Reborn Tyrant: Immortal Cultivation and Vengeanc

Chapter 8: Training Ground at Dawn

"Are you alright?" Whisper swiftly stepped forward to steady the faltering girl, concern etched in his inquiry.The girl reflexively glanced down at her thigh, revealing a torn seam in her pants exposing her fair skin, where a deep, gruesome wound gaped open, with flesh twisted and blood trickling down her calf.Her pupils contracted, her face a mix of terror and confusion. Instinctively, she reached to touch the injury but recoiled as if electrocuted the moment her fingertips grazed it.Suddenly robbed of speech and action, tears welled up in her eyes as she looked to Whisper for help."That was a Viper-eyed Snake, commonly found in these valleys, dwelling in damp, dark places. Its venom rapidly spreads through the body, first causing muscle spasms, followed by difficulty breathing, and eventually leading to organ failure." Whisper analyzed calmly, familiar with the deadly creature.Upon hearing this, the girl's already pale face paled further, her wide eyes filled with dread."Am... am I going to die?" She managed to ask in a feeble whisper, voicing her most dreaded question."Not if I choose to save you," Whisper replied, his eyes locking onto hers as a subtle smile curved his lips. "You'll be fine if I decide to rescue you."Looking straight into Whisper's eyes, the girl, with her innocence, couldn't quite grasp his meaning."C-could... could you please save me?" She hesitated for a moment before urgently imploring, then quickly added, "I'll do everything in my power to repay you!"Upon receiving her promise, Whisper sprang into action.He laid the girl down on the grass, roughly tearing apart her pants until a large patch of snowy-white skin was exposed up to her upper thigh."Ahh!" The girl cried out, instinctively clamping her knees together and shyly averting her gaze.Unhesitatingly, Whisper tore off strips of cloth and tightly wrapped them around the girl's upper thigh, layer upon layer, applying just enough pressure to staunch the blood flow."It's going to hurt," his deep voice rumbled, preceding his descent as he leaned down to press his lips against the wound on her thigh.For the maiden experiencing her first intimate contact with the opposite sex, her body involuntarily tensed, her cheeks blazed crimson, her lips bitten, eyelashes fluttering, filled with bashfulness and nervousness."Sss... Hmm..."She groaned in agony, beads of sweat forming on her forehead, her injured leg instinctively curling in an attempt to evade the excruciating pain.Whisper's movements were swift and precise; in no time, he extracted three mouthfuls of poisoned blood from the wound and spat it onto the ground.Subsequently, he retrieved a handkerchief from his bosom and gently bandaged it around the girl's thigh, carefully tying it into a neat bow."Most of the poison has been removed; the remaining amount is insufficient to be fatal. Now, hurry home and take a Viper Antidote Pill within the next hour, and your leg will be saved." Whisper advised with concern after completing his treatment.Having done so, he picked up the Jade Dew Grass lying nearby – the true object of his quest."Thank you for saving me; I don't even know your name," the maiden softly bit her lip, her eyes gleaming with a mix of shyness and sincerity."I am Li Whisper," Whisper responded, his expressionless face masking a hint of tenderness in his words."Woah, you're from the Li tribe then!" Her bright eyes sparkled with delight. "My name is Zhao Delight, and I live in Xiu Shui Village on the outskirts of the tribe. Sometimes I sell little trinkets at the tribal market."She sheepishly smiled, "I was being reckless, I heard that Jade Dew Grass is worth a lot, so I came here today to try my luck. Thank goodness I met you; otherwise, I might have died here."Initially uninterested in prolonging the conversation, Whisper's interest was piqued when he learned she had experience selling items at the market.After all, he was planning to visit the market soon to purchase materials, and having a familiar guide would certainly make things much easier."In that case, since we're heading the same way, I'll accompany you back to your village," Whisper proposed."Oh, thank you, Big Brother!" Zhao Delight replied cheerfully, but as she attempted to take a step, she discovered her injured leg was numb and powerless, hardly able to support her weight.Instantaneously, her face flushed with embarrassment and helplessness as she said, "I may not be able to walk fast; could you slow down a bit?"　　