Chapter 29

Hu Gao managed to spread his name throughout the ordinary hall of the Battle Academy in just one day. Even the experts from the indoor hall and some elite halls heard about his legend and became interested in him.

However, all of this had nothing to do with him. At that moment, Hu Gao was soaking in a bathtub, feeling so comfortable that he almost moaned.

After leaving the Battle Academy, he took the winnings, casually asked around, and then went to the eastern market of the city. He found a carpenter there and had him make the first bathtub in this world according to his instructions. Then, he found a shop selling elixirs, haggled a bit, and bought some herbs that would help his body recover.

The owner of the elixir shop was surprised, wondering when Ningcheng had produced such a young alchemist, someone he didn't know. He gave Hu Gao a significant discount to form a good relationship. If he knew that Hu Gao bought those basic herbs just to take a bath, he might have wanted to grab a kitchen knife from the neighboring food stall and go out to the street to attack people.

"So comfortable..."

Hu Gao's whole body felt tingly, almost every cell was jumping joyfully. His wounds were healing completely, leaving not even a slight scar.

Moreover, the yuan force in his body was flowing extremely actively, and his aura kept rising.

After soaking in the medicinal water for two hours, Hu Gao's aura smoothly advanced to the peak of the Fourth Stage of the Shadow Condensation Realm. The medicinal power in the water was almost completely absorbed, and he was surprised by how potent the herbs in this world were. They had such an effect without even being refined into elixirs, which was quite unexpected for Hu Gao.

In the evening, when Hu Gao had almost digested the energy absorbed from the medicinal water and felt that his energy was almost fully accumulated, he let out a light shout and forcibly absorbed all the remaining energy in the water, pushing his cultivation.

"Breakthrough, right now!" Hu Gao shouted loudly. A muffled sound came from his body, and a strong current of air shot out in all directions. The bathtub cracked open, and the medicinal water splashed everywhere, exposing a naked body in the room.

"Wow, what a unique way to level up, it's so exhilarating!" Hu Gao shivered, not wanting to show off, and quickly put on his clothes. Feeling the surging power in his body, he, who had now reached the Fifth Stage of the Shadow Condensation Realm, couldn't wait to fight Wu Qiong again.

The rapid advancement in cultivation today, Hu Gao didn't think it was entirely due to his incredible cultivation speed. It was mainly because of the intense battles he had today, which made the yuan force in his body extremely active.

Combined with the serious injuries he sustained, which stimulated his body's potential, and the large amount of medicinal herbs he absorbed, he managed to break through to the Fourth Stage of the Shadow Condensation Realm and then again to the Fifth Stage in less than a day.

"With my cultivation level up, to truly enhance my combat power, I need a suitable yuan technique."

Hu Gao planned in his mind.

Without a perfectly matching yuan technique, he didn't want to cultivate. However, a perfectly matching yuan technique was rare and hard to find. Even getting five yuan techniques with a 90% match would shock people if it were known.

He had to admit that a perfectly matching yuan technique was something he couldn't find unless by chance.

Even if he went to the library to look for yuan techniques, it would only be to study more and improve the yuan technique he was about to create, not to find a perfectly matching one.

Moreover, since it was a yuan technique, it had to have its own unique characteristics and not be a complete imitation of others, as that would be meaningless.

"It's already evening. I'll go to the library tomorrow. I haven't eaten all day, and Qinglian is nowhere to be found. I'll have to get something to eat myself."

Hu Gao thought of Tushan in the east of Ningcheng. Although the mountain was barren, there was a dense forest at its outskirts, which must have plenty of prey. Recalling those delicious meals, he was drooling.

Ningcheng was peaceful at night, far from the bustling nightlife of his previous life. The originally bustling streets were now deserted, not even a ghost to be seen.

Fortunately, the roads in Ningcheng were well-constructed. He walked east and soon saw the eastern city gate. Luckily, the guards on duty tonight were from the Hu family, and they were familiar with him. They didn't question or check him but greeted him warmly and even asked if he needed someone to accompany him.

Hu Gao politely declined. He didn't want others to know too many of his secrets. As a seasoned animal researcher, besides eating, he also wanted to explore the secrets of the beasts in this unknown world.

