Age of Heroes

Arial close his eyes, and concentrate his hearing. 

'A bear. I guess I have to settle this for her' he said.

Quickly Arial run, his step only produces the faintest of sounds, resembling the wind breezing in a grassy plain. Arial reached that spot and spotted the bear. 

Then Arial estimated the bear power. This bear is too near to where Xiyun is hunting. Letting this bear live might be an inconvenience for Xiyun.

She is not yet ready. She can take this bear on…but not without some injuries. So, Arial has decided at that moment on what he is about to do.

And Arial didn't want to injure Xiyun when he is trying to instill confidence in Xiyun. And this bear might even paralyze Xiyun with fear. 

There is a reason why Arial don't want Xiyun to encounter such ferocious beast. It will take time before Xiyun could unleash her full potential but Arial know that this is not yet time.

Since the morning Arial has clear many dangerous beasts in Xiyun path without her ever knowing, stealthily and silently. 

Arial jumped at the bear landing just a few meters from the bear. The bear suddenly is shocked. Seeing a human before it, it rushed to attack with it gigantic claws. 

'Oh' Arial look at the bear rushing at him with an amused expression.

'This is interesting. Maybe a little test' Arial said as he grins at the bear 

It will be the first time he tests this technique that has improved since the last time he used it.

Arial employed the Imposing Presence and the bear suddenly, stopped it claws just inches away from Arial face. 

The bear is trembling, cold sweat filled it bodies. The bear could not understand why it could not attack. 

It is fear. 

Overwhelming fear. The brain stopped. The heart beats so fast like a man seeing the last moment of his death. 

Arial by his estimation has understood but 10 percent of this unique technique of his. 

Imagine only ten percent and he could do this! If he mastered the technique completely even Arial doesn't know what is the final form of this technique.

Arial then approached the bear and he said.

'Sorry that I have to do this. But I could not let you interfere with my disciple training. Just blame it in your bad luck.'

Stating this Arial make a knife like shape with his hand and then in one quick motion pierces the bear heart. 

The bear looked shocked and terrified. Arial then grab the bear heart and then pull it out. His hand is drenched with the bear blood. 

The bear kneeled to the ground, spouting a lump full of blood and then drop to the ground, dying slowly as the mana leaves its brain.

'Xiyun, Xiyun. The things I do for my disciple.' Then he disappears from that area and he watched Xiyun again.

Protecting her. Stealthily. Silently. 

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Xiyun open her eyes. She looks at the Powder. No beast ever reaches here. That powder works.

She sighed in relief. She already returns to the cave she hides the rabbit at dawn and then she resumes her napping. 

Now she found a little firework and created a fire. After creating the fire, she checks the sack. A hundred rabbit is in that sack. 

If anyone could see it one could see a very terrifying scene. Each one of the rabbit has no head. 

But Xiyun look at it gleefully. She took one of the rabbit and skewers it with a sharp stick. These rabbits are not yet rotten. 

'Truly this rabbit is different from normal rabbit. Even after all that there is still warmth.' Xiyun looked at the rabbit gleefully and with a happy feeling. In her mind, she already visualizes the rabbit skewer, the tasty chewy rabbit meat in her mouth.

'Alright, time for breakfast.' She then roasted the rabbit meat. 

If only she is at home, she will slather this rabbit meat with honey, with Laojing wine mixed in the cooking, a little hint of green chili and the cool and relaxing Wujing tea, this rabbit meat will be a delicacy. 

The rabbit then reduced to ninety-eight. 

'This is fine. I will just hunt them during my way back.' 

Today she found another place to hide the sack. Before she hides the sack at a place far away from the habitats of the wolf but today she will hide it near her hunting areas. 

And she discovers a hole near the creek. 

A small hole but Xiyun will make it bigger. After finishing her breakfast and washing her face in the nearby creek she began digging the hole with her hand. 

It took her for three hours before the hole is big enough. Like before she used the foul smelling leaves and plants to mask the smell of the rabbit. 

The reason why Xiyun knows to use the Purple Tear leaves is because she is accustomed to gathering herbs and plant, so unintentionally she learns the properties of these herbs.

It is because of that she knows how to preserve the meat she found. 

'Alright now to hunt those wolves.' She took another sack and then she began entering the wolves' territory. 

Using the dagger, she found last night, she makes progress, killing about twelve wolves in one hour. 

It is slow but it is necessary. Xiyun understand that to fight with the wolves she need to be cautious and she need to target the lone one, or attack them lying in ambush. 

After all, fighting a pack of wolves is not something Xiyun dare to try yet. Xiyun who is very good in hiding use that advantage to stab the wolf in their most defenseless position. 

By the second hour she has killed about thirty to forty wolves. If this is the pace by evening she will reach fifty kills. 

Time passed. Another day passed. She has reached her quota. 

'one hundred wolves, phew.' She exclaimed. 

Now she is at her makeshift tent, roasting another rabbit. The wolves body has all been hide in that big hole that Xiyun has dig.

It has been three days since she has been inside the forest. To achieve this is not easy but with Arial cultivation technique this Xiyun is not the same old Xiyun. 

Not to mention there is a lot of beast for Xiyun to hunt since the other school do not dare to come here. 

Though it must be clarified, that the other school did not fear to come here because of the monster but because of Xiyun teacher. 

After eating, she relaxes herself near the creek, her feet are playing with the water. The cool air of the forest soothes the tired Xiyun. 

Even though Xiyun is still afraid at night, she always mutters sea and stars, sea and stars before she went to sleep. 

Since she does not want to think about ghost this is her way of thinking about something else.

'Tomorrow, it is the bird turn to be killed. And then I can return back. To my big and comfortable room, to my kitchen, to my training. Though, this could also be considered training. Teacher has really expended his energy to help me. I must repay teacher one day.' She said contemplating and reflecting.

'This mean I have to reach deeper in the forest.' 

She did meet a few of birds during hunting the wolf but Xiyun want to focus one animal at a time, so she did not chase the birds but Xiyun got the general idea of how to kill that flying birds.

On her hand is a stick. Around her is many sticks. She took her dagger and began to carve. She is trying to create a mini spear. 

She could not create a bow, not to mention she never learns archery. But she can throw things

After all she could not fly. The only thing she can do is throwing. So she is sharpening the edges of the dull stick and sharpened it to kill the birds. 

At least this time Xiyun has made a plan how to kill the birds. She has learned from her encounter with the wolves the importance of having a plan. 

Of planning to the end. From top to bottom and an emergency plan, if all else fails. 

While her foot is playing with the water, her hand diligently carving the sticks while humming a melody. 

Finishing this I can return home she said happily.

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