Things Always Took Unexpected Turns

Unfortunately, even after turning to the last page, he found no writing he recognized.

Just as he closed the book, a stream of information suddenly flooded his mind, followed by a status panel appearing before his eyes.

[Acquired Body Tempering martial art-"Blazing Tiger Fist"!]

Tang Zhixue came back to his senses. Looking at the panel before him, he could not help smiling.

[Name: Tang Zhixue]

[Level: None]

[Skill: Blazing Tiger Fist · Uninitiated (0/1)]

A martial art! Blazing Tiger Fist!

After he read the entire book, his [Diligence Makes Up for Lack of Talent] talent recorded it and, along the way, taught Tang Zhixue some of the other world's writing.

As for other information about that world, however, he knew little.

After all, the book recorded a Body Tempering martial art from another world, and his talent only provided him with the written content concerning that martial art.

Body Tempering, Qi and Blood, and Meridian Opening-these were the warrior ranks recorded in Blazing Tiger Fist.

The Body Tempering realm honed the skin, flesh, tendons, and bones, strengthening the body, breaking through mortal limits, and laying a firm physical foundation.

Blazing Tiger Fist was a martial art used to cultivate in the Body Tempering realm. Once the body reached its limits, Qi and Blood would arise naturally, and martial arts of a higher realm would be needed afterward.

The entire Blazing Tiger Fist consisted of only twelve movements, simple and unadorned.

Crack!

"Huh?"

Tang Zhixue was about to get up and practice Blazing Tiger Fist when he abruptly raised his head toward the woods.

He had just heard a branch being snapped underfoot there!

His right hand quietly reached for the stool beside him.

"Grr..."

With a low growl, a beast covered in brown fur crouched low and slowly emerged from the woods, its slightly yellow eyes fixed on Tang Zhixue.

Damn it!

Tang Zhixue cursed inwardly. If the beast had not made a sound, it probably would have attacked him by now.

Ultimately, it was because he had let his guard down. Otherwise, he would have been reading the book inside the Wooden House rather than out here.

If only I had learned Blazing Tiger Fist sooner...

Tang Zhixue had only acquired the knowledge of Blazing Tiger Fist. He had not formally started practicing and knew only the theory.

Roar!

The beast pushed off with all four legs, opening its bloody maw as it lunged at Tang Zhixue, who was within arm's reach.

"Fuck!"

With no time to think, Tang Zhixue grabbed the stool and rolled aside.

Rip!

"Ah!"

A piece of flesh from Tang Zhixue's calf was now in the beast's mouth.

He was only an ordinary person, and he had been far too close to the beast. Having only a small piece of flesh bitten off already meant Tang Zhixue had reacted quickly.

"Hiss!"

The pain in his calf made Tang Zhixue suck in a sharp breath, but he dared not lower his head to check the wound. His eyes remained locked on the beast.

His calf hurt badly, but his life mattered more.

Roar!

Swallowing the flesh in its mouth, the beast let out a low growl and lunged at Tang Zhixue again.

I'll fight it out!

There was no way he could escape. The wound on his calf was ample proof of that.

All Tang Zhixue could do now was fight the beast to the death.

He would either survive or die with dignity!

Whoosh!

When the beast attacked again, he did not dodge to the side. Instead, he grabbed the stool by a leg and swung hard, just as he had against the humanoid monster earlier.

Bang!

Whether the beast had been unprepared or Tang Zhixue had reacted quickly, the moment it came close, the stool sent it flying.

"Awoo-roar!"

The beast landed some distance away, its eyes warily watching the bloodstained stool in Tang Zhixue's hands.

Looking at the bleeding wound on the beast's head, Tang Zhixue adjusted his grip to hold the stool leg with both hands so he could put more strength into his blows.

"Grr..."

As the beast let out a low growl, faint blue-green energy spread around its body.

"..."

Wait, it even has energy attacks?!

Tang Zhixue watched the beast warily, his heart growing heavier.

He wanted to go forward and stop it, but with his injured leg, that remained nothing more than a thought. He could not carry it out.

This is going to be difficult...

Roar!

Suddenly, Tang Zhixue's eyebrows rose.

Things seem to have gotten interesting...

Things always took unexpected turns.

As the green energy gathered around the beast nearby, vines suddenly grew from its body and wrapped around it.

Can I absorb vitality from those vines?

If I can, that should hurt the beast, right?

Roar!

The beast ran at Tang Zhixue again. This time, the vines that had appeared on its body lashed out at him as well.

Watching the beast rapidly approach, Tang Zhixue swung the stool again.

"Awoo!"

This time, the blow only knocked the beast's head to one side. Some of the vines on its body drove into the ground to steady it, while the others bound Tang Zhixue.

Within moments, his limbs and torso were tightly bound, leaving him completely unable to move.

Yet the moment the vines touched his body, delight appeared on Tang Zhixue's face. "Heh, it really works!"

Vitality Absorption!

Tang Zhixue called out inwardly, and his talent's ability immediately activated.

The moment he touched those vines, he had discovered that he could use his talent!

In an instant, streams of blue-green energy flowed from the vines into Tang Zhixue.

His Vitality Absorption talent did not require contact through his hands alone. His body worked too!

Roar!

The beast, dazed by the stool's blow, now noticed something wrong with its vines.

It was just about to open its mouth to bite Tang Zhixue when he blocked it again with the stool, bracing it firmly against the beast's head.

"I guessed right!"

The smile on Tang Zhixue's face deepened. These vines really could affect the beast.

In that case, drain it all!

As time passed, more and more blue-green energy gathered around Tang Zhixue.

The vines gradually withered and yellowed, while the beast's body shriveled, its struggles growing weaker and weaker.

"Grr..."

With a final, unwilling roar, the beast lost all vitality, and a message appeared before Tang Zhixue's eyes.

[Item: Vine Hound Beast corpse]

[Level: First Tier]

[Description: The corpse of a first-tier mutant beast. Edible. Eating it raw carries a risk of parasitic vine seed infestation.]

Eating it raw carries a risk of parasitic vine seed infestation?

Tang Zhixue shook his head. He would have to be crazy to eat raw meat.

With his talent for absorbing vitality, he would not need to worry about food for the time being.

Besides...

How much meat is even left?

Tang Zhixue looked down at the shriveled beast corpse by his feet and could not help pursing his lips.

Perhaps because of the connection between the vines and its flesh, when Tang Zhixue absorbed the vines' vitality, he had drained its flesh dry as well.

What interested him more now was a fist-sized mass of plant vitality.