C16 He Screamed out Loudly!

"Boom~"

After an indeterminate length of time, as the first light of dawn broke across the eastern horizon, an explosive sound resonated from within Xu Ming's body. Opening his eyes, a smile began to play at the corners of his mouth, growing wider until it spread across his entire face. "I always knew I could do it!"

He had broken through to the Martial Artist Stage!

"Crack, crack~~"

Rising to his feet, his bones popped in a series of satisfying cracks. The sensation was indescribably pleasant, a stark contrast to the earlier pain of accumulating Spiritual Energy. Xu Ming felt as if he was floating on air.

"All that pain was worth it for this moment!"

Upon examining his cultivation level, Xu Ming felt a surge of satisfaction. "Grade One of Martial Tao~ To have entered Grade One directly, without the refinement of a specific cultivation method, perhaps that's what sets a genius apart from an ordinary Cultivator~~"

The Dantian Qi was brimming, filling his Dantian to the fullest. The advantages were now fully realized.

"I think I might just measure up to the Blood Fiend Divine Arts~~"

Excitement coursed through him as he retrieved the Blood Fiend Divine Arts from his Space Ring. According to the annals of the Martial God Continent, in the last millennium, only the Blood Fiend Sovereign, a practitioner of the Blood Fiend Divine Arts, had managed to break through to the Sovereign Stage, vanishing into the unknown after shattering the void.

"Gurgle~~"

A rumbling protest emerged from his stomach. Sighing, Xu Ming set aside the Blood Fiend Divine Arts and rubbed his belly, glancing at the sky before shaking his head.

There was no rush in mastering cultivation methods; one had to be in the right state of mind, ensuring their essence, energy, and spirit were in perfect harmony.

But for now, the priority was a hearty meal.

"Once I've replenished my essence, I'll have the power to shape the world at my fingertips. Three meals a day seem unavoidable, even at higher levels of mastery. Divine Beasts of the Martial God Continent, I hope you're ready for me. I won't be merciful—I'll devour you all!"

Chuckling at his own words, Xu Ming mused, "That might sound a bit ambiguous. Nevertheless, to upgrade my Genetic System and Bloodline Level, I must hunt Divine Beasts, enhancing my genes and transforming my physique. I need to elevate my bloodline to forge an exceptional cultivation cauldron!"

Three meals a day are an essential source of energy for cultivators. Martial artists, who expend a great deal of energy, also have substantial appetites. Xu Ming needed not only to replenish his energy but more importantly, to enhance his bloodline.

"Even if I'm not hungry, I must eat!"

Indeed, hunger was irrelevant. Whether it was a Spirit Beast, Divine Beast, or any wild creature or reptile, if it could elevate his bloodline, Xu Ming would not hesitate to consume it.

In an instant, Xu Ming vanished from sight.

Having broken through to the Martial Artist Stage, his strength had already accelerated significantly. Coupled with the formidable enhancement of the Gale Divine Soul, Xu Ming left nothing but a blur on the mountain trail.

Covering dozens of miles in just half the time, Xu Ming had already dived deep into the forest.

"The early bird catches the worm." Observing the sky, now just beginning to brighten as the sun peeked halfway over the horizon, Xu Ming mused on the wisdom of the old saying. The world was still slumbering, not yet awakened.

The forest, perilous at night and bustling by day, was at its most serene at dawn. Many wild and Spirit Beasts remained asleep, making it the calmest time in the forest.

Xu Ming cautiously approached a tree hollow, the den of a little beast resembling a pine tree, known as the Comfortable Beast. True to its name, this creature was highly vigilant and alert. At night, it slept, covering its hollow with bark to ward off predators. By day, it rarely stayed in its den, instead stealthily foraging for food.

Previously, Xu Ming had fortuitously come across a Comfortable Beast freshly slain by its predator, the blood eagle. The blood eagle, though fierce, was merely an ordinary animal and naturally feared Xu Ming. In its panic, it dropped the Comfortable Beast and fled, leaving Xu Ming to reap the unexpected reward.

That encounter taught Xu Ming the delectable taste of Comfortable Beast meat. Although it offered few Gene Points, the flavor had made a lasting impression. He had since longed to catch another but had yet to come across one again.

Today, I was unexpectedly fortunate to stumble upon a Comfortable Beast's lair. The entrance, concealed by withered bark, was as wide as a basin. While it might trick predators and other fierce creatures, it couldn't fool human eyes.

The bark around the tree hole was a completely different color from the rest of the tree's bark—it wasn't even from the same species of tree.

"Little one, you're my meal ticket today," I murmured as I pulled a cloth bag from my Space Ring. Without further caution, I secured the bag over the hole and yanked at the base, where the tree bark was.

With a "squeak, squeak," the bag grew heavy as an animal, about the size of a terrier, tumbled into it. I withdrew the bag and with a swift pat, silenced the Comfortable Beast with a precise hit to its head.

This technique was one I had devised in my weaker days for capturing birds and smaller creatures. I never imagined it would work on a Comfortable Beast. The thought of its savory taste made my mouth water.

After dispatching the Comfortable Beast and stowing it in my Space Ring, I was ready to leave when a rustling of hurried footsteps caught my attention. Turning, I saw that a Comfortable Beast, larger than the one I'd just caught, had bolted some twenty or thirty meters away.

