The forest air was thick with the scent of pine and blood.
I had spent several days battling beasts, steadily growing stronger. After felling yet another third-stage Ironhide Boar, I wiped the blood from my knuckles and allowed myself a brief moment of pride. The sixth minor stage — the Organ Tempering stage — was a difficult threshold, but I had pushed through, and now my strength was far beyond what it had been when I first stepped into this wilderness.
But the forest wasn't without its dangers.
Just as I turned to leave, the ground trembled beneath my feet. A low, guttural growl echoed through the trees, and when I looked up, my heart sank.
It was an Eight-Stage Shadowfur Tiger.
Its enormous frame rippled with muscle, and its sharp fangs gleamed like ivory daggers. I could barely handle beasts a few stages below me — this monster was far beyond me.
Without thinking, I sprinted.
The tiger roared and gave chase, its heavy steps shaking the earth as it crashed through the undergrowth behind me. I twisted and turned, diving through bushes and ducking beneath fallen trees, desperately trying to shake it.
I caught sight of a narrow crack in a stone outcropping ahead — a cave entrance, barely wide enough for me to squeeze through.
I didn't hesitate.
I dove inside, scraping my arms on jagged rocks as I wriggled deeper into the darkness. Behind me, the tiger's snarls echoed, but it was too large to follow.
I lay there, panting, listening as the beast eventually lost interest and wandered away.
Once the danger passed, I lit a small torch and pushed further into the cave.
The air inside was damp and cold, the walls slick with moss. As I ventured deeper, a faint glow caught my attention — a cluster of violet, luminescent herbs growing along the wall.
My eyes widened in disbelief.
"Is this… a Violet-Root Blood Lotus?" I whispered. I had only ever heard of it in passing. Even among seasoned cultivators, it was known as a rare treasure capable of drastically strengthening one's body when refined properly.
It was a miracle that one had grown here, undisturbed.
Without hesitation, I carefully plucked the herb and sat down cross-legged.
I didn't have the tools to properly refine it, but consuming it raw would still grant me great benefits — I simply had to endure the violent medicinal energy.
I chewed the herb quickly, its bitter taste flooding my mouth as its essence surged through my body like wildfire. Pain ripped through my veins, my organs, my bones.
It felt like I was being torn apart from the inside.
But I grit my teeth and forced myself to endure.
Hours passed as I directed the violent energy, stabilizing it as best I could. Slowly, the burning settled, the pain faded, and I felt a surge of power rising from deep within me.
The seventh minor stage — Vein Tempering.
My blood flowed smoother, my body felt lighter, and a new level of strength coursed through my muscles.
I had broken through.
And I had survived.