Afterward, Zhang Ye returned to the cave. After checking on Leona, he resumed his meditation and cultivation.
He continued this practice until evening.
With a flash of white light, Zhang Ye opened his eyes, a faint glow swirling within them.
“Nice! Tier Two!”
At Tier Two, he had three Copy Slots. Without a second thought, he subjected Leona to a round of 【Copy and Analysis】.
【Metal Blade: Tier Two magic. Condenses a metal blade; limited lethality.】
【Wood Snake: Tier Two magic. Summons snake-like vines for lashing and binding; low power.】
【Water Cannon: Tier Two magic. Condenses a water cannon; low power, short range.】
【Great Fireball: Tier Two magic. Condenses a large fireball; low power, short range.】
【Rock Armor: Tier Two magic. Condenses rock armor; limited defensive power.】
【Paralysis: Tier Two magic. Releases an electric current to paralyze; limited effect.】
The copy duration for Tier Two magic remained fifteen minutes, but the analysis time had increased to thirty minutes.
Consequently, every fifteen minutes, Zhang Ye copied three spells for analysis. After quite some time, he finally managed to analyze all the Tier Two magic Leona possessed.
After stepping outside to relieve himself, he made his way to the river in the dark. Utilizing the phototaxis of crabs, he cast Illumination to catch a large number of Stone Crabs, along with two fish and some small shrimp.
Combined with the leftover mushrooms and wild greens from lunch, he brewed a pot of seafood soup.
As usual, he fed Leona the soup first before having his own hearty meal.
By nighttime, Gujiu had finished its digestion. Its size had expanded to about half the size of a basketball, looking like a jumbo gummy candy. The more Zhang Ye looked at it, the more he liked it. He held Gujiu in his arms, refusing to let go, and entered his cultivation state once again.
Given his cultivation speed, he estimated he could reach Tier Three in about another day. Once he copied and analyzed some Tier Three magic, he could head out to grind monsters and level up!
Zhang Ye was filled with anticipation, entering his meditation with bright dreams of the future.
Late at night.
Zhang Ye was in a state of meditation, completely oblivious to his surroundings. Gujiu had also fallen fast asleep in his arms.
Sleep wasn’t a necessity for Gujiu, but being in Zhang Ye’s arms felt incredibly comfortable, so it drifted off instantly.
Pure white moonlight filtered through the forest, illuminating the dim night.
The occasional chirping of insects, calls of birds, and roars of magical beasts cast a veil of mystery over the woods.
Suddenly, the insect chirps ceased. The forest outside the cave seemed to have been placed on mute, becoming eerily quiet.
Leona snapped her eyes open.
Her right eye, a fiery red pupil, flickered in the darkness like fire, while the other was purple, its sclera completely overtaken by pitch black, appearing incredibly eerie.
Her heterochromatic eyes shimmered in the dark. She didn’t sit up but instead turned her head to look at Zhang Ye.
Her gaze gradually softened.
Her body had been unconscious, but her consciousness had remained awake.
She knew everything that had happened around her.
Including the fact that Zhang Ye had saved her.
Including the fact that Zhang Ye had stripped her clothes.
Including the fact that Zhang Ye had complained about her being heavy.
Including the fact that Zhang Ye had carried her to the cave, fed her soup, and talked to her.
She had felt everything.
When Zhang Ye was carrying her and felt her getting heavier, it wasn’t because her mana was being depleted—it was because she had done it on purpose.
She wanted to see if this guy could push through her gradually increasing weight to bring her to the cave. It was also a small punishment for him calling her heavy.
In the end, he did it; he hadn’t abandoned her.
Furthermore, he hadn’t done anything inappropriate afterward.
She had seen it all.
She hadn’t woken up because she simply couldn’t at the time.
The Demon Realm power inside her was eroding her body, and she had to focus all her strength on resisting it.
The Demon Realm power was far too overbearing. She had been suppressed several times and nearly lost herself.
If she had lost herself, her soul would have been devoured, and her body would have turned into a demonized creature that killed by instinct, bringing calamity to the world.
“...So you have to survive the mana erosion. You can't die, you hear me...?”
Suddenly, Zhang Ye’s voice reached her ears, causing her fading consciousness to snap back to alertness, allowing her to forcibly restrain the erosion of the Demon Realm power.
She had almost failed.
If Zhang Ye’s words hadn’t startled her awake, her soul would have been annihilated by now.
“Thank you...” She moved her lips toward Zhang Ye. No sound came out, but the shape of her mouth conveyed the sentiment.
Then, she closed her eyes again.
