Ling Xiao placed his hand on the cold surface of the crystal orb. For a moment, nothing happened. The hall was silent, eyes boring into his back. Then, a faint, golden light flickered deep within the glass. It was not blinding, but it was steady.
Those crystal orb were almost similar appearance, but they worked differently previously that crystal orb which was used to measure the talent great and now it was only used to measure his cultivation level. Different colors on the crystal indicated different cultivation realms. Brown represented the Body Refinement Stage, gold represented the Qi Refinement Stage, and blue represented the Consciousness Stage. The brightness of the light revealed the cultivator's progress within that stage.
"One-star Qi Refinement Stage?"
"Hahahaha!" The fat receptionist laughed out loud, his belly shaking against the desk. The sound triggered a ripple of chuckles throughout the hall.
"So, this boy really is a cultivator!" The anticipation in the room died instantly. To these hardened mercenaries, a one-star Qi Refinement cultivator was barely stronger then a common soldier. Disappointment washed over the onlookers; they had expected a freakish genius or a complete failure, not something so mediocre.
"So, what do you want, kid?" The fat man wiped a tier of laughter from his eye, his expression turning predatory. "You have two options. First, you can sign a contract for six months. During that time, the Hall will provide you with basic necessities. In exchange, you give us forty percent of your loot earnings. But be warned: if you betray us or try to break the contract before the time is up, we have the legal permission to hunt you down and kill you."
The fat man smiled coldly, revealing yellowed teeth. It was a slave contract in all but name, designed to trap desperate rookies.
"Then what is the second option?" Ling Xiao asked, his face impassive.
"The second option," the fat man drummed his fingers on the wood, "is that you pay a registration fee of 100 silver coins, plus another 50 coins as a security deposit to join a guild. In this case, you only provide twenty percent of your benefits to the Hall. After you complete ten missions, you can take your 50 coins back."
To the commoners in the hall, 150 silver coins—enough to feed a family for one year. The fat man expected the boy to beg for the first option.
It was out of the question for Ling Xiao to think twice. He didn't even blink. With a wave of his hand over his storage ring, a heavy bag thudded onto the desk.
"One hundred and fifty silver coins. Count it."
The fat man froze. The cold smile vanished, replaced by confusion and greed. He hastily opened the bag, the glimmer of silver reflecting in his greedy eyes. 'Hmm, he obeyed so easily,' the fat man thought, his mind racing. 'I should have asked for more. This kid is a fat sheep.'
But with so many witnesses, he couldn't change the price now. He grunted, stamping a piece of parchment. "Done. Here is your badge."
"What next?" Ling Xiao asked, pinning the bronze badge to his chest.
"Now you choose a team yourself. If you want my suggestion?" The fat man waved his hand dismissively toward the raised wooden platform at the center of the hall. "Go to the stage and introduce yourself. If someone wants a burden, they'll pick you up."
Ling Xiao hesitated. In just one day, he had experienced more of the harsh reality of the world then in his entire life in the palace. Swallowing his nervousness, he walked up the stairs. The wood creaked under his feet. He looked out at the sea of scarred faces, heavy weapons, and cold eyes.
He took a deep breath.
"I am Ying Xiao. I am thirteen years old. Cultivation: One-star Qi Refinement Stage. I am looking for a team to join for a hunting mission."
Silence fall for few seconds. Then, the murmurs started.
"Thirteen? He hasn't even weaned off milk yet."
"Hey, kid!" A young woman with the appearance of a tough warrior shouted from a nearby table, slamming her tankard down. "We are going to hunt beasts, not to babysit you! Go home and play with your wooden swords!"
"Hahaha! Maybe he thinks the beasts will die of cuteness?" A wild laughter made the hall chaotic. Shame burned Ling Xiao's ears. He felt small, foolish.
As Ling Xiao walked down the steps, disappointed and ready to leave, a deep, booming voice cut through the noise.
"Hey, Little Brother! We meet again!"
Ling Xiao stopped. He turned around to see three figures approaching him. His eyes widened slightly. It was that men from the Wang Treasure Hall.
Leading them was the bulky man, the one who had punched the saber. Flanking him were the ordinary-looking man who had argued about the price, and a woman Ling Xiao hadn't noticed before.
"Let me introduce myself properly," the bulky man grinned, extending a hand that looked like a bear's paw. "People call me Lone Bear. I'm the leader of our squad."
He pointed to the short-haired man on his left. "This is Chen Wei. He's our strategist and handles the... financial negotiations."
Chen Wei offered a curt nod, his eyes sharp and calculating as he looked Ling Xiao up and down. He still carried the saber he had bought earlier.
