Among them, there is Temple Mountain. Temple Mountain is so named because its peak serves as a temple, its body as the deity. In front stand three elms, each over a hundred feet tall, wondrous and mysterious. At midnight, blue mists emerge, like divine incense. On the first day of the lunar month, celestial songs can be heard; on the fifteenth, mournful wails. Misfortune befalls any who draw near.

...

Awakening Progress: 4%

Yang Fan felt as though he had undergone a tremendous baptism, inside and out—countless tiny hammers seemed to temper his muscles, bones, organs, blood, and flesh. The sensation was gentle, yet exceedingly swift.

And there was an intense pleasure, surging forth in an instant, only to vanish even more quickly.

Yang Fan examined his own transformation. The most immediate change was a marked increase in strength—a substantial one at that.

His skin was dense, his muscles taut. When he clenched his fist, the large veins bulged like drawn bowstrings.

Even his senses had improved dramatically.

A twitch of his ear allowed him to catch the faintest sounds outside the cave.

"My strength now is probably no less than that of an experienced hunter," Yang Fan thought with delight.

Most importantly, the range of his Earth Sense now encompassed a four-meter radius, reaching as far as forty meters.

A sudden urge welled up in him—to dash out of the cave, venture into the depths of the Misty Mountains, seek out more spiritual treasures, and quickly raise his Awakening Progress to its peak as a Mountain Patrol Envoy, then...

He chuckled at the thought.

Leaning against the wall, he closed his eyes and rested.

He did not know when he drifted off, nor when he was suddenly jolted awake. He opened his eyes—darkness. He could see nothing.

"Why isn't my nightlight on?"

The thought flashed by, and he reached instinctively for the switch—then froze.

He realized with a start that he had crossed into another world. Sounds came from the cave's entrance. He focused his gaze and, amid the starlight filtering through the cracks, saw a pair of eyes.

A chill ran down his spine; his scalp tingled.

Those eyes were clear, bright, and frightening.

He forced himself to remain calm and immediately activated his Earth Sense. Every detail of his surroundings imprinted itself in his mind.

Outside the cave crouched a wild beast.

It stood over two feet tall, covered in dense fur, with a long tail—much like a tabby cat from his previous life, only much larger.

A cat, but huge.

"A mountain lynx!"

Judging by his Earth Sense, and recalling what he knew of the many fierce beasts in the forests, Yang Fan quickly identified the creature at the cave's entrance.

Mountain Lynx: As large as a hunting hound, each of its four canines exceeds three inches in length—easily capable of biting through a wild boar's neck or shearing ordinary swords. Its claws are as sharp as weapons, able to rend stone. With a supple, elongated body, it moves silently at night—swift as lightning—capable of catching night birds and killing wolves and leopards. Its sense of smell is extraordinary, able to detect the scent of blood from a thousand yards away.

Yang Fan's heart tightened.

Clearly, this mountain lynx had caught his scent while hunting at night and now regarded him as prey.

"Trouble!" Yang Fan shivered.

This was no ordinary cat—it was, in essence, a miniature tiger.

Larger and fiercer than a lynx.

The rocks blocking the cave entrance would hardly hold it back. If it broke in, weaponless as he was, how could he possibly defend himself?

He could not let it enter.

As the thought arose, he prepared to rush to the entrance and reinforce the stones. But just then, his senses detected something else—a fierce bird hurtling down, its outstretched wings filling his entire perception.

The mountain lynx cried out and tried to flee, but was seized by two massive talons and lifted into the air.

"Could it be a Silver Carved Crane?"

Yang Fan was astonished.

The Silver Carved Crane was a mutated owl—nocturnal, enormous, with a wingspan over ten meters. Despite its size, it flew in utter silence, and was adept at hunting fierce beasts.

"The forest at night is truly perilous—and this is only the mountain's outer edge."

For the first time, Yang Fan gained a clear understanding of the dangers lurking in the wild.

Even with his Mountain Patrol Envoy status awakened, encountering a mountain lynx or Silver Carved Crane would almost certainly mean death.

Yang Fan moved to the cave entrance and sat with his back to the stones, just in case.

Drowsiness overtook him once more, and he drifted into sleep.

When he awoke, faint light was filtering through the cracks. He moved the stones aside and stepped out.

Dawn had broken.

A thin mist, like gauze, shrouded the forest, lending it an ethereal, otherworldly beauty.

He relieved himself, massaged his empty stomach.

Thirsty and hungry.

But it was not yet time to leave. Yang Fan climbed onto a rock and sat down, activating his "Qi Consumption" technique. Wisps of strange energy entered his body, invigorating him.

But hunger remained.

"For now, this Qi Consumption technique can't truly sustain me as the wind and dew do," he mused without disappointment.

The eastern sky was tinged with red, and the mist gradually faded.

He hesitated. Should he return, or continue searching for herbs in the forest to compete for the position of apprentice herbalist?

"I'm already a Mountain Patrol Envoy—do I still need to be an apprentice herbalist?" Yang Fan laughed.

Just then, a great commotion sounded in the distance. He quickly pressed himself flat against the rock to hide and peered out.

Two figures emerged from the mist, one chasing the other. In an instant, they clashed.

"Good heavens!"

He watched as a man-sized boulder was shattered with a single kick, as one leaped four or five meters high, as another wielded a blade and felled a great tree in one stroke…

Yang Fan trembled.

"So these are the martial experts of this world?"

He knew of warriors, but had never truly encountered any.

He was just an ordinary townsperson. The most he had seen were hunters, who knew a few basic techniques at best—hardly real martial artists.

At most, they were rough fighters.

But these two, he could not withstand a single blow or kick from either.

"Ma Lin, you despicable wretch! I treated you as my dearest friend, yet you ambushed me for a single spiritual herb. If I survive, I swear to wipe out your entire family!"

One of them let out a bloodcurdling roar.

"I'd sooner die than hand it over!"

It was the same voice.

"Li Shan, dare you!"

The other voice was thick with rage.

The mist churned as the fight grew fiercer.

"Haha, you've fallen into my trap—then die with me!"

With a tragic laugh, Li Shan dragged his foe over the edge, and both figures tumbled into the abyss.

Yang Fan was shaken.

He carefully climbed down from the rock, activating his Earth Sense to scan the surroundings. Soon, he reached the scene of the clash—a chaotic, battered place.

The hard rocky ground was covered in footprints, shattered stones everywhere.

And blood—lots of it.

"Human-shaped beasts—truly terrifying," Yang Fan marveled in awe.

He stood at the edge of the cliff and peered down. It was wreathed in mist; nothing could be seen. But he knew the drop was deep, and anyone falling would be unlikely to survive.

Quickly, he moved to the other side.

There, he found a spiritual herb. In his senses, it glowed with a rich green light, even more vibrant than that of the monkey ginseng.

"Alas, only a third remains!"

Yang Fan hurried to pick it up.

The break was clearly caused by a blade—sap still oozed from the wound, releasing a faint, refreshing fragrance.

He did not recognize it.

But in his mind, the Earth Seal trembled gently, and lines of text appeared before his eyes.