5: Chapter 5: The Resurrection Point Bought Back for Fifty Spirit Stones

The shadows in the mist did not give them time to celebrate their first kill.

A wolf paw stepped out of the black mist and into the mud at the edge of the medicinal field, causing the ground to sink by half an inch on the spot.

Immediately after, a narrow wolf head poked out from the mist layer, its two rows of exposed fangs dripping with drool, its shoulder and back muscles heaving with each breath, and old scars visible beneath its grey-black fur.

Low-tier Split-Tooth Wolf.

Sect Master Di Kun's fingers tightened around his short blade.

There was more than just a slight difference in strength between a Demon Rat and a Split-Tooth Wolf.

The former could be worn down with guts and observation, but once the latter unleashed its speed, the five new Disciples might not even have a chance to run back to the Sect.

"Retreat."

Sect Master Di Kun only spat out one word, his body already moving to the side, preparing to block the path between the five Disciples and the Split-Tooth Wolf.

However, the Dark Souls Youth took a half-step forward.

He lowered his shoulders, held his wooden sword horizontally in front of him, twisted his toes into the mud to create a shallow pit, and kept his eyes locked on the Split-Tooth Wolf's forelimbs.

Sect Master Di Kun's temple throbbed. "Come back!"

"I'll draw aggro and watch for the charge wind-up." The Dark Souls Youth's voice was tight, but his hands were steady. "It's large, so its turning radius must be large too."

The Split-Tooth Wolf's ears twitched.

It did not screech like the Demon Rat, nor did it perform any unnecessary probing; it simply sank its hind legs, squeezing mud out from between its claws.

The moment Sect Master Di Kun saw that patch of mud explode, his body already lunged forward.

Still half a step too slow.

The Split-Tooth Wolf pounced in front of the Dark Souls Youth, its wolf claw swiping horizontally.

The wooden sword snapped in two on the spot, the chest of his coarse cloth garment was torn open by the claw wind, and the Dark Souls Youth was sent flying over the field ridge, his back slamming into a collapsed stone stele.

The stone stele shattered into two pieces with a boom.

The Dark Souls Youth spat out a mouthful of blood, his fingers still clutching tightly onto the broken half of the wooden sword.

He tried to crawl up, but his right arm collapsed halfway through, the soft sound of dislocated bones mingling with the sound of the mud and rain, causing the Life-Skill Player to turn pale.

This time, no one shouted the name of a Move.

The Split-Tooth Wolf landed and turned its head to lock onto the Dark Souls Youth.

The drool from its mouth dripped into the mud, and a stench of rot instantly assaulted everyone's nostrils.

"Exploit the terrain!" the Speedrun Youth suddenly roared, grabbing a piece of gravel and hurling it at the Split-Tooth Wolf's cheek. "Retreat behind the field ridge, don't run in a straight line!"

The stone hit the base of the Split-Tooth Wolf's ear; it didn't break the skin, but it made the beast tilt its head.

The Tower Defense Youth dragged the Life-Skill Player back toward the stone pile, tapping his wooden sword on the ground several times. "We can bottleneck it here; it will slow down when crossing the stone pile. The stone path at the valley entrance is narrow, which will buy us time."

The Life-Skill Player clutched the newly harvested Demon Rat teeth and grey fur, his fingers trembling violently, but he did not drop the cloth bag.

As he passed a collapsed stele, he forcefully rammed it with his shoulder, pushing the half-stele over into the middle of the path.

"Temporary obstacle!" His voice cracked. "Don't step on the left, the mud is deep there!"

The Chuunibyou Youth stood on the field ridge, the cloth wrapped around his right arm soaked by the mud and water.

He stared at the Split-Tooth Wolf, gritted his teeth, opened the Basic Qi Refining Technique, and chanted rapidly.

"Flame of Seal, release!"

Sect Master Di Kun was about to shout a stop, but a tiny spark had already emerged from the Chuunibyou Youth's palm.

The spark was only the size of a bean; it flared briefly in the post-rain humidity, singeing a few fine hairs on his palm.

The Split-Tooth Wolf whipped its head around.

That spark didn't hurt it, but it pricked its ferocity.

It let out a low growl from its throat, tensed its hind legs, and lunged straight at the Chuunibyou Youth.

"Get down!"

Sect Master Di Kun intervened, his short blade slicing upward to clash with the Split-Tooth Wolf's swiping forepaw.

A sound like clashing metal exploded.

A notch chipped off the edge of the short blade.

Sect Master Di Kun's left arm was grazed by the other wolf paw; his Sect Master robe's sleeve tore, a deep gash opened in his flesh, and blood dripped down his wrist.

He used the force to retreat half a step, his heel crushing a wet stone, and he only stabilized himself after his shoulder slammed into the field ridge.

Pain shot from his left arm to his shoulder like a trail of fire.

Sect Master Di Kun clenched his back teeth, held his short blade in a diagonal block, and the coldness in his eyes deepened.

