I stopped at the border between the Outer Sect and the wilderness. My heart skipped a beat in excitement and I couldn’t get the smile off my face no matter how hard I tried. I looked up and saw the sun just rose to its highest point. It was warm, a refreshing, gentle wind blew through the forest, and the greenery of the Ancient Ironbark Timberland stretched out for as far as the eye could see.

[Alright people! It’s time!] I clapped my hands. [Half a day has already gone by, we need to hurry. The people of…] I got stumped. I didn’t actually know the name of the village. [Anyway, they are counting on us! Let’s go!]

“Erm… What about her?” Darkness pointed at Vilya who was nervously looking around. “Can she keep up?”

“Um… I can’t use my Qi.” The girl said. I almost forgot about that detail. Her curse was still in full force, preventing her from tapping into her potential. Also, her body was weak so there was no way she could travel at the speeds we intended to.

“See? That’s why I said she shouldn’t come with us! She’s a burden. Not to mention that she’s too young for this, this is not a place for kids!” Shadow grumbled.

[True, she is young. But then what about me? I’m even younger than her.]

“You are?!” Vilya looked at me wide-eyed.

“Don’t listen to that freak, he’s probably cheating in some way!” Shadow shouted.

[Well, no matter. She could use some experience. Let’s go.]

“Oh, hey!”

I wrapped Vilya with a Telekinetic tether and brought her up behind me. I then started lightly jogging to get warmed up as she floated by my side. I made sure she was comfortable and not being shaken around. It wasn’t easy keeping her stabilized over the uneven terrain, especially as I had to keep track of where I ran, but I managed.

According to the map, there was no straight path to the border village. Actually, there was no path there, period. A long stretch of forest separated the two, and as Cultivators didn’t trade with mortal men and didn’t require roads, there was never any need to make one.

That one expedition once per year the new recruits did with their guardians was as much travel as there was. Maybe a few Cultivators went back and forth between the two, but never enough to create any sort of permanent connection. Especially since the forest regrew over everything that wasn’t constantly being used.

As I ran, I was sending short pulses of Qi in every direction, bouncing them off any living being around. It was like a sonar, but better, since trees and rocks didn’t stop it. It simply passed through, though slightly altered.

Arcane Eyes were better for short distances with their high resolution, while this technique served more as a crude long-range scouting tool. And I soon detected something with it. Something big.

[Over there…] I turned on the spot and dropped to all fours, taking off at great speed. My hands and feet dug into the soft forest soil as I propelled myself forward, the roots and stones serving as anchor points for my powerful limbs. I relied on pure physical prowess and remained hidden from all forms of Qi detection.

I burst forth from behind a tree, and that’s when I saw it. A mountain of flesh and sinew, with hide like steel and tusks like greatswords. The colossal swine feasted on the fruits and berries of the forest, and my mouth began to water at the sheer sigh of its fatty neck.

[Piggy!]

I accelerated instead of slowing down and slammed head-first into the side of the gargantuan pork. It was the size of a small truck and well into the Golden Core Realm.

The beast squealed and stumbled but didn’t fall. My attack also didn’t do much in terms of damage as the thick hide softened the blow.

“What the… A Silver Swine Tyrant!” Shadow shouted. “Get away from it! That beast is dangerous!”

As if on cue, the large hog turned and slammed into me with its massive head. Its tusks pierced through my stomach and I was lifted off the ground as if I weighed nothing. In fact, the beast didn’t even slow down mid-swing and continued upward, and soon I found myself flying through the air by the force of its blow.

I crashed back to the ground soon after just a few hundred meters away. In the spur of the moment I forgot about Vilya and almost let her fall. I was happy to know that my telekinetic constructs were stable enough so they wouldn’t unravel for up to a few seconds even without constant control, so she was fine. She did look a little bit shaken though, especially after seeing my entrails spilling out.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Oh, my god! Are you okay?”

[Ah, yeah… Tis but a flesh wound.] I stuffed my organs back inside and regenerated the lacerated muscle in a matter of seconds. I was really glad I could do that because going slowly was just not my style. I would hate it if I had to play carefully around these kinds of crazy beasts.

[See? This is what I’m talking about. These kinds of fights are what I want. No regard for safety, no hesitation, and especially no whining.] I smiled. I handed Vilya a Thunderclap Translocation Talisman in case things got out of control and then ran back to the big pork to return the favor.

[Piggy! Over here!] I roared and jumped, pushing off a solid golden step, and launching myself at the beast. I powered up my body with Qi and concentrated all my energy in my right fist. I aimed for the head and delivered a devastating, full-powered blow to its temple.

