Bronze Tier?

Lying back on the soft bedding, the Stone Cave Shelter was windless and cold, insulated from the bone-chilling low temperatures of the wilderness and masking the lingering stench of blood from the snow.

The tension built up from days of fierce fighting slowly subsided, his body relaxed, and a sense of peace settled in his heart. Lu Heng raised his Wristband, exiting the Regional Public Chat Channel. For the past few days, he had been completely focused on the trial battles and had never had a moment to check on the situations of other survivors outside.

The channel interface refreshed, and a dense barrage of messages rapidly flooded the screen, all filled with a sense of oppression and anxiety. Almost every topic revolved around the same name— Forest Rock Tiger).

"Has anyone figured out how to fight that tiger? It's ridiculous!"

"It's no use. I've tried everything. It only eats live prey! I even killed the prey and used fresh meat as bait, but it didn't even glance at it. It completely refuses to eat dead food, so there's no chance to poison it!"

"Add one, and there's absolutely no opening. Speed, strength, and defense are all maxed out; you can't even hold them off."

A sense of despair spread rampantly through the channel.

Some people completely lost their composure and chose to give up early. "I only passed two levels, I'm not going to bother anymore. I just need to tough it out in the remaining few days of the low-temperature trial. I can't beat a beast of this level, just surviving is winning."

Some still harbored a sliver of resentment, trying to encourage others. "Don't give up so quickly, the trial isn't over yet. Give it another shot, what if you get a chance?"

A few words of encouragement were quickly drowned out by a large number of dejected remarks.

Watching the complaints, resignations, and struggles rising and falling on the screen, Lu Heng's fingertip hovered over the Wristband interface, observing silently without uttering a single word.

He was the only one who cleared the level and personally fought the Forest Rock Tiger.

But he was extremely clear-headed and had absolutely no intention of sharing. Even if he told them that he had killed the tiger, all he would get in return would be endless envy and jealousy, followed by strangers asking for his help as a matter of course.

Borrow equipment? Give me a strategy guide? Share supplies?

Human greed is amplified infinitely in the struggle for survival. He is not a saint, and he would never give up the fruits of his hard-won victory, much less risk his own resources for a complete stranger.

Silence is worse than pointless explanations.

Lu Heng casually closed the chat channel, the screen dimmed, and the cave returned to silence.

He raised his hand and took out the warm core of the Forest Rock Tiger's Flesh Core from the Wristband Space.

The core felt warm and substantial to the touch, with a faint aura of blood on its surface, and the surging energy within was strangely familiar. Lu Heng ran his fingertips over the core and instantly recalled the Tiger Potion he had taken before. The primal auras of the two energies were highly similar, and he subconsciously assumed that the effects of this Flesh Core were probably not much different from those of the potion.

Without any hesitation, Lu Heng opened his mouth and swallowed the Flesh Core directly into his stomach.

It has a smooth and warm taste, and melts in your stomach.

The expected explosive surge of the Tiger Potion did not occur. Instead, an extremely calm and scalding heat burst forth from the Dantian and abdomen, rushing rapidly through the meridians and blood vessels to the limbs and bones.

This is completely different from the short-term burst of effects of medicine.

This is a deep, slow, and domineering reshaping.

The heatwave penetrated the skin and flesh, pierced through the fascia, and finally clung tightly to the bones of the entire body. In an instant, a dense, itchy, and painful sensation suddenly exploded, not a sharp stinging pain, but a deep, aching, and tingling sensation that penetrated deep into the bones, carrying an extremely strong transformative force that forced the body to constantly break through its original limits.

Lu Heng frowned slightly, quietly enduring this physical tempering.

Every inch of his body was trembling, being optimized, and strengthened. The bruises from the previous fight with the tiger, the hidden pain from the cracks in his armor, and the muscle strain from days of running through the snow were all rapidly repaired and dissolved under the nourishment of this warm energy.

The injury healed completely at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.

The intense strengthening lasted for several minutes and gradually came to an end. The scorching heat around his body slowly subsided, settling into his flesh and bones, becoming part of his physical strength.

The heaviness, fatigue, and pain in my body were completely swept away, replaced by an overwhelming sense of power. My whole body felt light and firm, and my condition reached a new peak.

Lu Heng immediately opened his Personal Attribute Panel.

[Name: Lu Heng]

[Strength: 19]

[Constitution: 19]

[Agility: 18]

All three basic attributes have increased dramatically, making it much stronger than before.

Staring at the new values on the panel, Lu Heng's eyes were calm and clear.

The Tiger Potion is a temporary boost in dire situations, allowing players to unleash their full potential for a short burst of combat power.

This Flesh Core the Forest Rock Tiger is a permanent enhancement that is completely rooted in the body and reshapes its foundation.

After several days of life-or-death trials, surviving hordes of beasts, enduring supernatural and eerie encounters, and battling the overlords of the wasteland, coupled with the thorough tempering of his core, his ordinary human body has been forged by desperate situations and life-or-death experiences into a survival physique far surpassing that of ordinary people.

