When Passive Skills leveled up, Ye Jun felt the change in them, but it wasn’t that substantial. However, when the Active Skills leveled up, he saw visible improvement in them.
The four basic Yellow Rank Mysterious Techniques he learned initially had reached the second level, which wasn’t supposed to happen as far as he could tell.
That was why they changed and he gained better versions of them. For example, the Crushing Mountain Fist now allowed him to use Qi to deliver a crushing blow. It felt like he was crushing a mountain with immense strength.
But of course, he couldn’t actually do that.
’Cultivators and their way of glazing their techniques. Heaven-crushing techniques can only crush pebbles.’
Meihui had also given him three Mysterious Techniques, ones he could learn quickly through Attribute picking and master enough to use in battle.
Ashen Phantom Steps, a movement-type High-Grade Yellow-Rank Mysterious Technique.
Illusory Palm, an attack-type High-Grade Yellow-Rank Mysterious Technique. Using it, Ye Jun could confuse the enemy into seeing illusory attacks while hiding the true strike.
Burning Sun’s Blast, an attack-type Peak-Grade Yellow-Rank Mysterious Technique. The best in his arsenal, which drained his reserves quickly to deliver high burst damage to his enemies.
This was all he could learn and master in one month. It was only possible because of the system; otherwise, there was simply no way he could have comprehended these Techniques on his own and used them at such a level.
Especially since Ye Jun hadn’t even spent much time practicing them traditionally.
’Meihui has contributed a lot too.’
The woman didn’t question his strange behaviour and demands. She simply continued helping him, even amidst her healing sessions, by demonstrating the Mysterious Techniques multiple times so he could pick up the Attributes.
Ye Jun clenched his fists and released them. ’I am still weak. One month simply isn’t enough.’
But it would suffice. If it didn’t, he would still find a way to deal with his enemies.
He exhaled and glanced at the last section of his status screen: Blank Points. He still couldn’t make any sense of them. He had no idea how they were obtained or what their use was.
Just then, his instincts tingled as he jumped out of the way, only to see a pillar of wood smashed into splinters where he had stood moments before.
He turned around and noticed a spiritual creature hanging from a Boldail tree’s branch. Recognising it was very easy.
’Jadevine Ape.’
It was a large, broad-shouldered primate standing over two meters tall when upright. Its dark moss-green fur was coarse and uneven, with living jade-coloured vines naturally entwined around its arms, back, and shoulders as if growing from its body.
A faint green light pulsed beneath its skin whenever it circulated spiritual energy. Its forearms were long and powerful, ending in thick black claws suited for climbing and crushing blows, while its intelligent emerald-ringed eyes constantly scanned the surroundings with unsettling awareness.
The beast was looking around the terrain to make sure its prey didn’t escape.
Ye Jun considered fleeing for a moment. The Jadevine Ape was a Middle-Grade Tier 2 Spiritual Beast. The problem was that Ye Jun was currently inside its habitat, filled with tall trees and dense vegetation. Vines grew everywhere, with enough wood around to give the beast endless weapons.
But the beast didn’t give him time to think as it hurled another wooden plank toward him. As he dodged, the wood shattered behind him.
"You wanna play this game?" Ye Jun smiled. "Then let’s do this."
The Jadevine Ape snarled, seemingly pleased by the provocation, but the next second its eyes blazed with anger as it watched Ye Jun run away at full speed.
’As if I’m fighting in your home ground, idiot,’ Ye Jun thought, hurriedly using Stone Step Footwork to escape the vegetation. Considering the messy and uneven terrain, this footwork suited him better as it provided stability.
He could feel the beast chasing him as vines rose around to intercept him, but he remained slightly faster. Whenever he found himself completely surrounded, he used Ashen Phantom Steps to escape.
After repeated use under extreme pressure, he was getting better at it.
The next second, another wooden plank exploded into splinters beside him, fragments striking his skin but none managing to pierce it.
’Just a bit more,’ he thought, his heart thumping with excitement even though the Jadevine Ape was almost upon him.
Jumping across boulders, uneven ground, and rising vines, Ye Jun heard splashes of water nearby and rushed toward it with the ape following closely behind.
’Cut!’
He slashed at the thick green vines and burst into a shallow stream. Without hesitation, he jumped inside and stopped only after reaching the middle.
He had to step aside quickly to avoid being struck directly in the face by a thick piece of wood flying toward him like a bullet.
’Jump!’ Ye Jun taunted as the ape leapt out from the trees.
As the beast landed in the shallow stream, splashing water everywhere, Ye Jun grinned.
"Welcome to my domain now. Well, water isn’t my domain, but it’ll work."
The ape beat its chest and charged toward him, but it was slower than before and could no longer control vines within the water. It didn’t even have accessible wood nearby.
Ye Jun used floating wooden splinters to close the distance. Claws met the sharp blade, sending sparks flying. He followed with a low uppercut.
The beast raised its arm to defend but found itself unbearably slow. Robbed of speed, it could no longer defend properly against a foe as lethal as Ye Jun.
He exploded into a flurry of attacks, like an incarnation of living carnage, striking from every direction while using the water to his advantage.
The water slowed him too, but he was accustomed to unfair terrain battles. The beast wasn’t. The battlefield affected it far more, preventing proper reactions.
"You fool!" Ye Jun laughed, slashing at the beast’s tendons with his dagger, its blade growing sharper. "You have vines around your body. They get heavy after absorbing water."
After ducking beneath its thick arms, Ye Jun moved behind it and clenched his fists.
"Let’s end this."
Crushing Mountain Fist.
A single blow exploded against the Jadevine Ape’s neck, shattering bones and main meridians. The beast slumped forward, dead. Ember-like bubbles glowed around it.
Ye Jun collected them all.
’Next target.’