30: Tracking prey

After returning to his small courtyard, Ji Mo sat cross-legged and began concentrating on comprehending the Lightness Skill.

However, no matter how hard he tried, he was always separated from the Major Achievement Realm by a layer of 'window paper' that seemed as thin as a cicada's wing yet as solid as a rock.

Ji Mo even began to suspect that his Comprehension Ability was too poor.

If others knew what he was thinking, they would probably scold him mercilessly.

One must know that he had only just obtained the Cultivation Technique a few days ago and had already Cultivated it to the Minor Achievement Realm; those who spent several years to reach Minor Achievement would surely be angered to the point of spitting blood upon hearing this.

Out of frustration, Ji Mo could only hope that practice makes perfect.

He got up and went into the courtyard, practicing the Movement Technique over and over again, from sunset until the moon hung high and stars densely covered the sky.

Looking at the twinkling stars filling the sky, Ji Mo couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

He felt as if he had overlooked a crucial part of the process.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Ji Mo's mind, like a bolt of lightning tearing through the dark night sky.

"That's right, I was so stupid! Every Cultivation Technique has its specific Qi circulation route, so why don't I try integrating the furnace fragments into the specific Meridians and major acupoints of these Martial Skills and Cultivation Techniques?"

"In this way, they can replace or assist these acupoints in breathing in Spiritual Qi, thereby accelerating the circulation speed of Spiritual Qi, and simultaneously strengthening the Meridians and acupoints."

To act as soon as he thought of something—this had always been Ji Mo's style.

He immediately decomposed 36 furnace fragments, and then, relying on his powerful Mental Divine Power, he carefully controlled them, slowly integrating them into the critical acupoints along the Lightness Skill's Qi circulation route.

The moment the Fusion occurred, Ji Mo keenly noticed that the 36 acupoints seemed to have been endowed with miraculous power, undergoing earth-shattering changes.

The surface of the acupoints was covered by a layer of dazzling golden light, and the rate of Spiritual Qi absorption instantly doubled.

With this sudden enlightenment, Ji Mo activated the Lightness Skill. In an instant, the courtyard was filled with overlapping, dazzling phantom images, making it impossible to distinguish which was Ji Mo's true body.

Ji Mo's phantoms constantly shattered, only to re-condense the next moment, repeating in a continuous cycle.

Amidst this miraculous transformation, the Lightness Skill had successfully been Cultivated to the Major Achievement Realm.

Ji Mo stopped moving, his heart overflowing with excitement, unable to suppress the feeling of joy.

He had once again developed a brand new function for the Hegemonic Heaven Refining Art.

This was practically a cheat device, a Cultivation Technique speed-up machine.

When others Cultivate Cultivation Techniques, they mostly rely on coincidental Epiphany or long periods of comprehension and accumulation.

However, Ji Mo had found a different path, forcefully carving out his own rapid Cultivation route.

But in Ji Mo's view, no matter which method was used, as long as it was helpful for his Cultivation, it was the best method.

At this moment, he was full of confidence and looked forward to the upcoming Martial Arts Competition.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, like a white steed flashing past a crack.

After two days of diligent Cultivation, Ji Mo was already able to skillfully utilize the Lightness Skill at the Major Achievement level.

When he performed it now, his movements shifted like a ghost, and the speed was astonishing.

Ji Mo was certain that it would be extremely difficult for an ordinary person to surpass his speed.

"All participants, immediately gather outside the South Gate!"

A majestic and deep voice, like rolling thunder, instantly covered the entire City of Chaos.

Hearing this loud shout, Ji Mo knew in his heart that it must have come from an Innate expert; otherwise, it would be impossible to clearly transmit the sound to every corner of the city.

Ji Mo stepped out of his courtyard gate and saw that the streets were already surging with crowds, packed tightly, all participants rushing toward the South Gate.

Ji Mo followed the crowd and arrived at the open area outside the South Gate.

Looking up, he saw a middle-aged man floating steadily in the sky, possessing a terrifying Aura and a face full of majesty.

This person must be the City Lord of the City of Chaos—Shangguan Batian.

"I am Shangguan Batian, the City Lord of the City of Chaos! Everyone listen up!"

Shangguan Batian's voice rang out again, echoing around like a massive bell.

"Because the number of participants this time is too large, the original competition rules are no longer applicable. Therefore, I have decided to make adjustments.

Look at the mountain forest behind you; this forest is connected to the Eternal Forest.

I, along with many fellow practitioners, have deliberately driven a large number of Yao Beasts from the depths of the Eternal Forest, including some powerful Yao Beasts at the Level Three Peak, close to Level Four.

At the same time, I have scattered one hundred Participation Tokens throughout this dense forest.

As long as you approach within a hundred meters of a Token, it will emit a unique fluctuation.

For the next five days, you must survive in this dense forest. After five days, anyone who can walk out of the forest with a Token will advance to the next round of the competition."

"Oh, right, there's one more thing to add. All these Tokens have been set with a Restriction by me, preventing them from being stored in Spatial Storage.

Furthermore, the Tokens can sense each other.

So, don't think about finding a Token, hiding it secretly, and then easily advancing when the time is up.

I advise those who are relying on luck to withdraw from the competition sooner rather than later, lest they lose their lives for nothing."

