Sam moved towards the center of the swordridge valley. The sword ridge valley was divided into outer, inner and central layer. The deeper one goes, the greater the opportunities one encounters but it is accompanied by greater dangers.
In the outer layer, usually common medicinal plants and rank 3 demonic beasts are found. The inner layer is the area of rank 4 demonic beasts and several ancients ruins are also located there.
Sam initially wanted to go to the inner layer to search for opportunities but after the battle with Jasper, he changed his mind. He realized his shortcomings after the battle.
He can fight with core formation realm cultivators using his treasure but some of the cultivators had also brought treasure with them. He would be in grave danger if he met them in battle.
So, he decided to stay in the outer region training his martial skill to perfection and refine the six petal magnolia to form more essence cores. He wanted to fight with different demonic beasts while perfecting his martial skills.
At this moment, Sam was standing in front of a cave of rank 3 Saber toothed demonic tiger. The saber toothed demonic tiger was considered as one of the strongest among the rank 3 beasts. They could easily kill other demonic beasts of the same level due to their innate ability - tiger's roar which is spiritual attacking technique. A saber toothed demonic tiger could directly attack the mind of their enemies killing them easily.
Sam had great confidence in his spiritual defence due to the continuous tempering he went by exposing himself to the murderous intent of the sword and saber. He wanted to kill the demonic tiger and go into seclusion inside its cave to refine the six petal magnolia. Other demonic beasts stay away from the cave to avoid the saber toothed demonic tiger so it was perfect for Sam.
Sam picked up a stone from the ground and threw towards the cave using half of his strength. The stone rushed inside the cave with great speed as it collided with the wall of the caves shaking the whole cave.
Roar..
A furious roar of a beast rang out from inside the cave. The voice sounded angry. Of course, the demonic tiger was angry. It was sleeping soundly inside its cave after having a great meal but its sleep was disturbed.
Unlike human who train to increase their cultivation, demonic beasts sleep and eat to increase their level. The demonic beasts were loved by the heaven so they could increase their cultivation only by eating and sleeping.
A demonic beast of 5 meters height and 4 meters length rushed out from the cave. It had a huge sturdy body with fiery red furs with black stripes. The most unique feature of this beasts was it's two long tooth extending from its mouth like a saber giving it a dangerous vibe. Anyone intelligent would know with one glance why this demonic beast was named saber toothed demonic tiger.
The demonic tiger sent a roar directly attacking Sam. Sam felt a buzz inside his head like he was being pricked by pointed needles. He shook his head as he changed his essence energy and instantly gained clarity only to see a claw heading straight for his head.
He easily evaded the claw by using his moment skill 'seven steps to reach heavens'. He took a step forward and dodged to the right side of the demonic tiger. The demonic tiger quickly turned around and attacked by opening it's jaw wide like it was ready to shallow him whole.
"truly ferocious, aren't we? Let me train my movement skill with you", he said as he sidestepped dodging the attack of the demonic tiger.
The demonic tiger got mad as he released his tiger roar one after another. Sam was slightly affected by the tiger's roar but he easily dodge the following attack using his movement skill.
Like that he dodged the attack until his movement skill felt natural to him while using in battle. He had trained in the 'Seven steps to reach heaven's movement skill but he had not used it during battle. He mostly used as a movement skill to travel faster.
While using his movement skill, he determined that he could move anywhere within a range of ten meters around him with his first step and he could move anywhere within a distance of hundred meters around him with his second step but that needed at least a quarter of his essence energy which was not good for a long battle.
"Now, 'seven step to reach heavens' feel more natural to me. I should try my 'meteor punch' martial skill. It could be helpful while fighting in close combat", Sam said as he looked at the angry demonic tiger.
He smiled as he took a step forward as he arrived to the side of demonic tiger. He clenched his fist as he channeled his essence energy into his fist and punched outward.
His fists slammed into the cheeks of the demonic tiger sending it flying.
