However, Blake Carter was already an innate being, so with its help as a guardian, it should be quite safe.

For most species, trying to advance from acquired to innate is extremely difficult—even after reaching the peak of the acquired stage, they often find no way forward and can only rely on chance encounters. But Brian Carter possessed his sect’s mental cultivation method, which provided incredibly detailed instructions on how to progress from the peak of the acquired stage to the innate realm—and not just one method. The most reliable and commonly used method was exactly the one Brian Carter was using now.

Brian Carter calmed his mind, casting aside all distractions. He let the abundant and robust acquired true qi in his body circulate slowly along his meridians, over and over again. With each cycle, guided by the secret method of the heart sutra, the true qi underwent subtle changes. As it became increasingly pure, the true qi particles also began to combine in a mysterious way. After nine cycles, half of the true qi in his body was gone, meaning that every particle of true qi had paired up.

He continued for another nine cycles. The true qi was halved again. After a total of eighty-one cycles, the cultivation was finally complete. The once vast sea of true qi was now reduced to a single stream, like a small snake running through his body. Yet the true qi that remained after all this fusion was far purer and more powerful than the acquired true qi.

A series of tiger roars and the cries of various wild beasts rang in his ears. Brian Carter immediately understood: powerful acquired creatures had sensed that a being here was advancing from acquired to innate. Feeling threatened, they had come to snuff out Brian Carter before he could fully transform.

With Blake Carter standing guard, Brian Carter did not open his eyes. Instead, he focused on completing the final step—cleansing the marrow and remolding the body. Driven by the secret method, the lively, snake-like stream of true qi gradually condensed into a sphere in his dantian, then suddenly dispersed in all directions. It did not spread along the meridians, but diffused through every cell in his body, gradually reaching his limbs and bones, every part of his being.

Intense pain instantly overwhelmed Brian Carter’s nerves. The process of cleansing the marrow and remolding the body could greatly improve one’s physique, but the pain was beyond what ordinary people could endure. According to the heart sutra, many people could not withstand the agony and would bite their tongues to end their own lives.

The powerful innate true qi penetrated every inch of his body, from his internal organs to his skin, leaving nothing untouched. As sweat poured out, toxins and impurities stored in his body were expelled through his pores, and the black filth slowly dyed Brian Carter’s entire body black.

No one knew how much time had passed. Brian Carter, his face twisted in pain, finally let out a loud shout, and the innate true qi that had spread throughout his limbs and meridians gradually gathered back into his dantian like the receding tide.

Brian Carter slowly opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing within them. Every cell in his body was filled with boundless vitality and ease. Never in his life had he felt so clear-headed; many problems that had long puzzled him now flashed with answers. Only now did Brian Carter understand why the old man had left him here alone to train. Without these three years of arduous tempering, Brian Carter would never have believed he could survive the process of cleansing the marrow and remolding the body from acquired to innate.

A miserable, piercing roar from Blake Carter jolted Brian Carter from his contemplation back to reality. He quickly grabbed the long blade at his side and responded to Blake Carter with a clear, resonant roar. His body flashed like a faint shadow, and in the next moment, he was already outside the cave.

The thick scent of blood instantly filled Brian Carter’s now exceptionally keen sense of smell. The ground was littered with the corpses of various creatures—some he recognized, others were monsters he had never seen before. At this moment, Blake Carter had already turned into a red tiger, its fur soaked in blood from head to toe—some its own, some from its enemies.

Even badly wounded, the kingly Blake Carter still looked disdainfully and proudly at the group of over a hundred red wolves opposite, showing not the slightest sign of retreat.

What a pack of red wolves, daring to take advantage of the situation. Brian Carter stood proudly beside Blake Carter with his blade, pointing at the vicious and sinister red wolves in the distance. In an instant, a murderous aura filled the air.

At this moment, Blake Carter cast a glance at Brian Carter that was both approving and joyful. With two innate beings on one mountain, even such a ferocious pack of red wolves began to timidly retreat.

Chapter 7: Coordinated Strike

“Brother Tiger, let’s teach these ignorant beasts a lesson together. Let’s see who kills more!” Brian Carter’s lips curled into a faint smile, but his expression suddenly turned fierce. With a cold roar, he charged at the fleeing red wolves like lightning, blade in hand. The innate realm was indeed a world apart from the acquired; his entire body was filled with pure, powerful energy that seemed inexhaustible—old strength not yet spent, new strength already surging forth.

Blake Carter was not to be outdone, letting out a tiger’s roar as well. Man and tiger, one after the other, plunged into the wolf pack as if it were a flock of sheep. The wails and screams of red wolves rang out continuously, and crimson blood splattered everywhere. At this moment, every slash from Brian Carter carried an unstoppable momentum. Though his blade strikes were domineering, they also contained the laws of heaven and earth. Wherever the cold light and blade wind reached, no enemy could withstand him. Within several meters around him, not a single wolf dared approach.

On Blake Carter’s side, the situation was much the same. Its constant roars shook the enemies’ spirits, and under its sharp claws and fangs, few red wolves escaped with their lives. In addition, Blake Carter’s special energy ball attack caused heavy casualties among the red wolf pack.