The Silent Peaks were not only home to disciples.
Deep in the surrounding valleys, spirit beasts roamed—creatures born from qi itself, each fiercer than steel.
On the seventh day after his arrival, Arhaan stood with a group of outer court disciples at the sect's mission hall. Stone walls towered over them, engraved with glowing characters. Each mission pulsed faintly with qi, recording dangers, rewards, and rankings.
Elder Seriya's voice was cold as ever.
"Your first task as outer disciples is simple: enter the Ashfang Woods, retrieve a Moon Orchid, and return alive. Fail… and you'll be forgotten."
The disciples shifted nervously. They all knew Ashfang Woods—dark, filled with beasts that hunted in packs.
Darian smirked, his bandages finally gone. "Looks like I'll get a second chance to break the stray."
Arhaan ignored him, his focus steady. A trial is another chain to break.
---
Into the Woods
The group of disciples moved under moonlight, their robes pale against the trees. Qi lanterns flickered faintly, illuminating claw marks gouged deep into bark.
Whispers filled the air:
"They say wolves with fire in their veins live here."
"Moon Orchids only bloom in places drenched in blood…"
Darian stepped close to Arhaan, voice low and mocking. "Stay behind me, rootless. I don't want to scrape your corpse off my boots."
Arhaan didn't respond. His gaze was fixed on the shadows ahead. The chains within him trembled—warning him.
---
Ambush
A howl split the silence. From the underbrush, a pack of wolves emerged, their fur streaked with ember-like veins, eyes glowing red.
Spirit Beasts — Flamefang Wolves.
The disciples panicked, forming shaky formations. Some tried to unleash their sword qi, others scattered.
One wolf lunged straight for Arhaan.
For an instant, time slowed. He could feel the qi flowing through the beast's veins, pulsing like fire. The chains within him rattled—and then drew in the wolf's aura like a tide.
The beast stumbled mid-leap, its flames sputtering as if suffocated.
Arhaan's fist met its skull.
BOOM.
The wolf collapsed in a heap of shattered bone.
Gasps echoed from the disciples.
"Did he… drain the beast?"
"That's not cultivation—it's devouring!"
---
The Moon Orchid
Hours passed in blood and struggle. The disciples, though shaken, survived thanks to Arhaan's steady strikes.
At last, deep within the woods, they found it—a flower glowing with silver light, blooming atop a blood-soaked stone. The Moon Orchid.
As Arhaan reached for it, the ground trembled.
From the shadows emerged a wolf larger than a horse, its mane blazing like wildfire—the Flamefang Alpha.
Its gaze locked on Arhaan. Unlike the others, this beast's aura resisted the pull of the chains.
It growled, fire dripping from its fangs.
Darian smirked, stepping back. "Go on, rootless. Let's see you die."
Arhaan's eyes burned with determination.
"I told you before…" He clenched his fists, qi chains rattling within.
"I don't run. I end fights."
The wolf roared—and the battle for survival began.