After the men's dead bodies were finally buried, the villagers learned that they had been attacked by a powerful divine beast at the Mmuo Ndu early stage. The men who were killed were all at the Mmuo late stage, a difference of two cultivation levels that left them no chance against the divine beast.
During the funeral rites, an old experienced man told a tale about the heavens and creatures on earth. The story went like this:
"The heavens once asked the animals if they wanted mankind to live forever or if there should be death. The animals had different opinions, so the heavens decided to stage a racing contest. Each side was to present their contender. The side that supported life without death presented a dog, while the other side presented a toad. The race began, and the dog was very energetic, running off immediately and throwing the toad off track. But along the way, the dog stopped to eat and forgot about the race, allowing the toad to catch up and arrive first. And so, death became a part of mankind's life."
The villagers were surprised by the tale, but the old man continued, "But the next day, the toad lost his mother and returned to heaven, wanting to change his decision. Unfortunately, the heavens had already rendered their verdict, and it could not be altered."
The villagers were somber, reflecting on the story and the recent loss of their loved ones. Amuche, still grieving, approached Nedu and asked, "Nedu, what's the point of cultivating if we're just going to die anyway?"
Nedu looked at her with a serious expression, "Amuche, cultivation is not just about living forever, it's about living a meaningful life. And with your abilities, you can make a difference in this world."
The villagers decided to rest for a month before venturing out to hunt for wild beasts. Amuche learned from Kael that the minimum requirement to join the hunting squad was a cultivation base of the late stage of the Mmuo level. She was still at the early stage of Mmuo, so she needed to advance by two stages before she could join the men in hunting for wild beasts. Additionally, she needed to acquire a spear or sword, which required star stones to purchase from the nearby market.
Amuche's priority was to cultivate to a late stage Mmuo before the end of the month. Although advancing two stages seemed achievable, the amount of spiritual energy required was immense. Kael, who had started cultivating at fifteen, was only a late stage Mmuo at eighteen, highlighting the difficulty of scaling each level. His yellow-colored innate pearl limited his talent, and he needed a supreme treasure to improve its quality to venture beyond the village.
Nedu, seeing Amuche's determination to improve, decided to venture into the forest to search for herbs or plants with rich spiritual energy. He also decided to teach Amuche the "Unhindered Punch of Fury," a speed-oriented fist art that overwhelms opponents with quick blows. Amuche practiced the art and reached a minor achievement in two days, also improving her movement art. However, her cultivation level showed no signs of improvement.
After three more days, they decided to explore the dense forest, searching for great herbs. Nedu told Amuche that finding great herbs required exploring deep into the forest, where they might encounter powerful creatures, divine beasts, at the middle or late stage of the Mmuo Ndu. Nedu wasn't afraid of early-stage beasts but was cautious of middle-stage ones. They decided to venture into a less explored region, but soon discovered a middle-stage divine beast - a massive 10-meter-tall wild ape with an aggressive aura.
Nedu concealed his presence, allowing Amuche to face the ape alone. The ape, with a fierce roar, swung its massive fists at Amuche. She dodged and weaved, her movements swift and precise. The ape's attacks grew more frenzied, its eyes blazing with anger.
"You're slow and clumsy!" Amuche taunted, her voice steady despite the danger. "Can't even land a hit!"
The ape bellowed in rage, its attacks intensifying. Amuche used her Eyes of Truth to anticipate its moves, evading each blow by a hair's breadth. Suddenly, the ape's eyes widened in fear as Amuche landed a critical hit, striking its weak spot.
"Ah!" the ape cried out in pain, its eyes darting around frantically. "I must escape!"
The ape turned to flee, but Amuche was relentless. "Coward! You can't even face me!" she mocked, chasing after the ape.
With a fierce cry, Amuche launched herself at the ape, her fists flying in a flurry of punches. The ape stumbled back, its defenses weakening. Amuche seized the opportunity, striking the ape's head with a precise blow.
The ape's head was crushed, its body collapsing to the ground, defeated.
Nedu emerged from his hiding spot, a proud smile on his face. "Well done, Amuche! Your timing and precision are impressive!"
Amuche stood tall, her chest heaving with exertion. "Thanks to your training, Nedu. I couldn't have done it without you."
After the fight with the ape, Nedu felt it was getting late, and they returned to the village. The next day, they ventured back into the forest, where Amuche battled and killed two more beasts at the middle and late stages of the Mmuo level. With each intense battle, Amuche polished her skills, and after ten days, she advanced from the early stage of Mmuo to the middle stage. She was thrilled with her rapid cultivation progress.
Amuche returned to the forest, her heart racing with excitement and a hint of fear. It had been ten days since she defeated the divine beasts, and she had made significant progress in her cultivation. But as she approached the clearing where the beasts lay, she felt a pang of depression. The corpses still looked fresh and intact, their fur and scales glinting in the sunlight.
"Why haven't they decayed yet?" Amuche wondered, feeling a sense of unease. She had hoped to keep her secret hidden from the villagers, but now it seemed impossible.
Nedu, sensing her distress, approached her. "Amuche, the divine beasts' bodies can remain intact for at least another week due to the spiritual energy they've accumulated. But beyond that, they may start to rot, and the villagers won't appreciate it if they find out you've been hiding this from them."
Amuche nodded, understanding the implications. The beast meat could have been eaten or sold for star stones, and the villagers would not be happy if they found out she had let it go to waste.
