Soon enough, we reached an area in the forest with a river. This is the place where the people come to retrieve water, it appears. Aside from the water wheels inside the village, there is this alternative for those that live outside the wooden walls and have yet to go look for water.
Of course, they have to get through the dangerous forest, but during the day it is often safer. With the Walking Mushrooms planting themselves in the floor and sleeping, and the wolves not appearing as they're nocturnal hunters. Well, most of the time.
Near the water, we encountered a band of five wolves drinking while also eating what seemed to be… a young brown bear.
"(Eleanora, I'll kill some of them from a distance, you catch those that try to run away.)" I told to Eleanora through telepathy.
Eleanora nodded as she obeyed me without refusing. I held a rock into my hands and infused Qi into my hands, strengthening them.
The rock flew at an incredible speed, like a bullet, it pierced the forehead of a wolf right in front of us, which had yet to notice us because it was so concentrated on satiating its hunger.
The wolf gave a pitiful groan and died on the spot.
I had no time to look into the floating Grimoire, as I pointed another rock at the second wolf and fired it.
The back of the wolf's head was pierced in an instant as well, leaving a hole behind, and brutally killing it on the spot.
At this point the other three wolves began to panic, looking for where the attacks came from, two of them left their prey and decided to run away in fear.
Eleanora went to follow the two wolves while I confronted the one that stayed.
It was larger than the other four, and it was refusing to leave his prey even when two of his companions just died in front of him.
His face was scarred, and he was at least twice as big. His fur seemed old and with white parts around their gray fur… It looked skinny, but also rather strong. Its aura was wild and beastly. Mana began to pour out of its spirit orb as it encompassed its body and strengthened him instantly. This monster even knew how to control mana.
Beasts in this world are not born with Spirits, unlike humans. Instead, they can develop innate abilities that spirits can, this is why many call them "Spirit Beasts". However, low-level ones such as wolves, bears, and walking mushrooms cannot do much with mana, but this wolf here at least knew how to enhance his body strength and speed.
Wild beasts have another potential, their bodies and their spirit orbs are packed with their essence. I've heard from my father that those that can reach Rank 2 in Spirit Orb Cultivation are able to create another Spirit using materials. From whom? Spirit Beasts…
Technically, every Rank allows a person to create a new Spirit inside their Spirit Orb, which can be made using materials. But there are even methods that directly convert living Spirit Beasts into Spirit Summons too… As long as they're willing.
Nonetheless, there was no time for me to think about these things, the wolf leaped towards me faster than I could have expected, roaring loudly, its sharp claws slashed the wind and unleashed aura attacks that could even pierce through a tree.
I jumped away as the long-distance attack hit the ground, making it tremble loudly. I glared back at the beast as I noticed it was very strong compared to the others, not just a bit. This thing was an Alpha Gray Wolf, a stronger version of the others, and might even be something like an evolved form. A fitting prey for a child.
It roared again, leaping towards me a second time. I evaded his charge and jumped over its head swiftly, my movements were fast thanks to the enhancement of my body using Qi and my new Physique. I had a lot of Blood Qi accumulated after all.
I generated blood claws over both of my hands and slashed through the wolf's back while I was there, opening two enormous wounds which leaked rivers of blood.
The wolf cried in pain as it gritted its teeth and directed its raging anger at me. A strong bite reached me in an instant while I was in midair and jumping away from it.
It caught my leg and bit it hard.
I felt a lot of pain, but the bones didn't break. This wasn't thanks to my new Physique which could enhance my body to become strong, my skin was also covered with an outer layer of Qi, named Qi Skin, this technique could advance further and become harder and harder. Currently, I was using the lowest technique, Bronze Skin.
Using the enhancement of my body, I gave a twist in midair and kicked the wolf's chin, throwing it through the air.
Its large body landed on the floor rather ugly, the wounds on its back were terrible too, it was struggling to live despite the lethal wounds. I looked at my leg, there was still the mark of its jaws, that will make an ugly scar. Nonetheless, I couldn't care less about scars, I moved forward relentlessly and attacked while the wolf was down and weakened.
I grabbed the rocks in my pocket and fired them all at once, like flying projectiles, they fell over the wolf's body and left bloody holes in each part where they impacted!
The Wolf let out a strange scream of pain, as it tried to stand up, attempting to give me another bite, but instead, it received a strong kick in the head, followed by my special technique.
Flowing Fist Technique: Skull Smasher.