Lu Ye

Nestled within the ancient jungle, where the verdant foliage forms an expansive tapestry, a soft murmur weaves through the air. Golden sunlight filters through the dense canopy, illuminating the moss-covered trunks of age-old trees standing sentinel to untold stories. The air, thick with the heady perfume of exotic blossoms, carries the weight of forgotten legends, as if each petal bore witness to the mystic dance of spirits concealed in the shadows.

Battered and bruised, Lu Ye staggered into the pocket dimension and as he stepped into the ethereal landscape, the weight of his recent defeat by Mo Sheng hung heavy on his shoulders. The goal, stark in its simplicity, loomed before him: emerge as one of the mere ten cultivators left standing when the trial reached its tumultuous end.

The method to determine the dwindling numbers remained an enigma. Undeterred by the uncertainty, Lu Ye, a man of straightforward convictions, chose a path unburdened by the intricacies of strategy. In his eyes, the solution was clear – to survive, he must eliminate. With a determined glint in his eye, he raised his formidable axe, ready to mete out his own brand of justice in the chaotic dance of the trial.

Cursing vehemently, his frustration echoed through the unseen corners of the dimension. "That damn old ghost!" he spat, his words dripping with a blend of resentment and wounded pride. The professor who had administered his brutal beating bore the brunt of his anger, but Lu Ye's ire was far-reaching. "…And that annoying bastard! Just you wait until I meet you!" he roared, the fiery intensity of his resolve manifesting in the bulging vein on his forehead.

After wandering for a while in the Jungle, Lu Ye came upon a demonic bear. Without a slight of hesitation he charged forward.

For most cultivators, this encounter spelled inevitable doom, a challenge beyond the grasp of solitary conquest. Yet, for Lu Ye, the demonic bear was not a threat but an opportunity, a feast that could invigorate his body and enhance his blood.

With a primal roar, the demonic bear lunged, its massive form shrouded in an impenetrable Earth Fur that gleamed like a resilient armour. Lu Ye, undeterred by the daunting challenge, swung his two-handed axe with practiced precision. The clash echoed through the jungle as the bear's defence proved resilient, absorbing the initial onslaught. "Golden Armour!" Lu Ye bellowed, a surge of golden energy enveloping him.

The demonic bear retaliated with a seismic force, unleashing the dreaded Demonic Bear Tremor. Lu Ye staggered, momentarily disoriented by the quaking earth beneath him. "Crafty beast," he grunted, regaining his footing with a determined glint in his eye. The dance continued, a relentless exchange between man and beast. Lu Ye's axe arced through the air, each swing leaving its mark on the bear's formidable defence.

The bear, undeterred by Lu Ye's defensive manoeuvre, lunged forward with a thunderous roar. Lu Ye deftly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the brute force of the attack. In response, his two-handed axe became a blur of motion, each swing a calculated strike against the bear's formidable defence.

With a series of lightning-quick strikes, Lu Ye aimed for the bear's exposed flank, his axe hacking at the creature's once impervious Earth Fur. The bear, now visibly wounded, emitted a guttural growl.

Wounded and weakened, the demonic bear seemed on the brink of defeat. However, just as Lu Ye prepared for the final blow, a sudden disturbance erupted in the jungle.

A group of cultivators, their faces marked with determination, rushed toward the scene. "That's a Demonic Bear! Quickly capture it!" one of them exclaimed, revealing their affiliation with the beast taming school. Lu Ye's eyes narrowed as he observed their approach.

With a subtle glint in its eyes, the wounded demonic bear cunningly abandoned facing Lu Ye, redirecting its attention toward the approaching group of cultivators. In a masterfully orchestrated move, the bear, seemingly resigned to its fate moments ago, unleashed a swift and brutal assault upon one of the unsuspecting newcomers. The jungle, oblivious to this clandestine manoeuvre, bore witness to the bear's calculated resurgence, a strategic play in the chaotic dance of survival.

The beast taming cultivators, caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events, found themselves in a desperate scramble to defend against the bear's sudden aggression. The wounded creature, now a harbinger of calculated vengeance, had seized the opportune moment to wield its strength and turn the tide in its favour.

Lu Ye, unmoved by the plight of the beast taming cultivators, made no move to intervene as the wounded bear orchestrated its calculated onslaught. "Have fun!" he ridiculed the newcomers, his derisive tone echoing through the chaos. To him, aiding them was inconceivable―his goal was one of conquest, not altruism. Seated beneath the shade of a tree trunk, he observed with a sardonic smirk, a silent spectator in the unfolding drama.

Lu Ye became the architect of impending doom, his axe ready to meet those who dared emerge as the victors in this chaotic dance of survival.

"Arghh!" A gruesome splash accompanied the demise of a cultivator, their head reduced to a pulp in the relentless chaos.

"Bastard, help us!" Another desperate plea echoed through the tumult, directed toward Lu Ye, who, in response, erupted into laughter. "Hahaha," he chuckled as if entertained by the finest joke ever told. "Are you a little spastic? We're supposed to eliminate each other," he retorted, his laughter dripping with disdain for the notion of camaraderie amidst the cutthroat trial.

With only one cultivator standing, the wounded bear stood on its hind legs, an ominous energy ball forming in its mouth. Lu Ye, observing with a smug satisfaction, couldn't resist adding salt to the wounds of the last survivor, "You were much weaker than I thought!" His words, like a mocking echo in the jungle, emphasised the harsh reality.

However, the unfolding spectacle took an unexpected turn. As the bear unleashed its energy attack, it uttered human words – "Change!" The bizarre command hung in the air, a perplexing deviation from the natural order of the jungle.

As the energy ball collided with the lone cultivator, both figures crumpled to the ground. Lu Ye, his suspicion piqued, watched intently. Something was amiss, and his instincts told him to wait and observe the aftermath of this peculiar turn of events.

The first to stir from the ground was the man, rising with an unsettling ease. Oddly, fatigue seemed a foreign concept to him now, and an air of newfound strength emanated from his being. He cast an unwavering gaze at Lu Ye, a smirk playing on his lips as he bowed. "This Mo Xiong will remember your kindness today," he declared.

Lu Ye, sensing an undercurrent of change, eyed him warily. "You've got an interesting name there!" he quipped in response. However, Mo Xiong remained silent, his focus unwavering as he firmly planted his feet on the ground. With a cryptic chant, he invoked, "Demonic Bear Tremor!"

A surge of shock rippled through Lu Ye as the unexpected tremor immobilised him. Caught off guard, he found himself unable to react as Mo Xiong seized the opportunity, vanishing into the wilderness with a skilful finesse.

Lu Ye's eyes flicked from the vanished Mo Xiong to the lifeless bear. "Thought so... dead," he muttered, a flicker of disappointment crossing his features.

No time for dwelling. "Well, it is what it is." He brushed off the setback, shifting his focus Lu Ye pressed forward, undeterred, ready for the next challenge in the untamed wilderness.