Leaving a blur in her wake, Rin tore through the dense forest, her lithe body moving with the agility and grace of a predator on the hunt. Her senses were heightened to perfection, allowing her to track every subtle movement and sound in the surrounding wilderness.
She relished in the rush of adrenaline as she searched for her prey, her keen eyes scanning for the telltale signs of deer. And when she spotted their tracks, her heart raced with excitement.
Without hesitation, Rin closed in on her unsuspecting target, moving silently and effortlessly through the underbrush. With deadly precision, she launched a small stone at the deer's hind leg, shattering bone with a sickening crunch. The panicked animal lashed out in pain, but Rin relentlessly pursued it, fueled by primal instincts.
As the injured deer stumbled ahead on three legs, Rin closed in on its frantic movements. With a fierce determination, she leapt onto its back and wrapped one arm around its neck in a vice-like grip. The struggle was intense as the deer fought for survival, but Rin's strength was unmatched.
With a resounding crack that echoed through the forest, Rin succeeded in breaking the deer's neck, ending its life with swift and efficient force. As she stood over her kill, panting, Rin thought she had proven herself as a fearsome hunter in the wild.
Rin's days were now filled with constant movement, her feet taking her deeper and deeper into the forest. She hunted for sustenance, relying on her skills to catch wild hares and deer, their meat providing enough nourishment for her growing appetite. As she forged ahead on the path of Blaze Tempering her body needed more and more nourishment. But for now, she was finally thriving in this new environment.
Unbeknownst to her, however, she had just entered the territory of a fierce pack of wolves. The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, but underneath it all lurked the unmistakable smell of predator. Rin would soon discover that she was not alone in these woods.
For the past two weeks, since her departure from the tranquil lake, Rin had devoted herself diligently to cultivation and throwing stones. With each passing day, her aim became more lethal, fueled by her continuously increasing strength. Though her progress in cultivation had slowed compared to the beginning, she persevered through daily bouts of pain, only growing more disciplined and resilient with each trial. But despite her great progress, she couldn't escape the feeling of restlessness as a child longing to grow up. When would she be able to fly and conjure magic from her hands like the immortal beings she had heard of? Whiteflame's path to cultivation seemed to deviate from the norm, making Rin wonder how she would compare to disciples of the prestigious Sky Sect.
One day, when she was strong enough, she vowed to return and prove herself. But for now, she couldn't shake off the lingering feeling of not being quite ready.
Rin was unaware that the path of body cultivation was considered one of the most challenging and rare paths in the world. Out of a thousand cultivators, only a handful would choose this difficult journey. While most relied on cultivating qi and strengthening their inner cores, Rin's unique constitution made this path impossible for her to follow. However, those who specialized in body cultivation had a clear advantage over qi cultivators at the same level.
Though their offensive abilities may be similar, body cultivators possessed incredible resilience and could fight for extended periods without relying on qi to fuel their attacks. Instead, they relied on their own robust physical forms, making them formidable opponents in battle.
As Rin's mind wandered, she was abruptly brought back to reality by a primal sense of danger that seemed to emanate from the very shadows around her. She slowly edged her way through the dense trees, hyper-aware of each rustle and snap in the underbrush. Suddenly, a deafening howl pierced the air, causing shivers to race down her spine. Out of the bushes emerged a massive grey wolf, its steely gaze fixed on Rin as if she were its next meal. Her heart raced as two smaller wolves flanked her on both sides, trapping her with no escape.
Despite all her bravado and strength, Rin was overcome with fear and felt completely helpless in front of these ferocious beasts.
The wolves drew closer, their snarls and growls sending shivers of fear down Rin's spine. But she refused to cower like a helpless girl anymore. She was a cultivator, a killer.
Clenching a rock in her hand, she channeled all her energy into one desperate throw. The stone hit its mark with a satisfying thud, the force of the impact causing blood to spray and the wolf to let out a guttural roar of pain. Rin had managed to gouge out its eye. But these were not ordinary wolves, transformed instead into magical beasts by the rich qi environment. And even with her deadly aim, this low level magical beast would not fall easily to her attack. Rin steeled herself for the coming battle.
Without a moment of hesitation, taking advantaged the leader's momentary confusion, the girl launched herself at the wolf on her left, determined to make it suffer for daring to attack her. She wrapped her hands around its neck, feeling its muscles tense and claws dig into her skin in a futile attempt to break free. But she was relentless, tightening her grip until she heard the satisfying crunch of bones breaking.
The wolf's lifeless body fell to the ground with a thud as Rin turned her attention to the other two wolves. They cowered in fear, witnessing their packmate's brutal demise at the hands of their prey. But Rin showed no mercy, lunging towards them with feral ferocity. She reveled in the adrenaline coursing through her veins as she fought off their desperate attacks. Blood sprayed across the forest floor as they ripped at her skin and flesh, but Rin refused to let it stop her. With each savage strike, she could feel her own primal instincts taking over, driving her to inflict as much pain and suffering as possible.
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In one final burst of energy, Rin delivered fatal blows to both wolves, relishing in their agonized cries before they too joined their fallen packmate in death. She stood victorious amongst the carnage, panting heavily and covered head to toe in blood.
The overwhelming sense of triumph over a life and death challenge coursed through her veins, every breath felt like a celebration, every step a testament to her strength and determination.
