Chapter 5: The Misty Forest and the Qi-Eating Wolf
he next morning, Lin Yue packed a small bag—dried meat, water, a few healing pills Xiao Yu had given him—and set off for the Misty Forest. Xiao Yu had wanted to come, but Lin Yue had refused; the forest was too dangerous, and he didn’t want to risk her life. “I’ll be back,” he’d told her, before leaving at dawn. “I promise.”
The Misty Forest lived up to its name. By mid-morning, a thick white fog had rolled in, obscuring the trees and making it hard to see more than a few feet ahead. The air was cold, and the only sounds were the rustle of leaves and the distant hoot of an owl. Long Xuan’s voice echoed in Lin Yue’s mind: “Stay alert. The illusion magic here targets your fears. Don’t let it trick you.”
Lin Yue nodded, channeling a small amount of dragon qi into his eyes. The fog cleared slightly, revealing twisted tree trunks and thorny underbrush. He followed the map, which was marked with strange symbols—ones that glowed faintly when he held them up to the light.
After walking for hours, he heard a low growl. He froze, drawing his sword. A pair of glowing red eyes appeared in the fog, followed by a large, black wolf—its fur matted, its teeth dripping with saliva. But this wasn’t an ordinary wolf; Lin Yue could sense it—its body was filled with a dark, hungry qi, the kind that came from feeding on cultivators.
“A qi-eating wolf,” Long Xuan said, his voice tense. “They’re rare, but deadly. Their bites can drain your qi in seconds. Don’t let it touch you.”
The wolf charged, its claws scraping against the dirt. Lin Yue jumped sideways, swinging his sword. The blade grazed the wolf’s shoulder, drawing blood, but the wolf didn’t slow down. It turned, lunging at Lin Yue’s throat.
Lin Yue rolled out of the way, channeling dragon qi into his sword. The blade glowed blue, and he swung it in a wide arc. “Dragon’s Flame Slash!” he shouted. A burst of blue fire shot from the sword, hitting the wolf in the chest. The wolf howled, its fur catching fire, but it still didn’t fall. It lunged again, its jaws clamping down on Lin Yue’s arm.
Lin Yue screamed. He could feel his qi draining, fast—his arm felt numb, and his vision started to blur. “Focus!” Long Xuan shouted. “Channel dragon qi into the wound! Burn the wolf’s mouth!”
Lin Yue gritted his teeth, forcing dragon qi into his arm. The wolf yelped, releasing his arm and backing away, its mouth smoking. Lin Yue stood, his arm throbbing, and swung his sword again. This time, the blade pierced the wolf’s heart. The wolf fell to the ground, twitching, then went still.
Lin Yue collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. His arm was covered in blood, and his qi was low. He took a healing pill, swallowing it quickly, and felt a warm energy spread through his body. The pain in his arm lessened, and his qi started to recover.
“Good job,” Long Xuan said, his voice relieved. “But we’re not out of the woods yet. The cave is ahead—can you feel it? The illusion magic is stronger there.”
Lin Yue nodded, pushing himself up. He walked forward, the fog growing thicker, until he saw it: a small cave, hidden behind a wall of ivy. The ivy was covered in glowing symbols, ones that matched the map. He reached out, touching the symbols with his hand. The ivy parted, revealing the cave entrance.
He took a deep breath, then stepped inside.