Realizing that he was on the verge of a breakthrough, Yang Kai felt a rush of excitement. It had only been two days since obtaining the black book, and he had already advanced once. Now, he was about to break through again. This astonishing cultivation speed left him thrilled .
Practicing the Tempered Body Record consumed a great deal of energy, so Yang Kai took a short rest to recover. Once he regained his strength, he ate some of his remaining food before continuing his search for herbs.
The previous day, he had already scoured all the locations he could recall where herbs might grow. Today, he would have to rely on luck. Fortunately, the herbs he sought were not particularly rare, so his chances of finding them were still relatively high.
After a full day of searching, Yang Kai managed to collect seventy-eight herbs in total. Among them, he finally found two Three Leaved Chaos Spirit Flowers—one of the key ingredients he needed to activate the incense burner. However, he was still far from having the required quantity.
As time passed, night fell upon the forest. Despite his exhaustion, Yang Kai remained wide awake—not because he wasn't tired, but because he was too hungry to sleep.
Originally, he had planned to hunt some wild game, but not even a single rabbit had crossed his path. The only thing he found was a handful of tiny, sour berries that did nothing to fill his stomach. In fact, they only made him feel hungrier.
"If I had known this would happen, I would have brought more rice balls," Yang Kai thought regretfully.
There were no shops or food stalls in this desolate mountain. Where was he supposed to find a meal now?
Just as he was struggling with his hunger, he spotted a faint flicker of firelight in the distance. His eyes lit up, and energy returned to his body as he swiftly got to his feet and walked toward it.
"For someone to light a fire in a forest at night… they must either be reckless or confident in their strength," Yang Kai mused. Judging by their daring, they likely belonged to the latter group.
As he approached, a deep, wary voice called out:
"Who goes there?!"
At that moment, Yang Kai instinctively tensed up. Near the fire, two figures were on high alert.
One was a burly man, his powerful physique making him look like a seasoned hunter. He held a bow in his hand, an arrow already nocked and aimed directly at Yang Kai.
Beside him stood a young boy, no older than eleven, with bright, fearless eyes. Though much smaller than the man, he also held a bow, his tiny hands drawing back a much smaller arrow, ready to fire.
Even with two arrows pointed at him, Yang Kai showed no intention of retaliating. Instead, he raised his hands slightly and spoke calmly.
"Take it easy. I'm just here to collect herbs."
The two exchanged glances before the burly man slowly lowered his bow, signaling the boy to do the same. Letting out a hearty chuckle, the man said, "I thought a beast had been drawn by the fire, but it was just a false alarm."
"Sorry about that," Yang Kai replied with an embarrassed laugh.
Waving a hand dismissively, the man gestured for him to come closer. "Come sit by the fire. The nights are cold, and staying out here alone won't be easy."
Grateful for the invitation, Yang Kai walked over and sat down by the warm flames. Now that they were close, the burly man gave him a once-over, his eyes filled with pity upon seeing Yang Kai's thin, frail frame.
As they sat together, conversation flowed naturally. Through their talk, Yang Kai learned that the father and son lived at the foot of Black Wind Mountain and made a living by hunting. Though they weren't wealthy, their earnings were enough to sustain them. The boy, despite his young age, was already a skilled hunter. With years of experience in the mountains, their knowledge of the terrain far surpassed Yang Kai's.
When Yang Kai mentioned that he was a High Heaven disciple, the burly man's expression turned to one of surprise. The little boy, on the other hand, became visibly excited, his glossy black eyes shining with admiration.
"My son also wanted to become a practitioner, but he lacked the talent and was turned away. He practically worships you High Heaven disciples."
Hearing this, Yang Kai smiled softly and affectionately ruffled the boy's hair.
Just as he was about to say something, his stomach grumbled loudly.
The little boy blinked in surprise before bursting into laughter. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out some dry rations and handed them to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai felt a deep sense of gratitude but hesitated to accept them. Instead, he glanced at the burly man. Seeing this, the man chuckled.
"Eat up. It looks like you haven't had anything today."
This time, Yang Kai did not refuse. He accepted the food and quickly devoured it, savoring every bite.
After chatting for a while longer, the three eventually settled down to sleep. However, Yang Kai remained only half-asleep, keeping his senses alert. If danger approached, he wanted to be able to protect the father and son in return for their kindness.
Fortunately, the night passed peacefully.
At dawn, before the father and son awoke, Yang Kai quietly slipped away. But before leaving, he placed two herbs beside them—a small token of gratitude for their generosity. These herbs had healing properties and would surely come in handy for a pair of hunters who frequently ventured into the mountains.
As the morning sun bathed the forest in golden light, Yang Kai began his daily practice of the Tempered Body Record. After half an hour, he took in a deep breath of the eastern purple energy, and suddenly, his meridians trembled.
A warm surge of power rushed through his body, his energy coursing through his veins like an unending current.
At that moment, he knew—
He had broken through to the Tempered Body 5th Stage!
Yang Kai clenched his fists, feeling the newfound strength within him. His intuition had been correct—he had indeed advanced today!
Though it had only been a short time since obtaining it, the golden skeleton, combined with the Tempered Body Record, had already helped him break through twice. This rate of progress was unheard of!
Of course, these were still the early stages of cultivation. While the lower levels were easier to advance through, the difficulty would only increase as he reached higher realms.
After taking a brief rest, Yang Kai continued his search for herbs.
By midday, he had harvested more than a dozen herbs and even caught a plump rabbit, solving his food shortage problem.
This marked the third day of his mountain journey. He had now reached the very edge of the ten-mile safe zone. Any further, and he dared not venture, for his current strength was nowhere near enough to survive the deeper regions.
Despite not going too far, his harvest was still significant—he had gathered over twenty different types of herbs. Adding them to his previous collection, he now had over forty varieties, making his trip extremely worthwhile.
However, despite this impressive haul, the two crucial herbs he needed were still far too few.
Though he could exchange these lower-grade herbs for contribution points, the time spent gathering them had greatly reduced his training hours—a trade-off that could hinder his progress in the long run.