The Dark Abyss was located in the southern region of the Northern Spiritual Realm, about a two-day journey from the Liu Domain. Because it was considered the most dangerous zone in the Northern Spiritual Realm, it was regarded by many as a forbidden land few would dare enter except for desperate adventurers with no regard for their lives.
Under rapid travel, the Liu Domain's group arrived at the outer perimeter of the Dark Abyss in just a day and a half.
Standing atop a low hill, Liu Bai gazed down upon the endless stretch of primordial forest below.
A grayish miasma of Death Fog hovered in the air above the pitch-black forest. This fog was extremely toxic even experts at the Spiritual Wheel Realm dared not let it enter their bodies lightly.
Even at a distance, Liu Bai could already feel the thick death aura and a nauseating stench wafting out from the depths of the Dark Abyss. Compared to the vast plains of the Nine Regions of the Northern Spiritual Realm, this place was unimaginably more dangerous. No wonder it had become a forbidden ground that everyone feared to tread.
At that moment, Second Uncle Liu Zong approached, handing Liu Bai a small jade bottle. Inside was a crimson-red pill.
"This is a Detox Pill. Take it. It may not neutralize highly concentrated poisons, but it should offer some resistance against the Death Fog."
This was also one of the main reasons why the Dark Abyss remained so rarely explored.
After all, the Death Fog was impossible to guard against entirely, and Detox Pills like this were prohibitively expensive one pill could cost tens of thousands of spiritual coins. Ordinary people simply couldn't afford them.
The group from the Liu Domain wasn't large. Aside from Liu Bai, his Second Uncle Liu Zong, and his grandfather Liu Jingshan, only five experts at the Spiritual Wheel Realm accompanied them as protection.
These weren't ordinary guards but high-ranking city lords or commanders from within the Liu Domain, dispatched to ensure the safety of the three. Of course, their true priority was protecting Liu Bai, the weakest of the three.
"The dangers of the Dark Abyss should be clear to all of you. Once we enter, stay on high alert."
"We move out!"
Seeing that everyone was prepared, Liu Jingshan waved his hand and gave the command.
Eight people in total. The group was small but made up entirely of experts, and so they advanced without a sound an important advantage in the treacherous depths of a primeval forest.
As they slowly moved through the dark woods, their feet sank into layers of fallen leaves and withered branches accumulated over who knows how many years sometimes even burying their ankles.
Countless poisonous insects and venomous ants scuttled out from the litter, quickly vanishing from sight.
But these were merely mundane pests, no more dangerous than common beasts. They posed no threat to cultivators.
For this expedition, Liu Bai had been well-prepared by Liu Qingtian. For instance, the Refined Steel Armor he wore though not a spiritual artifact covered most of his vital areas and provided excellent protection against low-grade spiritual beasts.
After all, Liu Bai's cultivation was still too weak. He couldn't afford to expend spiritual energy constantly for defense his reserves wouldn't last.
Before long, the scout at the front signaled the group to halt. Under his guidance, Liu Bai spotted a creature perched on a giant tree about fifty meters ahead it looked like a small leopard, quietly lying in ambush.
"A Tiger-Striped Cat. A common low-rank spirit beast in the forest. Small in size, not particularly aggressive, but very fast. Especially in the forest, it's nearly impossible to catch."
Liu Zong whispered beside Liu Bai.
The meaning behind Second Uncle's words was obvious. Though this spirit beast posed no threat, it was difficult to kill.
Liu Zong knew exactly why his nephew had come on this trip, so he took the opportunity to explain that such prey wasn't worth the effort.
Liu Bai didn't mind.
He understood very well that beasts like this, which specialized in escape, were a waste of time to hunt.
Grinding mobs, after all, required targets that were easy to kill and yielded good EXP.
The group continued forward.
As they went deeper into the forest, more spirit beasts appeared. However, even low-rank spirit beasts possessed high spiritual awareness. After sensing that this group of humans was no easy target, most of them quickly fled into the forest.
This left Liu Bai rather disappointed. While having strong experts nearby ensured his safety, it severely hindered his kill efficiency.
Fortunately, a real opportunity soon presented itself.
"That's a Nether Wolf! Be careful they're pack hunters. Watch the surroundings for a pack!"
The moment Liu Zong spotted the Nether Wolf, he issued a warning.
The five Spiritual Wheel Realm experts accompanying them instantly leaped onto nearby tree branches, scouring the area.
After a thorough search, they confirmed there were no other wolves nearby.