The sky was gradually darkening, enveloping the earth. Hu Gao strolled on the path to Tushan, feeling relaxed.

After fighting and cultivating all day, he was extremely tired and indeed needed to relax.

Cultivation is like studying; a balance of relaxation and intensity is the key.

By this late hour, there was no one in sight at the outskirts of Tushan, and Hu Gao was completely relaxed.

Soon, he caught a strange beast with golden fur, which must be the golden-furred beast Qinglian mentioned. This beast was not simple; it could use a simple fire-type yuan technique, and Hu Gao was even burned on the edge of his clothes by accident. This was just the outermost part of Tushan, and the beasts were already so powerful, so he had to be more careful.

Unfortunately, the golden-furred beast was too small, only the size of a fist. Without proper cooking utensils, it would be troublesome to prepare, so Hu Gao had to let it go.

He bravely continued forward in the dark. Apart from the golden-furred beast, which was visible under the moonlight, he couldn't see any other beasts. There were some unknown birds in the trees making strange noises, and their eerie eyes made Hu Gao give up on hunting. He wasn't a Burst Yuan Realm expert, and aerial combat would be a waste of energy.

After walking cautiously for about half an hour, Hu Gao began to hear the roars of beasts. They were the roars of demons, and as night approached, the demons were coming out to hunt. Hu Gao had arrived just in time.

"Demons, come to my bowl."

Hu Gao, slightly excited, moved toward the direction of the roars. This was his first time facing demons, and he was both nervous and eager.

"Roar!"

In the darkness, a ghostly green light was particularly noticeable, emitting a chilling aura. Before Hu Gao could see it, he heard a whistling sound and a cold, wolf-like howl from behind.

"Ambush!"

He immediately understood the situation, turned around, and saw a two-meter-tall black shadow pouncing at him.

It was a one-eyed beast, somewhat resembling a cheetah, with incredible speed. Fortunately, Hu Gao had some combat experience today, and the beast's ambush didn't throw him off. He quickly took two steps forward and slapped the beast's forehead.

Unexpectedly, the beast suddenly spewed a jet of water, forcing Hu Gao to roll on the ground to avoid a fatal blow. As a top student in his previous life, Hu Gao knew that water, though soft, could cause suffocation if it hit with enough speed.

"Phew, phew!" These demons are really tough, Hu Gao thought, crouching on the ground and watching the beast, which was now eyeing him menacingly. For some reason, he felt that these demons had extraordinary intelligence.

After missing its first attack, the one-eyed beast circled around Hu Gao without rushing to attack again, giving Hu Gao time to study it.

Hu Gao was quite familiar with cheetahs from his previous life. Despite their dog-like appearance, they were true felines, known for their incredible speed and being one of the few solitary hunters on the grasslands. In short, this beast was a formidable opponent in one-on-one combat.

With his knowledge of evolution, Hu Gao saw that the one-eyed beast had a large nasal cavity, indicating it needed to breathe more air at high speeds. This meant its skull had less space for tooth roots, making its teeth shorter.

For a carnivore, fighting mainly relies on claws and teeth. To run fast, the claws must be retracted into the paws, making them sharp but requiring a response time to extend. This time, though negligible in his previous life, was a significant weakness for Hu Gao now.

After analyzing, Hu Gao narrowed his eyes and picked up a hard object from the ground, throwing it at the one-eyed beast to provoke it.

Sure enough, the one-eyed beast raised its head and slowly approached Hu Gao. It wasn't afraid; the beast was trying to relax his vigilance by walking slowly, then attack with its speed advantage once it got close.

Hu Gao was waiting for this moment and didn't try to increase the distance. He focused his mind, activated a secret technique, and began to channel yuan force into his hand.

The one-eyed beast didn't notice Hu Gao's movements. When it reached the ideal distance, it suddenly leaped, its front claws ready to strike.

"Wow, even faster than I thought!" Hu Gao moved, bending his knees and arching his body backward to dodge the fatal pounce. He then punched the one-eyed beast's chin, sending it flying into the air.

With this time advantage, Hu Gao wouldn't give the one-eyed beast a chance to shoot water again. He launched several rapid attacks, all aimed at the beast's head, each potentially fatal. By the time the one-eyed beast fell to the ground, its head was almost a mess of mush.