Talent: Environmental Integration

Deprive bloodline talent?

The new information appearing before his eyes startled Qin Meng, followed immediately by great joy. As his consciousness sank into the panel, he saw that beneath his martial arts, a new column had indeed appeared:

[Talent: environmental integration-low grade (compatibility 92%, ready to fuse)]

At the same time, information regarding talents flooded into his mind.

Talents are categorized into combat, defense, support, perception, special, and others. The higher the compatibility with oneself, the smoother the fusion and the greater the power.

In the center of the panel floated a dark red blood bead the size of a soybean, slowly rotating and emitting an ancient, primitive aura.

The system provides a safety net; there is no danger... Qin Meng suppressed the urge to fuse immediately.

In this forest, if any complications arose during the first fusion, it would mean certain death. He quickly searched the surroundings, but there were no precious medicinal herbs to be found.

Suddenly, a dull, thunderous roar echoed from deep upstream in the mountain stream, shaking the leaves until they rustled down. A heart-palpitating pressure faintly drifted over.

Qin Meng's expression changed. Without hesitation, he quickly drained the blood of the rock viper python, filled his water skin, dragged the python carcass with all his might, and sprinted toward the outside of the mountain.

It wasn't until he stepped into the safe zone on the outskirts of Luming Mountain that the feeling of heart-palpitating dread gradually faded.

Finding a sheltered rocky hollow, he set the python carcass down.

Qin Meng sat cross-legged. Once his breathing calmed, he sank his consciousness into the panel.

"Fuse!"

The dark red blood bead in the center of the panel shimmered, transforming into a swirling mist of blood that merged into his body.

A warm current of life force intertwined with it, washing over and remodeling his body from the smallest details. Mysterious runes flickered and faded across his skin, and his hair became more lustrous.

A profound technique regarding the concealment of aura, regulation of body surface, and mimetic integration with the environment was branded deep into his consciousness like an instinct.

[Name: Qin Meng]

[Realm: mortal body]

[Talent: environmental integration-low grade (1%)]

[Core Technique: none]

[Martial Arts: eight blade breaking techniques-proficient (45/500), chain arrow-proficient (39/500)]

Environmental integration-low grade: Initial mastery of aura concealment, body temperature regulation, and basic surface mimicry.

Qin Meng opened his eyes, a thought stirring in his mind.

His breathing immediately became long and light, his heartbeat slowed and grew powerful, and the color of his skin darkened slightly, approaching the grayish-brown of the rock wall behind him. The heat and scent radiating from his body seemed to be shielded by a layer of light film.

When sitting perfectly still, he was almost one with the earthy-yellow rocks.

"A fine talent," Qin Meng's eyes flashed with brilliance.

This life-and-death struggle, where he had narrowly escaped death, made him truly realize the hardship of martial arts in this world—without entering the boiling blood realm, an ordinary person could hardly harm a strange beast.

Although this environmental integration was not an offensive technique, it was a life-saving reliance that every hunter dreamed of.

With this as a foundation, Eagle Beak Peak might be worth exploring.

A smile spread across Qin Meng's face, and he delayed no longer. He stuffed the rock python's carcass into his basket, covered it slightly with other game, and headed toward the market town.

He sold the pheasant, wild hare, turtledove, and the hog badger all at once, exchanging them for over ten taels of silver fragments. Along the way, he bought some rice, grain, and cloth.

Qin Meng did not know that just as he left the back alley of Kexianju restaurant, a tall, thin figure emerged from the depths of the brothel district and happened to bump into him.

That person was Song Zhong from Luming Fort, nicknamed "Skinny Monkey." He was one of the original body's fair-weather friends and also a trusted lackey of Qin Lai.

Seeing Qin Meng carrying a bow and arrows and emerging from the back door of Kexianju restaurant, his eyes rolled, and he sidled up to Shopkeeper Hu, who was busy directing staff to move the game.

"Shopkeeper Hu, busy?" Song Zhong piled on a smile. "My brother Mengzi... looks like he had a good harvest today?"

Shopkeeper Hu was unaware of the undercurrents. Recognizing Song Zhong, he laughed, "You said it! Mengzi has had good luck these past two days; everything he brings is top-tier. Tsk tsk, could it be he's turned over a new leaf and wants to focus on supporting his family?"

Song Zhong's heart skipped a beat, but he kept his expression calm and continued to ask, "Oh? He came yesterday, too?"

"He did..." Shopkeeper Hu replied casually before turning away to attend to his work.

The smile on Song Zhong's face slowly stiffened.

Two days, and he made over ten taels just from selling game?

His heart was filled with suspicion and uncertainty; a sense of unease mixed with jealousy surged up within him. He turned and headed straight for the town's gambling den to report this news to Qin Lai.

In the afternoon, Qin Meng returned to his small courtyard in Luming Fort, carrying his haul.

Closing the courtyard gate, he upended the cloth bag, and the nearly two-zhang-long rock python carcass slid onto the ground.

"Ah! What is this?" Shen Qiuyue, who was hanging up laundry, was startled. When she saw it was a giant snake, she was both shocked and delighted. "What a huge snake!"

"This snake is no ordinary creature; its whole body is a treasure."

Qin Meng smiled at the woman, took a sharp knife, and began to process it with practiced ease.

