Chapter 39

Yuan Ming transformed into a white ape, quickly moved his limbs a few times, and a puzzled look appeared on his face.

He could feel that the compatibility and connection between himself and the animal skin had strengthened, but for some reason, the power of the transformation had not increased.

Just as Yuan Ming was puzzled, he suddenly felt a heat surge through his body, a powerful demonic force gushed out from the white ape skin, spreading like a torrent and flowing into his body, and a "bang" sounded inside him!

In the next moment, his body swelled rapidly as if inflated, his muscles twitched, and his bones made a "cracking" sound.

This change came and went quickly, lasting only two or three breaths.

The white ape form grew by about ten percent, and his muscles swelled, making his hands and ape claws even sharper.

Yuan Ming took a deep breath, feeling the surge of strength throughout his body, and felt quite invigorated.

The method he had stumbled upon by chance really could enhance the power of the white ape skin. If he had the time, he would thoroughly study it, as this was his greatest reliance in battle at the moment.

Yuan Ming dispelled the Fur Transformation Spell and returned to the cave. Soon, he came out again, holding a black animal skin, which was the toad skin he had picked up.

Since the Nurturing Spell was effective on the white ape skin, it might also work on the toad skin.

He immediately cast the Fur Transformation Spell to transform into a toad, and as before, he channeled the heat flow from the incense burner, slowly injecting it into the toad skin.

As expected, the toad skin could absorb the heat flow, but it stopped after only five or six streams, and no matter how hard Yuan Ming tried, there was no further reaction.

"It seems the growth potential of animal skins varies. This toad skin is far inferior to the white ape skin," Yuan Ming thought to himself.

After a few breaths, a cold and powerful demonic force emerged from the toad skin, giving him a somewhat chilly and strange feeling.

Yuan Ming closed his eyes and sensed carefully, a smile appearing on his face.

His toad form did not grow significantly, but his limbs had become much stronger, and his lungs expanded more powerfully, allowing him to stay underwater for at least half as long again.

However, what excited him was not these changes, but a new ability that the toad transformation had awakened.

He crouched down, channeling his magic power into the black bumps on his back, which began to twitch and suddenly grew several times larger.

Puff!

Several streams of black liquid spurted out from the bumps, shooting like arrows into a nearby bush.

Sizzle...

The green leaves rotted at a visible speed, and the tough bark quickly cracked, as if the black liquid had drained all the moisture.

In less than half a moment, a lush bush withered and died, leaving only a few thick branches, while the rest had turned into rotten black mud.

"Such a powerful poison. I'll call this the Toad Poison Arrow," Yuan Ming said, drawing a breath.

"By the way, what is this heat flow from the incense burner? It has such a significant effect on nurturing beast souls," Yuan Ming dispelled his transformation, lightly stroking the incense burner mark on his arm, his thoughts turning again.

The incense burner had previously allowed his consciousness to possess others and even control their actions. Now, it could strengthen the beast souls within the animal skins, enhancing their power. Each time, it amazed him, clearly a rare and extraordinary treasure. If he ever had the chance to leave this place, he would thoroughly study it.

When Yuan Ming returned to the cave again, Hagong had stopped nurturing the animal skin and was lying on a bed of dry grass, resting with his eyes closed, the gray wolf skin placed beside him.

Yuan Ming glanced at the wolf skin and sat down.

It was now clear that the incense burner could strengthen animal skins, and it would certainly be effective on the gray wolf skin. Hagong was his friend, and they were both in a difficult situation. Should he help him strengthen this item?

However, for safety reasons, the secret of the incense burner could not be revealed. Even if he helped Hagong, he could not let him discover it.

At this moment, Yuan Ming suddenly stood up, listening intently, his expression quickly turning serious.

"Hagong, wake up quickly!"

"What's wrong?" Hagong, who was not deeply asleep, quickly sat up.

"Someone is coming, and there are quite a few of them!" Yuan Ming said in a low voice.

"Are they enemies? Should we leave quickly?" Hagong was startled, grabbing the gray wolf skin.

"It's too late." Yuan Ming shook his head, his figure flickering to the cave entrance, peering through a crack in the door.

Several figures had already appeared in his field of vision, rapidly approaching. In a few breaths, they reached the cave entrance, forming a semicircle around it.

The newcomers clearly belonged to two factions. One was a tall man with black hair, a hooked nose, and three scars on his face, while the other was a short, fat man with green eyes and blond hair.

"It's Wu Bao of the Gray Wolf Gang and Jin Kun of the Hyena Hall! They have always been enemies, so why are they here together?" Hagong also came to the cave entrance, seeing the people outside, he drew a sharp breath.

Yuan Ming did not speak, his expression uncertain.

Of course, he had heard of the Hyena Hall, which was as famous as the Gray Wolf Gang. If only the Gray Wolf Gang had come, he was confident he could escape unharmed. But with the Hyena Hall involved, the situation became much more complicated, especially with both leaders present.

"Hehe, Chief Wu Bao, I'm not boasting, but in these Ten Thousand Mountains, there is no one the Hyena Hall cannot find," Jin Kun said, holding a small animal bone and picking his teeth with it.

