C9 He Came to Find Him

The Middle-grade Secret Arts were highly valuable, and Chen Wu had certainly snagged himself an incredible deal!

Eager to delve into his newfound knowledge, Chen Wu wasted no time in meticulously studying the Secret Arts.

These arts differed from the Spirit Cultivation Technique, which required gradual absorption of the essence of heaven and earth for improvement. The Secret Arts, on the other hand, were composed of special Heaven-earth Runes. By mastering and etching these patterns into his Spiritual Ocean, Chen Wu could activate them with his Spiritual Energy when needed.

For his first encounter with the Middle-grade Secret Arts, Chen Wu repeatedly attempted to solidify the Heaven-earth Runes with his Spiritual Energy.

Yet, it proved to be a painstakingly slow and challenging process, particularly as it was Chen Wu's first foray into the Secret Arts. His initial attempt failed in under two seconds, followed by a series of subsequent failures.

Chen Wu gritted his teeth in frustration, refusing to admit defeat.

With renewed focus, he banished all distractions and poured his entire being into the task of rune condensation.

Despite his efforts, the thirtieth attempt ended in failure, leaving Chen Wu alarmingly pale. The process drained Spiritual Energy, and given his current weak state, he doubted he could sustain a half-hour of uninterrupted release.

Despite the setbacks, each failure enriched Chen Wu with invaluable experience, gradually quickening the pace at which he could gather the runes with his Spiritual Energy.

At last, on his thirty-first try, Chen Wu successfully fused several distinct runes into a single, peculiar Heaven-earth Rune. In that instant, he sensed a tremor in the Heaven-earth Energy, as the rune soared into his Spiritual Ocean, ready to be activated with a surge of Spiritual Energy.

"My Spiritual Energy is nearly depleted. Cultivating the Middle-grade Secret Arts is certainly no easy feat," Chen Wu mused, feeling utterly drained.

Overcome by exhaustion, he collapsed into bed and fell into a deep sleep.

After all, nothing restored energy more swiftly than a good night's rest.

The night passed quietly.

The following morning, Chen Wu was rudely awakened by the tapping of a cane.

An irate old man, puffing out his cheeks and glaring fiercely, tugged at Chen Wu's ear and berated him, "You rascal, where have you been gallivanting? Not a sign of you at home for three days! And you sneak back in like a thief in the night. Have you been up to no good?"

"Tell me, did you sneak off to frolic with some young master in town again?"

Chen Wu hadn't just been idling away the past decade!

Armed with advanced knowledge from his previous life on Earth, a shrewd mind, and an endless supply of jokes, Chen Wu had become one of the top "big brothers" among his peers in Green-mount Town. Many of the town's wealthy young businessmen enjoyed good rapport with him, often inviting Chen Wu out for food and fun. Of course, Chen Wu never footed the bill. With just a few smooth words or some secret tips on charming the ladies, they'd all eagerly compete to pick up the tab!

Chen Wu put on a pained expression and said, "Old man, I didn't want to disturb you. You were asleep when I got back yesterday, so I went straight to my room..."

The old man gave his head a few more thumps with his cane and huffed, "You cheeky rascal, still talking back!"

Ultimately, the old man was still concerned for Chen Wu. His tone softened as he said, "Dinner's ready. Come eat something. And you rascal, if there's a next time, I'll tan your hide!"

Soon after, the old man brought out a large bowl of roast chicken and an enormous pork leg, gifts from the village hunters. Elder Village Head had taken Chen Wu under his wing, and though they lived a life of solitude without any kin, the generous and honest villagers couldn't stand to see them go hungry. Whenever the village men had a successful hunt, aside from selling their catch, they made sure to share some of the game meat with Chen Wu's household.

It was this small village that had given Chen Wu a childhood free from worries.

Chen Wu was famished and devoured his meal with gusto.

He kept to himself about becoming a Demonic Pet Master and being pursued by Hu Wang. He planned to spare the old man any worry until he understood the situation better.

