Further development of his ability

Master Mo was a Third-Rank Alchemist with the strength of a Four-Star Dou Ling.

Though his strength was not particularly high, guiding Chen Cang's current cultivation posed no problem.

Having viewed the memories of nearly a hundred soldiers and even peered into the city lord's past, Chen Cang had an immense wealth of combat experience in his mind. Yet all of it was merely froth and shadows. Only through actual combat, by truly digesting it and learning to apply it skillfully, could he make it his own.

Otherwise, he would be just like Zhao Kuo, waging war on paper.

With that in mind, Chen Cang took Master Mo's advice.

Going out to temper himself was imperative.

The next day.

Chen Cang took the initiative to visit City Lord Ding Dian and request permission to leave the city to train, even though Ding Dian had never forbidden him from doing so.

Upon learning of Chen Cang's plans, Ding Dian did not stop him. Instead, he expressed wholehearted approval and earnestly explained quite a few things Chen Cang needed to watch out for outside.

The atmosphere of their conversation was not particularly solemn. Both knew full well that the outskirts of the Black Eagle Mountains were almost entirely populated by low-tier magical beasts. As long as Chen Cang did not rush in recklessly and kept his wits about him, trouble was unlikely.

Leaving the City Lord's Residence with his spear slung across his back, Chen Cang headed straight for the East City Gate.

The city walls here were like a history book, covered in gouges and scars left by battle after battle. Rumor had it that before Ding Dian took office, Tianying City had suffered an attack by a small beast tide. Its cause remained unknown to this day.

Beyond the East City Gate lay a small stretch of open ground. A few kilometers straight ahead were the foothills of the Black Eagle Mountains.

Quite a few people passed through the East City Gate: lone travelers, parties of two or three, and mercenary groups. Yet not one of them was as young as Chen Cang.

As a result, Chen Cang repeatedly met one scrutinizing gaze after another.

"Hey, little brother, how old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"I meant your age."

"So did I."

"What family are you from? Interested in joining our Soul-Eating Mercenary Group?"

"Kid, you're heading into the mountains with just that lousy spear? Aren't you afraid of dying?"

"Ever seen a living magical beast before? Don't go wetting your pants from fright! Hahaha."

Every so often, someone approached to strike up a conversation, either recruiting him or teasing him.

Some also hoped to make a quick, ill-gotten fortune. Unfortunately, aside from the spear on his back, Chen Cang did not have so much as a single gold coin on him.

At first, Chen Cang occasionally responded to these people. Gradually, he simply stopped speaking altogether.

He had no interest in the people of Tianying City.

Knowing the city lord's entire past, Chen Cang understood just how tightly he controlled Tianying City. That was also why Chen Cang had never openly asked around about the Jia Ma Empire.

It could easily arouse unnecessary suspicion.

And it might not yield anything useful anyway.

Before long, he reached the foothills.

Even the carefree mercenaries began reining themselves in, their expressions growing considerably more serious.

Danger and opportunity coexisted in the Black Eagle Mountains. This trip might fill their coffers to the brim, or it might leave them lying in coffins and buried in the hills.

To the surprise of quite a few mercenaries, although the young man they had teased all along the way now looked much more serious, he did not act as though he were facing a formidable enemy, as they did.

Only then did they belatedly realize that Chen Cang seemed to be stronger than they were.

"He's fucking eighteen?"

"I don't believe it, anyway. He probably just has a baby face."

Watching Chen Cang enter the mountains ahead of them, two mercenaries voiced their doubts, their faces red.

Meanwhile, Chen Cang breathed in the free air of the mountain forest with satisfaction.

All these years, his life had remained entirely within the city lord's control.

The kindness was real, and so was the lack of freedom.

Had he not possessed a decent talent, he probably would have struggled to escape this situation for the rest of his life. That was no exaggeration.

A large part of the reason Chen Cang cultivated so desperately was his desire to break free of his cage.

Now, his efforts were finally beginning to bear fruit.

"Someone who has never lost their freedom will never know how precious it is. Dou Zhe isn't enough, and neither is Dou Shi. I need the strength to cross the Black Eagle Mountains and pass through the Chu Yun Empire!"

As early as half a year ago, Chen Cang had decided to make good use of his status as an unofficial member of the Soul Hall to secure benefits. But that did not diminish his determination to break out of his cage.

Even if he had to wear the Soul Hall's hat in the future, there was still a difference between choosing it himself and having it forced upon him.

A single word's difference, yet as far apart as clouds and mud!

Letting out a long breath, Chen Cang cast aside his distracting thoughts and focused on the present.

After surveying his surroundings, Chen Cang chose a direction and headed deeper in, leaving marks at intervals along the way to keep himself from getting lost in the vast mountains.

If there was one thing the Black Eagle Mountains had no shortage of, it was magical beasts. Less than five minutes in, Chen Cang encountered two.

One was a fiery-red, fox-shaped magical beast, and the other was a long snake, pitch-black from head to tail.

A Fire Fox and a Black Ice Snake!

Both were extremely common Tier 1 Magical Beasts, evenly matched in combat strength.

At that moment, they faced each other from four or five meters apart, big eyes staring into small ones, neither moving an inch.

They were clearly the weakest of weak Tier 1 Magical Beasts, yet somehow created the tension of a decisive duel atop the Forbidden City...

When masters exchanged blows, interruptions were taboo. Chen Cang's sudden intrusion instantly shattered the aura of these two "divine beasts."

Seizing the moment when the Black Ice Snake's attention wavered, the Fire Fox leaped onto a branch and vanished from sight in a few quick flashes.

The Black Ice Snake left behind was a blockhead. Rather than fleeing, he flicked his tongue at Chen Cang with a hiss, practically begging to have "kill me if you've got the guts" written across his forehead.

Facing a magical beast for the first time, Chen Cang was nervous, and his nerves robbed him of any sense of restraint. He drew the spear from his back and thrust it forward, fast, precise, and vicious, pinning the nearly two-meter-long Black Ice Snake firmly in place. No matter how wildly he struggled, he could not break free.

The first secret to guaranteed victory: with enough strength, even a brick could fly!

Such a one-sided crushing certainly offered no opportunity to hone his skills.

Chen Cang had not killed the Black Ice Snake outright because a sudden whim had brought an idea to mind.

Since he could inspect humans' past memories, could he inspect those of magical beasts too?

The instant the thought arose, Chen Cang acted decisively, restraining the Black Ice Snake before the thunderclap could reach the ears.

Look, he knew he was about to become a test subject in a cross-species collaborative experiment, and he was "dancing with joy." Both parties were willing-truly a heartwarming tale.

Only after confirming that there were no other magical beasts within a hundred meters, nor any sneaky bastards lying in ambush, did Chen Cang begin his attempt.

Almost instantly, Chen Cang slipped into the proper state. There was no special reason; practice had simply made perfect.

It went faster than any previous attempt. After only a dozen or so breaths, Chen Cang finished, though his expression looked rather unpleasant.

To state the conclusion first: thanks to the volunteer Black Ice Snake's unpaid cooperation, Chen Cang had proved his hypothesis correct.

He really could read magical beasts' memories!

This was an enormous gain.

As for why he still looked so unhappy despite succeeding, it was simply because he had seen the Black Ice Snake's den: a low-lying marsh packed with snakes, large and small, long and short, a nightmare for anyone with trypophobia.

No normal person would feel comfortable seeing such a scene.

Bang!

Overwhelmed with guilt, the Black Ice Snake voluntarily slammed his head into the underside of Chen Cang's foot, choosing death to atone for his offense.