The next day, early morning, Chen Li yawned as he pushed open the door.
He happened to see Zhou Hong's man getting ready to leave.
This man, surnamed Gao and named Bo, had a tall and burly stature, with half-closed eyes that occasionally flashed a fierce light. It was said that he was in the late stages of Qi Cultivation. He usually left early and returned late, so Chen Li rarely saw him.
"Fellow Daoist Gao, are you heading out?" Chen Li greeted courteously with a cupped-fist salute, feeling inexplicably guilty and short of breath.
"Hmm!" Gao Bo was a man of few words. He glanced at Chen Li, nodded, and then hurried away.
Chen Li didn't mind the other's cold attitude and turned back into his room, cursing himself in his thoughts:
'Really, why feel guilty.'
'Absolutely ridiculous!'
...
More than ten days later.
Early one morning, after several days of mental preparation, Chen Li, fully armed, gritted his teeth and walked toward the wilderness.
During these days, his swordsmanship had already broken through to mastery.
The mastery level of swordsmanship indeed gave him quite a surprise.
This realm required control over every muscle in the body, integrating all the strength into one, which was more than twice as powerful as in the proficient stage. Even an ordinary person casually swinging a sword would produce astonishing power.
But the difficulty of controlling the muscles intricately was really too high.
Even with his previous foundation, and the fact that the breakthrough was gradual, Chen Li still spent a whole week practicing hard before he finally absorbed and digested it completely, forming muscle memory.
Moreover, during this period, he had a breakthrough to the master level with his 'Spiritual Power Finger Snap.'
'With his skills greatly accomplished,' Chen Li finally became restless and could not suppress the urge to test his sword in the wilderness.
...
Walking on the road, he couldn't help but touch the two advanced Talismans he kept close to his chest.
One Featherweight Talisman: 2 low-grade Spirit Stones.
One Amulet: 4 low-grade Spirit Stones.
The former was for running away, while the latter was for self-defense.
These two Talismans had used up most of his savings.
Apart from the one Spirit Stone he had for emergencies and some remaining gold, he really had nothing left.
"Sigh, still so poor," Chen Li lamented.
There were so many good things in the market which he could only look at. As a Loose Cultivator making a living by drawing Talismans at the third level of Qi Cultivation, getting by was possible, but living better was out of the question.
"Fortunately, if these two Talismans aren't used, I can sell them back in the market. It's not like I've truly spent the money," he constantly calculated in his heart.
"I can draw one Evil-Repelling Talisman everyday now, with an average success rate of about 45%. After deducting the cost of 'Talisman paper' and 'Blood ink' materials, I estimate I can earn 9 low-grade Spirit Stones per month.
As for monthly expenses:
Rent, 1 Spirit Stone.
Monthly consumption of Spirit Rice, 3 Spirit Stones.
Add to that other miscellaneous expenses, 1 Spirit Stone.
I can save up 4 Spirit Stones each month."
Chen Li thought about it and felt that his income was quite decent.
If he was just getting by, he might even live a little more comfortably than on Earth.
"If I could make my own 'Talisman paper' and mix my own 'Blood ink,' I guess the savings could double."
"No wonder the original owner had such a comfortable life and could often go to..."
Thinking of this, Chen Li inwardly cursed that he hadn't inherited the original owner's relevant memories, which had instead caused him a lot of trouble.
No sooner had he stepped out of the shantytown than his surroundings quickly became desolate. The undulating dark green mountain range in the distance looked like a giant dragon, silently lying in repose.
He quickly put a stop to his disjointed thoughts and became vigilant.
A small path made from frequent passing wound its way into the distance. Weeds grew thickly on both sides of the path, with sparse and solitary trees scattered about. The wilderness was everywhere marked by the traces of fierce fires.
Bones could be seen everywhere and not far away, even a human skull could be spotted.
A slight unease grew in Chen Li's heart.
But he thought that he couldn't always hide in a safe area for his entire life, so he mustered up the courage to walk forward.
...
The surrounding grass began to grow denser, nearly waist-high, and more trees started to appear nearby. From time to time, a sharp and bizarre cry pierced through the wilderness, sending shivers down one's spine.
Startled by the sound of footsteps, an unknown insect took off abruptly, flapping its wings vigorously.
However, it hadn't even ascended a foot off the ground.
The next moment.
An invisible force struck it, shattering it to pieces, and the relentless power pierced through a small tree three meters away.
Master-level "Spiritual Power Finger Snap".
"Huff huff!"
Chen Li, his nerves taut, stared at the rustling grass for a good while before he finally breathed a sigh of relief. In the distance, groups of Loose Cultivators chatted and laughed as they traveled together, their voices faintly carrying over.
"Too tense, relax, relax."
Chen Li gripped the somewhat damp hilt of his sword, took several deep breaths, and continued forward with a stern expression on his face.
"Zzt"
A creature resembling a rat, as large as a kitten but with a more malevolent presence, suddenly had its head explode.
"Zzt"
A sneaky lizard was split in two.
"Zzt"
A large bird with ill intentions, skimming low, burst into a spray of blood midair.
"Zzt"
A wild beast watching from afar, with unclear intentions, met an untimely death.
"Zzt"
...
Master-level "Spiritual Power Finger Snap", with a lethal range of up to fifty meters.
Within twenty meters, its power could penetrate gold and split rocks.
He had secretly conducted tests.
Within twenty meters, a normal tree with a diameter of thirty centimeters could be pierced straight through.
Combined with over a month of daily practice, especially after mastering swordsmanship and the refined control of muscles, within twenty meters, he could hit anywhere he pointed, almost without fail.
Chen Li moved along, haunted by suspicion and with his nerves highly strung, unknowing of how many innocent souls had fallen victim to his "Spiritual Power Finger Snap", dying with their eyes still open.
Not until he felt his spiritual power was depleted by a third did he cautiously stop.
Then he drew his sword and continued on, continuing the slaughter.
After more than an hour of walking, Chen Li had not encountered a single ferocious beast, let alone any danger.
The insects were the most frequent victims, various kinds of insects.
"Loose Cultivators often pass by here; this area is obviously well-trodden, so I doubt any ferocious beasts would dare to approach."
He looked in the distance. Before long, he would reach the primeval forest territory. Hesitating, and thinking of possible Demon Beasts and the Loose Cultivators of unpredictable nature, he decided to return the way he had come.
The intensity of this trial had been sufficient.
Not only had he gained a preliminary understanding of the wilderness, but he had also strengthened his courage and experienced "real combat".
Three birds with one stone.
This was a successful trial.
As for the forest, there were too many uncontrollable factors.
After all, he was merely a third layer Qi Cultivation small Loose Cultivator, insignificant and weak. It was better not to take unnecessary risks.
He was still young, with a long life ahead of him, and now that longevity was in sight, his potential was limitless.
Better to wait until he became stronger.
...
On the way back, he could no longer resist the urge to run, and so he flew along, running ever faster. He began to mobilize every muscle in his body, and gradually, each stride carried him four or five meters. A hundred meters passed in the blink of an eye.
A Loose Cultivator in the distance watched in astonishment:
"Is he using a Featherweight Talisman? That Fellow Daoist is really extravagant."