Surrounded by shrubbery that gave off dim light Han Bei squatted down at the bottom of the nameless ravine. His cloak had shrunk so that it wouldn't get in the way while qi whirled around his legs. His muscles tensed and veins wriggled like worms underneath his skin. He had a strained expression on his face. as he recalled the details of his previous cultivation art, " Extreme Yang art favored quick bursts of destructive power, and its greatest advantage was the conservation of qi. To deal the greatest amount of damage with the least amount of energy. That was the core of my cultivation art yet now..." Like night and day, his previous art wasn't compatible with his new qi. It was a fact he was forced to face and if he remained stubborn and unwilling to change he would have to fight his body as much as he fought his enemies.
So Han Bei changed. He reworked the basics of the Extreme Yang art and created something of his own. While it was far too limited and unstable to call a cultivation art, but it was still something that Han Bei could pridefully claim as his own. Even with all the self-inflicted injuries.
After 10 silent seconds, the ground shuddered beneath Han Bei's feet and his legs tore themselves apart while he shot upward toward one of the ravine's walls. His rise ended after he reached the 20-meter mark so Han Bei extended his hand and latched onto the wall like a spider. His fingers dug into solid rock as if it was made of sponge cake and he quietly observed his body with spirit sense. His legs were unsurprisingly broken. " Not ideal, but manageable, " he thought. Han Bei wasn't sure if he will ever get used to these changes, previously crippling damage now became nothing but a minor nuisance. With a shake of his head, Han Bei cleared his thoughts. " Gotta concentrate! " He gathered power in his legs and leaped towards the opposite wall as broken rock fragments rained down back to the bottom.
This time the process took less time and he executed the movement technique in 8 seconds. His legs received less damage but his leap didn't reach quite the same height. Again, he gathered qi and flew quicker still, only 6 seconds now passed. Slowly he remade and refined the technique until [ghost leap] was created. He launched himself from one of the jagged protrusions and like a monkey, he grabbed a sturdy looking tree branch and heaved himself upwards. In such a manner he reached the top of the ravine.
It was with a steady hand that Han Bei climbed over the edge and stood up with his back as straight as a spear. Dust and grime covered him from head to toe but it still wasn't enough to cover the brilliance of his smile. He looked over the edge with no small amount of self-satisfaction as the maw of the ravine smiled back at him. He was improving faster and faster. It was a nice feeling to have.
Yet it didn't last long as an old and annoying voice called out to him, " How long are you going to admire a hole in the ground, I almost fell asleep waiting? " Even without turning around Han Bei recognized the speaker. Still, with a smile on his face, he boasted to the old monk, " I managed to get out of this pit, that took skill." The old monk nodded, " That's nice, that's nice, little corpse. You did know that if you walked for 5 minutes in the southern direction, there is a staircase that leads all the way to the top? " Han Bei's smile became much more strained, " You really just want to piss on my day, don't you. " The old monk shrugged and feigned indifference but Han Bei suspected that this was payback for all the time the old monk had to keep silent while Han Bei cultivated. " Well you can stand guard a little longer, " Han Bei internally thought as he sat down cross-legged and drained power from spirit stones to restore his own reserves of power. The old monk might have shown his dissatisfaction but Han Bei did his best to ignore it as his thoughts turned to the hunt to be. " I wonder what kind of beasts scurry among these endless wreck-filled plains? "
Green fur flashed through the darkness. In a silent manner, a pack of lean beasts weaved through the countless wrecks that covered the scavenger plains. They moved quickly but ever so carefully, always on the lookout for prey and other predators. Wolves were out to hunt. Green wolves to be exact.
They didn't differ much from your run of the mill plain hunters. Sharp eyes, great smell, and deadly fangs, it was just their fur that stood out among their more common cousins. It was different, beautiful, bright green like the grass that they ran on. It hid them from the eyes of other hunters and prey alike while they skulked through the endless night. And the one that led them was truly a beast to behold.
With fur so fine and green it melted into the surroundings. Its build allowed it to look most humans in the eye, but not like any mortal man would dare to match its gaze, 3 meters in length, and 1,8 meters in height. Its blood elevated it above simple beasts, allowing it to rule the pack unchallenged. It was the leader, the alpha. It was a danger beast.
The pack followed a scent, one familiar to them, of blood and weakness, of food. A recently killed great horn deer. They followed the scent of blood getting closer and closer. Unfortunately, it wasn't food that they found at the end of the trail but another hunter. A pale tall man in a black cloak stood between the pack and their prey.
