Henry blinked his eyes, clearing the oppressive darkness that enveloped him, and found himself standing in an eerie forest clearing. Towering trees loomed above, their interlocking branches creating an impenetrable canopy that shielded the sky from view. Though he thought it was daytime, the dense foliage allowed so little light to penetrate that it felt more like dusk, casting an otherworldly glow over the scene. He inhaled deeply, letting the rich, earthy scent of the forest wrap around him as if the very air held secrets yet to be uncovered.

Henry was jolted back to the reality of his situation by the screaming. He was participating in the Rookies Tournament and needed to outlast others to be among the final ten from a hundred. He extended his ki senses as far as they would go. Many spiritual beasts of different strengths were present, although none posed a real threat to him. Numerous cultivators dashed around, with some attempting to conceal their presence while most either didn’t know how or simply didn’t care. Henry ensured that his perception remained clear of other ki zones, identifying bright spots in his mind. These indicated the cultivators he would find most challenging. Keeping his ki to a mere trickle, Henry blended into the shadows as he sought out his targets.

Henry dashed through the underbrush, staying low and hidden among the foliage and shadows of the forest. He caught sight of two cultivators in matching robes moving through the thick shrubbery. They appeared to have been in a scuffle; their clothing bore flecks of blood, and their hair was tousled. Henry couldn’t care less about Fairplay; he was determined to break into the top ten.

He sent tiny threads of water ki snaking towards them, thin and imperceptible like little strands of hair. He sent dozens latching gently onto the two cultivators' skin. The strands pierced their skin and slowly crept their way to the cultivators' hearts. With an injection of ki, he flatlined both of them, ejecting the two from the competition. They would both be dead if they had met on the battlefield.

Henry advanced stealthily, resembling a panther lurking in the shadows. He discovered five cultivators encircling a solitary fighter, who skillfully parried their diverse weapon strikes with his spear. Henry couldn't deny the guy's expertise; his spear danced through offense and defense with incredible speed and precision.

It was a shame when Henry sent a rain of poison-laden ki needles at his opponents; he wanted to see how the spear wielder would handle himself. He did not have time to dally and see his handy work. The screams and cries of pain were enough confirmation for him as he dashed on further into the heart of the forest. The path seemed to funnel into the center like a bloody funnel of destruction. Henry had a nagging feeling that whoever made this dimension wanted to see as much carnage as possible.

He came upon a clearing where he saw a familiar face. It was the fat cultivator who was fighting for Guan Li’s hand. That felt so long ago that Henry had forgotten the rotund man's name. Henry remembered he was handy with a sword, though. That same man was fighting a small girl riding a giant black bear. However, calling it a bear would be a disservice to such a monstrosity. It stood nearly ten feet tall, with paws the size of manhole covers, teeth that looked like sabers, and blazing red eyes that emitted unearthly smoke. The fat cultivator dodged its swipes admirably, but he was bloody and battered. The little girl on top of the bear was clapping her hands and laughing her head off. What a menace, Henry thought as he watched in silence.

The guy was outmatched, and it showed. Honestly, he should just let them murder each other, but the problem was Henry was a sucker for an underdog. Call it being sentimental or just being a softie, but Henry didn’t want to see the fat man get eaten. Henry sent two of his rings hurtling toward the little girl's head. With unmatched speed, the bear swiped up and blocked the projectiles before they could turn his master's head to mush.

The rings dug deep into its flesh, and it howled in rage. Henry let them drop harmlessly to the ground as the little girl sent her ki sense probing from where the attack came. Henry remained still in his hiding spot as he sent two more rings slithering through the grass before shooting up toward the duo in the opposite direction of where he was. The girl pointed in that direction, and the bear charged into the forest, chasing after his shadow.

Henry walked over to the battered and bleeding cultivator, extending his hand.

“Hey there, you don't look too good. Can I help you?"

The cultivator stared at Henry, at a loss for words. He reluctantly accepted the hand offered and grimaced as he stood up. With newfound resolve, he squared his shoulders, giving Henry an expression of determination that seemed out of place on his bruised visage.