Feeling revitalized after his meal, Chen Wu was eager to check today's system sign-in reward.

After seven in the evening, he could claim the sign-in reward from the system.

"Ding! On the third day of sign-in, you've received the Skill Crystal Stone as a reward!"

[Skill Crystal Stone]: A crystallized stone formed from the essence of Heaven-earth Energy under extremely rare conditions, containing a hint of the universe's rhythm. It's universally compatible and can be used on a Demonic Pet. Once applied, it can significantly enhance the Demonic Pet's ability to comprehend, with a sixty percent chance of learning a new racial skill.

Chen Wu's eyes bulged with excitement at the thought of a treasure that could help a Demonic Pet learn new skills—a truly remarkable find!

He was well aware that the ability of a Demonic Pet to grasp skills depended on its species and innate talent. Typically, these skills were gradually mastered over time, though combat and rigorous training could significantly hasten the process. For instance, young Demonic Pets, with their underdeveloped bodies and organs, were limited to basic combat abilities like the Beast-type's Crack Claw.

As they matured, adult Demonic Pets would naturally learn a wider array of more powerful, advanced skills.

Chen Wu's Blood Rain was still in its infancy, not yet at its mature stage. However, his Iron-feather Eagle had an exceptional talent, having already mastered the Wind-type Skill, The Hawk Strike Force, which was usually reserved for mature Iron-feather Eagles. Its fighting prowess was impressive, and with the boost from the Middle-grade Treasure Weapon, Wind Wings, it could even go toe-to-toe with a Grade 3 Demon Pet without falling short.

Gaining a new skill would give Chen Wu an additional edge in battle, greatly enhancing his combat strength and bolstering his confidence in facing Hu Wang. "Once Blood Rain masters another ability, I'll have no reason to fear Hu Wang. It's time to confront him and settle the score. My journey to power begins with your downfall!"

But just as Chen Wu was preparing to use the Skill Crystal Stone on Blood Rain, a strapping hunter burst in, panic-stricken. "Trouble's brewing, Elder Village Head!"

Chen Fengqing furrowed his brow and chided, "Zhu Tie, you're not a child anymore. I've watched you grow up—can't you act with a bit more composure?"

Zhu Tie, clearly distressed, blurted out, "Elder Village Head, this is serious. Chen Wu is in deep trouble!"

"The young master of the Hu Family in town has somehow become a Demonic Pet Master, and he's heading this way with a host of servants. It looks like they're after Little Wu!"

"What!" The Elder Village Head's face was a mask of shock.

Chen Wu, overhearing the conversation from inside the house, felt his face drain of color. He hadn't anticipated the Hu Family moving so swiftly. He had only just returned the previous night, and by morning, they were already on his doorstep.

Could it be that Hu Wang, realizing I hadn't perished, feared I would expose his assassination attempt to that influential person in Flame City, and now he's intent on tying up loose ends?

Yet, in broad daylight, no matter how influential Hu Wang may be, he'd have to be out of his mind to brazenly come after my life.

Upon spotting me, Zhu Tie urgently advised, "Chen Wu, you need to hide. They seem to be targeting you. What have you done to provoke the Hu Family? They're not your average wealthy clan; Hu Wang is a Demonic Pet Master! Go, now!"

The Elder Village Head, equally alarmed and anxious, fixed his gaze on me and demanded, "What trouble have you stirred up now, you rascal?"

I had already decided. In the light of day, I wasn't afraid of Hu Wang, let alone if he dared to lay a hand on me. It would be the perfect opportunity to bring his sordid deeds to light.

Demonic Pet Masters hold esteemed positions in our small town. Many have been enlisted into the Demonic Pet Master Battle Team formed by the town mayor, and Hu Wang is among them. He might not find it challenging to eliminate me, but if the truth were to come out, he wouldn't get off easily. At the very least, he should fear the powerful figure from Flame City who has my back.