1: Potential panel, Five Animals Play
Coo coo coo ~ ~ ~
The calls of unknown birds echoed in the dim, dense forest, where visibility was only a dozen meters, and the twisted,paint black branches resembled dried, claw-like hands.
A dilapidated tombstone stood beneath a large blackSophora japonica tree, but the grave mound behind the tombstone looked like freshly turned earth, with a few weeds mixed in.
Rustle ~ Rustle ~
A digging sound came from the grave mound.
Poof!
A thin arm with waxy yellow skin suddenly stretched out from the grave mound. After some struggling and clawing, a gaunt young man crawled out of the grave mound.
His gray linen clothes were faded from washing, and his face was still stained with mud; calling him a beggar would be a compliment.
Inhale — — —! Ugh ~
Qin Jiang gasped for air, thefishy odor of the mud making him retch. His expression was tense, tinged with confusion.
What is this place? How did I get here?
Hiss ~
A flood of memories quickly rushed through his mind, becoming increasingly blurry as time moved forward.
He clutched his head and rolled off the grave mound. It took him a few minutes to recover.
Sitting up, he scanned his surroundings, his body slightly weak. He leaned against the side of the tombstone, his expression complex, a mix of relief and bewilderment.
Xia Dynasty, Yuan Province, Ningan County, Black Mountain City.
It truly is a year of bad luck; even the Transmigration happened in the final years of a Dynasty. In this wretched place, simply staying alive is a problem.
Even more unlucky was the original owner, who went out to gather herbs only to encounter grave robbers, was stabbed to death and buried, and no one would ever know.
He touched his chest; the spot where he was stabbed in his memory had completely healed.
He struggled to stand up, picked up the bamboo basket next to the grave mound, which contained herbs meant to be exchanged for money at the clinic.
The two grave robbers evidently didn't care for such meager things and had carelessly discarded them here.
He slung the bamboo basket over his back and prepared to leave, following the route from his memories.
Whoosh ~
A faint breeze began to blow, causing the leaves to rustle. Suddenly, white mist permeated the surrounding darkSophora japonica forest.
In just a few breaths, the mist had completely obscured his vision, allowing him to vaguely see only within a five-meter radius.
An inexplicable pressure settled in his heart, as if something was blocking his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe.
He looked around; aside from the largeSophora japonica tree and the tomb next to him, everything else was enveloped in white mist.
Suddenly, his gaze sharply fixed on a spot in the thick fog, vaguely discerning several humanoid dark figures standing within the white mist.
The dark figures were motionless, yet he could clearly feel them watching him.
This chilling sensation was indescribable, like an animal's instinctive reaction when encountering a predator.
He swallowed, and fine cold sweat emerged from the back of his neck, a chilling sensation spreading through his body, making him afraid to move.
He couldn't determine what these dark figures opposite him truly were.
Suddenly, he recalled rumors from his memories; an Old Doctor said that Dahei Mountain was perennially shrouded in dark clouds, not only home to wild beasts but also the legendary Essence Spirits!
There were stories of foxes transforming into human form, luring young men deep into Dahei Mountain, never to be seen again.
If not for the indescribable appearance of the person who witnessed this, he too might have been lured away and disappeared.
The mist slowly flowed, stirred by the breeze. Time passed minute by minute, and the dark figures opposite seemed to have no intention of doing anything.
After a standoff of half an hour, the white mist gradually thinned, and the dark figures vanished in the blink of an eye.
Whew ~
He let out a sigh of relief, his linen clothes soaked with sweat.
That state of constant mental vigilance was incredibly draining.
He gently wiped the sweat from his forehead and the back of his neck; it was as cold as well water in summer.
Heh, that was truly frightening.
The final years of a Dynasty inevitably bring forth demons and monsters; that saying truly holds true.
His body relaxed slightly, and he turned to leave.
But as soon as he turned, before he could even catch his breath, a monkey face covered in black fur was inches away, a chilling coldness assailing him.
The hairs on the back of his neck instantly stood on end, and his upper body sharply recoiled.
His body trembled, and he stumbled, directly falling to the ground. The herbs in the bamboo basket spilled out, scattering across the ground.
