Dark Immortal Cultivation

Ancient ruins.

Zhang Qing sat cross-legged behind a ruined wall, his eyes half-closed as he circulated his qi.

On a broken stone pillar nearby, a wooden puppet stood, its square head twisting from side to side.

Although it lacks a mouth, nose, eyes, and ears, Zhang Qing was able to observe the surrounding scenery with the help of this strange object while in a state of "spirit possession".

In the event of danger, one can detect it immediately and take appropriate action.

Although such distraction inevitably affected the efficiency of his cultivation.

But in this wilderness, we must remain vigilant!

Zhang Qing took a deep breath, and a low, resonant sound emanated from his dantian.

That's a characteristic of true qi vibration.

Although this desolate wilderness is not safe, the content of spiritual energy in the area is higher than in the camp.

This largely compensates for the lack of efficiency.

Time passed slowly, and as noon approached, Zhang Qing finished his cultivation.

His dantian qi has recovered to more than 90%.

Seeing that there was still plenty of time, Zhang Qing couldn't help but feel a little restless.

His gaze fell upon the dark mist that blotted out the sky in the distance. He then rose, cast the "Clear Wind Technique," and flew forward.

Back in Xiaoshiji, Zhang Qing not only hunted ferocious beasts, but also explored ancient ruins with others.

After fleeing to Qing'anji, his strength continued to increase, and he remained holed up in the camp, never once venturing out to "catch the tide".

"Going out to hunt, gather, and explore the wilderness after the black tide recedes, searching for any usable resources."

Similar to beachcombing.

Recently, the talisman coins in Zhang Qing's storage bag have been spent like water.

He spent a large portion of his savings just on buying the meat of ferocious beasts needed for his cultivation.

Zhang Qing's bag is almost empty now, and he has eaten all the beast meat he bought before.

The monthly salary of the outer disciples of Changfeng Society is very low, barely enough to buy some firewood, rice, oil, and salt to fill their stomachs.

Besides, he had only been in this gang for less than half a month!

Zhang Qing is currently living off his savings.

So I have to earn some "extra money"!

A faint aura surrounded him as Zhang Qing swiftly moved forward among the weeds and rocks.

As he ventured deeper into the wilderness, the surrounding vegetation grew increasingly lush and verdant.

A faint, fishy odor gradually filled the air, mixed with the desolate smell of decaying leaves and soil.

This is a dangerous aura.

A vast forest appeared before Zhang Qing, its countless branches intertwined and blocked out the sun, dimming the light in the surrounding space.

Zhang Qing slowed down, began to conceal his aura, and moved with extreme lightness. He quietly spread his spiritual sense, as if casting an invisible net, carefully probing the surrounding movements.

The little puppet on his shoulder also turned its head slightly, using the connection of their souls to help him keep an eye out for any movement in the shadows.

Zhang Qing had considered sending it to scout out the "enemy situation".

However, considering that his mastery of wooden puppets was not strong enough and his perception range was limited, he abandoned the idea.

Otherwise, if this rare item is accidentally damaged in the wild, it will be too late to regret it!

Zhang Qing carefully sneaked into the dense forest.

After walking only a few dozen steps, he smelled a faint fishy and muttony odor.

At the same time, Zhang Qing faintly heard low breathing sounds, as if something was lurking in the shadows of the dense forest.

It is precisely the kind of person that is being devoured by lust!

His vigilance instantly reached its peak.

We are ready to fight at any time!

The next moment, Zhang Qing stopped and looked at a dense thicket of trees in front of him.

The branches and leaves of that grove of trees are swaying gently!

His gaze sharpened, and he didn't rush to approach rashly. He secretly circulated his inner energy in his dantian, and a ball of crimson flame quietly brewed in his palm.

Awoo!

In an instant, a fierce roar suddenly exploded, causing the surrounding branches and leaves to fall in a rustling sound.

The bushes were smashed open with tremendous force, and a dark brown figure suddenly darted out.

Zhang Qing's pupils suddenly contracted!

He never expected that his first time catching the tide would result in encountering such a huge creature.

This is a spotted fang beast, over ten feet long, with alternating shades of gray-black stripes covering its robust body. Its entire body is covered with a layer of fur that gleams with a dull sheen, and its ferocious head reveals fangs!

It jumped to the ground, only twenty or thirty steps away from Zhang Qing.

But the ferocious beast did not attack immediately.

It stared at Zhang Qing with its scarlet eyes, its limbs slightly lowered, its back muscles tense, and thick saliva dripping from the corner of its mouth, exuding a fierce aura.

It seems to be observing, or perhaps measuring.

The next moment, the spotted beast could no longer restrain itself. Its thick limbs suddenly exerted force, and its huge body transformed into a gray shadow as it charged towards Zhang Qing, determined to pounce on him and tear him to pieces.

Just as the ferocious beast leaped into the air, Zhang Qing made a sudden attack!

With a flick of his wrists, he unleashed over a dozen bursts of crimson flames in an instant, bombarding the fanged beast with overwhelming force.

Condensing fire, locking on, and attacking—the entire process was seamless. The fireballs fired were dense and swift, sealing off the beast's space to dodge!

At the crucial moment, his hard work in the "Blazing Fire Technique" demonstrated its formidable offensive power!

Bang!Bang!Bang!

The spotted beast never expected that its seemingly "weak" prey actually possessed deadly power.

Despite its attempt to dodge, it still couldn't escape Zhang Qing's masterful barrage of fireballs!

Several bursts of blazing fire struck the spotted fanged beast in succession, the flames exploding instantly, not only knocking the ferocious beast to the ground, but also scorching its skin and flesh, causing it to let out a shrill scream.

But this striped fanged beast was also fierce. It rolled on the ground a few times to extinguish the flames burning on its body, and then jumped up again.

It roared furiously at Zhang Qing, its blood-red eyes blazing with even greater ferocity!

But Zhang Qing didn't give the ferocious beast any chance to retaliate, and with a series of blazing fires, he waved his hands repeatedly.

He didn't use any spellcasting techniques; it was purely a matter of hand speed—fast, steady, accurate, and ruthless!

If one or two shots don't dry it out, then five, six, or even a dozen shots will do!

Of course, if the spotted fanged beasts really manage to withstand all of them, then Zhang Qing will have to consider using his trump card.

Then run as fast as you can!

The spotted fang beast, however, was clearly not so capable. After being hit by several more balls of blazing fire, it rolled on the ground again, its left forelimb even being blown off in half.

The cries of agony echoed in all directions.

The ferocious beast finally realized its fear and struggled to escape into the depths of the dense forest.

But how could Zhang Qing just stand by and watch the cooked duck fly away?

He suddenly stepped forward, his left hand forming a hand seal, and his right palm pushing forward, instantly condensing into a huge ball of flame.

This strike contained ninety percent of Zhang Qing's magical power!

The next moment, the ball of fire shot out with a whoosh, covering more than twenty steps in the blink of an eye.

It hit the spotted fang beast squarely in the head!

The piercing roar of the beast abruptly ceased, and its robust body trembled violently.

The beast's limbs twitched a few times, and the light in its scarlet eyes quickly dimmed.

Completely silent!