Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Hunt

After witnessing firsthand the benefits that blood cores brought to cultivation, Ye Cheng’s motivation to hunt beasts grew considerably. To him, the blood core was akin to a cheat device, ceaselessly increasing the vital energy within his body.

Of course, Ye Cheng understood that cultivation required a solid foundation; one could not simply pursue advancement without consolidating their strength. Though the allure of rapid progress was tempting, he knew he must proceed step by step.

Thus, in the days that followed, Ye Cheng immersed himself in the life of hunting monsters. This existence, fraught with danger, was also thrilling. In this demonic forest, countless wild beasts lurked, forcing one to maintain constant vigilance. Yet it was precisely this environment that served as the best training ground.

At first, lacking experience, Ye Cheng suffered many losses—more than once, he nearly lost his life. His hunts yielded pitiful results. Most monsters that had advanced to the level of demon beasts possessed a nascent intelligence and were adept at escaping, so Ye Cheng’s kill rate was dismal.

Old Mu always watched quietly from the sidelines. Occasionally, he offered advice but never lent a hand, as if Ye Cheng’s life or death meant nothing to him.

But everyone understood that Old Mu’s indifference was not genuine. Training had its own rules, and only by abiding by them could a young man shed his reliance on others. An eaglet sheltered beneath wings would never soar the skies; in this vast world, one could only depend on oneself.

As the days passed, half a month slipped by. During this time, Ye Cheng gradually understood the habits and movements of the various demon beasts in the outer regions of the demonic forest.

Though each beast’s resting and activity patterns differed, Ye Cheng formed a general idea. As he interacted with more beasts, his combat skills steadily improved, and his success rate in hunting rose. On average, he could catch a beast every two days and obtain a blood core.

Ye Cheng mainly targeted solitary beasts. He had once attacked a pack animal, like the spirit wolf, but was soon beset by a swarm of wolves—no fewer than a hundred. The experience sent chills down his spine, and he fled for his life. From then on, he learned his lesson, focusing only on lone prey. Otherwise, surrounded by hordes of monsters, even a strong practitioner at the Origin Realm might not escape unharmed.

Occasionally, luck turned sour, and Ye Cheng encountered Origin Beasts that roamed out from the forest’s inner regions. Knowing his limits, he avoided these formidable creatures, which were equal to Origin Realm experts.

Gradually, another month and a half passed, marking two months since Ye Cheng began his training in the demonic forest.

During this period, Ye Cheng acquired thirty-two blood cores. He divided them into five separate sessions of consumption, because each time, he needed to consolidate the newly gained strength and adapt to it through battle with demon beasts.

The first time, he consumed three cores before his vital energy felt saturated, unable to absorb more.

The second time, he needed six cores to reach fullness.

The third time, ten cores; the fourth, thirteen…

Through consuming the energy of blood cores over these two months, Ye Cheng’s strength increased, and he formed eighteen blood lines. At first, the growth was rapid, but as he continued to absorb blood cores, the rate of improvement visibly slowed.

Now, to forge a single blood line, Ye Cheng needed at least three cores from a beast at the mid-stage of the Vital Energy Realm.

To maintain his pace of cultivation, he had to focus on beasts at the peak of the Vital Energy Realm, or even those at the pinnacle. As for the Origin Beasts in the forest’s inner regions, his current strength was insufficient.

Despite his fast progress, just five blood lines separated him from reaching the late stage of the Vital Energy Realm. With his present abilities, he could contend with peak practitioners of the realm and slay mid-stage beasts without difficulty. Still, Origin Beasts were beyond his reach, so Ye Cheng kept his sights on the outer beasts.

During his hunts, he often encountered hunter teams, and occasionally mercenary groups.

On this continent, hunter teams were formed by weaker warriors whose aim was simply to hunt demon beasts, sell their bodies and blood cores, and earn a living. Limited by their strength, these teams usually targeted less powerful beasts.

Mercenary groups, on the other hand, operated as a profession, hired for various tasks. Powerful mercenary groups were respected. In Nanyang Prefecture, there was a headquarters for these groups, with branches scattered across hundreds of towns. Anyone wishing to form a mercenary group had to register at a branch. Upon registration, the group was considered one-star, requiring at least one practitioner at the late stage of the Vital Energy Realm. After completing certain tasks and having two members reach the realm’s peak, they could apply for two-star status. Three-star, four-star, and so on, followed in succession.

The highest rank for mercenary groups was seven stars, demanding at least one expert beyond the Ancient Pill Realm. Such individuals were rare in Nanyang Prefecture, so the strongest mercenary groups were only six-star.

Hunter teams were common in the demonic forest, but Ye Cheng seldom interacted with them. Mercenary groups rarely appeared in the forest, but in recent days, Ye Cheng observed several batches of mercenary-dressed warriors arriving from outside, all heading in the same direction.

One day, as yet another group hurried past, following the same route as the previous batches, it was clear they had a common purpose. Watching their swift departure from atop a branch dozens of feet high, Ye Cheng’s brows furrowed.

"What could be happening to draw so many mercenary groups here?"

Ye Cheng pondered, his eyes flashing with a sharp gleam. The battles with demon beasts during his training had given him an aura of bloodlust and an edge like a drawn blade.

"Don't you want to see for yourself?"

Suddenly, Old Mu appeared like a phantom, a playful smile on his lips. His gaze toward Ye Cheng was filled with satisfaction; the young man’s progress had met the goals of this training.

"How could I miss such an opportunity?"

Ye Cheng replied with a calm smile, his voice soft. Then, he leapt gracefully, following in the direction the mercenaries had gone.