He had spent this past year rolling around at the bottom of the Immortal Realm; getting beaten, fleeing for his life, and killing were nothing new to him.

The Split-Tooth Wolf was faster and stronger than he had expected.

If it pounced again, the targeted Disciple would surely die.

The Dark Souls Youth lay beside the broken stele, his chest rising and falling weakly.

He raised his blood-stained hand and pointed at the Split-Tooth Wolf.

"Memorize... its movements..." Blood welled from the corners of his mouth with every word he spat out. "After its double lunge, there's a recovery period!"

The Speedrun Youth had already rushed to the entrance of the stone path; his charcoal pencil had been lost at some point, leaving only a black mark behind his ear.

He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Sect Master, take the stone path! I'll cover the rear; it will get stuck if it enters the narrow path!"

Sect Master Di Kun forced the Split-Tooth Wolf back with a slash, reached out to grab the back of the Dark Souls Youth's collar, and dragged him away from the broken stele.

"Everyone retreat to the Sect."

"What about Dark Souls..."

"I'll drag him."

Sect Master Di Kun didn't say more, slashing his short blade in front of the Split-Tooth Wolf's eyes.

The blade light forced the Split-Tooth Wolf to tilt its head, and the Life-Skill Player and Tower Defense Youth took the opportunity to support the Dark Souls Youth and run toward the stone path.

The Chuunibyou Youth followed, clutching his palm, which had been burned red by the spark; the usual chuunibyou intensity on his face was tightened by the smell of blood.

The stone path was narrow, and the mountain rocks on both sides had been washed by the rain to reveal blue-black patterns.

The Speedrun Youth ran at the back, constantly looking back, his footsteps treading the edges of the field ridges, stones, and mud pits, forcefully luring the Split-Tooth Wolf to the entrance of the stone path.

"It lowers its head before charging, pauses after the double lunge, and its tail doesn't participate in attacks." He reported as he ran. "Its turning is slow; stick to the right wall to trick it into shoulder-checking the wall."

The Split-Tooth Wolf lunged into the stone path, its shoulders and back scraping against the mountain wall, causing gravel to fall in a rustle.

The Speedrun Youth made a sharp turn against the right wall, and the Split-Tooth Wolf's claw brushed his back and slapped against the stone wall.

Four white marks were slapped onto the stone wall, and debris struck the side of his face, drawing fine lines of blood.

"It can be bottlenecked!"

His eyes lit up for an instant.

The second pounce came half a beat faster than he remembered.

The Split-Tooth Wolf didn't stop completely when landing; it braced its forepaws on the ground and forced its body to turn in a twisted posture.

The half-step the Speedrun Youth took was caught by the mud, his toe slipped, and he was completely exposed before the wolf's maw.

Sect Master Di Kun was dragging the Dark Souls Youth to safety at the other end of the stone path; when he heard the sound of breaking bone, his fingers tightened violently.

The Split-Tooth Wolf bit the Speedrun Youth's neck and flung him against the stone wall.

Bang.

The corpse slammed into the stone wall, blood spraying into a patch of dark red, flowing down through the cracks washed by the rain.

The wooden plaque rolled from the Speedrun Youth's waist and bumped against Sect Master Di Kun's feet, its surface stained with mud and blood, a corner of the newly carved codename worn away.

The stone path was silent for half a breath.

Even the Chuunibyou Youth made no sound.

The Split-Tooth Wolf stepped through the blood as it pressed forward, a satisfied low growl rumbling in its throat.

Sect Master Di Kun bent down to pick up the wooden plaque and tucked it into his sleeve, his gaze passing over the Split-Tooth Wolf's shoulder and landing on a loose mountain rock at the top of the stone path.

"Tower Defense, ram that rock."

The Tower Defense Youth followed his gaze and immediately grabbed the Life-Skill Player, slamming him into the left mountain wall.

Their shoulders slammed into the protruding stone base, and the loose mountain rock wobbled.

Sect Master Di Kun raised his foot to kick a piece of broken wood on the ground, and the wood flew toward the base of the mountain rock.

His short blade followed closely, the back of the blade striking the end of the wood with heavy force.

Crack.

The mountain rock broke loose, crashing into the middle of the stone path and kicking up a cloud of dust.

The Split-Tooth Wolf was blocked by half a body length, its claws digging into the stone surface, sending stone chips flying everywhere.

"Go!"

By the time everyone retreated to the Sect gate, the morning light had already risen high.

The stone steps in front of the Founders Hall were marked with a trail of bloody footprints; the Dark Souls Youth was half-conscious, the Chuunibyou Youth's palm was charred black, the Life-Skill Player's face was as white as paper, and the Tower Defense Youth's sleeve was torn by the mountain rocks, his shoulder seeping blood.

Sect Master Di Kun's left arm wound was still bleeding.

He didn't treat it, first dumping the Dark Souls Youth onto a prayer mat inside the hall, then turning to walk toward the Underground Hall.

