Absolute Destiny Game.

Chapter 528 The Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth, the First Manifestation of Demonic Power

The moonlight tonight is excessively bright! The cool radiance seems to be drawn by some force, faintly forming a condensed pillar of light that envelops the white wolf! Bathed in that pure moonlight, the white wolf's already snow-white fur shimmers with a visible, translucent glow, as if draped in a flowing silver veil!

This is... Howling Wolf Under the Moon?! Xiao Jie was shocked! But he immediately dismissed it: No, it shouldn't be the real 'Howling Wolf Under the Moon'.

In the game, the effect of the Howling Wolf on the Moon grants the user a huge boost to attributes and enhances spells; it is a unique innate demonic art of the wolf demon race.

This white wolf was clearly not a wolf demon, but merely slightly more intelligent than an ordinary wild wolf. However, it was obvious that it had innately discovered the mysteries of moonlight power and was instinctively performing a primal breathing exercise! Although it was not a wolf demon, it had already stepped onto the threshold of absorbing moonlight and awakening its intelligence! Given time, if it were lucky enough to survive, it might very well transform into a true demon!

Perhaps I can learn something from it...

I have a professional specialty: learning from beasts.

Moreover, he possesses the core skills of the demon refiner profession, as well as the advanced expertise taught to him by Qin Shou. He should have an innate advantage in the path of demon beast evolution.

Although these abilities cannot be represented by data in reality (the illusion), making it difficult for Xiao Jie to determine whether they can be used, he is currently trapped in a desperate situation with all his internal energy depleted. This may be the only way to save himself! Even a dead horse has to be tried!
He struggled to climb the cliff top, his body weakened, using both hands and feet. The white wolf noticed the movement, stopped howling, and curiously glanced back at him, its eyes no longer wary, but only filled with doubt.

Xiao Jie ignored the white wolf. He certainly wouldn't imitate a wolf's howl. He remembered clearly that he had once consulted Master Xiaoyue about the principles of the Azure Wolf Howling at the Moon, who repeatedly emphasized: "The Azure Wolf Howling at the Moon's essence lies in 'sensing,' not in 'howling.' The howling is merely an outward expression of the wolf demon's joy after obtaining the power of the moon's essence. The true core logic of using this demonic art is to draw the moon's essence into the body, relying entirely on spiritual connection and frequency resonance!"

Although using this skill in the game doesn't fully demonstrate these techniques, Xiao Jie remembers them clearly.

At this moment, Xiao Jie sat cross-legged atop the cliff, abandoning all distracting thoughts, and looked up at the vast, bright moon. He made no sound, immersing himself entirely in the moonlight, trying to "feel" its cool, clear essence. He imitated the white wolf's raised head posture, adjusting his breathing, attempting to achieve a mysterious harmony between his mental frequency and the falling moonlight.

At first, he gained nothing but the cold mountain wind. But he remained calm and composed, like an old monk in deep meditation, trying again and again, trying to "touch" the invisible light with his heart, his eyes fixed on the silvery full moon, immersing his consciousness and thoughts in the bright moonlight.

Gradually, a very faint but real "soaking sensation" quietly emerged, as if countless cool "threads" carrying a faint vitality were slowly seeping into his exhausted body through his skin!
As far as the eye could see, the moonlight seemed to reveal its true nature: a halo formed by countless tiny silvery-white particles.

It's spiritual energy! Lunar spiritual energy! Xiao Jie was overjoyed and almost shouted it out! So that's how it is! The reason why monsters can be born is not entirely due to bloodline, but because they are born with a certain instinctive ability to resonate with the essence of heaven and earth, the essence of the sun and moon, and even the spiritual energy hidden in the mountains and rivers!

This primitive method of "qi extraction," though far less efficient and rapid than human qi cultivation techniques, possesses unparalleled adaptability and universality! It can extract the spiritual energy from all things.

Especially in this seemingly spiritually barren illusion, this is nothing short of a divinely granted method to turn the tide!
Feeling the faint yet continuous cool airflow seeping into his body, Xiao Jie guided this newborn power without hesitation. Once he felt that he had gathered a certain amount of spiritual energy, he suddenly activated the Qi Refining Secret Technique - Qi Healing Technique!

A miraculous scene unfolded! His deep, bone-revealing wounds, nourished by the moonlight's spiritual energy, began to visibly wriggle and heal! Even more exhilarating was that his previously shattered and lifeless dantian, bathed in this gentle and vibrant moonlight energy, began to slowly close and revive, like parched land receiving rain! Although a full recovery was still far off, this was undoubtedly a glimmer of hope!
Finally, after consuming all the moonlight spiritual energy he had just absorbed, most of his wounds had scabbed over and healed, and the life-threatening crisis of blood loss was averted. Although his dantian was still empty, the feeling of utter "death" had disappeared, and it had become "perceptible" again.

This means that he can start cultivating his internal energy again!
The only pity is that his severed right arm cannot be restored. It seems that for the rest of his time in this illusory realm, he can only be a one-armed swordsman.

