Volume Two: Setting Out on the Journey Chapter 7: The First Battle with the Party

Regarding practical combat experience, although Wang Jue could not compare to Shen Feng and the others, he was still far ahead of his peers. Even so, after hearing Shen Feng’s words, he chose not to show off his own experience and instead opted to follow Shen Feng’s instructions. He had been alone before and could do as he pleased, but now that he had joined Shen Feng’s team, he knew he had to coordinate with the squad’s actions.

"Well, Wang Jue, there is a Level 2 Star Beast, a Savage Wild Boar, ahead. It’s yours." Team leader Shen Feng’s voice rang out. "Consider this your first battle in the wilderness. Don't be careless. The ferocity and intelligence of these Star Beasts are far superior to those raised in captivity for the practical assessment."

Wang Jue felt a warmth in his heart at Shen Feng’s solemn reminder; he could feel the concern behind the words. On the surface, the Hurricane Squad seemed to get along well, but in reality, aside from Shen Feng, the other three—Su Yu, Jiang Yunyan, and Jiang Yunxin—were strangers to him. As a newcomer who had "cut the line" to join, gaining their approval would not be easy.

Seeing Wang Jue silent, Shen Feng assumed he was afraid and offered encouragement: "Go for it, Wang Jue. With your current strength, as long as you perform normally, dealing with this Savage Wild Boar should be no problem."

Upon hearing this, Su Yu, Jiang Yunyan, and Jiang Yunxin all watched Wang Jue in silence.

"Swish!"

Wang Jue drew his Bloodthirsty Sword with his right hand and smiled slightly. "Captain, watch closely. I’ll have this wild boar ready for dinner soon." With that, Wang Jue rapidly closed in on the target.

Watching his retreating figure, Jiang Yunxin couldn't help but speak up, her heart softening. "Captain, isn't it setting the bar too high to have Wang Jue take on a Level 2 Savage Wild Boar for his first battle? Although our Hurricane Squad needs to test his strength, we should take it step by step. Wouldn't it be better to start with a Level 1 monster?"

"Exactly, there's no need to rush," Jiang Yunyan added.

"Don't worry, I think the Captain's arrangement is fine." Su Yu, shedding his usual lazy demeanor, said in a deep voice, "Overall, Wang Jue’s physical fitness is not at all inferior to that Star Beast. While the difficulty is high, he should be able to win if he pushes through the hardship."

"This is his first time entering the wilderness," Jiang Yunxin said, sounding dissatisfied. In her view, the Savage Wild Boar was a mid-tier Level 2 Star Beast. In terms of human cultivation, it would be between the fourth and sixth levels of Spirit Nourishment, while Wang Jue had only just entered the fourth level; it was very easy for things to go wrong.

"So what if it's his first time?" Su Yu’s face darkened, and he frowned. "Our squad may not be the strongest among many, but we aren't weak either. I don't want him to become a burden. Otherwise, how can we dare to hunt powerful Level 3 or 4 Star Beasts with a rookie in tow?"

At this moment, the three veteran members of the Hurricane Squad were divided: Jiang Yunxin and Jiang Yunyan were clearly leaning toward helping Wang Jue, while Su Yu looked at him with skepticism.

"Enough arguing." Shen Feng, who had been silent, suddenly spoke. Su Yu and the others went quiet immediately. "Let’s just watch. We’ll talk after we see how Wang Jue fares against the Savage Wild Boar," Shen Feng said expressionlessly.

***

On the other side, Wang Jue moved like a nimble leopard, quickly darting behind a tree five or six feet wide to observe the Savage Wild Boar not far ahead. The beast’s coat was a mix of red and black, resembling impenetrable scale armor, and the two snow-white tusks by its mouth were like sharp daggers. Under the glow of the setting sun, those tusks glinted with a cold, metallic light. If the Savage Wild Boar from the adventurer assessment was like a heavy, barbaric Humvee, this one felt like a creature that combined agility with brutal ferocity.

"It looks like this is my first battle. I must make it look good." Wang Jue observed every move of the boar, his eyes filled with determination. "I was only able to join the Hurricane Squad thanks to the help of Pavilion Master Ning Chuan." He knew well that it was difficult for a newcomer to join an elite squad. Shen Feng and Su Yu were clearly skeptical, and he had to prove himself through combat.

Level 1 and Level 2 correspond to the Body Refining and Spirit Nourishment realms of humans. Clearly, this Savage Wild Boar was much stronger than the one from the assessment. Even though he was confident, he couldn't help but feel a bit anxious. In a sense, captive and wild Star Beasts were entirely different species. The former didn't worry about food and had its wild instincts dulled by comfort, while the latter constantly fought for survival, sharpening its predatory nature with every encounter.

"Hmph..." The Savage Wild Boar let out a growl, its eyes scanning the surroundings with killing intent.

