"All over the Ten Thousand Mountains, Fur Beast Slaves collect Fierce Beast Essence Blood. I don't know exactly how much there is. I only recognize a few people from nearby regions and have never had contact with those further away." Hagon could see that Yuan Ming had helped him just now to glean some information, but he didn't mind.
Yuan Ming nodded slowly and then asked several more questions about the Fur Beast Slaves, to which he received fairly satisfactory answers.
"Brother Hagon, I have another question. I have been practicing the Fur Cloak Skill for several months, and a few days ago, when I used it, a sudden urge for bloodshed surged from within me, almost controlling my will. Do you know why this happened?" Yuan Ming asked about the matter that most concerned him.
"It's quite normal, it's the backlash from using the Fur Cloak Skill," Hagon replied calmly.
"Backlash?" Yuan Ming's expression tightened as he immediately followed up.
"The Fur Cloak Skill is a unique secret technique of Biluo Cave, designed to merge specially-made beast skins with those who have just started on the path of cultivation, granting them the formidable strength to withstand demon beasts. It is indeed a powerful spell, but this strength, after all, is not cultivated by ourselves, and it comes with severe side effects," Hagon sighed and explained.
"The side effect, is it the backlash you just mentioned?" Yuan Ming asked urgently.
"The beast skins in our hands were made from the hides of fierce beasts throughout the Ten Thousand Mountains, refined through a secret technique by Biluo Cave. These skins contain the original demonic power and sinister energy of the fierce beasts, which will gradually erode our bodies. Once it reaches a certain extent, backlash will occur, ultimately leading to a complete fusion with the beast skin and transforming into a monstrous creature that knows only slaughter," Hagon's voice carried a hint of bitterness.
"Is there any way to avoid the backlash of the Fur Cloak Skill?" Yuan Ming inquired.
"No, as long as you use the Fur Cloak Skill, the sinister force within the beast skin will continue to erode our bodies. The more often the skill is used, the greater the risk of backlash, and eventually, one would completely turn into a bloodthirsty monster. It's a point of no return, and no one can escape it," Hagon's eyes flashed with pain.
"How long can we Fur Beast Slaves normally hold on?" Yuan Ming's expression grew grave as he asked.
"If one only hunts five beasts a month and uses the Fur Cloak Skill as little as possible, it's not a problem to last four or five years or even longer. However, if they frequently use the Fur Cloak Skill, it's not uncommon to be completely insane within a year or two," Hagon said.
"Biluo Cave just allows this to happen?" Yuan Ming couldn't help but feel a sudden heaviness in his heart, and after a moment of silence, he spoke.
"Why would Biluo Cave care about the life and death of us Fur Beast Slaves? Right, if one can collect a thousand portions of Essence Blood before completely losing their mind, perhaps one could be accepted as a Registered Disciple and escape having to use the Fur Cloak Skill," after saying this, a self-mocking smile appeared on Hagon's lips.
"You've also accepted this mission?" Yuan Ming asked.
"Heh heh, anyone who performs conspicuously well in the first few months, those elders who manage us will quietly offer this mission, encouraging us to collect as much Essence Blood as possible in a short amount of time," Hagon chuckled, casting a sidelong glance at Yuan Ming.
"If it's as you said, I'm afraid one might go insane before even gathering enough Beast Blood," Yuan Ming said with a wry smile.
"Not necessarily. There are those with exceptional talent. If they haven't lost their sanity, it shows great mental fortitude, and such a person would surely not be rejected by Biluo Cave," Hagon replied noncommittally.
Yuan Ming nodded silently, about to ask more questions, when suddenly his eyebrows shot up, and he looked over his shoulder into the dense woods behind him. At the same time, he activated the Fur Cloak Skill, transforming into the form of a White Ape.
Hagon, on the other hand, swiftly turned around, his figure already morphing into the shape of a Green Wolf.
Five figures flitted out of the dense jungle, all of them Fur Beast Slaves, enclosing Yuan Ming and Hagon in a fan-shaped formation with swift movements.
Almost as soon as Yuan Ming and Hagon completed their transformations, the encirclement was already in place.
Yuan Ming frowned; it hadn't been easy to find even one Fur Beast Slave before, but now, just a short while into the forest, he had encountered six.
However, the intent of these five newcomers was clearly malicious.
"It's you lot!" Hagon spoke at ease, recognizing the incomers.
"Brother Hagon, we meet again. Just now over there we saw the corpse of a Bloodline Crocodile—must've been your hunt, right? It seems your strength has improved. I'm impressed, really impressed," a Red Tiger Beast Slave stepped forward, glanced at Yuan Ming and spoke to Hagon with a smile.
This man's body was huge, even larger than Hagon's Green Wolf transformation, with a physique full of muscles and strength, obviously the leader of the group.
"Zan Bai, you've become even more hypocritical after joining the Green Wolf Gang. Out with it, what do you want?" Hagon snorted lightly.
"Hagon, you've messed with our people on several occasions. If we don't punish you harshly, what would others think of me? Since we both joined Biluo Cave at the same time, hand over your Blood Storage Bag, and I'll let you leave," Zan Bai spoke indifferently.
"Really?" Hagon seemed somewhat interested.
"Of course, you should know that we people of the Hei Mu Clan keep our promises," Zan Bai declared proudly while patting his chest.
