"Smack!"
The forceful tail strike sent Xuan Ji hurtling off the cliff. He closed his eyes and couldn't help but think, "Ah shit, here we go again!"
As Xuan Ji soared through the air, a powerful gust of wind suddenly struck, carrying him off his intended path. Helplessly, he was swept towards a solid wall, crashing through it with a jolt. Sliding through the wall, he tumbled to the ground, disoriented and bewildered.
The whole sequence of events had unfolded so rapidly that Xuan Ji struggled to make sense of what had just occurred. But the sharp pain radiating from his head and various parts of his body jolted Xuan Ji out of his state of shock.
"Ouch! That was quite a fall," Xuan Ji groaned.
Xuan Ji's eyes darted around, scanning the surroundings. He found himself perched high on a precarious ledge, overlooking a breathtaking view of the expansive forest below. The sight of the distant treetops, resembling tiny ants, sent a shiver down his spine, and he instinctively stood up and retreated, fear gripping him. As he stumbled backward, he lost his balance and landed on his backside, jolting him into the realization that behind him was a cave.
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Xuan Ji observed the cave entrance before him. It loomed large and mysterious, its dark depths beckoning him with an air of foreboding. The massive opening spanned an impressive 10 feet in width and towered an imposing 20 feet in height.
Realizing the importance of being in peak condition before exploring the cave, Xuan Ji chose to enter a meditative state. He sat down, crossing his legs, and focused on alleviating the pain from the tail injury and the impact of the fall. With each passing minute, his breathing steadied, and the pain began to subside.
After an hour of deep meditation, Xuan Ji emerged from his meditative state feeling rejuvenated with his body energized ready to face whatever challenges awaited him within the depths of the cave.
With cautious steps, he crossed the threshold and entered the cave, a surge of Qi washing over him like a tidal wave. The intensity of the Qi was reminiscent of the "FrostBite" Sect, leaving him both astounded and intrigued.
Xuan Ji was astonished to find that the cave had an inexplicable source of light, unlike the darkness he saw outside. The cave appeared much larger on the inside, its width and height surpassing what could be seen from the outside by a many factors.
The walls were adorned with trees, their size surpassing even the impressive 100-year-old trees he had encountered in the forest. Alongside the magnificent trees, he noticed the presence of unusually large grass and vines, intertwining and weaving their way through the cave's interior.
"The cave seemed to hold a mysterious secret," Xuan Ji thought to himself, his curiosity piqued.
Xuan Ji decided to venture deeper into the cave, eager to explore its mysteries. After a short walk, he stood before a massive golden door adorned with intricate arrays and diagrams. To the side, he noticed a handprint etched into the sidewall.
Intrigued, Xuan Ji approached the handprint, which was about an inch deep. He cautiously placed his hand on it, feeling a strange current that caused him to quickly retract his hand. Perplexed, Xuan Ji tried again with the same result.
He took a step back, deep in thought, and realized that he might be in a tomb where a senior cultivator had set a trial to pass on their inheritance to a talented junior.
"Well, it's no surprise that I'm not able to pass this test given my limited talent," Xuan Ji sighed, feeling disappointed.
"The senior who set this trial must be a powerful Nascent Soul cultivator, judging by the abundant qi in this place and the arrays on the gate."
"What's even more disheartening is that I can't ascend or descend the mountain, despite being at Body Tempering Level 1. The height from the ground is enormous, and attempting to climb would be a perilous endeavor without the necessary stamina. It would be nothing short of a death wish with my current strength," Xuan Ji lamented.
"I'll need to at least reach the Body Tempering Level 5 first before I can overcome this challenge. With my current cultivation technique, I can only reach Body Tempering Level 4 even if I stay here for a lifetime, and if I'm lucky, I might reach Level 5. Sigh! Let's not dwell on it and focus on cultivating, what has to come will come."
Xuan Ji resolved. Suddenly, a realization struck him, darkening his expression. "Wait, what about food?" he exclaimed.
He remembered that he had only packed enough food for one month, and the meat he obtained from hunting beasts could only sustain him for three months.
This was a serious problem since, as a Body Tempering Level cultivator, he needed food to survive. Xuan Ji rummaged through his space bag, finding some fruits.
An idea sparked in his mind – he could try planting the seeds in the ground and hope they would grow. After all, if the trees and plants could thrive in the cave, perhaps these fruits could too. He didn't know how long it would take, but he could only pray for their speedy growth, considering the abundant qi in the area.
[Age 10: You made the decision to cultivate in this place. You planted fruit seeds, and to your delight, they grew into fruitful trees. This solved your food problem, although you still struggled with thirst and barely managed to survive by extracting juice from the fruits.]
[Age 11: After two years of hesitation, you finally decided to use the orchid you obtained from the snake. To your surprise, the orchid aided you in breaking through to Body Tempering Level 2, which was expected to take a few more years. Moreover, you discovered that your cultivation speed had increased by 0.5, making your talent slightly better. You felt that taking the orchid from the snake was a worthwhile decision.]
[Age 12: You continued your cultivation, but you were still far from reaching Body Tempering Level 3. Despite your efforts, you have not yet reached the elementary stage of the scroll.]
[Age 13: Now with an abundance of fruit trees, you continued your cultivation while enjoying the fruits and their refreshing juice.]
[Age 14: Lost in thoughts about what talent you might possess when you reached the age of 15, you were abruptly interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps.]