The forest beyond the Azure Cloud Sect was alive with a menacing hum. Leaves rustled as unseen creatures prowled in the mist, and Xu Lan's heart pounded with a mix of fear and anticipation. Clutching the **Eternal Devouring Scripture**, he recalled the instructions and warnings etched into the ancient scroll:
"Only by absorbing the essence of a demon beast can one awaken true power. Beware the blood, for it changes the heart as well as the body."
His breaths were shallow, mist forming around his lips in the early morning chill. The sect's orthodox disciples would never dare step this far — but he was no longer concerned with what the sect thought of him. Trash. Worthless. That label had fueled him for years, and now, every heartbeat was a promise to defy it.
A low, guttural growl split the air. Xu Lan froze, eyes scanning the underbrush. From the shadows, a black-furred, three-eyed wolf emerged, its body rippling with muscle, fangs bared, and eyes glowing crimson in the dim light. Its scent was intoxicating and terrifying — raw, untamed, violent. This was his first trial.
His hands shook as he traced the runes on the scroll. A strange warmth surged through his veins, spreading from his palms to every limb. It was agony and ecstasy intertwined; his meridians, once crippled and blocked, tingled as if crying out for release. Xu Lan swallowed the bile rising in his throat and stepped forward.
The wolf lunged. Time seemed to slow. Every strike, every dodge, every heartbeat felt amplified. Xu Lan dodged a snapping jaw, rolled under a swipe of razor-sharp claws, and countered with a weak but determined strike of his own. Pain shot through his body, blood seeping from shallow cuts, but with each touch of the beast's energy, he felt a thread of vitality weaving into him.
"Absorb… absorb…"he muttered, voice trembling. He extended his hand, letting the scroll's energy guide him. When the wolf charged again, Xu Lan met it head-on, channeling the technique. Pain exploded in his chest as the essence surged into him, and he fell to his knees, vision blurred with the crimson glow of awakening power.
The forest spun around him. His body screamed, muscles straining, meridians burning. Yet beneath the agony was a profound awakening: energy, raw and unrefined, coursed through every limb. Xu Lan gasped, tasting the power as it mingled with the pulse of his own life force.
When the wolf finally collapsed, lifeless, Xu Lan slumped against a tree. His clothes were torn, blood matted across his body, but he had felt it the first true surge of cultivation in his life. The sensation was addictive, intoxicating, and terrifying all at once.
But the essence left its mark. His vision flickered with strange, crimson hues. His senses sharpened unnaturally; the whispers of the forest, the distant screech of birds, even the scent of damp soil — all seemed magnified. Deep inside, something primal had stirred, a shadow that whispered of hunger, strength, and the thrill of battle.
He staggered to his feet, trembling, both from exhaustion and exhilaration. A faint smile spread across his bloodied face.
"So this… is strength," he whispered, voice barely audible. "And I'll have more of it. No matter the cost."
Xu Lan wiped his hands on his robes and looked around. The forest, once threatening, now seemed alive with possibilities. Each shadow could conceal a demon beast, each roar could herald another trial. Pain and danger would be his companions, but power would be his reward.
The sun climbed higher, casting long, golden rays through the mist. Xu Lan's eyes, once dull and hesitant, now gleamed with determination. The path he had chosen was steep, bloody, and unforgiving — but for the first time in his life, he felt unstoppable.
The forest was no longer just a place of fear; it was a proving ground. And Xu Lan, the trash of the sect, was ready to rise.