"This fist technique is good for lower level but it lacks enough power to break through the defense of this demonic tiger".
Sam looked as his fist as he shook his head. He had trained in sword and saber skill but he had lacked other martial skill due to which he lacked a true fighting style that belonged to him.
He took out his sword as he channeled his essence energy into the sword as he sent a sword energy from his sword. The sword energy hit the head of the demonic tiger turning it into bloody mist killing it.
"the first slash of the six sacred slash".
"Fighting against a rank 3 demonic beast is too easy for me while fighting against a rank 4 demonic beast is too dangerous. Without using a treasure, I could not fight a rank 4 demonic beast. I should challenge a rank 4 demonic beast after refining the six petal magnolia".
"I should also visit the ancient ruins and try my luck to see if I could gain a good martial skill suitable for me".
Sam said after thinking for a while. He waved his hand as he stored the whole corpse of the demonic tiger inside his spatial ring.
He walked inside the cave of the demonic tiger. The cave was dark and dried bones were scattered around the whole cave. He walked to the deepest part of the cave as he sat down cross legged after finding a suitable place without any bones.
He took out the six petal magnolia from his spatial ring as he break a petal before storing the rest. He swallowed the petal and closed his eyes.
A large amount of essence energy rushed inside his body as he started forming hand seals to form more essence core inside his dantian. When he completely refined a single petal, he had five more essence core inside his Dantian.
When he fully refined the six petal magnolia, he had thirty more essence core inside his dantian making a total of forty six essence core.
He scanned his dantian with his spiritual sense as he sensed forty-six essence core floating inside his dantian.
"I will need to form at least few thousands more essence core to enter the core formation realm. Sigh... It will take me few years if I did not use more treasure".
He sighed as he stood up. He took out the corpse of the demonic tiger. He used a small knife and cut the body of the demonic tiger. In the postion of it heart, he found a fist sized dark crystal. It was the demonic core of the demonic tiger. Most of the demonic beats from its demonic core inside its head while some unique demonic beast form their core at the position of their heart
He left the rest of the corpse inside the cave as he walked out from the cave. It was already night when he exited the cave. When looked up at the sky, he saw numerous stars twinkling in the sky creating a beautiful view. The moon was shinning brightly among the star like a elegant crane among the flock of birds. Although, it was already night, Sam could see everything clearly due to the moonlight.
Sam laid down with his back on the ground as he put his head on his hand as his pillow while looking at the moon and stars admiring their beauty.
"The moon is beautiful today, isn't it? "
A pleasant voice drifted over to his ears. Sam who was admiring the moon replied absentmindedly:
"It's the most beautiful moon I have ever seen".
"The moon is like a girl. It could look beautiful, elegant, cold, dark, ugly, broken, shadowed. How it looks is how you wish to see it". The same pleasant voice drifted again in his ears.
"I must be wishing to see a beautiful moon today". Sam smiled as he asked while looking at the moon:
"How does your moon look today? "
"Beautiful and lonely". The pleasant voice replied again.
Sam finally stood up from the ground as he turned his head towards the direction of the voice. He was stunned by what he saw.
A young lady was standing at the top of the cave looking at the sky. She was beautiful, beautiful to the extend that calling her fairy was not enough to justify her beauty or maybe that's how Sam wish to see her. She had long black hair flowing like silk down her back. Her eyes were black and crystal clear like limpid water. The moonlight shined on her face making her even more beautiful.
Sam was stunned silly as he looked at her absentmindedly. She turned her head to look at Sam. She smiled, turned around and drifted away like a aloof fairy.
Sam could swear to god that the smile she gave him before leaving was the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. That picture was branded on his soul.
He smiled as looked up at the sky.
"Uhhh.... Why does the moon look so dull now? Is it because I saw someone more brighter and beautiful than moon? "
He said as he shook his head. He looked towards the direction that the young lady left as he smiled.
"I am sure we will meet again, moonlady. How will I see you then? Will you look beautiful? Will you look.... lonely? "