Wild Grass Strange Sounds

Upon arriving at the training grounds, Wang Quan scanned the area. Yesterday it had been empty, but today it was filled with people again, roughly the size of four squads. However, the new faces were all pale, their eyes darting around like livestock awaiting slaughter. The air was thick with a palpable fear, even more so than the day before.

Commander Chen stood at the front, his back hunched. His cloudy eyes swept over the assembled soldiers, pausing for a moment on Wang Quan before moving on. He cleared his throat, his voice hoarse, "Today, we patrol the East. Keep your eyes sharp and pay attention."

Pay attention to what? Commander Chen didn't elaborate, but his words sent a jolt through the veteran soldiers. The East... it was a cursed place.

A shadow fell over Wang Quan's heart, but he didn't show it. He led the four shaken new recruits behind him and silently followed the squad out.

They patrolled for about half an hour. The surroundings were eerily quiet. Apart from the wind, there were only occasional strange cries in the distance, impossible to tell if they were wolf howls or something else. They hadn't even seen the shadows of the Walking Corpses that had roamed the West the previous night.

This silence, however, made them uneasy. Wang Quan saw an opportunity and stopped, telling Shi Zhu and the others, "You guys stay here and don't wander off. I'm just going to relieve myself nearby. I'll be back soon."

"Boss, hurry..." Shi Zhu's hand, gripping his saber hilt, was pale. The other three hunched their shoulders, standing back-to-back, their eyes darting everywhere.

Wang Quan nodded, knife in hand, and ducked behind a half-collapsed earthen wall nearby. It was only about ten steps from the squad, but the tall weeds blocked the view. He listened carefully, confirming that Shi Zhu and the others were undisturbed, then pulled out the dusty demon-catching bag from his embrace.

The bag felt cold to the touch and was slightly bulging. He quickly untied the drawstring sealing it – Old Hu's seal was on this. Once the string was loosened, the restraining force dissipated.

As soon as he opened it a crack, a foul stench, a mixture of fishiness and rust, rushed out, making his head throb. Immediately after, a dark, furry thing rolled out of the bag's opening, landing with a soft thud in the grass, emitting a faint, high-pitched whimper.

It was two Rotten Claw Weasels. They were slightly larger than wild cats, but now they lay curled on the ground, their black fur matted and dirty, stained with dark red scabs. One of their hind legs was twisted at an unnatural angle, white bone shards piercing the flesh and exposed. Most horrifying were their eyes; what should have been their emerald green beast pupils were now murky like two pools of dark red blood, containing only pain and the madness of dying, all sentience long gone. Patches of fur were missing from their backs, revealing purple-black, festering flesh beneath, emitting a rotten odor. Old Hu had said they were half-dead, and he wasn't wrong; these creatures were barely clinging to life.

They struggled to stand, baring their bloody fangs, a guttural rasping sound coming from their throats. But they were too badly injured, merely pawing at the ground ineffectually, scratching shallow marks in the dirt.

Monsters of the Spirit Awakening Realm, reduced to this state, probably couldn't even beat a cripple dog. Wang Quan felt no pity; in this world, kindness didn't last long. He tightened his grip on his saber and, as one of the Rotten Claw Weasels lunged again, he sidestepped, flicking his wrist—

Wind Slaying Saber Technique, Shadow Sweep!

The saber light flashed like a cold moon, a soft swish cutting through the air. The blade precisely grazed the Rotten Claw Weasel's neck. With almost no effort, its grotesque head rolled off. Only a small amount of dark red blood splattered – it was already nearly drained. The headless body twitched twice before lying still. The last flicker of light in its murky, blood-red eyes faded.

[Killed Spirit Awakening Realm Monster (Rotten Claw Weasel), gained Skill Point: 8 points]

Two Spirit Awakening Realm monsters, worth 8 points... equivalent to the Martial Realm. As expected, killing stronger opponents yielded more points. Wang Quan flicked the blood off his saber, looking at the monster corpses on the ground, calculating. "Deducing Turtle Breath Vitality Art requires 5 points, that's enough. I'll have 3 points left."

Without hesitation, he focused his mind, selecting the Turtle Breath Vitality Art, which had already reached the perfect level.

"Deduce!"

[Detected Mortal-tier Cultivation Method Turtle Breath Vitality Art (Perfect), deduction conditions met. Consuming Skill Points: 5 points. Beginning deduction...]

