Feeling both happy and anxious at my Qi realms rapid growth to the Dao Foundation, I noticed that what I really felt that had changed was in actuality my body.

After surpassing the bottleneck that had been bothering me for a while, I now had weapons that could be used against possible enemies. Even if I had never entered real life combat with anyone I still knew that a person that could grind all the trees around to splinters with just a low leveled technique, was far above the norm.

So with all of that in mind I used my small divine sense to quickly search for the most significant changes in my body and I come across an interesting fact, my Dantian no longer looked like the frail and clogged pathway from before, but instead, it seemed strong as a glacier river where Qi as pure as water ran effortlessly.

'So that is why I went from Qi Condensation to Dao Foundation so fast, I should have paid more attention to my Qi purity when I ended the body transformation.

From what I read, the Qi refining stage is when I take the Qi from my environment through my open gates or pores, slowly circulate it around my Dantian and wait until it completes a full cycle, thus ultimately refining the Qi.

After the whole complex and tiring process was done, the Qi was then stored in the Qi sea and from there it would slowly congregate by small wisps after wisps until it formed into a circular shape that was generically called the Core.

The whole process was painstakingly slow and grueling for normal cultivators, but thank god I ended up skipping one entire realm.

Due to the braking and molding when I gained my new body, I unclogged my Dantian passages and cleared all impurities that my Qi sea had. The Dao Body of the 5 Major truths was really mysterious and boundless. How many affinities could one be enlightened in, were they all as easy as gaining the Techno element affinity or did some become easier than others because of my own knowledge and understanding?'

Not having an answer to those questions yet, I closed my status window but not before noticing that my status points had all gone up somehow by +5, making now Intelligence my biggest attribute at 65.

**************

I am awoken from my thoughts to the natural sounds of the jungle, birds chirping and insects buzzing around me.

While relaxed I try to yawn only to be cut short by an animalistic growl, the guttural sound not far but not close, as whatever was making the sound it was making it while slowly and surreptitiously approaching my location.

Quickly standing from my lotus position I leave my make-shift camp in a hurry while surrounded by thick vines and green shrubs that had hidden me well all through the night.

Making a rushed exit was never a good idea if you didn't know where your enemy was coming from. But having lived an entire life without the necessity to escape gigantic monsters and scary people, this was in fact, a very promising plan to avoid conflict, at least in my mind.

Trying to make as little noise as possible I activate my mirror movement and hope that it was the only thing necessary to avoid the predator creeping on me while I fled.

I run as the minute's pass and nothing happens, but the feeling of being chased never ceases to make itself present.

As I make out my exit strategy, I realize that every bird had stopped singing while I was thinking, so I furiously circulated my Qi after the foreboding lack of noise and I tried to boost my speed to maximum levels and that I did.

With wind cutting my face, eyes watering and ragged breathing I headed as fast as possible in a straight line while praying that whatever it was that stalked me, couldn't catch up to my own speed.

After constantly fleeing and making way towards the less shaded part of the jungle, I reached a dead end as I look in horror at the natural mossy stone wall in front of me that spans at least thirty meters high.

Heart racing and cold sweat trickling down my spine, I turn around only to discover an indistinct form approaching from the shadowy jungle.

Slowly it makes its body known to me, a gigantic mass of muscles and pelt that could put any man down to its knees and sobbing for their mothers.

What my eyes saw in disbelief, was a panther, or at least something similar to one as this particular feline was the size of a tank but oddly enough didn't make a sound until it opened it's maw to show me its deathly teeth.

Illuminated by the sun, what looked to be black fur was in actuality an array of colors that span from red to violet. Red eyes and shifting color pelt were scary enough to make my knees weak but what truly frightened me were its teeth, all big enough to be one of my fingers and sharp enough that made shark teeth look like butter knives.

Slowly approaching me, its body went towards the ground to gain a bigger jump momentum to pounce on me, but I couldn't help look at its paws. Big as my head its claws came out to announce the beginning of a death battle and my hands trembled with fear.

And then, it happened.

Fear, anxiety, tremors they all vanished without a trace only to be replaced by a tunneled vision before me. Fast as lightning, the beast descended towards me in an arched jump that I dodged just by a hair's breadth.

Crouching I let the panther-like animal go against the wall behind me and I watch as small pieces of rock crumble from the heavy impact. Quickly remembering my old habits of gaming while in the VR capsules, I detach myself from reality as if I was just my old avatar and quickly spin my right leg axis throwing a semy round-house kick to its shoulder.

The full force of my bronze kick impacts and I notice that I did something that the rock was not able to, I most likely injured its muscle as the creature buckled down from my kick. Not wasting any time I approach the head and throw a bronze chop directed at the temple only to stop as its extended paw, bearing translucent claws was headed directly at my stomach.

Feeling my robe being ripped but no major flesh wounds, we both retract while watching carefully for any openings that can be exploited.

Because of the close call my nervous state is intensified as I realize I had not used any elements in my attacks and that they would probably cause more damage than my bronze set of techniques if used.

Cursing at my own stupidity after fearlessly trying to face the beast, I try to regain control of myself and leave the tunnel vision that was present during the first exchange. Luckily, my altered mind had been able to avoid and counter the beast but I realize how dangerous this was in actuality. In a game, a person respawned and continued their merry adventure, but here there was no respawn and certainly no second chances in this life and death scenario.

Remembering the stark contrast between my online personality and my real personality I understand what I had done. I had done every move in my anonymous self that was not afraid of anything in the virtual world.

'Am I so old that I can't even differentiate what's real and what's not?'

Hands shaking again in mild fear, I resolutely form two fists and will my mana to form fireballs that cover all the way to my wrists. Red and yellow flames lick my arms and attire while I concentrate on the wild animal, preparing to launch my low fireball Qi fist that I had since coming to this world.

It was a death battle, just me and the beast and unfortunately only one could remain alive in the end.