"My defense has reached the fifth level, and I also have the talent for counterattack. If you target me, you'll only be asking for trouble!"
Ye Que snorted coldly and ran out of the town.
"System notification: A fifth-level monster is rapidly approaching. Please take cover!"
Ye Que saw a figure rushing towards him, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.
"Leave that three-hundred-year-old ginseng behind!"
The figure threatened, leaping high into the air and stepping on the tortoise shell with his right foot.
"Jumping that high, you'll crush me, you little bastard!"
Ye Que was afraid the other party would miss, so he deliberately crawled forward two steps and then retracted his limbs and head into the tortoise shell.
"Ding! Host's talent triggered, counterattack!"
Crack!
It was the sound of bones breaking!
"Ah!"
The figure screamed and fell to the ground.
Upon closer inspection, it was a middle-aged man.
"You damn turtle, so tough! Get the hell out of here!"
The middle-aged man stood up, leaping with his left foot, about to kick Ye Que away.
"I am indeed a turtle, but please don't add the word 'dead' before 'turtle'!"
Ye Que retorted seriously from inside the turtle shell.
"Activate skill, Rock Tremor!"
The turtle shell seemed to weigh hundreds of pounds heavier, fixed in place, emitting a faint black light, and vibrating with a very small amplitude.
The middle-aged man kicked with his left foot!
"Ding! Host's talent triggered, counterattack!"
Crack!
"Ah! My left leg!"
The middle-aged man fell to the ground, unable to get up.
This time, not only was his left foot broken, but his toes were also useless!
What the hell is this thing? It can't be broken by stepping on it, and it can't be kicked away.
It's like it has thorns, and it has crippled him instead.
"Ding! Rock Tremor proficiency increased by 20."
"I haven't used Shadow Strike yet, you little turtle, your grandpa will use you as a guinea pig!"
"Use skill, Shadow Strike!"
Ye Que disappeared in a flash.
The middle-aged man saw the palm-sized turtle seemingly blending into the darkness in the night, and he was filled with great fear.
"Not good!"
He flailed his fists, trying to fend off the turtle that might attack.
Bang!
His right wrist suffered a massive impact!
A scream escaped his lips again.
A gash appeared on his wrist, even the bone inside was cut.
Except for the bone holding it together, his wrist was almost severed.
"Ding! Shadow Strike proficiency increased by 20."
Ye Que reappeared in the night, flicking the blood from his right forepaw.
This guy was smart enough to block a vital point beforehand.
Otherwise, it wouldn't have been just a simple wrist cut off.
"It's still because my attack power is too weak. Otherwise, with a skill, I would have severed your wrist!"
Tap tap tap—
the girl caught up, and seeing someone, cried out in alarm, "Little turtle, run!"
Ye Que's face darkened.
"Xue Lingluo, do you know this turtle that has become a spirit?"
the middle-aged man groaned.
Xue Lingluo was already a frightened bird; hearing the other party call her name, she hurriedly retreated.
"Map scan alert: Two level 8 monsters and five level 7 monsters have appeared 600 meters behind!"
Ye Que's expression changed, and he turned and ran.
The assassins caught up.
Xue Lingluo was clueless; seeing the little turtle run, she followed.
Ye Que didn't take the main path, disappearing into the chaotic wilderness and eventually reaching the Monster Forest safely.
The girl named Xue Lingluo, who had been running with him, vanished.
At the entrance of Qingfeng Town,
a group of people appeared.
"Black Rat?"
someone asked in confusion.
The middle-aged man lying on the ground looked in the direction of the voice and said in surprise, "Chief Steward Xue."
"Since it's you, you must recognize Xue Lingluo. Did she run away from here?"
Chief Steward Xue said coldly.
Seeing the murderous aura of these people, Black Rat didn't dare to speak for a moment.
"Who is he?"
the leader asked.
Chief Steward Xue respectfully explained, "He is the black market merchant I recommended Li Heidiao to buy the Melting Water Poison."
Black Rat trembled, sensing something was wrong.
The leader turned to the black rat: "Did Xue Lingluo pass by here?"
"I...I didn't see her."
The black rat lowered her head, fearing for her life.
"Kill her!"
the leader uttered.
"Don't kill me! I'll talk, I'll tell you everything! Xue Lingluo just ran away from here. I tried to stop her, but a tortoise that had become a spirit rescued her!"
the black rat cried pitifully.
Seeing that he didn't seem to be lying, Steward Xue guessed, "A beast-taming expert rescued Xue Lingluo!"
"No matter who rescued her, she couldn't possibly survive tonight!"
The leader waved his hand and led his men out of town.
The Xue family couple blocked several of their strong members, but with their strength, they were more than capable of hunting down Xue Lingluo.
Before leaving, Steward Xue struck the black rat dead with a single blow: "There are some truths you shouldn't know. Rest in peace!"
Late at night.
Central part of the Demon Beast Forest.
"Finally safe."
Ye Que hid in a tree hollow, slightly panting.
"Eat this ginseng first."
He quickly ate the ginseng.
"Ding! Host has consumed a 300-year-old ginseng! Gained 0.5 experience points."
"Experience points have indeed decreased. When I was in the third realm, consuming a 300-year-old treasure would give me 1 experience point."
After breaking through to the fourth realm of demon beast, not only does consuming treasures have an impact, but killing demon beasts should also have an impact.
He estimated that at his current level, killing a level two demonic beast would yield no experience points, and killing a level three demonic beast would only give him 0.5 experience points.
He gradually discerned a pattern:
killing a demonic beast or monster of the same level would grant 1 experience point.
Killing a demonic beast or monster one level lower would only grant 0.5 experience points.
Killing a demonic beast or monster two levels lower would grant no experience points.
Conversely,
killing a demonic beast or monster one level higher would grant 2 experience points.
Killing a demonic beast or monster two levels higher would grant 3 experience points,
and so on .
This pattern also applied to consuming treasures.
Thinking this through, he dared not waste his experience points and decided to save them.
"First, I'll keep my level at level four, then farm experience points in large quantities."
Unless faced with an extremely dangerous situation, he would never use them to break through. Otherwise,
if his level increased again and he wanted more experience points, he would have to kill demonic beasts of higher levels.
High-level demonic beasts are rare and cunning, making them difficult and dangerous to kill, far less convenient than killing low-level demonic beasts.
Checking the panel:
Speed: 4.2/10
Defense: 5/10
Attack: 4/10
Experience Points: 0.5
Martial Arts: Unlocked
(the Martial Arts item is flashing).
Clicking on it with his mind.
Evolution: Wild Forest Turtle (A fourth-level demonic beast with keen hearing)
Techniques: Unlocked at the fifth level.
Skill 1: Shadow Strike 20/500 (Upgrades to Void Assassination Technique when proficiency reaches 500)
Skill 2: Rock Tremor 20/100 (Upgrades to Rock Seal when proficiency reaches 100)
Secret Technique: Riot (Increases all abilities by 50% for one minute; cooldown: three days)
"Besides grinding experience points, I also need to increase my proficiency!"
He crawled out of the tree hole.
"Grind experience! Grind proficiency!"
"Map scan notification: A third-level demonic beast has appeared 600 meters ahead."
Ye Que's eyes lit up, and he rushed forward.
"Map scan alert: A level four demonic beast has appeared 600 meters ahead!"
"I'm also level four, and my defense is even level five! I also have skills! I can kill level four demonic beasts!"
I exerted my strength again and charged forward.