Elsewhere, Li Dao held a pristine white bone fragment as fine and smooth as white jade, arcs of lightning crackling across its surface.
He looked behind him and murmured:
"A mere Cave Heaven Realm Ferocious Beast dares come tug at the tiger's whiskers?"
"You really don't know whether you're courting death..."
But before he finished speaking, he spotted a child dressed in animal skins, with a little golden monkey perched on his shoulder.
After taking a closer look, he confirmed that the newcomer was Shi Hao, and a flicker of surprise rose in his heart.
The world really is small. To think I'd run into this Bear Child here.
Unless I'm mistaken, he must have drawn that Blood-Maned Tiger over.
Seeing Shi Hao waving at him, he let the matter slide and simply nodded back.
After spending so long in the Great Wilderness, he had finally met someone from outside the village-and it was this Bear Child, no less. He was in quite a good mood.
The Evil Dragon Spear flew back behind him, its crimson tip radiating bloodlust.
When Shi Hao saw Li Dao nod at him, some of his wariness eased.
Dragging the Blood-Maned Tiger's carcass, he crossed the Taiyin River and headed toward him.
They had at least acknowledged each other, and the other boy had even done him a favor. No matter what, he ought to go over and say hello.
Boom-
He set the Blood-Maned Tiger's carcass aside. Only after drawing closer did he realize just how formidable a Ferocious Beast the Purple Snake lying on the ground had been.
Feeling the oppressive aura emanating from the Purple Snake, his pupils contracted, but he still calmly addressed Li Dao:
"Thank you for helping me earlier, little big brother. My name is Shi Hao."
"What's your name?"
Looking at Shi Hao, who was about his own height, Li Dao had not expected him to bring the Blood-Maned Tiger back.
He had even come over to introduce himself. Li Dao was somewhat taken aback, but he shook his head and responded with goodwill:
"My name is Li Dao. It was no more than lifting a hand."
"You can keep this Blood-Maned Tiger."
At those words, a gleam flashed through Shi Hao's eyes. He pulled Furball out as the monkey tried to burrow into his collar, then waved his hand.
"You're the one who brought down this prey. How could I take it?"
"I'm not that hungry, anyway..."
But the moment he finished speaking, his stomach let out a rumbling growl.
Silence immediately fell. Shi Hao flushed and scratched his head sheepishly.
"I was running a little too hard earlier..."
Li Dao smiled. He thought Shi Hao was rather adorable at this age, and said:
"Why don't we eat together? There are two Ferocious Beasts, anyway. We can make friends over a meal."
At Li Dao's words, the embarrassment gradually faded from Shi Hao's face. He was not a shy or fussy person to begin with, so he nodded.
"Leave the cooking to me."
"My roast meat will definitely surprise you!"
Li Dao smiled and nodded. They were both out gaining experience, and he had every confidence in Shi Hao's cooking.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Shi Hao waved to show that it was no problem. His gaze fell on the Purple Snake, and he could not help wiping the corner of his mouth.
"A Ferocious Beast this powerful must have plenty of energy stored inside!"
Even Furball, standing before the Purple Snake, overcame the fear of Li Dao in those eyes, which now glittered with longing.
While Shi Hao and Furball busied themselves with roasting the meat, Li Dao took the intact treasure bone he had extracted from the Purple Snake and settled onto a large bluestone.
With his palms, soles, and the crown of his head facing heaven, he held the treasure bone in his right hand and slowly directed his spiritual sense into it.
It recorded the Purple Snake's ability to control the Thunder Dao. Li Dao was pleasantly surprised to have obtained the Purple Snake's Treasure Art.
The offensive power of the Thunder Dao went without saying, and using it to temper his body would surely be no less effective.
With the Purple Snake's treasure bone, he would surely have considerable help in taking his first steps into the Thunder Dao.
As Shi Hao lit a fire and roasted the Purple Snake's meat, he watched Li Dao sitting cross-legged on a lotus Dao platform, his expression detached and ethereal.
Ripples stirred in his heart once more. Sensing the vital essence around him suddenly growing denser, he felt his fighting spirit burn as strongly as ever.
Meanwhile, Furball had been standing before the roasting meat, drooling, when the monkey sensed the dense Dao Aura surrounding Li Dao.
Furball immediately ran over to Li Dao, but dared go no farther, sitting on the ground a short distance away to absorb the Dao Aura surging in from heaven and earth.
Shi Hao found the sight rather surprising. But then he noticed golden Dao patterns flickering beneath Li Dao's skin.
They exerted an inexplicable pressure on him, as though a mountain of immense weight were crashing down on him again and again.
He hurriedly looked away, deeply puzzled.
What is that?
Why does it feel so strange?!
Those Dao patterns seemed to breathe in unison with heaven and earth, every movement carrying a sense of vast, resplendent momentum.
Unable to make sense of it, he could only tuck the matter away in his heart and wait until he could ask the Willow Deity.
The lotus Dao platform beneath Li Dao radiated a pure white halo, while the golden runes on his body also gave off a faint glow.
The vital essence drifting between heaven and earth swiftly gathered and surged toward Li Dao. On the treasure bone in his palm, bone text flashed with lightning.
Bolts of lightning also coiled around Li Dao's body. He resembled a being that had emerged from the depths of a sea of lightning, divine might accompanying his every movement.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle-
Lightning arcs instantly spread over the great bluestone beneath him, leaving streaks of lightning patterns across its surface in a single instant.
Squeak, squeak, squeak-
Furball had been blissfully absorbing the surrounding Dao Aura and edging closer and closer. Caught in the lightning arcs, the monkey's golden fur instantly stood on end.
Furball immediately sprang away and collapsed on the ground, still twitching.
"Hahaha!"
Shi Hao, who had been watching everything unfold, could not help bursting into laughter at Furball's miserable state.
Hearing that hearty laughter, Li Dao slowly roused himself from his study of the treasure bone, a streak of purple light flashing deep in his eyes.
He reined in some of the power emanating from him. His Heavenly God-like majesty transformed, and he seemed to become an utterly ordinary cultivator.
Seeing that Li Dao had awakened, Shi Hao immediately called him over to eat the roast meat.
Li Dao picked up Furball, who lay on the ground twitching uncontrollably, and gently brushed a hand over the monkey's body. The lightning arcs instantly vanished.
He sat opposite Shi Hao. When Furball awoke and spotted the golden roast meat, the monkey immediately jumped to the ground, clear drool streaming from the corners of that mouth.
"Here, Brother Li. Try my roast meat and see what you think."
Taking the roast meat Shi Hao offered him, Li Dao dispensed with all courtesy and dug straight in.
Beneath its golden crust, the meat was tender and brimming with juices. One bite filled his mouth with lingering fragrance.
Li Dao's eyes lit up. It really did taste much better than his own roast meat.
"Excellent, excellent. Did you use some kind of seasoning?"
Li Dao asked Shi Hao as he ate.
Seeing Li Dao's reaction, Shi Hao lifted his chin, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
"I sprinkled on some special seasoning. I'll give you some in a little while."
Li Dao nodded at that, while Shi Hao also dug in, picking up a large piece of roast meat and bringing it to his mouth.
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