The Demon Realm power wasn’t fully suppressed yet; she had to continue the struggle.
A faint smile played at the corners of her mouth. Though it was only a slight curve, it gave her face a breathtaking beauty.
Marrying him as thanks?
Wait until I survive this first!
Demon Realm power, submit!!!
...
When he woke up the next day, Zhang Ye stretched and quickly ran outside to take a leak.
He waved his hand and nodded. “I should be able to hit Tier Three by tonight!”
“Let’s do this!”
“First, breakfast!”
With that, Zhang Ye condensed several Great Fireballs for Gujiu’s breakfast.
Arriving at the river, Zhang Ye looked at the Stone Crabs in the water and smirked.
Hehe, this time I won’t have to get my pants wet to catch you!
Standing by the riverbank, he spread his hands. The river water immediately surged, and several Stone Crabs, small fish, and shrimp began to float upward. No matter how much they struggled, it was in vain. Finally, over a dozen small water orbs containing the seafood rose from the surface and floated over to Zhang Ye’s side.
Zhang Ye burst into laughter, looking extremely smug.
The system’s analysis was truly powerful!
Once a spell was analyzed, he could achieve Perfect Mastery over it!
What did Perfect Mastery mean?
It meant he could use instant cast!
He could even perform simultaneous instant casts!
No guiding, no chanting, no drawing magic circles!
As long as he had enough mana, he could release as many spells as he wanted with a single thought. He could cast them however he pleased, and he could even expend all his mana at once to release dozens of spells simultaneously!
For instance, he was currently using Water Cannon to catch the seafood.
He could condense the Water Cannon directly using the river water, then use it to wrap around the seafood and control the water orbs to bring them to his side.
Under Perfect Mastery, his control over magic was as effortless as moving his own fingers!
Next, he condensed several metal skewers to thread the seafood. He planned to use half for soup and the other half for a barbecue; otherwise, drinking soup all day would make his palate go numb.
After bringing the seafood back and condensing a metal basin to hold it, he ran into the woods to find some wild fruits and peppers for seasoning. He even found his good neighbors—the Flower Bees.
Flower Bees were Sub-tier magical beasts that, like bees on Earth, produced honey.
So, Zhang Ye used magic to have a “friendly communication” with his good neighbors and “borrowed” some honey.
With honey, the barbecue would be even more flavorful!
Zhang Ye prepared to leave with a heart full of joy. As he departed, his good neighbors were still shouting friendly greetings after him.
Seeing how enthusiastic they were, Zhang Ye circled back and borrowed a bit more honey.
“This amount should be enough for a few barbecues,” Zhang Ye chuckled. “I thank nature for its bounty.”
Flower Bees: “Son of a—!”
Back at the cave, Zhang Ye snapped his fingers, and a flame sprouted from his fingertip, lighting the campfire.
This move would definitely look cool for lighting a cigarette!
He didn't even need to look for firewood; he simply used magic to summon tree branches and tossed them into the fire.
He set up two fires, one for the soup and one for the barbecue, working with feverish energy.
Once he brushed on the honey, the fragrance wafted everywhere, leaving Zhang Ye in a state of bliss.
He didn't notice Leona, who was nearby with her eyes tightly shut, twitching her small nose and secretly swallowing her saliva.
“It should be done.” Zhang Ye picked up a skewer of grilled shrimp. After blowing on it a few times, he took a bite and looked completely satisfied.
“So delicious!” he said, moved. Then he began to strip the skewers with such speed that sparks almost flew from the iron sticks.
“Gujiu~” Gujiu watched him from the side.
“Here, Gujiu, try my cooking.” Zhang Ye grinned, handing a skewer of grilled shrimp to Gujiu.
He had expected Gujiu to eat the iron skewer along with the food, but to his surprise, Gujiu’s soft body actually extended two small hands. It grabbed the skewer and, mimicking Zhang Ye, brought it into its body and stripped it clean.
Zhang Ye’s eyes widened, and then he burst into laughter.
“Hahaha, Gujiu knows how to eat skewers now!”
“Not bad, not bad!”
Then, the one big and one small pair began to feast on the skewers. Whether it was grilled shrimp, grilled fish, grilled mushrooms, or grilled greens, they stripped them all!
Once he was full, Zhang Ye fed Leona her soup as usual.
“When are you going to wake up?” Zhang Ye looked at Leona’s heroic face and spoke softly. “I’m still counting on you to teach me magic.”
After feeding Leona, Zhang Ye continued his cultivation. He practiced until evening, when a flash of white light erupted from his body.
Promotion: Tier Three!
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