"And she," Lone Bear pointed to the woman on his right, "is Lin Rou."
Lin Rou was tall, wearing a tight-fitting leather jacket and trousers that allowed for maximum movement. Her ink-black hair was tied in a high ponytail, and two curved daggers hung at her waist. She didn't smile, her expression cool and indifferent.
"Brother Xiao, we are going on a mission to the outskirts of the Jungle," Lone Bear said, his voice loud enough to silence the nearby tables. "We need a fourth to watch our flank. Do you want to join us?"
"Hey, Bear!" a mercenary from a nearby table jeered. "Has your 'Iron Squad' fallen so low that you have to take a kid? Are you that desperate for coins?"
Lone Bear didn't even look at the heckler. He just stared at Ling Xiao, waiting.
Ling Xiao hesitated. His first impression of them at the shop hadn't been great—they had seemed rude and aggressive. But he looked around the hall. Everyone else looked at him with mockery or disdain. These were the only people offering him a chance.
"I... I accept," Ling Xiao said, his voice firming up. "But I have conditions. I am not just a porter. I want to fight."
Chen Wei let out a short, dry chuckle. "Kid, if a beast charges you, you'll be fighting for your life whether you want to or not. Just don't freeze up."
"Welcome to the team," Lone Bear slapped Ling Xiao on the back, nearly knocking the breath out of him. "Let's move. Daylight is burning."
The heavy iron gates of Lingyuan City slammed shut behind them with a resounding boom, sealing off the safety of civilization. The transition was abrupt. The noise of the merchants and the smell of cooked food were instantly replaced by the humid, earthy scent of the wilderness.The road ahead was a dirt path, winding toward the massive, dark canopy of the Jungle in the distance.
They walked in formation. Lone Bear took the lead, his massive frame blocking the wind. Lin Rou moved silently on the left, and Chen Wei walked on the right. Ling Xiao was placed in the center.
"So," Chen Wei broke the silence after they had walked for a few miles. He didn't look back, his hand resting casually on his saber hilt. "Ying Xiao. You are quite rich ?"
Ling Xiao tensed. He knew this question was coming. He had prepared an answer during the walk.
"My father was a businessman in the Tianming City," Ling Xiao lied, keeping his voice steady. "We were traveling to the Central Capital to expand his trade. But... we were ambushed by bandits."
He lowered his head, letting a hint of sadness creep into his voice—which wasn't entirely fake, as he thought of his missing mother. "My parents, the guards... everyone died. I was the only one who managed to hide. That gold coin and this ring are the only things I have left of my family inheritance."
Chen Wei glanced back, his eyes narrowing as if trying to dissect the story.
"A tragic tale," Chen Wei said neutrally. "Common enough in these times."
Lone Bear, walking in the front, didn't say a word. However, internally, he scoffed. 'Businessman's son? Bullshit.' He had seen many merchants' sons; they were soft, yes, but they carried a frantic, desperate fear. Ling Xiao was nervous, but his posture was upright, his walk disciplined. 'That boy has been trained since birth. And his skin is too fair, too refined to be from a merchant clan who travels the roads. He is a Young Master from a cultivation clan running away from home. But... as long as he doesn't bring trouble to us, It does not matter.'
"We are approaching the danger zone," Lin Rou's raspy voice cut through the thoughts. "Stay sharp."
As they stepped under the canopy of the Jungle, the sunlight vanished. The trees here were denser, their branches weaving together to form a ceiling that blocked out the sky. The air was thick and damp, smelling of rotting leaves and dried soil.
"Our target is the Iron-Bristle Boar," Lone Bear whispered, his voice dropping to a low rumble. "They are tough, but their tusks sell for good silver. However, keep your eyes open. We aren't the only hunters here."
Ling Xiao gripped the hilt of his sword. His palms were sweating. This wasn't the Imperial Training Ground. There were no guards to stop the fight if he got hurt. This was real.
Suddenly, Lin Rou froze. She raised a hand, signaling a halt.
Sniff.
"Not boars," she whispered, her body crouching low like a coiled spring.
"The smell... it's metallic. Blood."
Rustle.
From the dense fern bushes to their right, five pairs of glowing red eyes appeared.
"Ambush!" Lone Bear roared.
Shadows burst from the bushes. They weren't boars. They were Blood-Mane Wolves. Each one was the size of a pony, with fur the color of dried blood and teeth that dripped with toxic saliva.
"Dammit! A pack!" Chen Wei cursed, drawing his saber in a blur of motion.
The Alpha wolf, larger then the rest, lunged straight for Lone Bear.