Wu Bao looked at the cave, coldly snorted, and made a hand sign. His palms crackled, and a pigeon-egg-sized purple lightning ball appeared in the air.

"Watch out!" Yuan Ming's pupils contracted, pulling Hagong back quickly.

Wu Bao waved his right hand, and the lightning ball disappeared.

In the next moment, a brilliant purple light flashed in the forest, and a purple lightning bolt appeared, tearing through the air and striking the large rock at the cave entrance.

With a loud "boom"!

The rock, several feet tall, exploded, turning into countless fragments that flew in all directions, raising a cloud of dust.

"I didn't expect Wu Bao to have actually mastered the Lightning Strike Spell!" A trace of fear flashed in Jin Kun's eyes.

The Lightning Strike Spell, like the Wood Spike Spell, was a spell. In the world of cultivation, there were countless spells, but they all ultimately belonged to the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

However, there were always exceptions. Some cultivators or beasts had extraordinary talents or underwent significant changes, allowing them to cultivate and control forces not belonging to the five elements.

This situation was called a spiritual root mutation in the cultivation world.

There were many types of mutated spiritual roots, famous ones including the lightning spiritual root, shadow spiritual root, and poison spiritual root. Whether a mutation was good or bad was hard to say. A benign mutation would strengthen the spiritual root, while a malignant one could harm the body.

The lightning spiritual root was a benign mutation, and lightning was known for its powerful destructive force. Because lightning could be generated in the world, the lightning spiritual root was relatively common among other mutated spiritual roots, giving rise to many lightning-based spells and abilities. The Lightning Strike Spell was a relatively low-level one, but its power far exceeded that of elemental spells like the Wood Spike Spell.

Wu Bao waved his sleeve, and a faint green light flickered at his fingertips. A strong wind suddenly arose, sweeping away the dust at the cave entrance.

The situation inside the cave became clear. Yuan Ming did not hide his presence and stood there calmly, but Hagong was nowhere to be seen.

Wu Bao frowned. When he arrived, he had clearly seen two people inside the cave.

"Chief, be careful. The other person is probably hiding in the dark. Yuan Ming is likely trying to lure us in. If we act rashly, we will likely be attacked," Zan Bai whispered.

Wu Bao nodded imperceptibly and made a gesture with his left hand behind his back.

The members of the Gray Wolf Gang slowly moved to surround one side of the cave entrance.

Among the crowd, Wu Lu looked at Yuan Ming with a somewhat complex expression, seemingly sighing softly.

"Chief Wu Bao and Chief Jin Kun, what wind has brought both of you here?" Yuan Ming, seeing the actions of Wu Bao and the Gray Wolf Gang members, spoke calmly.

"Yuan Ming, why ask when you already know? You have repeatedly opposed my Gray Wolf Gang and even killed my deputy chief, Bai Yin. Your crimes are heinous. Surrender peacefully, and I will leave you a full body!" Wu Bao said coldly.

Yuan Ming and the Gray Wolf Gang were already mortal enemies, so he did not bother to argue. He turned to Jin Kun: "Chief Jin Kun, are you also here to capture me? I have never offended the Hyena Hall."

"Hehe, Chief Wu Bao and I are close friends. He invited me, so I naturally could not stand by and watch," Jin Kun said, his beady eyes turning.

"Today's conflict is between me and the Gray Wolf Gang, and it has nothing to do with others. Chief Jin Kun, think carefully before getting involved. I am not a forgiving person," Yuan Ming scanned the Hyena Hall members and said slowly.

"Oh, are you threatening me?" Jin Kun's eyes narrowed, his expression turning cold.

"Not at all, just a warning," Yuan Ming said with a smile.

He had heard from Tule about the relationship between the Gray Wolf Gang and the Hyena Hall. The two factions were always in open and covert conflict and could never be on good terms.

Given Jin Kun's character, he was likely thinking of watching the fight from the sidelines. Yuan Ming's move was to give Jin Kun an out. If he could make Jin Kun stand by, there was still a chance of winning today.

Jin Kun stared at Yuan Ming, his beady eyes almost slitting, then suddenly burst into laughter.

Yuan Ming's eyebrows twitched, but he did not speak.

"Hehe, Yuan Ming, you are indeed not simple. In this situation, you remain calm and even try to divide us. To be honest, I have considered recruiting you into the Hyena Hall!" Jin Kun said, laughing.

"Jin Kun, do you still want the item?" Wu Bao frowned.

"Hyena Hall members, listen to my order. Surround this place, and do not let even a fly escape!" Jin Kun waved his hand impatiently.

The Hyena Hall members immediately scattered, forming a semicircle around the other side of the cave, completely surrounding all the exits with the Gray Wolf Gang members.

At this moment, Zan Bai, hiding in the crowd, suddenly pulled out a crossbow, loaded with three green arrows, and aimed at Yuan Ming, pulling the trigger.

A sharp whistling sound rang out, and the arrows turned into three green shadows, heading straight for Yuan Ming's vital points.