Chapter Thirteen: The Porcupine

After mastering the Illusory Light Sword Technique to a transcendent level, Chen Yi stepped out of the cave with Howling Sky, who had just finished his nightly cultivation. After a night of consuming elixirs, Howling Sky’s cultivation had reached the peak of the fifth stage of Qi Refinement, and he was on the verge of breaking through to the sixth. However, for the sake of solidifying his foundation, Chen Yi advised him not to take the spirit liquid and break through immediately. Instead, he suggested they wait a few days, hone their skills, and only then take the spirit liquid to advance. Howling Sky was obedient and agreed, deciding to temper himself for a few more days before strengthening his base.

As they emerged from the cave, the sky was just beginning to lighten and the sun was only half-risen. Numerous avian beasts still soared freely in the sky, many clutching other monsters in their talons. It seemed that the saying "the early bird catches the worm" was popular even in the cultivation world—though here, the birds certainly weren't after worms.

Chen Yi planned to hunt some monsters. Having just completed his sword technique, he was already running low on supplies. Though he still had some dried meat, it was unpalatable, and besides, Howling Sky needed to eat as well. The dried meat wouldn’t be enough for both of them.

Upon entering the woods, Chen Yi and Howling Sky remained fully alert, wary of any lurking danger. Deep within the forest, they spotted a porcupine sharpening its formidable tusks against a rock beside a large tree. This porcupine seemed to be at the fifth stage of Qi Refinement. Chen Yi told Howling Sky to hide nearby, ready to intercept the beast if it tried to flee—their combined efforts would ensure they didn’t lose this hefty meal.

Once Howling Sky had concealed himself, Chen Yi stepped forward alone. The porcupine, sensing his approach, let out a low growl, its hind legs pawing at the earth, tusks poised to gore Chen Yi at any moment.

Chen Yi wasn’t surprised by the aggressive response—every beast in the Heavenly Dragon Mountains was fiercely vigilant and aggressive toward outsiders.

"Rainbow Piercing the Sun!"

Chen Yi attacked first, unleashing the opening move of the Illusory Light Sword Technique. Three arcs of sword light shot toward the beast.

The porcupine, undeterred, charged straight at Chen Yi as the sword lights slashed across its hide, leaving three wounds just over two centimeters deep. For such a tough, thick-skinned creature, this was barely a scratch.

Seeing the beast’s resilience, Chen Yi quickly employed the Golden Swallow’s Nine Steps to leap backward into the air.

"Rainbow Across the Horizon!"

Midair, Chen Yi wielded his Rainbow Sword and executed the second form of the technique.

After the three sword lights, the porcupine bore three more wounds, but this only enraged it further. Its eyes glowed red, and with a violent shudder, the quills on its back shot toward Chen Yi.

Seeing the barrage of quills, Chen Yi stomped the ground three times in quick succession and retreated, barely avoiding them. The quills embedded themselves half a foot into the earth where he’d just stood. If he’d been a moment slower, he would have been skewered.

"Sword Transforms into Rainbow!"

"Rainbow Piercing the Sun!"

"Lightning Flash!"

Furious, Chen Yi unleashed three consecutive strikes, sending twelve sword lights streaking toward the porcupine.

All twelve beams struck the creature’s head, and with a miserable shriek, the porcupine’s skull split open under the assault. Its massive body crashed lifelessly to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

Howling Sky, seeing the porcupine slain, hurried to Chen Yi’s side. Together, they approached the corpse, and with the Rainbow Sword, Chen Yi pried a thumb-sized monster core from the beast’s skull. A core from a fifth-stage beast was worth five spirit stones—a real treasure. If only he could kill all the monsters in the Heavenly Dragon Mountains, who knew how many spirit stones he could amass, Chen Yi mused dreamily.

After rinsing the core clean, Chen Yi slipped it into the pouch at his waist. He and Howling Sky then hauled the porcupine's carcass and recovered its quills, carrying everything back to Howling Sky’s lair.

Inside the cave, Chen Yi started a fire and began processing the porcupine. Every part was valuable—the tusks and quills made excellent weapon-crafting materials, the hide perfect for garments, and even the bones were useful. All together, the remains could fetch at least two spirit stones.

Since he couldn’t carry everything, Chen Yi only took the smaller, more precious items: the tusks, quills, and hide. The bones, too bulky and less valuable, he left behind.

Once the porcupine had been cleaned and prepared, Chen Yi skewered the meat on branches and set up a spit over the fire, constructing a roasting rack reminiscent of a whole lamb spit from his past life.

He placed the rack over the fire and slowly turned the meat to keep it from burning.

Half an hour later, the meat was roasted to a golden crisp, fat sizzling and crackling over the flames.

Satisfied that the meat was cooked, Chen Yi sprinkled it generously with spices—salt, chili powder, and more, especially chili, his favorite. He’d prepared these seasonings back at the sect for use during his travels.

After another fifteen minutes, the aroma of spices blended with the rich scent of roasting meat, filling the air and making Chen Yi’s mouth water. Howling Sky, beside him, was already drooling onto the ground.

Using his spiritual energy to shield his hands, Chen Yi tore off a meaty haunch and handed it to Howling Sky, who seized it eagerly, heedless of the heat, biting in with his fangs.

Once Howling Sky had begun to eat, Chen Yi tore off another piece for himself. The meat was rich but not greasy, both fragrant and crisp—a true delicacy. In the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, the two of them had devoured nearly the entire beast.

For the next ten days, Chen Yi and Howling Sky hunted monsters throughout the mountains, honing their sword techniques and consolidating their cultivation. Three days ago, after his foundation had fully stabilized, Howling Sky, under Chen Yi’s protection, took the spirit liquid and broke through to the sixth stage of Qi Refinement.

On this day, after a successful hunt, Chen Yi and Howling Sky headed back. On the way, they heard the sounds of battle. Curious, Chen Yi led Howling Sky to investigate.

In a patch of forest, they saw three young men besieging a massive golden python with a single sharp horn atop its head—the very Golden Flood Serpent that was Chen Yi’s mission target. Nearby, a golden herb grew, bearing three fruit, each with the image of a golden dragon swirling across its surface.