The snake skin was peeled off in one piece, and the tough scales were scraped off and collected one by one.

The snake gall was the size of a chicken egg, dark green and lustrous.

He carefully separated the venom glands and even extracted the snake's vertebrae.

The materials from these exotic beasts could fetch a good price.

The most precious of all was the several dozen jin of pale pink snake meat, its texture distinct and faintly radiating a pure, potent blood energy.

At dinner, the small courtyard was filled with an appetizing aroma.

In addition to stewed chicken and roasted rabbit, Shen Qiuyue had used the snake meat and wild mushrooms to stew a full basin of milky-white snake soup.

The soup was fresh, the meat tender, and the aftertaste endless. Qin Meng couldn't eat more than two bowls before feeling full. He felt waves of warmth rising from his abdomen, spreading to his limbs and bones. His energy surged, and his blood flow became much more active.

"Good meat!"

He set down his bowl, grabbed his blade, and walked out into the courtyard.

He unleashed the eight blade breaking techniques. The blade light flashed, and the sound of it cutting through the wind was sharper than ever before.

With his blood energy surging, the blade movements flowed smoothly and seamlessly. The mastery of blade techniques he had spent years honing in his past life was gradually syncing with this body.

Sweat flew as he moved. The warm current within his body traveled along with the blade, constantly nourishing his tendons, bones, and muscles.

It wasn't until night fell that hunger returned to his belly. Qin Meng sheathed his blade and walked toward the kitchen. There was still warm stewed chicken and snake soup left in the pot.

After eating his fill, he poured the rock python blood he had carefully collected into an earthenware pot, heated it slightly over the embers, and added a bit of honey to mask the fishy odor.

He had already drunk a fair amount of this rock python blood beforehand and knew it was non-toxic.

Qin Meng ladled out a bowl of the thick, dark red blood soup and brought it to Shen Qiuyue.

"Sister Qiuyue, drink this. It's good for your health."

Shen Qiuyue looked at the scarlet, viscous liquid in the bowl and smelled the heavy, bloody scent. Her delicate brows furrowed, and she instinctively shrank back.

"This is the blood of that exotic snake. It's a powerful tonic; ordinary people couldn't get their hands on this even if they wanted to." Qin Meng put on a stern face and pushed the bowl forward again. "Your body is weak, and you're so thin. You need to replenish your blood energy and clear away hidden ailments."

Shen Qiuyue looked up at him, seeing his serious, firm expression and eyes full of concern.

She bit her lower lip, finally took the bowl, closed her eyes, pinched her nose, and gulped it down in one go.

As the warm blood soup entered her stomach, a distinct heat rose immediately, causing a flush to quickly appear on her slightly pale cheeks.

Only then did Qin Meng nod. He picked up the egg-sized, dark green snake gallbladder and, washing it down with the remaining half-pot of snake blood, swallowed it whole.

The bitterness of the gallbladder mixed with the fishy sweetness of the snake blood as it rushed down his throat.

Immediately after, a scorching current, several times more intense than before, exploded in his abdomen.

He let out a muffled groan, feeling as if the blood throughout his entire body were about to boil. A faint, itchy numbness spread through his tendons, bones, and skin, while his eyes felt cool and refreshed.

Suppressing the surging medicinal power, he grabbed his blade and headed back out into the courtyard.

This time, the blade light was faster, swifter!

His figure left almost nothing but afterimages under the moonlight, and the sharp whistle of the long blade slicing through the air was continuous.

The scorching torrent within his body was guided by the ferocious blade momentum, rushing wildly and seeping into every inch of his muscles.

He did not know how many times he had practiced, but as the scorching sensation gradually subsided and transformed into a warm, heavy power settling within him, Qin Meng suddenly sheathed his blade.

"Hoo—"

A long, thin stream of white mist shot out like an arrow for three feet before slowly dissipating.

He checked his panel, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

[Eight Blade Breaking Techniques - Proficiency (223/500)]

[Chain Arrow - Proficiency (85/500)]

In just over half a day, his blade technique proficiency had skyrocketed.

The most miraculous part was that his eyes were bright, his vision had surged, and he could see clearly at night within twenty paces.

The nourishing effect of this strange snake far exceeded his expectations.

Qin Meng rinsed the sweat from his body with well water, feeling refreshed and invigorated. His fatigue had vanished, his blood and qi were full, and even his strength had increased by a few points.

Returning to the room, Shen Qiuyue had already prepared hot soup for him. The woman's cheeks were still flushed, her eyes moist, looking exceptionally gentle under the oil lamp.

Qin Meng felt a warmth in his heart. There were only three days left; he had to pull off another big score. Tomorrow, he might try to venture deeper into Luming Mountain to search for greater opportunities.

Outside the window, the moon was bright and clear.

Qin Meng lay down in his clothes, planning tomorrow's schedule, when he suddenly heard very light footsteps outside the door.

"Creak—"

The door was gently pushed open a crack. Then, Shen Qiuyue slipped in sideways, closed the door behind her, and leaned against the door panel, her chest rising and falling slightly.

The woman's jet-black hair fell over her snow-white shoulders, with a few strands sticking to her slightly damp neck.

She was wearing only a water-red dudou; the thin silk shimmered with a soft light under the hazy moonlight, tightly wrapping around her exquisite curves.

At this moment, time seemed to stand still.