Yang Ding sat close to the carcass of the Ice bears he had killed. He had searched their bodies for cores but sadly there were none. Not all beasts drop cores upon death. Only a few of them, whose cores hadn't been completely assimilated in their bodies do.
After hours of hunting these beasts, Yang Ding had come to the realization that these Ice Bears are attracted to fresh blood. So, he was waiting for the moth to get burned at the candle flame. His only goal was to hunt as many beasts as possible.
The beasts that roam around in this plane are born from the assimilation of energy into a core. Depending on the type and richness of the energy, along with the topography of the lands, different types of cores are formed. From the different types of cores are created the different varieties of beasts!
Newborn beasts take some time to completely assimilate their cores in their bodies. A beast that is still nascent born always has its core intact, unlike a beast that had been alive for years. However rate of assimilation of cores varies from beast to beast. It spans from a few weeks for a Purple Imp to aeons for a true dragon!
Yang Ding found no cores this time around. These kinds of hot spots for beasts was more profitable for the cultivators if and only if the beasts here were diurnally killed. Only then will the energy in the surroundings manifest into cores and produce more nascent beasts which would be killed again, thus making a never-ending cycle.
But, with disciples of the Lightning Heaven clan ambushed and mass killed, the clan is on high alert and is no longer sending its disciples to hunt for these beasts. This has led to a large survival rate amongst them causing the forest to be saturated with beasts whose cores have already been assimilated in their bodies.
"Don't tell me he is hunting for monster cores!" Wei Hu who jumped to that conclusion gasped. He had no idea why a doctor like Yang Ding would hunt in these woods.
But, he was only half right in regards to that. He was knowledgeable in regards to the life cycle of the Ice bears so he could tell that Yang Ding was waiting for more Ice bears to get attracted to the blood. However, he didn't know that what Yang Ding truly wanted wasn't the beast cores at all. They were just a by-product. What he wants is experience points!
Yang Ding being the holder of a system is the only one in this world who can grow in strength by hunting for beasts. While others? They can only sharpen their martial arts and that's all.
"RooaR!"
More Ice bears came. Yang Ding brandished his sword as he prepared it to be dyed in blood again.
"Such ruthlessness! Such force! Master Ding Yang is not only a legendary medical practitioner but a martial artist as well!"
If Wei Hu had known that this same Yang Ding was a cripple until some days ago, he might have coughed blood.
***
"System!"
[User: Yang Ding]
[Race: Human]
[Cultivation Level: 5th stage Ice Profound Realm]
[EXP: 78/30,996]
[HP: 130]
[Strength: 88]
[Stamina: 77]
[Agility: 123]
His lips arched into a smile as he had made another breakthrough.
But his delight didn't even last for a moment.
He clenched his fists.
"How can I be happy at this? I have to get back to my old cultivation stage as soon as possible! This is just a first step and is nothing compared to the path I have to take. If I don't take my steps with caution I am only bound to fall again!"
Yang Ding took an oath under the starry sky to rise again and never fall back.
Yang Ding was returning to his chambers when he noticed Su Yang's presence from the corner of his eyes. He was sneaking into the clan late at night.
Yang Ding raised his brows.
"Where had he been so late at night?" Yang Ding thought.
***
"Remember Wei Hu, there will be times when you feel that you know enough, but always remind yourself in that very moment that you cannot be more wrong."
"Master? What do you mean? Disciple never thinks of himself as all-knowing!" Wei Hu cried. Wei Hu was taught medical arts from a young age. Like every day even today he woke up early and came to his master's chambers for his teachings but to him, his master seemed to be acting weird today. To the fifteen-year-old Wei Hu, his master's melancholy was not passed unnoticed.
"I know. You are a great disciple. In the future you will achieve great heights in medical arts but no matter how great a medician you become never constrain your mind in the well even though your body might be there." The old man who Wei Hu referred to as master claimed. There was a look of distress in his eyes, a sadness that couldn't be described with words alone.
"What's the matter, master? Has disciple wronged you in some way?"
The man shook his head.
"No, you are the best disciple an old man like me can ask for. But, fate has decided to make us walk on different paths. Sadly, today will be our last lesson."
The teenager Wei Hu eye opened in wide which followed by a longing gaze. His shoulders slumped as his expression sullied with sorrow.
"Can disciple know why?"
The man shook his head.
"You must not know. I cannot endanger you with this information. I know this is hard on you but fret not. A friend of mine in the GongHuan clan has accepted my wish of taking you as his disciple. He is a practitioner as good as me and he will make you into a great doctor."
[flashback ends]
"Wei Hu?" the patriarch's voiced out. Wei Liu, the patriarch of the Lightning Heaven Clan, was curious as to what might have happened that caused Wei Hu to rush to his chambers so late at night. It was then that Wei Hu began collecting his thoughts causing a memory of his late master to resurface.
"Ah, I apologize, patriarch. I got lost for a moment there."
"It's okay. So what happened? Everything fine?"
***
Author: Like it? Add it to your library!
Sorry for the delay in today's update. I was kinda busy.
Motivate me in the comments with your advice and cheers. Your motivation can do wonders for me!