Heavy footsteps thudded across the earth. The male Copper Bone Wolf had returned.
Its claws carved deep furrows in the soil, eyes gleaming with intelligence and fierce bloodlust. In a single bound it arrived before its mate, only to find her writhing in agony, limbs sprawled helplessly, copper fur matted with blood. The scent of the human still lingered thick in the air.
A low whimper escaped the female's throat. She tried to rise, to reach him, but her hind legs had completely given out.
The male's nose twitched. It turned and sniffed the den behind her. Its ears flicked. No sound came from within.
It entered.
An empty nest greeted its eyes.
A tremor coursed through the beast's powerful frame. Its pupils contracted.
It let out a howl, long and piercing, trembling with rage and sorrow. The cry echoed across the entirety of Scarlet Mud Mountain, scattering flocks of startled birds into the sky.
Then it turned back to its mate.
The female let out a soft, pitiful growl, as if trying to explain.
The male did not care.
With a single leap it landed atop her and tore out her throat.
Blood fountained, thick and steaming. Her body convulsed once before falling still.
Copper Bone Wolves were fiercely territorial, but even more fiercely bound to their young. The bond with one's mate held no weight in the face of failure to protect the offspring.
The death of the cubs was unforgivable.
---
Far from the den, Jiang Chen emerged at the foot of Scarlet Mud Mountain. The slope was steep, but his steps were steady. His outer sect robes fluttered slightly in the breeze, stained dark with dried blood. His left forearm was wrapped in coarse cloth, the bleeding had stopped.
He retrieved a spirit stone and held it in his palm. Gentle light seeped into his skin as he refined it on the move.
'A single fight, and I'm already running low on spiritual essence. I need to break through to the sixth layer soon.'
His expression remained calm, but his thoughts ran deep.
'The clone was quite useful. It distracted the male and stalled it just enough. I even made it interfere at the most critical moment. Still…'
His brows drew into a faint furrow.
'Creating a clone drains a large portion of spiritual essence. Making it fight using Heavenly Tiger Fist is a rich expenditure.'
He flexed the wrist of his injured arm. There was some resistance, but it was still manageable.
'Movement… another flaw. The clone cannot move faster than I can. It remains bound to my own physical limits. If I manage to master a proper movement technique, that will change. Or better yet…'
A glint flickered in his eyes.
'If I refine the bone aspect of a swift and powerful beast into myself, perhaps the clone will inherit that as well. Of course, that's just a theory. I'll need to test it.'
The spirit stone in his hand had dulled considerably.
'The greatest flaw, however, is its defense. Too fragile. Even a glancing blow causes it to collapse. Still so long as I manipulate it before total destruction, I can reconstruct it instantly. That alone grants me a strategic edge.' Jiang Chen nodded to himself.
'There are many flaws. But also many merits. As the first refinement of the Flesh Devouring God Scripture, it was a decent start.'
His gaze turned toward the distant Heavenly Tiger Sect.
'Next, I'll focus on the bone aspect.'
Rank One beast bones were abundant, but Jiang Chen had no intention of considering anything below the peak stage.
'Anything weaker isn't worth my effort. My resources are limited. Whatever I refine into myself must be worthy.'
A thoughtful look passed across his face.
'Tiger-type beast bones… would they harmonize with the Heavenly Tiger Fist? If some kind of resonance occurs, how much more raw power could I draw?'
He imagined the Copper Bone Wolf once again. Perhaps next time, he could kill it in a single blow.
'But where to find such a beast? Peak-stage Rank One tigers aren't exactly common. And even if I encounter one… killing it, I'm not too confident either.'
He fell silent as he passed the Jade Heart Monkey King's territory.
The answer would come to him in time.
---
The next morning.
Sunlight washed the outer sect square in golden warmth. Jiang Chen's face remained calm as still water.
He stepped into the mission hall.
His wound had been rebandaged. It would take another few days to fully recover.