"A lone wolf, huh…"
Liu Zong's expression turned serious.
Wolf packs were dangerous, but lone wolves were often even more ferocious especially those that had survived alone in the wild.
"Second Uncle, leave this one to me!" Liu Bai's eyes narrowed with determination.
"What?" Liu Zong was startled.
"Bai'er, for a lone Nether Wolf to survive in this forest means it's far more savage than a typical specimen. Even cultivators at the later stage of the Spiritual Movement Realm would find it dangerous. Don't act recklessly."
"Don't worry, Second Uncle. I know what I'm doing." Liu Bai, however, was firm in his resolve and had no intention of backing down.
Liu Zong was helpless. He turned to his father, only to see Liu Jingshan give a faint nod.
Seeing this, a smile flashed across Liu Bai's face. His eyes sharpened like twin blades, locking onto the lone Nether Wolf.
Perhaps sensing the killing intent in Liu Bai's gaze, the Nether Wolf took half a step back.
What puzzled Liu Bai was that it didn't immediately turn and flee. Could it really be thinking of treating them as prey?
Liu Bai's eyes gleamed coldly. He stomped hard on the ground and shot forward like a hunting leopard. Crimson spiritual energy surged around both fists, infused with explosive flame attributes, as he smashed directly toward the wolf's skull.
Awoo!
A sharp howl echoed through the forest. The Nether Wolf twisted its body mid-air and narrowly dodged the attack. Then, with a sudden flex of its spine, it pounced at Liu Bai's nape from an impossible angle.
"Good beast!"
Liu Bai's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected the wolf to be this fast and so agile.
But his initial attack had only been a probe. He hadn't even used any spiritual arts yet, so he wasn't caught off guard.
Flames burst at his feet fiery spiritual energy enveloped his soles. With a surge of violent energy, Liu Bai's body shot ten meters away like a cannonball.
This was Blaze Step, a Low Level Spirit-Grade movement art. Even at the entry level, it had drastically increased Liu Bai's speed, allowing him to easily evade the wolf's vicious counterattack.
"Huh? That's Blaze Step? When did that brat learn such a movement art?" Liu Zong's eyes flashed with surprise. This truly caught him off guard.
However, just that alone wasn't enough to kill the Nether Wolf.
Liu Jingshan silently nodded to himself. In truth, he had long noticed that his eldest grandson had already reached the middle Phase of the Spiritual Movement Realm…
Even though this deeply shocked him after all, Liu Bai had only obtained his cultivation method three days ago.
If Liu Bai had merely stabilized his cultivation at the initial phase of the Spiritual Movement Realm within three days, Liu Jingshan wouldn't be surprised. He had seen such geniuses before.
But to not only comprehend a cultivation method but also break through directly to the mid-phase of the Spiritual Movement Realm within just three days this defied belief, even for those born in the Northern Spiritual Realm.
There was only one possible explanation: his grandson was a peerless prodigy, a once-in-a-century talent. Otherwise, there was no way to explain how his cultivation and even his mastery of spiritual arts could improve so rapidly.
With that thought, waves of astonishment surged beneath Liu Jingshan's calm expression.
Could it be… that the Liu Clan was about to give rise to a true monster?
If so, then they were truly blessed by the heavens.
Meanwhile, in the distance, Liu Bai had already exchanged a dozen rounds with the Nether Wolf. His body was already wounded a deep scratch left by the wolf's razor-sharp claws had torn across his back.
If not for the protection of his armor, his flesh would've likely been torn open.
As for the Nether Wolf, it hadn't fared much better. Two bloody wounds had been pierced into its body by Liu Bai's Wind-Piercing Finger, and streams of blood now trickled from them.
The previously pitch-black Nether Wolf was now stained with red.
Smelling the rising stench of blood in the air, Liu Jingshan frowned.
In a place like this, the scent of blood could attract other predators. If they weren't careful, they might soon find themselves surrounded by a beast horde. Even with his Divine Soul Realm strength, Liu Jingshan might be forced to flee. They couldn't afford to linger.
"Bai'er, finish it quickly!"
From the very beginning, Liu Jingshan had noticed that the lone wolf, despite its savagery, was in poor condition not only starving but also carrying several old wounds. It had clearly fought with other predators before and lost.
That was why he had dared to let Liu Bai, in his first real battle, face it alone.
Upon hearing his grandfather's order, Liu Bai merely nodded silently. His gaze, now fixed on the Nether Wolf, burned with tangible killing intent.
