The golden and orange light faded, leaving behind the stunning silhouette of a woman where the towering tiger once stood.
I observed her, not with awe or fear, but with cold, calculating detachment. Her transformation was a display of power, yes, but also a revelation.
The raw, untamed dominance of her beast form had been replaced by a more subtle, yet still potent, aura. A faint, earthy scent, distinct from the raw musk of her tiger form, now clung to her, hinting at a connection to the forest itself.
Interesting. The shift in form changes the nature of their power. A potential weakness? Or merely a different set of rules for me to master?
I offered a faint, tired smile, a practiced mask of vulnerability. "Very. I've never seen anything like it. It's... extraordinary."
My eyes, a practiced mask of wonder, sparkled. A new resource.
She chuckled, a low, throaty sound that resonated with pride, a rumble that seemed to gently vibrate the air around us.
"Only beasts who reach the Gold Core stage can achieve this. It is a sign of ultimate power and wisdom." She gestured to the cave entrance. "Come, Xiao Bai. Rest. We have much to discuss."
I followed her deeper into the den. The air inside was warmer, humid, carrying the distinct smell of rich earth, faint traces of dried blood, and the musky scent of predator.
The cave walls, rough and damp, felt cool against my skin as I brushed past them. The cub, still trembling visibly, immediately cowered at her feet, rubbing its head against her leg, and emitted a soft, frightened whimper.
"This is Little Hu," Mei said, a soft warmth entering her voice as she gently nudged the cub with her foot. "My son." Her gaze then returned to me, sharp and penetrating.
"My name is Mei. And you, Xiao Bai, are a curious human. Brave, yes, but weak. You have no Dantian, do you?"
My internal alarm bells didn't even flicker. I had already anticipated this question, every response rehearsed.
My expression remained neutral, a slight furrow in my brow feigning confusion.
"Dantian? I... I don't know what that is. Is it something humans are supposed to have?" I kept my voice soft, bewildered, carefully cultivating the persona of the ignorant newcomer.
Mei watched me. Her internal voice resonated, a mix of surprise and growing calculation. `'He truly doesn't know. A human without a cultivation foundation. Yet, he endured my intimidation. He did not flinch before my claw. This one is different. A blank slate, but with an iron will. Perhaps, a unique tool.'`
Mei's gaze sharpened, a hint of suspicion, like a faint shadow, crossing her golden eyes. She reached out, her slender fingers, tipped with short, sharp nails, hovering near my chest. I didn't flinch. I felt a faint, cold wisp of energy brush against my skin, probing. It found nothing. Absolutely nothing.
"Indeed," she murmured, her voice laced with genuine surprise, a rare crack in her composed demeanor. "Your body... it is empty. There is no Dantian, no spiritual sea within you. How is this possible?"
Her expression shifted from suspicion to genuine bewilderment, then to a calculating glint, as if a new, intriguing puzzle had presented itself.
"Most humans cultivate by forming a Dantian, gathering spiritual energy within it. Without one, you cannot cultivate in the human way."
No Dantian, huh? My mind raced, processing this new, crucial data. A dead end for conventional cultivation. But a new beginning for me. A canvas untouched by their limited rules.
I recalled Little Hu's explanation of Beast Cores, how beasts absorbed energy into them, refining it into a concentrated power source.
If humans use a Dantian, and beasts use a core... what if I don't follow their rules? What if I forge my own? What if I become something more? Something monstrous to them.
An insane, exhilarating thought sparked in my mind, a cruel smile forming internally, unseen behind my placid expression.
If I don't have a Dantian as a human, then perhaps I can possess a Beast Core. I will plant it within myself. I will consume their very essence, their blood, their raw power.
Perhaps then, I can cultivate. A path of ultimate transgression, a slap in the face to the 'heavenly' order. The idea was audacious, bloody, and perfectly Chen Mo.
"So, I cannot become strong?" I asked, my voice tinged with a carefully crafted disappointment, a hint of vulnerability that would appeal to any being with a shred of pity.
