Hu Meng and Yin Xiu quickly descended the mountain with tension and excitement.
"Alright Yin Xiu, we have to make some plans to increase our combat effectiveness." Hu Meng said as they reached the forest below.
"I feel like my course of action is fairly simple. I should use the remaining poison we have leftover that wasn't useful for my skin refinement to attempt refining my bones. Then, it is to practice with my needle and try to become proficient in using it. Most would use it is a throwing weapon, but it isn't advisable for me to do so yet, as I would be weaponless without it. Speaking of which, I need to find a suitable weapon that I can keep on hand. The needle fits me well, but it's not very practical for a main weapon. They're typically more for surprise attacks." Yin Xiu explained his thoughts. "For you, maybe we can practice together? You attempt to sneak up on me while I practice with the needle, and catch me off guard. It'll work both ways as I can train my reaction speed and you can practice your stealth."
Hu Meng sat on on his haunches and thought about it for awhile before agreeing. "It should work, I'll practice for a bit with you every day, and go hunting to actually go all out against prey. I think it'll be more beneficial for both of us to not reveal whether I'm hunting prey outside or hunting you." Hu Meng said with a playful and slightly sinister tone.
Yin Xiu understanding his meaning nodded stiffly "That's fine, just one ground rule. When I'm refining my body it's off limits to attack. You're a full cultivation realm above me after all."
Hu Meng nodded casually "Of course, that's just common courtesy."
Yin Xiu inwardly sighed in relief before saying "I'm going to use up what we have left of the poison, and then move on to practicing with my weapon skills."
"I'll go catch some prey." Hu Meng growled in a sinister tone before leaping into the shadows. Instantly disappearing from Yin Xiu's vision. 'I might have been too hasty to suggest practicing together.' he thought with a wry look on his face.
Yin Xiu walked over to the cauldron, which still had quite a bit of the sinister liquid remaining. As he got closer he observed a yellow leaf drifting down slowly, and landing into the cauldron before dissolving almost instantly. Yin Xiu watched this with a conflicted expression 'The way I cultivate is far different from what I was expecting when I started my journey... Well this is the path I must walk, and I'll walk it to the very end.' His eyes became firm as he banished all the distracting thoughts from his mind.
He picked up the cauldron before resolutely tilting it to his lips, drinking two large mouthfuls of the mixture. Quickly sitting down cross-legged, he waited for the toxins to impact his system. His throat experienced the myriad of effects that his skin had underwent earlier in the day albeit at a lower intensity, as his physique had already adapted to them somewhat. After suffering for a few minutes in silence, the runes in his chest lit up once more, pulling the toxins into the bones surrounding it. As they were infused with poison they slowly darkened until they matched the dark black of the original. Toxins infiltrated deep into the marrow as Yin Xiu's blood was slowly filtered removing impurities and adding toxins, moving closer and closer to a body of pure toxicity. As, the blood was pumped throughout his body it slowly acclimatized his organs in preparation for his organ refinement. Laying a solid foundation for the next stage.
The process lasted around thirty minutes, fully refining one of his ribs, and half of another. The black coloration slowly spreading outwardly from the rune covered bone in his chest, almost like ink spilled on paper.
After the process, Yin Xiu rested his tired mind for about ten minutes before resolutely repeating the process. By the time the poison was completely consumed, almost a full day had passed as Yin Xiu cultivated. When it was finally done Yin Xiu calmly meditated as he inwardly felt the changes his body had undergone.
'I was correct, flexibility is no longer the focus and other poisons can be used. However, I think I'll have to get different varieties of poisons. I've already noticed that some are starting to be rejected. I'm assuming my physique is pursuing a large number of poisons to incorporate instead of using the same ones repeatedly. From what I can tell I should have refined around twenty percent of my bones, so the progress is gratifying.' Satisfied Yin Xiu stood up, and stretched by performing a few inhuman movements as he adjusted to the feeling of his changed body. Quickly noticing that his power had improved slightly, but the biggest change was his endurance.
'The Azure Cliff refining art said that bone refinement's biggest strength improvement is related to the production of blood in the body, as well as the hardness of the bones. My technique should replace hardness with toxicity. One thing is for sure though, I probably won't be fighting much head on.' Yin Xiu thought, quickly catching onto the clues.