Sensing that gaze, the Nether Wolf showed signs of fear. And because of excessive blood loss, its already frail body began to sway it was growing dizzy.
Without any warning, the Nether Wolf suddenly turned and tried to flee.
But just as it pivoted, it caught sight of a blur appearing on its left flank. A heavy blow smashed into its waist.
Wolves were known for their iron heads and copper foreheads, but tofu waists. A solid strike to the waist instantly disabled the Nether Wolf. Before it could even let out a cry of agony, a pair of sword-shaped fingers pierced through its throat like real blades.
Ding! You have slain a low-grade spiritual beast: Nether Wolf. Gained 100 EXP. Beast Soul Point 1.
The corner of Liu Bai's mouth curved into a smile. As expected, this Nether Wolf wasn't weak it actually granted him 100 experience points.
However, while the battle hadn't lasted long, it had consumed a significant amount of spiritual energy. Liu Bai discovered that only about one-third of his spiritual energy remained.
It seemed his cultivation level was still too low his spiritual reserves were lacking. Even if he mastered higher-level spiritual arts, he might not be able to cast them effectively due to limited energy.
It also reaffirmed that he had made the right decision in not hastily cultivating the High Level Spirit-Grade Great Sun Burning Sea Palm.
Seeing that Liu Bai had really killed the Nether Wolf, Liu Zong and the others were stunned. Nonetheless, they quickly cleaned up the battlefield and departed in haste.
As for the Nether Wolf's corpse and its Spirit Core, they were naturally stored away it could fetch quite a few spiritual coins.
After traversing several kilometers, Liu Jingshan ordered the team to stop. He found a safe spot for the group to rest temporarily.
He himself ventured into the surroundings to scout for traces of high-grade spiritual beasts.
Taking the opportunity, Liu Bai immediately sat cross-legged to restore his spiritual energy.
The previous battle had also brought him many insights and a deeper understanding of his current strength.
It was only through repeated combat that he could adapt to real-life fighting and gradually unlock his full potential.
After about a dozen minutes, Liu Bai's spiritual energy returned to full capacity. His body once again brimmed with strength.
He opened his Status Panel:
---
Player: Liu Bai
Realm: Mid-Phase Spiritual Movement Realm
Spiritual Pulse: None
Cultivation Method: Blazing Sun Art (Layer 2: 0/400)
Spiritual Arts:
High Level Common-Grade: Wind-Piercing Finger (Minor Mastery, 0/50)
Low Level Spirit-Grade: Blaze Step (Entry-level, 0/100)
High-level Spirit-Grade: Great Sun Burning Sea Palm (Not Initiated, 0/200)
Experience Points: 130
Beast Soul Points: 6
---
With over 100 EXP, he had two upgrade options—Wind-Piercing Finger and Blaze Step.
From the previous battle, Blaze Step already gave him enough speed against low-grade spiritual beasts. What he lacked was offensive power.
The Nether Wolf was only average in defense, yet Wind-Piercing Finger only inflicted light injuries. If he encountered a spiritual beast known for high defense, he might not even be able to penetrate its defenses much less kill it.
Right now, his priority was to quickly raise his combat strength. So hoarding EXP wasn't wise—he needed to spend it immediately and turn it into real power.
Only then could he gain even more EXP later. It was simple logic.
So Liu Bai decisively chose to upgrade Wind-Piercing Finger.
---
Player: Liu Bai
Realm: Mid-Phase Spiritual Movement Realm
Spiritual Pulse: None
Cultivation Method:Blazing Sun Art (Layer 2: 0/400)
Spiritual Arts:
High-level Common-Grade: Wind-Piercing Finger (Greater Mastery)
Low-level Spirit-Grade: Blaze Step (Entry-level, 0/100)
High-Level Spirit-Grade: Great Sun Burning Sea Palm (Not Initiated, 0/200)
Experience Points: 80
Beast Soul Points: 6
---
Wind-Piercing Finger at Greater Mastery now had considerable power. Liu Bai tested it casually without using his full strength, a single strike still left a hole in solid greenstone.
Its power already exceeded most weapons.
However, to his surprise, the offensive spiritual art could no longer be upgraded after reaching Greater Mastery.
"Is it because Wind-Piercing Finger is only a Common-Grade art? Or maybe spiritual arts in the system can only be refined up to Greater Mastery?"
For a moment, Liu Bai fell into deep thought once again.
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