Rotten Luck

"Splash~"

Tang Zhixue had only been gone for five or six minutes when a dark figure suddenly appeared in the stream.

"Splash~"

A male human head, seemingly swollen from soaking in water, slowly rose from the stream. Before long, an entire body, bloated like a decomposing corpse, stood on the water, its eyes fixed venomously on the direction Tang Zhixue had left in.

Only after a long while did it step toward the bank, where some scraps of waste remained from Tang Zhixue's work.

Meanwhile, Tang Zhixue was busy hurrying back to the Shelter, unaware of everything happening behind him.

After making it back to the Shelter, he carefully checked the information on all the hides, meat, and bones. Only after finding nothing unusual did he relax.

"I'll grill a few skewers of pork first and see how this Mutated Boar tastes."

With great enthusiasm, Tang Zhixue set several prepared skewers of Mud-Armored Boar meat over the lit charcoal to grill.

While he was by the stream, he had already threaded half the pork onto clean sticks to make grilling easier now.

As for the tiger meat, he had also prepared several dozen skewers in advance. For now, he would try the Mutated Boar meat first.

Besides, after working all morning, he was already hungry. If it hadn't been for this meal, he would have finished lunch and been resting by now.

While he waited, Tang Zhixue started cooking rice in a bamboo tube again.

If he ate only meat without rice, he would feel as though he hadn't eaten a proper meal, which didn't quite sit right with him.

The rice needed time, and so did the grilled meat. He also had to turn the meat occasionally to keep it from burning.

Keeping an eye on the meat, Tang Zhixue opened the regional chat channel.

But the moment he opened it, his hands suddenly paused.

"There are... only 212 people left?"

[Regional chat population: 212/1000]

Tang Zhixue couldn't quite understand. "Why? Didn't I already test the Big Dipper Ghost-Slaying Method and prove it worked? How are people still dying?"

When he had gone out to process the carcasses, there had still been 238 people in the region. Now that he had finished and returned, only 212 remained. A full 26 people had died!

[Tang Zhixue: What's going on? How are people dying?]

[Xu Shi: Rotten luck...]

[Tang Zhixue: What do you mean? Do you mean what I think you mean?]

[Yuan Lexian: The Big Dipper Ghost-Slaying Method really does work. We've all tested that.]

[Yuan Lexian: But these guys had just killed the Junweng outside their Shelters, only to run into new Junweng the moment they stepped outside...]

[Tang Zhixue: ...]

Silence. Endless silence.

For a moment, Tang Zhixue didn't know what to say. How could anyone be that unlucky?

"Phew~"

Letting out a long breath, Tang Zhixue shook his head helplessly. "When someone's down on their luck, even a sip of cold water can get stuck in their teeth."

Closing the chat channel, Tang Zhixue stared at the Mud-Armored Boar meat grilling before him and the bamboo tube. Suddenly, he no longer wanted to go out that afternoon.

Soon, both the rice and pork were ready to eat.

The Mud-Armored Boar meat tasted much better than he had imagined. Though it had been sitting for a while and wasn't quite fresh anymore, the energy contained in the meat more than made up for that shortcoming.

Yes, the pork contained energy. After eating it, Tang Zhixue could feel energy spreading from his stomach to nourish his entire body.

"Mutated Beasts... looks like I need to eat more of them!"

Tang Zhixue took big bites of grilled pork, making plans in his head.

Practicing martial arts certainly used up plenty of nourishing food.

Of course, when he practiced in his dreams, energy points met all his body's needs.

That was also why his real body could receive the same training after he practiced in the Dream Space.

Although his own need for Mutated Beasts wasn't that great, the same couldn't necessarily be said for everyone else.

After lunch and a short rest, Tang Zhixue ambled over and opened the door to the Martial Arts Space.

Since he wasn't planning to go out that afternoon, he wasn't going to waste time.

The completely empty room made Tang Zhixue sigh helplessly. "Compared to this, my Dream Space seems more reliable."

He smacked his lips. "Tsk. Let's see how long a hundred energy points can keep the acceleration going."

Before entering the Martial Arts Space, he had already used two Plant Vitality Crystals to replenish the Shelter's energy, intending to test the Martial Arts Space's time acceleration while he was at it.

[You may freely choose from the following time flow rates:]

[6:1]

"Huh?"

Tang Zhixue stared with wide eyes. "Huh?!"

???

!!!

"What the fuck! There's only one six-to-one time ratio! What the hell am I supposed to choose?!"

Tang Zhixue immediately burst into curses.

After he finished cursing, he selected the only option with an expressionless face.

With only one option, what else could he choose?

[Martial Arts Space activated. Energy consumption will stop upon leaving.]

The appearance of this message eased Tang Zhixue's expression considerably. "Finally, something sensible."

Once the text faded, Tang Zhixue began practicing the Blazing Tiger Fist where he stood.

Perhaps because he had seen the Thorn-Horned Mutant Tiger, its image suddenly appeared in Tang Zhixue's mind as he began practicing this time.

And as he practiced, he unconsciously simulated the Thorn-Horned Mutant Tiger practicing the Blazing Tiger Fist in his mind.

Yes, practicing a fist technique with a tiger's bestial body.

As he continued, Tang Zhixue's fist technique gradually gained a force it had lacked before. He was like a tiger in human form.

And without Tang Zhixue noticing, his Blazing Tiger Fist proficiency was skyrocketing, far faster than during his previous practice.

"Roar~"

A low, tiger-like growl came from Tang Zhixue's mouth. His imposing presence instantly withdrew, making him seem like an ordinary person.

"Rumble~"

The thunderous rumbling of his stomach brought Tang Zhixue back to his senses, and he hurried out of the Martial Arts Space.

No matter how powerful he was, eating still mattered most right now!

"Crunch!"

Tang Zhixue bit into a White Melon to tide himself over. The pork and tiger meat skewers were already on the grill, but they needed time.

He took out his pocket watch for a look, only for his eyes to widen. "An hour has passed?!"

Given the Martial Arts Space's time flow ratio, didn't that mean he had practiced the Blazing Tiger Fist in there for six hours?

"But why did it feel like only ten minutes or so had passed?"

Yet something even more shocking awaited him.

"Wait, where's my energy? Where are my hundred energy points?"

Tang Zhixue stared incredulously at the Shelter's information panel.

[Shelter: Blazing Sun]

[Level: 2 (0/1000)]

[Function: Regional trading]

[Buildings: Martial Arts Space, Planting Cottage]

[Effects: Door God Protection · First Tier, Clear Spirit Evil-Repelling, Purification · Temporary]