God of Wisdom? God of War!

Oinking sounds assaulted him from all directions.

Li Changsheng's soul, having left his body, watched helplessly as the porcupines gathered around.

That was right.

Standing over the one-meter-deep pit, led by a scarred porcupine, were about fifty smaller porcupines.

"Spirit Beasts!"

Li Changsheng had lived in Spirit Soul Village for a long time; naturally, he could distinguish the difference between spirit beasts and ordinary animals.

The leading porcupine was massive, over two meters long, its body covered in a faint, shimmering white halo. Many crystalline white mists seeped from the scars on its body, vaguely drifting toward the surrounding marshland.

Spirit power! It was the spirit power of a ten-year spirit beast, a porcupine infinitely close to the century-level.

I forgot to leave this place before starting my cultivation. How careless.

"God of Wisdom, stop cultivating! We're surrounded!"

Li Changsheng analyzed the situation while shouting loudly to alert the God of Wisdom, who was still cultivating with eyes closed.

At this moment, Li Changsheng's physical body looked bizarre.

The blood-red crystals extracted by the Night-Startling Spear had all submerged into his body.

Under the control of the God of Wisdom, his entire body glowed a vivid red. His fair skin was covered in open pores, and while many impurities had seeped out, it was only a thin, sparse layer.

The Porcupine King flared its nostrils, its nearly fifty-centimeter-long tusks looking savage and gleaming. After confirming the scattered chicken feathers and the faint scent of blood drifting in the air, its vicious eyes locked onto Li Changsheng.

The smaller porcupines around it rooted through the dirt, sniffing at the chaotic chicken feathers.

Li Changsheng's disembodied soul trembled suddenly as he looked into the Porcupine King's eyes.

His soul was shaking.

If he had a body right now, it would undoubtedly be trembling uncontrollably as well.

Was he afraid?

How could that be?

He was excited—inexplicably excited, a thrill and pleasure rising from the depths of his soul.

I want to kill them.

Even while being watched by dozens of porcupines, including a Porcupine King nearing a century of age, he felt no fear. On the contrary, he grew more and more excited.

<Notice: Daily blood-energy tolerance limit reached. Cultivation duration: one hour and five minutes. Ending cultivation. Please return to the body.>

The cold voice of the God of Wisdom rang out.

The excited and exhilarated Li Changsheng hurried to steer his soul back toward his body.

There was no resistance.

Li Changsheng dove into his physical form.

"Mmm..."

Warmth, comfort, and a sense of saturation washed over him instantly. Li Changsheng groaned subconsciously, his soul pulling his upper body into a slight twist.

Abundant power surged through his limbs. He gently clenched his hand, his five fingers emitting a crisp cracking sound. With a light squeeze, his nails pierced his palms, embedding into his flesh.

Li Changsheng glanced at his palms, dazed for a moment, before hurriedly standing up.

He raised his eyes to look at the leading Porcupine King.

<Answer: Special species of spirit beast detected. Shall I initiate analysis?>

The moment their gazes met, the cold voice of the God of Wisdom sounded.

Li Changsheng grabbed the Night-Startling Spear, feeling the surging power within him, and sneered, "A dying pig needs analysis? What, are you going to carve a tombstone for it?"

As his words fell, Li Changsheng soared into the air. The Night-Startling Spear transformed into a savage, roaring Night Piercing Dragon, carrying an endless, chilling aura of slaughter as it struck toward the head of the Porcupine King.

The black radiance rose like a heron taking flight from a starry river; the air began to tremble, emitting ripples of force.

Li Changsheng's surging power was drained by the Night-Startling Spear—ten percent, twenty percent, thirty percent. By the time the full, heaven-startling strike was unleashed, fifty percent of his body's blood energy had been drained!

Leaping through the air, Li Changsheng's thoughts moved like lightning, a smile appearing on his face.

The God of Wisdom was truly formidable!

If it had been before, this single strike would have drained over ninety-five percent of his strength, but now, he could even unleash a second strike!

"Die!"

The black spear-light slammed into the ground.

The surrounding earth cracked open. The ordinary porcupines guarding the Porcupine King were pulverized by the immense power, their spirits scattered and destroyed.

Blood energy surged like a rainbow.

The exploding blood mist was instantly absorbed by the Night-Startling Spear and stored within its bead.

Li Changsheng landed on the ground pierced by the Night-Startling Spear.

Before he could react, his keen perception flared, and a sense of danger surged into his heart.

Li Changsheng cursed under his breath, hoisted the Night-Startling Spear to use as a vaulting pole, and leaped toward his left.

Just as Li Changsheng took flight, the Porcupine King, which had vanished into the black haze, suddenly reappeared.

Hardened porcupine quills, accompanied by a soaring beam of white soul power, slammed into the spot where Li Changsheng had been standing just a moment before!

Not dead?

