The morning sun, a cheerful golden disc, peeked over the horizon, painting the sky in soft hues of pink and orange.
I stirred, my eyes fluttering open. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine. My stomach, however, was staging a full-blown rebellion. It growled, a deep, rumbling sound that could rival a hungry beast.
"Ugh," I mumbled, sitting up. "I'm starving. I could eat a whole roasted boar right now."
Ling, already awake and meticulously packing her meager belongings, chuckled softly. "We're a long way from a roasted boar, Wu Zhen. But I did see some apple trees a little ways back, near the path."
My eyes lit up. Apples! Not quite a boar, but a definite improvement over dried bread. "Lead the way, Ling! My stomach thinks my throat has been cut."
We quickly packed up our camp, dousing the fire until only embers remained. Then, guided by Ling's keen eyes, we found the apple trees.
They weren't the plump, perfect apples from a market, but small, wild ones, slightly tart but incredibly juicy. We ate until our bellies felt a little less empty, the sweet-sour taste a welcome treat after the dry rations.
"Alright," I said, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, feeling much better. "Time to face the music. Or, you know, the forest."
Ling nodded, her expression serious. The forest loomed before us, a wall of ancient, towering trees, their branches intertwined like gnarled fingers.
Even in the morning light, it looked dark and mysterious, filled with hidden secrets and potential dangers.
We stepped off the dusty path and into the woods. The air immediately grew cooler, the sunlight dappled and scarce.
The sounds of the outside world faded, replaced by the rustle of leaves underfoot, the chirping of unseen birds, and the distant hum of insects. It was beautiful, in a wild, untamed way, but also… unsettling. Every shadow seemed to hold a lurking presence.
We walked in silence for a while, my senses on high alert. My Skin Tempering cultivation made me feel more aware, more attuned to my surroundings.
I could hear the faint scurry of small creatures, the subtle creak of branches, the whisper of the wind through the leaves. Ling, despite her recent breakthrough, seemed equally focused, her eyes constantly scanning the undergrowth.
Then, it happened. A low growl, deep and guttural, that vibrated through the very ground beneath our feet. It wasn't a squirrel. It wasn't a rabbit.
My blood ran cold. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. I knew that sound. I'd heard stories.
"Did you hear that?" Ling whispered, her voice barely audible, her hand instinctively going to the small, wooden practice sword she carried.
Before I could answer, another sound ripped through the air.
A thunderous ROOOOAR! that shook the leaves on the trees and sent a flock of startled birds screaming into the sky.
And then, through the dense foliage, we saw it. A massive, shaggy form, its eyes glinting with predatory hunger. A bear. Not just any bear, but a Spirit Bear, its fur matted with forest debris, its claws long and sharp, radiating a faint, wild spiritual energy.
It was easily twice my height, and looked like it could snap a tree trunk with a single swipe.
My mind screamed. Run! Every instinct, every fiber of my being, urged me to turn tail and flee. This wasn't a rabbit. This wasn't a training dummy. This was a real, terrifying beast.
But then I looked at Ling. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with fear, but she hadn't moved. She was frozen, gripping her sword, her small body trembling. If I ran, she wouldn't make it. She was a new cultivator, and this bear was far beyond her.
A surge of protective instinct, stronger than my fear, washed over me. I remembered Mama's tearful goodbye, Papa's proud but worried eyes, the innocent faces of Mei and Kai. I had promised to be strong. I had promised to protect.
"Ling! Run!" I yelled, my voice cracking slightly, but firm. "Go! Get out of here! I'll… I'll distract it!"
Her eyes snapped to mine, filled with a desperate plea. "No, Wu Zhen! I can't leave you!"
"Go!" I roared, pushing her with my free hand. "Now! I'll be right behind you!"
The bear, sensing our fear, let out another earth-shaking roar and charged. Its massive paws thudded against the forest floor, shaking the very ground. It was surprisingly fast, a blur of brown fur and raw power.
There was no time to think. Only to act. My hand instinctively went to the wooden sword Papa had given me. It felt surprisingly light, almost an extension of my arm.
I channeled the spiritual energy from my Skin Tempering into my sword arm, focusing it, making my muscles taut and ready.
The bear was on me in a heartbeat. Its claws, each like a dagger, swiped towards my head.
I dodged, a sudden burst of speed from my legs propelling me to the side. The claws whistled past my ear, tearing through the air where my head had been a moment before. A cold sweat broke out on my brow. That was close. Too close.
The bear spun, its eyes locked on me. It was relentless. It lunged again, its jaws wide, revealing rows of terrifying teeth.
I parried, bringing my wooden sword up to block.
CRACK!
The impact sent a jarring shockwave up my arm, making my teeth rattle. The wooden sword held, miraculously, but I was thrown back, stumbling. My arm screamed in protest, a dull ache spreading through my shoulder. This was a ruthless fight.
I scrambled back, trying to regain my footing.
The bear was already coming at me again, a relentless, terrifying force. I dodged, weaved, and parried, using every lesson Papa had taught me. My Skin Tempering allowed me to move with incredible agility, to absorb some of the shocks, but the bear's power was overwhelming.
I tried to find an opening, a weakness. I lunged forward, aiming for its leg, but the bear was too fast, too strong. It swatted me aside like a fly. I hit a tree trunk with a sickening thud, the air knocked out of my lungs. Pain flared in my back.
This was it. I was going to die. A basic accountant, reborn into a cultivation world, only to be eaten by a bear at eleven years old. What a pathetic end.
The bear lumbered towards me, its massive head lowered, a growl rumbling in its chest. I pushed myself up, my body screaming in protest, my wooden sword feeling impossibly heavy.
My vision swam. I could feel blood trickling from a cut on my forehead, stinging my eyes.
I raised my sword, a desperate, last-ditch effort. I was about to charge, to throw myself at it, when a flash of movement caught my eye.
Ling. She hadn't run.
She was there, her face pale but resolute, her small wooden sword held in both hands. She was breathing hard, spiritual energy faintly swirling around her, a testament to her new Skin Tempering. She looked terrified, but her eyes held a fierce, unyielding determination.
The bear, focused on me, didn't notice her. It was about to deliver a final, crushing blow.
"HAAAAAAH!" Ling let out a surprisingly loud, high-pitched battle cry, and with a desperate surge of courage, she lunged.
She didn't aim for the head, or the body. With a precision that belied her inexperience, she thrust her small wooden sword with all her might, aiming for a tiny, vulnerable spot on the bear's flank, just behind its massive shoulder. It was a spot I wouldn't have even thought of.
THWACK!
The sound was dull, yet sickening. The bear froze mid-lunge. Its roar died in its throat, replaced by a choked gurgle. Its massive body stiffened, then slowly, agonizingly, began to topple.
It hit the ground with a colossal crash that shook the entire clearing, sending leaves and dust scattering. Its limbs twitched once, twice, then went still. Its eyes, once filled with predatory hunger, were now glazed over, lifeless.
The Spirit Bear was dead.
Ling stood there, her wooden sword still extended, her chest heaving, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief. She looked at the fallen beast, then at her sword, then at me.
I stared at the dead bear, then at Ling. She had done it. She had saved me. My new cultivator friend, who had just broken through to Skin Tempering a few weeks ago, had just taken down a Spirit Bear.
My mind, still reeling from the fight, tried to process it. How? How could she have done that? It was a powerful beast, far beyond the capabilities of a new cultivator.
Ling slowly lowered her sword, her legs trembling. She looked at me, a mixture of fear and triumph in her eyes.
"Wu Zhen," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Are you… are you okay?"
I just stared at her, then at the massive, lifeless form of the bear.