Cultivation starts with picking up attributes-Chapter 51: Ch-: Sometimes, you learn the hard way

The mist hung heavy in the air, each droplet trembling with the latent spiritual energy of the Great Wilderness.

Tian Shen’s ribs still burned from the panther king’s vicious strike, his breaths ragged as he pressed a trembling hand to his side.

Beside him, Feng Yin curled on the damp moss, one hand shading her eyes from the drifting moonlight, the other clutching her formation disc like a lifeline.

Little Mei—in her fox form still gleaming faintly with residual illusionary aura—lay curled at their feet, tail flicking as if dreaming of chase and play.

"Tian Shen..." Feng Yin’s voice was hushed, coated with fatigue and concern.

"Your Spiritual Qi... it’s still too raw. You tapped into your Solar Cultivation Technique and then rushed in. You nearly got us killed."

He managed a weak grin, crimson seeping at the corner of his mouth.

"Sometimes, you have to learn the hard way. I underestimated the panther king. But our retreat worked. We survived."

A low rustle echoed from deeper within the forest, as if the trees themselves shifted to observe them.

The trail of broken underbrush and the distant roar had announced their presence—strange for cultivators skilled in stealth.

Already, the Great Wilderness was mobilizing, hunting in tandem with its most powerful denizens.

Feng Yin sat up, propping herself on one elbow.

"We can’t stay here much longer. That roar will draw more beasts. We need to push toward the Inner Depths quickly and find shelter in those ancient ruins we read about."

Tian Shen nodded, rising on unsteady legs. He closed his eyes and summoned a stream of nurturing Spiritual Qi, focusing it on his wounds.

The pain receded to a dull throb, and within moments the bleeding ceased. He inhaled deeply, the golden hue of his aura flickering back to life.

"Alright," he agreed.

"Let’s move."

They set out under the canopy’s protective shadow, moving silently despite their weariness.

Feng Yin led the way, her senses straining to detect the slightest ripple of spirit energy. Little Mei trotted beside her, nose quivering as it sniffed for danger.

For the next hour, they advanced deeper into the forest, weaving between colossal roots and sidestepping bioluminescent fungi that pulsed with grief-like sorrow.

The Inner Depths loomed ahead—an expanse where sunlight never truly penetrated, and the air was thick with the stagnant breath of ancient spirits.

Here, the wood itself seemed alive, writhing like a slumbering beast. Tendrils of mist coiled around their ankles as if seeking to entangle them.

Tian Shen paused, his hand pressing against the bark of a colossal tree, its surface etched with runes of a long-forgotten era.

He felt the echoes of countless cultivators who had fought and perished here.

"Do you feel that?"

He whispered.

Feng Yin glanced at him, eyes narrowed.

"Yes. A formation—an ancient sealing array. Powerful, but unstable."

"Let’s use it."

Tian Shen’s voice was firm.

"If we can trigger it correctly, it might hold off the beasts long enough for us to reach the Azure sea crossing point."

Feng Yin nodded, drawing a jade talisman from her sleeve.

She began tracing intricate gestures in the air.

Little Mei’s tails flicked, brushing against the rune-carved bark.

The ancient tree responded: veins of pale light crackled along its runes, as if awakening from a dream.

But something was wrong. Instead of the comforting lull of a sealing formation, a discordant vibration rippled through the wood.

The runes flared erratically, and the air convulsed with a sudden quake.

Tian Shen leapt back.

"It’s breaking down!"

A guttural roar erupted behind them. From the shadows, a pair of glowing eyes blinked into focus.

Then another pair. Soon, a dozen colossal specter wolves emerged, their forms half-mist, half-flesh.

Each one bore the mark of the Ancient Wolf Lords, titans of the Inner Depths rumored to devour entire cultivator patrols.

"Damn," Feng Yin cursed.

"We triggered a spirit guardian, not a seal."

Tian Shen drew in a steadying breath, adrenaline sharpening his senses.

"Plan B—divide and conquer. Mei, you and I will handle the wolves. Feng Yin, make for the ruins’ entrance. Activate the array from the central stone altar."

"Got it."

Feng Yin darted off, spirit disc spinning like a blazing sun.

Little Mei’s form shimmered as she shifted into her anthropomorphic fox guise, agile limbs coiling with latent power.

"Kyuuu~"

She exclaimed, her voice a melodic chime that masked her ferocity.

The wolves lunged as one. Their jaws gaped, fangs dripping with ethereal venom that sizzled the mist.

Tian Shen’s aura flared golden; Poison Aura Finger glowed at his fingertips.

He slashed the first wolf’s flank, injecting a pulse of paralyzing toxin. The beast howled, body stiffening mid-lunge and collapsing into the undergrowth.

Another wolf snapped at him from the side. Tian Shen twisted, his Storm Chasing Technique propelling him into a somersault.

He struck the beast’s ribs with a concussive palm strike, cracking bones and sending it hurtling into a tree. The impact shook the forest.

『Congrats host, you killed a 3-star beast and gained Physique points ×200.』

『Congrats host, you killed a 3-star beast and gained Physique points ×200.』

『Congrats host...』

System chimed, giving him quite a relieve or... a headache.

Little Mei danced around the next wolf, claws extended. She leapt, raking steel-like talons across its translucent hide.

The creature yelped, dissipating into a cloud of spiritual mist that drifted away like lost souls.

But there were too many. Four wolves circled them, growling in unison.

