Hunting Ferocious Beasts, Accumulating Cultivation Resources

Black Wind Ridge lay shrouded in black mist all year round. A faint scent of blood drifted through the air thick with miasma. Spiritual qi was scarce here, yet dense ferocious baleful aura permeated the land. This was precisely where the innate ferocious beast Qiongqi had made its lair.

Xuan Chen and Nüwa landed at the foot of the mountain and activated their Qi-Concealing Talismans, their figures vanishing into the black mist. Xuan Chen said, "Qiongqi has an acute sense of smell and can detect the aura of living beings within a hundred li. The Qi-Concealing Talismans can only hide us temporarily, so do not let down your guard." With a wave of his hand, a stream of Primordial Unity Power scattered the miasma ahead, revealing a rugged mountain path. "Follow me. Qiongqi's lair is in a cliff cave at the mountaintop."

The two cautiously climbed toward the summit. Beast bones lay scattered along the way, some still stained with fresh blood, clearly the remains of prey Qiongqi had devoured not long ago. Nüwa tightly gripped the water-elemental qi in her hand. Her Chaos Purple Lotus Garment shimmered with a faint halo as she remained on high alert.

When they reached the mountainside, an earth-shaking roar suddenly rang out. The black mist churned violently, and a massive shadow sprang from the forest, blocking their path. The ferocious beast resembled a tiger and possessed a pair of wings. Its body was covered in pitch-black scales, saliva dripping from the corners of its mouth. It was none other than the innate ferocious beast Qiongqi!

"Roar!" Ferocious light blazed in Qiongqi's eyes. Though it had not detected their exact location, it had sensed an unfamiliar presence. With a beat of its wings, it whipped up a skyful of black mist and lunged fiercely toward where they stood.

"Attack!" Xuan Chen barked. His figure flashed as he retreated to one side to oversee the battle.

Nüwa had long been prepared. The Water Dao within her circulated at full force, and pale blue water-elemental qi gathered into a water dragon as thick as a barrel, charging straight at Qiongqi. She cried, "Water Dragon Break!"

The water dragon collided with Qiongqi in a thunderous crash. Water sprayed in all directions, dispersing more than half the black mist. The force of the water dragon knocked Qiongqi back several steps, leaving its scales slick with moisture. The ferocity in its eyes only intensified as it opened its jaws and spat out a black water arrow infused with dense baleful aura, shooting directly at Nüwa's face.

"The Water Manipulation Dao must not only be fierce; it must also understand how to guide," Xuan Chen's voice sounded beside Nüwa's ear. "Qiongqi's water attribute carries Baleful Intent. You can use the Water Dao's power of inclusiveness to dissolve its baleful aura, then turn it back against its body."

Nüwa understood in an instant. Her hands rapidly formed seals, and a curtain of water emerged before her. Like a flowing mirror, it perfectly refracted the black water arrow's trajectory. At the same time, she activated the divine ability Nourishing Creation. A thread of glistening white creation qi merged into the water curtain, which instantly became gentle yet resilient. When the black water arrow struck it, its baleful aura was swiftly purified, turning into ordinary water that dripped to the ground.

"A fine opportunity!" Nüwa's gaze sharpened. As Qiongqi's old force had just run out and its new force had yet to arise, she unleashed Chaos Step beneath her feet. Like a ghost, she circled behind Qiongqi, gathering water-elemental qi in both hands and forming it into a sharp water blade that stabbed toward the gap in the scales on Qiongqi's neck.

Sensing danger, Qiongqi tried to turn and strike back, but the Water Dao's binding force wrapped around its body, slowing its movements for an instant. In that instant, the water blade had already pierced its neck. Black essence blood gushed out. Nüwa had been prepared; she took out a jade bottle for storing essence blood and caught it precisely, while simultaneously operating her incantation to initially suppress the Baleful Intent within it.

"Rooaaar—!" Wounded, Qiongqi flew into a rage and violently beat its wings, trying to break free from its restraints. Seeing this, Xuan Chen flicked a finger. A stream of Primordial Unity Finger Force struck Qiongqi between the brows, shattering its soul outright. Its enormous body crashed to the ground, utterly devoid of life.

Nüwa put away the jade bottle and let out a long breath. Fine beads of sweat seeped from her forehead. This was the first time she had hunted an innate ferocious beast on her own. Though Xuan Chen had stood by to oversee the battle, she had led the entire process, and the drain on both her mind and Dao power had been immense.

"Not bad." Xuan Chen stepped forward, approval in his eyes. "You knew how to adjust your tactics according to the enemy's traits. You used the Water Dao's balance of hardness and softness, avoided a contest of brute force, and struck directly at its weakness. This is the first rule of battle I wish to teach you: 'Seek opportunity.' In the Primordial World, ferocious beasts and cultivators alike have weaknesses. A skilled fighter's worth lies not in great strength, but in finding the chance to break the enemy."

He bent down to inspect Qiongqi's corpse, then took out a jade knife and cut off several chunks of beast flesh containing its origin essence. "Qiongqi flesh contains innate Baleful Intent and can be refined into body-tempering pills. Its scales can reinforce magical treasures. All of these are rare cultivation resources. To survive in the Primordial World, one must not waste anything of use. This is the second rule: 'Accumulate resources.' Every hunt and every trial must accumulate resources for yourself, building up steadily for a great release."

Nüwa nodded earnestly and committed Xuan Chen's words to heart as she began gathering Qiongqi's scales and bones. Over the next month, following the ferocious beast distribution map, the two successively hunted seven kinds of ferocious beasts, including Taowu, the Taotie Remnant Lineage, Jiuying, and Zhuhuai, successfully collecting seven types of essence blood. With every hunt, Xuan Chen had Nüwa lead the battle, only offering guidance or rescue at critical moments. Nüwa's practical combat ability improved rapidly as well.

When hunting Jiuying, she used the Water Dao's water-controlling nature to seal the channels through which Jiuying's nine heads spewed attacks. When facing Zhuhuai, she relied on the terrain, constructing a trap with water curtains and luring the enemy deep inside before delivering a fatal blow. Her combat techniques became increasingly refined, and through real battle, her mastery of the Water Law quietly rose to 30%. She could even use the divine ability Spirit Water Nourishes the Heart to disrupt a ferocious beast's mind.

Xuan Chen continuously imparted combat insights from the side. "Avoid the enemy—when you encounter an opponent whose strength far surpasses your own and who poses a danger, your first response should be to conceal your tracks or withdraw from the scene, not blindly fight head-on. Once you strike, you must target a vital point. In these cruel life-and-death struggles of the Primordial World, there is no room for even the slightest hesitation. Either do not fight, or fight to win."

On this day, the two arrived at the habitat of the final two ferocious beasts—Soulbreak Valley. Their targets were the innate ferocious beast Chisel-Tooth and the ancient ferocious beast Xisi. Soulbreak Valley's terrain was exceptionally treacherous, its valley floor covered in sharp rocks. The valley wind howled past, sounding like ghosts weeping and wolves howling.

"Chisel-Tooth excels in close combat. The fangs in its mouth can tear apart gold and stone. Xisi is thick-skinned and heavily built, with astonishing defenses, and it can also spew thunderfire." Xuan Chen pointed toward the valley floor. "This time, you must face both ferocious beasts at once. Remember: you must not allow them to catch you in a pincer attack."

Nüwa took a deep breath, determination flashing through her eyes. "This disciple understands!" She circulated the Chaos Purple Lotus Garment, raising her defenses to their utmost limit. At the same time, she condensed water-elemental qi into several water blades that hovered around her body, then slowly walked toward the valley floor.