As Long Hao ventured into the dense forest north of the village, the air grew thicker with the scent of earth and foliage. The towering trees whispered ancient tales, their branches forming a natural canopy overhead. Long Hao walked with a measured pace, each step resonating with the rhythm of nature.
The forest was alive with the sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves. Long Hao felt a sense of tranquility, but he remained vigilant, attuned to the subtle shifts in the environment. As he journeyed deeper, the forest revealed its secrets, and the young martial artist encountered his first challenges.
Unintelligent beasts, known as Thunderhorn Rabbits, darted across the path, their lightning-quick movements a testament to their agility. Long Hao observed their behavior, recognizing an opportunity to test his skills. With a swift motion, he unsheathed Tie Long, his family's heirloom sword, and faced the Thunderhorn Rabbits.
The first rabbit lunged at Long Hao with surprising speed, its sharp horn gleaming. Long Hao sidestepped deftly, delivering a precise strike that incapacitated the creature without causing unnecessary harm. His movements were a dance of precision and control, a testament to the martial arts he had honed during his seclusion.
Long Hao took out his knife wanting to skin the beasts. A second rabbit leap from a bush nearby targeting Long Hao's back. He rolled through the ground dodging the strike from the rabbits and slashed the beast at the neck.
"Even a beasts is dangerous huh? Need to always be aware." said Long Hao as he skinned both of the beasts. He kept the horns, meat and fur into a void storage from his martial arts skill. He thought to himself that it is a convenient skills from his family martial art.
...
A week passed. Long Hao journey through the forest was challenging. He barely slept as beasts kept on attacking him. He even tried to sleep at a top of a big tree but was almost injured by a Raging Koala. Sometimes when he was cooking, beasts kept coming towards him as they smelled the cooked food. But he pushed through and barely killed all the beasts while uninjured. His void storage was full with meat, skinned fur, leather, horns and other materials from the beasts.
As Long Hao continued through the forest, he encountered the Ferocious Shadow Wolves, intelligent monsters known for their cunning tactics. The wolves moved in a coordinated pack, their eyes gleaming with an unsettling intelligence. Long Hao recognized the challenge before him, understanding that defeating these creatures required not just physical strength but strategic thinking.
The alpha wolf, named Shadowfang, lunged at Long Hao, jaws snapping. Long Hao, swift and nimble, parried the attack with Tie Long. The battle unfolded like a dance, each movement calculated and precise. Long Hao anticipated the wolves' strategies, exploiting their weaknesses with a blend of martial arts and strategic thinking. 5 wolves including the alpha wolf surround him.
Two of the wolves jumped at him. One aimed at his neck while the other aimed at his leg. He jumped to the side dodging while slashing at another wolf at its head. The wolf head split into two. He kept on targeting another wolf slashing on its body splitting it into two.
Now, the alpha wolf howls and jumped together with the remaining wolves at Long Hao. Long Hao ran towards a tree to dodge the incoming pincer attack. He jumped on a tree branch to dodge the alpha wolf bite but then using the tree trunk as a platform to step and dash towards the weaker wolves. He stab his sword into one of the wolves that jumped at his leg into its head and tried to slash at another wolf body but his sword was blocked by the alpha wolf claws.
Long Hao staggered by the impact at his sword from the alpha wolf making him rolled on the ground. He catch his breath as he was tired on dealing with the wolves. He kept on staring at the alpha wolf. He gestured to the alpha wolf taunting its attention. The alpha wolves howls and ran towards him. Long Hao ran towards the alpha wolf but sidestepped its attack and killed the remaining wolf as to not be distracted. The alpha wolves eyes turned red, showing its madness at the deaths of its pack.
The alpha wolf jumped towards Long Hao aiming at his neck but because of its rage state it cannot think as it used to. Making Long Hao ducked and easily slash at its belly. Intestines and blood splash out of its body. The alpha wolf out of its state of rage whined and ran away.
"You are not getting away." said Long Hao.
Long Hao gave it a chase only to find a small cave. As he entered theĀ cave, he saw the alpha wolf died. Besides the body is 5 little cubs sleeping soundly. The forest echoed with the clashes of metal and the growls of defeated wolves. Long Hao emerged victorious, his breath steady and his senses heightened. He took a moment to respect the fallen creatures, acknowledging the cycle of life and death in the wilderness.
He took the cubs and put them on his bag. He skinned the alpha wolf and taking its crystal orb in the body. He ran to the dead bodies of the wolves and skinned them too. Putting it all into his storage. He hastily ran from the place afraid of another beast or monsters coming. He's too tired to deal with another ones after the wolves.
...
Long Hao rest for two days inside an empty trunk of a tree that he found. Collecting his qi while meditating. He sleeps, cooked and eats while resting. He is also feeding the cubs although there was a resistance earlier. The cubs, some slept on his lap, some besides him while one of them who is a little big from the others slept on top of his head. He smiled at the cubs thinking of their cuteness.
"Might as well trained them." said Long Hao.
As Long Hao continued his journey, the forest became denser, revealing ancient ruins hidden within its depths. Moss-covered stones and crumbling pillars stood as silent witnesses to a forgotten era. Long Hao explored the ruins, uncovering relics that hinted at a civilization long gone.