c8 - Swordsmanship and Cooperation
After devouring the remains of the Chameleon Hollow, Ye Chuan consumed even the shattered pieces of its mask, absorbing its spiritual energy. The battle had been perilous, but the rewards were immense. Though his body size remained unchanged, his spiritual pressure nearly doubled, making his overall strength surge exponentially.
At this moment, Ye Chuan felt confident that if the Chameleon Hollow were to resurrect and face him again, even without landing an early hit to cripple its tongue, he could claim victory without relying on a Cero.
Beside him, the little yellow Hollow, which had finished devouring flesh larger than its own body, now had a noticeably sturdier build.
"Woof!"
The little Hollow barked with evident joy.
"You're saying you can help with my injuries?" Ye Chuan asked, somehow understanding the Hollow's intent despite its barks. He gently grabbed the small creature and placed it on his shoulder.
The little yellow Hollow leaped from his shoulder onto his back and began licking the two blood holes from the earlier fight. Instantly, a miraculous transformation occurred—the wounds, which should have taken much longer to heal, vanished as the scars fell away, leaving his back completely restored.
"I didn't expect you to have this ability. Fine, you can follow me."
"Woof!"
Hearing Ye Chuan's words, the little Hollow barked twice in excitement and perched obediently on his left shoulder.
Ye Chuan coiled his tail around the two bone spurs that had once wounded him and swiftly left the area, the little yellow Hollow accompanying him.
---
In an underground cavern shaped by wind and shifting sands, the little yellow Hollow lay curled in a corner, sleeping soundly, digesting its recent meal.
Ye Chuan, meanwhile, examined the two massive bone spurs in his hands. These weapons had inflicted grievous harm upon him in battle. He initially intended to consume them for their spiritual energy but found his current teeth incapable of breaking them down—they were too dense. Instead, he decided to repurpose them as weapons.
The more he examined the spurs, the more they resembled the bony protrusions on a Gillian's neck. How the Chameleon Hollow had obtained them was a mystery. Remembering how his previous unarmed combat led to his poisoning, Ye Chuan resolved to master using these spurs effectively.
Like many from his world, Ye Chuan had always harbored dreams of mastering swordsmanship. In his past life, he had even studied under a renowned swordsman, spending a considerable sum on tuition. Never did he imagine that what was once a hobby would now prove vital for survival.
He carefully recalled the fundamentals of swordsmanship:
"The eight basic sword techniques: thrust, slash, lift, parry, cloud strike, point strike, collapsing strike, and cleave."
Given the structure of the bone spurs, they were most suited for thrusting attacks. Fortunately, mastery of a single technique was often more effective than learning many imperfectly. If he could perfect the thrust, he could exploit the weaknesses of less intelligent Hollows.
Raising a bone spur with both hands, he extended his arms in a straight line and suddenly thrust forward. The air whistled as the strike cut through it—a promising start.
Over and over, he practiced, stabbing at the air within the confines of the cave.
"Much more convenient than back when I was human," Ye Chuan muttered. In his past life, long work hours had left him little time to train, and even simple drills had been exhausting. Now, he could execute thousands of thrusts without the slightest fatigue.
The little yellow Hollow, now awake, watched him with a bewildered expression, tilting its head in confusion at Ye Chuan's repeated attacks against empty space.
---
In the vast sands of Hueco Mundo...
"Croak!"
A bloated, five-meter-tall Frog Hollow with a sickly red hue pursued a much smaller dog-like Hollow. Despite its clumsy bulk, it chased after the nimble canine relentlessly, only to find itself unable to keep up. Just as it was about to give up, the small Hollow unexpectedly slowed down.
Seizing this opportunity, the Frog Hollow lunged forward, only for its prey to stop atop a sand dune.
Seeing its target seemingly cornered, the Frog Hollow let out a victorious croak and leapt, aiming to crush its prey. However, the moment it landed, a sharp bone spur shot up from beneath the sand, impaling it through the chest.
"Guaaa!"
Simultaneously, a surge of dark golden lightning coursed through the spur, electrocuting the Frog Hollow in place.
It howled in agony, its bulging eyes fixating on the small dog-like Hollow, now slipping away beneath its belly. Just as it realized the trap, Ye Chuan burst forth from the sand, bone spur in hand, and delivered a decisive slash, bisecting the Frog Hollow in one clean stroke.
"Well done, Rhubarb."
Ye Chuan began carving up his prey, tearing off a thick hind leg and tossing it to the small Hollow. Then, he resumed feasting.
In this new hunting ground, the little Hollow acted as bait while Ye Chuan handled the kill. Together, they had successfully hunted over a dozen Hollows, including five particularly strong ones. Their cooperative method had significantly increased Ye Chuan's efficiency, far exceeding what he could accomplish alone.
With each battle, his proficiency with the thrusting technique grew. By now, he could consistently imbue the bone spurs with his signature Flashing Thunder technique. Using this, he had slain the Frog Hollow in a single strike.
However, there was a minor flaw—while the bone spurs had been a perfect fit for the Chameleon Hollow's hands, they were slightly too long for Ye Chuan's current frame. Fortunately, this issue would resolve itself soon.
His spiritual pressure had already accumulated to a critical point. He could feel it—one more significant battle, and he would advance to the next stage, a Gillian.
Determined, he planned to make his move that very night.
Just as he prepared to hunt for his final prey, an unexpected opponent appeared.
"Roar!"
A massive Crocodile Hollow charged directly at him, its gnashing jaws filled with razor-sharp fangs.
"What a coincidence," Ye Chuan mused, amused at the creature's apparent eagerness to die.
The little yellow Hollow leaped down from his shoulder, blinking its large eyes as if confused by the Crocodile Hollow's foolishness.
Without hesitation, Ye Chuan thrust his bone spur forward, skewering the Crocodile Hollow mid-charge in a single, fluid motion.
With the battle over in an instant, he did not immediately consume his fallen prey. Instead, he hoisted the Crocodile Hollow's body and carried it back to their underground hideout.
A Gillian transformation required a stable environment, free from interruptions. Ye Chuan intended to ensure nothing could interfere with his evolution.