"Hehe, congratulations, Brother Yuan Ming, on mastering the Fur Cloak Skill and surviving the first month," Wulu said with a smile as he looked at Yuan Ming and didn't immediately leave.
"Likewise. By the way, Brother Wulu, why is Lage absent?" Yuan Ming shifted the conversation completely.
"Brother Lage went hunting by himself a few days ago but, unfortunately, perished at the claws of a beast," Wulu said indifferently.
"That's truly a pity." Yuan Ming nodded, said no more, and turned away.
Wulu watched as Yuan Ming walked away, his gaze flickering uncertainly, his thoughts unknown.
Yuan Ming did not continue his hunt on the other side of the gorge but returned to his hidden cave instead.
Hunting fierce beasts could wait; what he needed most now was to enhance his strength.
He sealed the entrance of the cave and sat cross-legged on the ground, circulating the Nine Elements Technique as nature's spiritual energy rapidly gathered around him.
...
Time flew swiftly, and twenty days passed in the blink of an eye.
Atop a centuries-old giant tree outside the Green Fox den stood a tall White Ape, none other than Yuan Ming, who had utilized the Fur Cloak Skill.
Compared to twenty days ago, the White Ape was significantly taller, with muscles more robust and imposing.
Before long, five or six Green Foxes ran out of their den in the mountain recess and quickly dispersed.
Having lured and hunted them before, Yuan Ming was well aware of their habits— they were spreading out to forage.
With ease borne of familiarity, he followed one of the Green Foxes to a Black Pine Forest.
This place was four or five miles from the mountain recesses' den, far enough to make noise without it carrying back to the den.
Yuan Ming quickened his pace, and within a few breaths had overtaken the Green Fox, leaping down from a tree to block its path.
The Green Fox was first startled, but on seeing only a White Ape, its eyes relaxed, and it viciously pounced.
This Green Fox was slightly larger and faster than those Yuan Ming had previously hunted, a blurry flash of green speeding toward him, its deep green claws reaching out!
However, Yuan Ming's body lightly swayed and he vanished on the spot, causing the Green Fox to lunge at thin air.
The Green Fox was shocked and quickly stabilized itself.
But before it could completely recover, Yuan Ming descended from above, his right leg carrying a terrifying gust, and fiercely kicked the Green Fox's back.
A horrifying force surged into the Green Fox's body, and with a "crack," its spine instantly broke.
Its body collapsed onto the ground, blood gushing from its mouth.
Before it could struggle to rise, Yuan Ming's other foot descended from the sky, stomping on the Green Fox's head.
Amidst the crisp sound of bone shattering, the Green Fox's head was crushed, white brain matter spilling out, ending its life.
Yuan Ming withdrew his foot, staring blankly at the dead Green Fox.
His choice to continue hunting Green Foxes was partly because he was familiar with their habits, feeling that they posed no danger even if not easily defeated, but more importantly, to test his own strength.
Twenty days ago, the Green Foxes had been formidable beasts he could hardly contend with. But now, twenty days later, they couldn't withstand even two moves against him.
Unknowingly, his strength had already increased to such an extent!
Suppressing the excitement in his eyes, Yuan Ming took out the Blood Storage Bag to collect the Green Fox Blood, then returned near the Green Fox den to watch for the others.
A day passed, and he successfully hunted three Green Foxes.
The next day, he continued to the area outside the mountain recess, and with little effort, hunted another two Green Foxes.
The task that had almost killed him last month, he now accomplished with ease.
"If I haven't even completed the first layer of the Nine Elements Technique and can already wield such power with the Fur Cloak Skill, if I continue to train in this technique, and perhaps even break through to the second layer, might I be able to walk sideways through this forest?"
Yuan Ming touched the Ape Skin on his body, his thoughts racing with excitement, foreseeing a shortcut to continually growing stronger.
But suddenly, another thought occurred to him, and a contemplative look appeared in his eyes.
Though he was just a beginner on the path of cultivation, he still found it odd— the Fur Cloak Skill seemed too useful, easily enhancing power as long as one had mana.
Of course, the Nine Elements Technique played a significant role, but he still felt uneasy.
Moreover, this was quite different from the kind of cultivation that could move mountains and summon storms, the kind he had imagined. Was cultivating tremendous mana just to display strength by transforming into a half-human, half-beast creature too suffocating for an Immortal?
This thought took root in his mind, and the more Yuan Ming pondered, the more he felt something was off, though he couldn't pinpoint what exactly.
He tried to suppress these thoughts and reconsidered them carefully, eventually deciding that he couldn't figure it out at the moment and simply put it aside, heading back toward his cave and soon arriving near the gorge.
Just as Yuan Ming was about to descend, he suddenly heard a low moan.
Surprise crossed his face— why would someone be here?
Following the sound, he found a figure in a Black Robe lying in the bushes, body trembling non-stop, with skin exposed outside showing a blood-red color.
Yuan Ming didn't approach rashly but observed the man a few moments then, with a light exclamation, snapped a small tree nearby and turned the robed figure over.
The man's face thus revealed was Wulu.
Yuan Ming had already noticed some clues from the figure's silhouette and was not surprised.
Wulu's face was also crimson as blood, his lips trembling, eyes rolled back, his consciousness long gone.