"Wuli, the Spotted Leopard was discovered by us at the same time, right? Just because you lacked the ability to kill it doesn't mean you should prevent others from acting," Hagon retorted to the Gray Wolf Beast Slave with a snicker.
"Nonsense, it was you who stole my prey," Wuli, the Gray Wolf Beast Slave, retorted angrily.
Zan Bai's gaze swept over Wuli sharply, as though rebuking him for speaking recklessly.
Wuli's heart jolted, and he stepped back, not daring to say more.
"Hagon, let's cut to the chase. You've provoked our people time and again; if there's no severe punishment, how will others view me? For the sake of both of us joining Biluo Cave at the same time, hand over your Blood Storage Bag and I will allow you to leave," Zan Bai said blandly.
"Is that so?" Hagon seemed to be swayed.
"Certainly, you know the people of the Hei Mu Clan honor our word," Zan Bai said with a touch of pride, patting his chest.
"Fine, you've got me surrounded today, I give up, catch." Hagon took a Blood Storage Bag from his bosom and threw it to Zan Bai.
Yuan Ming felt slightly surprised; the bottom of this Blood Storage Bag was stained with a bit of blood, and it wasn't the same one Hagon had used before. Could it be something he had taken after killing a Fur Beast Slave?
Hagon seemed to notice Yuan Ming's gaze and looked over in this direction, his left hand behind his back, gesturing towards the front-left.
Upon seeing this, Yuan Ming's expression turned thoughtful.
Zan Bai also looked somewhat surprised. He caught the Blood Storage Bag subconsciously and suddenly felt something off about the texture, the bottom of the bag had a hole, and inside was a black ball.
He looked carefully and his expression immediately turned to shock and anger.
The black ball "bang" exploded, and a large cloud of black smoke burst into existence, engulfing a dozen or so feet around the lakeside in an instant.
"Go!" Hagon's form turned into a green streak, flying away towards the front-left.
Although Yuan Ming couldn't see Hagon, he immediately ran in that direction and easily escaped the encirclement of the Red Tiger Beast Slave and the others.
"Haha, Zan Bai, till we meet again!" Hagon laughed heartily, leading Yuan Ming deep into the jungle.
The instant Yuan Ming entered the jungle, he swiftly took two stones from the bag on his back and threw them left and right.
The stones shot out and struck two spots in the jungle, causing the leaves there to rustle violently.
Figures moved within the black smoke; Zan Bai and the others flew out but saw no trace of Hagon and Yuan Ming by the lakeside, only three swaying areas of bushes, unsure of which direction the two men had gone.
Zan Bai's eyes were full of anger as he clenched his fists.
Yuan Ming followed Hagon and didn't stop until they were seven or eight miles away, seeing no one pursuing them.
"Hagon, who were those guys?" Yuan Ming caught his breath and asked.
"Those guys are from the Green Wolf Gang. Like us, they are all Fur Beast Slaves. Their leader is called Wu Bao, who, with a dozen or so men, formed a group specializing in plundering others," Hagon said, leaning against an old tree.
"Not daring to hunt demon beasts themselves but instead targeting others, what's the difference between them and bandits?" Yuan Ming said disdainfully.
"Actually, there are quite a few groups like them out there, but most choose to hunt beasts together. Only a few engage in plundering. Yuan Ming, with your skills and courage, you might as well join a group; it could be easier for you," Hagon sighed and said.
Sourced directly from *.
"What about you, are you a member of a group too?" Yuan Ming raised his eyebrow and asked.
Hagon shook his head and said, "I used to be, but I left."
"Why?" Yuan Ming asked curiously.
"We part ways when our paths do not align. Once a group forms, there must be a leader, and a hierarchy gets established. When hunting beasts, it certainly has advantages and can greatly prevent casualties. But when it comes to sharing the spoils, it's not so harmonious. The leader and his close associates naturally get more, as for everyone else... Heh," Hagon didn't finish his sentence, but Yuan Ming already understood.
"In that case, it's better to operate alone," Yuan Ming said with a smile.
"No matter what, surviving here is not an easy thing. Just a reminder, don't trust others too easily, and don't help others too readily. When push comes to shove, people are capable of anything," Hagon said with a complex expression.
"I have my own principles when it comes to doing things," Yuan Ming nodded and replied with a smile.
Hearing this, Hagon didn't say much more.
After resting for a while, Yuan Ming suddenly spoke, "Hagon, what was that thing you threw earlier that released so much smoke?"
"That thing is called a Smoke Bomb, something the Registered Disciples of Biluo Cave came up with. It's very useful for escaping," Hagon replied.
"Smoke Bomb? Something made by the Registered Disciples of Biluo Cave, how did you get it?" Yuan Ming asked in confusion.
"What, you haven't been to Toad Valley yet?" Hagon asked, somewhat surprised.
"No," Yuan Ming shook his head.
"Alright then, I've got nothing else to do today, so I'll take you there for a look. It's a place for barter. You can use parts from demon beasts or directly use Blood Food to exchange for things you need," Hagon smiled, stood up from the ground, patted the dirt off his backside, and said.
"Isn't that just like a market? There's such a place here?" Yuan Ming's curiosity was piqued.
"It's something that the Biluo Cave Disciples came up with. They sometimes need us to risk our lives to obtain things from demon beasts. Come on, it's not far from here, you can get there in half an hour," Hagon grinned and said.