Ye Ling’s eyes lit up as she looked at the Giant-Tusked Boar’s tusks.
These were valuable items that could fetch over a hundred taels of gold.
She squatted down, spent some effort prying the two tusks loose, and packed them into her bundle.
She also carved out a large chunk of meat from the hind leg, wrapped it in leaves, and saved it for dinner.
With dusk approaching, the scent of blood would easily attract other demon beasts, so she couldn't afford to linger here.
Activating her movement technique, she quickly retreated while spreading out her Divine Sense to scout the path ahead.
Before long, she discovered a cave.
Sweeping her Divine Sense inside, she detected a Black-Haired Bear—a mid-stage Tier One demon beast—lying within.
Just as Ye Ling reached the cave entrance, the Black-Haired Bear noticed her.
The Black-Haired Bear froze for a moment, likely not expecting anyone to dare trespass into its territory. Once it snapped out of its daze, it lunged forward, waving its thick, powerful paws.
Ye Ling raised her sword and delivered a clean, decisive strike.
The Black-Haired Bear collapsed to the ground, motionless.
Looking at the bear paws, she smiled. She would have an extra dish for dinner tonight.
Entering the cave, she thoroughly checked the surroundings first. Only after confirming there were no other demon beasts did she let her guard down.
She gathered some dry firewood, lit a campfire near the entrance, and set the boar leg meat and bear paws over the flames to roast.
As the flames licked the meat, grease sizzled and dripped down, releasing a mouthwatering aroma.
Sitting by the fire, Ye Ling turned the meat while reviewing her battle with the Giant-Tusked Boar.
First, she had underestimated the toughness of the Giant-Tusked Boar's hide. Her first strike failed to pierce its defense, nearly landing her in a passive position.
Second, she relied too heavily on her Divine Sense. Without its foresight, that battle would have been much more difficult.
Third, her strikes were too conservative. She had spent too much time tangling with the boar instead of immediately targeting its vital points. Against a more formidable demon beast, such a fighting style would be suicidal.
The first issue was easy to resolve; she just needed to avoid underestimating her opponents in the future.
As for the second issue, she planned to avoid using her Divine Sense as much as possible when encountering weaker demon beasts, forcing herself to rely on her reflexes and judgment.
She would save her Divine Sense for opponents she couldn't otherwise defeat, keeping it as a trump card.
The third issue was simply a lack of real combat experience. Engaging in more battles would naturally fix that.
Keeping these points in mind, she resolved to work on them gradually.
By then, the meat was fully roasted. The skin was golden and crispy, while the inside was tender and juicy.
She tore off a piece and popped it into her mouth. It tasted surprisingly delicious.
Back at the estate, she ate exquisite meals every day, yet she had never found them particularly flavorful.
Eating wild game in the mountains, however, felt far superior to anything served at home.
After finishing her meal, she moved the campfire closer to the cave entrance, found a dry spot to lie down, and gradually fell asleep to the sound of the wind outside.
The next day, following her plan from the previous night, she specifically sought out mid-stage Tier One demon beasts to practice on.
She suppressed her Divine Sense and held back her full power, relying solely on her movement technique and swordplay to contend with them.
By the end of the day, she had fought four beasts, and her combat instincts had visibly improved.
On the third day, her luck was quite good. She found five mid-stage Tier One demon beasts and even managed to harvest a spiritual herb along the way.
On the fourth day, she wandered around the mountains and discovered a waterfall.
The rushing water cascaded into a deep pool below. Stripping off her outer garments, she jumped into the pool and enjoyed a thoroughly refreshing bath.
On the fifth day, she encountered another Giant-Tusked Boar. This time, she refrained from using her Divine Sense, relying entirely on her movement technique and swordplay to deal with it.
Though she won the fight, it took a significant amount of time and was far more grueling than the previous encounter.
On the sixth day, a heavy rain fell all day. Trapped inside the cave, she sat cross-legged and focused on her cultivation. Her cultivation progressed slightly—not by much, but the improvement was noticeable.
On the seventh day, she ran into a formidable opponent: a Swift Thunder Leopard, a late-stage Tier One demon beast with an aura comparable to a Houtian Tenth Layer martial artist.
