Chapter 28: A Grand End to Fasting

Empowered by his 4th Layer Innate physical prowess, Zhang Shen was like a tiger amidst a herd of sheep, initiating a bloody rampage between Hongyuan City and the human territories.

Any pack of beasts that crossed his path became his prize, provided they didn’t have a monster that exceeded his Innate capabilities or was guarded by multiple such beasts.

At times, he would recklessly plunge into the fray, beheading the alpha beast. At other times, he would set traps or lure beasts away to pick them off one by one.

He only sought the spiritual beasts, ignoring the mundane ones entirely. Once his slaughter was complete, he moved on.

Whenever he had collected several spiritual beast carcasses, he would find a secluded spot to roast and devour them. Any surplus was cooked, stored in his bag for later consumption, and then he would resume his hunt.

Thanks to the storage bag endowed by the True Core remnants, Zhang Shen was not fretful about storage capacity.

However, since arriving in this world, his culinary skills had seen little use, and the resultant roasted food was less than appetizing. If it weren’t for the inherent succulence and flavor of the spiritual meat, it would have been near-inedible.

After each day out, he would return to the Sixth Squad for a brief respite, change his attire, and assure them of his safety. He feared that an extended absence would worry Lin Da and Ye Ruohuo, prompting them to come searching for him.

Under these circumstances, Lin Da and Ye Ruohuo chose not to interfere extensively with Zhang Shen’s clandestine operations, although they maintained a constant vigil.

They didn’t overlook the increasingly potent scent of bloodshed and slaughter that enveloped Zhang Shen day by day. They didn’t intervene. Given the existential crisis facing their family and city, everyone was fighting their own battles, fueled by a shared determination.

Yet, behind the scenes, they arbored no hesitations in preparing a precious treasure for Zhang Shen to calm his mind and consolidate his focus. 

Receiving this gift, Zhang Shen was moved and filled with guilt.

The efficacy of this treasure was far outmatched by the Pure Lotus Leaves, but its significance to him was unrivaled. Regrettably, due to certain reasons, he couldn’t disclose the existence of such a valuable asset.

After living this way for half a month, Zhang Shen’s strength elevated further, reaching the Innate 5th Layer at 0.5%.

Biting into a chunk of roasted spiritual meat and savoring its juices, Zhang Shen relished his growth in power.

“Indeed, the benefit derived from Innate spiritual beasts far surpasses that of Acquired ones.”

During this period, Zhang Shen had not only feasted on a multitude of Acquired spiritual beasts but also on five Innate ones. It was the invaluable experience points provided by those five spiritual beasts that enabled Zhang Shen to level up in just a fortnight.

“It’s a shame that these spiritual beasts are so hard to hunt,” Zhang Shen lamented.

Given the chance, he would dine on the flesh of Innate spiritual beasts at every meal, but it was no easy task. These creatures were no fools. Their vigilance was high, and at the first sign of danger, they would flee instantly. They were nothing like the foes he faced on the battlefield, where allies could help draw attention.

On his own, Zhang Shen found it hard to carry out mass slaughter. Often, he had to conceal his presence, hoping to land a successful surprise attack. Otherwise, it would turn into a time-consuming chase, which was far from efficient for someone on a tight schedule.

On the other hand, once Acquired spiritual beasts crossed paths with Zhang Shen, their fate was sealed. Consequently, the majority of his meals came from these lesser beasts. For instance, he was currently enjoying a meal of an Acquired earth-pig beast’s leg.

“According to recent reports, there’s been a new development. The beasts that had overtaken Han Mountain City have now launched an attack on the Wang family,” he noted.

Given his insider knowledge, Zhang Shen had a suspicion that this was a deliberate move orchestrated by the elders in his family. But he also harbored a thought that maybe the people of Hongyuan City might be involved as well.

“If such a large number of beasts could overrun a city like Han Mountain, and only a part of them were diverted, I can believe that only Hongyuan City was involved. But all of them? If Hongyuan City had the capability to do so, would they still be tormented by two late-stage Innate beasts? They would have long since drawn them away.”

An alliance? That didn’t seem likely. If there was indeed an alliance with an assured victory, his family would not keep him in the dark.

“If everyone independently made the same choice, that would paint a rather grim picture,” Zhang Shen mused.

But despite his words, his heart remained steady. After all, everyone was merely trying to survive. Regardless of the methods employed, Zhang Shen wouldn’t find it surprising.

“However, the pressing issue remains the two late-stage Innate beasts are still at large,” he thought, feeling the pressure unabated. Until he found a solution to deal with these beasts, the crisis would persist.”

Having devoured the Earth pig entirely, Zhang Shen resumed his hunting adventure.

Long bouts of battle resulted in an unavoidable surge in his killing intent. Yet, the loss of control that Lin Da and Ye Ruohuo feared never transpired.

His self-control was much to the effectiveness of the Pure Lotus Leaves and the Bright Moon technique. Determined not to succumb to his own killing intent, Zhang Shen consumed the Pure Lotus Leaves generously, brewing a cup every half a day. The drink instantaneously rejuvenated his spirit, fostering a serene state of mind.

“The system may empower my physical progression,” Zhang Shen thought, “but reigning in my mind is my own task.” He had no desire to become a formidable beast with a frenzied mind.

This was why he held techniques like Bright Moon in such high esteem. Besides the Pure Lotus Leaves, the inherently calming effect of the Bright Moon Technique had been a key player in stabilizing his mental state.

The panel now showed that the Bright Moon Technique reached the 9th Layer, perfected to its limit. Zhang Shen cultivated the Acquired top-grade Bright Moon Technique to the stage of perfection, but as he looked at his overall cultivation level, a sense of helplessness washed over him. His progress in the Acquired Stage 9th Layer had reached 75%, a figure that reflected his current plateau.

Despite the perfection of the Bright Moon Technique, Zhang Shen’s overall cultivation had only slowly increased to this mark because of physical body enhancement.

This was already the limit.

“Top-grade Acquired techniques can only be taken this far,” he thought, “Only superior-grade Acquired techniques can be mastered to the ultimate potential of the Acquired Stage.”

Despite this 25% deficit, Zhang Shen could still undergo a breakthrough to the Innate Stage. However, after experiencing a complete breakthrough with his physical body, he didn’t want to leave his Acquired stage cultivation incomplete.

“The firmer the foundation, the further the journey,” he asserted.

Zhang Shen’s ambitions weren’t limited to physical cultivation. He sought to conquer the path of a martial artist as well.

He took out the True Core top-gradel technique ‘Mountain of a Thousand Layers’. Its grade far surpassed those in the Seven Cities. The ‘Mountain of a Thousand Layers’ technique had reached the pinnacle in both its Acquired and Innate components.

“The ‘Mountain of a Thousand Layers’ technique cultivates a dense and stable internal qi, which prevents a fall into the devil’s path. It is exactly what I need.”

With the Bright Moon Technique now perfected, Zhang Shen could dedicate more time to practicing the ‘Mountain of a Thousand Layers’ technique’s Acquired component.

“Cultivating both techniques will undoubtedly establish an unparalleled foundation in the Acquired Stage,” he murmured.

However, he knew the progress would inevitably be slow. Patting his belly, he declared, “Time to resume the hunt.”