Mountain Forest Mutation

The next day, the sky was barely beginning to brighten.

White frost covered the ground outside, and the morning light was cold and clear.

Qin Meng rose early as usual, drew water to wash his face, rinsed the rice, and set it on the stove. Afterward, he picked up the dark, heavy zhanma dao and stepped into the courtyard.

[Name: Qin Meng]

[Realm: mortal body]

[Innate Talent: divine valor]

[Talents: wild instinct-high tier (8%), environmental integration-mid tier (19%), iron back-mid tier (6%), thick skin and fleshy-mid tier (25%)]

[Core Cultivation Technique: none]

[Martial Skills: black dragon eighteen hands-minor completion, evil-slaying blade-breaking saber-mastery, chain arrow-minor completion, berserker spear technique-minor completion]

Having survived the life-and-death struggle last night, both his martial skills and talents had improved. Qin Meng had gained new insights into the application of his talents and his blade technique.

He unfolded the opening stance of the zhanma dao, the blade slicing through the morning mist.

At first, his movements were steady, the blade following the motion of his body. Gradually, the speed of the blade increased, transforming into a blur of dark light. The airflow in the courtyard was stirred up, causing fallen leaves to swirl into the air.

Qin Meng was deeply immersed, the insights of the evil-slaying blade-breaking saber flowing through his mind.

This blade technique emphasized slaughter and focused on using momentum to overwhelm opponents; every strike had to carry the resolute intent to cleave through evil.

"Blade-breaking: Swift Slash!" With a low shout, the momentum of his blade shifted abruptly.

A faint, interwoven black and red light suddenly surged over the zhanma dao. Where the blade passed, the air distorted slightly, emitting a faint tearing sound.

Qin Meng's figure spun rapidly like a top, the blade light splashing outward. The ground in the courtyard hissed, leaving behind blade marks of varying depths.

On his panel, the proficiency of the evil-slaying blade-breaking saber jumped rapidly, stopping at [mastery (478/500)].

He was only a hair's breadth away from minor completion.

"Mengzi, time to eat." Shen Qiuyue poked her head out from the kitchen to call him.

"Coming." Qin Meng sheathed his blade and turned to walk into the house.

At the dining table, Shen Qiuyue silently observed the man. He had changed, from the inside out. His gaze was sharper, and his movements carried a sense of edge.

If things continued this way, he would sooner or later step onto the true martial path.

And she could not just be a woman who did the laundry; she could not hold him back.

Shen Qiuyue, you can do this, she thought to herself, her gaze growing increasingly firm.

Qin Meng sensed her change. Though he didn't know the specifics, he felt relieved.

In this world, weakness was an original sin.

After the meal, he teased the little fox in the corner of the kang, shouldered his bow and arrows, and picked up his long saber.

"I'm heading into the mountains. I'll be back later."

"Mm, be careful. Don't go too deep into the forest." Shen Qiuyue was no longer as anxious as she used to be, yet she still urged him gently.

Qin Meng nodded and pushed the door open.

Stepping over the frost-covered ground, he headed toward the mountains outside the fortress. Along the way, early-rising villagers waved at him, and he nodded in response to each one.

The debt was cleared; the heavy stone in his heart had finally fallen.

Now, all he had to do was improve his strength as much as possible before joining the army. Since he couldn't get his hands on a core cultivation technique in the short term, he would make up for the gap with his talents.

As long as his talent was sufficient, he could successfully advance and strengthen his body, ensuring his own survival.

Before long, Luming Mountain appeared before him.

Fallen leaves piled up at the foot of the mountain, rustling under his feet.

Qin Meng took a deep breath and activated his environmental integration talent. He quickly suppressed his presence and moved through the mountain, his wild instinct talent fully deployed.

The world before his eyes suddenly became vivid: the trees emitted a faint green light—that was vitality;

There was the faint aura of insects wriggling in the soil;

In the distance, there were tiny heat sources—the trajectories of birds flapping their wings.

But soon, Qin Meng frowned. Amidst the vibrant green energy of the mountain, there were strands of black air currents mixed in.

These currents were violent and chaotic; wherever they passed, the green light dimmed.

What is this? Qin Meng felt a surge of vigilance, though he couldn't fathom the cause.

He nocked an arrow and relied on his heat sensing to track his prey.

The forest was indeed different from usual; there were far more traces of animals left behind.

Not long after entering the mountain, a wild rabbit darted out from the grass.

Qin Meng nocked an arrow and drew his bow. With a "whoosh," the arrow pierced accurately into the rabbit's body.

[life source +0.1%]

As he ventured deeper, the prey became increasingly dense.

Pheasants flapped into the air, badgers poked their heads out to scout, and roe deer fled in panic.

Qin Meng's arrows never missed, and his back basket grew steadily heavier.

[life source +0.09%]

[life source +0.12%]...

Beyond these small beasts, he also discovered traces of larger game—mud pits rooted out by wild boars, trails trampled by goats and deer herds...

Something is wrong. Qin Meng stopped in his tracks and scanned his surroundings.

Usually, these beasts stayed deep in the mountains, yet today, they were all appearing on the outskirts.

He followed a mountain stream, hunting while searching for medicinal herbs. Even with his innate ability to suppress his presence, he was still being attacked frequently.

"Hiss--"

A mottled venomous snake lunged from the dead leaves, fangs aiming straight for his ankle.

Qin Meng reacted faster. With a flash of his blade, the snake's body was severed in two. The two segments continued to writhe until he stepped forward and pinned them down with a finishing blow.

