After Zheng-Fu finished absorbing the gravity field, he immediately followed Hu-Tai-Min to the next cultivation area. Before long, he caught up because Hu-Tai-Min had slowed down to wait for him.

"You're too late! Did you thank it, or did you fall asleep?" Hu-Tai-Min teased Zheng-Fu when he saw him approaching, having no clue what had caused Zheng-Fu's delay.

Ha ha ha!!!

"It's normal to take this long. I had to perform an apology ceremony too; otherwise, it wouldn't have taken so much time!" Zheng-Fu laughed off the comment and gave a fake excuse for his delay.

"An apology ceremony!? What's that? I've never heard of such a thing before!" Hu-Tai-Min asked in confusion.

"It's like apologizing for something you've done wrong! Hmm, forget it. By the way, where are we heading next? How much will it help increase my energy level?" Zheng-Fu noticed that Hu-Tai-Min was becoming particularly interested, so he quickly changed the topic by asking about the next destination Hu-Tai-Min planned to take him to. He also inquired about how much that place could help him improve.

"You don't have to worry about that! The next place I'm taking you to is guaranteed to be something you'll definitely like. Because this place will help make you much stronger!" Hu-Tai-Min stopped in his tracks and turned back to answer Zheng-Fu's question about their next destination. As he explained, a sly smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, hinting at something mischievous.

"It sounds like an interesting place! Let's hurry—I'm eager to get there already!" Zheng-Fu, suspecting Hu-Tai-Min was planning something mischievous as revenge for losing their bet, was still eager to find out what awaited him.

"Good! But it'll take us two days to get there. The location is deep within the forest, full of spirit monsters, so we'll have to take the safest route," Hu-Tai-Min explained, amused by Zheng-Fu's enthusiasm though knowing that he was deceiving him.

Two days later...

Roooaaar!!!

Slash!

Roooaaar!!! Roooaaar!!!

Slash! Slash!

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

"Why are there so many spirit monsters? Didn't you say this was the safest route?" Zheng-Fu grumbled as he killed over thirty intermediate Heavenly Foundation Building stage spirit monsters. Over the past two days, he barely had time to rest due to constant attacks.

"This is a small number, Human! If we took another route, we'd encounter even more—and their energy levels would be higher. Besides, I've taken care of most of them. Why are you complaining?" Hu-Tai-Min retorted. He had dealt with far more spirit monsters, many of them at higher levels, and was more exasperated than Zheng-Fu.

"So what!? You said this was the safest route, and I thought I wouldn't have to fight. But fine, at least I've collected plenty of spirit monster soul crystal balls. I'll let it slide!" Zheng-Fu begrudgingly shifted the conversation, trying to mask his frustration.

"Huh! Well, we're nearing the next cultivation site. Be cautious—the path ahead may have even more spirit monsters, and their levels are much higher than what we've encountered so far," Hu-Tai-Min warned, tired of Zheng-Fu's grumbling but knowing the dangers ahead.

"I understand! Right now, I can sense more than ten uninvited guests with energy levels higher than mine. But for you, they're much weaker," Zheng-Fu replied sarcastically, having already detected a group of advanced Heavenly Golden Core stage spirit monsters approaching.

"Why are you afraid? I believe you alone can handle them. Just consider this another form of cultivation!" Hu-Tai-Min encouraged, knowing Zheng-Fu needed the challenge to grow stronger.

"Are you mad?! Who can fight them all? If it were just one or two, I'd manage, but there are over ten!" Zheng-Fu exclaimed, frustrated at the seemingly impossible task.

"If you can't fight now, you won't improve. Fighting isn't just about strength—it's about strategy!" Hu-Tai-Min calmly responded, understanding Zheng-Fu's anxiety but pushing him to confront it.

Tch!

"All right! I'll fight them for you to see!" Although Zheng-Fu voiced his irritation, he wasn't truly afraid. Spirit monsters were far less intimidating than humans, whose intelligence and cunning made them far more dangerous.

"Good! I'll watch you defeat them. And don't think I'll lend a hand!" Hu-Tai-Min teased, confident Zheng-Fu could handle it.

"Who needs your help? Just sit and watch—I'll show you how to collect their soul crystal balls!"

"Ha! Let's see you try!"

After Zheng-Fu was forced to deal with all ten spirit monsters on his own, he decided to separate them first. If they stayed together, he would not be able to fight them effectively. Another idea he had was to use certain herbs he had collected, which had hallucinogenic effects on those who inhaled them, causing various illusions.

