Translator: Anubis Translations
Returning to his small courtyard, Gu Feng immediately entered his room. As he chewed on the roasted meat he had brought back from the First Restaurant the previous night, he carefully flipped through the Ten Thousand Beasts Manual.
Back in the Gu family, due to the oppression from Gu Tianba and others, he never had the chance to read it. The Ten Thousand Beasts Manual was, in a true sense, his first martial skill.
Before long, he lost interest and tossed the Ten Thousand Beasts Manual aside.
"No wonder Yi Tian died so miserably in the outer sect competition. This Ten Thousand Beasts Manual is just too ridiculous!"
Gu Feng muttered under his breath, wishing he could immediately return to the Cultivation Method Hall and exchange this garbage cultivation method.
Of course, this was just a thought in the heat of the moment.
The Ten Thousand Beasts Manual only cost five hundred Spirit Stones, so he couldn't expect too much. After all, he had spent Spirit Stones on it, so Gu Feng forced himself to finish reading it.
In the end, he concluded: The Ten Thousand Beasts Manual wasn't particularly profound. It was simply about observing the instinctive actions of beasts and deliberately cultivating based on them.
For example, the Iron-Backed Black Bear had a habit of rubbing its back against a tree called the Ancient Ironwood. Inspired by this, Yi Tian imitated the bear, stripping off his shirt and frantically rubbing his back against the Ancient Ironwood.
There were indeed some effects, but not much. After months of arduous cultivation, Yi Tian's back grew a thick layer of calluses, significantly enhancing his defense.
Another example...
"This cultivation method is just too sloppy!"
Gu Feng felt somewhat speechless. After pondering for a moment, he decided to seek out Elder Liu. As the top elder of the outer sect, Elder Liu's knowledge and strength were undoubtedly top-tier. It wouldn't hurt to hear his advice.
...
Hall of Elders—
Two figures sat facing each other, the aroma of tea filling the air.
"That Gu Feng is quite the character. He even dares to swindle Spirit Stones from me."
"Senior brother, don't be angry. His Myriad Tribulations Physique itself is a resource-intensive one. On the surface, it might seem like he's swindling, but isn't it also a form of effort?"
"Still, I like this kid's personality! Cultivation is about struggling against others and the heavens. One must use every means possible, as long as it doesn't violate morality."
"..."
As the two were chatting enthusiastically, a smiling face appeared at the door.
"Elder Liu, may I come in?"
Seeing that Elder Liu didn't refuse, Gu Feng shamelessly entered the room, sat down, and took a sip of tea from the table.
"I was in a hurry last time and didn't get to ask for your name, senior." He turned to the elder who had been on duty at the Cultivation Method Hall and smiled awkwardly.
"This is my senior brother. You can call him Elder Wu."
"Elder Wu, my respects."
Gu Feng respectfully bowed to Elder Wu, then took out the Ten Thousand Beasts Manual.
"Elder Liu, Elder Wu, do you think this Ten Thousand Beasts Manual is worth cultivating?"
Elder Wu wore an expression that said, "I told you not to choose it, but you insisted, and now you're regretting it," and chuckled.
"Cultivation methods are always developed from scratch. This Ten Thousand Beasts Manual isn't entirely without merit."
"In fact, many martial skills in the world are inspired by beasts!" Elder Liu nodded in agreement.
"So, it's worth cultivating?" Gu Feng's eyes lit up. As long as it could be cultivated, those five hundred Spirit Stones wouldn't be a complete waste.
"Take the essence and discard the dregs! Some parts are pure nonsense, but others are quite unique!" Elder Wu said with a proud expression, stroking his beard.
"Please, Elder Wu, don't hold back your guidance!" As he spoke, Gu Feng took out a handful of Spirit Stones and stuffed them into Elder Wu's hand.
Elder Wu was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh.
"Do you think I'm like you, always after money?"
"Elder Wu, you have an immortal aura. At first glance, I thought you were no ordinary mortal. If Elder Liu hadn't said you were his senior brother, I would have thought you were his master!"
At this, Elder Liu's face darkened, while Elder Wu burst into laughter, thoroughly pleased.