It was incredibly fast. Even with her Divine Sense predicting its movements the entire time, the battle was grueling.
The leopard darted back and forth so quickly that her eyes could barely keep up. It managed to claw her arm, leaving a searing, painful gash.
After a long, drawn-out struggle, she finally caught a flaw in its movements, striking with all her might to heavily wound the leopard.
On the eighth day, she did not go out, choosing instead to stay in the cave to heal.
She reflected on her battle with the Swift Thunder Leopard from start to finish.
Through this, she gained new insights into the Flowing Cloud Movement Technique, bringing her close to great perfection.
On the ninth day, her injuries had not yet fully healed, so she continued to rest.
In the blink of an eye, over a month passed.
The roaring sound of rushing water vibrated through the valley. A wide waterfall cascaded straight down from a cliff like a sheet of white silk, crashing into the pool below, sending up splashes and a dense mist.
Ye Ling stood before the waterfall, indifferent to her tight-fitting green robes being dampened by the mist.
With her sword slung at her waist and her long hair tied back, she exuded an air of sharp efficiency.
Over the past month, because she had constantly used and tempered her Divine Sense, her soul had actually become increasingly condensed and solid.
Her cultivation had also advanced significantly, and her combat capabilities had improved by leaps and bounds. When she first entered the mountains, dealing with a single Giant-Tusked Boar required a lengthy struggle; now, she could easily take one down even without using her Divine Sense.
During this period, her Flowing Cloud Movement Technique had also broken through, firmly stepping into the realm of great perfection.
Half a month ago, she had discovered a Water Curtain Cave hidden behind the waterfall using her Divine Sense.
The space was not large, but it was just enough for one person. She had moved in ever since.
During the day, she practiced her swordplay and hunted demon beasts outside, and at night, she returned to the cave to rest. This was far better than sleeping in a bear's cave; at least she didn't have to worry about something crawling over her in the middle of the night.
As the spraying mist blew into her face, she focused her mind and thrust her sword. Her figure darted back and forth beside the curtain of water, as light and swift as a gust of wind.
Having reached great perfection in the Flowing Cloud Movement Technique, she no longer slipped even when walking on wet stones, her footsteps so light they were virtually silent.
A few days ago, several torrential rainstorms had triggered flash floods, trapping her inside the cave.
Fortunately, there were plenty of fish in the waterfall pool, and she caught a few to keep from going hungry.
She had also stored some dry firewood inside beforehand, which was enough to last for several days.
She cultivated by day and roasted fish by night, living quite comfortably.
Inside the cave, the campfire crackled, casting a warm glow onto the damp stone walls. Several fish were roasting over the fire, their skin already golden-brown and dripping with oil, filling the air with a rich aroma.
Ye Ling sat on a rock, slowly turning the skewered fish as she waited for them to cook.
While the waterfall roared outside, the cave was cozy and warm.
She picked up a roasted fish and ate it slowly, bite by bite.
The exhaustion accumulated from days of continuous cultivation melted away at this moment.
After finishing her meal, she used the firelight to take stock of her harvest from the past month.
First were the demon beast materials: a complete Black-Haired Bear hide, thick and tough; and several Giant-Tusked Boar tusks, sharp enough to be used as daggers.
The best item was the Swift Thunder Leopard's pelt—light, durable, and beautifully patterned.
There were also several leopard claws, incredibly sharp. All of these were rare and valuable materials.
She laid these items out one by one, estimating they could fetch around a thousand taels of gold.
Next were the spiritual herbs. She had gathered quite a bit of Condensing Emerald Grass, which she could chew on occasionally to stabilize her cultivation.
There were also two crimson Tempering Flowers, which possessed mild properties that could temper the physical body and heal internal injuries sustained during combat.
Additionally, she had found a high-quality Clear Mind Grass. Its refreshing aura was perfect for replenishing her recently depleted Divine Sense.
She carefully stored the Clear Mind Grass separately, intending to use it herself.
The rest of the demon beast materials and spiritual herbs were all packed up, ready to be sold down the mountain in exchange for cultivation resources.
After resting for the night, she set off early the next morning, leaving the Water Curtain Cave behind and heading out of the mountains.
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