"Lo Wie saw an opportunity to gain a travel companion, but this wolf was too injured to even breathe easily. Killing it would be an act of mercy, allowing it to end its suffering.
The wolf looked at him with tired eyes, as if it knew that Lo Wie intended to free it from its agony. Despite his reluctance, Lo Wie knew it was the best thing for the poor animal. He didn't want to be the one to end its life, but it was a gesture of compassion.
The wolf gave him a grateful look before exhaling a final breath, finally finding peace."
"With regret, Li Wei removed the Orb from the now-dead wolf, feeling a pang of sadness for the animal.
After absorbing orbs in the forest for a while, he finally reached the level of Initial Monster 3. He was two sub-levels away from reaching the Elemental Monster level, and the wolf's Orb would provide the perfect opportunity.
He took his time, positioning himself near the Orb and taking a deep breath before beginning his cultivation. The warm atmosphere around him gradually disappeared, and a layer of snow formed around him, enveloping Li Wei and the Orb.
Minutes later, a crunching sound echoed as both the interior of Li Wei and the ice layer around him began to break."
"Opening his eyes, he looked around with excitement and tried to calm his mind.
"I need to discover what elements this body has and which ones I can control," he thought aloud. His excitement was palpable, but he also felt nervous.
He relaxed and with a cold sigh, he began to explore the depths of his Soul. There, he found two lights: one of ice and another dark one that he couldn't comprehend. At first, he thought he could control the darkness, but it was something different.
With an interest he couldn't resist, he decided to delve deeper into his Soul. However, when he did, his skin began to change, and his eyes turned purple."
"No, not again," he said in a disheartened tone. He was getting used to this, and it wasn't so bad.
As he delved deeper, he was surprised. A smile formed in his mind, a smile that could even frighten demons. Although in his body, only a cute penguin smile was visible. "Talent for magic?" he wondered. "So this body can learn magic. It's not so bad after all. Having to change has its advantages."
Before him was an intricate combination of magic circles, layered on top of each other, creating an intriguing and fascinating image.
"Should I go to the sects? Or would it be better to head to the city of the witches?"
Considering that cultivators often exhibit more violent behavior towards humanoids than witches, it might be better to opt for the witches. Both mages and cultivators had a rivalry that had endured for countless years.
Those lacking talent in magic often excelled in cultivation, and those who didn't excel in cultivation often possessed exceptional magical abilities. The realm of the witches was located in remote places and rarely communicated with other beings unless they were elves or dwarves.
However, before tackling this, he would have to reach the level of Spiritual Monster. If he wanted to acquire a humanoid form, he would have to cultivate and face his prey. Beasts at birth usually received a cultivation technique, but they were only allowed to access it when they reached the Initial level. Some beasts were born with innate strength, while others started without any gifts.
"My cultivation technique was rather unusual; it was at least a minimal advanced-level technique. Besides enhancing my abilities, it purified my body, eliminating residues and impurities that accumulated."
"This sped up the access to spiritual energy and prevented stagnation in my progress."
"I hope Li Xiang is well; I miss her sweet smile dearly."
"As time passed without her, I felt empty, as if something were missing from my life. I also longed for the hugs and sweet kisses we used to share."
Gradually, Li Wei began to enumerate and describe word by word the actions they used to share. Each sentence he uttered made the next one more intimate until he reached a point where he became so lost in thought that he woke from his cultivation.
"Damn, concentration," he muttered. He could already feel that the absence of her presence was causing him to lose control.
"I need to become stronger; I don't want to fall victim to another unscrupulous individual driven by jealousy." He breathed slowly until he regained control, his determination fueled by a thirst for vengeance. He was resolved to become powerful enough that no one could stand against him.
"There's no time to waste; I need to venture deeper into the forest."
Leaving the cave to penetrate further into the woods, Li Wei searched for ways to strengthen himself.
...
"Sistema, where is Li Xiang?"
"I can't sense her presence."
"What do you mean you can't? What happened to her?" Ye Chen, who had gone to visit Li Xiang with one of the ancestors, couldn't help but be bewildered.
"Master, do you know where Li Xiang is?" Li Daoshi, also surprised, scanned the entire palace area and couldn't find her presence.
"Midgar, come here. Where is Li Xiang?" With a loud roar, he called one of his trusted subordinates. A shadow appeared, and a middle-aged man with a beard wearing a suit appeared.
"No, I don't know, my lord. She didn't leave her room, let alone the palace," the man said with a trembling voice. "Are you saying she disappeared without you noticing, despite your higher cultivation level than hers?" Li Daoshi questioned. "I thought she would be in her room, cultivating in seclusion, my lord."
"In addition to that, she disappeared on the same day that young Ye Chen visited her," the trusted subordinate accused Ye Chen with an accusing look. "If you want, you can use your authority as Master to confirm that I'm not lying."
"Authority of the Master," Li Daoshi uttered, and the middle-aged man seemed to lose control of his eyes, showing emptiness as if his soul had been extracted.
"Tell me, what happened?" The man began to recount the events and Ye Chen's actions.
Li Daoshi looked at Ye Chen and reached out his hand towards him. "We will need to conduct a soul review," he said in a cold and authoritative voice.
Ye Chen, shivering upon hearing this, took a step back. If Li Wei's betrayal were to be discovered, he would be in danger, and it would be worse if they found out about the system and what they could do with it.
"Jump back!" An urgent order came from the system's voice, and Ye Chen didn't hesitate to obey. Midgar had appeared in front of him, and with a hammer, he struck the ground, causing the entire terrain to shake.
"Emergency teleportation." With a brilliant light enveloping Ye Chen, he began to disappear slowly.
"Die." With a somber voice, Midgar spoke the word, and at that moment, spikes of earth emerged from the ground.
"Aaah!"
Causing Ye Chen to scream in pain. But before they could cause further harm, he disappeared.
"This is an order, search the entire continent, leave no place unchecked, until that bastard is under my feet begging for his life, no one will rest."