The terrain ahead shifted subtly—the trees grew denser, the air heavier—the deeper area of the Hunting Ground.
Li Yan stopped and turned. "This is where I go further," he said calmly. "From here onward, beasts move in packs."
His gaze swept across them. "For your safety, you should return to the outer area."
He paused briefly before adding, "I'll be hunting alone from here. I won't leave until I've gathered one hundred and fifty Tier-1 beast cores."
The group fell silent. Some exchanged uneasy glances. Yet none stepped back.
"Senior Brother Li… can we watch a little longer?" one asked hesitantly.
"We're in a group. We should be fine," another added.
Li Yan exhaled quietly. After a moment, he nodded. "Stay, then. But don't interfere." His gaze sharpened slightly. "If you encounter a pack, fight together. Do not try to be a hero."
They nodded quickly. "Understood!"
Li Yan turned and moved forward again, entering the deeper area. This time, the atmosphere shifted immediately.
The air felt heavier. Denser.
Within moments, his Spiritual Sense detected movement.
A pack. Five Tier-1 Fire Lions.
Their eyes glowed with predatory intent as they emerged from the trees, circling slightly.
Li Yan stepped forward. His sword appeared in his hand. Dark Qi flowed faintly along the blade.
Then, He moved.
Like a shadow. One step. One strike. Then another.
The lions reacted—but too late. In a matter of seconds, all five bodies collapsed to the ground.
Clean. Efficient. Overwhelming.
The disciples stood frozen behind him.
"H-how…"
"That was five at once…"
"I didn't even see the strikes clearly…"
Li Yan crouched slightly and retrieved the beast core that had formed within one of the bodies.
The rest, he left behind.
Deliberately.
Li Yan sat down cross-legged in a clearing, surrounded by the bodies of slain beasts. His eyes closed, his expression calm, as his Spiritual Sense spread outward in silence.
To the disciples watching from a distance, it seemed like he was finally resting after his relentless hunting.
But that was far from the truth.
The scent of blood thickened in the air. Insects gathered, circling lazily above the corpses. The forest grew quieter, as if something beneath the surface had begun to stir.
Then—
Movement.
Within the range of his Spiritual Sense, three separate beast packs began converging toward his location, drawn by the lingering scent.
Li Yan opened his eyes.
He rose to his feet in one smooth motion, his gaze sweeping across the disciples scattered around him. Some had already drawn their weapons, standing alert as if guarding him.
Li Yan shook his head slightly.
Naive.
With a flick of his hand, his Tier-4 sword appeared once more, its blade catching the faint light.
He pointed toward a large tree nearby.
"Gather there," he said calmly. "Beasts are coming."
The disciples froze.
They felt nothing.
No movement. No threat.
Some exchanged uncertain glances, doubt flickering across their faces. But the steadiness in Li Yan's voice left no room for hesitation.
Slowly, they moved.
Murmuring among themselves, they gathered beneath the tree.
Moments passed.
Then—
The forest shifted. Rustling leaves. Heavy footsteps. From three different directions, the beast packs emerged.
Growls echoed through the clearing as their eyes locked onto the group. The disciples stiffened. Shock flashed across their faces.
"How did he know…?"
Li Yan didn't answer. Dark Qi flowed into his blade. He stepped forward.
Then—
Three strikes. Clean. Rapid.
Three arcs of dark energy tore through the air, each one precise, each one lethal. They struck the incoming packs without error.
Several beasts fell instantly. Others staggered, wounded. Before they could recover—
Li Yan moved.
A blur.
He closed the distance in an instant, his sword flashing again and again. Each strike was controlled, efficient, without wasted motion. Li Yan keeps his eye on the beasts so as not to let them approach the disciples.
Within moments, silence returned. Fourteen beasts lay dead. Blood spread across the ground, thick and fresh.
Li Yan crouched slightly, retrieving the beast cores that had formed.
Four in total. He stored them away without pause. The bodies, he left. The scent would spread further. And more prey would come.
Behind him, the disciples stood frozen.
No one spoke. No one moved.
"He's… on a completely different level…" The whisper barely broke the silence.
Li Yan ignored them. He returned to his position and sat down once more, his Spiritual Sense extending outward again.
This time—
More. Five separate packs. Approaching.
Li Yan opened his eyes again and rose to his feet. He turned toward the group.
"More are coming," he said evenly. "Stay together." His gaze sharpened slightly. "I'll handle them."
The disciples shifted uneasily, fear creeping into their expressions. Yet none of them left. Curiosity held them in place.
The beast packs arrived soon after, their roars echoing through the valley as the ground trembled beneath their charge.
This time, the clash lasted longer.
Li Yan moved through them like a flowing shadow, his sword tracing clean, decisive arcs. Each strike carried purpose—no wasted motion, no hesitation. The ferocity of the beasts met only precision and control.
Even some of the beasts attacked the disciples, but a few of the stronger ones stepped up to defend the weaker disciples.
One by one, beasts fell.
When the battle ended, silence returned once more.
Li Yan calmly collected the beast cores—three this time—before storing the older corpses and leaving the fresher ones behind. The scent of blood thickened again, spreading outward as bait.
Only then did he turn toward the disciples.
"It's time for you to leave," he said evenly. "It's already late afternoon. Hunt in the outer area or return to the sect."
His gaze sharpened slightly. "My methods aren't safe for you. Staying here will only put you in danger."
This time, no one objected.
The earlier excitement had faded, replaced by a clear understanding of the risks. One by one, they nodded and withdrew, retreating toward the outer area.
Soon, Li Yan was alone.
The deeper region of the Hunting Ground grew quiet again, the air heavy with the scent of blood and lingering killing intent.
As the sun dipped lower, shadows stretched across the valley. Li Yan stood still for a moment.