Rin was in pain all over her body, but at this point, the intensity had become almost tolerable and was not distracting her as much.
She knew she needed to recover and heal quickly, and luckily, she had just the right tool for the job - Blaze Tempering. This ancient technique not only tempered her body, but also rejuvenated it with each cycle. She couldn't help but notice the drastic improvement since her broken foot had been healed by this powerful practice. As she rested and reflected on her abilities, Rin realized that perhaps she wasn't harnessing Blaze Tempering to its full potential. The thought of reducing her recovery time after a fight was almost too good to be true - it was like having an otherworldly cheat at her disposal. If she was willing to take the risk, she could improve at an unprecedented rate.
Rin sank down onto the soft grass, her body weary and aching. She closed her eyes and focused on the rhythm of her breath as she began to cultivate. The energy flowed through her, mending her muscles and replenishing her strength.
A new plan formed in her mind - to search out every wolf and beast she could find and engage in fierce combat, emerging victorious and stronger than before. But first, she knew she needed to improve in other areas as well. Her stealth and sneaking skills needed much work, as evidenced by the surprise attack from the wolves that left her battered and wounded. Determined to become a better fighter, Rin resolved to train harder and smarter.
The passing days melded into one another, their details blurring in Rin's mind as she lost track of counting them. Her daily routine now felt like second nature - waking up at the break of dawn to stretch her muscles and hone her aim, scouring the dense forest for any potential beasts to kill for both sustenance and to sharpen her fighting skills. She also spent a great deal of time perfecting her stealth abilities, moving through the trees undetected with grace and ease.
As the sun began to sink towards the horizon, signaling the end of another day, Rin would take a break from her physical training to focus on cultivating.
With closed eyes and focused breaths, she advanced on the path of Blaze Tempering, healing any potential wounds and progressing further in her journey. At this point, Rin had fully embraced her feral nature.
Her tattered clothes were long gone, replaced by a thick and warm wolf hide that provided protection from the elements and kept her hidden in the depths of the wilderness.
Every day brought new challenges as Rin ventured deeper into the heart of the forest. Constantly on high alert, she encountered dangerous foes and honed her survival skills. But each day also brought a sense of freedom and belonging that Rin had never experienced before.
However, one day everything changed. The smell of burning wood and smoke filled the air, alerting Rin to a nearby campsite. As she cautiously approached, she saw a group of rough-looking people gathered around a crackling fire, their laughter and shouts echoing through the trees.
She watched as they cooked meat over the flames, their weapons propped up against nearby trees. Curiosity got the better of Rin as she crept closer, using her stealth skills to remain undetected.
A sudden pang of loneliness struck Rin's heart as she stood among the trees. After months of living like a wild animal, hunting and surviving on her own, the desire for human contact overwhelmed her. She had stumbled upon a group of people who seemed right at home in the forest, their rough appearance fitting perfectly with the rugged surroundings.
An idea sparked in Rin's mind - perhaps she could make friends with these strangers. She watched them from a distance, observing their movements and interactions. They may have appeared like outlaws, but there was a sense of camaraderie amongst them.
Her heart was filled with determination as she tightly clenched two stones in her hands and cautiously entered the clearing where they were gathered. In an instant, they all sprang to their feet, weapons drawn and ready for a fight. Rin quickly assessed the situation - five men and one woman, all armed and seemingly prepared to defend themselves at any moment.
"Halt!" exclaimed the short, stout man. "What's our next move, boss?" They all turned their attention to Rin, who stood in front of them. The big, bearded man stepped forward - clearly the leader of the group.
"Well, who are you, girl? What brings you to the heart of the forest? Are you lost?" His eyes narrowed as he assessed her aura - the girl was a cultivator most likely at mid-fundation level.
Rin took a deep breath and spoke confidently. "Greetings, my name is Rin. I am a hunter."
The woman in the group, taller and older than Rin, raised an eyebrow. "A hunter, huh? Where's your bow?" Rin's mind raced - she had only said she was a hunter to avoid revealing her identity as a cultivator. After all, she was no longer a beggar.
"I hunt with stones." she replied quickly. The men burst into laughter. "Stones? Did you hear that?" one of them jeered. "She uses stones!".
The leader silenced them with a stern look. "Be careful, Geri. She may be small but she's a cultivator. One wrong move and she could break you with her bare hands."
A sudden shift occurred among the men - they all moved into more guarded and defensive stances, except for the boss and the woman who seemed to know what Rin truly was.
The girl's emerald eyes widened in surprise. Did she unknowingly give away her identity as a cultivator?
Her gaze sharpened and she focused intently on the group in front of her, suddenly becoming acutely aware of their every move.
As she observed the boss, she could sense a distinct difference in his aura - it was powerful and commanding. The woman standing next to him also emitted an aura of strength, although it paled in comparison to the boss's. In contrast, the rest of the men had no noticeable aura at all, they appeared to be regular individuals with no cultivation abilities.
She came to the realization that cultivators were able to detect each other's presence. Deep down, she knew the boss was powerful - perhaps even more powerful than herself.
A brief moment of hesitation flickered across Rin's face, but she quickly pushed it aside. The desire for companionship and a sense of belonging was too strong to ignore.
"I have been thinking," she began tentatively, hopeful yet uncertain. "Is it possible for me to join your group?".