'Am I really going to die like this, after my second chance at life'. I think as the pack comes rushing towards me. 'NO!', the thought crashes on my mind as I wield my blade letting out a battle cry as I slash at the different foxes that come towards me. My blades swing in all directions as I slash without any specific targets. The leaders remain behind, allowing the minions to the the work of dismantling their prey for them. Tens of foxes fall lifelessly on the ground as use up the remaining of my mental energy to speed up my movements and slaughter what I can out of the huge pack. Unfortunately, it still isn't enough to fend of the horde, and I receive multiple cuts leading to more blood loss. My movements stagger giving the foxes more chance to slash and bite me in different parts of my body. The flow of blood never ceases but I've already given up on my body. The silent but irresistible call of the bright silver metal behind the leader never leaves my mind and I pour all my mental energy into my muscles as I leap forward now directly on top of the metal as there's an instant flow of energy around me. The leader seems to be angry at my intrusion with the metal and it doesn't hesitate to charge up a dense tongue of fire around it's mouth. The other foxes seem to know what's about to come as they hurriedly rush away from the leader, even the other rank 2 fox seems to back away as the leader spits a dense flame in my direction. The flow of energy from the metal seems to sleep into my body. It feels like cold breeze as it dances around my figure it is cold but oddly satisfying. At last, the feel of energy in my body. I had a fire aptitude in my past life, if I was to die, I wouldn't want to die by any other element except it. I smile as a huge ball of fire crashes on my figure.
I expect my sense to dull as I presume I'm dead ready to find myself I'm the darkness of the abyss again. But there's a faint trace of will in my mind that grows uncontrollably.
'I must survive!' the constant thought keeps crossing my mind. I expect my figure to already be burned to ashes by the flames, but instead they dance around my skin. Even the remaining pieces of my clothes survive the outburst of flames. There seems to be a new organ at the left bottom of my figure. It starts off as a lump, before expanding and condensing into a solid organ which greatly absorbed the energy from the metal. The metals light seemed to dim as a semi vortex forms around my stomach area. The feel of Qi finally in my body is so refreshing that I lose sight of the danger around me. The flames around me make me have this demonic figure and the foxes back up as I take a step forward. My dantian continues enlarging till it seems full enough. It then shrinks while distributing the vast energy in it's insides I to my flesh and muscles making my injuries close and removing all the bruises and scars. I look fully refreshed as my muscles toughen up. I feel able to take on the entirety of the assassin's that we faced today. But the problem remians, I unsheath my blunt blades before swinging it to seemingly no one's direction, yet one of the foxes' head comes flying signalling the success of my attack.
" Amazing, I can try and throw a slash already at this level", I say feeling satisfied at my base power. Most cultivators in the sage realm should be able to cut the air the slice their opponents, but I covered the tip of my blades with condensed flames before throwing it towards one of the foxes. The attack digs threw it's skin before detaching it's head from it's body. I learnt this technique around the third rank, but the fact that I am able to do it as of now is quite shocking.
............................
The foxes take steps backwards but their leader growls signalling at the charge of the group. They hesitate but end up charging when the leader ends up directly biting off the head of one of the foxes. I only smile as I cast the first spell that I can remember. The first spell that begun my cultivation journey in my past life, and now it will begin this one. I try to remember the spells design before casting it. I inhale air, big enough to fill my lungs before clapping my hands together and spitting out a large ball of fire that scorches all the foxes in it's path and still keeps heading forward before exploding into a cloud of flames. The foxes scorch as I dance in the sensation of power, "FINALLY!!!" I scream as I laugh maniacally. The foxes numbering up to a hundred barely remian up to forty. The rest are either seriously burned or have lost some of their limbs. The spell was more powerful than expected, but as always it drains me of most of my energy due to my low rank. Even the rank 2 foxes seem gravely injured as their burnt fur exudes smoke, but this time it isn't from them. The fact that I was able to survive and control flames in the second rank was really surprising but I only smile realizing my limitless potential. I grasp my swords as preparing my stance for another charge. My sword seems weightless as energy fills my muscles, strengthen them but also increasing my strength and speed. I dash forward, slicing at every fox that crosses my path.
It only takes a minute, and the remaining forty foxes are left with only two. I had no use for the foxes below the second rank. I only took them out so that I can focus on the leaders. I know I'm strong, but yet it may not be enough to take on the two leaders at once. I planned on eating their lungs either way. Their lungs are where they store most of their energy. They use it as fuel to produce their flames and I'm sure it will be reach in Qi.
However, I had no thought of fighting them at the same. There's one spell I definitely remembered from my past life. It accompanied me throughout the entirety of my cultivation journey, although I'm not sure if I can cast it with my current rank, I can try and compress it to a suitable level. I close my eyes as I stretch out the remaining mental waves in my mental world past it's edges feeling the outside world in my grasp. The foxes seems to sense danger but they're hesitant on attacking. They've witnessed my power which instills fear in them. However they rekindle their pride as the growl while gathering flames in their mouth. I continue to spread my mental waves forward while sensing the lingering Qi in the cave. I use little of the energy in my dantian to set my fingers ablaze. I stretch my arms forward sensing the energy from every corner of the cave as I snap my fingers. The cave is so quiet I could hear one of the small rocks on the ceiling fall. The silence doesn't last long as the cave is immediately immersed in flames. The foxes still spit out their tongues of flames, but it only ends up fuelling my spell. They burn as they release cries and howls as they run towards what is supposedly the exit of the cave. The leader freezes when he sees his companions head falling towards the ground. It's eyes seem to reek of fear as I press my blades on it's neck severing it in the process.
'Their bodies were to hard to kill with the slash, but my strength was enough to slice through it's neck. I release my spell before falling to the ground and coughing up blood.
" This spell was definitely not meant for this rank, I had to use all of my mental energy to cast it. Oh well, it was all for the best. I'll wait and rest up here before while replenishing my mental energy. I need to have alot of strength for my journey to Taewan city, there's one more person's head that needs to fall". I say as I dig out the lungs of the rank 2 fox before burning it and throwing it into mouth. The energy continues to enter my muscles strengthen them even further. 'I now possess a mind and a dantian, it's now time to improve my body', I say as I dig out the other rank 2 foxes lungs. Most of the Qi seems to be coming from the river at the end of the cave.
The metal seemed to come from there, but I wouldn't have the time to swim to it's bottom to search for other rocks like it. I sit beside the lake as I recall what used to be my former cultivation technique. The Qi from the river enters into my dantian as I refill it's now empty insides. "Now, it's time to go say hi to Sebastian", I say while picking my blades and running in the direction, which seemed to be the exit.