C11 The Gluttonous Small Black Dragon Was Hungry Again!

Zhang Xing didn't cease his cultivation; he continued to diligently draw in the magic elements from the surrounding space.

In his current state, trying to absorb even a bit more proved challenging.

Having already taken in a substantial amount of magic elements, it became increasingly tough to draw in any more.

Yet, Zhang Xing couldn't risk overloading himself to the point of explosion.

He was gauging his capacity for magic elements, absorbing them with cautious precision.

Remarkably, he was still able to take in more magic elements!

Zhang Xing found this quite peculiar.

He ventured to absorb an additional amount of magic elements.

Indeed, he managed to assimilate a few more.

What could be the cause?

He resolved to concentrate on his cultivation; understanding would come in due time.

Fifteen minutes passed. Then thirty.

Now, Zhang Xing had truly hit his absorption threshold.

His body felt as if it were inflated, his eyes protruding, and his taut skin began to seep traces of blood.

He bore the pain with all his might.

"Just a little longer, and I'll be through this!" he reassured himself.

But with that thought, he collapsed, succumbing to unconsciousness from the agony.

That night, upon awakening, Zhang Xing resumed his meditation and absorption of magic elements, only to faint once more from the pain.

Come dawn, he awoke to a surprising absence of pain.

He later discovered that the magic power within him had doubled.

Take an Intermediate Mage, typically wielding a hundred energy points of magic power; Zhang Xing now harbored two hundred within himself.

Likewise, his mental energy had intensified. His command over the external Fire Magic elements was swifter and reached further.

Unbeknownst to Zhang Xing, his arduous cultivation wasn't necessary; the system could have expedited his growth.

Yet, his mature mindset compelled him to proactively tackle every problem.

It was this very resilience and perseverance that had enabled him to amass a fortune in his earlier days of destitution, slaying Demonic Beasts beyond his level and seizing demonic crystals.

The mystery of his increased capacity for magic power was now clear to him. Despite his slender frame, he had attained the rank of an Advanced Warrior.

Meanwhile, the Small Black Dragon, having slept through the night, stirred groggily.

As soon as the Small Black Dragon spotted Zhang Xing, it dashed over. The scent of last night's roasted Devil Wolf meat was irresistible, and it was craving more.

"Master, I'm hungry again!"

Zhang Xing scratched his head, at a loss; he had nothing to feed the little creature at the moment.

He rummaged through his belongings. Could the Small Black Dragon possibly be interested in a demonic crystal?

He took out a Devil Wolf Crystal and dangled it before the dragon's eyes. "Would you eat this?"

The Small Black Dragon's eyes sparkled as a sliver of Inherited Memory surfaced: "This tastes even better than the Devil Wolf meat."

It was clear he was eager to try it.

"Here you go!"

Zhang Xing tossed it to him.

The Small Black Dragon caught the devil crystal, the size of a quail egg, in its mouth and quickly devoured the Devil Wolf Crystal.

Afterward, the dragon still looked forlorn, yet it gazed at Zhang Xing with its large, soulful eyes, full of obedience.

"What to do? How much effort must I invest daily for his sake?"

"Still, a Second Rank devil crystal providing 10 experience points to the Small Black Dragon isn't too shabby."

"It's good that I can upgrade the Experience Points both within the system and externally."

"I'll have to wait another month for the Devil Flower Fruit. Why does it keep crossing my mind? The Small Black Dragon needs three square meals just like I do."

"The Devil Flower Fruit is akin to an Upgrading Pill, greatly beneficial to the Little Dragon at present. It's a meal now, but it'll be more of a treat later on."

"I should take the Small Black Dragon out hunting. We'll head to the dense forest in the mountains to see if we can figure out why the Devil Wolf prowls the village at night in search of food."

With that thought, Zhang Xing got to his feet and limbered up.

"Come on, Hei Bao, let's head to the forest in search of food. If we come across a Demonic Beast, all the better. Their meat is delicious."

The Small Black Dragon, brimming with excitement, wagged its little tail, clearly unable to wait.