I paused, smacking my forehead in regret. "It's autumn—the mating season for Comfortable Beasts. They pair up, coming and going to nurture their young. How could I have forgotten?"

"But now that I've spotted you, there's no escaping," I declared.

In a blur of motion, I became a shadow streaking through the forest, kicking up a whirlwind of leaves as I pursued the Comfortable Beast.

Judging by its size, the fleeing Comfortable Beast was male, larger and more robust than its counterpart.

Renowned for their speed, Comfortable Beasts could outrun even the swiftest wild rabbits on Earth. Without a breakthrough or the Enhancement of the Gale Divine Soul, there was no way I could catch up to it.

At that moment, the Comfortable Beast was nearly upon him.

"Squeak squeak!"

The Comfortable Beast was incredibly swift, yet it hadn't anticipated encountering a human even faster than itself. It had always believed no human could outrun it, but now it was proven wrong.

As its life hung by a thread, the Comfortable Beast became frantic, its cries growing more desperate as it accelerated.

"Think you can escape?"

Somehow, Xu Ming had closed the gap between himself and the Comfortable Beast to a mere dozen meters. He pulled an iron bead from his Space Ring, channeled Spiritual Energy around it, and with a flick of his thumb and forefinger, he launched it like lightning, striking the Comfortable Beast's head with deadly precision.

"Thud!"

Blood sprayed in every direction as the Comfortable Beast met its end, its body slamming into a tree due to inertia, causing dry leaves to flutter down.

"Looks like I'm in for a treat."

Xu Ming decelerated and approached the carcass of the Comfortable Beast, bending down to pick it up.

The meat was not only delectable, but its fur was valuable too. The young nobles from prominent families often favored garments made from such animals for their elegance, purity, and warmth.

A single Comfortable Beast hide was valued at three silver coins, surpassing Xu Ming's monthly earnings on the farm by one coin.

"Not only have I secured food, but I've also made a tidy sum."

There's a saying that cultivators regard money as mere dirt, but Xu Ming couldn't disagree more. At least, that saying didn't hold true on the Martial God Continent. Cultivators here had enormous expenses, requiring Spiritual Materials, pills, and Secret Manuals—all of which cost money!

Xu Ming couldn't deny his fondness for money, a sentiment that remained unchanged from his past life.

"If I had the money, I'd head straight to the market for a Spirit Beast Inner Core, sparing myself the need to venture out."

Xu Ming let out a wry chuckle. He might have been born into a decent family, but fate hadn't been kind. He'd heard that the direct heirs of noble families received a monthly stipend of three gold coins—fifteen times what Xu Ming made toiling away on the farm for a month!

"Help!"

Xu Ming had just secured the Comfortable Beast into his Space Ring when a blood-curdling scream, unlike any human cry, echoed from not too far off, startling him.

He looked up, puzzled. The source of the noise was close, merely a hundred meters or so away. The once silent forest was now filled with the sound of snapping trees and clashing weapons, following the dreadful scream.

"A Rank One Spirit Beast!"

From just a hundred meters away, Xu Ming could make out the scene. In the forest, a massive snake, as thick as a bowl, was closing in on a group of more than ten people. Among them, a few brandished gleaming swords and sabers, shielding three women as they cautiously retreated.

"Idiots," Xu Ming muttered under his breath. "A Rank One Spirit Beast, especially a huge snake, can't be harmed by ordinary blades!"

"How foolish. Barely Grade Eight Martial Artists, and they dare to venture thirty miles into the forest. Don't they realize this is a haven for Rank One Spirit Beasts?"

He turned to leave; the fate of others was not his concern. Xu Ming didn't see himself as a hero ready to unsheathe his sword to rescue those in peril. In the forest, danger was omnipresent, and often, the hunter could become the hunted, with even greater threats lurking unseen.

Besides, the huge snake's power was on par with a Martial Artist Grade Three, stronger than Xu Ming by a margin. He wasn't about to foolishly charge in and meet his demise.

"Hero, save me!"

Fate had other plans. As Xu Ming attempted to depart, the three women in the middle spotted him and pleaded for help.

"I'm no hero. Farewell."

Without a second glance, Xu Ming continued on his way.

"Hero, if you free me, I'll give you a hundred gold coins!"

The woman, seeing Xu Ming leaving, quickly changed her tactic and called out loudly.

The forest was a common haunt for mercenaries seeking fortune. The woman's immediate thought was that Xu Ming must be a mercenary driven by wealth. Otherwise, he would have already charged headlong to play the hero and rescue a damsel in distress like her.

"A hundred gold coins."

Xu Ming was visibly tempted. One hundred gold coins was not an insignificant sum. Considering Xu Ming's monthly wages, it would take him four and a half years to earn that much.

"Two hundred gold coins!"

The woman, noticing Xu Ming's momentary pause and seeing that he hadn't turned away, promptly doubled the offer!

At that moment, however, the woman's entourage had dwindled to a mere seven or eight guards; the rest had fallen to the huge snake. With only the strength of a Grade Eight cultivator and appearing to be a pampered young lady, she watched in horror as her guards were slaughtered and blood spilled around her. Overcome by the gruesome scene, she let out a piercing scream.