Shangguan Batian's expression was cold, and his eyes revealed an undeniable majesty.

"Now, participants, enter the forest immediately. Those planning to withdraw, please leave on your own."

When Ji Mo heard that there were many Yao Beasts in the forest, a look of excitement immediately flashed in his eyes.

Putting aside everything else, these Yao Beasts alone were already an extremely generous benefit for him, practically an excellent "Dungeon Instance."

What's more, the competition itself was full of thrills and challenges, essentially encouraging mutual slaughter among the participants. Compared to the Yao Beasts, human hearts might be even more sinister.

Furthermore, this competition had virtually no rules; the only principle was survival of the fittest. As long as one survived until the end, they were the winner.

For Ji Mo, this kind of competition environment was undoubtedly his blessed land.

Ji Mo did not rush into the forest but calmly searched the crowd for Song Dong's figure.

As the participants successively entered the forest and the numbers gradually decreased, Ji Mo finally spotted Song Dong.

At this moment, Song Dong was accompanied by six other people, who were presumably his teammates.

He watched as the group strode into the forest. Only then did Ji Mo unhurriedly follow them in.

Most participants entering the forest were in groups; it was truly rare to see someone like Ji Mo participating alone.

Ji Mo clearly felt many malicious gazes directed at him.

Perhaps because they had just entered the forest and hadn't yet gone deep, they were still close to each other, and since no one had gained anything yet, no one dared to rashly attack Ji Mo.

Relying on his sharp senses, Ji Mo kept a tight lock on Song Dong and his group. In his heart, he had already decided to eliminate this major threat first before searching for the Tokens.

After all, seeing his enemy safe and sound felt like a bone stuck in his throat, making him extremely uncomfortable.

The number of participants this time was truly massive; Ji Mo roughly estimated there were at least ten thousand people.

He followed quietly for two hours straight, and as they went deeper into the forest, the figures around them gradually diminished.

Rashly making a move when there were many people around was clearly not a wise decision.

After all, no one knew what hidden cards their opponents might be concealing.

If they both ended up injured and someone else profited from their struggle, they would regret it immensely.

Ji Mo was currently like an assassin lurking in the darkness, operating the Lightness Skill to its maximum extent, his entire body flickering like a phantom.

At the same time, the heaven and earth creation bell operated at full power, completely concealing all of his Aura.

He waited quietly for the moment his prey would reveal a flaw.

Meanwhile, Song Dong's group was conversing in low voices.

One of them said, "Brother Dong, I think we should first figure out a way to find a Token.

Among our team, only you have a chance to secure a rank in the competition.

We aren't greedy; just one Token is enough.

Even if other teams sense the Token's Aura and see the few of us, they probably won't dare to easily try and snatch it, saving us from being taken advantage of by others."

Song Dong nodded slightly and replied:

"Mhm, that makes sense. We'll get a Token first, then find a hidden place on the outskirts of the forest to hide and quietly wait for the time to run out.

With my strength, I doubt any foolish people would dare to provoke us."

Just as they were speaking, a Level Three High-Tier Yao Beast suddenly appeared in front of them—a Golden Flame Lion.

At the same time, the Token's fluctuation clearly arrived. Not only could they sense it, but they could even see it directly: a Token was faintly hidden on the Yao Beast's body.

The Golden Flame Lion was a Fire Attribute Yao Beast, quite powerful among Level Three Yao Beasts. Its body radiated scorching flame Aura, like a small volcano ready to erupt at any moment, inspiring dread in those who saw it.

The Golden Flame Lion noticed people approaching. Its bronze-bell-like eyes suddenly lit up, revealing fierce intent. It raised its head and let out an earth-shattering roar; the sound waves rolled out, shaking the surrounding air.

Flames surged out of its mouth and nose, sweeping toward Song Dong and the others like a sea of fire.

Song Dong's expression hardened, and he quickly shouted:

"Everyone be careful, this Golden Flame Lion is not easy to deal with!"

His teammates quickly scattered, each executing their Cultivation Technique to resist the oncoming flames.

One person swung the long sword in their hand, and a streak of ice-blue Sword Qi shot out, colliding with the flames, producing a sizzling sound as steam rose up.

Ji Mo concealed his presence nearby, watching the scene with interest.

He thought to himself that this was a good Opportunity; perhaps he could use the Golden Flame Lion to weaken Song Dong's group.

Song Dong drew the long sword from his waist, the blade flashing with cold light. He shouted loudly, his body moving like lightning, charging toward the Golden Flame Lion. The sword blade carried a fierce Sword Light, aiming straight for the Golden Flame Lion's neck.

The Golden Flame Lion sensed danger. It stamped its four paws on the ground and met Song Dong like a cannonball. Blazing flames ignited on its claws, fiercely swiping toward Song Dong. Song Dong dodged sideways, cleverly avoiding the attack, but his sleeve was still set alight by the flames. He quickly circulated Spiritual Power to extinguish the fire.

Seeing this, the teammates quickly stepped in to help. Someone threw out a large net, attempting to trap the Golden Flame Lion and restrict its movements.

However, the Golden Flame Lion was powerful. It roared repeatedly, and the flames on its body instantly surged, burning the large net to ashes.

I will speed up the plot later. The filler and introductions for the early stages are mostly done; the rest will be exciting. As this is my first time writing a book, please grant me space to improve.