Valley Plain was named after the Chu State River that ran through it.
The Chu State River used to be a crucial transportation hub in Chu State, but now it had become the territory of beasts.
The target of Wang Zhan's current trip, the Demonic Dogs of the Plains, was just one of many, not particularly notable, beast species in Valley Plain. Their activity range was limited to an area of only several dozen square kilometers around the plain's edge.
In what felt like the blink of an eye, Wang Zhan had already been in the Valley Plain area for nearly two hours.
Thanks to the scent-eliminating spray he had applied and his constant, cautious vigilance, he hadn't encountered any trouble and had ventured about seven or eight kilometers into the plain.
The roars of beasts are becoming more frequent, and it sounds like some are fighting over there, Wang Zhan thought, covertly observing his surroundings.
Actually, Wang Zhan was already growing a little anxious. After all, this was his first time hunting beasts. Ever since entering the plain, he had been eager to find the Demonic Dogs of the Plains and test if the dagger in his hand was sharp enough.
During those two hours, he had indeed spotted traces of Demonic Dogs of the Plains from afar; this area was, after all, their territory.
But the groups Wang Zhan had seen always consisted of at least ten of the Demonic Dogs, so he hadn't dared to make a reckless move.
If this keeps up, I might not accomplish anything today, Wang Zhan thought, growing increasingly impatient.
He kept track of the time. It was currently around noon, but there were at most seven or eight hours left until nightfall.
Even if he traveled at full speed, returning to the hidden cave would take at least one or two hours. Not to mention the Four-arm Giant Ape in the Valley—that big guy was an absolute wild card.
However, no matter how anxious he felt, Wang Zhan didn't dare to recklessly reveal his position.
Time ticked by, minute by minute. Half an hour later, Wang Zhan's dwindling patience finally yielded a reward.
He detected three Demonic Dogs of the Plains traveling together about a hundred meters to his flank.
You're the ones!
Without any hesitation, Wang Zhan crouched low, concealing himself in the meter-high weeds, and rapidly moved towards the three Demonic Dogs of the Plains.
Just as he approached within about fifty meters of the three Demonic Dogs, they suddenly halted, turned towards Wang Zhan's direction, and emitted low growls.
Such keen senses? Right, beasts are products of mutation, and this is their territory. Any slight disturbance, like the rustling of grass in the wind, probably wouldn't escape them, Wang Zhan mused, quickly understanding. But so what if I've been discovered? Fifty meters is well within my attack range!
The moment the thought formed, Wang Zhan unhesitatingly erupted with his full strength, transforming into an arrow shooting towards the Demonic Dogs.
He could no longer afford to conceal himself.
Engaging in a stalemate with the Demonic Dogs of the Plains in this area had only one outcome: being surrounded by other Demonic Dogs alerted by the commotion and then devoured as food.
Therefore, in this attack, Wang Zhan wasn't concerned about whether he could eliminate all three Demonic Dogs of the Plains; he only aimed for speed and decisiveness!
"AWOOO!" One Demonic Dog threw its head back and howled at the sky, quickly triggering a chorus of responsive howls from the surrounding area, echoing for several kilometers.
The other two Demonic Dogs, showing no fear, charged directly at Wang Zhan.
Not good! This damned dog is calling for backup before we even fight!
Wang Zhan's expression tensed. The two Demonic Dogs that had charged first were now merely two or three meters away.
He gripped his dagger tightly and, with a swift lunge, brushed past one of the Demonic Dogs.
"Killing Fist!"
The dagger in Wang Zhan's hand became an afterimage. In the instant Wang Zhan and the Demonic Dogs crossed paths, wounds several dozen centimeters long appeared successively on both beasts.
These wounds were extremely deep; even with a hurried glance, Wang Zhan could see the internal organs of these two Demonic Dogs!
They were fatal injuries. These two Demonic Dogs were beyond saving!
A level 1 beast, possessing roughly the speed and strength of a level 2 Martial Artist, Wang Zhan quickly estimated.
This was consistent with the information he had found on his personal terminal. Beasts were generally stronger than Human Martial Artists. Thus, a common way to gauge a beast's strength was to add one to the equivalent Human Martial Artist level.
A level 1 beast would require at least a level 2 Martial Artist to fight on even terms.
Fortunately, Wang Zhan's physical body was exceptionally robust. He could match or even overpower a beast of the same level, let alone a mere level 1 beast.
Having grievously wounded two Demonic Dogs in one strike, Wang Zhan swiftly charged towards the last remaining one.
That Demonic Dog also lunged at Wang Zhan, its vast, bloody maw wide open. Even from several meters away, Wang Zhan could smell the fetid stench emanating from it.
"You damned mutt, you really need to brush your teeth!" Wang Zhan yelled, brandishing his dagger and aiming straight for the Demonic Dog's head. He planned to kill it in one blow, dig out the beast core, and then flee.
The distance between them rapidly closed, and Wang Zhan's dagger was just about to strike the Demonic Dog's head.
But at that critical moment, the Demonic Dog suddenly tilted its head and bit down hard on the sharp dagger!
