Xiao began his journey, but there was an immediate problem and it was that Jing couldn't move.
Xiao remembered impaling Jing's hands and feet to the sign, and now that he had removed the sticks, there were large holes where they had been. Although Jing was healing quickly due to being a cultivator, the injuries still slowed him down.
For now, Xiao had to carry him, and Jing would guide them to the Sheanmen Sect using his hands and just speaking.
As they traveled, Jing directed Xiao more northwest of the village. This path led them west, away from the Frost Wind Clan, but Xiao didn't mind. He planned to visit the Frost Wind Clan eventually, once he became stronger.
Xiao moved swiftly, sometimes running while completing his daily challenges though, for some reason, these had completely changed.
"Open quests," Xiao mumbled, making sure Jing couldn't hear him.
Quests/Mission Log
Main Quest:
Reach the Foundation Establishment stage
Reward: Essence of Space (1st part of the World Seed of Creation)
Side Quest:
Reach Qi Condensation (Stage 2)
Reward: 10 Low-Grade Spirit Stones
Dailies:
Cultivate for 4 hours (modifiable at the system's discretion)
Reward: Pure Essence Condensation Pill, 60 system points
Xiao was amazed by what he saw as he took a short break under the trees. First of all, he had no idea what the World Seed of Creation was, but if it came from the system, it had to be valuable.
He also realized that he had completed his previous quest which told him to defeat a qi condensation cultivator and the 10 low-grade spirit stones were now in his inventory.
What surprised Xiao the most was the new daily challenge. Instead of performing physical exercises, the system now required him to cultivate, offering an incredible reward: the Pure Essence Condensation Pill.
This pill was perfect for someone in the early stages of cultivation, as it significantly increased the speed of qi absorption and enhanced the purification of qi. For a daily reward, it was astonishing.
Xiao also realized that cultivating would naturally improve his body faster than his previous exercises, so he was grateful for the change in tasks.
The idea of cultivating for four hours a day would slow his movement slightly, but it wasn't a bad as Xiao wanted to reach the second stage of Qi Condensation before arriving at the Sheanmen Sect, and this new quest would help him do that.
With that, Xiao continued traveling with Jing.
A few days later
Xiao, who had made progress in his cultivation, was now becoming more hungry. Previously, he had managed to find food from the ground such as herbs and plants but this time, he craved meat. Not just any meat, though; Xiao wanted to eat a demonic beast to gain more the benefits from eating meat from demonic beast.
So, he went hunting in the forest. Though still dangerous, the forest no longer triggered his instincts like it had before.
That didn't mean Xiao let his guard down. He tied Jing to a tree with vines he found in the forest, ensuring Jing wouldn't try to escape while he searched for his prey.
Xiao tightened his grip on the Infinity Edge and moved cautiously south toward the forest, where he expected to find some beasts.
Twenty minutes passed, and Xiao, who had quickened his pace after only encountering two ordinary beast, finally sensed something in his field of vision.
As he approached, he spotted a demonic chicken whose cultivation seemed to be at the early stages of Qi Condensation.
Xiao's mouth watered as he focused on the creature. Though demonic beasts are typically stronger than cultivators of the same realm, cultivators have the advantage of intelligence.
Xiao knew better than to underestimate even a seemingly weak foe. He had seen too many people die due to arrogance, and he wasn't going to make that mistake.
Although he took the demonic chicken seriously, Xiao decided to restrict himself by not using his spiritual roots abilities, as that would make the fight unfair and too easy.
He stealthily approached the chicken, careful not to make a sound as he crept across the field. Channeling qi into his sword, Xiao prepared for a sneak attack.
Just as he twisted his wrist and swung the sword toward the chicken, it sidestepped, its instincts alerting it to the danger. Xiao wasn't surprised because animals, in general, have strong survival instincts.
Reacting quickly, Xiao adjusted the trajectory of his sword, striking the chicken's left eye. The blow followed through cleanly, impressing Xiao with the strength of his sword.
The chicken, now missing an eye, let out a furious scream:
"Cluck! Cluck! Cluck!" it cried and with an enraged expression, charged at Xiao with qi radiating from its beak and feet.
Recognizing the opportunity and not being one to let weaknesses go, Xiao swiftly circled to the chicken's blind side. With its vision impaired, the chicken frantically searched left and right, unable to find him.
Then the chicken trusted its instinct and looked up. Just as the chicken looked up, it saw Xiao's rusty sword descending toward its face.
This time, the chicken had no time to react. The sword pierced through its body cleanly.
Xiao exhaled in relief, thinking, "That was easier than I expected." He remembered how much he had struggled the first time he fought a normal boar. Now, he could clearly feel the progress in his strength.
Being the first demonic beast Xiao had killed in this life, he intended to savor the moment.
He grabbed the chicken which thankfully, his clean strike had avoided making a mess and started carrying it back to the road where Jing was waiting.
Once he arrived at the road, Xiao began skinning the chicken, started a fire, cooked the meat, and ate with the biggest smile he'd had in this life.
"Finally, I get to eat meat," he muttered in satisfaction and not even handing any to Jing.
Now that Xiao had eaten meat delightfully, he resumed his journey to the Sheanmen Sect.