The wolf snarled and lunged at him with its claws outstretched.
Victor activated Wind Dash, causing the world around him to slow down momentarily. He dodged the attack with ease, appearing a few feet to the side.
"Too slow!" Victor taunted while channeling qi into his palm.
The Gale Strike technique surged through him as he thrust his hand forward. A burst of condensed wind shot out, slamming into the beast and sending it flying backwards.
The wolf crystaline fur shimmered as it growled in pain and prepared to pounce again after shaking off the impact.
It proceeded to absorb some of the surrounding qi to bolster its strength.
Afterwards, It let out a low howl, that reverberated through the valley.
Victor narrowed his eyes. "Oh, so you've got tricks too? Alright, let's make this interesting."
The beast lunged again, this time faster with its claws outstretched.
Victor activated Wind Dash once more and dodged to the side. He retaliated with a sweeping kick infused with qi, striking the beast's flank. The wolf yelped but quickly recovered with unrelenting ferocity.
Victor gritted his teeth. "You're tougher than I thought."
The beast eyes glowed wild with rage as it charged once more.
Victor focused all his qi into his palms activating the Gale Strike technique again but this time, he pushed it further. Instead of a single burst, he channeled a continuous flow of wind qi, forming a vortex around his hands.
The wolf leapt into the air with its jaws wide open as it prepared to bite his head off.
Victor thrust his hands forward, releasing the full power of the Gale Strike. A powerful gust erupted from his palms, spiraling toward the beast with unprecedented force.
The vortex shaped wind struck the wolf mid-air, slamming it backward and pinning it against a nearby boulder. The pressure of the vortex intensified, and in the next moment, the beast's head was crushed against the rock.
Its crystalline fur shattered like glass as blood splattered across the rock while the creature went limp.
"Not so tough now, huh?" he muttered.
The system interface chimed, and a notification appeared:
---
<[ First Beast Killed! ]>
Rewards:
Attribute Points: +2
Item Drop: Low-Grade Spirit Crystal
Instruction: Consume beast meat to enhance physique grade.
---
Victor blinked. "Consume the meat? Wait, what kind of game is this?" He glanced down at the beast's corpse, frowning. "Alright, fine. Let's see what happens."
He gathered some nearby branches and dry leaves, using a spark of qi to ignite a small fire. It took some effort to skin and carve the beast, but soon enough, chunks of its meat were roasting over the flames. The smell was surprisingly pleasant, rich and savory.
Victor bit into the roasted meat cautiously, half-expecting it to taste terrible. To his surprise, it was delicious, with a flavor that reminded him of grilled steak.
"Not bad," he commented while taking another bite. "Too bad I'm not actually eating this in real life. My parents would be so jealous."
As he ate, he felt a faint warmth spreading through his body, and the system chimed again:
[ +5 Physique Grade Points ]
[ +5 Physique Grade Points ]
[ +5 Physique Grade Points ]
Victor watched the notifications come in steadily for a few minutes until a final one appeared.
---
<[ Physique Grade Enhanced! ]>
<[ Current Physique Grade: Middle Bronze ]>
---
Victor wiped his mouth with a satisfied grin on his face. "Middle Bronze, huh? Guess that's one step closer to not being a punching bag."
He proceeded to extinguish the fire and continued exploring the valley. The treasures seemed endless—more glowing herbs, qi-infused stones, and glowing crystals. He gathered as much as he could carry while the interface cataloged the items automatically.
He was really enjoying the exploration and just when he was starting to feel like he wouldn't run into any more situations, a sudden disturbance caught his attention.
The ground trembled beneath his feet as faint booms echoed from further ahead, accompanied by flashes of light that illuminated the misty valley.
Victor crept forward in curiosity despite warning the warning bells ringing in his head.
He reached the edge of a clearing and peered through the foliage.
Two figures were locked in an intense battle in the center of the clearing.
Their robes billowed dramatically despite the lack of wind. One was an older man with a long, flowing white beard and a stern expression with lightning dancing in his hands.
The other was a younger man whose face twisted in defiance. He was wielding a glowing sword that exuded a powerful pressure.
Their attacks shook the valley as they clashed repeatedly.
The older man unleashed a barrage of lightning bolts that split the ground, while the younger man countered with sweeping arcs of sword qi that carved through the air like blades.
Victor crouched behind a tree with widened eyes. "What the hell is this? A kung fu movie?"
The older man's voice boomed with a disdainful tone. "Junior, you dare challenge me? I will make you regret being so glib-tongued with me!"
The younger man scoffed while dodging another lightning strike. "Old fool, your time is over! It's time for the new generation to take the stage!"
Victor clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh. "Are they serious? Who talks like that? 'Junior, you dare...?' 'Glib-tongued'? What, did he swallow a thesaurus before this fight?"
Despite his amusement, he kept low, not wanting to draw attention to himself.
The battle was mesmerizing with the two opponents hurling attacks at each other.
The older man summoned a massive storm cloud causing bolts of lightning to rain down in a devastating assault. The younger man retaliated with a whirlwind of sword qi, deflecting the lightning and sending shockwaves rippling through the vicinity.
Victor felt the ground shake beneath him as the clash reached its peak. He ducked lower in fear since everything seemed extremely realistic.
As much as he wanted to keep watching, he knew better than to get involved. If these guys were powerful enough to split the ground and shake the sky this wasn't something he intended to get involved with in any way.
"Okay, Fang Chen," he muttered to himself before inching backward. "Time to play it smart. Let the big boys duke it out while you… uh… collect more shiny stuff."
But as he began to retreat, a stray bolt of lightning struck the tree he was hiding behind, splitting it in half. Victor yelped while diving to the side as the charred remains crashed to the ground.
Both robed figures turned sharply in his direction as their gazes narrowed.
Victor froze. "Oh crap. I think they saw me."
"Who dares spy on this sacred battle?!" the older man roared with a voice that shook the air.
Victor scrambled to his feet, plastering on his best innocent smile. "Uh… nobody? Just a humble cultivator passing through! Don't mind me!"
The younger man sneered. "Another worm. You should know better than to meddle in matters beyond your station."
The sky turned darker at this moment as both figures unleashed their cultivation energy, causing a powerful pressure to descend upon the surroundings.