Wang Zhan's expression flickered with shock. He'd never imagined this Demonic Dog's teeth would be so tough. It dared to bite a soldier-level dagger and, astonishingly, seemed unharmed.
Not only that, but when Wang Zhan tried to exert more force to withdraw the dagger, he felt an immense biting power and physical strength from his opponent. For a moment, man and Demonic Dog were locked in a stalemate.
Simultaneously, faint rustling sounds could be heard from the surrounding grass. Wang Zhan knew that other Demonic Dogs of the Plains were being drawn by the commotion of the fight.
If he didn't end this battle quickly, his situation would become increasingly perilous.
Wang Zhan delayed no longer; he decisively released his grip on the dagger.
The Demonic Dog clearly hadn't anticipated this. Wang Zhan's sudden release of force caused it to stumble back several steps.
Wang Zhan seized the opportunity, lunging forward. As the Demonic Dog was off-balance, he landed a vicious punch on its throat—a vital point.
CRACK!
It was the sound of its neck bones shattering under the immense force.
The Demonic Dog let out a mournful yelp and collapsed, its life extinguished within two or three seconds.
"Strength +3"
Huh? Killing these things also gives attribute points? Right, this Demonic Dog was a level 2 beast, equivalent to a level 3 Martial Artist, Wang Zhan realized.
The increase in attribute points was unexpected, but he had no time to savor his victory, as the commotion in the surroundings was rapidly intensifying.
He retrieved his dagger from the Demonic Dog's mouth, then used it to cut open the beast's head. After rummaging inside for a moment, he pulled out a round crystal.
A Grade-2 beast core. Not bad, he thought.
With the beast core secured, Wang Zhan quickly found a quiet direction and retreated stealthily. He then oriented himself and headed back the way he had come.
As for the two level 1 Demonic Dogs he had dispatched first, Wang Zhan had no choice but to leave them.
He didn't know if even a slight delay to retrieve their cores would lead to dire consequences, and he wasn't willing to take that gamble, especially not with his own life.
A little over an hour later, Wang Zhan returned to the Valley he had passed through earlier.
The Valley was still eerily silent. Wang Zhan moved cautiously, not daring to make the slightest sound.
Soon, he saw the Four-arm Giant Ape still clinging to the cliff face, its snores thundering through the air.
Wang Zhan breathed a sigh of relief. After tiptoeing through that area, he abruptly quickened his pace and, before long, was back in the cave.
Only then did he finally relax, taking the beast core from his pocket to examine it closely.
Just by holding this thing, I can feel the Essence Energy it contains! Wang Zhan marveled internally.
However, when he tried to absorb the Essence Energy from the beast core, he discovered it was impossible.
As expected. This beast core is a product of extremely concentrated Essence Energy and the source of a beast's power. It can't be directly used by someone at the Martial Artist Stage. No wonder they're processed into Essence Pills. It's not just to maximize their effects; a more significant reason is probably to lower the threshold for using beast cores, Wang Zhan mused.
Upon realizing the beast core was currently useless to him, Wang Zhan lost interest in it.
...
「In the blink of an eye, three days passed.」
「Evening.」
Wang Zhan, shouldering his backpack and dragging his exhausted body, returned to the cave.
He shrugged off his backpack, unzipped it, and emptied its contents into a corner of the cave. A full backpack's worth of beast cores tumbled out.
A considerable number of beast cores were already piled in that corner. Including today's haul, there were at least a hundred of them.
Once you get used to them, the Demonic Dogs of the Plains aren't actually that tough. The level 1 ones can be taken down in a single strike. Unfortunately, they don't offer any other benefits beyond a level 1 beast core, which is hardly worth mentioning, Wang Zhan reflected.
He then rummaged through his pockets and took out three larger beast cores.
These were his real gains.
Two Grade-2 beast cores and one Grade-3 beast core.
Bringing these back to school would allow him to exchange them for enough academic credits to pay off his debt.
However, this was secondary for Wang Zhan. More importantly, over the past three days, seven or eight beasts of level 2 or higher had fallen at his hands. Besides the Demonic Dogs, there were other beasts whose names Wang Zhan didn't recognize.
These battles had brought him a significant increase in attribute points.
Host: Wang Zhan
Strength: 358
Agility: 340
Physique: 356
Charm: 30
Wisdom: 16
Wisdom and Charm still haven't changed, but the three main attributes have each increased by several dozen points. Not bad, Wang Zhan noted.
The mission to kill ten Demonic Dogs of the Plains had been completed on the second day. However, after discovering that Valley Plain was more suitable for his cultivation, Wang Zhan found himself enjoying it so much that he was reluctant to leave.
I should at least raise my three main attributes to 400 points each, reaching the limit for a level 2 Martial Artist, before thinking about anything else, Wang Zhan resolved.
Aside from the large haul of beast cores and his increase in strength, Wang Zhan's only lingering concern was the Four-arm Giant Ape in the Valley.
At this thought, the image of the colossal creature, nearly ten meters tall and clinging to the rock face, surfaced in Wang Zhan's mind once more.
Today, when returning past the Four-arm Giant Ape's location, Wang Zhan had a faint feeling that the big guy seemed to have had its fill of sleep and was on the verge of waking.