Zhang Nu had barely walked a short distance before he encountered a wild creature. His special ability, which allowed him to discern all information about creatures and objects, immediately came into play.
[Golden Elk], Qi Gathering Stage One
Vitality: 100, Spiritual Power: 100
Skill: Bewitching Musk...
Description: A common creature living in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. Although it hasn't yet transformed into a YaoGuai, it possesses a certain level of magical power.
This creature's level was slightly higher than Zhang Nu's. Normally, someone at Zhang Nu's Qi Gathering Stage One would avoid such a threat. However, Zhang Nu did not hesitate. With a powerful leap, he shot forward like a cannonball, instantly appearing before the Golden Elk.
The Golden Elk, startled, released a cloud of bewitching mist. Zhang Nu, upon inhaling the mist, only felt a fragrant scent but was otherwise unaffected. He then struck the elk directly. With a loud crash, the elk was sent flying several dozen meters, slamming heavily into a tree trunk.
-422!
A massive damage value appeared on Zhang Nu's player interface. Despite being only at Qi Gathering Stage One, Zhang Nu's attributes were on par with those of cultivators at Qi Gathering Stage Six or Seven.
In short, he was a monster in his own right.
[You have slain the Golden Elk, Spiritual Energy +1, Crystal +1!]
The Golden Elk that Zhang Nu defeated dropped a crystal, which was equivalent to currency in this world. However, given the remote and wild location he found himself in, these crystals were of little use for the moment. The immediate priority was to find a way out of this place.
The kill also earned him 1 point of spiritual energy, which was essentially the experience points needed to level up. To advance from Qi Gathering Stage One to Qi Gathering Stage Two required 1000 spiritual energy points. However, due to his Supreme Sacred Body, Zhang Nu only needed one-tenth of the usual amount, or just 100 points, to level up.
Zhang Nu wasted no time as he searched for an exit while relentlessly hunting monsters.
[You have slain the Fanged Boar, Spiritual Energy +1, Crystal +1!]
[You have slain the Shadow Wolf, Spiritual Energy +1, Crystal +1!]
[You have slain the Crimson Fire Tiger, Spiritual Energy +2, Crystal +2!]
The monsters Zhang Nu encountered were mostly at Stage One, with occasional Stage Two creatures. Despite only being at Qi Gathering Stage One, Zhang Nu's overpowering attributes allowed him to easily dispatch these monsters, none of which could even scratch him. Instead, they were all defeated in a single strike.
The mountain range was vast, and Zhang Nu journeyed for three days and nights, slaying hundreds of monsters along the way. Finally, he accumulated enough spiritual energy to level up.
[Breakthrough successful!]
[Current Level: Qi Gathering Stage Two!]
At the moment of Zhang Nu's breakthrough to the next level, he felt an overwhelming surge of energy rushing into his body from all directions.
He opened his personal information panel, revealing the following attributes:
Player: Zhang Nu
Level: Qi Gathering Stage Two (0/100)
Identity: Mysterious Orphan of the Ten Thousand Mountains
Stats:
Vitality: 20,000/20,000
Essence: 20,000/20,000
Physique: 200
Soul: 200
Mind: 200
Talent: 200
Ability: Supreme Sacred Body (Talent)
All his stats had doubled. Zhang Nu's base stats were already impressive, and with his attributes doubled, he now possessed the power comparable to a cultivator at Qi Gathering Stage Eight.
Just then, Zhang Nu heard some noise coming from ahead. Initially thinking it might be a wild beast, he was surprised when two figures jumped out. Could it be humans? Had he finally encountered other people?
Upon closer inspection, Zhang Nu's expression became strange, as the figures in front of him were not humans at all. They were two creatures with the heads of rats and the bodies of humans, clearly minor YaoGuai with some cultivation.
[Rat Guai Soldier], Qi Gathering Stage Three
Vitality: 200, Spiritual Power: 300,
Skills: Earth Traversing Spell...
Description: A minor YaoGuai from Black Wind Cave, known for being cunning and very vicious.
The two minor YaoGuai noticed Zhang Nu as well.
"What's a human doing here? Capture him quickly!"
Despite being at Stage Three, these were merely minor YaoGuais, and they posed no real threat to Zhang Nu, who could easily dispatch them with a flick of his finger. However, Zhang Nu did not resist. He allowed the Rat Guai to capture him.
"Ha ha ha!"
"Who would've thought we'd catch a living human! If we present this human to the king, he will surely reward us handsomely!"
With that, Zhang Nu was dragged into a mountain cave. It was a typical YaoGuai lair, though quite small in scale, housing only a few dozen lesser YaoGuai. As for the so-called king, he was only at Qi Gathering Stage Four.
[Rat YaoGuai Leader], Qi Gathering Stage Four (Elite),
Vitality: 750, Spiritual Power: 800
Skills: Black Wind Technique, Earth Traversing Spell, Fire Manipulation...
Description: The YaoGuai Leader of Black Wind Cave, who by chance learned the Black Wind Technique and possesses considerable strength.
"A human?"
The YaoGuai Leader was surprised to see a human brought before him. After all, how could there be a human in the depths of this mountain? However, he wasn't interested in learning where Zhang Nu came from. He immediately ordered his minions to strip Zhang Nu and prepare him to be roasted.