"Hah!" Lone Bear didn't dodge. He stomped his foot, and a visible wave of energy exploded from his body.
BOOM!
A faint, transparent barrier formed over his skin—the signature of a Conscious Stage cultivator. He was at the 2-star Conscious Stage, allowing him to project his Qi externally for forming barrier. He swung his massive mace. The weapon collided with the Alpha wolf's skull with a sickening crunch, sending the beast flying back.
"Protect the flanks!" Chen Wei shouted. His saber glowed with a sharp, white light. He was a 1-star Conscious Stage cultivator. He couldn't form as tough as barrier like Lone Bear, but he could coat his weapon in deadly Qi. He slashed horizontally, cutting a leaping wolf in half mid-air.
"Ying Xiao! Two on the right! Don't let them encircle us!"
Ling Xiao's heart hammered against his ribs. Two wolves had separated from the pack and were circling him, their eyes locked on his throat. They sensed he was the weakest prey.
'Calm down. Calm down!' Ling Xiao screamed internally.
One wolf lunged.
It was fast—much faster then the training dummies. Ling Xiao's breath hitched. He instinctively channeled his Qi.
Drifting Leaf Step!
His body became weightless. He slid to the left, the wolf's jaws snapping shut on empty air inches from his ear. The smell of the beast's rotten breath filled his nose, making him gag.
The second wolf didn't wait. It attacked his legs.
Ling Xiao gritted his teeth. 'I am the Prince! I cannot die here!'
He drew his sword.
Clang!
The sound of the sword leaving the sheath was crisp and melodious, echoing like a dragon's cry. The blade shimmered with a cold, superior light, far brighter then the steel weapons the mercenaries used.
Chen Wei, who was busy parrying another wolf, glanced over from the corner of his eye. He almost missed a step. 'That sword... the metal has natural grain patterns. That's a Spirit-grade weapon! Even a small city Lord wouldn't have such a treasure. He really is a runaway Young Master from a major clan.' But Chen Wei said nothing. He just refocused on his fight.
Ling Xiao didn't notice the stare. He was focused on survival. He recalled General Leo's teachings. 'Flow like water, strike like a mountain.'
He poured his 1-star Qi Refinement energy into the blade.
"Raging Blade!"
He slashed downward. The sword cut through the air with a whistling sound. It struck the second wolf's neck.
There was no resistance. The Spirit-grade sword, combined with his desperate strength, sliced through the tough hide and bone like it was cutting tofu.
Blood sprayed onto Ling Xiao's face. It was hot and sticky.
The wolf collapsed, twitching.
Ling Xiao stood there, panting heavily, his hand trembling. He had killed it. He looked at the carcass, feeling a mix of nausea and thrill.
"Behind you!" Lin Rou's voice was sharp.
The first wolf had recovered and was pouncing at Ling Xiao's exposed back.
Thwack!
A dagger flew through the air, embedding itself deep into the wolf's eye. The beast yelped and crashed to the ground, dead instantly.
Lin Rou appeared from the shadows, retrieving her dagger. She was only at the 5-star Qi Refinement Stage, weaker then the two men in raw power, but her speed and precision were terrifying. She wiped the blade on the wolf's fur, her face expressionless.
"Check your surroundings. Never tunnel vision on one kill," she lectured coldly.
Ling Xiao nodded, wiping the blood from his eyes. "Thank you, Sister Lin."
The battle was over in less then a minute. Five wolves lay dead.
Lone Bear walked over, kicking the Alpha wolf to ensure it was dead. He looked at Ling Xiao, then at the fine sword in the boy's hand, and finally at the dead wolf.
'He has good gear and good foundation,' Lone Bear thought. 'He was nervous, shaking like a leaf, but he didn't run. He stood his ground.'
"Not bad, kid," Lone Bear grunted aloud. "For a first timer, you didn't piss your pants. That's better then most."
"These are Blood-Mane Wolves," Chen Wei said, crouching down to inspect the bodies. "Their pelts are damaged, and their meat is sour. Worthless trash."
"It is just lowest tier beasts comparable to a ordinary Qi Refinement Stage cultivator, good for warmup." Lone Bear said, shouldering his mace. He looked deeper into the darkening forest. "The Iron-Bristle Boars are territorial. If these wolves were here, it means the Boars are further in."
"Pack up. We move deeper," Lone Bear commanded.
Ling Xiao sheathed his sword. His heart was still racing, but the initial paralyzing fear was gone, replaced by a grim determination. He had survived his first encounter.
He followed the team into the shadows, stepping over the wolf corpses. The real hunt was just beginning.