Only then did he see clearly: this was actually a humanoid Black-haired Monkey!
It looked emaciated, its entire body covered in black fur, its monkey face devoid of any expression, its eyes two black hollows.
It stiffly bent down, its head tilted, twisting into a right angle, its hollow eyes staring intently at Qin Jiang.
Damn it!
Qin Jiang's face was tense. Was he going to die again right after being revived?
No! Absolutely not!
He slowly reached out and gripped the sickle beneath the bamboo basket. It was used for cutting grass and clearing paths, and its blade already had some rust.
After two seconds of silence, his eyes suddenly sharpened!
Even if I die, I'll cut off a piece of your flesh!
He put strength into his right arm, about to swing the sickle.
But at that very instant, the surrounding mist abruptly and completely dissipated. In the blink of an eye, the Black-haired Monkey's figure vanished.
His pupils contracted slightly, and he quickly looked around, seeing only the white mist, like clouds, flowing over the blackSophora japonica forest and surging forward towards the depths of Dahei Mountain behind him.
Vaguely, he could see dark figures shifting shapes within the mist.
Once the white mist disappeared from his sight, the sky once again became dark and dim, exactly as it was before the white mist appeared.
What exactly was that thing?!
He looked at the spot where the Black-haired Monkey had just stood. Such a large creature should have left footprints.
But he saw nothing. Looking around, everything that had just happened seemed as if it had never occurred.
His heart involuntarily tightened. He knew that he had very likely encountered a legendary Essence Spirit.
But it's good that nothing happened. Is this good luck or bad luck?
Standing up, he looked at the scattered herbs on the ground and bent down to pick them up one by one.
Inadvertently, his finger touched the nearby tombstone, and instantly, a cold aura surged into his body.
[Potential Point absorption in progress .0.10 .20.20 .1]
The sudden change made him retract his hand as if electrocuted. His gaze was fixed on the tombstone, but his focal point remained three inches in front of him.
What is this now?
In a vision only he could see, a transparent, framed panel appeared before him.
[Current Martial arts]
Five Animals Play (Uninitiated) (8 / 30)
[Potential Points: 0.8]
Potential Panel?
An intuitive feeling told him this was a Potential Panel.
Its use was simple: it could add Potential Points to Martial arts, either directly raising the Martial arts Realm or performing deductions and Fusions on Martial arts.
The first parenthesis after Martial arts indicated the current cultivation Realm of the Martial arts.
In the second parenthesis, the number before the slash represented the current experience value, and the number after was the experience required for advancement.
And each Potential Point could add one hundred experience points.
As for this Five Animals Play, it was taught to him by an Old Doctor in Black Mountain City, the one who bought his herbs.
It had a total of three layers, said to strengthen the body and prolong life, even producing what was called inner Qi when practiced to the third layer.
However, that Old Doctor had taught many people, and he had never heard of anyone truly mastering it.
But perhaps now he could try?
He tried adding half of the Potential Points to the Five Animals Play.
Instantly, only 0.4 Potential Points remained.
At the same time, a prompt appeared on the panel,
[Five Animals Play (Uninitiated) (8 / 30), Experience + 40]
[Five Animals Play (Uninitiated) advanced to Five Animals Play (First Layer)]
[Five Animals Play (First Layer) (18 / 60)]
It's real!
His eyes filled with ecstasy, his heart surging.
In this chaotic world, one could die at any moment if not careful! There was no security whatsoever!
Not to mention those Essence Spirits whose true nature was unknown; perhaps even staying in the city could lead to a mysterious death!
However, now there was finally a turning point!
He just wanted to live, to live well.
He slightly calmed his emotions, looked at his arm, which seemed to have become somewhat stronger, and even his field of vision felt higher.
Second development?
Not bad, at least there was no situation of depleted Qi and blood. Potential Points seemed to have supplemented everything needed for the improvement.
Putting the sickle away, he looked at the tombstone with a complex gaze. The carvings on it were already blurred.
Only from the intricate decorative patterns could one tell that the tombstone's owner must have had an extraordinary life.
It's just unknown how it came to this, with only an oldSophora japonica tree for company, and its grave dug up.
Would he one day end up the same way?