After he felt comfortable with his changes, he walked towards a clearing around 100 meters from the bottom of the tiger's abode. Yin Xiu exhaled deeply as he looked up towards the forest's canopy, a dazzling array of colors was reflected in his eyes as the autumn leaves drifted through the wind, and the deep blue sky peaked through the treetops. Yin Xiu's mind slowly relaxed, as he was absorbed in the scenary.
Unbeknownst to him a pair of yellow eyes were looking directly at him, as their owner stalked ever closer to Yin Xiu. Hu Meng quickly arrived within two meters from Yin Xiu before he crouched, building up power in his muscles. Then, he sprang forward with a slight rustle of leaves being the only trace of his movements. Yin Xiu didn't even register the attack before he found himself face down on the ground with an aching back as a huge tiger stepped on him.
Hu Meng licked his paws nonchalantly with a self satisfied air, as he observed the dumbfounded Yin Xiu covered in dirt beneath him. "Tsk tsk, We already made plans to practice, but your memory seems so short Yin Xiu." Hu Meng laughed smugly.
"I got distracted for a moment." Yin Xiu sighed as he stood up, quickly brushing off the dirt that had covered his increasingly unsightly robes.
"That's the problem Yin Xiu, a moment of distraction when you know that an enemy could attack at any moment could be the difference between life and death." Hu Meng warned gravely "If I was truly trying to take your life just then you would have found your head no longer attached to your body."
Yin Xiu quickly accepted the poignant remarks of his friend, silently deciding that he must take this period seriously to improve. He also was determined to catch the tiger at least once before the raid on the neighboring territory began. No one wants to be beaten black and blue without being able to resist.
Seeing Yin Xiu taking his warning seriously Hu Meng nodded before briefly entering the shadows, returning shortly dragging the carcass of a stage one elk spirit beast with green moss hanging down from its antlers. "Come and share this with me Yin Xiu, you're still a body-refining cultivator, you can't just eat poison every day." Hu Meng chuckled quickly reverting the previously somber mood. Yin Xiu smiled while patiently watching Hu Meng's razor like claws eviscerate the spirit beast with a brutal efficiency. Hu Meng pointed to a leg with his paw while saying "This one is for you, I don't think you could eat the rest."
Yin Xiu smiled and thanked him before finding a piece of flint, some sticks, and haphazardly grabbed a bunch of fallen dry leaves. 'The Autumn area of the forest is quite convenient for starting fires.' Yin Xiu then quickly made a small fire while surrounding it with stones in a rudimentary fire pit. He spitted the elk leg on a sharpened tree limb to cook a simple barbecue. 'It's a pity I don't have any spices... not like I have any talent in cooking anyways.' He inwardly chuckled.
Hu Meng watched the entire process with a strange expression before looking at the semi-ravaged leg that he had been eating 'What's the point of that? It's already good like this?' He shrugged then quickly returned to his savage feast.
An hour later the man and the tiger laid on their backs completely full staring blankly at the sky through the trees.
Yin Xiu was the first to stand up, interrupting the peaceful atmosphere that had developed between them. He reached behind his head and pulled out his only weapon, his hair hung loosely while billowing gently in the breeze. The purple strands strangely hypnotic to observe as they danced. Yin Xiu inspected the long needle finding that the natural feeling remained. Looking over at his still lazy friend Yin Xiu asked "Any suggestions on the best way to train?"
Hu Meng rolled himself over before saying "I would just practice the basic stabbing motions first. It's not like you have a martial skill that you can practice yet. Maybe focus on straight stabs then overhead stabs, underhand stabs... you get the idea." Yin Xiu nodded in thought "I think utilizing my flexibility to the extreme is the next step. Maybe trying to come up with tricky angles to attack from to catch enemies off guard."
Hu Meng agreed quickly "Honestly I'm looking forward to your progress once you reach Qi refinement. I feel like you're going to catch many people off guard." Hu Meng laughed sinisterly at the prospect.
Yin Xiu smiled back as he turned focused his mind, and stabbed as fast as possible 'I'll coat the needle in poison when I'm serious, the goal isn't strength, it's to hit and run, waiting for the poison to weaken them before seizing the moment to finish them off.' He practiced with a single-minded devotion to improve, however he kept his senses open in case he was ambushed once again. An hour passed as Yin Xiu's stabs became more, and more streamlined. The air making a quiet hiss as it was split by the needle.