But then, Zhang Nu broke free from his restraints and, in a flash, appeared before the YaoGuai Leader, landing a powerful punch to his chest.
-523!
The YaoGuai Leader was sent flying, his chest caving in as he spat blood, his face full of disbelief. Crap! This human is a wolf in sheep's clothing!
From the power of that punch, this human had to be at least at Qi Gathering Stage Six. And not just any cultivator, but one who focused on body cultivation, possessing an exceptionally tough physique!
Sensing danger, the YaoGuai Leader tried to use his Earth Traversing to flee. But Zhang Nu wasn't going to give him the chance. With a flicker, Zhang Nu's figure appeared like a ghost, delivering a brutal roundhouse kick that shattered every bone in the Rat YaoGuai's body, slamming him into the cave wall.
With a loud crash, the wall crumbled under the force of Zhang Nu's kick, a testament to his immense power.
-533!
[You have slain the YaoGuai Leader, Spiritual Energy +80, Crystal +120!]
This YaoGuai wasn't just a Stage Four monster; he was also an elite monster, which meant the rewards were particularly abundant."Rat king is dead!"
"The king is dead!"
The sight of their leader being slain threw the Rat YaoGuais into chaos. They scattered in a panic, like headless flies. Zhang Nu acted swiftly, taking down each YaoGuai with a single punch or kick. Within minutes, the entire Rat YaoGuai lair was wiped out.With that done, Zhang Nu had accumulated nearly 300 spirit energy from this wave of monsters.
At that moment, a treasure chest appeared. This was a reward chest, which players could find after conquering or subduing a location---whether it's a YaoGuai settlement like this one or a city or sect.
Opening the chest, Zhang Nu received a notification:
[You have opened a treasure chest and obtained "Black Wind Technique Manual" ×1, Crystal x200!]
He had obtained a skill book, which Zhang Nu quickly examined. It was a jade slip inscribed with the words "Black Wind Technique," radiating a mysterious energy.
At the same time, related information appeared before him:
[Black Wind Technique], White Quality, wind-type primary cultivation technique, can be cultivated up to the third level.
For cultivators, techniques and spells are crucial. Techniques are generally divided into primary and auxiliary types. A cultivator can only practice one primary technique at a time; if a more advanced primary technique is obtained, it usually replaces the previous one. Choosing a technique is also critical. For example, someone who has long practiced a water-element technique might find it difficult and even dangerous to switch to a fire-element technique due to potential conflicts and the risk of deviating into madness.
However, Zhang Nu had no such concerns. His Supreme Sacred Body could harmonize with any technique, automatically integrating all techniques he practiced. For Zhang Nu, the more techniques, the better.
As for spells? Spells, or arts, are similar to external active skills compared to techniques which are akin to internal passive skills. Some techniques come with associated spells, and spells are not limited to any one technique. Even those without a primary cultivation technique can develop various spells.
Without hesitation, Zhang Nu began cultivating the Black Wind Technique.
[You have comprehended the Black Wind Technique, Max Spiritual Power+10% ×10, All Stats +5% ×10, and acquired the spell "Black Wind"!]
The moment Zhang Nu mastered the Black Wind Technique, both his spiritual power and all his stats saw a significant increase. Normally, such a low-level technique would offer minimal boosts, but because Zhang Nu possessed the Supreme Sacred Body, the effects of all techniques he practiced were multiplied by ten. As a result, the enhancements were substantial.
Upon mastering this technique, Zhang Nu experienced a sudden surge in his overall abilities. Feeling exhilarated, he thought, "So this is the power of the Supreme Sacred Body? It's incredibly strong!"
As he spoke, he concentrated his spiritual power, and in an instant, a small black tornado formed in his palm. This tornado was made up of countless tiny wind blades, and when Zhang Nu released it with a wave of his hand, it completely destroyed the structure of the cave. The power of this single strike was strong enough to be a lethal threat to most cultivators in the Qi Gathering Stage, and Zhang Nu was only at the second stage.
After leaving the YaoGuai lair, Zhang Nu continued his journey, hunting various monsters along the way, for seven days and nights.
[You have successfully broken through! Current cultivation: Qi Gathering Stage Three!]
On his journey, Zhang Nu had slain numerous YaoGuai and beasts. Thanks to his Supreme Sacred Body, which required only one-tenth of the usual spiritual energy to break through, he easily achieved yet another breakthrough during this time.
He opened his player stats interface to review his current attributes:
Player: Zhang Nu
Level: Qi Gathering Stage Three (1242/2500)
Identity: Mysterious Orphan of the Ten Thousand Mountains
Stats:
Vitality: 35,000/35,000
Essence: 35,000/35,000
Physique: 400
Soul: 400
Mind: 400
Talent: 400
Abilities:
Supreme Sacred Body (Talent)
Black Wind Art (Cultivation Technique)
Zhang Nu had successfully leveled up again. Even without considering the buffs from his cultivation methods, his base stats were already astonishing. When factoring in the boosts from his techniques, there were few cultivators within the same major realm who could stand against him.
At that moment, the dense forest finally gave way, and Zhang Nu saw a small mountain village appearing before him.