2: Making a living through odd jobs, showing his skills for the first time

The mid-morning sun had climbed to the center of the sky, casting mottled shadows on the ground as it filtered through the dense bamboo forest behind Tianling Academy. Lu Chen carried a heavy iron axe, walking deep into the bamboo forest along the winding mountain path. The wound on his shoulder still throbbed with a dull pain—a mark left from his clash with Tiger King yesterday.

As a Utility Disciple, chopping a hundred catties of wood daily was a mandatory task. Though it seemed tedious and useless, it was actually a basic tempering of the Physical Body. However, Lu Chen's Spiritual Root was cluttered, making the circulation of Qi sluggish. After chopping for less than an hour, he was already panting heavily, and blood blisters had been rubbed onto his palms by the axe handle.

“The foundation of this body is too poor. If I can't increase my strength quickly, let alone seeking revenge, I might not even survive the daily manual labor.” Lu Chen leaned against an old bamboo tree to rest, beginning to circulate the Basic Fist Technique he had unexpectedly obtained yesterday. A faint Qi flowed slowly through his Meridians, nourishing his exhausted Physical Body, and the pain in his palms actually eased significantly. He became increasingly certain that this ability to have Cultivation Techniques drop was the key to his Heaven-Defying change of fate.

Just as he was preparing to continue chopping wood, a low roar echoed from deep within the bamboo forest, carrying the characteristic violent aura of a Vicious Beast. Lu Chen's heart tightened, and he gripped his iron axe in alert—while the back mountain of Tianling Academy wasn't considered extremely perilous, low-level Yao Beasts occasionally appeared, which were already a fatal threat to a Utility Disciple.

The roars grew closer, accompanied by the sound of crushing dry leaves. Lu Chen looked toward the sound and saw a blue-faced, fanged Yao Beast slowly stepping out. Its body was like a wolf's, with blue-black fur; it was a first-grade Yao Beast, the Blue-Faced Wolf. Its eyes glowed with a bloodthirsty red light as it stared fixedly at Lu Chen, saliva dripping from the corners of its mouth.

“A first-grade Yao Beast, the Blue-Faced Wolf. It's fast, and its claws and teeth are venomous. With my current strength, I have absolutely no chance in a head-on fight.” Common knowledge about Yao Beasts taught by the Manual Labor Courtyard Elder flashed through Lu Chen's mind. He instinctively stepped back, gripping the iron axe and assuming the starting stance of the Basic Fist Technique.

The Blue-Faced Wolf clearly didn't take this seemingly weak human seriously. It suddenly lunged forward, its sharp claws tearing toward Lu Chen's chest with a whistling wind. Lu Chen's pupils constricted. Relying on the flexible footwork tempered by the Basic Fist Technique, he barely managed to sidestep, swinging the iron axe toward the wolf's leg in the process.

With a crisp 'clang,' the iron axe struck the Blue-Faced Wolf's fur, only leaving a white mark. Stung by the pain, the Blue-Faced Wolf roared and turned, launching another fierce attack. Lu Chen could only dodge clumsily, his clothes being shredded into several gaps by the sharp claws, his situation becoming increasingly precarious.

“This won't do. Although the Basic Fist Technique can improve my footwork, its attack power is insufficient; I can't hurt it at all.” Lu Chen was anxious. Seeing the Blue-Faced Wolf pounce again, he had nowhere left to retreat. His foot tripped, and he tumbled into a pile of dry leaves.

In his desperation, Lu Chen caught sight of a pile of dark objects beside him—it was actually wolf dung left by the Blue-Faced Wolf. Without time to think, he grabbed a handful of wolf dung and hurled it at the Blue-Faced Wolf's eyes. This sudden action stunned the Blue-Faced Wolf. The dung smeared across its face, obstructing its vision and causing its attack to falter instantly.

At that moment, a streak of light suddenly flew out from the pile of wolf dung and entered the space between Lu Chen's eyebrows. Countless pieces of information flooded his mind; it was a brand-new Cultivation Technique—Beast Speak. Instantly, Lu Chen could understand the low whispers of the surrounding vegetation and clearly perceive the Blue-Faced Wolf's emotions: anger, confusion, and a hint of hidden wariness.

“So these techniques don't just drop from people, but can also be obtained from things related to Yao Beasts!” Lu Chen was both surprised and delighted. He immediately circulated Beast Speak and let out a low growl at the Blue-Faced Wolf, mimicking the intimidating intent of a Yao Beast while simultaneously transmitting the thought to “retreat.”