"That's the third one."

He skillfully drained the blood and harvested the gallbladder before continuing on.

These snakes were extremely aggressive, showing none of the usual tendency to avoid humans.

The mountain stream gurgled, and the damp soil along the banks was covered in the footprints of various beasts.

Qin Meng hid behind a tree, his wild instinct fully engaged.

Thirty paces away, a few roe deer were huddled together, drinking water. With their slender necks and light brown fur, they were the targets he had been tracking all along.

The deer occasionally lowered their heads to lap at the stream, then looked up, flicking their ears. They looked foolishly adorable, completely unaware of the danger lurking nearby.

He held his breath and nocked an arrow, pulling the bowstring taut.

"Whoosh!" The arrow tore through the air, striking one of the roe deer squarely in the neck. It let out a short, sharp cry before stumbling and collapsing by the stream.

The remaining deer jerked their heads up in alarm, but instead of fleeing immediately, they stood there blankly, staring in the direction from which the arrow had flown.

Qin Meng seized the opportunity, nocked another arrow, and brought down a second roe deer.

Only then did the survivors snap out of their stupor, scattering in a panicked frenzy and disappearing into the dense forest in the blink of an eye.

Qin Meng stepped forward quickly, intending to collect his prey.

Just as he bent down to drag the carcass, a warning alarm exploded in his heart!

"Splash—" The mountain stream erupted in a spray of water as a black shadow shot out.

It was a monster over a zhang long, shaped like a lizard yet resembling a giant salamander. Its body was covered in yellowish-brown scales, its mouth filled with jagged fangs. It looked ferocious and hideous, its eyes glowing red, and its entire body exuded an aura of demonic malice.

The water beast was incredibly fast, reaching him almost instantly, a foul stench washing over him.

Qin Meng retreated violently, but it was already too late.

He discarded his bow and threw a punch, unleashing the Black Dragon Eighteen Hands technique, Mad Dragon Collapsing Mountain, with his full strength.

"Bang!" His fist struck the monster's cheek, shattering its scales and sending black blood splattering.

The monster recoiled in pain, and Qin Meng used the momentum to retreat further, the zhanma dao now gripped in his hand.

"Roar—"

The monster reared up on its hind legs, standing half a head taller than Qin Meng. Its forelimbs were short and thick with hooked claws, while its hind legs were powerful; it was clearly an amphibious predator.

Qin Meng's gaze was icy, his blade pointed diagonally.

The monster lunged again, this time even more violently. Ignoring the zhanma dao, it went straight for Qin Meng's throat, employing a suicidal tactic of trading wounds for a kill.

"You're courting death!"

Qin Meng stepped forward instead of back, unleashing the full lethality of the Evil-slaying Blade-breaking Saber. The blade glowed with a brilliant black-red light, pushing the sharpness effect to its limit.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Blade and claws clashed, sending sparks flying. The monster's scales were tough, resistant to ordinary blades, but with the sharpness effect imbued in the zhanma dao, every strike left a deep gash.

Qin Meng grew bolder as he fought, his blade technique becoming more fluid under the pressure of life and death. He sidestepped a surprise claw attack and slashed upward in a counter-strike.

"Riiip—"

A foot-long wound opened across the monster's abdomen, blood gushing out like a fountain.

The monster flew into a rage, opening its maw to spray a stream of foul-smelling black liquid.

Qin Meng had been prepared; he rolled on the ground to dodge. Where the black water landed, vegetation withered and rocks corroded.

"Poison?"

His eyes grew colder, and his blade stance shifted. He integrated the Berserker Spear Technique's "Thrust" into his blade moves. Man and blade became one, transforming into a streak of black light that pierced straight toward the monster's face.

The strike was fast as lightning; the monster could not dodge in time.

"Pfft!" The blade pierced its left eye, driving deep into its skull and churning violently.

The monster's body shuddered intensely, letting out a shrill, miserable howl as its claws flailed wildly in its death throes.

Qin Meng drew his zhanma dao and retreated violently, dodging the monster's death throes.

He lunged forward again, driving his blade deep into the creature's skull. A red glow spread from his palm onto the zhanma dao, frantically devouring the monster's essence and blood.

The monster staggered a few steps, crashed to the ground, and after a few twitches, lay still.

[Life source +20%]

[Deprived iron-armored salamander demon bloodline talent: self-healing]

[This talent is a healing-type talent with high compatibility; automatic fusion initiated]

A surge of immense vitality poured into his body. Qin Meng felt a warm sensation throughout, as if every cell in his body were cheering and greedily absorbing the energy.

The hidden injuries accumulated from years of martial arts training quietly vanished, and impurities within his body were expelled along with his sweat.

[Talent: self-healing - low grade (1%)]

Self-healing: Possess vigorous vitality and endless energy. The speed of injury recovery is significantly increased; can consume blood energy to heal wounds at high speed.

Qin Meng stretched his limbs. His strength had not increased, but he felt incredibly fluid, his flesh and blood brimming with vibrant life.

He tried making a shallow cut on his arm; within a few breaths, the wound stopped bleeding and scabbed over.

"Thick skin and fleshy, plus self-healing," he shook his head with a bitter smile. He was happy that his survivability had increased once again, but worried that he had now truly become a meat shield.

Just as Qin Meng was slightly distracted, a sense of palpitations surged in his heart once more.

"Not good!" Qin Meng wanted to leave, but it was already too late.