Awakening of the Natal Talent

A hidden natural cave.

The entrance was completely obscured by dense vines, leaving no trace visible from the outside.

Inside, the cave was dry and dark. Qin Meng curled up and sat down, placing the blood-stained cloth bag to the side. He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking deep within.

That ancient panel was floating silently, radiating a heart-palpitating, misty glow.

Finally... I've gathered enough. Qin Meng whispered in his heart, filled with anticipation.

He didn't know exactly what would happen when he strengthened his origin, but his intuition told him this would be more important than any previous physical enhancement.

Without hesitation, he focused his mind and silently chanted: "Strengthen!"

"BOOM--!"

A thunderous explosion echoed in the depths of his consciousness. The accumulated life source erupted in that instant, transforming into a torrent of scorching energy that swept through and scoured his body.

"Urgh--!"

Qin Meng let out a muffled groan, his entire body trembling violently, his teeth grinding together. Pain that reached deep into the essence of his life surged in like a tide.

His body's cells were brimming with vitality, and the injuries he had sustained were rapidly repairing. Every pore on his body opened, expelling a large amount of grayish-black impurities.

His bones emitted a dense "crackling" sound, like popping beans or the rhythmic striking of metal, becoming denser as their load-bearing capacity and strength skyrocketed.

His fascia were like bowstrings being rewoven—stretched, tightened, and becoming tougher and more resilient.

His internal organs were enveloped and nourished by the warm, powerful energy. His heart, in particular, beat like a violent war drum.

"Thump, thump, thump..."

Every beat was powerful and forceful, pumping scalding blood to every limb and bone in his body.

His blood became thick, roaring and surging like a great river. Strands of blood-energy were born, containing infinite vitality and power.

Qin Meng felt that the essence of his life had completed a critical leap.

An invisible barrier shattered amidst this violent transformation!

Golden characters appeared before his eyes: [Awakened Innate Talent: Divine Valor]

As the last trace of the energy torrent merged into the depths of his bone marrow, the intense sensation of transformation slowly subsided.

Qin Meng slowly opened his eyes.

In an instant, everything in the dim cave became crystal clear to him: the texture of the rock walls, the trajectory of the dust motes floating in the air; he could hear the sound of flowing water outside the cave, the chirping of birds in the distance...

He moved his mind, and the information on the panel updated:

[Name: Qin Meng]

[Realm: mortal body]

[Innate Talent: divine valor]

[Talent: environmental integration - low rank (15%)]

[Core Technique: none]

[Martial Arts: eight blade breaking techniques - minor success (125/1000), chain arrow - proficiency (423/500)]

After the brutal fight, the proficiency of Qin Meng's two martial arts had increased significantly.

The key was that he had awakened his innate talent.

The [divine valor] talent grants peerless valor and iron marrow jade blood.

Peerless valor: Base strength, bone density, and physical stamina are all three times that of martial artists in the same realm, and they increase as the realm improves.

Iron marrow jade blood: Bone marrow hematopoiesis efficiency is extraordinary; qi and blood are pure and vigorous; recovery and resistance to toxins are greatly enhanced; physique is comparable to a demonic beast.

"Good!" Qin Meng felt ecstatic.

This talent could be called a top-tier foundation for the martial path.

He clenched his fists, and an unprecedented, explosive power surged through him! He punched the rock wall, leaving a deep fist mark.

His pure strength now had surged by at least double compared to before the enhancement; his single-arm strength definitely exceeded four thousand jin.

The changes didn't stop there. His bones and muscles were several times stronger, his muscle fibers were twisted like steel wires, and his physical stamina and endurance were enhanced in every aspect.

If I were to face Song Zhong again right now... A cold glint flashed in Qin Meng's eyes. There would be no need for a prolonged fight. I would take his life within three strikes!

The cave was filled with a sour, fishy stench.

Qin Meng looked down at the layer of sticky black filth on his body—it was the impurities and stagnant blood from hidden injuries expelled by his body during the origin enhancement.

He frowned, picked up the blood-stained cloth bag and his bow and arrows, and darted out of the cave like a cheetah.

He found a mountain stream not far away with clear, cold water.

In a few quick movements, he stripped off his tattered coarse cloth shirt and leaped into the stream.

"Splash—"

The cool stream water washed over his body, and the black filth quickly dissolved and dissipated, revealing the bronze-colored skin underneath, which glowed with a healthy luster.

What surprised him most were the seven or eight knife wounds and scratches left behind from his fight with Song Zhong—especially the deep wound on his shoulder that had been visible to the bone.

