Wild Shape

This mountain villa was originally intended for the training of Special Affairs Department personnel, but now a portion of the area is partitioned off for use by ordinary gifted individuals.

The city center location is primarily for office use, while also serving as a gathering point for gifted individuals remaining within the city.

After getting out of the car, Ling Qing immediately rented a single room within the villa.

Pushing open the door, the room was simple and sparse, containing only a bed, a cabinet, a meditation cushion, and a washroom.

He nodded in satisfaction, set down his belongings, and turned to head back out.

Among the ordinary gifted, there is no shortage of wealthy individuals; naturally, not all rooms in the villa are this minimalist, though none are overly luxurious either.

After all, this is a training facility, and the Special Affairs Department has no interest in providing leisure spots for those seeking indulgence.

Furthermore, most people who come here do so to improve their own strength and generally do not pay much attention to their living requirements.

Returning to the front desk, the request Ling Qing had submitted for observation of the animal park when he checked in had already been arranged.

At this stage, the Deer Garden has vacancies, mainly because the species and quantity of deer are high, and also because there are few boxing styles that imitate the form of a deer.

As for the rest, whether it be tigers, bears, apes, or cranes, there are many boxing styles and practitioners for each.

Among the numerous cervids, the first Wild Shape Ling Qing chose was the Sika Deer.

Before obtaining the Book of Wilds, Ling Qing did not intend to make Wild Shape his primary means of combat.

Therefore, the attack capability of the animal form was of little concern.

He valued the mythological attributes inherent to the Sika Deer more.

Thinking of this, Ling Qing suddenly paused, his expression turning somewhat strange.

The five animals imitated by the Five Animal Frolics frequently appear in ancient mythological and supernatural novels, yet three of them appear primarily as mounts.

The remaining two are used more for guarding the house.

This made him ponder that in the future, especially in instances involving cultivators, he should minimize or even avoid using Wild Shape.

After all, in human form, one can request to become an apprentice when encountering immortals or Daoists.

But in animal form, he would likely be captured and kept as a mountain-guarding spirit beast or a mount.

Shaking his head, Ling Qing cast aside the distracting thoughts, looked at the Deer Garden he had reached, and began to observe with focus.

Unlike a Druid who specializes in the Path of the Wild and can choose animal forms recorded in the Book of Wilds to transform directly, Ling Qing must have a basic understanding of the animal he wishes to transform into in order to utilize the ability of Wild Shape. He must perceive the wild energy hidden within the animal's body and outline the corresponding animal form in his mind.

Only by finally integrating it into his own physical form can he complete the Wild Shape.

For the first few days, he observed and studied the living habits of the Sika Deer while cross-referencing the materials he had collected.

At the same time, he used the ability of Wild Empathy to integrate well into the deer herd and communicate with them.

Once he had a certain understanding of the Sika Deer, he began to try imitating their movements and perceiving the characteristics of their wild energy.

He studied the properties contained in their hard antlers and hooves, their physical characteristics when running on four limbs, and their behavioral habits.

Through contact, he channeled his Natural Force into the body of every deer in the herd, converting it into wild energy carrying the wild characteristics of the Sika Deer.

Only when he could use the collected wild energy with Sika Deer characteristics to fully compose a Sika Deer form in his mind did he begin to attempt the transformation.

One evening, Ling Qing returned from the Deer Garden early. After dinner, he performed his daily routine without fail.

Now, he recites the Eight Divine Incantations twice and practices the Five Animal Frolics once every morning and evening.

Afterward, he picks up the Book of Nature to practice common spells and study new ones.

It was not until the dead of night that Ling Qing put down the spellbook and began his first attempt at Wild Shape.

He first chanted the Eight Divine Incantations to calm his mind and empower himself, then outlined the image of the Sika Deer in his heart.

As he merged this with the Sika Deer form manifested from wild energy, a miraculous change immediately occurred in Ling Qing.

First, his hands and feet gradually turned into cloven hooves, branching antlers grew from his head, and his perspective began to shift.

Then, like an infection, the change gradually spread throughout his entire body.

When the transformation ceased, Ling Qing's figure had vanished, replaced by a Sika Deer about one and a half meters long and one meter tall at the shoulder.

The antlers on its head were branched like a pair of gnarled old tree roots, and its reddish-brown fur, smooth as silk, was dotted with snow-white spots shaped like plum blossoms.

Apart from a sturdier build and smoother, glossier fur, it looked no different from an ordinary Sika Deer.

Only the wisdom flickering occasionally in its round, bright eyes revealed that this was a human transformed.

"Yoyo~"

Just as Ling Qing wanted to sigh, his throat vibrated, emitting a clear deer call.

He walked two steps in the cramped room with his hooves, feeling somewhat awkward.

As the wild energy within his body surged, the wild instincts branded into this physique allowed him to gradually adapt to walking on four limbs.

Then he raised his neck, retracted it, stretched his legs, braced his antlers, and made a gesture to run. As Ling Qing became more proficient, he had completely transformed into a Sika Deer.

Character has completed Wild Shape, character template switched to: Sika Deer.

Template: Sika Deer

Life Level: Level 1

Attributes:

Strength: 10

Agility: 18

Constitution: 14

Perception: 15

Charisma: 8

Skills: Ram

"???"

Seeing this panel, Ling Qing suddenly felt a sense of shame; his own attributes were completely crushed by an animal.

However, after testing it out, he discovered that he could not cast spells, whether using his own body or attempting to trigger the spells inscribed within the Book of Nature.

At the same time, aside from Ram, he possessed no other means of attack.

This immediately made him feel a bit more balanced.

Compared to his humanoid form, which could cast spells, wield weapons, and utilize a wide variety of attack methods.

It seemed that transforming into a Sika Deer, other than running fast, was not particularly enviable.

He wondered if some of these restrictions would be lifted once he unlocked the Path of the Wild in the future.

For instance, being able to cast spells or wear equipment.

He also wondered if, after obtaining cultivation techniques for monsters, he would be able to learn them while in his wild form and cultivate into a demon.

Just as he was pondering this, his body suddenly underwent a change, reverting back to his humanoid form.

As it turned out, the wild energy within his body had been exhausted.

Ling Qing checked his mind and found that, separate from his spell templates, a wild form template of the Sika Deer was drifting there, much like a spell template.

Just as triggering a spell template required energy, gestures, and incantations, he needed to inject Natural Force into the wild template to convert it into wild energy before he could transform into the Sika Deer again.

Once the original energy was depleted, the transformation would end.

At the same time, he could not convert Natural Force into wild energy while in his wild form.