Slay the Owl

Proficiency Panel.

This had only surfaced after Du En began cultivating immortality.

The number under cultivation represented completion—or rather, accumulation.

The number under techniques came with a prefix modifier, indicating the stage of mastery. It was proficiency.

After probing and verifying, he discovered that under normal circumstances, if he cultivated step by step and wanted to fill up Early Qi Refining to one hundred percent, he would still need nearly thirty years.

As for why he had twelve points after cultivating for only a month and a half, he had the empowerment infusion to thank.

The Immortal Master had patted my head, just so he could squeeze me dry afterward!

After arriving at Southern Migratory Border Town, they had lined up like an assembly line to receive empowerment infusions. Their spiritual roots and dantians had been awakened directly, their meridians opened directly, and they had become Early Qi Refining cultivators directly. It was even more outrageous than illegally pumping growth hormones into farm animals—pure, unadulterated force-feeding.

But when it came to Du En, he had swallowed it all whole, transforming it into his current twelve points of cultivation accumulation.

Back to the matter of proficiency.

Through actual verification as well, he discovered that as long as he focused completely and circulated his energy ten times, he could accumulate another point. It was fairly simple and easy.

The problem was that the body and mind affected each other. The exhausting labor he did every day left his body utterly fatigued, indirectly causing his mind and spirit to wither.

On top of that, his spiritual roots were too poor and his technique was low-grade, making his efficiency at drawing in and refining spiritual energy terrible. Cultivation thus became slower and more mentally draining.

As a result, after finishing work and returning each day, Du En could only focus completely and circulate his energy twice. It took him five days to accumulate a single point.

"But once I return today and circulate my energy two more times, I'll be able to grind Yellow Earth Technique's Beginner's Practice to the limit and break through. By then, things should change somewhat."

Moreover, he had received an unexpected delight today: he had made a little money from the dead.

There was still something to look forward to.

Du En concealed the panel's information and turned his head. Seeing that it was about time, he slapped the unconscious Wei Ming awake twice.

"Since you've rested enough, let's keep working."

Facing the dazed newcomer, Du En's tone was calm and quiet, quickly bringing him back to his senses and reminding him of what had happened earlier.

"Urk~"

Wei Ming could not help dry-heaving. Especially when he smelled the thick cloth covering his face, already saturated with stench, he felt as if he had fallen into a cesspit piled with corpses. His face turned so white it could not be concealed, and his whole body trembled.

Still, although this was force-feeding growth, he was at least an Early Qi Refining cultivator. His physiological tolerance was stronger than an ordinary person's, and he soon adapted and gradually recovered.

"Th-thank you."

His body had steadied, but his mind had not.

Like an eggplant beaten by frost, Wei Ming hung his head, braced himself against the tree behind him, and slowly stood up.

"No need. It was nothing."

Du En replied casually and walked back to the scene of the dismemberment.

"Um, this..."

Wei Ming instinctively followed him, trembling and shrinking back, still shaken to the core. He walked very slowly.

"Although I'd like to rest a little longer and wait for the smell to disperse some more, Wei Ming, we have to finish this work before nightfall."

That was because the nights in this primeval mountain forest were far more dangerous than the days. Even though they were very close to the border town, demonic beasts might still catch the smell of the corpse's sinister aura and come running.

Moreover, this Corpse Burial Wasteland was strange in itself. No one would want to linger here at night!

Unfortunately, the corpse buriers were not permitted to leave unless they finished burying all the corpses transported here that morning.

So they could only endure the lingering stench and continue burying themselves in the dirty work.

"Oh, I-I see. Haha, Senior, you really are something. You can still be this calm and composed."

Wei Ming's mind was a chaotic mess, so there was a faintly sarcastic edge to his words.

Du En glanced at him but did not take offense. He simply replied, "You don't need to call me Senior. I've only been doing this a month and a half longer than you."

"Huh? A-a month and a half?"

At those words, Wei Ming turned to look at the others.

At that moment, they too had followed Du En's lead and broken away from the longer rest they had seized earlier.

When they looked toward Du En, they all cast him admiring and reverent gazes.

As expected of you! Steady steps, eyes without a ripple—you were born for this line of work!

The person receiving those gazes was not happy in the slightest.

Wei Ming felt that his future was bleak.

The situation was actually obvious. Even a newcomer like him could tell that Du En was the head man here!

So in terms of seniority, he was probably the longest-serving one, right?

If he had only been working for a month and a half, then what about those who had joined at the same time or earlier? Surely they had not simply gotten lucky, found other jobs, or—more directly—struck it rich and risen to prominence?

"I'm not the one who's worked here the longest. The previous record was five years. So don't think too much about useless things. Just stay sharp and get used to it quickly."

Du En pulled up a shovel and tossed it back to Wei Ming, who had found no comfort whatsoever in those words. Then he pulled out his own shovel.

He used the blade to support half a corpse and pushed it forward, leaving a trail of stench as he shoved it into the pit. Then he turned back, shoveled up the soil mixed with corpse fluid and half-liquefied organs, and filled it all back into the hole, at least allowing the dead to keep an intact corpse.

The spreading stench finally became a Rootless Wood.

After that, Wei Ming remained apprehensive, while the others had grown fairly numb.

No one felt like talking. They simply continued working in silence.

It was not until the sun slanted west that they finally covered the last corpse of the day with soil.

They could knock off work.

At that moment, everyone immediately untied the thick cloth covering their faces. It had long since absorbed every kind of stench and had been soaked through with sweat. They exhaled long breaths of foul air.

They looked around at one another, all wearing faces of exhaustion.

Without saying much, they shouldered their own shovels and began walking back, needing to reach the border town before night fell.

Their steps were hurried, and the mountain forest was dim.

"Coo~ coo~ coo~"

The cries of Strange Owl were especially chilling. These carrion birds had come after smelling the dead, but none dared approach the Corpse Burial Wasteland. Instead, whole flocks circled around Du En and the others.

In their eyes, this was a group of walking corpses, already marinated in the stench of death.

"Coo!"

Suddenly, one bold and ravenous bird swooped in for a direct attack.

Clang!

A shovel struck it squarely in the head, startling the flock into taking flight in all directions.

Du En suddenly reached out and caught the Strange Owl, which had been jolted stiff and was unable to move for the moment.

With a crack, he twisted its neck. Then he hefted it a couple of times, nodded, and said, "This bird is pretty big. I can't finish it alone, and it won't keep for long. Does anyone want it?"

Hearing him ask that again, and seeing the grotesque Strange Owl, which weighed a good dozen pounds, the others immediately shook their heads in perfect unison.

They had believed you last time, and the meat of this Strange Owl had tasted like rotting corpses. It made people wonder whether their brains had rotted too—otherwise, why would fools keep delivering themselves to you?

Seeing the Seniors react that way, Wei Ming had initially wondered whether this was Du En's secret technique as a "veteran Senior." But now he too politely declined, hurriedly backing away and shaking his head.

Cultivators in the Qi Refining Stage had not yet achieved Grain Avoidance. Even those at Peak Qi Refining still had to eat. If they did not eat their fill and get some meat and oil, how could they replenish their exhausted bodies? How could they cultivate with complete concentration?

Du En shook his head inwardly but did not say anything more.

The group continued hurrying along and finally emerged from the forest path as night fell, arriving on the main road through the border town.