Then—
He stepped forward. This time, there were no distractions. No watchers.
Only him and the hunt.
The following days passed in a steady rhythm.
Hunt. Kill. Rest. Cultivate.
Li Yan moved through the valley like a silent force, drawing in beast packs and cutting them down without pause. Each encounter refined his control, his movements becoming sharper, faster, more precise.
His sword no longer moved merely with skill—
It carried intent.
Sword Aura flickered within each strike.
Sword Intent followed.
His Killing Aura deepened as well, the bloody presence within him growing heavier with each battle.
When exhaustion came, he sat in meditation, Qi circulating steadily as he restored himself before rising once more.
Day turned to night.
Night returned to day.
The cycle repeated.
By the afternoon of the fifth day—
It ended.
Li Yan stood amidst a field of fallen beasts, his robes stained with blood that had yet to dry.
A thought passed through his mind.
150 Tier-1 beast cores.
Completed.
He exhaled slowly. With a gentle flow of Qi, the blood on his robes faded, cleansed without a trace.
Yet the aura around him remained.
Sharp. Oppressive.
Refined through battle.
Without lingering, Li Yan turned and walked toward the teleportation portal. But on his way back, he crossed paths with a few packs that dropped four more beast cores.
A flash of light—And the valley disappeared. He stepped back into the sect grounds. Disciples nearby instinctively glanced toward him.
Li Yan ignored them. His steps did not slow. He returned directly to his room.
The door closed behind him. Silence followed. After a warm bath, he lay down without another thought.
And soon—
Sleep claimed him.
____
The next morning, Li Yan made his way to the Core Hall. The hall was already bustling with activity as disciples exchanged resources and submitted their hunt results.
Without wasting time, Li Yan stepped toward the exchange counter, sending the beast bodies into the elder's ring. He handed it over.
After a short inspection, the elder processed the exchange, and with this addition, Li Yan's Shadow Points surged past twenty thousand. He glanced at the updated count once before turning away, his expression unchanged.
With steady steps, he left the Core Hall and headed directly toward the Shadow Knowledge Pavilion. His previous access had already expired, and if he wanted to deepen his understanding—especially in Swordsmanship—he needed more than the first level.
Upon entering, a black-rank disciple at the reception table looked up and extended his hand. "Your access token?"
"My access has expired," Li Yan replied calmly. "I want to refresh it and upgrade it."
The disciple paused, then frowned slightly. "Upgrade?"
The disciple looked at him more carefully this time, clearly surprised, and recognized Li Yan. "You're a White-Rank disciple. Unlocking higher floors will cost a lot of Shadow Points. Why don't you finish studying the first floor properly before trying to go higher?"
Li Yan remained composed. "I appreciate your advice, Senior, but what I'm looking for wasn't on the first floor."
Seeing his firm attitude, the disciple shook his head lightly and gestured inward. "Alright then. For upgrades, you'll need to speak with Elder Shen. His study is further inside."
Li Yan nodded and turned to proceed deeper into the pavilion, but before he could take more than a few steps, he noticed a familiar figure approaching from within.
"Elder Shen," Li Yan greeted, cupping his hands respectfully to Shen Tao, who was walking toward the reception area.
Shen Tao stopped, recognizing him immediately. "Li Yan? What brings you here?"
"Elder Shen, I wish to refresh my access and upgrade it," Li Yan replied.
"Upgrade? To what level?" Shen Tao asked.
"Full access to all floors." Li Yan calmly responded.
A flicker of surprise crossed Shen Tao's face. "All floors?" he repeated, studying the boy more carefully. After a brief pause, he gestured for Li Yan to follow. "Come with me."
With that, Shen Tao led Li Yan to his study.
Inside the study, Shen Tao sat down and spoke in a measured tone. "The Shadow Knowledge Pavilion has nine floors, excluding the Ancient Knowledge Chamber." He looked at Li Yan. "To unlock all nine floors, you would need to pay one thousand Shadow Points per month."
Li Yan listened calmly. That amount meant little to him after how much he was earning from his hunt. "That's acceptable," he said without hesitation.
Shen Tao frowned slightly. "It may be acceptable, but it is unnecessary. You're wasting resources. At your current cultivation, unlocking all floors will not benefit you. Knowledge without the ability to apply it becomes a burden."
He leaned forward slightly. "Unlock the second floor. Third at most. That's more than enough for now."
Li Yan remained silent for a moment before speaking. "I want to study Swordsmanship."
Shen Tao's expression shifted. "Swordsmanship?"
"Yes, it begins from the third floor onward," Li Yan added.
Silence returned.
Shen Tao shook his head. "Even so, you're too early." His tone turned firm. "Swordsmanship is not something you can rush. It requires foundation, control, and years of discipline. With your current cultivation—"
"I've already awakened Sword Intent," Li Yan interrupted calmly.
The words fell lightly.
Yet—
They struck like thunder.
Shen Tao froze. For a moment, he thought he had misheard. "…What did you say?"
Li Yan didn't argue. Instead, he raised his hand slightly and released a trace of Sword Aura. The air in the room sharpened instantly, a faint yet unmistakable pressure spreading outward before vanishing just as quickly.
Shen Tao's eyes widened. He stood up abruptly, staring at Li Yan as if seeing him for the first time. "This… this is real…"
After a few moments, he slowly sat back down, still shaken. "At your age… and already awakened…" He exhaled deeply, shaking his head. "Monstrous."
Composing himself, Shen Tao spoke again, this time more seriously. "Even so, you don't need all nine floors. Five floors will be more than enough for now. Anything beyond that would still be excessive."
Li Yan considered briefly, then nodded. "Alright."
The transaction was completed shortly after. Five hundred Shadow Points were deducted, granting him access to the first five floors for a month.