Floating in mid-air, Li Changsheng felt a jolt of shock, though he had little time for complaints.

He leveled the Night-Startling Spear in his hand and drove it straight into the skull of a porcupine. Before the creature could even let out a wail, Li Changsheng released his grip on the spear.

BOOM!

The Night-Startling Spear, weighing a massive twenty thousand jin, crushed the porcupine into a pulp of flesh and bone.

Squelch.

A spray of blood splattered onto Li Changsheng's cheek, and his clothes were soon coated in chunks of gore, the stench thick and suffocating.

Li Changsheng stood in the center, unfazed, and pulled the Night-Startling Spear out with one hand, his cold, sharp gaze fixed cautiously on the Porcupine King, which stood only a few meters away.

Let us return to a moment ago.

The Porcupine King was worthy of being called a soul beast; even if it had yet to reach a century of cultivation, it possessed a degree of intelligence.

It had come here because it smelled the heavy scent of blood and sought to feed.

Upon arriving, however, it discovered a human in the midst of cultivation.

It observed him cautiously while emitting low-frequency roars—a signal to its subordinates, who were far away, to close in and provide protection.

Sure enough, in the brief window where they should have been locked in a standoff, sizing up each other's weaknesses, Li Changsheng had erupted into action. Sensing the terrifying power of that black spear, the Porcupine King had hurriedly retreated, using the visual obstruction of its kin to shield itself.

The porcupines that stood in its way were reduced to powder.

"A spent force, indeed! Is this Porcupine King too smart? To be this cautious even when facing a child?"

Standing within the circle of porcupines, Li Changsheng looked blood-drenched and imposing.

But in reality, he was suffering.

His sudden strike had been intended to catch the beast off guard.

Although he had begun practicing the Mysterious Heaven Skill under the guidance of the God of Wisdom, he had only been at it for an hour, and his body was already saturated. This proved his constitution was poor; without a martial soul awakened, he had no other way to fight the Porcupine King besides a surprise attack.

Even with a divine artifact like the Night-Startling Spear.

And that was the most treacherous part.

He had yet to fully master the Night-Startling Divine Spear. A single thrust drained him completely. Even if he could manage two thrusts now, looking at the Porcupine King at this moment...

The Porcupine King stood behind several porcupines, its fierce eyes flickering with relief and cunning.

It was certain that this fellow could absolutely not unleash a second attack of that magnitude!

I am powerful, but I simply refuse to stand at the front! Ha, just playing with you!

The situation seemed somewhat delicate.

Li Changsheng stood like a blood-stained statue, struggling to maintain a fierce expression as he glared at the surrounding porcupines.

The Porcupine King did not seem to have issued an order to attack.

It was not enraged by Li Changsheng's slaughter of its kin.

On the contrary, it cowered behind its wall of porcupines, peering at Li Changsheng through a gap of only a few centimeters.

"I..." Even with Li Changsheng's steady temperament, he wanted to curse.

You coward, come out here!

[Notification: Individual soul beast Porcupine King is about to advance to the century-level.]

Suddenly, the cold voice of the God of Wisdom rang out, carrying a tone of warning.

"Advancing to a century-level soul beast?"

Only then did Li Changsheng remember, and simultaneously notice.

On the scars covering the Porcupine King's body, a murky yellow light was beginning to accumulate.

When it first arrived, the Porcupine King had looked exactly like this.

Now, the overflowing yellow soul power seemed even more abundant and potent.

"This pig has become a demon? It actually knows how to stall?" Li Changsheng's mouth hung slightly open as he stared at the Porcupine King.

[Answer: Individual soul beast Porcupine King is in the process of advancement. It requires a large intake of energy to ensure that its flesh and blood are not drained by the century-level soul power during the transition; this is why it followed the faint scent of blood in the forest to this location. Because you killed several porcupines just now, the Porcupine King absorbed a great deal of blood essence the moment it fled, triggering the advancement.]

"You—you mean it likely wanted to use my hands to kill its own kin to help it advance?" Li Changsheng suddenly felt his head grow hot.

[Answer: Highly likely. However, accidents cannot be ruled out.]

Li Changsheng subconsciously tightened his grip on the Night-Startling Spear. Feeling the cold radiating from the shaft, his frantic heat gradually cooled.

"The Night-Startling Spear's thrust is an area-of-effect attack, but the range is only one meter. With this Porcupine King standing in the back, I can't reach it. If it advances to a century-level soul beast, I will surely die..."

Li Changsheng analyzed the situation for a moment, and suddenly, a grave problem dawned on him.

"What should I do?"

<Answer: Based on the current environment, it is recommended that you activate the God of Wisdom's automatic combat mode.>

"Automatic combat mode?"

Li Changsheng suddenly recalled that the God of Wisdom had mentioned this not long ago.

Beyond assisting him in his cultivation, it was also capable of engaging in combat.

Furthermore, its methods and insights regarding both cultivation and combat were of the absolute highest caliber!

