FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 5: Backdoor's Forest

---

After that brief encounter with his brothers, Kyu Cao discarded any afterthought and continued to walk around the state.

The original reason he had come out, wasn't only because he had grown stuffed inside his room. But also to look for a new place to cultivate.

He was clear, newbie as he was, that while he could cultivate his Qi there, it had limitations. Cultivation of the body and martial arts were also extremely important. Even if he were to reach a high level of Cultivation, if he couldn't utilize that strength properly he might as well be considered a walking spirit herb.

This was not proving to be easy though.

Indeed, the Bloodstripe State was in a part also a military garrison. It was practically overflowing with places to cultivate and practice martial arts.

But none of them were in Kyu Cao's reach.

To be more precise, as the third young master, he had the right to use the best facilities, banning the most elite ones, if he asked. But that would be the equivalent to announcing to everyone the fact that he started cultivating himself.

Wanting to keep this matter a secret forever, that was simply unrealistic. But at least for as long as possible Kyu Cao wanted to remain hidden, so as to be able to cultivate with peace.

At least for the entirety of the Earthly Warrior Realm it should be doable, since telling a theriope's level at that realm was visually impossible.

Going to Bloodbath City and looking for a place there was a possibility that crossed his mind, but was quickly dispersed. He would have to go back and forth often, or simply move there. But that was already too much effort for something that was more of an experiment than anything.

Time passed, the sun rose up in the sky, illuminating the world with a brighter light that the one of the morning. Less gentle, and more dominant, expressing its might.

But even if Kyu Cao were to walk until the sun set and night fell, it might not be enough to inspect the whole state. There were also many places where he had no intention of stepping in, for it would draw too many curious stares, maybe some troubles as well.

He looked up to sky, blue and clear. He wondered if he should just settle with his room. Then his eyes fell on the mountain's peak.

Tiger Back Mountain wasn't the tallest mountain around, but it had extraordinary width. Its face was both riddled with steep cliffs and carved plateaus covered with trees which would be apt described as small forests. It was on one of these plateaus that the Bloodstripe State lay. Even the mountain's peak was flat and lush.

There was a forest on the peak of Tiger Back Mountain which extended for hundreds of li. Compared to places like the outer rim of the Immortal Forest, of course it was a small area, but for private propriety it was sizeable.

It was called the Backdoor's Forest.

Kyu Cao eyes lit with an idea.

He'd read about this Backdoor's Forest at the state's library. It was considered a training grounds of the Bloodstripe Clan.

Centuries ago, the ancestors of the Bloodstripe Clan cleared the forest of any powerful martial beast. They left only the weakest, low-level ones. This turned the forest into a breeding ground for low-level martial beasts, suitable for low-level Cultivators to train themselves with real combat with these beasts.

The young members of the clan, as well as the new recruits of the army would often go there, where they could temper their minds and refine their martial arts against the small fry with relatively safety.

Any of these small fries could still eat Kyu Cao with his current strength though.

But if he kept himself to the outer edge, it should be fine.

He also knew that the Backdoor's Forest was a non-supervised area. The clan didn't want to cuddle these trainees too much, so once someone entered the forest fortune of misfortune would be left on one's own paws.

"It is worth to take a look," he mused to himself. Now with a clear goal, he began to walk toward that direction.

The distance between the state and the Backdoor's Forest was not that far. The Bloodstripe State was located at the plateau one level directly below it, thus, it took more or less the same time it takes to go from the western quarter to the southern quarter. Compared to going to the city, it was indeed at the backdoor.

Kyu Cao walked up the face of the cliff taking in the sights. He'd never had a reason to come around here before, so it was a first for him.

It took him around two thirds of an hour to reach the top of the mountain.

A stretch of barren rock separated the forest and the edge of the cliff. It was like the forest was a separated world, limited to not exist beyond that gap.

The outer parts were lush with tall trees and vibrant shrubbery, the rays of light leaked through the leaves and illuminated the ground. It was a peaceful and calming sight.

A military post stood at the entrance of the forest, manned by a triple of soldiers.

