Chen Yu's heart pounded like a drum.
The spirit wolf's yellow eyes locked onto him the moment he stepped forward.
For a brief second, fear nearly froze his body.
The creature was enormous.
Up close, it looked even larger than he had imagined.
Its muscles were thick and powerful, and faint traces of spiritual energy shimmered across its dark fur.
Chen Yu swallowed hard.
"This thing could probably bite me in half," he thought.
But behind him stood Lin Tian.
And somehow, that thought steadied his mind.
He tightened his grip on the wooden staff.
"Okay… breathing," Chen Yu whispered to himself.
He remembered Lin Tian's instructions.
Balance.
Control.
Energy flow.
The spirit wolf growled.
Then it lunged.
Chen Yu reacted instinctively.
He swung the staff forward.
WHACK!
The wooden staff struck the wolf's shoulder.
But the impact barely slowed the beast.
Chen Yu's arms vibrated from the force of the collision.
"Too weak," Zhao Ren said sharply.
He rushed forward again and slashed at the wolf's flank.
CLANG!
The sword left a shallow cut across the creature's fur.
The spirit wolf howled angrily and spun around, its claws slashing toward Zhao Ren.
Zhao Ren blocked the attack but was forced backward again.
Chen Yu realized something quickly.
The wolf wasn't afraid.
In fact, the more they fought, the more aggressive it became.
"Senior!" Chen Yu shouted.
"What should I do?"
Lin Tian stood calmly near the road.
He watched the battle with analytical focus.
From his perspective, the fight looked almost slow.
The movements of both Zhao Ren and the wolf were predictable.
Energy patterns revealed their intentions before their bodies moved.
To Lin Tian, the flaws were obvious.
"Your stance is unstable," Lin Tian said.
Chen Yu nearly tripped when he heard that.
"Now?!"
"Yes."
Chen Yu quickly adjusted his footing.
"Lower your center of gravity."
Chen Yu bent his knees slightly.
The spirit wolf charged again.
This time it targeted Chen Yu directly.
"Here it comes!" Chen Yu yelled.
"Do not panic," Lin Tian replied calmly.
The wolf leaped.
Its claws cut through the air toward Chen Yu's chest.
"Step left," Lin Tian said.
Chen Yu moved instantly.
The claws barely missed him.
The wolf landed heavily on the ground beside him.
"Now strike."
Chen Yu swung the staff downward.
CRACK!
The wooden staff smashed into the wolf's back.
The creature snarled in pain.
Zhao Ren's eyes widened.
"That timing…"
He had seen many beginners fight before.
None of them moved with that kind of precision.
The wolf spun around again.
But this time Chen Yu wasn't frozen in fear.
His breathing had stabilized.
He remembered Lin Tian's training posture.
Balance.
Structure.
Energy.
The faint warmth of spiritual energy moved through his arms.
Chen Yu stepped forward again.
The wolf lunged.
But this time Chen Yu anticipated the movement.
He pivoted sideways and swung the staff across the wolf's jaw.
THUD!
The impact knocked the creature slightly off balance.
Zhao Ren seized the opportunity.
He dashed forward.
His sword flashed.
SLASH!
The blade cut deep across the wolf's neck.
The beast staggered.
It tried to leap again—
But its strength was fading.
Zhao Ren delivered the final strike.
The sword pierced through the wolf's throat.
The creature collapsed onto the forest road.
Silence returned to the forest.
Chen Yu stood frozen.
His hands trembled.
"Did… did we win?"
Zhao Ren pulled his sword free and wiped the blood from the blade.
"Yes."
Chen Yu exhaled heavily and sat down on the ground.
"I thought I was going to die."
Zhao Ren laughed slightly.
"You did better than most beginners."
Then he glanced at Lin Tian.
"But the real reason you survived was him."
Chen Yu looked toward Lin Tian.
Lin Tian walked over calmly.
"You followed instructions correctly."
Chen Yu smiled weakly.
"That was terrifying."
"Yes," Lin Tian replied.
"Fear is natural."
Chen Yu looked down at the fallen spirit wolf.
"So… this is what real combat is like."
Zhao Ren crouched beside the corpse.
He carefully removed a small crystal-like object from the wolf's chest.
Chen Yu stared.
"What's that?"
"A beast core," Zhao Ren said.
"Spirit beasts form them after absorbing enough spiritual energy."
Chen Yu leaned closer.
The small crystal glowed faintly.
"That's amazing."
Zhao Ren stood up and tossed it toward Chen Yu.
Chen Yu caught it in surprise.
"Wait… this is valuable, right?"
"Yes."
Chen Yu blinked.
"You're giving it to me?"
Zhao Ren nodded.
"You helped fight."
Chen Yu looked shocked.
"This is my first spirit beast core!"
Lin Tian observed the crystal quietly.
The energy structure inside it was simple but pure.
Condensed spiritual energy.
Efficiently stored.
"Natural formations often surpass artificial systems," Lin Tian thought.
Chen Yu stood up again, still holding the core.
"Senior… did I do okay?"
Lin Tian nodded.
"For your first real battle, your performance was acceptable."
Chen Yu laughed.
"That sounds like a compliment from you."
Zhao Ren mounted his horse again.
"We should continue moving."
Chen Yu climbed back onto his horse as well.
As they continued down the forest road, Chen Yu felt something new.
Confidence.
He had fought a spirit beast.
And survived.
But Lin Tian's mind was focused on something else.
During the battle—
He had noticed something interesting about spirit beasts.
Their energy circulation was far more natural and efficient than human cultivators.
That meant something important.
Perhaps…
Humans on this world had misunderstood part of the cultivation process.
Lin Tian's eyes looked toward the deeper forest.
"This world's cultivation system still has many missing pieces," he thought.
"And I am beginning to see them."