Once he felt confident in his understanding, Li Yan rose to his feet and stepped toward the center of the cave, choosing an open space where he could practice without obstructions.

  He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. The crackle of the campfire and the faint whistle of wind outside the cave gradually faded from his senses.

  His focus turned inward, toward the cold stream of Darkness Qi flowing through his meridians—a stark contrast to the flames that had failed to burn him earlier.

  With slow precision, Li Yan extended his arms, palms facing outward, guiding the Qi forward. "Nightshade Shield," he whispered.

  A faint ripple of energy pulsed outward. The cave darkened slightly as the surrounding shadows stirred. Thin tendrils of darkness rose from the ground, curling and slithering like smoke moving through water.

  At first faint, the wisps gradually thickened, coiling together as they encircled him.

  The shadows condensed into a dome—a swirling, semi-transparent barrier of inky blackness, constantly shifting as if alive.

  Just as the scroll described, the shield was roughly two meters across, large enough to protect him and anyone standing close by.

  Li Yan moved a step forward, and the dome shifted with him, flowing like a second skin. With a sharp breath, he focused his will, tightening the coils of darkness until they spiraled faster, their density increasing.

  He clenched his fists and sent a pulse of Qi into the barrier. The shield rippled in response, the shadows hardening, and for a moment, even the air inside the cave felt heavy.

  It was clear now—this shield could absorb impact, blunt attacks, and possibly withstand elemental strikes.

  But the strain was real. Sweat beaded his forehead. The shield quickly consumed his 10% of Qi, lasting no more than twenty breaths.

  Not for long—not yet—but twenty seconds of survival could mean the difference between life and death. Li Yan exhaled slowly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "It works."

  Li Yan steadied his breathing as he let the dome unravel into mist. His control was still crude. Endurance, precision, reserves—everything needed sharpening. But the foundation was laid.

  "Defense alone won’t win me battles." He touched the cold surface of his storage ring, his fingers brushing against its edge. "Now… It’s time for the offensive technique."

  A scroll shimmered into his grasp, its seal faintly glowing as he unrolled it.

  Nightfall Slash.

  It was exactly what he needed—fast, versatile, and deadly. By channeling Darkness Qi into his weapon, the blade would become shrouded in shadow.

  Upon swinging, it would release a crescent-shaped wave of condensed energy, extending the strike by several meters.

  Not only did it cut physically, but the infused darkness would sap its target's strength and slow it. Against beasts, it could cripple their movements. Against cultivators, it might catch them off guard before they can counter.

  He could already imagine it—slashing from a distance, overwhelming enemies before they came close. More than that, the description hinted at future potential. With refinement, the slash could grow sharper, faster, or even disrupt the opponent’s Qi flow.

  His heart pounded at the possibilities.

  After memorizing every line of the scroll, Li Yan carefully rolled it shut and stored it back into his ring. His expression steadied, but the flicker of excitement in his eyes betrayed him.

  "Time to practice."

  Li Yan moved to the cave’s entrance, where the open space allowed him to swing the sword freely. The sun had risen higher, casting soft beams of light across the rugged terrain outside. Warm light and looming shadows met, a fitting stage for the technique he was about to test.

  With a flick of his wrist, Li Yan summoned his sword. The metal gleamed under the sun, but soon it would be cloaked in darkness. He adjusted his stance—relaxed, yet ready—his breathing steady as the world around him seemed to still.

  Closing his eyes, he sank into deep concentration. Darkness Qi coursed through his meridians, pooling in his arm. The familiar cold sensation gathered at the blade, and the steel began to change.

  A thin film of shadow spread across the weapon—faint at first, but quickly thickening, until the blade pulsed with his Qi. The sword felt heavier, but not in burden. It thrummed like an extension of his own power.

  Li Yan inhaled slowly and raised the weapon high. "Nightfall Slash."

  The words left his lips in a calm yet resolute tone.

  He swung.

  A crescent of pure darkness ripped forward from the blade, cutting through the air with razor speed. The arc of energy stretched several meters before slamming into the stone wall outside the cave.

  THUD!

  The ground trembled lightly. Dust scattered. A jagged scar split across the rock, deep and rough-edged.

  Li Yan’s eyes narrowed, satisfaction flickering in them. "Acceptable."

  Kneeling, he pressed his palm to the fractured stone. The surface still pulsed faintly with residual darkness Qi.

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  As written in the scroll, the energy lingered like venom—weakening, slowing, and sapping vitality from anything it touched. Against enemies, this effect would be as deadly as the slash itself.

  Rising again, Li Yan reset his stance. His gaze sharpened. "Once more."

  This time, he poured more Qi into the weapon. Shadows thickened until the blade seemed forged of living night. The air around it grew heavy, oppressive.

  He swung faster, sharper.

  The crescent wave exploded outward, larger and denser than before. It shot across the open ground, colliding with a massive rock formation.

  CRACK!

  The stone split cleanly in two. Debris rained down, a cloud of dust swirling in the aftermath.

  Li Yan steadied his breathing and lowered his blade. The difference was clear—the Nightfall Slash responded to his Qi directly, growing stronger with each infusion. Already, its range and sharpness had improved, but true mastery required more: control, precision, adaptability in battle.

  Then practice continued…

  By the time he finished, the ground was strewn with broken fragments, and the surrounding walls of the mountain bore dark scars from his training.

  Sweat rolled down his temple, muscles aching, but his heart burned with excitement. In one morning, he had secured both shield and blade—defense and offense, survival and killing edge.