Feeling the abundant power within his body, Lu Heng let out a soft breath, his mind completely calmed down.

The Tiger Bone Healing Wine Recipe he had obtained earlier flashed through his mind. He had originally planned to take some time to refine the medicinal wine to nourish his bones and muscles and repair his hidden injuries in the long term. However, after consuming the Flesh Core of the Forest Rock Tiger, all his old injuries had been eradicated, and his strength of bones and muscles and physical foundation had been improved in all aspects. He didn't need the Tiger Bone Medicinal Wine for a while.

After a moment's thought, he looked at the large number of intact tiger bones stored in the Wristband Space.

This material was left behind by a top-tier beast. Its texture is dense and hard, far surpassing that of ordinary wild beast bones, making it an excellent main ingredient for refining. However, good materials must be paired with good medicine. At present, he does not have any suitable high-level Bone-Warming Herbs or auxiliary materials. Forcing the refining process would only waste this batch of top-grade tiger bones and greatly reduce the effectiveness.

There's no need to rush.

Lu Heng simply suppressed his idea of refining the medicinal wine, deciding to wait until he had collected all the necessary materials before meticulously crafting it.

With everything settled, the Shelter was peaceful. After days and nights of intense fighting, his body and mind were already exhausted. Now that his physical body had been strengthened, his injuries had healed, and he was in top condition, he no longer thought about anything else and closed his eyes to fall into a deep sleep.

I slept without any dreams.

The next day, as dawn broke, the wind and snow still blanketed the entire wasteland, and the cold was biting.

Lu Heng woke up on time, his mental state more vibrant than ever before. He got up, packed his belongings, put on the last remaining intact armor, and gripped the Bronze Hunting Blade. After undergoing core enhancement, his physical foundation had been greatly improved. Wearing the same equipment, the fit, compatibility, and actual defensive effect were all significantly enhanced, giving him a completely new combat power.

After getting ready, he steadily walked out of the Stone Cave Shelter and headed towards the trial area, preparing to face the sixth day of the trial assessment.

As we continued our journey, the desolate wilderness was deathly silent, with the wind howling.

Just as Lu Heng was about to step into the entrance of the Trial Barrier, his feet suddenly stopped, and all his movements froze instantly.

An extreme sense of vigilance and crisis instantly erupted in my heart, and every hair on my body stood on end.

He did not take a single step rashly, nor did he dare to step into the Trial Domain even slightly.

On atop a withered, towering tree at the edge of the field of vision, stood a colossal creature in silence.

Resembling a giant eagle, its size is beyond comprehension, standing nearly three to four meters tall. Its body is robust and agile, with its wings folded close to its sides. Even without unfolding, its wingspan is terrifying. Layers of jet-black, metallic feathers cover its entire body. Its eyes are sharp and cold, looking down over the entire trial area, exuding the suppressive aura of a top predator.

Simply by standing still, the oppressive aura of a predator pierced through the cold wind and locked onto Lu Heng.

Lu Heng's heart tightened slightly, and only one thought occupied his mind—he absolutely could not go in.

Ground-based beasts have opportunities to maneuver, pull, and use traps to counterattack, but these are flying monsters.

Once you step into the trial area, your opponent will be high above you, swooping down at lightning speed and attacking from mid-air. You will have no anti-air capabilities, no terrain cover, and no room to evade. You will most likely be instantly killed the moment you show your face, without even a chance to fight back.

Extreme caution made him completely suppress any thoughts of probing. Standing outside the barrier, he concentrated and activated the Wristband on the giant eagle in the tree.

[Trial Beast: Wasteland Giant Plume Eagle]

[Rank: Bronze Tier]

[Description: A top-tier avian predator inhabiting the frigid wastelands, possessing a powerful physique and sharp wings. It swoops down at incredible speed to hunt, its vision covering the entire wasteland. It excels at ambush and annihilate ground prey, its mobility and hunting efficiency far surpassing that of other land-based beasts of the same level.]

A line of identification terms popped up, clear and cold.

Lu Heng stared at the words "[Bronze Tier]" above, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, his heart sinking completely.

He had a premonition that the sixth day of the trial would bring him to his limit, but he never expected that the sixth level of the Seven-Day Trial would directly expose the first Bronze Tier ferocious beast he had ever encountered in his life.

Even more deadly is that it can fly.

The Grayfang Wolf King and the Forest Rock Tiger, though fierce and bloodthirsty, and dangerous in their battles, were ultimately wild beasts of the ground, capable of outsmarting and outfighting with traps, poison attacks, grappling, and close-quarters combat.

But this Wasteland Giant Plume Eagle is from a completely different dimension.

Absolute aerial dominance, unparalleled mobility, ultra-fast attacks, sharp wings, and high-altitude dive-bombing critical strikes.

Standing outside the barrier, Lu Heng gazed at the colossal creature perched silently atop the treetops, and a clear understanding welled up within him.

At this stage, he has absolutely no chance of passing this level.