"I’m sorry," he said with a smile. "I couldn’t wait for you, so I made my first kill of our journey."
Hearing this, the other five friends chuckled softly as they observed the Fanged Hog.
"Don’t show off," Gao Yan retorted with a nudge to his chest. "If Fanged Hogs count, then I definitely claimed my kill yesterday."
Yan Xiaobao could only shrug helplessly, as it was indeed true. He didn’t bother to argue over the obvious but instead pulled out a jet-black dagger stained with dark blood and carefully extracted the magic core from inside the hog’s head with steady hands.
Although this was Yan Xiaobao’s first attempt at retrieving a beast core from the head of a creature, it went unexpectedly well. The dagger was truly a treasure, managing to carve through the hog’s skull as if it were made of butter.
The core itself was soon removed, though mud and gore covered Yan Xiaobao’s hands and clothes. However, compared to killing a classmate, this was nothing alike, so the young boy displayed a rather indifferent demeanor throughout the process.
Staring at the Beast Moon Core, Yan Xiaobao felt a twinge of disappointment. All beast cores were uniform in size, roughly the size of a pearl, about one centimeter in diameter. Yet, this beast core’s only resemblance to a pearl ended there. Its exterior was jagged, with an ordinary brown hue, making it resemble a pebble. If Yan Xiaobao hadn’t personally dug it out from the head of the Fanged Hog, he wouldn’t have believed it was a beast core at all.
The higher the cultivation level of a beast, the more pristine the color of its beast core. Moreover, the jagged surface of the core would become smoother. A demon beast at Duke Level would have a beast core that looked precisely like a pearl, while those above King-level would begin to see a faint golden sheen in their cores. Holy-level magical beasts would bear golden pearls atop their heads.
Looking at the Fanged Hog, Yan Xiaobao sighed deeply. The beast was massive, yet its value was nearly negligible, making the effort to kill it feel almost more trouble than it was worth. Its core was ugly, clearly of the lowest grade, and its meat lacked any particularly desirable qualities.
However, beasts were abundant and had plenty of meat, which could aid the village. Its hide was tougher than that of ordinary game and could easily be used to craft shoes. Its bones were sturdy and great for making tools, while its bristles could be used to create durable brooms.
Yan Xiaobao now understood how much he had changed as he made his way back to the elder’s home, prepared to tell him about the large hog he had slain, and to deliver the gifts he could provide.
Last year, Yan Xiaobao had been utterly perplexed about how to handle a beast like the Fanged Hog. Even though he had practiced the advanced martial arts skills he now possessed, he was still certain he wouldn’t have been able to kill such a large beast back then.
This year, however, a profound transformation had occurred in this reincarnated young man’s heart. His endurance and determination had been tested and tempered through relentless training, far surpassing his previous efforts.
This year, Hui Hui and the group of prodigious friends had worked earnestly together. These friends were the only ones aware of the existence of an unparalleled master, who had once turned the entire Liluo City upside down, now residing deep within Yan Xiaobao.
This year had also taught Yan Xiaobao that he was now on the right path. Cultivation was the aspiration he was willing to dedicate his life to, and he could already feel a deep-seated desire to climb to the highest summit of perfection, reaching the pinnacle he sought within his heart.
Follow curr𝒆nt nov𝒆ls on freew(𝒆)bnov𝒆l.(c)om