3: Chapter 3 The value of "Heaven rewards diligence" is still rising.

However, Lin Ye didn't even turn his head this time; with a mere shift of his feet, his entire being sidestepped like a gust of wind, looking like a completely different person compared to his previous disheveled state of flight.

The lead wolf behind him instantly lunged at thin air.

Not only that, because Lin Ye's dodge was so precise, the lead wolf had no time to react and slammed its head directly into a tree trunk ahead, letting out a pitiful "awoo" howl.

"Come on! Keep chasing!" Lin Ye shouted provocatively while running and looking back.

Although the Realm of his Basic Qinggong was only at the Novice level and the increase in speed wasn't much to speak of, it greatly enhanced his physical agility.

Even if he still couldn't outrun the wolf pack, dodging had become much simpler, and he was no longer as pathetic as before.

Another few minutes of pursuit passed.

Several times, Lin Ye was nearly blocked by the pack, but fortunately, he managed to escape each time through flexible positioning.

During this period, his proficiency in Basic Qinggong began to soar.

"proficiency +5"

"proficiency +5"

"proficiency +5"

...

Almost every few dozen seconds, a notification of proficiency increasing would ring in Lin Ye's mind.

Fortunately, this thing could be turned off manually; otherwise, Lin Ye figured he'd be annoyed to death.

As his proficiency in Basic Qinggong grew higher, his steps became lighter, his running movements smoother, and he could even anticipate the trajectory of the wolves' lunges to a certain extent.

However, Lin Ye did not become optimistic because of this.

There was no helping it; no matter how much effort Basic Qinggong saved, his stamina was limited.

After running for so long, he was now reaching his limit.

"Awoo—"

Seeing several lunges dodged by Lin Ye, the lead gray wolf seemed to grow angry and let out a long howl toward the sky.

The other four gray wolves stopped simultaneously; no longer blindly lunging behind Lin Ye, they spread out in a fan shape, using their speed advantage to surround him.

Lin Ye's heart sank at the sight.

They wanted to completely block off his escape route.

Seeing the wolf pack closing in from all directions, Lin Ye slowed his pace, recovering stamina while quietly waiting for an opportunity to see if he could break through the encirclement.

Thirty meters.

Twenty meters.

Ten meters.

As the circle tightened, Lin Ye's leg muscles grew tense, his eyes fixed on the wolves' movements.

He knew the upcoming breakout was crucial.

Success meant everything would be fine; failure meant death and the end of his path.

Awoo!

With a wolf howl, a gray wolf on the left was the first to leap into the air, lunging straight at Lin Ye.

Lin Ye's eyes narrowed, his feet exerting sudden force as he dodged it by a hair's breadth.

However, that was only a feint; the moment Lin Ye dodged, the other three gray wolves moved in unison, completely sealing his retreat.

It's over!

Lin Ye had no time to change direction and charged straight toward the three gray wolves.

"proficiency +5"

"Ding! Basic Qinggong Realm has increased. Current Realm: initial insight (0/1000)"

Lin Ye felt a surge of power appear out of thin air within his body, and his forward speed suddenly accelerated.

The three gray wolves also didn't seem to expect this, and they sailed right over Lin Ye's head.

However, the crisis was not yet averted.

Awoo!

The lead wolf, which had not yet acted, launched a fatal strike at Lin Ye.

This time, Lin Ye had nowhere to hide.

"Whoosh!"

At this critical juncture, a sharp whistling sound suddenly reached Lin Ye's ears.

The next second...

"Awoo—!"

The lead wolf let out a shrill cry of pain, lost its balance in mid-air, and crashed heavily to the ground.

An arrow was lodged in its hind leg, the fletching still vibrating.

"Whoosh!"

Another arrow flew by; although it didn't hit anything this time, it served as a great deterrent to the pack, making them afraid to act rashly.

The lead wolf bit off the arrow in its leg, gave Lin Ye an unwilling look with its crimson eyes, then growled lowly and led the pack into the depths of the dense forest, disappearing within a few breaths.