They were here to take note of who entered the forest, as well as guard its exit. Patrol teams also rounded the thousands long edge of the forest. There were rarely any incidents though, and it was a job mostly left to the new soldiers, to train them in patrol and scouting.

It was because of their presence that the martial beast had developed a habit of evading the edge of the forest, creating a safe area.

Kyu Cao hesitated a bit seeing the military post, but decided to continue.

Luckily or unluckily, he had a bit of a reputation as an eccentric in the state, so coming here on a whim might not be too surprising.

As expected, as soon as he set foot on the peak, he was noticed. The soldiers turned his way and their stares were thrown at him like shark knifes.

They didn't make a move, however, and only observed.

Kyu Cao wasn't sure what the procedure to enter the forest was. But he knew that it was free and unrestricted as long as you were part of the state, and your cultivation was lower than the tenth level of the Earthly Warrior Real.

He decided for the most direct approach.

Showing no mind of the stanch stares, he walked next to the post and without stopping continued to the forest.

"Please wait a moment, Third Young Master." Unfortunately, it did not work. One of the guards called behind Kyu Cao with a deep voice.

"Yes?" Kyu Cao stopped and turned around. Neither his voice nor his expression showed any of his emotions, but his tail swished behind him. It was hard to tell though, if this was an expression of something or just habit.

The one who had called out was a dog guard with dark fur. "Is Third Young Master planning to enter the forest?"

"Yes, that is right."

"Then we must warn Third Young Master. There are dangerous beasts in the forest," he said with a polite tone. "This place is the training grounds for the army's new members. While there might be only low-level martial beast inside, anyone with a weak Cultivation might still die."

"Yes, I know. But the outer edge is a safe area, right?"

"Even then that isn't completely safe. A martial beast might still stray into the outer area," the guard insisted.

"I do not plan to go far. As long as I'm careful, it should be fine."

The dog stared silently at him, seeming to ponder something, but giving up at the end. Then he spoke, "then, please, take care of yourself, Third Young Master."

"... Yes."

Hearing the guard, Kyu Cao took a moment before responding.

That was because there was a strange inflection in the dog's voice that he could quite not get, and somehow made him waver.

Once he realized he had kept staring, he turned around and proceeded to enter the Backdoor's Forest.

The three guards stood, looking at the young cat's back as he made his way into the forest. Their expressions were a bit tense, specially the dog's, on whom eyes many thoughts seemed to cross. He furrowed his brows, but at the end decided to remain in position.

Despite its nature and reputation, the outer area of the Backdoor's Forest was not that bad of a place.

A presence of vibrant life abounded the surroundings, together with an aroma to rich soil and green leaves. Spring was ending and summer was looming, yet a cool, even chilly air wafted.

So far, Kyu Cao was enjoying the scenery.

That didn't mean he had begun to neglect his surroundings. He was clear that even though it was called the safe area, just like the guard said, if he were to encounter a stray martial beast, with his puny strength he might not be even able to run with his life.

Thus, he carefully took notice of how much distance he'd advanced and how far he was from the first ring. He only needed to be sufficiently far from the edge of the forest so that the guards could not see him.

That wouldn't be that difficult, since even the outer ring had a width bigger than the length of the Bloodstripe Main Manor.

He walked for some time, constantly moving his eyes around. He was already far enough, and only needed to find a suitable place.

Cries of birds reached his ears, echoing against the trees. A small deer even appeared before him, before running away.

While martial beast didn't appear at the outer ring, ordinary animals were common.

Suddenly, the clear sound of water was heard.

It wasn't loud. But thanks to the calm environment, and Kyu Cao finer hearing, he caught it. Curious, he followed this sound.

Shortly after, he arrived to a lake in the middle of the forest. This was no grove; trees and rocks jutted recklessly from the lake's edges. It looked both marvelous and wild.

The water was clear and sparkling, little fishes could be seen swimming freely. It was probably the jump from one of these which attracted him.

Kyu Cao looked around admiringly. This kind of beauty was different to the orderly and trimmed sights inside the state.

Close by, there was a peculiar stone formation.

A big boulder protruded from the ground diagonally. Many other smaller stones piled up next to the boulder, and formed some steps.