When Han Bei saw the newest arrivals he was elated to find an actual danger beast among them, one at the 1st realm at that. The bait had lured 2 other packs of beasts and a single zombie. None of the packs contained any danger beasts and they were smart enough to immediately retreat, while the zombie wasn't all that powerful and was quickly disposed of. When Han Bei saw the large wolf he knew he had found what he was looking for.
Han Bei quietly observed as the alpha barked out orders, and the rest of the packs surrounded Corpse in a half-circle formation. " What well-coordinated mutts, " he commented in a dry manner. 9 pairs of wolf eyes watched his every move, but Han Bei was unbothered, there was only a single beast that interested him.
With loud and threatening growls, the pack closed in on Han Bei who looked on with an expressionless manner, " I don't have all day you mutt's". With vicious snarls the wolves awaited the alpha's command, the stranger in black stole their prey, to simple beasts that was a sin worthy of death.
"AWOOOOOOO"
The wolves attacked but Han Bei remained in place. He casually kicked away any of the beasts that attempted to bite him and leaned to the side whenever one of the wolves pounced at him. He danced around in circles in an almost lazy way while the enraged pack was unable to catch him whatsoever. Han Bei smiled satisfied, it felt great to have complete control over his body once more, but his face turned more serious as there were other things he wanted to test.
Abruptly he stopped dogging and stood in place. The packs of wolves didn't miss this opportunity. Immediately several of them were on him as their jaws closed on his body, yet another smile bloomed on Han Bei's face. The green wolves bit into his clothes and growled with effort yet Han Bei remained unmoved like an ancient tombstone. Almost gently he grabbed one of the beasts by its tail and swung it around like some sort of a meat flail, battering away the remaining wolves, before he threw the broken body at the feet of the alpha that hadn't joined the battle yet. " Feel inclined to join the battle, wolf? "
"AWOOOOOOO"
The alpha howled again but this time what remained of the pack retreated while their leader took the center stage. Han Bei noticed the murderous gleam in the beast's eyes and his cloak shrunk as he took a fighting stance, with his fists raised up to the eye level and one foot in the front. The great beast snarled and accelerated with explosive speed.
Han Bei was surprised only for a moment before he immediately reacted. He saw the big wolves' fangs shine with a green bright light as it tried to rip his throat open. He leaned to the side and nimbly avoided the attack, unconcerned the wolf continued to attack at the same speed while Han Bei dogged, each time he could hear a "CLAK" as the beast jaws bit through the air just beside his face. Satisfied with the results he leaped backward as power gathered in his legs [ghost leap]. He created distance between himself and the alpha and before the beast could rush him he manifested a ghost. [yin soldier] the phantom quickly flew through the air but missed its mark as the wolf passed underneath it. Han Bei cursed as his concentration wavered and the yin soldier disappeared, "Heavens damn it." He retreated again amidst the frustrated growls of the beast that didn't manage to catch its prey. Han Bei stared at the wolf's yellow eyes that radiated nothing but bestial rage and matched them with a malicious glare of his own.
[yin soldier] Han Bei manifested another ghost but this time it simply floated beside him as he stared back at the beast. The wolf bolted for him, but Han Bei waited. His concentration was impeccable as the beast got closer, and closer and only when he could tell which of the beasts fang shined the brightest, he extended his arm and the ghost invaded the wolf's body. " Got you now! " The effect was immediate and the wolf was locked in place, its body paralyzed by pain as the ghostly qi wormed its way through the body of the beast.
With a bestial smile, Han Bei swung his fist and batted the large Green wolf away. While it was still on the ground he rushed in for the kill but he stumbled as one of the ordinary wolves bit into his leg. It only took Han Bei a second to kick the nuisance away but the moment his attention was back on the large wolf the world turned upside down and his face had an abrupt date with the ground. The alpha, unlike the ordinary wolves, had no trouble biting through his muscle, and its jaws closed around Han Bei's shoulder. The danger beast mercilessly smashed him against the ground and shook him around as if he was a rag doll. Soil flew through the air as it was Han Bei's turn to get battered, but not for long. [death grip] power gathered in Han Bei's free arm and he managed to gauge out a piece of meat from the beast's side. With a pained howl, the wolf finally released him and the momentum carried Han Bei through the air.
Han Bei found himself amidst a rotten carcass of a half-broken spirit ship he had crashed into. It only took him a few seconds to exit the wreck but by the time he returned the wolves were gone and so was the bait. Inspired by his new wolf friends Han Bei released a howl of his own, one that would have terrified any living soul nearby.