She wasn't skilled in skinning or processing the animals, and she couldn't just leave them there to rot.
Amuche decided to return to the village and seek help. She made her way back,when she arrived, she found a few of the men lounging in the sun, repairing weapons and chatting. Amuche approached them, her eyes scanning the group until she found Kael.
"Kael, I need your help," she said, her voice firm but hesitant.
Kael looked up at her, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "What's going on, Amuche?"
Amuche took a deep breath. "I killed two divine beasts in the woods. But I don't know how to...process them. Can you come with me and help me out?"
The men exchanged surprised glances, and Kael stood up, a grin spreading across his face. "Divine beasts, you say? That's impressive, Amuche! Let's go take a look."
Amuche led the group back to the woods, her heart pounding in her chest. When they arrived at the clearing, the men's jaws dropped in unison. The beasts were enormous, their fur and scales glinting in the sunlight. And, a short distance away, they found the body of the ape she had killed earlier.
"By the heavens," one of the men breathed. "You killed these...unarmed?"
Amuche nodded, her eyes fixed on the beasts. "I didn't have a choice. They attacked me."
The men looked at her with newfound respect, their faces filled with awe. Kael patted her on the back. "Well, Amuche, it looks like you've got some skills we didn't know about. Let's get to work and make sure these beasts don't go to waste."
Together, they skinned and processed the beasts, including the ape. As they worked, the men asked her questions about the battles, and Amuche recounted every detail. When they finished, they loaded the meat and hides onto a cart and headed back to the village.
As they entered the village, the men gathered around, eager to see the beasts Amuche had defeated. Village Chief Ojo's eyes widened as he took in the sight.
"Amuche, you've done something incredible," he said, his voice filled with pride. "You've proven yourself to be a valuable asset to our village. I'm initiating you into the Men's Hunting Squad, effective immediately."
Amuche's eyes widened in surprise. "But, Chief Ojo, I'm still only at the middle stage of Mmuo..."
Chief Ojo smiled. "Your bravery and skill have earned you this place, Amuche. You may not have the highest cultivation level, but you have something special. And we need that in our squad."
The men cheered, and Amuche felt a sense of pride and belonging she had never felt before. She knew that this was just the beginning of her journey, and she was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
The next day, as Amuche was about to head out to train, Kael approached her with an invitation to join him and the villagers on a trip to the nearby market. They were going to sell animal meat in exchange for medicine, food, and Star stones. Amuche joined Kael, Village Chief Ojo, and two young men who pushed a cart loaded with goods. Upon arriving at the small city, they quickly found a spot to sell their wares and exchange them for what they needed.
Chief Ojo turned to Amuche with a smile. "Amuche, you've proven yourself to be a valuable asset to our village. Take this 1000 star stones and purchase a sword for yourself. You'll need it for your battles in the woods."
Amuche's eyes widened in gratitude as she accepted the star stones. She had never owned a weapon before, and the thought of having her own sword excited her. Kael and Chief Ojo led her to the weapons section of the market, where various weapons were on display. Amuche's eyes scanned the array of spears, javelins, swords, sabers, and bows and arrows.
"How do I choose?" Amuche asked, feeling overwhelmed.
Kael chuckled. "Weapons are divided into tiers, representing different cultivation levels. A Tier 1 sword, for example, is equivalent to a peak stage Mmuo."
Amuche's eyes scanned the weapons again, this time noticing the tier labels. She spotted a Tier 1 sword that caught her eye and approached the vendor. "How much for this one?" she asked.
"900 star stones," the vendor replied.
Amuche hesitated for a moment before handing over the star stones. As she grasped the sword's hilt, she felt a surge of energy and a sense of balance. She swung the sword left and right, feeling its weight and strength. Satisfied with her new weapon, she sheathed it and smiled at Kael and Chief Ojo.
"Thanks, Chief Ojo. I feel ready for whatever comes next," Amuche said, showing respect to the village chief.
Chief Ojo patted her on the back. "You're welcome, Amuche. Remember, a weapon is only as good as its wielder. Keep training and stay safe in the woods."
Just as they were about to leave, a commotion broke out. A young master from a large village was offended by a commoner and tried to escape, but was caught and beaten in public. The young master repeatedly insulted the commoner, saying, "You dare have fancy thoughts about my woman? You must be courting death!"
As Amuche watched the young master beat the commoner, her eyes blazed with anger. Kael whispered to her, "Don't be rash, Amuche. That's Young Master Soludo, but he's the opposite of his name, which means 'follow peace.' He prefers conflict and trouble. See how he's beating someone in broad daylight, and no one is intervening? It's because his elder brother, who's only eighteen, has a rare blue pearl and was admitted to the prestigious Hundred Lion Academy in Zion City. His family has influence, and no one wants to cross them."
Chief Ojo nodded in agreement. "Let's leave, we don't want any trouble." They prepared to depart, but just then, a messenger appeared, announcing that Hundred Lion Academy would be recruiting students in Gold Rock Town, a nearby city. "All those below the age of eighteen with a blue pearl or above and a cultivation level of Mmuo peak stage are welcome to participate! The recruitment will take place in a month's time, so prepare yourself."
Amuche's eyes widened with excitement as she listened to the announcement. She remained silent, lost in thought as they left the market and headed back to their village. In her heart, she had already made a resolution - she would work hard and strive to enter Hundred Lion Academy.