His training bore fruit

He shut his ears to everything beyond his window!

His heart knew only the path of cultivation!

After paying his customary contribution at the end of the month, Su Changsheng still did not venture out, continuing to devote himself to cultivation.

By now, nearly a month had passed since his last visit to the Yao Market.

The world grew ever more chaotic.

The Yao Market had also been dragged into the turmoil. As more yao residents arrived from the Left Stronghold, numerous violent incidents broke out there, forcing the several Lesser Yao who managed the market to close it temporarily.

The entire Black Mountain Demon Stockade was like a volcano that had awakened, ready to erupt at any moment and destroy everything.

As for this,

Su Changsheng could do nothing. Though urgency, unease, and agitation mounted in his heart, he could only suppress every distracting thought and throw himself wholeheartedly into cultivation.

Cultivate, cultivate, and cultivate some more!

In a world of turmoil, strength was the foundation. There was nothing else he could do but keep making himself stronger.

And so, a new month arrived.

The snow that had fallen for a full six months finally showed signs of stopping for good. No fresh snow had fallen for eight or nine consecutive days.

The temperature was also slowly rising.

Though the increase was slight, it still allowed many residents of the stronghold to breathe a little easier.

If the snow kept falling like that, the Black Mountain Demon Stockade would undoubtedly collapse. Even though circumstances remained grim, this at least gave most of the lowliest yao a little breathing room.

They would not have to starve to death.

And it was at this time that Su Changsheng's Stone-Forging Art finally bore fruit, reaching the moment when he could reap his full harvest.

Demon Arts: Stone-Shattering Art, skilled 100/500; Stone-Forging Art, beginner 80/100...

This was his first Demon Art skill to approach the skilled level entirely through his own cultivation.

It had certainly not been easy!

It was not that he had suddenly gained enlightenment. Rather, his skilled-level Stone-Shattering Art had helped it along. The two complemented and meshed with one another, producing today's results.

"That saved me quite a few survival points!"

Su Changsheng glanced at his survival points. After nearly a month of accumulation, the total was about to break a thousand.

Survival points: 987

He had made no groundbreaking progress this month. Apart from studying a new Demon Art skill and tempering his body, there had been nothing else.

Thus, his daily survival settlements had all yielded the minimum rewards: sometimes three or four points, sometimes five or six.

He had not earned a single rating.

Yet added together, those small amounts had brought his survival points close to a thousand.

"But I'm still some way from upgrading the Green Snake Breathing Method. Another three or four months of saving should probably be enough, provided I don't run into danger. I wonder what miraculous effects the Green Snake Breathing Method will have beyond mastery."

Su Changsheng silently did the calculations.

He had never even heard of Demon Art cultivation methods or skills surpassing mastery within the stronghold. Such a thing truly lay beyond an ordinary yao's understanding.

But its effects would surely be extraordinary.

After all, the Green Snake Breathing Method had so far only changed his cultivation speed, without undergoing any qualitative transformation. It was entirely unlike those Demon Art skills, which already displayed various additional effects at the skilled and mastery levels.

Presumably, the Green Snake Breathing Method was simply too ordinary. It needed more accumulation and breakthroughs before it could undergo a qualitative transformation.

Setting aside the cultivation method, there was still the Stone-Forging Art to consider.

The Stone-Forging Art's effects were indeed extraordinary. In just half a month, it had strengthened his yao body by more than seventy percent.

Most notably, the defensive strength of the scales covering his body had nearly doubled. Many scales had changed from green to dark green, and the scale over his spine, which he had tempered the most, had even become an inky green.

From afar, he looked like a giant python mottled in black and green, exceptionally imposing and powerful.

The increase in his strength was also considerable. Whenever he twisted and darted through the small space, his movements produced sounds like sonic booms.

But having reached this point, he could no longer advance by relying solely on beginner-level Stone-Forging Art.

He planned to cultivate for a while longer. If he could not break through the skill's limits through his own efforts, he would invest some survival points.

