The forest was endless. The deeper Xue Mo walked, the thicker the green wall seemed to grow around him. Branches stretched out like fingers that wove into one another and turned the sky into a cracked ceiling of leaves. Shafts of sunlight pushed through in broken pieces, painting the ground in shifting patterns of light and shadow. The air was damp, heavy with the smell of moss, wet bark, and the faint metallic tang of soil that had been stirred by countless paws and claws.
Everywhere around him, life stirred.
A beetle with a shell as black as iron crawled up the trunk of an old tree, its body shining faintly with a metallic luster. A lizard the length of his arm stretched itself lazily on a flat stone, flicking out its tongue to snatch up a glowing moth that drifted too close. Its jaws crunched loudly in the silence, startling smaller insects that scattered into the undergrowth. Farther ahead, a pair of horned hares darted across the ferns. Their ears twitched at the faintest sound, and their horns glimmered faintly with the traces of qi that even such minor beasts carried. They vanished into the brush like shadows fleeing from fire.
Xue Mo's steps were steady and soundless. His breathing was even, his eyes never still. Every movement in the leaves, every rustle in the grass, every subtle break in the natural hum of the forest drew his attention. He did not hurry. He did not let his gaze linger carelessly. In places like this, it was never the loudest beasts that killed but the ones that moved unseen.
The forest was alive with noise. The constant buzz of insects hummed in the air. Small birds flitted between the branches, some with feathers tipped in faint traces of qi that shimmered under the light. The trees themselves seemed to breathe. Their roots pushed out from the earth in twisting ridges, many so broad that Xue Mo had to climb over them. Some trunks were scarred with claw marks that cut deep into the bark. The patterns were old in some places, fresh in others, reminders that the forest belonged to things stronger than men.
After some time, voices reached him from farther ahead. Low at first, then clearer. Xue Mo slowed his pace and followed the sound until he saw three disciples crouched at the base of a wide tree. They were studying a set of marks carved into its bark.
One of them noticed him first. "You there. Are you on your own?"
Xue Mo stopped a short distance away. "Yes. My name is Lin Feng. Fourth level of Qi Cultivation. I came for the mission." His voice was calm, carrying no edge of pride or weakness.
The tallest of the three, a broad-shouldered youth, straightened and grinned. "Zhou Bin. Fifth level. Try not to wander too far or you might find yourself running back to the sect with your tail between your legs."
The girl beside him leaned on her spear. Her braid swung down her shoulder as she tilted her head at Xue Mo. "Liu Yao. If you want to follow tracks, keep your eyes sharper than his. Zhou Bin thinks every trail belongs to a rabbit."
The last one, a thin disciple with sharp cheekbones, sniffed coldly. "Wu Liang. Do not listen to her. She charges forward without thinking. Last time she nearly stumbled into a pit because she was too eager."
Their voices carried the easy tone of companions who argued often. Liu Yao rolled her eyes and smacked Wu Liang's arm lightly with the shaft of her spear. Zhou Bin laughed, while Wu Liang muttered something under his breath that made the girl scoff.
Xue Mo gave a small nod. "I will keep that in mind."
They turned back to the tree. Zhou Bin traced the grooves with his fingers and frowned. "Too deep for a hare. Could be a wolf, but I do not like the way the marks curve."
Liu Yao jabbed the bark with her spear. "It is a wolf. The depth shows weight, not claws digging for food."
Wu Liang folded his arms. "You are both blind. Look at the way the marks run straight down. This is the work of a mole beast. Their claws slice like this when they dig."
The argument rose, their voices quickening. Zhou Bin laughed at Liu Yao's stubbornness. Wu Liang sneered at both of them. Liu Yao threatened to leave the two of them behind if they could not tell the difference between a mole and a wolf.
Xue Mo listened for a moment, then stepped past them with a small nod of parting. Their chatter faded behind him, replaced again by the rhythm of the forest.
The ground grew softer as he went deeper, and the air thickened with moisture. Vines hung from branches like ropes, forcing him to push them aside. A shallow stream crossed his path, its water clear enough to see fish with faint streaks of qi darting beneath the surface. Small birds burst from a bush when he passed, wings flashing silver in the broken light.
Not far from the stream, he heard movement again. This time it was a group of five disciples gathered near a fallen log. Two of them were examining claw marks while the others stood watch. They noticed him, and one of the older boys gave a nod.
"Another outer disciple. You came alone?"
"Yes," Xue Mo said simply. "Lin Feng. Fourth level."
A girl with short hair tilted her head. "Fourth level and already entering the forest? Bold. I am Meng Qiu. These are Lu Yan, Cai Fen, and the others." She gestured to her companions, who gave brief nods.
Lu Yan smirked. "Bold or foolish. The forest does not care either way."
Cai Fen smiled faintly at that. "Better bold than cowardly. At least he is here."
The group returned to their task, but Meng Qiu offered him a polite smile before turning back to the claw marks. Their voices dropped lower, and he did not linger long. With another nod, he moved on.
The forest opened slightly into a patch where sunlight poured down through a gap in the canopy. Insects buzzed brightly in the light. A cluster of horned hares grazed at the edge of the clearing, their horns faintly glowing as they nibbled on qi-rich plants. Xue Mo paused, watching them. Their ears twitched sharply, and in a blink they scattered into the brush, disappearing into the shadows as though they had never been there.
He continued.
Hours slipped by with steady steps. He crossed a ridge where moss grew thick on the stones, passed beneath trees whose roots rose taller than his waist, and skirted around patches of mushrooms that glowed faintly blue in the dim light. The disciples he met came and went. Some ignored him. Some exchanged brief greetings. One or two asked where he was headed, but he kept his answers short.
Not every voice was kind. At one point he overheard a pair of disciples muttering as he walked by.
"Another weak one wandering out here," one said. "The sect is full of them. Useless mouths eating pills that could go to people who actually matter."
"Let them come," the other replied with a shrug. "The forest will deal with them faster than we ever could."
Xue Mo did not answer. He walked past without breaking stride, his expression unchanged. Words were wind. The forest itself would decide who was weak and who would endure.
As the day stretched on, the atmosphere shifted. The hum of insects lessened. Birds no longer darted above. Even the air felt still, heavy with a silence that pressed against the skin.
Xue Mo slowed. His eyes scanned the trees, tracing the scars in the bark, the faint disturbances in the grass, the subtle shift in the rhythm of life. Something was wrong.
Ahead, the shadows deepened. A low sound rolled through the undergrowth. It was not loud, but it carried weight. A growl, deep and steady, that vibrated faintly in the chest.
From between two trees, a shape emerged.
At first it was only a pair of glowing eyes. Yellow and steady, unblinking. Then the body followed. Black fur rippled over powerful muscles. Plates of hardened hide gleamed faintly where the light struck them, layered over its shoulders and back like natural armor. The creature moved with silent grace, each step sinking into the earth as if the ground itself bent to its weight.
Its head lowered. Saliva dripped from fangs long enough to pierce bone. The growl deepened, rolling across the forest floor until even the leaves seemed to tremble.
Xue Mo stopped.
The Ironhide Wolf stood before him, massive and unyielding, its presence pressing against the air itself. The smaller beasts had fled long ago. The forest was silent, waiting.
The wolf's eyes locked with his. It did not rush forward. It did not snap or snarl wildly. It simply stood, watching, its muscles coiled with quiet strength.
Xue Mo's body stilled as well. His breathing was calm. His eyes never left the beast.
In that silence, the forest held its breath.
And the line between hunter and prey was drawn.