Rising Fame

After his first successful hunt, Gu Sheng officially became a hunter in Gu Family Village.

Especially his exceptional archery skills, once spread by Zhang Ze, became known to other hunters.

However, at first, others didn't quite believe it.

But facts would prove everything.

After hunting a wild boar on his first outing, Gu Erniu and the others rested for about ten days before heading into the mountains again.

Logically, Gu Erniu didn't need to push himself so hard; the previous harvest was enough to support his family for a long time.

But he couldn't just let his resources dwindle. A portion of the spoils had to be converted into money and food for storage.

Although Gu Wan was still young, Gu Erniu was already planning to save money for his martial arts training.

The previous night's wild wolf attack had further solidified the resolve of Li Lian and Gu Erniu.

Zhang Ze also chose to join them on the expedition.

As for Gu Youfu, after the previous incident, he was gradually sidelined by the others. Furthermore, since his children had no need for martial arts training, his frequency of entering the mountains was lower than that of the younger hunters.

Bringing along a few more hunters, the group set off into the mountains, this time targeting several wild wolves.

With the experience from the first trip, Gu Sheng was more composed and calm, maintaining a steady performance.

Under the coordinated efforts of the group, several wild wolves were killed.

His archery, comparable to Gu Erniu's, greatly impressed the other hunters who witnessed it for the first time, earning him much praise.

The harvest from this trip was not as abundant as the previous one, but it was still quite good.

After dividing the spoils, they obtained some wolf meat, wolf bones, and wolf hides.

Having tasted success, Gu Sheng felt a surge of impulse to hunt alone, realizing that sharing with the group would yield less than hunting by himself.

However, he ultimately suppressed this thought.

This was only his second time in the mountains. Although he was becoming more familiar with the terrain, he still lacked experience in many areas. Gu Sheng decided to continue hunting with the group for a while longer to observe and learn.

After that.

Gu Sheng frequently accompanied the others into the mountains.

The frequency varied.

Sometimes they went into the mountains every three to five days, and sometimes every seven to eight days.

Sometimes they went in groups of three to five people, and sometimes it was just him and Gu Erniu.

They didn't always have a successful hunt; it was common to catch only a wild rabbit or even return empty-handed after a day in the mountains.

Gu Sheng's archery skills became increasingly refined, astonishing and impressing new hunters every time, who marveled at his talent.

Eventually.

Almost all the hunters from Gu Family Village had hunted with Gu Sheng, becoming aware of this rising star among them. His archery skills were on par with Gu Erniu's, and with time, he might even surpass him!

Gu Sheng's reputation grew, and matchmakers even began visiting his home to arrange marriages.

A young, promising hunter with exceptional archery skills was a hot commodity, at least for tenant farmers who relied solely on agriculture for their livelihood.

Gu Sheng had already rejected the niece of Gu He, so he naturally declined these proposals, politely turning them down with a smile.

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed since his first mountain expedition.

After finishing his wood chopping for the day, Gu Sheng practiced his archery in the woods.

Swish, swish, swish!!

Arrows whistled through the air, carrying a sharp gust of wind as they embedded themselves into the target.

Anyone present would have been astonished to see that the target was a hundred paces away and no larger than a copper coin.

It was the epitome of "hundred paces, hit the willow leaf"!

Although a few arrows occasionally went astray, most hit their mark with precision.

This was a different level of archery compared to what Gu Sheng had displayed during his hunts.

In fact.

Gu Sheng's archery skills were improving significantly every day. He had already surpassed Gu Erniu half a month ago.

However, Gu Sheng didn't want to be too conspicuous, so he deliberately maintained a level comparable to, or even slightly below, Gu Erniu's. After all, such archery skills were more than sufficient for group hunts.

He wanted to keep some trump cards and avoid revealing all his strength.

For instance, his close-combat prowess, perfected through wood chopping, was also something he had never displayed.

Apart from the time he fought wild wolves, Gu Sheng had never used his wood-chopping knife in combat. He avoided close-quarters engagement whenever possible with his archery, always remembering Zhang Ze's near-death experience.

At this moment.

Gu Sheng's eyes were sharp, his posture as upright as a pine tree. His powerful archery had also enhanced his perception and dynamic vision, abilities that complemented each other.

The target, only the size of a copper coin, appeared exceptionally large in his sight, as if magnified.

Gu Sheng seemed to enter a wondrous state.

He could clearly perceive the trajectory of every falling leaf around him.

Drawing his bow like a full moon, his arrows flew like stars.

Whoosh!

A sharp whistling sound pierced the air. The arrow was too fast to see, and when it reappeared, it was already half-embedded in the target, precisely hitting the bullseye.

Joy and confidence overflowed in Gu Sheng's eyes.

He opened his status panel.

Archery had indeed advanced to Great Accomplishment (0%)!

After over a month of training and hunting in the mountains, Gu Sheng's archery had broken through again, reaching the Great Accomplishment stage!

Everything had happened naturally, a seamless progression.

With Great Accomplishment archery, he could accurately hit a target the size of a copper coin from a hundred paces away, hitting the mark every single time!

Moreover, during his recent advancement, he had also vaguely sensed the direction toward breaking through to the Perfection stage.

"Dynamic vision, huh... If my archery reaches Perfection, I might be able to see targets as small as a louse clearly. Shooting moving targets would be no different from stationary ones. Piercing a louse and shooting through a willow leaf would be child's play!" Gu Sheng mused with anticipation.

That kind of archery would truly be divine.

"But now that my archery has reached Great Accomplishment, I wonder if I can pose a threat to martial artists?"

Gu Sheng's heart yearned to try.

During this period, he had gotten along well with the hunters and learned much information he hadn't known before.

The first realm of martial artists was called the Skin Refining stage.

If one reached a profound level, their entire skin and muscles would be as tough as iron, capable of withstanding swords and blades without injury.

"If I can maintain a distance, perhaps I have a chance. If my archery reaches Perfection, I could easily hit vital spots like the eyes, which should allow me to deal with some Skin Refining stage martial artists."

He speculated in his mind.

Although he hadn't begun practicing martial arts yet, with his Wood Chopping and archery skills, Gu Sheng wasn't defenseless, which gave him a sense of security.

His Wood Chopping progress had reached 50% towards Perfection, with half the journey remaining until the final transformation, estimated to take about a month and a half.

Gu Sheng felt great anticipation.

He sensed that beyond Perfection lay a transformation.

But he couldn't rush things; one must eat one bite at a time.

Gu Sheng continued practicing his archery.

It wasn't until sunset that he finally gained 1% proficiency.

This meant that, given his current training time and effectiveness, it would take about three months to achieve archery Perfection.

"I won't reach archery Perfection in a short time. With my archery at Great Accomplishment, should I venture into the mountains alone?"

Gu Sheng began to ponder this question.

Going into the mountains with Gu Erniu and the others offered safety, but it meant sharing a significant portion of the gains. If he went alone, his wealth accumulation rate would nearly double, perhaps even more.