Crack!
The hefty tree trunk snapped with a resounding crack, and the lone wolf issued a roar of defiance, a sound filled with unwillingness.
It was the king of wolves, and yet it had been ambushed by a human.
Chen Wei's eyes blazed with a fierce light as he watched the wolf king struggle to survive. He charged forward, seizing the moment when the wolf staggered to its feet to grab its tail.
Like swinging a stick, he whirled it around, furiously slamming it into the ground over and over.
"Evil beast, meet your end!"
Chen Wei's roar echoed, his eyes blood-red, his mind lost to fury.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The earth shook with each impact. Already gravely wounded and caught off-guard by Chen Wei's ambush, the wolf king was now at the mercy of Chen Wei's relentless assault.
The wolf was left disoriented, reduced to emitting low, pained whimpers.
Crash!
Chen Wei, not knowing how many times he had swung the wolf, finally ran out of strength and stopped, hurling the wolf away.
The wolf's body crashed into a towering tree and lay there, still.
However, this time, the wolf king did not rise again. It lay on the ground, lifeless.
"Huff... Huff..."
Chen Wei, watching the wolf as if it were truly dead, allowed himself a moment of relief.
Thump.
Exhausted, Chen Wei collapsed onto the ground, his heart pounding uncontrollably.
A sense of lingering dread filled him.
Only now did Chen Wei show his most genuine self, his body shaking without cease.
[Congratulations, Host: You have successfully slain a Level Two Peak mutated Fierce Beast Wolf King!]
[Reward: 100,000 exchange points.]
[Current exchange point balance: 3.1 million.]
After some time, Chen Wei regained his composure, rose from the ground, and approached the Wolf King's carcass. He looked down at the beast that could not be deader and furrowed his brow.
The Wolf King's body was massive; standing before it, Chen Wei felt like a mere speck, no larger than one of its claws.
"System," Chen Wei inquired, "you mentioned that there's a crystal nucleus inside the head of this mutated Fierce Beast, correct?"
"Yes, Host," the System confirmed. "The crystal nucleus within its brain is rich with life energy, available for your use."
Upon hearing this, Chen Wei gave a slight nod and set about dissecting the Wolf King's head. Despite exerting considerable effort, he couldn't crack open the skull.
Even his Mountain Splitting Palm proved ineffective.
It made sense now why his earlier leap and strike with the Mountain Splitting Palm hadn't killed the Wolf King.
After numerous attempts, Chen Wei, feeling defeated, turned to the System for assistance. "System, the Wolf King's skull is incredibly tough. Is there anything I can use to break it open?"
The System responded, "Host, you may visit the weapons section in the Merchant Shop to exchange for a sharp blade."
Chen Wei acknowledged with a nod and accessed the weapons section of the System's Merchant Shop. A new weapon had appeared among the listings—a cold weapon.
It was a dagger gleaming with a blood-like light, as if stained with fresh blood, its crimson glow undulating like waves.
[Sharp Blade Blood Wave: Priced at 100,000 exchange points, it slices through iron as if it were mud and can penetrate the bodies of ten mutated fierce beasts.]
Without any hesitation, Chen Wei opted to exchange for it.
[Congratulations, Host: You have successfully purchased the Sharp Blade Blood Wave. 100,000 exchange points have been deducted.]
[Current exchange point balance: 3 million.]
"Huh? Why is it still 3 million? Wasn't my balance 3 million before?" Chen Wei couldn't help but express his confusion upon hearing the System's announcement.
In his previous frenzied state, he had completely overlooked the fact that he had earned exchange points for slaying the Wolf King.
The System clarified, "Host, by killing a level two mutated fierce beast, you've earned 100,000 exchange points."
Joy lit up Chen Wei's face as he realized, "You mean I can earn exchange points by killing mutated fierce beasts?"
"Yes, Host," the System confirmed. "Killing a level one fierce beast grants you 10,000 exchange points, a level two grants 100,000 exchange points, a level three grants 1 million exchange points, and so on."
The System added, "Furthermore, after slaying a mutated fierce beast, the Host may opt to recycle its body for a price equivalent to the reward for the kill."
Upon hearing the news, Chen Wei's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Holy smokes, what a stroke of luck!"
Without hesitation, Chen Wei got to work. He drew his sharp blade and effortlessly sliced open the Wolf King's skull. It didn't take long for him to find a black crystal nucleus the size of a chicken egg.
Next, he addressed the carcass of the Wolf King. "Opt to recycle the Wolf King's body," he commanded.
[Congratulations to the host: You have recycled the body of a level-2 mutated fierce beast, earning a reward of 100,000 exchange points.]
[Your current exchange point balance is 3.1 million.]
"It actually works! I've hit the jackpot. From now on, I can just scour these deep woods for easy pickings," Chen Wei thought, his eyes gleaming with the prospect of riches. He was convinced he'd discovered a gold mine.
Chen Wei then turned his attention to the egg-sized black crystal nucleus in his hand. The nucleus was irregularly shaped, resembling a jagged stone, and he could feel a powerful surge of dense life energy within it.
"How do I absorb this thing, System?" Chen Wei inquired.
The system replied, "Ordinary humans must cook and refine it, consuming only small amounts. But you, the host, can simply use your heart technique to directly absorb and refine it."
Chen Wei's eyebrows arched in intrigue. He immediately began to channel the Heavenly God Physique heart technique. Before his eyes, the crystal nucleus rapidly diminished, transforming into streams of pure life energy that merged with his body.
"I feel like I'm on the verge of another breakthrough."
After the crystal nucleus was absorbed, Chen Wei sensed the constraints within his body beginning to ease. With a few more crystal nuclei from second-grade mutated fierce beasts, he was confident he could advance to the third level of the Nirvana Stage.
"Oh right, there are still the other four fierce tigers."
Recalling that the Wolf King had slain four mutated fierce beasts, Chen Wei realized that the crystal nuclei from these second-grade fierce beasts would be enough for him to reach the next level. Wasting no time, he set out to claim his spoils.
[Congratulations to the host: You have recovered the bodies of four second-grade mutated fierce beasts, the fierce tigers, and have been rewarded with 400,000 exchange points.]
[Your current exchange point balance is 3.5 million.]
In Chen Wei's grasp, four more crystal nuclei materialized, each no larger than a pebble—far smaller than the Wolf King's sizable nucleus. Yet, Chen Wei felt no hint of disappointment. The Wolf King, after all, was a peak second-tier mutated fierce beast, whereas the four tigers were merely at the second tier.
Without delay, Chen Wei set about absorbing these four crystal nuclei. And as soon as he did, he experienced a breakthrough, his presence erupting with an aura that was suddenly and overwhelmingly formidable.
[Congratulations to the host: You have successfully advanced to the third level of the Nirvana Stage.]
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