Without hesitation, Whisper lifted Delight onto his back.For the first time being carried by an opposite sex, Delight's body stiffened like a stone, unsure where to place her hands, her big eyes blinking frantically, betraying a sense of panic and tension."You can close your eyes and rest for a while," Whisper said, his voice deep and steady as he confidently began walking."Thank you," Delight murmured, biting her lip and summoning the courage to lean against Whisper's back.As she gradually grew accustomed, her lithe form softened, nestling snugly against Whisper's broad back, offering a pleasant tactile sensation."Thank you, Big Brother!" Delight waved her small hand energetically, bidding a warm farewell to Whisper. "Remember to look for me at the market!"Whisper gave a gentle wave in return before setting off along the cobblestone path back to the tribe.Morning sunlight slanted through the trees, casting dappled shadows that stretched long across the road.As he walked, he pulled out a Spirit Stone from his chest pocket and slowly absorbed the spiritual energy within.Although he was already a cultivator, being merely at the first stage, his body inevitably felt the effects of staying up all night.Thanks to the nourishment of the Spirit Stone, his spirit gradually regained some vitality.Any process that consumes spiritual energy can be considered a form of cultivation, so he wasn't concerned about wasting the Spirit Stone.Inside the academy, classmates had arrived early, engaging in individual practice sessions before Mirage Elder's formal lesson began.On the training ground, students clad in martial arts uniforms sweated profusely as they practiced traditional martial arts moves, some wielding wooden swords, attentively simulating real combat swordsmanship.In the classrooms, many students were buried in theoretical studies, discussing insights with each other; more still sat cross-legged with their eyes closed, concentrating intently on sensing and guiding the natural energies around them, repeatedly attempting to invoke and control their internal spiritual energy.Yet, amidst all this, Whisper lay sprawled across his desk, sound asleep.　　Dreamer was also among the meditators, her gaze now more resolute and powerful than ever after the events of the previous night, clutching a Spirit Stone tightly as she devoted herself wholeheartedly to her cultivation.Inwardly, she reflected, "After exhausting three Spirit Stones last night, I've finally grasped the secret to consistently releasing spiritual energy.""As someone with an A-grade talent and having put in such immense effort, theoretically, no one should surpass me!""Father, Mother, regardless of what my brother plans, I will never let you down!"Recalling her father's return and the renewed warmth of family, Dreamer felt a surge of strength coursing through her veins, fearing only that she might not be good enough to retain this cherished bond."Though my brother's actions last night were inappropriate, they inadvertently ignited my anger.""It turns out emotions can transform into power; when I'm enraged, the pathways of spiritual energy seem to activate fully, allowing for a natural and seamless release. Recalling that feeling during today's assessment should secure me the top spot!"She silently vowed within her heart, "Just wait and see, those who once looked down upon me, including you, my brother! Starting today, I want you all to see me anew; I am no longer the overlooked orphan!"Her fists clenched tight, her chest heaving, a newfound strength quietly germinated within her depths.On the other side of the academy, Victor was like a tireless beast, starting his grueling workout routine early in the morning.Bang! Bang! Bang!The punching bag swayed beneath his iron fists like autumn leaves battered by rain, each strike accompanied by the muffled clatter of bone-on-bone and the quivering tension of muscle fibers. Sweat trickled down his forehead like a stream, catching the sun's rays and sparkling as it fell to the ground, etching concentric circles of varying depth."Ahh—!"Though he was panting heavily, with veins bulging on his forehead, the fiery determination in his eyes did not wane.He repeated rolls, jumps, and sprints, seemingly intent on draining every last ounce of strength from his body."This guy's gone mad!" Onlookers gaped."Yeah, with both innate talent and such relentless drive, how can we even compare?"Each person harbored a resolution to grow stronger, vying for today's top reward. However, witnessing Victor's insane training regimen, they couldn't help but feel inferior, their fighting spirits momentarily dampened.　　"Seems like us ordinary folks better not bother trying to compete; he probably only has Martialists and Dreamer in his sights," one person shook their head in reflection."I think Liu Yimeng's strength shouldn't be underestimated either, considering she's the sole A-grade talent.""Right, and what about Martialists? It's already so late, why is he still reading? Is he planning to give up competing against those two?"To everyone's surprise, at this critical juncture, Martialists remained calmly seated, absorbed in his book, seemingly detached from the commotion around him."Probably doesn't matter much to him. With a grandpa who's a bigwig and being a second-generation official, twenty Spirit Stones might be nothing to him."Despite being the center of attention, Martialists did not look up but instead maintained his focus on the pages before him.Yet, upon closer inspection, one could discern that his entire body was tense, and he was muttering something under his breath:"Absorb the breath of heaven and earth, follow the path of nature...""Calmness like still water, calmness like still water..."It appeared as though he was striving to suppress some kind of power or to attune his own state of mind.Before long, Elder Mirage arrived as well. The students quickly returned to their seats, watching him expectantly.