Their alpha, a towering wolf of swirling violet mist and jagged bone, stepped forward. Its eyes locked onto Tian Shen’s.

Tian Shen steadied himself, heart hammering.

"Come on, I’m ready."

The alpha wolf charged. Tian Shen met it head-on, crossing his arms to form the Solar Cultivation defensive posture.

A radiant halo burst around him, deflecting the alpha’s swipe. Light and shadow clashed in an explosion of force.

The trees trembled, and a wave of luminous Qi cascaded outward, pushing the lesser wolves back.

With a roar, Tian Shen thrust forward, Poison Aura Finger crackling with green lightning.

He aimed for the alpha’s vital point beneath its jaw. The bolt struck true, sending corruption rippling through its form.

The wolf staggered, but the poison had only slowed it, not felled it.

In that moment, Feng Yin’s distant voice echoed through the forest: "Tian Shen! Hurry!"

He gritted his teeth.

"Little Mei, we need more time. Can you draw their attention?"

Mei nodded, eyes glinting. She tapped her talisman gauntlet twice.

Instantly, the forest floor trembled as dozens of spirit fox illusions erupted, each screaming and barking like a startled pack.

The wolves’ attention shattered; they turned, snarling and lunging at the mirages.

Tian Shen seized the chance. Channeling every ounce of his Solar Qi, he unleashed the Dawn Breaker Palm—a technique that merged light and poison in a single devastating strike.

He propelled himself skyward, light trailing like a comet’s tail, and pounded down onto the alpha wolf’s head.

The impact cracked the earth, sending fissures snaking outward. The wolf’s mist form splattered like ink in water, dissolving into nothingness.

As the echoes of battle faded, only the lesser wolves remained, now leaderless and disoriented.

Little Mei materialized beside him, catching his arm.

"Ky... u~"

’That... was intense.’

Tian Shen landed heavily, panting.

"Too intense. We need to move."

They sprinted toward a break in the trees where Feng Yin waited before a stone altar overgrown with vines.

Sigils carved centuries ago glowed faintly under her touch. She was chanting in Low Celestial, her voice weaving a tapestry of power.

Tian Shen and Mei covered her flanks as wolves regrouped and circled for another charge.

Little Mei sprinted forward, leaping to intercept the nearest wolf. Her claws raked its spectral fur, and as it howled, spirit energy seeped from its wounds like steam.

"Tian Shen!"

Feng Yin’s voice echoed with urgency.

"Now!"

He lunged to the altar, pressing both hands onto its weathered surface. His aura flared, linking with the runes.

A resonant hum filled the air. Vines writhed, drawing back to reveal more sigils. The sealing formation awakened—and then stuttered.

The wolves pounced. Mei slid under one, spinning to gouge behind its shoulder. Another snapped at Tian Shen, catching his arm.

Pain flared, but he ignored it, pouring every ounce of his Solar Qi into the altar’s core.

A blinding pillar of light shot upward, a beacon in the darkness. The wolves howled in unison as a binding net of golden threads ensnared them, forcing their mist forms into the runic lattice.

Within heartbeats, all twelve were sealed within the formation, their roars muffled into silent echoes.

The forest exhaled. Feng Yin let go of her chant, collapsing beside the altar.

"That... should hold them for at least three days," she gasped.

"Long enough for the formations to reinforce."

Tian Shen sank to one knee, sweat and blood mingling on his brow.

"Three days," he repeated.

"Then we rest... and push on."

They rested until the first rays of dawn seeped through the dense foliage.

Feng Yin applied a restorative ointment to Tian Shen’s wounds. Little Mei curled into a ball, spent from the battle.

The Verdant Wilderness, momentarily subdued, lay silent—almost expectant.

"This forest..." Feng Yin murmured, tracing the cracked runes with a finger.

"It’s not just a natural barrier. It’s an ancient prison. Dozens of experts died here, and their energies got woven into the grove itself."

Tian Shen nodded.

"That explains the guardians and the sealing arrays. It’s like the forest learned to defend itself."

Feng Yin smiled wanly.

"You are right. But even on our worst days, we’ve got each other."

Tian Shen looked at his two companions.

"We’ll make it through. But once we cross the Azure sea... the Central Region awaits. Stronger foes, sect politics, and even greater trials."

He rose, drawing a faint circle in the dirt with the tip of his finger. The glowing symbol of the Beast Taming Sect appeared briefly before fading.

"But we’ll face them together."

With renewed determination coursing through his veins, Tian Shen led the way out of the Inner Depths.

Above, the forest canopy parted, revealing a pale sky and the promise of open plains beyond.

They emerged onto a grassy slope, the wind carrying the scent of distant waters.

Below them lay the Azure sea, its surface shimmering with spirit-infused tides.

Far across the waters, the mist-shrouded mountains of the Central Region beckoned—peaks crowned with ancient sect halls, spires piercing the clouds.

Tian Shen clasped Feng Yin’s hand and held up Little Mei on his shoulder.

"We’ve come this far. The path ahead will be even harder, but our bonds... our strength... will carry us through."

Feng Yin squeezed his hand, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

"Let’s cross that sea, together."

Mei nestled closer, her tails swaying.

"Kyuu~"

As the three stood on that ridge, the sun broke free of the forest’s grasp, bathing them in golden light.

The next Chapter of their journey—across wind-whipped waters, into the heart of cultivation politics, and toward destiny itself—lay waiting. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

And with hearts fused by trials, they stepped forward, leaving the shadows of the Venomous Wilderness behind.