The Osborn compound was gradually illuminated by morning. As the first sounds of training started to reverberate through the inner courtyard, a pale light spread across the tiled roofs and stone walkways. Wooden weapons made steady rhythmic strikes against one another. The clan's younger mbers had already assembled in the practice yard, going through exercises that had beco standard over the previous few months.
Robert stood near the edge of the courtyard watching them. He had been awake long before the sun rose. The compound felt different these days. More people moved through the paths with purpose. The air carried a quiet sense of growth.
Behind him, footsteps approached across the stone floor. His father, John Osborn, entered the courtyard wearing a simple training robe. His presence remained calm as always, but the surrounding strength was unmistakable.
Robert turned slightly. I am preparing the first organised hunt for the younger mbers.
John listened without interrupting. The outer forest has enough mid-level beasts for training. It will help them gain experience in real combat. John nodded slowly. The forest is not a training yard. But avoiding danger entirely will weaken them.
Robert placed a small cloth bundle on the table beside them and opened it. Inside were several dull grey crystals. We have gathered two hundred dium-grade spirit stones from the clan reserve. I will divide them between the teams before they leave.
John studied the stones briefly. dium-grade stones were valuable for younger cultivators. They allowed quick recovery during battle and helped maintain stable qi flow.
Use them carefully, John said. Recovery is important during the beast hunts.
Robert agreed with his father's words. Every mber also has a storage ring now. After the clan deploynt last month, we purchased enough storage rings for the core mbers and elders.
John did not comnt further. Storage rings had once been rare items within the clan. Now they are becoming standard equipnt.
Do not go deeper than the outer territory, John said after a mont. Robert nodded once. He returned to the main courtyard where the others had already gathered.
Ronan leaned against a wooden railing while checking the grip of his spear. Sarah stood beside him, stretching her arms. On the opposite side of the yard, Sai spoke quietly with Eissa and Taylen.
Robert placed a folded map on the training table. We divide into two teams. The group gathered closer. Team One will move along the western ridge. I will lead that team.
He said the nas. , Ronan and Sarah.
He continued without pause. Team Two will patrol the southern forest line. Eissa, Sai and Taylen.
The assignnts were not random. Robert had already considered their cultivation levels carefully. Robert stood at Spirit Root Realm Level six, low stage. His presence alone balanced the first group.
Ronan had reached Spirit Root Realm Level Three mid-stage. His spear work had improved steadily since the forest training.
Sarah was slightly behind him at Spirit Root Realm Level Four, low stage, but her speed and movent technique compensated for the difference. Robert looked toward the second team.
Eissa had advanced to Spirit Root Realm Level Five, a low stage after the previous battles. Sai remained the strongest mber of that group at Spirit Root Realm Level Six mid-stage.
Taylen had recently broken through to Spirit Root Realm Level Three mid-stage. He lacked experience, but his physical strength was useful against larger beasts.
Both teams now hold roughly equal combat strength. Robert opened a second pouch and placed several small spirit stones on the table. Two hundred dium-grade spirit stones after seeing the spirit stone's eye lid up. Robert said divided equally among themselves.
The group understood the importance imdiately. dium-grade stones were not sothing to waste. Use them only if your qi becos unstable or if recovery is necessary during battle.
Each mber stored their portion inside their spirit rings. The rings absorbed the stones easily, disappearing into the small storage space bound to the item.
Robert says spirit beasts grow by absorbing natural qi. Over ti, that energy condenses into a core inside their body. He drew several simple marks beside the chart.
Level one to three beasts are weak. They are dangerous to ordinary people but not to cultivators. Level four to six beasts are common fighters. They can injure Spirit Root cultivators if handled carelessly. He paused before marking the next line.
Level seven and eight beasts are much stronger. Those beasts hold territory and rarely retreat. The group listened quietly. Anything above level eight begins approaching Soul Manifestation strength. We do not engage those beasts.
The explanation ended there. No one asked questions. A faint ripple moved through Robert's mind as the system interface appeared again.
SYSTEM TASK ACTIVATED
Outer Forest Training Operation
Objectives
Hunt spirit beasts
Collect beast cores
Gather rare herbs
Rewards
Training assistance tool
Bonus reward
Discovery of hidden cultivation resources
The notification faded quietly. Robert closed the interface and stood. They left the compound shortly after sunrise. The outer forest stretched beyond the hills surrounding Magical City. Tall trees blocked most of the sunlight once they crossed the boundary.
Leaves rustled overhead as the two teams separated. Robert led Ronan and Sarah toward the western ridge path. The ground rose gradually beneath their feet as the forest thickened.
They had not walked long before Ronan raised a hand. Movent. A shape erged from behind a fallen tree trunk. A forest fang wolf. The beast's body was lean and grey. Its eyes remained fixed on them as it stepped slowly into the clearing.
Robert observed quietly. Spirit Root Level Five strength. He stepped back slightly and said, Ronan, Sarah, you engage first and improve your battle skills. The two moved forward without hesitation.
Ronan attacked first, driving his spear toward the wolf's shoulder. The beast twisted aside and snapped toward him. Sarah moved quickly along the side, her blade striking toward the beast's back leg.
The wolf reacted with surprising speed. It lunged between them, trying to break their formation. Ronan recovered quickly and blocked the attack with the shaft of his spear.
The fight lasted only monts. When the wolf attempted to retreat deeper into the trees, Robert stepped forward. His sword moved once.
The beast collapsed before it could escape.
Robert knelt beside the body and opened the chest cavity carefully. After a few monts, he removed a small dark core.
The system responded imdiately.
5000 Soul Power absorbed.
The ssage appeared briefly before fading. Several hours later, deeper within the southern forest line, the second team faced their own challenge.
A stoneback boar burst from the brush with a low roar. The beast's thick hair carried patches of hardened stone along its shoulders. Sai stepped forward imdiately. Spirit Root Level Six.
The boar charged without hesitation. Sai deflected the first attack while Eissa struck from the side. Taylen followed with a heavy strike against the beast's flank.
The battle lasted longer than the wolf encounter. The boar's strength forced them backwards twice before Sai finally drove his blade into its neck.
When the beast collapsed, the group stood quietly for a mont, catching their breath. Another beast core joined their supplies. The two groups t again later that afternoon, close to a rocky slope deeper into the forest.
Robert noticed sothing unusual while scanning the ground. Several dark plants grew along the shaded side of the rocks. He crouched beside them.
Shadow root herbs. The sa type he had discovered near the hidden valley. The system responded again.
Herb collection was successful.
Training assistance tool unlocked.
Robert studied the plants carefully before storing them inside his storage ring.
The discovery confird sothing he had already suspected. The qi density in this forest region was changing. As the sun lowered behind the hills, the group prepared to return toward the city.
Robert paused briefly before leaving the clearing. Far deeper in the forest, beyond the hills and valleys, a faint current of qi moved through the air.
It was stronger than the surrounding forest.
The direction was unmistakable. The hidden valley. Robert said nothing as they began the journey back.
But the hunt revealed more than training opportunities. Sothing in that valley was beginning to change. And the forest itself seed to be responding.
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