Qi-Absorption Path

Several days later.

At the edge of Black Dragon Mountain.

Jiang Ran stuffed the last piece of spicy meat strip into his mouth, then stomped out the fire and buried the ashes thoroughly.

"Really doesn't taste like anything."

Five days. A full five days. He had spent five days living practically like a savage, eating raw meat and drinking blood. If he had not remembered a few tricks for starting a fire by rubbing sticks together, he probably would not have had a single hot meal.

There were not many fierce beasts in the deep mountains, but there truly were plenty of snakes and insects.

Oddly enough, the snakes and insects here were not afraid of fire. Instead, they were terribly afraid of water.

It was not the simple fear of being washed away by flowing water, but more like an instinctive terror. They were unwilling to even touch a single drop.

Of course, the greatest reason Jiang Ran had survived five days without injury was the Water Ball Technique.

As a notoriously terrible university student in Pingjiang, he had almost never passed his spellcasting classes.

The Water Ball Technique, which could barely be considered beginner-level, might not even have been enough to kill a chicken in ordinary circumstances.

But in this world, everything had changed.

Not only had casting the Water Ball Technique become much easier, its power had more than doubled.

Jiang Ran could now casually fling out a water ball and kill ordinary long snakes and venomous insects. Its power was practically comparable to Qi Refinement Level Two or even Qi Refinement Level Three.

With the Water Ball Technique protecting him, he had gained the basic ability to defend himself. After trekking over mountains and across rivers, he had finally seen the dawn of victory.

Yes. After crossing the mountain ridge, a vast plain appeared before him. Even farther away, smoke rose from cooking fires. There was a good chance people lived there.

After hastily filling his stomach, Jiang Ran continued down the mountain.

It was not that he had never considered finding a hidden corner and waiting out the seven days before returning to Pingjiang City. Unfortunately, that idea could only remain a fantasy.

There were too many uncertainties in the mountains. If he stayed in one place, he might encounter a life-or-death crisis at any moment.

After all, the mountains held more than venomous snakes and insects. There were also all manner of unimaginably powerful beasts. That tiger capable of controlling flames was far from the only one.

Fortunately, he had chosen the right direction. The farther he traveled from the mountains, the lower the danger became.

Another half day passed.

Jiang Ran finally emerged from the mountains, and the boundless plain made him feel far more at ease.

His more than two years of high school had not been wasted after all. Though his cultivation was low, he still had spiritual power within him, and his endurance far surpassed that of an ordinary person.

Following the cooking smoke, he really did see large stretches of farmland and several dozen scattered houses.

"There really are people..." Jiang Ran's face lit up with delight.

Quite a few farmers were working in the fields ahead, while elderly people rested in front of the houses.

Good. This world was not a barren wasteland, and the people here looked no different from anyone else.

Old Man Liu of the Liu Household in the eastern part of the village was practicing martial arts with his eldest son.

Two stone pillars stood in the open space behind the house. The two displayed their skills, their fist winds sharp and fierce as they repeatedly left fist marks on the pillars.

"Vajra Fist emphasizes fists that move like hammers and a body that moves like a mountain."

"Your steps must be steady as stakes, and your force must be unleashed silently. Iron Ox, you're doing it wrong."

"Hurry up and practice. Once we get there, it really will be too late!"

To avoid attracting unnecessary trouble, Jiang Ran deliberately chose the most inconspicuous house outside the village, intending to go in and ask about the situation.

Unexpectedly, he witnessed a frightening sight before he had even entered the courtyard.

Every punch thrown by the man called "Iron Ox" could shatter stones, his fierce fist wind making one's heart tremble.

Jiang Ran had seen his share of things, and Pingjiang No. 1 High School's physical education classes taught hand-to-hand combat.

Compared to such a fist technique and such power, the "basic fist technique" taught at school was like a child learning to dance.

Could an apparently ordinary farmer truly possess such martial arts?

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Ran knocked on the door.

"May I ask, sir, what place is this?"

Old Man Liu, standing at the door, froze for a moment. His eyes filled with suspicion. "Who are you?"

Suspicion was normal, and so were questions.

Jiang Ran had long prepared an explanation. He was supposedly a hunter from the other side of the mountains who had accidentally become separated from his family and wandered all the way here.

Perhaps because his story was logical, or perhaps because he was too handsome and naturally inspired trust.

In any case, Old Man Liu ultimately chose to believe Jiang Ran.

This world was the Great Ruins. This place was Black Dragon, the nearby mountain range was Black Dragon Mountain, and this village was called Xiang Family Village, under the jurisdiction of Black Dragon City.

Old Man Liu had originally intended to give the uninvited guest some food, let him fill his stomach, and send him on his way.

But Jiang Ran was unfamiliar with the area and did not even have a place to stay in Black Dragon territory.

So he proposed staying temporarily with the Liu Household, offering labor in return by helping farm and do chores.

He had thought it would not go so smoothly, yet after giving it some thought, Old Man Liu agreed with surprising decisiveness.

"Black Dragon Mountain cannot be crossed. Little Jiang, just stay here in peace. From now on, this will be your home."

Jiang Ran did not know what the other man was planning, but for now, this was exactly what he needed, so he went along with it and stayed with the Liu Household.

The Liu Household had more than ten mu of farmland—not little, but not much either.

Old Man Liu and his eldest son Iron Ox were both strong men with martial skills. This amount of land was nothing to them.

With Jiang Ran as an extra laborer, Iron Ox had much more free time. Following his father's instructions, he began focusing primarily on martial training each day.

After several days together, the three gradually became familiar with one another.

The Liu father and son truly were not vicious or cunning people. That could be seen in the little details of their daily lives.

Old Man Liu was somewhat calculating. Perhaps he truly wanted a free laborer so his son could have an easier time.

Liu Dacheng, also known as "Iron Ox," seemed rather simple and honest.

Jiang Ran's arrival made Iron Ox's life much more interesting.

Perhaps he had been stifled from having few peers to talk to in ordinary times. Now that he had the chance, he dragged Jiang Ran into endless conversations every day, completely opening up.

"Little Brother Jiang, don't brag. How could that Fan Xuexue you mentioned possibly be prettier than Song Zhen from our village?" Iron Ox said unhappily.

Song Zhen was the flower of Xiang Family Village and also his goddess. His greatest dream in life was to marry Song Zhen and bring her home.

"Song Zhen has completed Qi Cultivation. She only needs a strand of True Qi to undergo Dao Initiation. She'll definitely enter a sect in the future. Not just anyone can compare to her!"

"Fine, fine, Song Zhen is the most beautiful..." Jiang Ran raised his hands in surrender, a strange glint flashing through his eyes.

Qi Cultivation, True Qi, and "Qi-Consuming Initiation"—he had heard such cultivation terms from Iron Ox more than once over the past few days.

Iron Ox's daily martial training and physical conditioning were actually all part of the Qi Cultivation stage. Once one reached completion of the fourth stage of Qi Cultivation, one could begin coming into contact with True Qi. After finding and consuming a strand of True Qi, one would undergo what was called Dao Initiation and become a true immortal cultivator, as Iron Ox put it.

Clearly, this world's cultivation system was completely different.

Several more days passed.

After considering it again and again, Jiang Ran finally made a decision.

"What? You want to cultivate my Liu Household's Qi-Nurturing Method?" Old Man Liu was greatly surprised.

"No!"

"My Liu Household's ancestral secret method can absorb eighth-rank Autumn-Grass Frost-Condensing Qi upon reaching full mastery. It is extraordinarily profound. How could it be casually taught to others?"

Jiang Ran rubbed his brow, feeling somewhat helpless.

You already put it that way...