"Then let me guide you a bit!"
At first, only Elder Wu was guiding him, but later, Elder Liu joined in as well.
The two carefully read through the Ten Thousand Beasts Manual, removing the nonsensical parts, modifying the unreasonable sections, and adding some of their personal insights.
By late night, a completely revamped Ten Thousand Beasts Manual lay before Gu Feng.
Even though he had never cultivated a proper martial skill before, he understood that the revised Ten Thousand Beasts Manual was now on par with any high-tier mortal-grade martial skill.
"I will never forget the great kindness of you two elders!"
Gu Feng stood up and respectfully bowed to the two elders.
To be honest, his relationship with Elder Liu and Elder Wu wasn't deep, but they had taught him without reservation, and that deserved his respect.
"Kid, don't pull this act. Just don't swindle us, and we'll be grateful!"
Elder Wu stroked his beard and laughed heartily. He genuinely liked this somewhat rogue yet determined young man.
Beside him, Elder Liu also smiled with satisfaction. This long-lost sense of closeness made him feel at ease.
"You two must be hungry. Let me treat you to a meal!"
With that, under the surprised gazes of the two elders, he took out a large amount of food from his Storage Pouch.
"Is this what you swindled from Chu Youhuan last night?"
"Just some leftovers I packed! And there's Spirit Wine too. Care to have a drink with me?" Gu Feng, like a magician, took out Spirit Wine and cups from his Storage Pouch.
"You... I really don't know what to say about you!" Elder Liu lightly tapped Gu Feng's head, smiling kindly.
"Will Chu Youhuan come after me?"
"If it were someone else, maybe. But that girl Chu Youhuan? Probably not!
But don't swindle her in the future. She may look glamorous, but her life isn't easy." Elder Liu said seriously.
"Oh—" Gu Feng responded in a low voice.
Under the moonlight, the three figures occasionally burst into laughter.
...
The next day, as soon as the sky brightened, Gu Feng left his small courtyard and headed to the outer sect's Spirit Beast Garden.
After the guidance from Elders Wu and Liu, he had a clear direction for cultivating the Ten Thousand Beasts Manual.
The Spirit Beast Garden was off-limits to most, but Gu Feng had obtained Elder Liu's permission, allowing him entry.
"You're here on Elder Liu's recommendation. Feel free to observe the spirit beasts here. There are a few powerful ones worth noting..."
The elder in charge of the Spirit Beast Garden gave a few brief instructions before leaving.
Gu Feng first observed the demon tiger, then the elk, the demon wolf...
When he approached the spirit snake, an unprecedented sense of disgust and fear arose in his heart. Even though he had lived two lives, he couldn't understand why humans were naturally afraid of snakes. Was it because they were too repulsive?
"Forget the snake!" He pursed his lips and walked to the other side.
For three consecutive days, Gu Feng stayed in the Spirit Beast Garden. When he was hungry, he would take out some roasted meat, eat a few bites, and then continue observing.
Gradually, a thread of understanding began to form in his mind, and his body started to move accordingly.
The image of an opponent appeared in his mind. Facing these imaginary opponents, he was like a furious beast—sometimes like a lion descending a mountain, sometimes like a wolf pouncing, sometimes like an elk leaping, sometimes like an eagle swooping. His hands, feet, elbows, knees, shoulders, hips, even his head and teeth became weapons. Every bone in his body moved, maximizing its function.
He practiced over and over again, unaware of the passage of time as the sun rose and set. The more he practiced, the more natural it felt, as if this Ten Thousand Beasts Manual had been tailor-made for him, fully utilizing his formidable physical advantages.
His movements became incredibly agile, and his perception also improved significantly.
In a corner of the Spirit Beast Garden, the sound of air explosions echoed continuously, like the surging waves of a river, powerful and unrelenting.
As he immersed himself in his cultivation, Wu Qi and others were frantically searching for Gu Feng in the outer sect.
"Gu Feng should be in the Spirit Beast Garden. Let's go there to find him!" Yan Xixi frowned, her eyes filled with worry.
(End of the Chapter)
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