Being entangled by the Clear Wave Palm and the tough threads, the demon fox found it arduous to escape within a short span. Capitalizing on this opportunity, Zhuge Xiang activated the Blood Thunder Slash, empowered by the Blood Refined Saber and the Bloodthirst Technique. A scarlet saber light sliced towards the neck of the one-star mid-grade demon beast with rapid thrusts.
Zhuge Xiang emitted a blood-curdling scream as blood spurted out. His Blood Refined Saber mercilessly cleaved into the demon fox's neck. The sensation coursing through his hand informed Zhuge Xiang that he had completely severed the demon fox's cervical vertebrae, leaving only a layer of flesh and blood connecting its neck.
The demon fox fell to the ground and whimpered a few times. Its limbs convulsed, and the mid-grade one-star demon fox ceased all movement. As the demon fox perished, Lu Yuling swiftly produced a small jade bottle and, using a dagger, sliced open the creature's chest. Half a bottle of warm blood essence was carefully collected from the heart meridian and stored away. Only then did Lu Yuling breathe a sigh of relief. Lowering his head, he meticulously stowed away the resilient threads wrapped around the demon fox.
Unfazed by Lu Yuling's actions, Zhuge Xiang, who was about to deliver the final blow to the demon fox, knew it was time for him to reap the rewards. The system's upgrade arrived as promised.
"Ding! You have slain a one-star mid-grade demon fox. Received 450 EXP. Obtained skill book "Violent Steps." Obtained Super Spiritual Energy Elixir."
The system's notification startled him. This one-star mid-grade demon fox had actually granted him a substantial amount of 450 EXP? This confirmed Zhuge Xiang's earlier speculation. It appeared that the EXP gained from slaying monsters above his level would be significantly boosted.
While a fox demon at the third level of the Qi Nourishing stage had yielded just over 100 EXP, a fox demon at the fifth level of the Qi Nourishing stage had rewarded him with over 400 EXP in total. However, it made sense. With Lu Yuling's unwavering assistance, his eruption of the Bloodthirst Technique, the Blood Refined Saber, and the Iron Secret Potion, he had barely managed to vanquish it. It was only natural for him to earn 450 EXP.
Zhuge Xiang tore a piece of his rough clothing and fastened the Blood Refined Saber to his back. Finally, he had a moment to examine the skill book and elixir in his hand. They were equivalent to the items dropped by a fifth-level Qi Nourishing stage demon fox, evidently superior.
Regrettably, he couldn't employ the skill book at present. It indicated that he needed to reach the third level of the Qi Nourishing stage before learning its contents. Zhuge Xiang stowed it in his pocket. However, when his gaze fell upon the Spiritual Energy Elixir, Zhuge Xiang found himself uncertain whether to laugh or cry.
Spiritual Energy Elixir: Requires the user to be at the first level of the Qi Nourishing stage. Consuming it grants immense strength. All system skills have no cooldown time and require no consumption. Duration: 30 seconds.
Judging by its appearance, this medicinal pill possessed significant power. Skills could be used continuously without any cooldown or consumption concerns. However, it imposed limitations on system skills. For instance, the Blood Lightning Slash and the Bloodthirst Technique were both martial arts techniques from the Martial Storage Pavilion. Until now, there were no system skills available. One needed to reach the third level of the Qi Nourishing stage to learn the Violent Steps.
Zhuge Xiang stowed away the Violent Steps and the Spiritual Energy Elixir. He experienced an unprecedented sense of weakness. Zhuge Xiang longed to lie down and rest at that moment. The side effects of the Bloodthirst Technique had begun to manifest, and his body had entered a state of weakness.
"You are exceptionally strong. It seems that you will undoubtedly astonish the world during the competition in five days," Lu Yuling remarked as he collected the blood essence of the demon beasts and retrieved his threads. Approaching Zhuge Xiang's side, he gazed at him with his beautiful eyes and spoke in a clear voice. He was speaking the truth. He had broken through to the Qi Nourishing stage during the battle. Within half a month, once his combat prowess erupted in the grand competition, his skills would surely astonish everyone.
"Don't flatter me. The Bloodthirst Technique is my trump card. As for the defense I displayed just now, it was due to the fortuitous acquisition of a medicinal pill. I only have one," Zhuge Xiang responded, shaking his head in response to Lu Yuling's praise. Then, he retrieved a 100-year-old Lingzhi, tore off approximately 30% of it, and tossed the remaining portion to Lu Yuling.