A torrent of comprehension, far more vast and profound than any previous cultivation upgrade, surged into Wang Quan's consciousness! It was no longer just about breathing, circulating Qi, and calming internal energy. He seemed to "see" that with each long, drawn-out breath, his Qi and blood surged like deep underground currents, slow and tenacious; his internal organs were like hibernating spirit turtles, inhaling and exhaling vital essence in a deep rhythm; his bones and skin were like coiling spirit snakes, accumulating astonishing resilience in silence. Between movement and stillness, dormancy and eruption intertwined, an ancient and powerful sense of strength vaguely emerged at the end of the deduction.

[Deduction successful! Mortal-tier Turtle Breath Vitality Art has been upgraded to Mortal Embryo Foundation Establishment Cultivation Method - Turtle Snake Coiling Dragon Strength!]

[Turtle Snake Coiling Dragon Strength (Mortal Embryo Foundation Establishment Cultivation Method Chapter): Forging the body and solidifying the foundation, breaking through mortal shackles with strength. Harnessing the essence of the spirit turtle's longevity, the opportunity of the spirit snake's dormancy, and the potential of the hidden dragon. After practicing, it can greatly enhance the foundation, nourish and strengthen the Origin Qi and blood, improve muscle and bone endurance, and accumulate explosive power in silent dormancy. When cultivated to its depths, Qi and blood are like mercury, muscles and bones are like dragons, movement and stillness are at one's will, a supreme method for martial foundation establishment. Note: This Cultivation Method focuses on internal refinement, fulfilling the imagery: Bronze Skin, Iron Bones, Mercury Blood, tempering muscles and bones like finely forged iron, and the circulation of Qi and blood gradually producing a gurgling sound.]

It's done! A Mortal Embryo Foundation Establishment Cultivation Method! Wang Quan's heart warmed. Just the description alone was countless levels above Turtle Breath Vitality Art. He immediately tried to add points.

"Upgrade Turtle Snake Coiling Dragon Strength, Beginner!"

[Upgrading Turtle Snake Coiling Dragon Strength to Beginner requires consuming Skill Points: 3 points.]

With a thought, he commanded, "Upgrade to Beginner!"

Instantly, a change occurred within his body, utterly different from any previous upgrade!

There was no violent surge of heat, but a deep, inward sense of "solidification." His entire body's Qi and blood seemed to be guided and constrained by an invisible force, no longer restless on the surface, but settling down, integrating deeper into his marrow and organs, nourishing the most fundamental source. His bones emitted a faint but dense hum, not of growth, but of some essential strengthening, becoming more dense and resilient. Muscle fibers seemed to align more orderly, filled with restrained tenacity. His breathing became incredibly long and deep; with each inhale and exhale, a warm current gathered and circulated in his lower abdomen's Dantian, a unique "strength" of deep heaviness yet containing a hint of agile eruption quietly emerged. This strength lay dormant within him; at rest, it was like an old turtle on a rock, exceptionally tranquil; with the slightest mental prompt, it was like a spirit snake raising its head, revealing its sharpness.

"Good Cultivation Method! Worth it!" Wang Quan clenched his fist, feeling the dormant, continuous power within him, his heart filled with excitement.

He disposed of the remains with Bone Dissolving Water, cleaned up the scene, and quickly returned to the patrolling squad.

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"Boss, are you okay?" Shi Zhu asked quietly.

"What could be wrong," Wang Quan replied casually, adjusting his clothes. "Let's keep moving, stay alert."

The group resumed their march along the wall. The weeds on the east side grew even deeper, and the night wind rustled through them with a mournful sound, like something weeping. They patrolled for nearly an hour, and apart from the wind and distant unknown howls, there was no other movement. The silence was unnerving.

Just as he was considering venturing further, suddenly—

"I think... I forgot to say..."

A voice, thin and ethereal, like someone whispering directly into your ear, spoke in hushed tones. It was impossible to tell if it was male or female, or even if he had truly heard it with his ears; it directly pierced his mind, empty, carrying an indescribable melancholy that tugged at his heart.

"Huh?" Wang Quan stopped abruptly, goosebumps rising all over his body. His hand instantly went to his saber hilt, his eyes scanning the surroundings like knives. Under the dim moonlight, only waist-high weeds swayed, casting long shadows from the broken walls. There wasn't a ghost in sight. In a daze, he thought he saw a faint, humanoid, grayish-white shadow flicker in the gaps of the distant weeds, but upon focusing, there was nothing but the weeds swaying in the wind.

"Did... did you guys hear anything?" he asked the four behind him in a low voice.

The faces of the four new recruits instantly turned pale. They glanced at each other, their eyes filled with terror.

"We, we heard it..." Shi Zhu swallowed, his throat dry. "It sounded like... someone talking, saying... 'forgot to say'?"

