Chapter 88: An Unexpected Encounter with a Master

“Haha, Nicole, your contribution was a big part of this!” Luo Chen said with satisfaction. “The Butcher instructor was right—after achieving unity of mind and spirit, even my control over psychic energy has become more agile. It’s as if the energy moves with my thoughts, far superior to the formulaic Qi Manipulation Technique. No wonder the Butcher instructor can wield the whip so masterfully!”

This was another major benefit of unity of mind and spirit: his mastery of psychic energy had become effortless. The wild horse was now fully tamed. Only during battles with monsters did his offensive and defensive maneuvers flow so smoothly and naturally.

Nicole beamed. “Exactly! With his real-life insights added, the Reverse Thinking Method has been further refined. Master, it’s fortunate you met the Butcher instructor, such a wise mentor and friend! His method of mind-spirit unity is truly miraculous. Some things can’t be gained through mere calculation.”

Nicole sighed with a hint of longing. Though she possessed human-level intelligence, her emotions could never reach the complexity and subtlety of a real person.

“This is what they call 'no friendship without a fight,' right?” Luo Chen chuckled. “But Shi Feng and Joanna reportedly broke through to psychic level six over the summer, while I’ve only just started at level five. I’m still far behind—I must keep striving to catch up with their pace!”

Thinking of the Starburst technique, Luo Chen felt a surge of excitement. Whenever he unleashed this psychic battle skill, there was a thrilling sense of exhilaration, a rush forward with unstoppable force. Its power was astonishing; he never imagined a level-five psychic warrior like himself could unleash such a devastating attack.

Yet when he recalled the wall he had smashed, he could only smile wryly. “Damn, that punch probably cost me six or seven gold coins!” The wall still hadn’t been repaired, so his room and Shi Feng’s were connected—he could hear his brother’s snores clearly every night.

He’d better earn more money and fix that wall soon, or if the academy found out, he’d face disciplinary action for damaging property.

Now that he’d broken through to level four, his strength had increased significantly, and his mastery of psychic energy was smooth—slaying level-four monsters was easy. Should he try hunting level-five beasts?

Level-five monsters offered better odds for crystal core drops and their materials sold for higher prices. Besides, too many hunters pursued level-four beasts—too many monks, too little porridge. There wasn’t much profit. The number of hunters targeting level-five monsters was much lower, so the rewards would certainly be greater.

Though greed was taboo among hunters, Luo Chen felt confident. His advantages over other psychic warriors of his level were obvious. Even if he couldn’t win, he could easily escape with his life.

With this in mind, Luo Chen unfolded his map and searched for information on level-five monsters. He settled on a creature called the Shell Dragon—a beast of earth element, known for strong defense and its innate skill, Earth Spike.

Luo Chen chose it for three reasons: first, the beast was slow, which was crucial for a solo hunter—if outmatched, he could run. Second, the Shell Dragon was a solitary and territorial monster. Third, though Earth Spike was a mid-to-long-range attack, it had obvious signs before being unleashed. If he watched for those, and reacted quickly, he could avoid being hit.

Taken together, there was no better target in the area. Luo Chen took out his compass, cast a Lightness Technique, and followed the route marked on the map toward the Shell Dragon’s territory. After about twenty minutes, Luo Chen reached a spot in the Forest of Fear and sensed something. He crouched down and noticed a patch of soil that was unusually loose. Pinching a bit of powder with his fingers, he brought it to his nose and sniffed—a pungent stench.

The Shell Dragon had a peculiar habit: when urinating, it liked to first loosen the soil beneath it with its claws. This was a sign hunters used to track its movements.

The soil had only recently been disturbed. Evidently, a Shell Dragon was nearby. Luo Chen focused his attention and proceeded, then leapt onto a tall tree. He scattered some black powder into the wind—a formula he’d learned from Tyler, designed to attract shell bugs. If they caught the scent, they’d soon emerge.

These hunting techniques were vital; otherwise, in the vast forest, aimless searching would yield little to no results after a whole day.

Having sprinkled extra powder at several key spots, Luo Chen sprayed himself with a scent-neutralizer, since monsters were highly sensitive to human smells. With everything prepared, Luo Chen hid high in one of the tall trees, ready to wait for his prey.

The tree offered a wide vantage point. Luo Chen took out a telescope from his jingle-bag and scanned the area. After patiently waiting half an hour, a shadow appeared in his field of vision.

It was a beast with a tortoise shell, shaped like a chameleon—exactly matching the description of a Shell Dragon. Its earthy yellow body blended almost perfectly with the ground; without careful observation, it would be nearly impossible to spot.

The Shell Dragon twitched its nose and moved toward the spot with the most powder. It liked the smell—the denser, the better. Clearly, it would head straight for that heap.

Luo Chen put away his telescope, chuckling. My little treasure, my darling, my shining gold coins—I’ve finally found you.

He climbed down from the tree and crept cautiously toward the spot, finally hiding in a cluster of shrubs not far from the powder heap. Holding his breath, he waited for the prey to arrive, ready to ambush it.

If he could kill the beast by surprise, Luo Chen would never fight it head-on. His goal was to make money, not to spar for friendship.

Watching the Shell Dragon draw nearer, Luo Chen quietly gathered psychic energy, poised to strike. But just as he was about to attack, a figure suddenly flashed out from behind.

Luo Chen’s brows instantly furrowed. What luck, to run into someone passing through the forest at this moment. Judging by their behavior, they weren’t another hunter. In this profession, there were unwritten rules: since Luo Chen had already spread beast-attracting powder and set traps, other hunters wouldn’t interfere, to avoid disputes or even brawls.

Even ordinary passersby, seeing a monster, would usually try to avoid it. But this person didn’t even attempt to detour—following behind the Shell Dragon, sprinting rapidly. To Luo Chen’s surprise, this unexpected guest moved like a phantom, soundless and invisible; even the Shell Dragon, with its keen hearing and smell, hadn’t noticed someone approaching so quickly.

When the distance between them was less than ten meters, the Shell Dragon finally sensed something. But it was already too late—when it turned, the shadow had already struck its body with a single palm. The hard shell and formidable defense couldn’t withstand that light blow—the Shell Dragon didn’t even have time to cry out before it collapsed, dead.

Second-level battle skill—Silken Palm.

It was the same move Luo Chen had used before to kill the Serpent Scales, though that fight had cost him considerable effort: the defensive handprint, the whirlwind back throw to stun, and finally the fatal Silken Palm. But this shadow dispatched the Shell Dragon in one swift motion—the poor beast didn’t even have a chance to use its Earth Spike skill, dying without explanation, even though it was more advanced than the Serpent Scales.

A master!

No embellishments, no wasted movements—just a crisp, clean strike that instantly killed the Shell Dragon!

Luo Chen had once felt proud of his own elaborate combos, but this shadow was so strong he didn’t need any flashy techniques. This was a true master, and Luo Chen suddenly glimpsed a new goal.