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“If you're planning to torture me, be my guest, but I refuse to share any secrets about my clan. Do your worst; I realize you must be angry over how I treated your woman.”

Henry raised an eyebrow; this guy thought Henry was some kind of villain.

“Hey man, I just saw a familiar face and figured I’d give you a hand; that bear looked like it was ready to eat your ass,” Henry

said as he looked around the clearing.

“Besides, torture is for chumps; you can’t get any actual information from someone under duress,” Henry materialized his knuckledusters and took a ready stance.

“I think little Physco Susie had some backup.”

The bear charged out of the forest fiercely, trailed by six cultivators of various shapes and sizes. Their faces reflected those of mere cannon fodder as they surrounded Henry and the plump cultivator.

The young girl atop the bear was laughing once more. She resembled a ten-year-old but with the fierce intensity of a wild she-devil.

"Well, look who it is, gentlemen; isn't it the Scion of the North? We're thrilled to have you with us. May I ask why someone of your stature is associating with this little piggy?"

She lovingly stroked her bear’s head as the fodder cultivators approached Henry and his hefty companion. Credit to the man; he drew his blade and took a defensive stance without Henry needing to say a word.

"I noticed you picking on someone I know, so I stepped in to help. It didn’t appear to be a fair fight, and I really dislike bullies. You could have ended the fight but instead chose to toy with your prey."

The nameless cultivators edged closer and closer, assuming that Henry was distracted.

“Does this imply that the North is supporting the Tai family?” a man in the crowd asked.

“I do not represent my father; I am here only to compete based on my abilities," Henry stated firmly.

The unnamed cultivators turned pale at the mention of Fei. Initially, they had been fueled by adrenaline and group mentality when they decided to ally with the spirit beast cultivator. Now, the stark reality of their opponent was sinking in, prompting some to creep away cautiously.

Henry took this lull in conversation to strike. He sent his rings sailing at the crowd of cultivators. Most were dodged or parried, but two found purchase, shredding the skulls of two unsuspecting cultivators. They blinked out of existence, but not before sending a wave of fear to their comrades. Henry was a human whirlwind as he ducked and twisted, dodging strikes nimbly. He hit one man so hard that it cracked his ribs, sending the cultivator reeling in pain. His fat friend followed up by running the man through with his blade. The two made a good combination. Henry was the bait, and the Tai clan cultivator was eerily precise with his strikes. He hit exactly where he needed to for it to be a fatal blow. Henry was impressed.

The girl on the bear merely observed as Henry and the Tai cultivator defeated her comrades. While chanting, Henry noticed a massive amount of ki being collected. Realizing this was likely a finishing move, he broke away from his opponent and charged toward the little girl, pulling back all ten rings to blast them forward.

The bear lifted its paw, deflecting multiple projectiles, yet some managed to penetrate its flesh and head toward the girl on its back. Instead of striking her, the ki surrounding her solidified, making the rings bounce off harmlessly.

The girl smiled a manic smile as she put both hands on top of the bear's head.

“You two idiots get to witness my most feared technique. Be glad that you had the fortune to see my majesty.”

Henry and the Tai cultivator looked at each other and shrugged. They realized how dumb it was to announce their attack.

“Beast Arts: Flesh Meld Technique,” the girl screamed as she and the bear started to merge into one another.

The process looked painful as bones and furs ripped and broke, forcefully melting the two opposite things together. This was not a natural process as the girl growled and shrieked in pain. When it was over, in front of them stood a hulking furry woman with paws for hands and the same demon eyes that the bear possessed. The girl, no, the bear girl, cracked her neck and flexed her arms experimentally before locking eyes with Henry and the Tai cultivator. She growled and snarled, luxuriating in the power that she now possessed.

“Im going to fuck you two idiots up, and then Im going to eat bits and pieces of you before I kill you,” the bear girl growled as drool dripped down her mouth.

This girl was bat shit crazy, Henry thought.

“Do you think we can take her, Brother Hen Ri? I am quite injured, and my ki reserves are nearing exhaustion,” the portly cultivator said, not scared but merely stating facts.

“Don’t worry, man, we got this. I mean, how hard could this be to beat up a little girl?”