Yuan Ming gazed at the struggling Hagon before him, knowing there was no time left for hesitation.
Hagon was still desperately resisting, waging what could be his final battle, and every extra moment Yuan Ming delayed only multiplied Hagon's suffering.
"Hagon, I will definitely visit your daughter, you...rest in peace," Yuan Ming raised his long sword, closed his eyes, and was about to strike down.
Just then, a hurried shout interrupted Yuan Ming's motion.
Yuan Ming opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the voice, only to see a figure rapidly approaching from afar.
"Elder Hu Huo?" Yuan Ming said in surprise.
"What are you doing?" Elder Hu Huo scolded angrily.
"I..." Yuan Ming held his long sword in midair, at a loss for words.
"It was I... who asked him... to help me..." Hagon also opened his eyes, struggling to speak.
After calming down, Yuan Ming asked, "Elder Hu Huo, is he becoming a Human Demon?"
When Elder Hu Huo heard this, he didn't seem surprised, nor did he object. Instead, he simply nodded in confirmation.
"Why? This is clearly the backlash from the Fur Cloak Technique and the Blood Qi Skill, why are we still told to practice them?" Yuan Ming furrowed his brows and couldn't help but question.
"What are you? Beast Slaves? Slaves, do you understand?" Elder Hu Huo countered, his voice indifferent.
Unsaid was the implication: what right did mere slaves have to question?
Yuan Ming was burning with anger, not just for Hagon but also for himself.
If it weren't for his accidental acquisition of the incense burner and its protection, he too would likely be unable to escape the fate of becoming a Human Demon.
At that moment, Elder Hu Huo's expression softened slightly and he said, "The world of cultivation is indeed this cruel, you should have understood that by now. However, I can tell you're not a common man, and perhaps you might indeed leap out of the mire before the backlash can grasp you."
"What do you mean by that, Elder?" Yuan Ming asked.
"The backlash from the Fur Cloak Technique and the Blood Qi Skill has a trigger mechanism; not everyone is destined to become a Human Demon. As long as you can elevate to the status of a Registered Disciple before the backlash strikes, then naturally you won't have to worry about suffering from it any longer. Hagon, like you, was one of the juniors I had high hopes for, it's just a pity he might not make it to that moment," Elder Hu Huo sighed heavily and said.
"Is there still a chance to save Hagon?" Yuan Ming's anger subsided somewhat, but he remained skeptical and asked.
"If the transformation is more than halfway, it's difficult to save him, but as long as it hasn't reached seventy percent, there's still a chance to try," Elder Hu Huo pondered for a moment before responding.
"Really?" Upon hearing this, Yuan Ming immediately became overjoyed, casting aside all his doubts and asked eagerly.
"Whether he can be saved, we'll only know after bringing him back to try," Elder Hu Huo said noncommittally.
"Thank you, Elder." Yuan Ming didn't bother with any other thoughts, hastily bowing with clasped hands.
But at that moment, Hagon lying on the ground suddenly let out a furious roar and struggled to get up.
His eyes were blood-red, and his hands reached viciously towards Elder Hu Huo.
Without any expression, Elder Hu Huo raised a palm and struck down towards his head.
Yuan Ming was about to intervene, but then he saw a piece of green talisman paper between Elder Hu Huo's fingertips, which he slapped on Hagon's forehead.
Though the move seemed forceful, it was actually done with refined skill.
Struck by the green talisman paper on the forehead, Hagon's body stiffened, then he tumbled stiffly backwards.
The redness in his eyes receded slightly, and the spread of the white fur on his body also halted.
"The situation is dire, we cannot delay. I must take him back immediately," Elder Hu Huo said with a frown.
Yuan Ming opened his mouth to speak, but ultimately said nothing.
Although he still resented everything Elder Hu Huo had done to him and to Hagon, this might be Hagon's last chance at survival, and there was no reason for him to stop it.
On the contrary, he felt an unusual sense of relief; at least he didn't have to personally send his friend to his end.
Elder Hu Huo didn't say more, summoned his spirit beast, the Green Falcon, and lifting Hagon's arm, he helped him onto the back of the Green Falcon and laid him down.
With a shriek, the Green Falcon flapped its wings and soared into the night sky.
