Silvan bent down, retrieving it. YunYun hovered nearby, puzzled. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't understand the transparent object.
[Genetic code: Wildwood tendrils
Container the code of Wildwoods tendrils. Used for absorption]
Silvan's eyes shined as he looked at it!. Qi absorption Such things do exist. With this his problem with Qi regeneration will be removed and he will be able to recover faster.
Silvan right away proceeded to use it.A sudden warm sensation spread across his back. It wasn't painful, but it was strange, like something stirring deep within his flesh. His muscles tensed involuntarily.
A strange, creeping sensation traveled up his back, as if roots were growing beneath his skin. He gasped, reaching toward his neck just as something appeared from behind it.
Two dark green tendrils, thin and flexible, slowly from the base of his neck, swaying slightly like living vines.
Silvan stood still, breath heavy, as he felt them not as foreign objects, but as a new part of himself. The tendrils twitched, responding to his thoughts, and when he focused, they extended outward, almost like extra limbs. Even spinning twisting up.
Silvan touched them. Activating his Vein eyes.
[Vein eyes: Gazes at the circulating Qi that is being used and modified]
He can see it, qi was flowing throw them. And reacts whenever he thinks of them doing something.
[Genetic code:Wildwood tendrils have been Merged]
[Wildwood tendrils (LV.1): Sensory enchantment
skill: Qi Shipon
(Upon upgrading the genetic code new skill may be obtained )
[Qi Shipon: continually drains Mana from a grasped entity]
the tendrils curled and twisted, responding smoothly to his intent. When he focused, they extended outward, stretching. YunYun was shocked seeing what he was seeing this person has merged his body with a monster but again thinking this master of his also gave him a dragon body who knows how it didn't feel that shocking.
Silvan bent down holding a small rock. The tendrils reacted expanding on the tip gasping it completely and activated the skill.
Right away the tendrils started to glow and nodes of green started to travel from these to his neck.Though the stone held little Qi, he could feel the transfer, the sensation of something being pulled in, refined, and integrated into his core.
The process slows down. And stoped. The small rock also crumbled to pieces and fell down.
[+3 Qi Points has been recovered]
"Good" Silvan uttered. Gazing ahead. With this, he doesn't have to ponder about recovering Qi quickly. He can use anything in his surroundings to absorb the Qi. Silvan hide them in his clothes.
Silvan felt some insecurities leaving the dungeon like this considering there were cultivators. But there was the cannon which was set in automatic mode.
The last time it shot it gave him a notification of an intruder. Thus even if someone enters he will get the notification.
Silvan walked through the dense forest.
YunYun flapped his wings, breaking the silence. "Hey, don't look so grim. We're heading toward a Qi pool, one of the best spots you'll ever find. If it weren't for me, you'd probably walk right past it."
Silvan glanced at him. "And you didn't use it before because…?"
YunYun huffed,"It's not that simple! A Qi pool of this quality needs preparation. Herbs, monster cores, and defensive setups. You think just anyone can absorb its energy without repercussions? It could fry you alive!"
Yes, What this fellow was saying is to go there and absorb the Qi there. He already has a few sets of herbs that he gathered during the process of obtaining a shard. YunYun said they were enough. Silvan can see, Why this fellow was urging him to go there. As he has to be quick now. He has to grow faster. Silvan also didn't mind. Now that there's still some time about two days of time before the world opens up to the public. It was better to gather as much strength as possible.
"Then why didn't you prepare it sooner?" Silvan's tone was calm as he walked picking up another thing that was rich in Qi. With the eyes of Dusk lizard detecting where most Qi was gathering was quite easy.
"I was… planning! And besides, I didn't expect to die so suddenly! You know, getting stabbed by a cheap dagger wasn't exactly on my to-do list."
Silvan didn't react and continued walking staying on guard all the time.
But then, the quiet was broken by the faint crunch of leaves nearby. Silvan's steps slowed, his senses on high alart. Silvan right away used his veins eyes. And finally could see strings of nodes and Qi behind the bush bending down. It was a person picking up something.
"A cultivator, probably. Keep walking, prepare to fight"
Silvan nodded and continued at a steady pace. The sound increased until a young man in robes with white hair appeared. He froze when he saw Silvan. And retreated right away taking out his spear from back pointing right at him.
His eyes darted between Silvan and YunYun. He didn't lower his weapon.
"What do you want?" the man asked.
Silvan's gaze stayed fixed on the stranger, his hand drifting to the hilt of the sword at his waist. With a slow-swift motion, he also took out his sword.
[Human cultivator, 5th stage of Body Tempering]
The system's notification hovered above.
The man's eyes flickered on Silvan's robes, and his expression changed as he recognized something.
"Dark Hall…" he murmured under his breath.
The man's gaze shifted to YunYun 'That beast… it looks like… no, it can't be. A dragon?' he right away discarded that idea of it being one.
He can see this person from the Dark hall was at a stage higher then him!