There was a thunderous crack as my punch landed and skin practically exploded at the point of contact, yet that was but a flesh wound. I felt solid bone underneath and it did not crack.

Porky was shaken by the blow and stumbled back as it shook its head. It then turned its little beady eyes and focused on me. I could swear I saw steam coming out of its nostrils as it snorted and dug into the ground with its feet.

[Come!]

It came. Its rumbling charge shook the forest as its figure expanded in my vision.

Qi began to leak out of my body and Soul Cuirass formed around me. I made its form expand to almost three meters and braced myself for the impact.

And it came with a vengeance. It slammed into my barrier like a freight truck, which it kind of was, and despite my multiple enchantments, I was hopeless to resist. I froze my Soul Cuirass in place as I braced for impact, but the thing simply shattered like glass upon impact. That was a Class IV for you! Porky was strong!

We came to a stop shortly after slamming into an especially massive Ironbark, because by the time the beast stopped, I was already buried meters deep inside the wood.

I was certain my bones weren’t broken since the wood softened the blow, but I was sore all over. I groaned and tried to get out, only to get slammed back deeper by another short charge.

I regenerated and laughed, and got slammed once more.

That continued for about five minutes as I was unable to leave until the tree came crashing down on the piggy. And though you might expect that hundreds if not thousands of tons of super hard wood might do something to the bloody thing, it simply bounced off its tough hide and rolled to the side. Porky shook his body and pulled his hooves out of the soil and then slowly began walking away as if nothing had happened.

It somehow even forgot why it was attacking the tree in the first place.

[Oy! Piggy! You are just going to leave me here?]

The beast flipped around with a speed not typical for a being of its size and stared at me. I think it was shocked I was still alive. And completely unhurt too.

[Bring it on, Porky!] I shouted and threw a Qi blast at it in provocation. It exploded on its nose, but it did about as much damage as a soap bubble bursting. Which is to say fuck all. It did enrage it though. I was good at that.

Porky’s eyes turned red as they filled with blood, and I swear I could feel the frustration coming off the large hog. It aggressively blew air out of its snout and Qi flooded its front limbs, head, and tusks. It was getting serious.

My eyes snapped open, glowing white from energy. I was ready.

[Do it! I dare you!]

It dared. It charged, gathering the kinetic energy by the truckload with each step. The earth rumbled beneath its hooves, and the forest shook.

I squeezed the Dantian in my chest and my eyes began spitting out light and fire. Physical versus magical attack. Only time would tell who would win. I was burning a hole in the beast’s skull, yet it continued to charge, empowering its flesh with the precious golden energy.

The exchange lasted only a few seconds, and then there was a crash, and everything went still.

A cloud of dust and smoke rose to the sky, cloaking the battlefield.

“Gerald?! Are you alright?”

There was silence for a moment, and then I waved my hand, blowing away the veil of dust, and revealing the result. The beast lay slain before me, its tusks buried into the soil, and its brain thoroughly cooked in its own skull. I was victorious!

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath of crisp fresh air, leaned my head back, and enjoyed the taste of the beast’s Soul. Golden Core, Seventh Layer. Delicious.

“Woah…” I heard Vilya approach in wonder. “It’s huge!”

I just silently smiled as I incorporated the Essence into my Soul. The first step in the Golden Core. Essence of the Seventh Layer. Yeah, it was nowhere near enough for me to advance.

“What is this?! This is bullshit!”

[Hmm?] I heard Shadow complaining.

“How can you just kill the Silver Swine Emperor like that?!”

[What? It was easy.]

“Easy? Easy?!” I saw him becoming red with anger and… something else. “This was a healthy Silver Swine Tyrant, Seventh Layer!”

I mean… Yes. I silently wondered what his point was, because he was just stating facts. Aggressively, might I add.

“A whole team of at least five Cultivators is required to bring a beast like that down, all of whom would have to be on my level!”

[Are you sure? No offense, but you are weak. But then again, five weaklings against one weak beast…] I vaguely gestured with my hands it might just be enough.

“That’s because you stole my sword, you bastard! And if it wasn’t for your regeneration, how many times would you have died fighting against the beast, huh?”

[Well…] He was kind of right. I was morally wounded more than once… twice… Okay, twenty times, but that didn’t count since I was fighting recklessly like that because I could regenerate. But, of course, I would never admit that.

“We are in the wild, and sooner or later you will need my help. Now give me back my sword and I’ll show you what I’m capable of!”

I was tempted to see what he could do and if he could back up his claim, but…

[Nah. I think I’ll keep it.]

“You-!” Steam began rising from his ears and he pointed at me with his finger in pure rage. “I’ll… I’ll… Hmph!”

Yup, he did nothing.