When the Silver Moon Marten collapsed, barely three meters separated Ye Tian from supernatural death. His heart still hammered against his ribs from the close encounter—if the beast had survived even seconds longer, those razor claws would have carved him into ribbons.
Pure luck had saved his life.
But luck could be exploited by those bold enough to seize opportunity.
With the corpse still radiating residual warmth, curiosity overrode caution. His copying talent activated the moment his palm made contact with silver fur.
Beast: Silver Moon Marten
Bloodline Talent: Inferior
Speed Talent: Elementary
The data display sent electricity shooting through his nervous system.
Fierce beasts evolved through bloodline power, much like human cultivation talent determined martial potential. Without superior genetics, no creature could ascend to true monster status.
This Silver Moon Marten possessed only Inferior bloodline—theoretically equivalent to early-stage Martial Artist at best. Yet it had dominated multiple warriors simultaneously, even forcing late-stage Captain Wind Wolf into desperate tactics.
The secret lay in its secondary ability: Speed Talent.
That supernatural velocity transformed a mediocre predator into nightmare incarnate. Without such overwhelming speed advantage, any ordinary low-level beast would crumble under coordinated warrior assault.
Now that power could be his.
Once fused, speed talent would elevate him far above same-level opponents. Cross-level combat would shift from impossible dream to achievable reality.
"Time to go home."
The journey back felt surreal, adrenaline still coursing through his veins from witnessing real martial combat. Every shadow seemed pregnant with possibility and threat.
Dinner with Ye Yu passed in comfortable routine, her cheerful chatter about cultivation theory providing normalcy after the evening's chaos. But beneath the surface, anticipation burned like molten metal.
Alone in his bedroom with the door securely locked, preparation began.
"Normally, non-cultivation talents require gradual awakening at Martial Artist level or higher. My copying ability breaks those natural limitations entirely. Speed talent fusion should be manageable."
Doubt whispered warnings, but opportunity shouted louder.
"Whatever the cost—fusion!"
He bit down on cloth to muffle any involuntary screams.
BOOM!
Agony crashed into his system like a tidal wave of liquid fire. Every nerve ending screamed as foreign genetic information rewrote his cellular structure. The pain rivaled his first talent fusion—devastating but survivable.
Ten minutes of torture transformed into euphoric relief as the integration completed successfully.
Name: Ye Tian
Cultivation Talent: Intermediate
Speed Talent: Elementary
Victory tasted like freedom itself. Exhaustion from the beast attack and fusion process dragged him toward unconsciousness, but satisfaction warmed his dreams.
Early morning found him racing toward the academy's secluded grove, impatience burning through his system.
Empty. Perfect.
"Time to test the new abilities."
Speed talent activated with a mental command. His body launched forward like a released arrow, becoming a blur of motion that devoured distance with supernatural ease.
"Incredible!"
Multiple tests confirmed the extraordinary results: his speed had tripled overnight. Elementary-level talent granted velocity comparable to ordinary Martial Artists, and this was just the foundation. As his cultivation advanced, the speed multiplication would grow proportionally stronger.
"Legends claim humans with multiple talents are blessed by heaven and earth itself. With just Elementary speed talent, I could probably defeat most Martial Artists in combat. At this rate, competing with true warriors is within reach!"
Excitement flooded his system, but strategic thinking tempered emotional highs. Raw speed meant nothing without cultivation foundation to support it. True powerhouses possessed both supernatural abilities and overwhelming martial strength.
"One month until the next copying opportunity. Goal: tempering body to achieve three hundred pounds of strength!"
With clear objectives established, training intensity increased dramatically.
He began revealing basic Body Forging Method proficiency to other students—many contemporaries had reached similar levels, so minimal attention resulted. Meanwhile, systematic talent scanning continued throughout Fifth Academy's student body.
Results proved disappointing. Beyond Chen Dong's Intermediate grade, only Elementary talents existed among the mediocre masses.
One month of relentless cultivation achieved the targeted milestone: three hundred pounds of raw strength.
"Progress feels too slow. If only cultivation speed could be accelerated somehow..."
Walking toward the academy exit, a familiar voice called out:
"Ye Tian, wait for me!"
Zhang Bao jogged up with excitement radiating from his pudgy features.
"Have you reached Martial Apprentice status yet?" His whispered question carried obvious hope.
"Yes." No point concealing easily observable facts—though revealing his true three hundred pound strength would attract unwanted attention.
"Ye Tian, would you like to accelerate your cultivation dramatically?"
The question sent electricity through his spine.
"You know a method?"
"Ever heard of fierce beast blood?"
Of course he had. His deceased parents had shared extensive martial knowledge during their lifetimes.
Beast blood contained concentrated energy that could enhance Body Forging Method effectiveness when properly consumed. Unfortunately, such materials required connections and resources far beyond his current reach.
"Our talents are mediocre at best," Zhang Bao continued earnestly. "Normal cultivation might achieve Martial Artist status in old age, but beast blood changes everything. With proper enhancement, we could reach warrior level by twenty years old. Even if talent limitations cap our advancement, Martial Artist strength guarantees comfortable living standards."
"True, but we can't obtain beast blood anyway."
Frustration colored his response. Desire meant nothing without practical acquisition methods.
"Actually, we can! I'll share this because we're friends." Zhang Bao's voice dropped to conspiratorial levels. "All five academies are organizing a joint trial. Base leadership has cleared a small wilderness section, eliminating all mature fierce beasts while leaving their offspring—baby monsters equivalent to martial apprentice strength that ordinary people with weapons can handle. Kill the young beasts, exchange valuable materials for blood rewards. First place receives intermediate-level beast blood!"
Intermediate Fierce Beast Blood!
Ye Tian's pulse accelerated. Such materials required Elite Martial Artist strength to obtain naturally—blood from creatures that powerful could potentially elevate someone to Martial Artist status within six months.
"How do you know about this? I received no official notifications."
Zhang Bao preened with pride. "I know a senior student with five hundred pounds of strength. He mentioned the trial, but warned about dangers—that's why academies aren't notifying new Martial Apprentices yet."
"I've experienced beast blood benefits firsthand," he continued persuasively. "My parents spent most of their savings buying low-level blood recently, helping me reach Martial Apprentice status. Your superior talent would absorb the enhancement more efficiently, accelerating cultivation even faster. Let's register together and form a trial group—definitely enough firepower to secure beast blood rewards!"
"I'm not the only person you've invited, correct?"
"Obviously! Fresh Martial Apprentices can't compete with experienced warriors alone. I've already recruited eight others who agreed to join. Just waiting for your confirmation!"
Zhang Bao's confident expression suggested assured victory through numerical advantage.
"Sorry, but I prefer working independently."
Disappointment flickered across Zhang Bao's features before he shrugged acceptance.
"Alright then."
He turned to leave, clearly considering Ye Tian's contribution minimal anyway. Recent Martial Apprentices offered limited combat value compared to veterans.
But Zhang Bao misunderstood completely. Ye Tian had no intention of avoiding the trial—group dynamics simply didn't align with his true objectives.
"This trial might be exactly the opportunity I've been seeking."
His copying ability worked best with direct contact, something far easier to achieve during chaotic combat than formal social interaction.
Time to hunt bigger prey than academy students.
[End of Chapter 6]