The sun had barely risen over the mist-shrouded mountains when Xu Lan stretched his limbs, feeling the lingering power of the beast essence still coursing through his veins. Every muscle, every tendon, throbbed with a sharp awareness he had never known before. The previous weeks of training—meditation, physical conditioning, and qi circulation—had strengthened him, but now it was time to see whether theory matched reality.
"Today, I test myself," he murmured, eyes scanning the dense forest ahead. The trees swayed gently, yet the air was thick with tension, as if the forest itself held its breath. Xu Lan could smell the faint tang of wild beasts and hear the subtle rustle of hidden movements.
He lowered himself into a meditation stance in a small clearing, focusing on the flow of qi within his body. The golden essence of the beasts he had absorbed shimmered faintly beneath his skin, pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat. It was as if the forest itself acknowledged his presence, waiting to challenge him.
A sudden rustle from the bushes snapped him out of meditation. The sound was deliberate, controlled, predatory. Xu Lan's instincts screamed. The underbrush parted, and a Dire Wolf emerged. Its eyes glowed with an intelligent ferocity, fangs glinting in the dawn light. The wolf's fur bristled, its massive paws leaving deep impressions in the soil.
Xu Lan's first thought was to flee. Survival instinct had drilled that lesson into him countless times. But he remembered the words of the forbidden scroll: "Strength is earned in confrontation, not in avoidance." He squared his shoulders, feeling the beast essence within him surge.
The wolf lunged. Xu Lan's body reacted before his mind could catch up. He sidestepped with a grace that surprised him, feeling the rush of air as the wolf's jaws snapped where his torso had been moments before. Channeling the beast essence, he infused his fist with a golden glow and struck the wolf's flank. The creature yelped in surprise, momentarily off-balance.
But the wolf was far from defeated. It circled him with fluid, calculated movements, eyes never leaving Xu Lan. Each step it took was a question, a test, a challenge. Xu Lan realized then that brute force alone would not win. He had to flow with the wolf, anticipate, adapt.
The next exchange was a dance of speed and precision. Xu Lan dodged, weaved, and countered, letting the golden essence amplify his strength. Each strike he landed did not merely wound the wolf—it drew its energy into him. He felt the power of the creature integrating into his qi, strengthening his muscles, sharpening his reflexes, heightening his awareness.
Minutes passed like seconds. Xu Lan's movements became instinctive, a perfect balance of offense and defense. The wolf, sensing its energy being siphoned, lunged one final time with a desperate roar. Xu Lan caught its momentum, twisting it aside, and struck the beast's chest. The golden essence flared, the wolf collapsing, drained of strength yet alive.
Xu Lan exhaled, chest heaving. His first real battle had ended in victory. But victory was hollow without understanding. He knelt beside the beast, closing his eyes to feel its energy one last time before it would return to the forest. A wave of connection washed over him—he had not just defeated the wolf, he had learned from it.
A sudden, cold wind swept through the clearing, rustling the trees and scattering leaves like golden sparks. Xu Lan's hair stood on end. In the distance, the earth trembled. The forest seemed to grow still, ominously quiet. Something much larger was coming, something that dwarfed even the Dire Wolf he had just faced.
Xu Lan's pulse quickened. Fear gripped him for a fleeting moment—but excitement followed immediately. This was the test he had sought, the trial that would force him to transcend his limits. He clenched his fists, the golden aura of beast essence flaring around him.
"Show yourself," he whispered, his voice steady despite the anticipation. "Let's see how strong I really am."
From the shadowed treeline, a massive silhouette emerged. Its eyes glowed like molten gold, muscles rippling beneath its thick, armored hide. Xu Lan felt an ancient, primal power radiating from it—a predator that had hunted these mountains long before he was born.
He tightened his stance, lowering his center of gravity, and began to channel the golden essence through his entire body. His limbs pulsed with energy, his senses stretched to their limits. The first true trial of his journey had begun.
The beast roared, shaking the ground beneath Xu Lan's feet. And with a fierce cry of determination, Xu Lan charged forward, meeting the monster head-on.
This was no longer practice. This was survival. This was growth.
And Xu Lan would not fail.