Second Time

Chapter 21 - Combat Training

Mimi encountered her first bottleneck at the Resonance Realm Fifth Stage. She had spent a full month at the peak, but couldn't break into the Sixth Stage.

Shao Yue diagnosed the problem as Mimi's understanding of the Martial Dao, the kind that couldn't be fixed with reading or sparring.

"We need to get you some life-or-death experiences," Shao Yue declared. "Let's go hunting again."

Mimi opened her mouth to object.

"Anything you kill, you can sell all the parts and keep all the money for yourself," Shao Yue added. "But, you can't use that money to buy your freedom."

"In that case, what are we waiting for?"

Shao Yue still didn't know what Mimi wanted money for, but as long as she wanted it, it gave a convenient motivation.

Shao Yue purchased a week's worth of supplies and the pair headed out into the mountains. She headed for a relatively safe area, populated mainly by grade one and two monster beasts.

"We're approaching a Bone Hide Wolf," Shao Yue said as they walked through the forest. "It's a grade one monster beast with no special abilities, but its fur is as hard as bone and splinters when struck. I'll only interfere if your life is about to end, I won't prevent you from getting hurt."

"I understand."

Mimi was quite nervous to fight a monster beast on her own. She'd seen the many corpses that Shao Yue had brought her during the last hunting trip. She didn't know that all of those monsters had been grade three or higher, and so, her expectations were quite inflated.

When she saw the Bone Hide Wolf, she didn't know whether to be disappointed or relieved. It was only slightly larger than a normal wolf. Long, stiff fur covered its body, but Mimi observed that it only protected the top, not the underside.

The wolf lunged towards Mimi immediately after noticing her. She used the Winding River Step to dodge out of the way, then delivered a Viper Strike Kick to the underside of its jaw. The wolf yelped and tumbled backwards.

Mimi didn't give it any time to recover, activating the Winding River Step again to close the distance before slamming a Cannonball Fist into its chest. Its ribs shattered under the impact. Fragments of bone stabbed into its lungs and heart as it whined pitifully.

Mimi kept rushing forward. A few breaths later, the Bone Hide Wolf perished.

"That was pretty easy," Mimi said.

"Grade one monster beasts are equivalent to Principle Realm cultivators," Shao Yue said. "You're two realms higher than that, so of course you could win easily."

"Don't steal my thunder."

Shao Yue knelt down and retrieved the wolf's Beast Core and blood, then gave them to Mimi. Mimi removed the pelt and stuffed everything into one of her storage bags.

"Let's find a grade two next," Shao Yue said, leading Mimi off in a certain direction.

They found a monster beast that resembled a flying squirrel. Despite its nimble nature, Mimi only had to use her Spirit's unique ability to pin it down with sticky white threads before finishing it off.

Each monster beast Shao Yue led Mimi to required a different aspect of Mimi's skill set. Mimi thought it was convenient, but of course, Shao Yue chose their targets specifically for that reason.

"Lightning Whip Rafflesia, grade two. It doesn't have much of a consciousness, but it will whip you with vines if you get close. Get in, attack, get out, repeat."