After all, he should save wherever he could.

His survival points still needed to be set aside for his cultivation method first.

Early the next morning,

Su Changsheng, who had been hiding underground to cultivate, could not grasp the key to further studying the Stone-Forging Art. Unable to find a direction for improvement, he felt thoroughly frustrated.

My aptitude is just too poor!

Naturally, he understood that bringing the Stone-Forging Art this close to a breakthrough was already the limit of what he could achieve for now. Further progress was certainly not something he could see results from in a mere three to five days.

But he was not the sort of yao who gave up easily.

"Perhaps I should try a different approach!"

Su Changsheng muttered to himself.

After so much stillness, he felt the urge to move, so he went outside to get some air.

Who would have thought that the moment he emerged, he would see the Bird Woman next door standing at her doorway in the sunlight, grooming her feathers with an absurdly large, rake-like object?

"G-good morning!"

"H-have you eaten?"

When the Bird Woman saw Su Changsheng, she was still somewhat afraid of the enormous Snake Yao before her. But they had been neighbors for quite some time now, so she did not turn and flee back into her home.

She merely stammered out a greeting.

In the Wilds Yao Stronghold, yao generally greeted one another by asking whether they had eaten. It was the simplest expression of their hope for a life with full bellies, warm clothes, and no worries about food or clothing.

After all, staying alive was hard, and eating one's fill was the first requirement for survival.

"I have! Where's Wu Niao?" Su Changsheng asked mildly, narrowing his eyes as he enjoyed the sunlight.

Though life in the underground tunnels was safe, he went day after day without seeing the sun. Suddenly seeing the light again left him somewhat unaccustomed to it, yet also nostalgic.

As he gradually grew familiar with his two Bird Yao neighbors, Su Changsheng had learned their names.

The male Bird Yao was named Wu Niao.

The Bird Woman was named Wu Nü.

According to them, their ancestors had once enjoyed prosperous days as well. Their lineage came from a Three-Clawed Ink Crow whose strength had approached that of a Great Yao.

Unfortunately, when their ancestor attempted to advance to Great Yao, some unknown influence had beguiled him into choosing the path of humanization. After his advancement failed, he left behind a crippled bloodline that was half human and half yao.

By their generation, the power of the Three-Clawed Ink Crow bloodline had all but run dry. Even as adults, the two of them could barely reach the level of second-level half-demons.

If they wanted to keep improving, their only option was arduous cultivation.

This was also the origin of most half-demons in the Wilds. Of course, quite a few had been contaminated by Wraith Beasts and developed humanoid mutations. Cases of half-demons born from ancestors mating with humans were rare, however, and did not need to be listed one by one here.

After all, whether the Human World even existed remained unknown. It was certainly not something lowly little yao like them could know.

Wu Niao had once said he greatly envied Su Changsheng, claiming that, judging by his size, the ancestral bloodline power within him must be exceptionally rich.

Although he had started at only the first level, his bloodline power likely leaned more toward his body. He undoubtedly possessed deep ancestral roots.

Unlike ordinary half-demons like them, whose bloodlines were thin and who found even growing a larger body harder than climbing to heaven.

At this, Su Changsheng could only silently raise a middle finger in his heart!

Deep ancestral roots, my ass!

I wasn't even a first-level half-demon to begin with!

If my ancestors had graves, I'd have ripped the lids off their coffins!

"Wu Niao... he went to the Yao Market," the Bird Woman said softly, still not daring to look directly at Su Changsheng, her face faintly flushed.

"The Yao Market actually reopened?"

Su Changsheng paid her manner no mind, merely pausing in surprise at her words.

The stronghold had forcibly closed the Yao Market for over half a month. He had not expected it to reopen without a sound.

For the yao residents on the stronghold's outskirts, this was no small matter.

That was even more true for Su Changsheng. Food, clothing, shelter, travel-every aspect of his life depended on the Yao Market.