Inside the chest, a round, crystalline object rested on a velvet-like cushion. Its surface pulsed with faint light, and Lin Fang could feel a subtle energy radiating from it.
"A spirit stone," Lin Fang murmured, picking it up and holding it to the light. The energy within was faint but steady. "Not bad. This could come in handy for cultivating—or maybe even trading later on."
Setting the spirit stone aside, he turned his attention to the second chest. This one was heavier, the lid resisting slightly as he pushed it open.
Inside lay a scroll, neatly rolled and bound with a thin, crimson ribbon. Lin Fang carefully unrolled it, revealing lines of intricate characters glowing faintly on its surface.
"A technique scroll," Lin Fang said aloud, his eyes scanning the text. The words seemed to come alive as he read them, their meaning etching itself into his mind.
The scroll detailed a powerful close-combat technique, one that allowed the user to harden their palm like stone, delivering devastating strikes.
The illustrations depicted practitioners shattering boulders and breaking through defences with their palms.
Lin Fang's lips curved into a small smile. "Not bad at all," he said, his voice tinged with satisfaction. "I was worrying about making my own skill, but this resolves the issue entirely."
Without wasting any time, he unrolled it fully and began studying the text.
The characters on the scroll seemed alive, glowing faintly. They danced before Lin Fang's eyes, forming images and instructions directly in his mind. As he read, his expression shifted, his confidence giving way to surprise.
—
—
"Low-grade," Lin Fang muttered under his breath, his brow furrowed. He traced the glowing characters with his fingers, absorbing the skill's essence. "Simple, but powerful. This could be incredibly useful to me in the early stages."
After studying the scroll for a few more moments, Lin Fang leaned back, processing what he'd just read. The steps to practice the technique were remarkably clear.
They outlined a process of focusing qi into the palm, shaping it into a hardened layer, and then unleashing it with explosive force.
But what truly shocked him wasn't the technique itself—it was how easily he understood it.
Lin Fang held the scroll tightly, his thoughts racing. "Is it really this easy to learn skills in this world? Or..." He glanced at his own hands, faint traces of qi already gathering unconsciously in his palm. "Could it be related to my Ancient-grade talent?"
The more he thought about it, the more he leaned toward the latter. It made sense. With Ancient-grade spiritual roots and the mysterious Dao Body, his comprehension and ability to cultivate must have far surpassed ordinary cultivators. Skills that might take others weeks or even months to learn felt instinctual to him.
'What would take others days to understand, took me mere seconds,' Lin Fang thought, a hint of pride creeping into his smile.
He stood and flexed his hands, eager to test the technique.
Closing his eyes, Lin Fang focused on his dantian, feeling the flow of qi within him. Following the scroll's instructions, he guided the energy through his meridians, directing it into his right palm.
At first, the qi resisted, like water struggling to flow uphill. Lin Fang's brow furrowed as he concentrated, steadying his breathing and adjusting the flow. Slowly but surely, the resistance faded, and a warm, pulsing energy gathered in his palm.
"Interesting," he muttered, opening his eyes to see a faint glow surrounding his hand. The skin of his palm had taken on a rocky texture, dense and unyielding.
He glanced around for a target. Spotting a nearby tree, Lin Fang smirked. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and thrust his palm against the trunk.
Boom!
The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air. The bark exploded outward, and the tree cracked, splitting down the middle. Lin Fang stepped back, examining his handiwork with a satisfied grin.
"So this is the Stone Palm Secret Art," he said, flexing his fingers as the qi dissipated. His hand returned to its normal state, though a faint warmth lingered in his palm.
"This world really is something else," he mused, rolling the scroll back up. "If skills like this are accessible even at the lowest grade, I can only imagine what higher-tier techniques look like."
Lin Fang glanced down at the lifeless body of the wild boar, his lips curling into a faint grimace of disgust.
"Boar meat," he muttered, shaking his head. "I've never understood how people eat this stuff. It's greasy, gamey, and just… disgusting."
With a sigh, he turned away from the carcass.'I'll find something better,' he thought, gripping his weapon tightly as he ventured further into the forest.
He stepped cautiously, his ears tuned to the faint rustle of leaves and the distant calls of monsters.
Minutes stretched into what felt like an hour, and just as Lin Fang began to wonder if he'd find a suitable target, his eyes locked onto some movement ahead.
A large, yellow cow appeared in front of his eyes, its body.
Its sheer size was more imposing than the wild boar, easily twice as large as any cow Lin Fang had seen on the Green Planet.
What stood out most, however, were the two sharp horns jutting from its head, glowing faintly with a pale yellow light.
"A two-horned yellow cow," Lin Fang whispered, crouching instinctively. He studied the creature carefully, noting the faint aura of qi it exuded.