It had healed as if it were brand new, without even leaving a scar.

"So this is the restorative power of iron marrow jade blood..."

Qin Meng reached out to touch his shoulder, a flash of joy in his eyes.

The only thing that made him frown was his coarse cloth hunting gear. The garment had been slashed open in several places and soaked in blood; although he had washed it, the damage remained glaringly obvious.

"When I get home, that silly woman Qiu Yue will surely worry if she sees this."

Qin Meng gave a helpless, wry smile. Shen Qiu had a gentle temperament but was meticulous in her thoughts. Seeing the tattered clothes, she would certainly guess that he had been through a fierce battle.

He quickly wiped his body clean, wrung out his damp clothes, and put them back on.

Although the clothes were wet, his lifeblood was now surging and his skin was radiating heat, so they would be steamed dry before long.

Once dressed, he opened his cloth bag.

"Clatter—" He poured everything inside out.

First was the silver. The five money pouches added up to forty-three taels of broken silver. Qin Meng counted it carefully, tucked it into his own pouch, and hid it close to his body.

Next were the weapons.

He picked up the nine-ring ghost-head blade that had belonged to Song Zhong. The blade was about three feet and six inches long, thick and heavy, with a wide edge, a broad spine, and deep blood grooves. The hilt was wrapped in non-slip cowhide, and a crude tiger-head pattern was carved into the pommel.

He weighed it in his hand; it was about twenty jin, perfect for his use. As for the ring-pommel saber, the edge was chipped in several places, so he kept it as a backup.

There were seven arrows left in the quiver; he would have to replenish them once he returned to town.

With everything packed, Qin Meng stood up and stretched his limbs. His bones popped and cracked, and his lifeblood roared as it surged through his body.

He identified his direction, slung the ghost-head blade across his back, secured his quiver, and began walking toward Luming Fort.

When he had come, in order to lure the enemy, Qin Meng had specifically chosen remote trails, venturing deep into the heart of Dawang Mountain.

Now on the return trip, he planned to hunt some game along the way; he couldn't return empty-handed.

However, after walking less than three miles, Qin Meng sensed something unusual.

It was too quiet.

When he had come, this stretch of forest, while not teeming with birds and beasts, had seen pheasants and hares everywhere; squirrels leaped among the branches, and the chirping of insects and birds was constant.

But at this moment, the forest was deathly silent.

There were no bird calls, no beast roars, and even the insect chirps were sparse. The air... was permeated with a faint, unsettling aura.

Qin Meng frowned. He had spent many years on the frontier in his past life and knew the habits of mountain beasts like the back of his hand.

This deathly silence suggested either a terrifying predator nearby or that a brutal slaughter had recently taken place, scaring away all the birds and beasts in the vicinity.

He looked up at the sky. The sun was slanting westward, roughly around three in the afternoon. He had to make it back to Luming Fort before sunset; the mountain forests were far too dangerous at night.

Quickening his pace, Qin Meng hurried toward Luming Mountain. His ghost-head blade was gripped tightly in his hand, and his quiver was slung over his shoulder in the most accessible position. His entire body was like a taut bowstring, ready to unleash a lethal strike at any moment.

Just then—

"ROAR!" A heaven-shaking, earth-shattering bellow suddenly erupted from the deep forest to his left!

The roar was as dull as rolling thunder, shaking the surrounding ancient trees until they trembled and leaves fell like rain. The roar was saturated with a violent, ferocious aura.

Immediately following it came the clashing of weapons, the angry shouts of martial artists, and the sound of screams all mixed together.

"Judging by the noise, there are at least ten people," Qin Meng's eyes narrowed.

If it were before, he might have cautiously avoided it.

But now, with his origin strengthened and his talent awakened, it was the perfect time to test his combat power and seize resources!

"Fishing in troubled waters... the time is right!"

Qin Meng did not hesitate. He turned his body and quietly slipped toward the direction of the roar. At the same time, he fully activated his environmental integration talent, his figure becoming blurred and indistinguishable among the trees, like a ghost.

While he was sneaking forward, his ears suddenly twitched.

From another direction, about a hundred yards away, faint, noisy sounds drifted over. They were the deliberately muffled footsteps of people, and there was more than one.

It seems others have been drawn here by the beast's roar as well? Thoughts flashed through Qin Meng's mind, but his movements did not stop for a second; instead, he became even more cautious.

Half a quarter of an hour later.

Qin Meng silently climbed over a steep slope and slipped into a patch of withered yellow shrubs. Through the gaps in the branches and leaves, he looked ahead—

The sight made his pupils shrink sharply!