That morning, three individuals were walking through the dense forest. Despite the thick foliage and vegetation that greeted them, the lady didn't use her sword. Instead, she pushed through using her hands, believing that using her sword qi to cut through would leave marks or produce noise that could alert others to their presence. As she did so, she spoke to the two children following her.
"Keep your eyes open and be observant of our surroundings. We might not know if someone is following us or if someone suddenly attacks us," Xiao Yun instructed the two children as they continued pushing through the thick foliage.
The two children responded and held onto the handles of their wooden swords (resembling Jian Swords) strapped to their waists.
After hours of walking through the dense forest, the three stopped because she felt hungry, and the two children were also feeling hungry. So she invited them to eat from the provisions she carried in her storage ring. They sat down to eat and then resumed their journey. After a few minutes, Xiao Yun signaled the two children to sit where they were standing.
As they sat down, Li Lu quietly asked her, "Big sister Yun, why did we stop?"
"Because we're in their territory," Xiao Yun replied.
"Their territory?"
"Yes, the black dire wolves. They're known as scavengers because they eat dead animals or even people or cultivators."
While Xiao Yun explained to her, Madara discreetly peeked out to his right, where, 150 meters away from their hiding spot, a adult dire wolf grazes the neck of a white deer. The dire wolf paused its meal because it sensed someone watching and looked in the direction where he was hiding, prompting Madara to hide again while listening to his sister.
"They also hunt sometimes, either in groups or alone, and their maximum cultivation level is at the early stage of Qi condensation," Xiao Yun continued.
"Sister Yun, how do we know if we'll face someone with a low, same, or high cultivation level?" Madara asked in a whisper.
"It's easy; once they release their qi, you'll know their cultivation level. Like humans, monster beasts also cultivate in their own ways. But if you can't sense their cultivation level, they might be in a different cultivation realm or they might be using artifacts or techniques to conceal it."
"Sister Yun, do you know any techniques like what you mentioned?"
She just shook her head at what he asked her.
"That's okay, Sister Yun," he said with a smile.
She smiled at his response and continued her explanation.
"You might wonder why we're here in this place. It's because you need experience in actual combat. You won't learn if you're just reading or theorizing about something; you need to experience it firsthand. Because knowledge of combat comes from experience, as many say, experience is the second teacher."
"Prepare yourselves because this will be your first real battle."
The two children bowed to her and said, "Yes, Sister Yun."
"Good, always remember your advantages and disadvantages as a swordsman when you're in battle. And because Madara won the tag yesterday, he will be the first to fight the dire wolf."
Li Lu looked at Madara when she heard this. When he heard this, he took a deep breath and rested while sitting cross-legged on his seat before speaking.
"Sister Yun, I'm ready," he said, looking her in the eyes.
Xiao Yun responded to his reaction. "Get ready, and I know you know where the dire wolf I mentioned is."
He nodded and slowly stood up from his seat, heading to confront it.
He continued to walk slowly towards where the dire wolf was eating. He paid no heed to the dry leaves he stepped on, which made noise, as he knew the dire wolf was aware of his presence. Because of the noise from the dry leaves, the direwolf became alert and stopped eating.
As Madara continued walking, the growling voice of the direwolf became louder, and its ears and tail rose, signaling that he needed to retreat. Despite the display coming from it, he didn't show fear or apprehension. Instead, it served as a sign that he needed to train harder to intimidate his future opponents.
With the dire wolf standing its position, he wasted no time. He retrieved his wooden sword from his waist using his right hand, and as he drew it out, he swung it horizontally in front of him, releasing silver sword qi onto the wooden sword. Simultaneously, he released qi from his feet.
He didn't wait for the dire wolf to attack. He sprinted forward, his right hand carrying the wooden sword imbued with sword qi. The dire wolf also charged towards him, sensing the strong qi enveloping the wooden sword he wielded.
....
As the two drew closer, Xiao Yun and Li Lu were sitting on a branch of a tree, quietly observing Madara's movements. Due to Li Lu's concern, she asked her big sister.
"Big sister Yun, aren't you worried about him? What if something bad happens to him?"
Xiao Yun looked back at Li Lu upon hearing her question, then returned her gaze to where Madara was battling the direwolf.
"Of course, I'm worried too. As a cultivator, scenarios like facing a monster beast or another cultivator are inevitable."
