"Misunderstanding! We mean you no harm, heroes."
"We're leaving right now. We won't bother you!"
Three figures burst out from behind a tree in a panic and fled without looking back. They were martial artists from a martial hall, also drawn by the commotion.
They had only come to investigate after hearing the beast's roar, hoping to take advantage if both sides were left badly wounded. They hadn't expected the dust to settle so quickly. When they tried to withdraw, they gave away their position and had no choice but to flee in a panic.
"Rats! Where do you think you're going? After them!" The scar-faced leader saw them and flared with rage. He couldn't let anyone learn of their presence. How could he let them get away?
He didn't even bother checking on the demonic bear. Taking his men with him, he raced after the fugitives.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several figures swept past not far above Qin Meng's head, their rushing wind flattening the grass.
Qin Meng pressed himself to the ground and pushed his Environmental Integration talent to its limits. His heartbeat nearly stopped, making him seem like a lifeless rock.
The pursuers vanished into the distance, leaving four bandits behind.
Three were badly wounded. The fourth, a long-faced man with minor injuries, was left to deal with the bear's carcass.
He staggered over to the Black Bear's body, greed flashing in his eyes. Raising his steel saber, he swung at the wound in its neck, ready to bleed it.
Just then, another unexpected turn!
The demonic bear, which had already seemed to have breathed its last, suddenly glowed red-eyed. Summoning the last of its strength, it slammed a paw into the long-faced man.
The long-faced man reacted quickly enough. In the moment of danger, he rolled to the side.
Crack!
"Argh!" A shrill scream rang out.
He had dodged the blow to his head, but the edge of the bear's paw caught his left arm. It twisted out of shape in an instant. The arm was clearly ruined.
"Beast! I'll butcher you!"
His face contorted with pain. Together with the short bandit, who had barely managed to lunge forward, he hacked wildly at the Black Bear as it struggled to rise.
The Black Bear was truly on its last legs, its strength greatly diminished. After a chaotic struggle for survival, it swatted the short bandit flying. No one could tell whether he was still alive.
The long-faced man, meanwhile, drove his blade deep into the Black Bear's belly and twisted it.
The bear let out a mournful, unwilling cry and crashed to the ground once more. Blood gushed from its wound. This time, it was truly drawing its last breath.
Pale as paper, the long-faced man panted heavily. He stared at the enormous carcass twitching just inches away and laughed savagely.
"Damn it, just die already..."
But a flash of cold light appeared behind his neck without warning.
The grin froze on the long-faced man's face. His vision spun, and he saw his own headless body crash to the ground.
Nearby, a burly young man lowered a bloodied Ghost-Head Blade.
It was Qin Meng!
Once he saw the scar-faced leader and his men chase after the others, he began to scheme.
The instant the demonic bear and the bandits had both been badly weakened, and the long-faced man had let his guard down, Qin Meng struck.
Environmental Integration let him move with the utmost stealth, while his minor mastery of the Eight Blade Breaking Techniques made his strike swift, precise, and deadly.
[Life Source +9%]
One slash took the man's head. That familiar warmth flowed into him.
After killing the man, Qin Meng didn't pause. He drove his blade into the gaping wound in the Black Bear's neck, thrusting until the hilt was buried and piercing its heart with precision.
A barely perceptible red glow blossomed in his palm, clinging to the blade as it devoured the vast essence of blood and qi within the demonic beast.
In an instant, the Black Bear's enormous body shriveled and shrank.
[Life Source +25%]
[Bloodline talents taken from Iron-Backed Demon Bear: Iron Back, Thick Skin and Fleshy]
The prompts before him filled Qin Meng with excitement.
With no time to examine them, he quickly pulled out his blade and finished off the three badly wounded bandits.
[Life Source +8%]
[Life Source +9%]
[Life Source +8%]
Then Qin Meng swiftly searched the bandits' bodies, finding several money pouches. Without even looking inside, he stuffed them all into his clothes.
He rushed back to the demonic bear's carcass, used his hunting knife to hack open its chest, and pulled out a dark red Bear Heart, larger than a coconut and still beating. He wrapped it in oiled paper, dug out the golden Bear Gallbladder, and put it in a bamboo tube.
The whole process took only a few dozen breaths.
Once he was done, Qin Meng didn't dare linger. He didn't bother trying to take the beast's carcass. After checking his bearings, he slipped into the dense forest.
Not long after he left,
the scar-faced leader returned with several of his men, his expression dark. They hadn't caught all the fugitives; they had only managed to kill two and force the others to give up some information.