"In that case, can you take care of this pack of porcupines?" Li Changsheng asked, eager to see what would happen.

<Answer: You do not understand spear techniques. The vastness of the Night-Startling Spear is like the dark chaos that shrouds heaven and earth; every different method of attack will trigger the Night-Startling Spear's special effects, or even combo skills. However, this is also related to your own inability to control the Night-Startling Spear.>

"Hey, listening to you, it sounds like your affinity with the Night-Startling Spear is higher than mine?" Li Changsheng used a term exclusive to the games of his past life.

Answer: Yes.

Li Changsheng: "...Would it kill you to be a little more tactful?"

"Fine, fine. Since you can do it, then go ahead. Don't nag, just kill this smart-aleck pig for me."

As he said this, Li Changsheng shed his previous imposing air, instead letting out a yawn with a look of utter boredom.

<Understood. Activating God of Wisdom, full-automatic combat mode.>

<Supplement: After the battle concludes, you are expected to fall unconscious for twelve hours.>

Li Changsheng, halfway through his yawn, froze for a moment upon hearing the addendum.

"You didn't say—"

Just as he was about to roar, he felt an instant sensation of being shoved aside.

This time, his soul did not leave his body; instead, he remained trapped within it.

Through his own eyes, he watched clearly as the God of Wisdom, now in control, unleashed a unique and crushing slaughter...

The God of Wisdom controlled Li Changsheng's body. Unlike the fierce, cold, and ruthless facade Li Changsheng put on, the God of Wisdom—being a limited auxiliary skill—was synonymous with cold indifference. When it came to the disregard for life, it treated all equally.

The Night-Startling Divine Spear was gripped in hand.

It did not leap; instead, it began to rotate the Night-Startling Divine Spear with a bizarre movement that far exceeded Li Changsheng's expectations.

Twirling the spear?

Clearly, it was not that simple.

"The wind has picked up?"

Li Changsheng's consciousness suddenly sensed gusts of eerie wind blowing from the surrounding forest.

Before he could even react, his field of vision suddenly rose, and a crisp, deafening roar erupted from beneath his feet.

With the aid of his perception, he saw it.

What did he see?

"A dragon? I—I'm a black dragon, holy shit!"

Li Changsheng cursed; he couldn't be blamed, as the reality was truly shocking to such an extent.

Let us temporarily refer to Li Changsheng under the control of the God of Wisdom as "God of Wisdom."

As the God of Wisdom rotated the Night-Startling Spear, the black wind surging from all directions formed a massive, hundred-meter-long black dragon with horned heads and eight claws. Its gargantuan dragon head slowly lifted it into the air.

The God of Wisdom stood upon the dragon's head, the Night-Startling Spear held diagonally in its right hand.

With a gaze devoid of any emotion, a perspective that looked down upon all living things, the God of Wisdom did not even glance at the shivering pack of porcupines; it simply walked forward a few steps.

The black dragon used its tail as a blade, and the countless shards of debris it kicked up became like projectiles, reaping the lives of the ordinary porcupines.

The God of Wisdom tapped its foot lightly, and the Night-Startling Spear in its hand erupted with a heaven-shaking black death light with a boom.

It stripped the blood essence from those dead porcupines until they were completely drained.

Soon, only the Porcupine King remained of the surrounding pack.

To Li Changsheng's utter astonishment, the God of Wisdom pressed a finger to its lips. All things fell silent, the black dragon bowed its head, and those expressionless eyes swept over the Porcupine King as it spoke in a mechanical voice:

"Once I, Li Changsheng, make a move, all things change in terror, the slaughter is boundless; you wretched pigs shall be reduced to dust in the blink of an eye!"

The massive dragon head descended like Mount Tai, its twitching whiskers sweeping across the earth, and its gaping maw crushed the Porcupine King, who was still frozen in shock.

"Hey, who did you learn these edgy lines from? How are you so strong? Even a Soul Emperor wouldn't be this exaggerated, right? Why is the Night-Startling Spear so powerful in your hands, while for me, it just pokes things and that's it?"

Li Changsheng ranted frantically; he couldn't be blamed! This was just too shocking!

The God of Wisdom had simply twirled the Night-Startling Spear and summoned such a terrifying black dragon.

What about himself?

The gap couldn't possibly be this wide, could it?

But the God of Wisdom did not respond to him—or perhaps he had, but Li Changsheng could no longer hear it. Fatigue surged over him, and as Li Changsheng collapsed to the ground, his eyes, filled with shock, slowly closed as he drifted into sleep...

This was what the God of Wisdom had just added.

The price required to obtain such power.

Of course, it was mainly due to Li Changsheng's own poor constitution; he hadn't even awakened his Martial Soul yet.

Having fallen into a pile of porcupine flesh and blood, Li Changsheng slept until nightfall before he finally stirred and woke...