Chapter 5

Yuan Ming felt a sudden warmth on his shoulder, and a surge of heat flowed into his body through the palm of Elder Huhuo. It then uncontrollably spread across his skin.

In the next instant, a needle-like pain shot from his cheeks. It felt as if the fine hairs of the white ape's face were growing inward, piercing through his skin and drilling into his pores and flesh.

Immediately after, the skin on the back of his head, neck, and all the way down to his back began to experience this sharp pain. The white ape's hairs pierced through his clothes, invading his flesh, and the fleshy skin began to adhere to his body.

Yuan Ming's vision turned blood red, and his sight became blurry. He tried to suppress the urge to scream, but the intense pain was beyond the control of his will.

"Ugh..."

A low, suppressed growl escaped his throat. The extended beast skin enveloped his entire body, and a sense of uncontrollable ferocity rose in his heart.

Yuan Ming didn't know why, but a strong urge to kill and an insatiable desire for blood surged in his mind.

"Endure the pain, but don't lose your mind." This was Yuan Ming's last line of defense.

"Roar..."

He no longer tried to suppress it, letting out a fierce roar, his fists clenched, and he instinctively pounded the ground.

With a loud "Boom," the ground shook violently.

In the next moment, the blood-red vision in front of Yuan Ming faded, his eyes cleared, and even the bloodshot veins disappeared.

Elder Huhuo, seeing this, frowned slightly, muttering to himself, "To be able to completely suppress the beast nature on the first try, his divine soul is not weak."

After saying this, he didn't pay much attention and moved on to the fourth person.

...

Soon, beside the giant stone stele, everyone had completed their transformation, and seven half-human, half-beast creatures appeared.

"Remember, don't even think of escaping. The beast skin on your body is consuming the magical power I transferred to you, and it will be completely depleted in three days. At that time, the beast skin will start to absorb your vital energy, and it won't take half a day to drain you dry," Elder Huhuo warned, scanning the group.

Yuan Ming sighed inwardly, realizing there was indeed a contingency plan.

"Your only way out is to pass this test and obtain the Blood Qi Technique, so don't do anything foolish," Elder Huhuo reiterated.

After that, he patted his waist, but this time he didn't touch the purple bag; instead, he patted a green leather bag hanging beside it.

A green light flashed on the leather bag, and the bag's mouth opened on its own. A green light orb quickly flew out and landed on the ground nearby.

As the green light hit the ground, a sharp whistle sounded, and a huge shadow appeared.

When the light dissipated, a giant eagle, over ten feet tall, with greenish-brown feathers, a hooked beak, and dark golden eyes, stood there, looking fierce and majestic.

The green eagle's sharp gaze swept over Yuan Ming and the others, who had transformed into half-beasts, causing the wild men to retreat, clearly showing their instinctive fear of a predator.

Yuan Ming, maintaining his human consciousness, was not as terrified as the others.

In fact, by now, Yuan Ming's initial panic had completely faded. He accepted his current situation and began to feel curious about the Southern Sect, Bile Cave.

Elder Huhuo leaped onto the green eagle's back, let out a light shout, and the eagle spread its wings, soaring into the sky.

A howling wind rose, stirring up dust and sand, signaling the start of the test.

On the open ground beside the giant stone stele, only the already transformed, fur-covered beast slaves remained.

They looked at each other, their eyes filled with caution and threat.

After a moment of standoff, the half-man, half-tiger, the most muscular of the group, picked up a leather bag and walked into the forest, leaving the others behind.

Next, the one with the wild boar skin ran off in another direction.

One by one, they all left, each choosing a different direction, as if dividing their hunting territories.

Yuan Ming picked up a blood-filled leather bag, chose a direction, and walked into the forest, still maintaining an upright human posture.

But after just a few steps, he felt his back stiffen and his body become uncomfortable. His thick arms instinctively hung down, supporting his body, which made him feel more at ease.

"Indeed, I can no longer control this body like a human," Yuan Ming thought to himself.

Then, using his arms for support, he ran through the forest in an ape-like manner.

This way, his speed increased significantly.

