The sudden bird cry froze Jiang Heng in pce. He snapped his head up.
The piercing screech didn’t come from the cloud-breathing peacock but from a small, azure sparrow with a red crest on its neck. Its bck eyes glinted with eerie cunning.
A guardian bird?
The term fshed in Jiang Heng’s mind.
Just as a spirit beast tiger might have ghostly thralls to lure humans, this peacock had its own minions.
This red-crested sparrow was likely keeping watch while the peacock slept.
Is it trying to wake the spirit beast?
That’s bad news!
Without a second thought, Jiang Heng bolted.
His body, bolstered by the golden cauldron’s feedback and [Qi Devouring]’s enhancements, was far stronger than an ordinary mountain dweller’s. In this life-or-death moment, he sprinted with all he had, covering ground fast.
Gncing back, he breathed a small sigh of relief. The peacock hadn’t pursued.
Maybe I didn’t cross into its foggy territory?
No… something was off.
Focusing, he peered through the haze with [Night Vision], piercing yers of mist and miasma.
The peacock remained asleep, undisturbed by the sparrow’s shrill cry.
That loud of a screech, and it’s still out cold?
Jiang Heng’s mind raced.
Is it injured? A wounded spirit beast?
His breath quickened. A bold idea sparked in his heart.
But first, he had another problem.
While the peacock hadn’t chased him, the red-crested sparrow had. With a sharp cry, it dove from the sky, its razor-sharp beak glinting like a sword. One hit to a vital spot, and he’d be done for.
Jiang Heng ducked low, barely dodging the bird’s strike.
It wasn’t giving up.
Man and bird cshed in a frantic skirmish.
The sparrow was small but lightning-fast, its beak deadly. An ordinary mountain dweller would’ve been dead by now.
Only Jiang Heng’s enhanced physique kept him alive.
After a grueling fight, he seized an opening. With a mountain dweller’s insect net, he swatted the bird to the ground.
Rushing forward, he stomped it over a dozen times, crushing it into a bloody pulp.
Leaning against a massive bamboo, Jiang Heng panted heavily.
Killing the bird had been no easy feat. His arms and chest bore deep scratches, a testament to the fight’s ferocity.
A mere guardian bird, and it’s this strong? Even if that peacock’s injured, I’m nowhere near ready to face it. I need to get stronger.
As the thought settled, a familiar tremor stirred in his sea of consciousness. The golden cauldron quivered, and a golden light burst from his brow, shining on the sparrow’s corpse.
Unlike the purple bamboo shoot, the corpse didn’t dissolve. Instead, the red crest on its neck melted into bck smoke under the light, drifting into Jiang Heng’s brow.
No wonder…
That wasn’t a real crest—it was condensed miasma!
Jiang Heng pieced it together. The peacock likely granted these sparrows their red crests, boosting their strength to serve as guards.
As the cauldron absorbed the miasmic crest, a warm current surged through Jiang Heng, pooling in his arms.
His muscles felt like iron in a forge, hammered and refined, impurities burned away, growing taut and powerful.
On the cauldron, new white text gleamed.
[Fate Ability: Barbarian Strength (Minor Mastery): Arms like steel vises, brimming with boundless power and explosive force.]
Barbarian Strength?
Now that’s a fighting ability!
His first two abilities—[Qi Devouring] and [Night Vision]—were utility-focused, aiding survival and treasure-hunting.
This one was raw, combat-ready power.
He tested it on nearby bamboo.
Crack!
Like snapping an eggshell, century-old bamboo—hard as iron—shattered in his grip.
This ability’s unreal. I’m still no match for a hunter, but I’m not helpless anymore.
Joy surged in his chest.
Killing a mere guardian bird’s crest gave me this much power. What would sying that spirit beast peacock bring?
His gaze drifted toward the peacock’s pine.
It was a spirit beast, likely stronger than even Sly Zhao. Even injured, it wouldn’t be easy prey.
Tamping down his excitement, Jiang Heng resumed his search.
Soon, he found a rare herb—a copper yam, its surface gleaming green. A burrowing rat guarded it, swift and with a vicious bite that could cripple or kill an ordinary mountain dweller.
But Jiang Heng was no ordinary man.
Grabbing the rat by the neck, he activated [Barbarian Strength] and tore it apart.
The copper yam was worth over three hundred coppers.
The rat’s corpse had some value, but it wouldn’t keep. Instead, Jiang Heng built a small fire and roasted it, savoring a hearty meal.
With dusk nearing, he prepared to return to camp.
This trip had netted him treasures worth over a thousand coppers—a full tael of silver!
And he was still green at treasure-hunting.
Get stronger, hone my skills, and the coin will roll in faster!
Sell these treasures, buy a medicinal meal recipe, boost my strength!
Even the cheapest recipe cost five taels, plus ingredients—ten taels at least.
For a mountain dweller, that was a fortune.
For Jiang Heng? Pocket change, given time.
Medicinal meals would skyrocket his power.
And with enough strength, that wounded peacock would be no tougher than a stray dog!
