Absorption

[Item: Plant Vitality]

[Grade: first tier]

[Description: life energy rich in plant essence. Can accelerate plant growth and has a chance of causing plants to mutate. May have other uses.]

The information was the same as for the other Plant Vitality, but there was much more of it.

Looking at the mass of Plant Vitality before him, Tang Zhixue suddenly had an idea.

Plant Vitality... can I absorb it?

Once that thought entered his mind, he could not suppress it.

Glancing around, Tang Zhixue held the Plant Vitality in one hand and gripped the stool leg in the other, carefully backing toward the Wooden House.

He did not want something like the Vine Hound Beast incident to happen while he was trying to absorb the plant essence.

As for the Vine Hound Beast's corpse, Tang Zhixue only had two hands, so he could only leave it there for now.

He returned to the Wooden House.

Tang Zhixue closed the wooden door and immediately relaxed.

"Phew... being on edge like that really doesn't feel good..."

Shaking his head, Tang Zhixue looked at the mass of Plant Vitality in his hand. Now it was time to try.

Absorb!

At Tang Zhixue's mental command, the emerald-green mass of Plant Vitality immediately surged into his body.

"Mmph..."

Tang Zhixue could clearly feel a cool current coursing through his body. Under its effects, the stamina he had expended using his talent rapidly recovered.

He soon discovered that the wound on his calf was healing at a rate visible to the naked eye, though it was rather itchy.

"Holy shit! This stuff is amazing!"

Tang Zhixue swore reflexively.

In these woods, far from any settlement, getting injured was the greatest concern.

Without medicine, an infected wound was practically a death sentence.

But what delighted Tang Zhixue even more was actually Plant Vitality's stamina-restoring effect.

With this effect, he could practice martial arts to his heart's content!

Combined with his second talent-Diligence Makes Up for Lack of Talent-his strength could improve rapidly in a short time!

If he encountered another Vine Hound Beast, at the very least, he would not get injured.

Once the wound on his calf had completely healed, Tang Zhixue began practicing the Blazing Tiger Fist right there in the dim Wooden House.

The Blazing Tiger Fist had twelve moves in total. Practicing them was not difficult; the difficult part was keeping his breathing smooth throughout.

In short, it was easy to learn but hard to master.

For Tang Zhixue, however, that was not much of a problem.

Before long, Tang Zhixue finished one round of the Blazing Tiger Fist.

[Blazing Tiger Fist · beginner (1/100)]

As expected, he successfully reached the beginner level in the Blazing Tiger Fist after just one round.

"Keep going!"

For the rest of that time, Tang Zhixue immersed himself in practicing the Blazing Tiger Fist.

When he grew hungry or thirsty, he ate a juicy White Melon.

When he grew tired, he went out to the nearby woods and extracted Plant Vitality to restore his stamina.

Three hours passed in a flash, and it had long since become difficult to see inside the already dim Wooden House.

Tang Zhixue wiped away his sweat, his face full of smiles. "Soon! I'll probably be able to raise my proficiency level tomorrow."

[Name: Tang Zhixue]

[Grade: first tier]

[Talents: Vitality Absorption, Diligence Makes Up for Lack of Talent]

[Skill: Blazing Tiger Fist · beginner (32/100)]

"Huh? First tier?"

Tang Zhixue suddenly noticed that his grade had reached the first tier.

"I've only just reached beginner level in the Blazing Tiger Fist, and I'm already first tier? That really is a low threshold."

After practicing the Blazing Tiger Fist for over three hours and constantly absorbing Plant Vitality during his practice, Tang Zhixue could feel the improvement in his physique.

But he was only a little stronger than before, at most as fit as someone who exercised year-round. He was nowhere near the superhuman state Tang Zhixue had imagined.

Of course, none of this came without a cost.

Crunch!

Tang Zhixue put the last White Melon in his mouth, shook his head, and turned to walk outside.

During his martial arts practice just now, he had used up every White Melon.

Fortunately, he could extract Plant Vitality.

After taking just a few steps along the edge of the woods, Tang Zhixue made those three White Melon Vines bear another twenty White Melons.

Perhaps because his strength had increased, Tang Zhixue suddenly had the idea of exploring the woods.

After picking all twenty newly grown White Melons and placing them inside the Wooden House, Tang Zhixue took a stick two fingers thick and entered the woods east of the Wooden House.

After using his talent for over three hours, he had picked up a few tricks.

While extracting Plant Vitality, he deliberately controlled it to absorb vitality only from specific spots.

That was how Tang Zhixue had fashioned the stick he now held.

"First, I'll find a water source."

Although he already had White Melons and would not lack water in the short term, he lacked meat!

As long as he could find a water source, there was a good chance he could find animals coming to drink.

That was also why Tang Zhixue had stopped practicing martial arts to explore the woods.

Practicing martial arts for long periods required replenishing the nutrients his body lacked.

Tang Zhixue did not know how to find water either. He simply chose a direction that looked good.

But after only a dozen or so steps, he turned around and returned to the Wooden House.

I'll see if any experts can offer some pointers first...

With that thought, Tang Zhixue opened the regional chat channel as soon as he returned to the Wooden House.

[Tang Zhixue: any experts here know how to find water in the woods?]

[Water? Holy shit, I almost forgot about something that could cost me my life!]

[Tsk, tsk. Luckily, there's a creek right near me.]

[I'm jealous! I want to know how to find water too. Does any expert know?]

[Wow, you guys in the woods have it good. I'm in a desert and have no idea what to do...]

[Xu Shi: I do know a little, but I don't know whether it's right.]

[Tang Zhixue: knowing something is better than knowing nothing. Might as well try a last-ditch remedy.]

[Xu Shi: all right, then.]

[Xu Shi: valley bottoms and gullies are the easiest places to find water. Water flows downhill, after all. Even if the surface is dry, the water table will be relatively shallow.]

[Xu Shi: if conditions allow, get somewhere high. If there's a noticeably darker, greener strip in the woods, there's very likely a stream or a zone where groundwater seeps out.]

[Xu Shi: you can also observe the direction tree roots grow in. Many trees' roots extend noticeably toward areas with abundant groundwater. Following the roots will often lead you to low, damp ground.]

[Tang Zhixue: you're awesome, bro!]

[You're awesome, bro!]

[You're awesome, bro!]

[You're awesome, bro!]

This knowledge had come at just the right time, and Tang Zhixue's praise was entirely sincere.

After chatting in the channel a little longer, he went outside again and headed toward the eastern woods.