He lowered his spear before throwing a small pouch towards Silvan. "I don't want a fight to break out. Someone will at least be injured. Which isn't ideal"
Silvan caught the small pouch. He didn't have to open it. He can see the rich Qi in it.
The man stepped back again, keeping a wary eye on YunYun. "I'll find another place. You can take whatever you came for." With that, he turned and disappeared into the forest.
As the man's footsteps faded, YunYun snickered. "Did you see that? He practically ran for his life! That's the power of the Dark Hall."
"Heh even the wind palace is scared to clash with us. See that's how powerful my sect is " YunYun said proudly.
Silvan ignored him and put the small pouch in his bigger pouch. Silvan know the reason that figure retreated would be seeing him being a stage higher than him rather than him associated with Dark Hall.
Silvan kept walking. After a few minutes, YunYun suddenly flew ahead, circling a small clearing. Silvan seeing this had to give this fellow some point. This dude was really adapting so well.
"This is it!" YunYun called out, landing on a rock. "The Qi pool is just below the surface."
Silvan got closer and gazed at the bush YunYun was looking at. Silvan can see it rich Qi was swiping out. There was a hole hidden in those brushes.
Silvan approached and pushed aside the bushes revealing the hole.
Silvan pushed aside the bushes, revealing the hidden hole beneath. As soon as the opening was exposed, a thick mist of pure Qi rushed out.
But before he could step forward..
HSSSSS!
A hiss echoed from within the hole. Then another and another.
Silvan's grip tightened on his sword. His vein activated, scanning the darkness. Multiple Qi nodes appeared within that
"There are monsters" Silvan muttered.
"Oh? Surprised? What, you thought a Qi pool this rich would be just sitting here, untouched? Every good one is taken, and guess who usually claims them first?" YunYun spoke.
Silvan nodded thinking that made some sense considering monsters do intend to gather where most energy is gathered.
But now there's a problem. How should he deal with them.YunYun flow over. "Back away." He said opened his mouth wide open, and activated his skill fire breath.
Silvan took a step back and watched as told.
His chest expanded as flames gathered, His throat glowing.
FWOOSH!
A blazing fire erupted from YunYun's mouth, surging into the hole. The flames twisted entering the depth below. Silvan gotta glimps of the inhabitants and how unusually big that hole is.
For a moment, all was still. But then...
HSSSSSS!
A shriek pierced the air.
The ground shook as something lunged out from within.
A massive black-scaled serpent shot out. Smashing against the tree above. Breaking it apart.
[Black scaled serpent of 7th Stage of Body Tempering]
Then, two smaller vipers slithered out beside it both in the 5th Stage.
YunYun flew up. "Now kill them. Beware of their poison. I will send out flames from above"
Silvan took another step back taking out his sword. Taking a deep breath. He was just a 4th stage of body tempering while his opponents are at 5th stage and two are at 4th stage.
He killed a wildwood at the 6th stage. But the situation was very favorable. Now it wasn't.
The big one hissed one more before it flared at him spitting green salvia towards him. Silvan wasn't curious enough to check how potent that poison is and what it will do to his body.
He retreated at the side dodging it. He can hear the sizzling sound the poison did. He rushed towards it.
Silvan dashed forward, He aimed for the side, but before he could strike..
HSSSS!
The two smaller vipers reacted first, their jaws snapped open as they spewed out poison at him. Silvan reacted instantly, twisting his body and leaping backward just in time. The toxic splattered onto the ground, sizzling as it ate away at the grass below.
Without hesitation, he sent strings of Qi from his free hand, latching onto a nearby tree and gripping it tightly.
At the same moment, the big serpent lunged forward with terrifying speed, aiming straight for him.
"YunYun, now!" Silvan shouted as he yanked on the Qi strings, using them like a leverage to pull himself backward just in time.
The massive serpent's fangs snapped down on empty air. It barely had time to react before a blazing fireball crashed onto its head.
Boom!
The black-scaled serpent let hiss in pain, thrashing wildly as flames burned on its head. The fire wasn't normal. YunYun was concentrating on it for moments.
Silvan's eyes flickered and zoomed in activating his focus Visson skill.This was his chance.
Without hesitation, he shifted his weight and lunged not at the big one, but one of the smaller vipers.
That was all Silvan needed.
His sword flashed as he closed the distance. The viper sensed him at the last moment and lashed out, but Silvan was faster. He twisted mid-step, evading the strike, and brought his sword down in a sharp arc also using demonic claw skill. Shielding his hand from the poison if it spat out.
Shhhk!
His blade sliced clean through the viper's neck. Making a thin line of red appear.
HSSSS!
The headless body falls down, its tail whipping around while its head spitting out poison instinctively. It wasn't dead yet.
Silvan didn't care, it will be soon. Using the momentum of his strike, he pivoted, his eyes already locking onto the second viper. It had already spat out a poison towards him. Silvan clicked he knows it wouldn't be the best idea. But he didn't have an easy option now.
He swings right at the incoming spit. Shielding his face with his other hand.
[To be continued...]