The Speedrun Youth's wooden plaque rested in his sleeve, as cold as a piece of iron.

The Underground Soul Reconstruction Pool remained calm, silver patterns flowing along the pool walls.

When Sect Master Di Kun stepped into the hall, the pool water suddenly vibrated, and a line of cold text emerged on the surface.

"Sect Disciple death detected. Can consume Sect spiritual energy and resources to reshape and return."

"Execute?"

Sect Master Di Kun stopped by the pool.

The five followers were behind him, their breathing kept very low.

The Dark Souls Youth was supported by the Life-Skill Player as he sat on the stone steps; blood still hung from the corners of his mouth, but he stared fixedly at the pool surface.

Sect Master Di Kun looked at the resource consumption column.

Fifty Spirit Stones.

In the Taichu Sect treasury, there were a total of fifty-three usable Spirit Stones.

Last night he had looked at that broken wooden box; the Spirit Stones were stacked sparsely, each one covered in old dust.

That was the Sect's last reserve; it was too little to buy Medicinal Pills, repair arrays, or exchange for Materials.

Now, it was to be exchanged for a life that had just died.

Sect Master Di Kun turned to walk up half the stone steps, then quickly returned.

He had an old wooden box in his hand; he opened the lid, and the fifty-three Spirit Stones inside glimmered faintly under the silver light.

He took them out one by one and threw them into the groove by the pool.

The first one fell, and the pool water lit up.

The tenth one, and the silver patterns began to heat up.

The thirtieth one, and a blurry figure appeared in the center of the pool.

When the fiftieth one fell into the groove, the entire Underground Hall trembled slightly.

The spiritual liquid in the pool sank visibly, and the silver radiance that had originally clung to the pool walls dimmed significantly, as if someone had drained its very essence from within.

The Speedrun Youth's Soul fragments pieced themselves together in the center of the pool.

First the bones, then the flesh, and finally the skin.

The sound of water surged, mist steamed, and the Taichu marks on the foreheads of the five lit up simultaneously.

The cloth bag in the Life-Skill Player's hand dropped to the ground, two Demon Rat teeth rolled out, and he bent down to pick them up again, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably.

The reshaped Speedrun Youth crawled out of the pool and lay on the edge, coughing up water.

His neck was intact, but his face was frighteningly pale; his hand instinctively touched the spot where he had been bitten, his nails scratching red marks into his skin.

Sect Master Di Kun collected the remaining three Spirit Stones back into the wooden box; the bottom of the box was blindingly empty.

"How do you feel?"

The Speedrun Youth looked up, his throat bobbing a few times, his voice airy. "It hurts. It hurt when I died, it hurts coming back, and my neck still hurts here."

No one laughed.

The Speedrun Youth braced against the edge of the pool to stand up, his legs still trembling, but his eyes gradually lit up.

He looked at Sect Master Di Kun, wet hair plastered to his forehead, water droplets dripping from his chin into the pool.

"Sect Master, I know how to fight that wolf without taking damage."

Sect Master Di Kun did not reply.

The Speedrun Youth took another step forward, his feet slipping on the wet, slick stone surface, nearly falling to his knees before the Tower Defense Youth caught him.

Yet he still stared at Sect Master Di Kun, his voice even hoarser than before.

"Let me die one more time, and I can figure out its pathing."

Sect Master Di Kun's hand pressed against the edge of the wooden box, his knuckles turning white little by little.

The silver patterns on the pool wall dimmed a circle; the water line after the spiritual liquid dropped remained clearly on the stone wall.

Fifty Spirit Stones were poured in, only to exchange for one Disciple.

If this group really went to "trial-and-error" according to their methods, the Taichu Sect wouldn't last half a day.

He looked down at the wound on his left arm; blood was still dripping, pooling into a small puddle on the stone surface by the pool.

"From now on, without permission, whoever throws their life away again will have all their contribution points deducted."

The Speedrun Youth blinked. "Is the contribution panel open?"

Sect Master Di Kun gave him a look.

The Speedrun Youth shut his mouth.

The Dark Souls Youth leaned against the stone steps, grimacing, which pulled at his wound and made him sweat from the pain. "Sect Master, let me add one thing. The Split-Tooth Wolf's attacks really hurt; don't let it touch you."

The Chuunibyou Youth held up his burned-red hand, muttering softly, "The Flame of Seal needs a rework of its skill description."

The Tower Defense Youth bent down to pick up the wooden plaque from the ground and handed it to the Speedrun Youth.

The blood and mud on the plaque hadn't dried, and after being soaked in the pool water, the codename was revealed a bit more.

The Speedrun Youth took it, his fingers brushing over the chipped corner, and said nothing more.

Sect Master Di Kun closed the more-than-half-empty wooden box and turned to look at the center of the pool.

The silver patterns were still spinning, just much dimmer than last night.

The dampness of the Underground Hall crept up the stone walls, the pool water swayed low, and the exposed water line looked like a circle of wounds cut open by a knife.