The Blue-Faced Wolf froze, the bloodthirsty red light in its eyes fading considerably. It didn't seem to expect that this human could actually understand its heart and, moreover, emit an aura that made it wary. After a moment of hesitation, the Blue-Faced Wolf roared unwillingly a few times and actually turned around, retreating step by step into the depths of the bamboo forest, though it didn't go far, faintly observing Lu Chen from the shadows.

Lu Chen slumped to the ground, panting heavily, his back soaked with cold sweat. That brush with death just now made him truly feel the cruelty of this world and made him cherish this Heaven-Defying Golden Finger even more. He immersed himself in the insights of Beast Speak, discovering that this technique not only allowed him to understand beast language but also enabled simple communication with low-level Yao Beasts. The blurry wolf-shaped totem on the title page seemed to have some secret connection with the Blue-Faced Wolf.

“Lu Chen! Are you alright?” a crisp voice called out.

Lu Chen looked up and saw a young girl dressed in utility clothing walking over with a food box. It was Lin Xiaowan, who was responsible for delivering meals to the utility workers in the back mountain. Seeing Lu Chen's tattered clothes and disheveled state, a flash of surprise crossed Lin Xiaowan's eyes as she hurried forward: “Did you encounter a Yao Beast?”

“Yeah, I ran into a Blue-Faced Wolf. Luckily, it retreated,” Lu Chen said, standing up and brushing the dust off his clothes.

Lin Xiaowan surveyed the messy tracks around them, then looked at the blood blisters on Lu Chen's palms and the scratches on his body, her eyes filled with admiration: “The Blue-Faced Wolf is so fierce; for you to be unharmed is truly impressive. I didn't believe it when I heard people say you defeated Tiger King, but now it seems you really are extraordinary.”

In the past, when Manual Labor Courtyard Disciples encountered Yao Beasts, they were either killed or injured. For Lu Chen to escape unscathed was already a miracle. Lin Xiaowan handed him the food box: “Quick, eat while it's hot. Today's meal includes Spirit Rice, which can replenish some Qi.”

Lu Chen took the food box, feeling a warmth in his heart. Since transmigrating, he had endured nothing but cold shoulders; this was the first time someone had shown him such concern. He opened the food box, and a fragrant aroma wafted out. The Spirit Rice was mixed with wild vegetables; though simple, it contained a faint amount of Qi.

The two exchanged a few simple words before Lin Xiaowan left with the empty food box, specifically reminding him to stay safe before she departed. Lu Chen watched her back, thinking to himself: This Lin Xiaowan is kind-hearted. If there's an opportunity in the future, she's someone worth befriending.

He finished his meal and was about to continue chopping wood when he suddenly heard a much more powerful Yao Beast roar coming from deep within the bamboo forest, its aura several times more terrifying than the Blue-Faced Wolf's. Lu Chen's heart tightened, knowing that something even more dangerous must be hidden deep in the back mountain. He didn't dare linger, quickly chopping the full hundred catties of firewood and heading back toward the Manual Labor Courtyard with his iron axe on his shoulder.

On the way, he carefully contemplated Beast Speak, finding that this technique and the Basic Fist Technique complemented each other. It not only allowed communication with Yao Beasts but also enhanced his perception of danger. The secret of that wolf-shaped totem and the powerful Yao Beast deep in the back mountain became mysteries that lingered in his mind.

Back at the Manual Labor Courtyard, the other Disciples showed surprised expressions when they saw Lu Chen not only return safely but also with the full quota of firewood. The few who had mocked him before didn't dare to sneer wantonly now, their eyes holding a bit more awe as they looked at him.

Lu Chen didn't care about this at all. He returned to his simple wooden hut, closed the door, and began to Cultivate the Basic Fist Technique and Beast Speak with full concentration. Faint Qi circulated through his Meridians, his Physical Body gradually grew stronger, and his perception of Yao Beasts became increasingly sharp. He knew this was only the beginning. In this cultivation world where the strong prey on the weak, he could only truly establish himself by continuously obtaining stronger techniques and increasing his strength.

Meanwhile, in the dense thickets deep in the bamboo forest, the Blue-Faced Wolf was growling softly at a much larger Yao Beast, seemingly reporting something. A pair of eerie green eyes peered through the gaps in the leaves, looking in the direction Lu Chen had left with a hint of inquiry and greed.