Upon catching the Lingzhi thrown by Zhuge Xiang, Lu Yuling nonchalantly tore off a bit more and handed it back to Zhuge Xiang. The 100-year-old Lingzhi was now split nearly evenly between them. Meeting Zhuge Xiang's questioning gaze, Lu Yuling casually remarked, "You contributed as much as I did this time. Let's divide it equally. There's no need to refuse."
"Alright," Zhuge Xiang agreed without hesitation. He was a straightforward person, and Lu Yuling's words made sense, so he accepted without reservation. Zhuge Xiang held the Lingzhi and examined it closely as information about the Lingzhi appeared before his eyes.
100-year-old Lingzhi (Incomplete): A relatively rare spirit herb that can be used to create medicinal pills. Consuming it directly grants 500 EXP. It is effective for cultivators above the first level of the Qi Nourishing stage.
Could half of the 100-year-old Lingzhi provide him with 500 EXP if consumed directly? Zhuge Xiang was highly satisfied with this. Unfortunately, it was only beneficial for individuals above the first level of the Qi Nourishing stage. Otherwise, if he gave some to Niu Geng, he should be able to comprehend Qi Force.
Although it might be more valuable to use it for pill refinement in the future, Zhuge Xiang needed 500 EXP immediately. Without hesitation, he opened his mouth and swallowed the Lingzhi in his hand.
By this point, Zhuge Xiang had already acquired 100 EXP from killing the beasts along the way. Slaying a one-star low-grade demon fox granted him over 100 EXP, and defeating a mid-grade demon fox awarded him 450 EXP. After gaining 500 EXP from the Lingzhi, Zhuge Xiang's total EXP had reached 1,200. The EXP required for the next level was less than 800 EXP. Undoubtedly, with the aid of the Lingzhi's effects, Zhuge Xiang felt the Qi Force in his body suddenly circulating, as if it had pierced through a thin layer of rice paper and become several times denser. The system notification made it clear to Zhuge Xiang that he had advanced to the second level of the Qi Nourishing stage, gaining nearly 400 EXP in th#e process.
Zhuge Xiang, male, 14 years old, second level of the Qi Nourishing stage. Remaining skill points: 1. Health: 120/120. Current EXP: 380/2,000.
As Zhuge Xiang examined his character page, he realized that reaching the third level of the Qi Nourishing stage required a total of 2,000 EXP points. This left Zhuge Xiang feeling somewhat helpless. With only five days remaining, he was unsure if he could successfully advance to the third level of the Qi Nourishing stage. However, as his level increased, Zhuge Xiang noticed that the weakness caused by the Bloodthirst Technique had completely vanished.
"He broke through?" Lu Yuling was well aware of Zhuge Xiang's breakthrough and the fluctuations in his Qi Force. Despite only comprehending Qi Force for about ten days after consuming half of the 100-year-old Lingzhi, Zhuge Xiang had already achieved another breakthrough. This rapid rate of growth was truly astonishing.
It appeared that the intense battle was the true cause of his breakthrough. The legends were accurate. Although combat geniuses may have mediocre cultivation aptitude, they became stronger the more they fought. They could indeed surpass other geniuses through life-and-death battles. Lu Yuling pondered over Zhuge Xiang's breakthrough.
"Alright, let's return." Zhuge Xiang and Lu Yuling had no intention of lingering. They turned around and prepared to leave.
After fighting for such a long time, the sky had already darkened. Despite the half-moon illuminating the night sky, the forest remained shrouded in darkness.
However, at that moment, faint cries reached their ears. Looking toward the sound, they noticed a little fox crawling out of the cave where the low-grade demon fox lay. It stumbled along, appearing incredibly adorable.
"This is a little fox?" Seeing this little fox cub walk out of the cave, Zhuge Xiang and Lu Yuling finally understood. No wonder the strength of the low-grade fox demon had decreased so much. It turned out that it was because of it had given birth. Looking at this little fox, if no one paid attention to it, it would definitely become the food of other ferocious beasts.
"So, this is a little fox?" Zhuge Xiang and Lu Yuling finally understood upon witnessing the emergence of the fox cub from the cave. No wonder the strength of the low-grade fox demon had diminished significantly—it had given birth. Observing the little fox, they realized that if left unattended, it would inevitably become prey for other ferocious beasts.
"Senior Lu, do you want to raise this little fox? Since it's born from a demon beast, its aptitude is undoubtedly impressive." Zhuge Xiang didn't wish to witness the cute little fox being devoured by other ferocious beasts, but he didn't have the time or inclination to care for it. He turned to Lu Yuling and inquired.