"I want to survive in this world. I want to understand it. But without a Dantian..." I trailed off, letting the implied helplessness hang in the air, a bait for her ambition.
Mei watched me, her gaze piercing, as if trying to see through my facade to the core of my being. Then, a faint smile, almost predatory, touched her lips.
"Perhaps there is a way. For you, Xiao Bai, a different path might exist. A path that benefits us both." Her eyes glinted with calculation.
Mei's internal voice resonated. A human with no Dantian but immense courage and cunning? A perfect puppet. He thinks he's playing the weakling, but I see the predator in his eyes. He is useful. Very useful.
She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a low, persuasive tone, like a siren's song promising power. "My son, Little Hu, he is still young. To grow strong, to reach the Gold Core stage, he needs powerful Beast Cores. Cores from beasts far stronger than himself. Cores that are difficult to obtain, guarded by formidable creatures whose Qi defenses are impenetrable to ordinary blades."
She paused, letting her words sink in, a silent challenge. "You, Xiao Bai, you possess an unusual courage. You are fearless, even when facing death. You are... different. Perhaps you can acquire these cores for us."
Ah, here it is. The real reason she let me live. A tool. A means to an end. Perfect. You truly underestimate me, Mei. You think you hold all the cards.
I maintained my innocent expression, waiting for her next move, analyzing every flicker of emotion on her face, every nuance in her voice.
"Why me?" I asked, allowing a hint of feigned doubt to enter my voice. "Surely there are other beasts, stronger than me, who could help you?"
Mei chuckled softly. "Oh, there are. But they are not as motivated as a human facing certain death. And few beasts possess the cunning to navigate both the wild and the human territories if needed. Besides, it is often easier for a human to approach certain beasts without immediately triggering their aggression, especially if you act... harmless."
Her words were a finely-spun web of lies, but I saw the truth underneath. I was a tool.
"But these cores... if they are so powerful, why not obtain them yourself?" I pressed, a subtle challenge in my tone.
Mei's smile tightened, a flicker of something unreadable in her golden eyes. "Some beasts are too strong even for me to face directly. And others... well, they require a more subtle approach."
She spoke of danger, but her eyes betrayed a deeper calculation. She was sending me into a meat grinder. The perfect sacrifice.
"I see," I murmured, nodding slowly, as if weighing the monumental task.
Mei then extended her hand. From behind her, a dark shimmer coalesced from the shadows of the cave. It was a slender sword, its blade obsidian black, with faint crimson lines pulsing like living veins beneath the surface.
A chilling aura emanated from it, sharp enough to prick the skin, even for me who had no Dantian, a whisper of death clinging to the air around it.
"This," Mei's voice was melodious, yet carried an undeniable authority, a command wrapped in silk. "Is the Qi-Slaying Blade. A simple artifact, but capable of piercing energy defenses. I give it to you so you might have a better chance in the forest. It is your tool to bring those beast cores to me."
I took the sword, the cold metal a familiar weight in my palm. My fingers closed around the hilt, feeling its balance, the faint vibration of contained power.
My eyes, devoid of any genuine emotion, analyzed the dark blade, the crimson veins, the promise of bloodshed it held.
A Qi-Slaying Blade. She has no idea I intend to use it for a purpose far grander than merely gathering cores for her kin. Foolish. This isn't her tool; it's mine. A precise instrument to carve my own power, my own terrifying legacy, in this alien world.
Mei watched my neutral expression, perhaps misinterpreting it as silent awe or cautious acceptance.
"Starting tomorrow morning," she declared, her voice firm, leaving no room for argument, "your training will begin. I will ensure you are useful enough for our purpose, Xiao Bai."
Training? Good. Excellent. This will only hasten my progress. And she will even teach me how to slay her own kind, how to dissect their strengths, how to find the very essence I need to devour.
A thin, almost imperceptible smile touched my blood-scratched lips, hidden in the dim light of the den. The new game has truly begun. And I intend to win.