His legs and arms were very strong, and with practice, he could use this strength effectively, transforming his running into a leaping gait.

After leaping for a while, Yuan Ming's speed increased, and the wind whistled in his ears. The trees in the forest quickly passed by. With a burst of speed, he leaped three yards in one jump.

When he landed, his feet stomped the ground, causing it to sink, and his feet sank into the earth.

After stabilizing himself, Yuan Ming picked up a vine from the ground, tied it around the leather bag, and slung it over his shoulder.

He then focused on a nearby old tree, as thick as a millstone, and approached it. He raised his arm, clenched his fist, and struck the tree a few times.

With a "crack," his massive fist hit the tree trunk, and the old tree snapped, the upper part collapsing.

Seeing the tree broken into a triangular shape, Yuan Ming felt a sense of satisfaction: "With such strength, hunting wild beasts for blood might not be so difficult."

Suddenly, his ears perked up. The nearby bushes shook violently, and a black shadow darted out, rushing toward him with a strong wind.

Before he could see clearly, Yuan Ming dodged behind another tree. The black shadow, a large black bear, about ten feet tall, had already caught up.

The bear swiped at Yuan Ming with its massive paw, hitting the tree in front of him.

The strong wind from the bear's paw whistled, and Yuan Ming, seeing the danger, quickly crouched down.

With a "snap," the tree, as thick as a bowl, broke, and the upper part flew past Yuan Ming's head, landing three yards away.

Yuan Ming was greatly alarmed. The black bear's strength was so fierce that a human body couldn't withstand a single hit.

Realizing he couldn't match the bear, he turned and ran.

The black bear, unwilling to give up, chased after him, even faster.

After a few breaths, the black bear was less than three yards behind him.

Yuan Ming was alarmed. In terms of both strength and speed, he was no match for the black bear.

He used his arms to support himself and his legs to jump, trying to increase the distance between himself and the bear, but his movements were still awkward with his new white ape body.

While leaping over a bush, his feet were tripped by a root, and he fell forward.

He used his arms to support himself, rolled forward, and stood up again, only to find the black bear already in front of him, swiping at his head with a claw.

At the last moment, Yuan Ming stopped his forward momentum, leaned back, and pulled his head away from the bear's claw, but his chest was scratched by the sharp claws, leaving three deep cuts.

Seeing the blood on his chest, Yuan Ming, in pain, turned and ran in another direction.

He pressed his hand on the wound, wiped it on a nearby old tree, and resumed his leaping gait, fleeing for his life.

The black bear, stimulated by the blood, became even more ferocious, roared, and chased after him again.

Seeing the bear getting closer, Yuan Ming spotted a large old banyan tree and, with a burst of effort, leaped up, grabbing the cracks in the tree trunk with his fingers and climbing up quickly.

The black bear, seeing Yuan Ming climb the tree, immediately swiped at the trunk.

"Bang!"

The old banyan tree shook violently, leaves falling. Yuan Ming clung tightly to the trunk, his feet also gripping the tree, preventing him from falling.

The black bear, failing to knock Yuan Ming down, continued to strike the tree, making it shake even more.

Yuan Ming used all his strength to hold onto the trunk, but fortunately, the tree was thick enough to withstand the bear's attacks.

Taking advantage of a pause, Yuan Ming quickly climbed up to a branch.

But before he could steady himself, the tree shook again, and he lost his balance, falling backward.

Just before he hit the ground, he grabbed a branch with his foot, hanging upside down.

"Roar!"

The black bear growled, hugged the tree, and shook it even harder, trying to knock Yuan Ming down.

Yuan Ming, hanging upside down, swayed like a leaf in the wind, but he didn't fall.

His foot strength was as strong as his hands, and he struggled to climb up, grabbing the branch with his hands, then releasing his foot and climbing further.

The black bear, unable to shake Yuan Ming down, snarled and then turned and walked away.

Yuan Ming, still clinging to the tree, watched the bear's retreating figure and let out a long breath.

He leaned against the tree, wanting to rest and calm his racing heart, but suddenly felt the tree shake again.