"And all you can do is support your loved ones so they won't lose confidence in themselves."
"But, big sister Yun, have you ever loved someone?"
Xiao Yun fell silent upon hearing Li Lu's question. Eventually, she answered. "No, because I haven't met anyone who would love me."
But Li Lu noticed that Xiao Yun's cheeks were slightly flushed as she said that. However, they quickly refocused their attention on Madara's battle.
....
When the two clashed, he swiftly swung his wooden sword to the right, aiming for the direwolf shoulder. However, it quickly evaded by stepping back, avoiding the embedded wooden sword qi. Madara wasn't surprised, knowing that even though they were at the same cultivation stage, the direwolf had the upper hand in combat experience.
"I expected you to dodge my attack," Madara thought to himself as he watched the direwolf evade.
As the direwolf landed on the ground, it leaped forward using its feet and attacked Madara with its right paw, infused with qi, along with qi imbued in its legs, making its movements even swifter. Reacting quickly, the direwolf closed in on his body, but he swiftly sidestepped to the right as the direwolf left side became open.
Seizing the opportunity, Madara tightly gripped his wooden sword with both hands and swiftly swung it vertically towards its left shoulder. With the embedded sword qi in his wooden sword, he easily wounded it, causing blood to spurt from the inflicted wound. Despite the injury, the direwolf became even more aggressive, launching relentless attacks towards him.
....
As they watched from their vantage point, Li Lu couldn't help but smile at the agile dodges, evasions, and attacks executed by him. She then spoke softly to her big sister, who remained focused on the ongoing battle.
"Big sister Yun, I think Madara is going to win."
She didn't turn to Li Lu but responded regarding the fight. "Don't be too sure. In combat, always expect your opponent to have a hidden technique or weapon, so don't get complacent. Being overconfident might lead to defeat."
Upon hearing her words, Li Lu directed her attention back to where Madara and the direwolf were fighting. While observing, she softly muttered, "You can do it, Madara."
...
Despite its aggressive attacks, Madara continued to evade at the last moment. Even though he was close to being scratched or bitten, he paid no mind to the damage his clothes sustained from the confrontation. With every opportunity he got from dodging, he aimed for its vitals to slow it down and weaken it.
The two continued their exchange of attacks and evasions for hours, and he noticed it growing weaker due to the loss of blood and the depletion of qi. Without giving the direwolf a chance to rest, he pressed on. However, at a certain point, he inexplicably felt compelled to halt his attack because it emitted a red aura that enveloped its entire body.
While he observed its changing aura, he questioned himself internally.
"How did that happen? The direwolf has a technique. And if this continues, I'll surely lose, and worse, I might die because I can feel my strength waning from prolonged qi usage."
The direwolf immediately charged at him, catching him off guard because, when the peculiar aura appeared, it seemed to revive its strength.
"I need to end this now," he muttered as he observed the charging direwolf infront of him.
Thus, he also launched his attack since he was running out of qi, and when they clashed, just as it was about to pounce, Madara suddenly punched the ground with his left fist infused with qi. This unexpected move caused it to step back and leap in surprise, but amidst the smoke and debris from his punch, Madara emerged from the smoke and leaped alongside it, attacking it mid-air with his wooden sword embedded with sword qi.
He swiftly swung it towards the direwolf head, and due to the intense sword qi enveloping the wooden sword, it cleaved through its head, splitting it in half. As they landed on the ground, the direwolf's head split open, spilling blood and head matter come out, while its eyes also oozed blood. Due to being exhausted from the battle and drained of qi, he could only kneel, holding onto his wooden sword.
Li Lu couldn't help but express her awe at what she had witnessed. "Big sister Yun, he defeated it."
"Let's go and check on him," Li Lu responded to her big sister statement. Approaching Madara's location, they found him kneeling in exhaustion, so Xiao Yun offered him support as he knelt.
"Madara, you did it. I'm proud of the way you fought," she said with a smile.
He smiled in response to her words.
"Take a rest for now, and later, meditate to replenish the qi you lost," she advised.
Upon hearing this, he nodded and made his way to a nearby tree, carrying his wooden sword. Settling down, he leaned against the sturdy trunk, a clear intent to rest evident in his posture. After a while, he began to meditate, seeking to replenish his depleted qi through the quiet communion with his inner self.