It was a formation perfect to take a dive to the lake from, and pups would surely love it.

What interested Kyu Cao, though, was the space directly below the big boulder. It formed a natural alcove facing the lake. It was a suitable place to sit down without having to be overly concerned about watching one's back.

Just what he needed.

He gave a glance around, confirming that there was no one present, before walking up to the boulder. Then he sat down cross-legged, and got a feel of the spot.

A great view from the lake could be seen from here, calming one's spirit. The shade fell, causing the temperature to be a bit cold, and there was a mild damp aroma. It wasn0t exactly clean either, but not really dirty.

It would do. He had tried worse.

Taking a last glance to the lake's shining surface, Kyu Cao closed his eyes and began to inject his Qi into the Blue Icy Bear Pendant hanging on his neck.

After knowing its value, Kyu Cao couldn't simply return it to the chest. He felt more reassured taking it with him, though he had to be secretive. This was actually more because it was something related to his mother than because of the cultivation method.

He also liked to read the mysterious anecdote directly from pendant. He felt more immersed in the scripture this way. And it might be his own imagination, but he felt that his Qi absorption was more effective this way.

As he read the mysterious anecdote, Yin Qi began to be refined and absorbed into his body, which he quickly began to circulate according to the Frozen Record methods.

After the last few days, Kyu Cao had come to understand a few things about the Seven Deep Hells Frozen Record.

The Frozen Record was, indeed, an Ice Cultivation Method. However, to train in it, it actually didn't use Ice Qi, but rather it relied on a purer form of it, Yin Qi.

That first time, he had not been wrong to suspect it had been because of the mysterious anecdote that the cold Qi had appeared inside his body.

The mysterious anecdote was actually a mnemonic. It helped him to refine the Yin Qi from the Natural Qi surrounding him and absorb it.

Kyu Cao found this chant extremely magical, as it meant he could cultivate almost anywhere, without needing to be in a cold environment. Of course, cultivating in a place rich with Ice Qi was still much more efficient.

What Kyu Cao was unaware of, was that a mnemonic that allowed one to separate the energies of Heaven and Earth and take only the needed ones, was an extraordinarily high level one. It definitely was at the Middle Spirit Grade at worst.

That is to say, this Seven Deep Hells Frozen Record was thousands of times more precious than what he believed. It was such, that kingdoms and empires would be willing to mobilize their entire armies to obtain it.

It didn't take long for Kyu Cao to notice something was different this time.

Feeling the Yin Qi that entered his body, he was surprised to find that it was richer that the one he had absorbed any of the previous times. Thinking this a bit, he concluded that it must be because the change of locations. This was forest, wood naturally gathered Yin around it, there was the lake too, which also exuded Yin.

Considering how the mysterious anecdote worked, it made sense for him to absorb more Yin Qi here than back in his room.

Feeling delighted at this unexpected windfall, he doubled his efforts.

A whole hour passed.

Suddenly, Kyu Cao felt a prickling sensation run through his entire body, from the tips of his ears to the end of his tail. It was like a frigid trickle that originated on his skin and sneaked through his muscles.

It was becoming uncomfortable, when something seemed to explode inside him. It cursed his body, Kyu Cao muscles visibly expanded for an instant like a heart that gave his first beat.

Then, a flood of warm energy flooded his flesh, extremely pleasant. He knew that he had broken through to the third level of the Earthly Warrior Realm.

Kyu Cao breathed out a cloud of foggy breath and opened his eyes.

Looking down to his paws, clenching them to test them, he was truly marveled at the difference between cultivating here, and cultivating in his room.

Actually, he already had the qualifications to raise his level after the first day of cultivation. However, there was a note in the Frozen Record which said that he should spend some time to raise the purity of his Qi, rather than advance. This would be much more beneficial for him and his Cultivation at long term.

He initially thought that he would still need two more days to achieve this, but now he had managed it in only an hour!

The difference that the surrounding environment did was truly astonishing.

He finally felt that everything he'd done, including risking here, had been worth.

Then, a twinkle of excitement appeared in Kyu Cao' eyes.

Third level of the Earthly Warrior Realm. What did this mean?

It meant that he could now practice martial arts!