Wu Tian felt an overwhelming pain surge through his heart. A pain he thought he had long forgotten once again clenched his chest, making his breathing grow heavy, as if his lungs were being deprived of air.
The scene before his eyes vanished, replaced by dark blue ripples of aura that slowly spread out, then condensed and spun until they formed a sphere.
Wu Tian opened his eyes. The night wind blew gently, stirring every strand of his hair.
"I didn't expect to feel that again," Wu Tian muttered as he let out a heavy breath. "Forget it… in this world, there are many women who are more beautiful and have better character, unlike women of the 20th century."
Wu Tian promptly erased all the memories that were once again swirling in his mind.
"Well?" Soul Reaver's voice sounded with a hint of curiosity. "What kind of emotion did you learn this time?"
Wu Tian moved his spiritual power and directed it straight toward Soul Reaver.
"This…" Soul Reaver fell silent for a moment, then snorted. "Useless. Don't you have any other emotions? Anger, fear, joy? How are you supposed to influence others in battle with just this kind of emotion?" Soul Reaver mocked.
"Maybe it'll make them feel sad when they hit me, then let me live," Wu Tian replied lazily. "Besides, not everything has to be about combat."
"Forget it," Soul Reaver interrupted. "That's not a big problem. I can help you understand other negative emotions. All you need to do is lower the defenses of your sea of consciousness so I can inject various negative emotions into you."
"Oh?" Wu Tian smiled faintly.
"Don't worry," Soul Reaver said. "I won't be able to do anything to you because of those two damn objects."
Wu Tian smiled lightly, then weakened the defenses of his sea of consciousness. He allowed Soul Reaver to inject various negative emotions into him. That night, he spent his time understanding the waves of emotions that came one after another, deepening his comprehension of the Soul-Reaving Dream Technique.
When the sun began to rise, Wu Tian hurried toward the Alchemist Association. His goal was clear—to find an alchemist to refine the medicines he needed.
Upon arriving, he saw a bustling hall filled with cultivators. His gaze swept across every corner of the hall until it finally stopped at a quiet stall, where only a young man remained, asleep atop his table.
Wu Tian recognized the young man. He walked over and greeted him, "Lin Yao, what are you doing here?"
Lin Yao, who had been asleep, jolted awake. When he saw who it was, his face immediately brightened. "Brother Wu?" He was briefly stunned, then continued, "As you can see, I'm an alchemist."
Lin Yao gave a bitter smile and sighed. "But these past few days, I haven't gotten a single customer. No one trusts me."
He then looked at Wu Tian. "What about you? What are you here for?"
Wu Tian's gaze fell upon the level-four alchemist badge pinned to Lin Yao's chest. In an instant, he understood the situation. Although Lin Yao was a level-four alchemist, people were reluctant to trust him due to doubts about his success rate and the efficacy of his pills.
"I'm here to look for an alchemist," Wu Tian replied calmly. "An alchemist capable of refining pills that a Qi Condensation cultivator can use to fight a level-four demon beast. I also need several detoxification pills to suppress the poison of such a demon beast."
Lin Yao fell silent for a moment after hearing Wu Tian's explanation. His eyes lit up, as if he had finally found the opportunity he had been waiting for.
"I can help you," Lin Yao said. "I'll refine those medicines for you… without charging any fee."
Wu Tian appeared slightly surprised on the surface, though in his heart he already understood where this was going.
"However…" Lin Yao continued, "you'll have to provide all the required materials yourself."
Wu Tian felt pleased inwardly. Outwardly, however, he showed a moment of hesitation, as if weighing the pros and cons. In the end, he nodded lightly.
"Fine. I'll give you one chance. If the results are satisfactory, I'll entrust all future pill refinement to you," Wu Tian said with a firm expression.
That answer made Lin Yao extremely happy. He immediately explained the various types of pills he would make and their uses. Wu Tian listened until the end, then nodded softly.
For the next week, Wu Tian was busy gathering various herbs and entering several dangerous regions to obtain rare materials. In his spare time, he always visited Lu Qingyao to chat and give her gifts.
Just as Wu Tian had expected, Lin Yao successfully refined the pills with exceptionally high quality. Wu Tian smiled in satisfaction and, without hesitation, handed over all future pill refinement to Lin Yao.
By spending only 3,300 low-grade spirit stones, Wu Tian obtained:
Iron-Core Protection Pill ×2 → Enhances physical defense and meridian stability, reducing damage from Golden Core attacks for 1 hour.
Dragon Vein Surge Pill ×1 → Boosts offensive power to early-stage Golden Core level for several attacks within 10 minutes.
Moonshadow Mirage Pill ×3 → Drastically increases agility, ideal for escape or defense.
Heaven-Defying Barrier Pill ×2 → Strengthens qi barriers to early-stage Golden Core level for 10–20 seconds, ideal for blocking fatal attacks.
Without wasting time, Wu Tian set off toward the location of a Golden Core–level demon beast.
As he was about to enter the forested area, a plump man greeted him with a face full of excitement.
"Brother Wu!" he shouted with a broad laugh as he walked over. "I've been waiting for you for a long time. Come, I'll guide you."
Wu Tian was slightly surprised by the man's sudden change in attitude, becoming so friendly. However, he merely nodded lightly and walked alongside Huang Pao.
With his help, Wu Tian did not need to pay any entrance fees or tent costs like before. All expenses were covered by Huang Pao—and Wu Tian accepted it with a smile.
Unfolding the map he had prepared, Wu Tian walked toward a massive cave hidden behind towering trees. That cave was the lair of the Sky-Claw Tiger.
Over the past week, he had gathered extensive information about the level-four demon beasts in this region. After considering their strength, territory, and fighting habits, Wu Tian came to a single conclusion—
The Sky-Claw Tiger was the easiest opponent he could face at the moment.
Wu Tian extended his hand.
The Soul Reaver Sword emerged from his sea of consciousness, vibrating softly as if responding to its master's killing intent. Without hesitation, Wu Tian swung his sword and unleashed a sharp blade of wind toward the cave.
WUUUUSH—!
The wind blade shot forward, but before it could strike the cave wall, it collided with something in midair.
BOOOOM!
A shockwave exploded outward. The ground was torn up and flung aside, rocks shattered, and the surrounding trees shook violently.
The air grew heavy. From within the cave came the sound of heavy footsteps accompanied by a low, furious growl.
A gigantic tiger stepped out. Its body was covered in pale bluish-white fur that shimmered faintly, with streaks of light tracing along its claws. Each step made the ground tremble, and the oppressive demonic qi of the Golden Core level swept across the area.
A pair of glowing red eyes stared straight at Wu Tian.
"Lowly human…" a heavy voice echoed, filled with rage and killing intent. "How dare you disturb my sleep and attack my lair?!"
The tiger roared toward the sky, its demonic aura erupting violently into the air. "I will tear your body apart and hang your corpse at the entrance of my cave as a warning!"