  Still, he wasn’t arrogant; he knew this was just the beginning. These techniques were tools, and their true worth was revealed only in battle.

  He would need to test them against beasts and cultivators alike, pushing his limits until the techniques became instinct.

  Sitting cross-legged in the cave once more, he swallowed his breath and let his Qi recover. "My blade is strong… but if my body can’t keep up, it’s meaningless."

  Rest was necessary. After an hour of meditation, his Qi steadied, and his breathing calmed. Extinguishing the campfire, Li Yan gathered his belongings and slung the sword across his back.

  At the cave’s mouth, sunlight washed over him, casting long shadows across the rocky ground. He looked back once, eyes lingering on the darkened interior where his training had taken root. Then he tightened his grip on the sword’s hilt and stepped forward.

  Challenges awaited him. And he was ready.

  Li Yan moved swiftly through the forest, his senses tuned to every shift in the air. Then, a deep vibration rippled through the ground. He halted, eyes narrowing as he scanned the treeline.

  A massive shadow emerged.

  The creature that lumbered into view was a Gray Terraphant—its colossal frame crushing the undergrowth with every step. Gray skin layered with earthen plates glistened faintly in the sunlight, while tusks as long as spears gleamed like polished stone.

  The beast radiated raw Earth Qi, its sheer presence pressing against the forest around it.

  Li Yan’s lips curved into a faint smirk. "A perfect target."

  He drew his blade—a slender sword, channeling his darkness Qi to make it black as obsidian, shadows curling faintly along its edge. Under the sunlight, it didn’t gleam; it devoured light, as if feeding on the surrounding shadows.

  The Terraphant halted, releasing a low trumpet. Twice the size of a war elephant, its body was a fortress of flesh and stone, Qi-hardened lines glowing faintly across its tusks and shoulders. Its reputation was simple: impenetrable defense.

  Li Yan’s gaze narrowed. "Let’s see how deep Nightfall Slash cuts today."

  The world seemed to pause, and then he moved.

  In a blink, his figure blurred, cutting across the ground with a predator’s speed. Dust spiraled in his wake. The Terraphant reacted with surprising speed, stomping down hard enough to crack the earth before swinging its tusks like scythes. The ground quaked under the force.

  But Li Yan didn’t falter.

  At the last instant, he shifted course, leaping onto a nearby tree trunk. His body coiled and sprang, propelling him above the Terraphant’s massive head. Midair, his voice cut through the forest.

  "Nightfall Slash!"

  The blade descended in a black crescent arc.

  It didn’t clash. It sank.

  The Darkness Qi funneled straight through the Terraphant’s skull, where its earthly plated defenses were weakest, and ruptured the fragile core within.

  The Terraphant released a strangled trumpet. Its towering body stiffened, then toppled like a crumbling cliff.

  THUD!

  The ground shook as it collapsed, dust rose like a wave, leaves shuddering in the air.

  Li Yan landed lightly beside the corpse, blade steady in his hand. His eyes lingered on the fallen beast, his expression calm and detached.

  "High defense means nothing… if you can’t protect your weakness."

  There was no joy in his tone, only cold efficiency.

  "The Qi cost of this technique in battle was higher than I expected with my current cultivation."

  The excitement of fighting had faded long ago; the Tier-1 beasts' deaths were just another step forward.

  He left the huge body where it dropped, its blood seeping into the ground. "The scent will do," he thought.

  It was the same strategy as last night—using carcasses as bait. But this time, there was no fire, only fresh blood. To his satisfaction, it worked.

  Soon, other magical beasts, drawn by the iron tang of blood, crept from the shadows.

  And one by one, Li Yan cut them down.

  The hunt had only just begun.

  Li Yan continued his hunt in the same ruthless rhythm, letting the blood of one fallen beast summon the next.

  His Spiritual Sense also picked up that a few disciples crossed paths, where he was hunting, but seeing him kill Magical Beasts without mercy, they veered away without disturbing him.

  The following day blurred together in blood and exhaustion. When night fell again, the forest burned with the glow of another huge campfire.

  Darkness offered no respite to the creatures that called this place home. His blade never dulled, his movements never slowed. One by one, Tier-1 beasts fell before him, each slain with cold precision.

  Under the moonlight, Li Yan’s sword gleamed darkly as he carved through the endless waves of monsters.

  His every strike was measured, efficient—his stamina pushing its limits.

  When the sun rose on the third day, the forest floor was littered with corpses, and his storage ring brimmed with spoils.

  With recovering his Qi—resting and eating breakfast—Li Yan resumes his hunting.

  By afternoon, Li Yan wiped a streak of sweat from his brow after slaying a Venomfang Tiger.

  Its corpse vanished into his storage ring with a flick of his wrist. He then paused, checking the contents of his ring.

  It was full. More than five hundred Tier-1 beast bodies were packed inside, along with seventy-three beast cores pulsing with faint elemental light.

  A small smile tugged at his lips. The task Yao Fuhuo had given him—gathering a thousand beast cores—had seemed daunting at first. Yet in just three days, he’d secured seventy-three. At this pace, he would easily complete the task before Yao Fuhuo’s next visit.

  He exhaled softly. "I’ve been moving like a blade for three days straight," he murmured. "Do I even remember how to rest anymore?"

  The forest stretched endlessly around him, but for him, the hunt was over for now. "No point in staying. With my storage ring full, returning to the sect is the best choice."

  Turning away, he sheathed his sword and walked toward the teleportation portal. The forest behind him seemed quieter now, subdued—as though the beasts themselves acknowledged the departure of the true predator.