Lin Ye breathed a sigh of relief, then felt a deep sense of exhaustion wash over him. He slumped to the ground, gasping for air.

A moment later, a deep voice rang out: "Little brother, are you alright?"

Lin Ye looked up to see a burly middle-aged man walking slowly toward him, holding a longbow.

Clearly, those two arrows had come from this man.

The man was about thirty years old, with a rugged face and dark skin, appearing quite ordinary.

Only his eyes were bright and spirited, making one hesitate to look him directly in the eye.

"I'm fine..." Lin Ye stood up and cupped his fists. "I am Lin Ye. Thank you for saving my life, big brother!"

The man walked up and looked Lin Ye up and down, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "Little brother Lin, you have good moves. The wolf packs on Heifeng Mountain are notoriously difficult to deal with, yet you managed to dodge their coordinated hunt. Truly impressive."

Lin Ye gave a bitter smile. "It was just luck. If you had arrived a moment later, big brother, you probably would have only found my corpse."

Hearing this, the man grinned. "Brother Lin is too modest. I noticed your running posture seemed quite methodical. Have you practiced Qinggong?"

Clearly, Lin Ye's chase with the wolves had been seen by this man.

The reason he waited until the last moment to act was likely to see where Lin Ye's limit was.

With that thought, Lin Ye simply admitted it: "It can't really be called Qinggong, I just know a bit of footwork."

The middle-aged man didn't press further. "I am Wang Gang, a Hunter from Wang Family Village at the foot of the mountain.

I came into the mountains to hunt today and didn't expect to run into this.

Those wolves were likely scouts for a nearby pack; now that I've wounded them, I'm afraid a larger group will return before long. Brother Lin, you should come down the mountain with me quickly."

"Alright, thank you, Big Brother Wang." Lin Ye hurriedly bowed his thanks.

He was already worrying about how to complete the Novice quest, so he naturally wouldn't refuse Wang Gang's invitation.

The two then walked down the mountain one after the other.

Wang Gang walked in front with steady steps; even on the steep mountain paths, he moved as if on level ground.

Lin Ye followed closely behind; although his legs were still a bit weak, he could barely keep up with the help of his initial insight level Basic Qinggong.

As they walked, Lin Ye checked his attribute panel.

[Character]: Lin Ye

[Identity]: None

[Realm]: Unranked

[Essence]: 4

[Qi]: 1

[Spirit]: 5

[Cultivation Technique]: Basic Qinggong (initial insight 5/1000)

[Talent]: Heaven Rewards Diligence (Red)

[Life-Bound Weapon]: ruyi jingu bang (Seal)

"As expected!"

Seeing the [Essence] attribute column increase from 3 to 4, Lin Ye paperwork understood why that surge of power had appeared in his body earlier.

Lin Ye then opened the detailed description of Basic Qinggong.

[Basic Qinggong] (White)

Quality: Common

Realm: initial insight (5/1000)

Attribute: Essence +1

Effect: When active, increases basic movement speed by 20%, increases physical agility by 20%, and slightly reduces stamina consumption rate.

From Novice to initial insight, it took Lin Ye roughly 15 minutes.

Even though it was just a basic technique, this speed of improvement was somewhat frightening.

At this rate, running for another two and a half hours would likely elevate it to the next Realm.

It could only be said that the value of Heaven Rewards Diligence was still rising.

No need for Cultivation Techniques or Secret Manuals, and no need for guidance from famous masters; as long as he worked hard in a certain direction, he could comprehend the corresponding technique and continuously gain proficiency.

A Divine-Grade talent—truly terrifying!

"What are you thinking about?" Wang Gang looked back at Lin Ye.

"Nothing." Lin Ye quickly snapped out of it and sped up to follow.

"By the way, Big Brother Wang, does your village take in outsiders like me?" On the way, Lin Ye took the opportunity to express his desire to join Wang Family Village.