The trek back to the sect was slower than we anticipated. The wounds we sustained during the battle with the Ironspine Lizard still throbbed, making each step a test of endurance.
Li Shen winced, clutching his bruised side. "We should find somewhere to rest. If another beast finds us in this condition, we won't stand a chance."
I nodded. "Let's look for a place to patch ourselves up."
After some time, we stumbled upon a small cave tucked behind thick underbrush. It wasn't deep, but it offered enough shelter for us to tend to our wounds.
We bound our injuries and consumed what little medicinal herbs we had. The hours passed in silence as we rested, the occasional sound of distant beasts reminding us we weren't alone in these woods.
When we felt strong enough to move, we resumed our journey.
But as we neared the usual route back to the sect, Li Shen suddenly pulled me behind a tree. "There's something ahead… look!"
Through the trees, we saw it—a Qi Refining Stage beast, a sleek and dangerous-looking predator, prowling the path we needed to take. In our current state, facing it was out of the question.
"We can't take that head-on," I whispered. "We need to find another way around."
Li Shen grimaced but agreed. "Let's circle east. It'll take us longer, but it's safer."
We veered off the path, cutting through unfamiliar woods, hoping to bypass the threat. As we carefully made our way along the detour, Li Shen suddenly froze.
"Chen Yu… there's someone over there."
Hidden behind a thicket lay a body—cold and still. Judging by his tattered robe, he had likely been a wandering cultivator.
We approached cautiously and examined the corpse. His pouch was still intact, surprisingly untouched by beasts.
Inside, we found a handful of spirit stones and a worn manual—'Crimson Fang Fist.'
Li Shen flipped through the manual. "This is a fist technique… nothing too profound, but better than what we have."
I studied the manual briefly and tucked it into my robes. "We should keep moving. We don't know what killed him, and I don't want to find out."
With our prize and a heavier sense of caution, we quickened our pace, finally returning to the sect as the sun began to set.
Tired, sore, but alive—we had survived another step of our journey. And now, I had something new to train.