"Good fellow." Wang Jue’s heart raced, but he felt a sense of excitement. "It seems this beast has discovered me."

"Boom!"

The Savage Wild Boar lunged forward, transforming into a speeding tank, charging directly at the tree Wang Jue was using for cover. Unflinching, Wang Jue dodged like a nimble monkey. With a loud crash, the tree was struck, leaving a massive gap one-third of its width; wood chips and debris filled the air, turning the view into a hazy blur.

Using his night-vision goggles, Wang Jue didn't retreat; instead, he pushed forward, rushing at the boar. "Die, beast!" Wang Jue roared. He shot toward the boar like a lightning bolt, his Bloodthirsty Sword slicing through the air with a cold gleam, aiming for the soft spot on the beast's neck. The boar, having just slammed into the tree, seemed momentarily stunned and unable to turn in time.

But just as Wang Jue closed in... "Whoosh!" A black shadow lashed out, aiming for his head.

"Damn, this beast is fast!" Wang Jue cursed, forcing his body to twist and narrowly dodging the shadow. He then realized what it was—the boar’s tail, which lashed out like an iron whip!

"Sshh..." After the tail strike, the boar’s agility surged, and it lunged at Wang Jue. Its thick, iron-like hooves and sharp, dagger-like tusks struck toward him.

"Damn it, why did its speed increase again?" Wang Jue stepped back, hurriedly thrusting his sword forward in panic.

"Bang!"

The sword collided violently with the boar’s iron hooves. Using the recoil, Wang Jue flipped backward, rolling on the ground to dissipate the force. The boar didn't give him a moment to breathe and charged again immediately. Wang Jue rolled, stepped onto a fallen log, leaped lightly, and dodged behind another tree. With the tree blocking the way, the boar’s charge was neutralized.

***

Meanwhile, the four members of the Hurricane Squad watching from afar nodded slightly.

"Captain, I have to say, Wang Jue’s reflexes are pretty good," Jiang Yunyan said with a smirk.

Shen Feng smiled and nodded. "They are. I thought he would have a hard time with his first hunt! I didn't expect his reactions to be so fast. His fundamentals are excellent, and the way he used his weapon to disperse the impact was very clever—his movements were as smooth as flowing water."

"Throughout that entire attack, Wang Jue didn't sustain a single injury. From this, it’s clear this little guy isn't without practical experience. In fact, he’s almost on par with us."

"Indeed, not bad." Even Su Yu, who had been cold-faced, relaxed his expression slightly.

Jiang Yunxin finally smiled. "Su Yu, I told you, Wang Jue is quite capable."

"Don't be so quick to draw conclusions," Su Yu said coldly. "The battle isn't over yet. Everything is still up in the air..."

The four members of the Hurricane Squad continued to watch the battle. At this moment, Wang Jue was highly focused, feeling a chill in his heart: *This beast is so insidious. It intentionally feigned weakness at the start, then suddenly attacked with its tail, followed by its hooves and tusks, and finally that crazy charge... If my footwork hadn't reached the 'Half-Step into Subtlety' stage, I might not have been able to dodge that chain of attacks.*

If he hadn't spent the last month diligently practicing his footwork, he wouldn't have been sure he could have escaped unscathed.

"Hmph..." The Savage Wild Boar roared. Instead of foolishly charging the tree again, it leaped over the obstacle and rushed at Wang Jue from the side.

"You still dare to chase me? Beast, this time you're dead!" Wang Jue kicked a piece of wood on the ground with force; it flew like a projectile toward the boar. Unexpectedly, the boar didn't slow down at all, simply lowering its head to slice the wood in half with its razor-sharp tusks.

As Wang Jue finished the kick, he charged forward with his sword.

"Hmph..." As the boar shattered the wood, it turned its head, its tusks aiming to pierce Wang Jue.

"Die!"

In that life-or-death moment, Wang Jue moved like a butterfly, his feet dancing in quick, tiny steps. He spun with extreme agility, narrowly avoiding the tusks. While spinning, he used the momentum to strike with his Bloodthirsty Sword!

"Whoosh!" The blade accelerated in an arc, fast as lightning, slashing directly into the boar’s neck.

"Riiip..." Wang Jue could clearly feel the toughness of the boar’s hide, but fortunately, his weapon was Level 5.

"Splurt!"

Fresh blood sprayed out. Wang Jue brushed past the boar, feeling that his blade had only cut about five centimeters into the neck before it could go no further. Knowing the boar wasn't dead yet, he quickly braked, watching the beast with caution as blood continued to gush from its neck.

"ROAR!"

The Savage Wild Boar’s eyes turned bloodshot with madness. It roared violently and turned to charge at Wang Jue once more. The boar had been crazy when uninjured, but now, wounded and in pain, it was even more feral.