Yuan Ming sighed, casually placing the green incense burner down, which just happened to touch the White Ape Skin wrapped around his waist.
A flash of blue light on the surface of the incense burner, and a warm current of air escaped from it, quickly merging into the White Ape Skin.
Shuddering, the White Ape Skin surface began to glow with a pale golden light, then unfolded with a "whoosh" and draped itself over Yuan Ming.
Before Yuan Ming could comprehend what was happening, the mana within his Dantian surged violently and started to flow outward, continuously pouring into the White Ape Skin, which began fusing with his body.
The sensation was like the first time Elder Hu Huo had activated the Fur Cloak Skill, covering his body with fur.
The White Ape Skin writhed as if alive, its surface bulging with protuberances, as if countless mice were burrowing underneath.
Shocked, Yuan Ming hastily tried to control the mana within his Dantian, to stop it from gushing out, but to no avail.
It was not only the mana within him, but even the spiritual energy in the air around him seemed to be drawn by some invisible force, converging towards the White Ape Skin.
What shocked Yuan Ming left him dumbfounded.
As the spiritual energy flowed endlessly into the White Ape Skin, the previously somewhat gray and dried fur visibly regained its luster and softness at a speed visible to the naked eye. Sparse patches regrew white fuzz, which rapidly thickened and elongated.
At the same time, a phantom image of a White Ape emerged within the White Ape Skin, enveloping his body.
"What is this?" Yuan Ming exclaimed in shock, scratching his head and cheeks uncontrollably as if he heard the squealing of monkeys echoing around him.
Before he could react, a cold sensation rose in his mind, causing a sudden intense pain in the center of his forehead, as if a dagger had been thrust into it, piercing through his skull!
Yuan Ming opened his mouth wide but couldn't make a sound, feeling the world spin around him, nearly losing consciousness.
Despite his usually steadfast mind, enduring the inhuman torment by sheer force of will, his consciousness was on the verge of collapse. He could hear nothing and saw not a glimmer of light.
In a daze, Yuan Ming's mind conjured the image of a tall and mighty White Ape standing defiantly atop a giant peak, beating its chest with clenched fists amid roaring winds and lashing rain, howling furiously towards the sky.
Then everything before his eyes went dark, and he lost consciousness.
After an unknown period, Yuan Ming's consciousness slowly returned, and his senses gradually came back.
He shook his somewhat swollen head and felt that the Ape Skin had stopped writhing and was no longer absorbing his mana. However, there was a feeling of emptiness within his Dantian; his mana had been completely drained.
The originally grayish-white Ape Skin was now completely white and lustrous, its surface sleek and shiny, as if freshly peeled, with faint strands of golden light shimmering on it.
"What exactly happened just now? Why does this White Ape Skin seem like it's about to come alive? And that White Ape, could it possibly be…" Yuan Ming furrowed his brow, silently pondering.
Although he had no evidence, he instinctively felt that the White Ape that appeared in his mind was the owner of the Ape Skin on his body.
"Bang" "Bang" "Bang"
A series of vigorous heartbeats suddenly echoed in his ears, startling Yuan Ming and awakening him from his scattered thoughts.
"Ah!"
The next moment, he felt an excruciating pain as sharp, bloodied claws burst through the skin at the tips of his fingers, making his body tremble and fall to the ground, clutching his hands in agony.
It took a quarter of an hour before the claws stopped growing, and the piercing pain finally subsided.
Yuan Ming caught his breath, his body almost soaked in sweat, his head thundering, on the verge of passing out.
However, he had made quite a commotion, and he didn't know if any wild animals had heard and would come over, so he forced himself to sit up cross-legged and began cultivating the Nine Elements Technique to regulate his breath.
After half an hour, Yuan Ming opened his eyes, his complexion slightly recovered, and some mana had returned to his body.
He looked at his hands, noticing claws half a foot long on his fingertips, curved like dragon claws, as if cast from steel, seemingly indestructible.
"Although I don't know what exactly happened, it seems that because of the Mysterious Incense Burner, the White Ape Skin underwent some kind of evolution? This incense burner truly is a rare treasure!" Yuan Ming thought to himself.
He cast a spell to collect the incense burner and, with a movement of his arm, casually scratched the wall of the cave.
The wall was easily marked with five deep scratches, the solid earthen wall as easy to cut as tofu under the sharp claws, barely resisting at all.
"How sharp!" Yuan Ming praised aloud.
The original White Ape was known for its arm strength and the ability to move freely through the forests. Compared to jackals, tigers, and leopards, it had no significant advantage in attack. However, now with these sharp claws, things were naturally different.
Take, for example, the armadillo-like fierce beast that wasn't afraid to face the Green Fox's pincer attack. With its incredibly tough armor, it often emerged unbeaten from battles. With my current strength, I could win through brute force, but it would be very strenuous. If I had these sharp claws to assist, it would naturally be easy to break through the opponent's defense and accomplish twice the result with half the effort.
"No matter how much my strength improves, as long as I don't obtain the real antidote to the Corrosive Heart Pill, I cannot leave this area, let alone return to the Central Plains," Yuan Ming thought about the deadly poison inflicted by Biluo Cave and couldn't help feeling disheartened.
"Since the incense burner cannot be lit for the time being, maybe I could try getting some information from that place?" His thoughts shifted, and he looked towards the south.
Over the past few months, he used every opportunity of submitting Fierce Beast Essence Blood to have some exchanges with Elder Hu Huo.