Inside, disciples crowded the notice boards, whispering over available tasks.
Jiang Chen walked straight to the counter.
Behind the counter were two familiar faces. Jiang Chen knew them from the day he accused the mission hall of misleading him and Lin Feng.
Wen Liang, the older clerk with graying temples, looked up from his register. His eyes slightly narrowed in recognition. Beside him, his nephew Wen Shan leaned back lazily in his seat, his ever-present smirk twitching.
Jiang Chen stopped before them and placed the mission token and beast sack on the counter.
"Mission one-two-nine."
Wen Liang took the token and read the mission details. "Copper Bone Wolf cubs. Mission rank, Second Order."
He looked up, the lines on his weathered face shifting. "Companion listed: none."
Jiang Chen said nothing. He opened the beast sack, revealing two wolf cub corpses, their copper-sheened fur glinting faintly in the light.
"You're at the fifth layer," Wen Liang muttered. "You went alone on a Second Order mission?"
He placed the token down slowly, gaze sharpening. Though his tone remained calm, it now carried the unmistakable weight of someone who had once walked the killing fields of the outer world.
Even Wen Shan, the younger clerk who had sneered at him last time, could not hide the flicker of surprise in his eyes.
Wen Liang's eyes dropped to the cubs, then moved to Jiang Chen's bandaged forearm.
"You're injured."
He turned to his nephew and said, "Shan'er. The balm."
Wen Shan didn't move immediately. "He's not—"
A kick landed under the counter.
Wen Shan winced, then reached into the drawer and pulled out a small white jar. "Cloud Balm," he muttered, shoving it forward. "One of the costlier ones."
Wen Liang ignored his tone. "Take it. A gift from the mission hall. It'll seal the wound in a day. No scar will be left behind."
Jiang Chen gave a slight nod and accepted the balm. "Thank you."
Wen Liang looked at him a moment longer. "Last time... what happened to your companion was unfortunate. Still, it was the fault of those who gathered the intel, not ours. I hope you don't hold it against us."
Jiang Chen's voice was calm and even. "It's a dangerous world. One can only blame oneself for not being cautious enough. I have no complaints."
Wen Liang nodded with approval. "You're composed. That's rare in one so young. Good."
He turned, counted twenty-five spirit stones, and handed them over. "Reward for Mission one-two-nine."
Jiang Chen accepted the pouch without counting. He gave a polite nod, then turned and left without another word.
Once he was gone, Wen Shan scoffed under his breath. "Hmph. Still acting like some big shot. Who's he trying to impress?"
Wen Liang gave him a long look. "You don't understand how hard it is to earn spirit stones out there."
Wen Shan leaned back, folding his arms. "It's not my fault I got this job."
"No, it's mine," Wen Liang said flatly. "You've never had to camp under rain-soaked cliffs or drag a broken arm through spirit beast nests. Never had to sleep in mud while leeches crawled under your robe. You got this job because of our family's influence. Don't mistake that luck for ability."
Wen Shan's smirk faltered, but he didn't argue.
Wen Liang continued, voice firm, "That boy went alone on a Second Order mission while still at the fifth layer. Do you think that's easy? Cultivators like him are rare. They either die fast or rise far. Don't be foolish enough to make enemies of such people."
Wen Shan didn't respond, though his eyes darkened with thought.
Wen Liang watched him, then sighed. "You still haven't figured it out, have you?"
Wen Shan blinked. "Figured what out?"
Wen Liang looked away from the door. "You just pledged yourself to Elder Sun's son, didn't you? That inner disciple, Sun Jian."
Wen Shan's eyes lit up slightly.
Wen Liang nodded. "Then use your head. Someone like Jiang Chen, if introduced early, might just become an investment. And if your senior brother gains a capable man under him, who do you think he'll thank?"
Wen Shan's smirk returned, this time laced with calculation behind it.
Wen Liang turned away from him, gazing at the door Jiang Chen had left through.
And sighed.