Xiao Jie eagerly began circulating the inner energy of the "Tiger Roar and Dragon Cry Divine Skill." This time, it was no longer in vain! A faint yet tenacious wisp of inner energy, like a tender sprout breaking through the soil in early spring, struggled but stubbornly emerged from the depths of his repairing dantian, slowly flowing along the familiar meridians!
I'm back! My power! Boundless joy filled Xiao Jie's heart.

As internal energy recovers, physical strength also recovers.

He slowly stood up, gazing at the distant, rolling mountains, then looked down at the white wolf lying quietly beside him, bathed in the moonlight, his heart filled with indescribable gratitude.

The white wolf was also looking at him, its eyes filled with curiosity. How did this dying human suddenly become so energetic?

However, the effects of the beast taming technique were still present. The white wolf rubbed its head against Xiao Jie's trouser leg, giving Xiao Jie a strange sense of warmth, as if he had encountered family.

He suddenly felt a pang of emotion. Compared to the white wolf that had saved his life and led him to a new path, the deceit, betrayal, and harm of the human world seemed utterly unbearable. The torture in the state prison, being inexplicably arrested and interrogated, the Drunken Sword Immortal's murder of his master, and even the unseen "tests" and troubles brought by those he had helped... all of these things instilled in him a deep-seated fear and alienation from "humanity."

Living in human society, one always seems to have to be careful and vigilant against the system's tests, for fear of falling into a trap if one is not careful. Only when I am with my master in the Valley of Forgetfulness each year can I relax a little.

On the contrary, being with wolves at this time brought me a strange sense of peace and tranquility.

Perhaps... this is where I should be. The thought of "surviving in the wilderness" that I had when I left the village years ago resurfaced with crystal clarity.

Away from the hustle and bustle, and living among beasts, may be the true haven in this illusion, and the best choice to complete the trial.

Xiao Jie thought about it and secretly made up his mind.

Over the next few years, Xiao Jie completely integrated into this wild mountain forest. He lived among wolves, eating raw meat and drinking the blood of wild animals. Every full moon night, he would climb to the top of the cliff, sit quietly with the white wolves, and draw the moon's spiritual energy into his body.

He followed the wolf pack to learn hunting skills and observe the laws of nature, and his professional instincts as a demon refiner and beast tamer gradually awakened.

As the wolf cubs grew up, their initial wariness of the "two-legged monster wolf" gradually turned into acceptance, and they eventually regarded him as a special member of the pack. Although the warmth given by Master Xuanji was gone, they no longer needed to be constantly on guard against treacherous attacks and schemes from behind.

Compared to humans, wild animals express their joys, sorrows, and anger so directly.

Besides survival and cultivation, Xiao Jie devoted more of his energy to observing the beasts in the mountains. With his professional talent of learning from beasts and his understanding of demon arts as a demon refiner, he keenly captured the subtle signs that different wild beasts were gaining sentience and drawing upon the essence of heaven and earth.

He had seen giant pangolins that could lie prone on specific ley lines for long periods of time, their bodies shimmering with a yellowish-brown aura, drawing pure earthen spiritual energy from the depths of the earth.

He had seen large fish with silver scales lying still in the center of a deep pool whirlpool, the water flowing around them like gentle silk, quietly absorbing the essence of the Gui water from the water veins.

He had seen agile eagles soaring through the fierce winds of the heavens, each flap of their wings seemingly resonating with the invisible air currents, drawing in the thin yet pure spirit of the wind into their feathers.

He had also seen golden toads on the cliff face, lying on the scorching rocks at noon, their swollen bellies rising and falling rhythmically, greedily absorbing the spiritual energy of the blazing sun.

The old turtles by the deep pool like to surface at dawn, their shells condensing morning dew as they slowly absorb the rising purple aura of the sun.

Like a greedy apprentice, Xiao Jie accepted all these primitive "qi-guiding" methods without hesitation, trying them one by one. The essence of heaven and earth—earth, flowing water, strong winds, blazing sun, morning dew—was introduced into his body in the most simple and unadorned way.

Over time, the spiritual energy within him increased, causing various subtle changes in his body and revealing some characteristics unique to the demon race.

These mixed yet vibrant "demonic energies," originating from the instincts of all beasts, were not stored like the spiritual energy absorbed through Qi refining techniques. Instead, they slowly condensed and settled deep within his dantian, eventually forming a strange "inner core" the size of a grain of rice, radiating a faint, chaotic halo! Whenever he circulated his inner energy, he could clearly sense the existence of this "inner core." It was like a tiny vortex, slowly rotating and absorbing the imperceptible free energy in the surrounding environment.

This…could this be the legendary prototype of a demon core? Xiao Jie was filled with shock and doubt. Had he unwittingly embarked on a cultivation path completely different from traditional martial arts and even from Xuanmen Daoist methods? A path…of “demon cultivation” that imitates all beasts and absorbs the essence of heaven and earth?
Is this the so-called cultivation method for demon immortals? Is the true purpose of this Illusory Realm to allow one to find their own path to immortality within the illusion?

If one's understanding of martial arts can be brought back to reality, then can one's understanding of cultivating immortality also be brought back to reality?
If one can cultivate to become an immortal in the Land of Illusion, can one also ascend to immortality on the spot upon returning to reality?

But who knows where this strange inner core, still in its nascent stage, will ultimately lead him? And how many years will it take for it to begin to possess power?
(End of this chapter)