"Yeah, yeah! I heard it too!" the younger one's voice was almost crying. "It just echoed in my head... scared me to death!"

"I think... I forgot to say..."

The voice came again, this time a little clearer, but the bone-chilling melancholy and sense of unfulfilled sorrow were even stronger. All five felt a sudden heaviness in their chests, an inexplicable feeling of frustration, unwillingness, and regret welling up from the depths of their hearts, making their heads buzz and their vision blur. It felt as if they had truly forgotten something extremely important, but they couldn't recall what it was, causing a painful tightness in their chests, making them want to vomit blood.

"We're, we're cursed! This place is unclean!" one of the new recruits cried, his voice trembling.

Wang Quan's heart pounded wildly. He suppressed the unsettling feeling that was clouding his mind and desperately tried to concentrate. Just then, the usually silent prompt in his mind suddenly sounded:

[Detected abnormal mental fluctuation, identified as influence from Echo Realm Nightmare-type malevolent entity. Warning: This type of entity is formless and intangible, often using strong obsessions and memory fragments as a lure to erode living beings' minds. Resistance requires a firm will or special methods. Their form is usually the final, unfulfilled regret of a dying person, or a strong, unspoken regret, forming a flickering grayish-white phantom, only vaguely humanoid. They lack intelligence and merely repeat their final action or spoken fragment from life. They cause those who approach to repeatedly echo similar feelings of regret, falling into a brief trance.]

Nightmare! Echo Realm! Wang Quan's heart sank. Old Hu had mentioned it once; these things were far more troublesome than those rigid Walking Corpses, invisible and intangible, preying specifically on people's minds! That fleeting grayish-white shadow from earlier... his heart grew even more solemn.

He looked at the four in the squad. Their eyes were starting to glaze over, their facial muscles twitching, clearly in pain, as if each had fallen into some "forgotten" dreadful matter and couldn't pull themselves out. Even Shi Zhu was gritting his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, struggling to resist.

Just as the few people were feeling dizzy and about to get sucked in—

"ROAR—!"

An extremely savage roar, like a clap of thunder, exploded from the dark area not far ahead! The sound was filled with naked ferocity and a desire to devour humans, instantly dispersing much of the eerie, resentful whispering.

The five people jolted, breaking free from their dazed state, each breaking out in a cold sweat, their hearts pounding like drums.

"What the hell?!" "It's a monster!"

Terrified and startled, they all turned their heads in unison towards the source of the roar. Under the moonlight, several writhing figures emerged from a haystack. They were three monsters, their lower bodies thick as buckets with snake tails, slithering and rustling on the ground. Their upper bodies were somewhat human-like, but they bore triangular snake heads, their scarlet tongues flicking in and out with a hiss, their vertical pupils glinting with a cold, chilling light in the darkness.

[Detected Spirit Enlightenment Realm Demonic Creatures (Snake Demons), Quantity: 3]

Snake Demons! Judging by their presence, they seemed even fiercer than the Pig Demon they'd killed last time!

The lead Snake Demon, exceptionally robust, swept its ice-chip-like vertical pupils over Wang Quan and the others, its hoarse, unpleasant voice ringing out, full of disdain and greed: "You lot paying Blood Tax, what are you standing here in a daze for? Waiting for me to start the meal?"

Wang Quan forced himself to calm down, took half a step forward, clasped his fists, and tried to keep his voice steady: "Esteemed... Demon Lord, we seem to have been ensnared by a Nightmare just now."

"Nightmare?" The Snake Demon narrowed its vertical pupils, its tongue flicking faster, as if sniffing something. Then, a ferocious, mocking expression appeared on its face, "You two-legged sheep like yourselves, you're worthy of encountering a Nightmare? Don't make me laugh!"

With a flick of its thick snake tail, it slithered forward a few steps, looming over Wang Quan. Its foul-smelling hot breath sprayed directly onto his face: "I'm asking you, my Pig brother came to collect the Blood Tax a couple of days ago, why hasn't he returned yet? Hmm? Did you hide him? Or..." It suddenly lunged forward, its forked tongue, wet, cold, and disgusting, unexpectedly and firmly licked half of Wang Quan's face!

Sticky, foul-smelling saliva dripped down Wang Quan's cheek. Wang Quan's body instantly tensed like stone, his right hand, hanging by his side, clenched tightly, his fist making a cracking sound, his fingernails digging into his flesh. All his muscles stiffened, and the newly formed, steady Turtle-Snake Force within his Dantian circulated slightly, bringing a strange sense of stability, helping him suppress the urge to draw his sword and attack.

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