Whoosh!!!

"Five Giant Chameleon monsters and five Spiny-tailed Rat monsters? Hmm, the Spiny-tailed Rats always travel in flocks. I'll target the Giant Chameleons first!"

Finding a perfect ambush spot, Zheng-Fu observed his enemies: five Giant Chameleons and five Spiny-tailed Rats. He decided to eliminate the Giant Chameleons first, as they were easier to isolate.

Whoosh!!!

[Moonlight Dragon Sword Skill]

Booooooom!!!

Crack!!!

With one precise attack, Zheng-Fu destroyed a Giant Chameleon by targeting its vulnerable head. The sudden death of their companion caused the remaining four Giant Chameleons and five Spiny-tailed Rats to panic and rage.

Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!

Grrr!!! Grrr!!! Grrr!!!

Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!

Grrr!!! Grrr!!! Grrr!!!

"Come in, you fools! If you dare, then come in!" Seeing their rage, Zheng-Fu didn't hesitate to provoke them further. He then dashed into the dense forest. The nine spirit monsters, blinded by anger, chased after him without delay.

Whoosh!!!

Booooooom!!!

At the same moment, a purple orb flew at high speed and landed in the middle of the group of nine spirit monsters. It exploded into a cloud of purple dust, enveloping the area. This orb was the Hallucination Seed that Zheng-Fu had picked up earlier.

Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!

Grrr!!! Grrr!!! Grrr!!!

Clash! Clash! Clash!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Crash!!!

Upon inhaling the purple smoke, the nine spirit monsters immediately turned on each other, hallucinating that their allies were mortal enemies.

"Wow! This is better than I expected!" Zheng-Fu exclaimed, surprised at how effective the Hallucination Seed was.

"I should take this chance to deal with as many of them as possible. Once the Hallucination Seed's effect fades, even if they're injured, I'll be in a terrible situation!"

[Traceless Sword Skill]

Pheeeeew!!! Pheeeeew!!! Pheeeeew!!!

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!

Grrr!!! Grrr!!! Grrr!!!

To finish the job quickly before the spirit monsters recovered from their hallucinations, Zheng-Fu used the Traceless Sword Skill. It allowed him to kill or injure them without revealing that he was the attacker. With his first strike, he eliminated three Spiny-tailed Rat monsters, which had already been weakened by the fight with the Giant Chameleon monsters.

"Four down, six left! But it looks like the Hallucination Seed's effect is about to wear off. I need to end this quickly!"

[Traceless Sword Skill]

[Moonlight Dragon Sword Skill]

[Asunder Slashing Crescent Moon Sword Skill]

[Thousand Tricks Sword Skill]

Whoosh!!!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Determined to finish the remaining spirit monsters swiftly, Zheng-Fu used four sword techniques simultaneously, consuming nearly all his energy. The devastating attack killed two more Spiny-tailed Rat monsters and three Giant Chameleon monsters, leaving only one Giant Chameleon alive.

"Just one left? But I have only a fraction of my energy remaining. If I try to kill it, I'll lose consciousness afterward. Huh! But if I take a bite of the Rainbow Mushroom to replenish my energy, I can finish it off and still stay conscious! Let's do it!"

Wooooooosh!!!

Gulp!

Booooooom!!!

With one bite of the Rainbow Mushroom, Zheng-Fu regained more than four parts of his energy, enough to take down the last Giant Chameleon while staying conscious.

"I won't give up now!"

Yaaaaaaak!!!

[Traceless Sword Skill]

Whoosh!!! Whoosh!!! Whoosh!!!

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Grrr!!!

Thud!

"Succeed! At last… Hah!!!"

Thump!!! Thump!!! Thump!!!

Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!

Grrr!!! Grrr!!! Grrr!!!

But before Zheng-Fu could celebrate, the sound of dozens of Giant Chameleon and Spiny-tailed Rat spirit monsters echoed as they approached, drawn by the commotion.

"More of them? Damn it! I have to escape before they reach me, or I'm dead! By the way, where's that bastard Hu-Tai-Min? Why isn't he helping me?"

Overwhelmed, Zheng-Fu panicked at the arrival of more spirit monsters. His energy was too depleted to face them, even if their levels were lower than those he had just defeated. He decided to flee and recover his energy.

"This is a really difficult situation! But you seem to have handled it well, Human. I suspect you've faced many life-and-death trials before. But it's not over yet. This monster forest holds hundreds of thousands of spirit monsters ready to hunt you down. Spend the rest of your time cultivating your energy here. Ha ha ha!"

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