Although the elder was always quick to come and go and reluctant to say much, in one of the exchanges, whether intentionally or unintentionally, he mentioned that Biluo Cave had a large number of Fur Beast Slaves, dispatched to various regions of the Ten Thousand Mountains under the management of different elders, and he was responsible for as many as twenty to thirty of them.
Yuan Ming believed that these Beast Slaves, in relation to him, could all be considered "seniors." They must know more about Biluo Cave and the Ten Thousand Mountains than he did. Perhaps seeking them out and making contact might yield some information he needed.
After settling on this plan in his mind, Yuan Ming did not set out immediately to find other Beast Slaves. With only two days left until the next Essence Blood submission, it wouldn't be too late to embark on his mission after submitting this month's Fierce Beast Essence Blood.
Two days later, Yuan Ming came to the Giant Stone Boundary with the Essence Blood he had prepared in advance.
This time, Elder Hu Huo was already waiting there, but Wulu was nowhere to be seen.
"Elder Hu Huo, here is this month's Fierce Beast Essence Blood, please check it," Yuan Ming said as he took out the Blood Storage Bag and handed it over.
"The color and scent of these five batches of Essence Blood are similar; were they collected in one day?" Elder Hu Huo took the Blood Storage Bag, glanced at it, raised an eyebrow slightly, and looked up at Yuan Ming before asking.
"Elder's insight is indeed sharp! Disciple happened upon a nest of Green Fox Fierce Beasts and was fortunate to collect five batches of Essence Blood in one day," Yuan Ming did not understand the intent behind Elder Hu Huo's question but did not try to deceive him with a false story.
"To slaughter five Green Foxes in one day is not bad. Has your cultivation made any breakthroughs beyond the Qi Refining First Level?" Elder Hu Huo appraised Yuan Ming before asking.
"I had an epiphany a few days ago and was fortunate enough to make a breakthrough," Yuan Ming replied, hesitating slightly.
"A breakthrough in the Qi Refining First Level within half a year is not bad, and it barely qualifies you," Elder Hu Huo nodded and said.
"I'm not sure what you mean by that," Yuan Ming asked, his face showing a hint of surprise.
"Most of you Fur Beast Slaves have Four Spirit Roots, which according to the standards of the Cultivation World are regarded as 'Fake Spirit Roots.' Without special opportunities or exceptional resolve, it's generally hard to achieve great things. Our Biluo Cave cherishes talent, and setting up the Fur Beast Slaves is a trial in itself. Those who break through the Qi Refining first level within half a year may be given a path to ascend, but whether one succeeds depends on their willpower," Elder Hu Huo stated, his face showing a pleasant demeanor.
"Please, Elder, elucidate further," Yuan Ming guessed something and a flash of excitement crossed his face.
"As long as you submit a certain number of Fierce Beast Essence Blood within three years, you can shed the identity of a Fur Beast Slave and be accepted as a Registered Disciple of Biluo Cave where you can learn real Immortal Techniques," Elder Hu Huo seemed pleased with Yuan Ming's reaction and continued.
"To be accepted into Biluo Cave! Are these words true?" Yuan Ming asked excitedly.
"I, Hu Huo, hold some standing in Biluo Cave, when have I ever spoken falsely?" Elder Hu Huo's expression darkened slightly.
"Forgive me, Elder, for my momentary excitement and inappropriate words. May I ask how much Essence Blood needs to be submitted within these three years?" Yuan Ming hurriedly apologized and adeptly changed the subject.
"One thousand portions."
At these words, Yuan Ming's eyes widened as he seemed unable to believe what he had heard.
"If you can't even gather a mere one thousand portions of Essence Blood, then you might as well give up on the idea of cultivation. I see you as somewhat agreeable, so here's a tip: you'd better hunt higher-ranking Fierce Beasts. According to regulations, one portion of Mid-level Fierce Beast Essence Blood is equivalent to ten portions of Lower Stage Fierce Beast Essence Blood, and an Upper Stage Fierce Beast Essence Blood is even worth a hundred portions of the Lower Stage," Elder Hu Huo glanced at Yuan Ming and said.
"Thank you for your guidance, Elder. I understand," Yuan Ming replied solemnly.
Last month, Elder Hu Huo mentioned this matter when collecting Essence Blood, elaborating that First Level Lower Stage is the classification for the power of a Level 1 Fierce Beast, and that there are two more rankings above it: First Level Middle Stage and First Level Upper Stage.
Previously, Yuan Ming had encountered Green Foxes and armadillos, all First Level Lower Stage Fierce Beasts, with power roughly equivalent to Cultivators at the Qi Refining first to fourth layers. Mid-level Fierce Beasts lurking deeper in the Ten Thousand Mountains are equivalent to Qi Refining Fifth to Eighth Level Cultivators, their strength obviously far greater.
Upper Stage Fierce Beasts, even more formidable than the Mid-level, would mean instant death if encountered by someone not strong enough.
Of course, because Fierce Beasts have low spiritual intelligence, an ordinary cultivator, even with a lesser true cultivation, could attempt to kill beyond their level with some techniques, though this cannot be overstated.
In essence, with his current cultivation at the Qi Refining First Level, Yuan Ming had no confidence that he could emerge unscathed from an encounter with a Mid-level Fierce Beast.
That is to say, to accumulate one thousand portions of Fierce Beast Essence Blood, unless he could further improve his cultivation, he would have to continue hunting a thousand First Level Lower Stage Fierce Beasts in earnest.
Just as Yuan Ming was about to ask Elder Hu Huo for the antidote and to take his leave, a rustle came from the nearby jungle, not far behind him, accompanied by the sound of approaching footsteps.
Yuan Ming turned his head toward the sound and saw Wulu hobbling towards them.