Chapter 87: Starlight Burst

Soon enough, another weekend arrived. On Sunday morning, in the Fear Forest outside Miracle City, a young man of about seventeen or eighteen was locked in combat with a beast.

The creature had blue skin, completely hairless, with the eyes of a lion and the mouth of a pig. Its waist was thick as a bear’s, its four legs ended in hooves like a horse, and it possessed an especially long and thick tail, smooth as a snake.

In the beast compendium of Weston Academy, there was no record of such a creature. Yet Luo Chen had learned from Tyler’s notes that it was called a Serpent Scaled, a fourth-tier beast with the innate skill known as "Sweep."

For a hunter who often battled beasts, understanding their habits was crucial. This Serpent Scaled was a solitary creature, hostile to other beasts and even its own kind. It marked its territory with urine, warning others not to trespass. As a result, rarely did another beast appear within its domain, sparing hunters from the dangers of group attacks.

However, during its mating season, the Serpent Scaled might seek companionship—something to be wary of. In this period, it would leave clues to attract mates. The signs left by one that had already found a mate differed, and only experienced hunters could recognize them.

Luo Chen wasn’t highly experienced, but Tyler’s decades of hunting records had guided him well, making it easy to track the Serpent Scaled.

This was a Serpent Scaled in heat, yet to find a mate. At this stage, its value doubled, for it was said to have potent aphrodisiac qualities. Wealthy men in Miracle City, surrounded by women, sought such beasts to maintain their virility. Thus, a Serpent Scaled in heat could fetch a handsome price.

The creature wasn’t particularly swift, but it was cunning. Its thick, serpentine tail was its greatest weapon. With a piercing shriek, it whipped its tail toward Luo Chen, sending a gust of wind—the innate skill "Sweep." Tyler had noted that the tail’s force could reach seven hundred pounds, but Luo Chen stood unafraid, even reaching out with both hands to grasp it.

The Serpent Scaled was secretly delighted; beasts possessed a measure of intelligence, and it believed this human would be sent flying, bones broken by the tail’s blow.

Luo Chen snorted coldly, sank into a bow stance, and his hands suddenly expanded several times—Great Palm Imprint!

With a swift motion, he clasped the creature’s tail tightly. The force dragged Luo Chen half a meter across the ground, leaving a trail, but failed to injure him.

This was the power of experience. After rigorous training with the Butcher, Luo Chen had become proficient in the Great Palm Imprint and knew exactly how much impact he could withstand.

“Heh, big guy, now it’s my turn!” Luo Chen shouted, hoisting the Serpent Scaled’s tail above his head and spinning rapidly.

Second-tier battle technique—Whirlwind Shoulder Throw!

The Serpent Scaled spun like a top, completing over a dozen rotations in midair. Disoriented by the spinning force, it crashed heavily to the ground, headfirst, dizzy and reeling. Luo Chen, following up with his light-footed technique, gave it no time to recover. He descended from above, palm striking the beast’s head.

Vortex Compression at five-eighths power, second-tier battle technique—Cotton Palm!

Not a drop of blood spilled, but the massive beast shuddered, struggled twice, and expired. The Cotton Palm inflicted internal injury; outwardly, the Serpent Scaled appeared unharmed, but its skull had been pulverized.

Luo Chen chose this method because he understood the market—Serpent Scaled blood was a valuable tonic, and excessive bleeding would lessen its worth. Besides, he didn’t want his clothes stained. Thus, unless absolutely necessary, he always opted for a "gentler" approach when killing beasts.

Clapping his hands, Luo Chen leapt up, his face relaxed. “Done, heh heh!”

His defense, counterattack, and follow-up had been executed in one smooth motion. The timing of his three battle techniques was masterful—no longer the novice he was before entering the academy. This was the fruit of real combat; experience forged by one’s own hands. Practicing basics endlessly would never turn one into more than a greenhorn.

Luo Chen started hunting fourth-tier beasts last week. He followed Tyler’s advice, earning money cautiously. Confident he could handle an encounter with three fourth-tier beasts at once, he began venturing into their territory to hunt.

He was adept at collecting spoils. Luo Chen took out a sheepskin bag and cut open the Serpent Scaled’s throat to drain its blood. Strangely, despite its large body, it bled little—barely half a bag—but that made it all the more potent as a tonic.

After bleeding it, Luo Chen opened the creature’s abdomen and searched until he found something hard. Elated, he extracted a yellowish, diamond-shaped crystal.

A crystal core—dear crystal core, you finally appeared!

Unable to resist, Luo Chen pressed the core, still tinged with a bit of acrid scent, to his lips in a triumphant kiss. Wonderful! A Serpent Scaled’s crystal core, worth at least three gold coins in today’s market—ah, ha ha ha!

So far, Luo Chen had slain seven or eight fourth-tier beasts, but this was his first crystal core. The drop rate was low—one in ten fourth-tier beasts, at best.

Other hunters would continue to separate useful meat and materials to lighten their load, discarding the rest. Luo Chen, however, didn’t bother, thanks to his Dingdang Bag. With a silent incantation, “Open Sesame,” he tossed the Serpent Scaled’s corpse inside. Done.

Fortune followed fortune. Last week, he mastered the Mind Battle Technique; his spiritual power had reached the fifth tier. Now, he’d claimed his first crystal core. It seemed his luck was at a peak!

Everyone’s spiritual journey is unique; so too are their Mind Battle Techniques. The Butcher’s “Lingchi” was a spirit energy infiltration attack, strange and cunning. Luo Chen’s Mind Battle Technique, by contrast, was an explosive, outward assault—quick to release, wide in area, powerful and overwhelming, much like a scattergun.

Before launching the technique, his fists would glow, and the force erupted like a meteor shower. Luo Chen named his Mind Battle Technique—Spirit Light Starburst!

Yet Luo Chen had not fully mastered Spirit Light Starburst, unable to control its power. Once unleashed, it was always at full force; only with Butcher’s finesse could one modulate its strength. Thus, Luo Chen dared not use it recklessly, as it consumed a great deal of spiritual power.

Still, Luo Chen believed that, with more practice, he would soon gain mastery.

If the Butcher knew Luo Chen had mastered a Mind Battle Technique so quickly, he would be utterly astounded. When passing on his insights, he hadn’t dared guarantee Luo Chen would succeed, for the unity of mind and spirit was deeply mysterious. The Butcher himself had learned it by chance. Yet Luo Chen not only succeeded, but did so in just two months—a veritable prodigy!

Of course, he didn’t know that Luo Chen’s reverse-thinking method was intimately linked to the unity of mind and spirit, enabling him to grasp it so profoundly.

Luo Chen casually unleashed a palm strike; a stream of pale yellow energy shot forth, dispersing after three meters. This was the difference between fourth and fifth-tier spiritual power. Fourth-tier spirit life was weak—once separated from the body, it quickly faded, making mid-to-long-range techniques like the wave punch impossible.

Fifth-tier spirit power, however, could briefly “live” in space after leaving the body, reaching greater distances. The higher the tier, the longer spirit could persist outside the body, and the stronger it became. Beyond the fifth tier, the change was not just in quantity, but in quality.

Nicole’s voice rang out: “Master, congratulations! Your strength has taken another great leap forward!”