This discovery thrilled Yang Kai. After three years of training in Lingxiao Pavilion, he had only reached the third layer of Body Tempering. Yet, since obtaining the wordless black book, he broke through to the fourth layer the next day. Now, just two days later, he was on the verge of another breakthrough. Even Yang Kai found his cultivation speed somewhat frightening.
Practicing the Body Tempering Technique was immensely draining. Yang Kai rested for a long time to recover, ate the remaining rice balls, and then continued his journey to seek medicinal herbs.
Yesterday, he had scoured all the places in his memory where herbs should be found. Today, he had to rely on luck. Fortunately, the value of these mundane herbs was low, so not everyone would collect them, and there were still some to be found.
Throughout the day, Yang Kai found seven or eight herbs, even two Three-Leaf Remnant Soul Flowers. With this, he finally gathered enough herbs for his cultivation, though the quantity was still quite meager.
Time flew by, and as night fell, Yang Kai was still wandering in the mountains. He was famished and had hoped to hunt some game, but not even a rabbit appeared. All he found were a few tiny, sour wild fruits that made him even hungrier after eating them.
Regretting not bringing more rice balls, Yang Kai found himself in a dire situation with no village or shop in sight to find food. Just as he was feeling desperate, he suddenly saw a flicker of firelight ahead in the forest, which lifted his spirits, and he quickly headed in that direction.
Anyone daring to light a fire in the wilderness was either an inexperienced fool or a seasoned expert. This time, Yang Kai encountered the latter.
As he approached the fire, a stern voice demanded, "Who goes there?"
Simultaneously, Yang Kai felt a chill as if a cold wind swept through his spine. By the fire stood a tall, robust man holding a drawn bow, arrow aimed at Yang Kai, and a young boy, about eleven or twelve, whose bright eyes showed no fear, only eagerness. The boy also held a bow, though much smaller and presumably less powerful.
Despite the drawn bows, Yang Kai wasn't angered. In the wilderness, one must always be cautious. Their reaction was understandable.
"Don't be alarmed, I'm just here to collect herbs," Yang Kai quickly explained.
Hearing this, the man and boy scrutinized him. The robust man slowly lowered his bow and patted the boy, signaling him to relax. He then laughed, "I thought the firelight had attracted some wild beast. It was a false alarm."
"Sorry about that," Yang Kai replied awkwardly.
The man was magnanimous, beckoning, "Come, the night wind is cold. It's tough living out here."
Yang Kai thanked him and approached the fire, sitting down. The man observed Yang Kai's thin frame and felt a bit of sympathy.
Naturally, they began to chat. Through their conversation, Yang Kai learned that they were father and son living at the foot of the mountain, making a living through hunting. Though not wealthy, they had enough to get by. The boy, despite his young age, was already an experienced hunter, having accompanied his father on many trips into Heifeng Mountain. His experience far surpassed Yang Kai's.
Yang Kai also introduced himself. Upon learning he was a disciple of Lingxiao Pavilion, the man was slightly surprised, and the boy's curiosity grew, his bright eyes continuously darting over Yang Kai.
The man said, "My son also wanted to practice martial arts, but he was sent back due to poor aptitude. So, he greatly admires warriors like you."
This reminded Yang Kai of his own struggles over the past three years, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of empathy. He patted the boy's head.
As they talked, Yang Kai's stomach growled loudly, causing the boy to pause before chuckling. He then handed Yang Kai some dry food from his pouch.
Touched, Yang Kai didn't immediately accept but glanced at the robust man, who smiled and said, "Eat. It looks like you haven't had much today."
Yang Kai didn't refuse further and devoured the food hungrily.
After chatting a while longer, the three of them slept around the fire. Yang Kai didn't sleep deeply, remaining alert for any danger to repay the hunters' kindness by protecting them.
But the night passed uneventfully.
At dawn, Yang Kai left quietly before the hunters woke, leaving behind two medicinal herbs as a token of gratitude for their food.
These herbs, if crushed, had some healing properties, which could be useful for the hunters who often roamed the mountains.
As the eastern sky brightened, Yang Kai practiced the Body Tempering Technique for half an hour. When he finished, a warm sensation surged through his body, and his meridians pulsed with energy.
He had reached the fifth layer of Body Tempering! Yesterday's sensation was accurate. After half an hour of training today, he had indeed broken through.
Elated, Yang Kai's anticipation for the Arrogant Bone Golden Body Technique grew. In just a few days since obtaining it, he had already had two breakthroughs. This cultivation speed was unparalleled, even with limited training time. If he could train continuously, how fast could he progress?
The thought amazed him. However, the Body Tempering stage was merely the foundation for warriors, so it naturally progressed quickly. As his level increased, his advancement would likely slow down.
After a short rest, Yang Kai resumed his herb-hunting.
That day was fruitful, as he gathered over ten herbs and even caught a plump rabbit, alleviating his hunger.
On the third day in the mountains, Yang Kai ventured deeper into Heifeng Mountain, reaching the outskirts about thirty miles in. He dared not go further, knowing that with his current strength, encountering a fierce beast or bird would only result in fleeing, if not becoming their prey.
Although he didn't venture too deep, the day's harvest was greater than the previous two combined, collecting over twenty herbs. Including the previous days' collection, he had nearly forty herbs, though the two specific ones he needed were still scarce.
Gathering forty herbs in three days was not a small feat, even if they were low-grade. Returning to the sect, he could exchange them for a considerable number of contribution points. However, this process took significant time away from his cultivation, making it a bit counterproductive.