Cursing, the bandits returned to the spot. When they saw their companions' bodies, the Black Bear's gutted carcass, and the ransacked scene,
a brief silence fell.
The scar-faced man, Zhao Tianhu, let out a thunderous roar:
"Argh! Damn it..."
"You Leiming Martial Hall bastards! You dare steal from your grandpa Tiger?"
"Kill, rob, and set fires, and you'll wear a belt of gold. No wonder it's such a fast way to make money!"
In the woods on the outskirts of Luming Mountain, Qin Meng leaned against a boulder and happily counted his spoils.
Seven money pouches, holding more than fifty taels of silver in small pieces.
One demonic bear's heart, rich with pure blood-and-qi energy.
The golden gallbladder was a rare "golden gall," formed from the essence of a demonic beast.
But his greatest gains were the two talents he had taken from the bear.
[Talent: Iron Back—Mid-Tier (Compatibility: 95%, can be fused)]
[Talent: Thick Skin and Fleshy—Low-Tier (Compatibility: 98%, can be fused)]
Taking the talents was the main reason Qin Meng had risked snatching the spoils from under the tiger's jaws.
He steadied his breathing and calmed himself, then sank his consciousness into the panel in his mind.
At its center, two drops of blood-red essence hovered silently. They were the bloodline talent sources he had stripped from the demonic bear.
"Fuse."
The instant the thought crossed his mind, the two drops of blood essence burst into light, transforming into thousands of scarlet threads that sank into his limbs and bones.
The next moment, agony erupted. It was as if countless red-hot needles were stabbing into him, tearing and rebuilding his flesh, sinews, and bones.
Qin Meng clenched his teeth and stifled a groan, veins bulging at his temples. He hadn't expected this fusion to hurt so much, but at least he had already experienced something similar when his origin was strengthened.
Life Source flowed out in a warm, soothing stream, and the pain gradually subsided.
Then came an itch deep in his bones, surging in like a tide. It felt as if countless insects were crawling beneath his skin and gnawing in the gaps between his bones.
Qin Meng gritted his teeth until they creaked, refusing to make a sound or move.
His body was washed and tempered. His skin thickened as it writhed, his muscle fibers tore and knit back together, and his bones kept up a faint, grinding creak...
Only after fifteen minutes did the violent transformation finally end.
[Name: Qin Meng]
[Realm: Mortal Body.]
[Innate Talent: Divine Valor]
[Talents: Iron Back—Mid-Tier (1%) Environmental Integration—Low-Tier (23%) Thick Skin and Fleshy—Low-Tier (1%)]
[Core Cultivation Method: None]
[Martial Skills: Eight Blade Breaking Techniques—Minor Mastery (136/1000) Chain Arrow—Proficient (423/500)]
The fusion had consumed a considerable amount of Life Source, but Qin Meng felt it had been well worth it.
A realization surfaced in his mind: unlike an auxiliary talent such as Environmental Integration, the two talents he had just gained were defensive.
Iron Back—Mid-Tier: the flesh and bones of the back, shoulders, and arms grew much denser and harder, reaching a near-iron toughness.
Thick Skin and Fleshy—Low-Tier: the skin became as tough as bullhide, a layer of fascia formed beneath it, and the muscles grew stronger.
Qin Meng opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing in them. His blood and qi surged within him. He picked up a rock and clenched his fist, crushing it to pieces.
He drew the Ghost-Head Blade and slashed at his arm. The blade scraped against it with a metallic rasp. The Iron Back talent lived up to its mid-tier rank; its defensive power was formidable.
He then slashed hard at his abdomen, leaving only a faint white mark. He gradually increased his strength. Only when he used seven or eight tenths of his full force did the blade finally cut a shallow line. No blood welled up. The muscles around the wound quickly contracted.
"This defensive power..." A burning glint flashed through Qin Meng's eyes.
In this dangerous world, powerful offense was certainly important, but a shield-like defense was even more precious. Surviving was what mattered most.
Besides, cultivation methods could gain proficiency, and talents had room to grow.
Like [Environmental Integration—Low-Tier (23%)]
Talents could grow through practice and development, or by devouring a similar source of power. When one reached 100%, it would undergo a transformation.
Qin Meng was looking forward to advancing his Iron Back and Thick Skin and Fleshy talents. Just how powerful would his body become by then?
Once he had adapted to his new strength and defenses, he felt light, strong, and full of energy. He fastened his saber, picked up his bow and arrows, and headed down the mountain.
He wove through the forest, his Environmental Integration talent activating passively. His body heat and scent faded as he stalked through the woods like a ghost. Along the way, he shot plenty of game and hurried toward Luming Fort.
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