Hagon lay on the Green Falcon, his reddened eyes staring blankly at Yuan Ming with a hint of stagnation and an air of reluctance.
A twinge of regret suddenly surged in Yuan Ming's heart, unsure if his decision was right or wrong, as he read a plea in Hagon's eyes.
It was the same look of entreaty as when he had been begging for death; he did not want to go with Elder Hu Huo.
Yuan Ming returned to the campfire by his temporary shelter, staring at the golden, oil-dripping roast crocodile meat, but he no longer had any appetite.
Just then, a faint, ethereal voice echoed in his mind:
"What do you mean by that? Why call me foolish?" Yuan Ming jolted, hastily looking around as he asked.
However, the night breeze was gentle, and the wilderness was silent; no one responded.
Yuan Ming waited for a moment, feeling increasingly irritable, then he stood up, kicked out the campfire, and darted into the forest to seek his next hunting target.
Time flew by, and more than a month passed.
Yuan Ming arrived at the boundary marker and leaned against a large rock, quietly waiting.
Accompanied by a whistling wind, Elder Hu Huo descended from the sky on the Green Falcon, landing on the ground.
"Elder Hu Huo, may I inquire about Hagon's current condition?" Yuan Ming hurriedly got up to meet him and asked.
"The Fur Cloak Skill's erosion was too deep within him. Despite my utmost efforts, I could not save him," Elder Hu Huo said, his expression showing little change. To sup*p&ort# our w#o%rk, p!l*ea^s&e^ re*ad on *$.^
Upon hearing this, Yuan Ming stood quietly on the spot, silent.
"What, are you the only one here?" Elder Hu Huo looked around and asked.
"I also just arrived not long ago and have not seen Wulu show up," Yuan Ming let out a sigh as if letting go of some heavy burden in his heart.
"Hand over this month's contribution," Elder Hu Huo said indifferently, not asking further.
Yuan Ming removed the Blood Storage Bag hanging at his waist and handed it over, then took the small jade bottle containing the antidote from Elder Hu Huo.
Yuan Ming opened the bottle's cap, poured out the elixir inside, inspected it briefly, and then tilted his head back to consume it.
Elder Hu Huo did not leave immediately as before but stood silently to the side, his eyes gazing at the sky, lost in thought.
Yuan Ming's eyebrows knitted together as if burdened by heavy thoughts, unwilling to stay longer, he bid farewell and left.
"Wait," Elder Hu Huo called out to him, withdrawing his gaze from the sky.
"Is there anything else, elder?" Yuan Ming turned back.
"The reward for the last trial mission has been distributed. Don't you want it?" Elder Hu Huo said.
An unusual expression flickered across Yuan Ming's face, quickly returning to calm, "I thought there were no rewards due to the mishap during the last trial."
"The trial indeed encountered some mishaps, but that does not affect the rewards. You performed well in this trial, and as a special encouragement, you are granted an extra two hundred Blood Food portions," Elder Hu Huo said.
"Two hundred portions!" Yuan Ming showed a look of surprise.
"What, you think it's too little?" Elder Hu Huo glanced at Yuan Ming.
"Of course not, it's just too much. I didn't do much during the trial and dare not accept such a substantial reward," Yuan Ming said, shaking his head.
"Could it be that the matter of me and the silver cat slaying the Human Demon King has been exposed?" his heart was in turmoil.
If that were the case, it would be a disaster rather than a blessing.
"Among the Registered Disciples, someone specifically mentioned your merits to the Sect," Elder Hu Huo said, glancing at Yuan Ming.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Ming secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
When he and the silver cat killed the Human Demon King, there was no third person present. What Elder Hu Huo referred to must have been the matter with Chen Wan.
"In that case, I will humbly accept the Sect's generous reward," Yuan Ming bowed with his hands clasped together.
Elder Hu Huo grunted in acknowledgment, no longer conversing with Yuan Ming, and turned towards the Green Falcon.
"Elder Hu Huo, I encountered an accident during the mission and had to withdraw early. May I know how the trial went afterward?" Yuan Ming caught up and asked.
"That's not for you to know," Elder Hu Huo frowned and rebuked, leaping onto the back of the Green Falcon.
The Green Falcon spread its broad wings and soared into the sky, soon disappearing into the distance.
Yuan Ming stood in silence for a while, then also left the area, heading to a secluded valley deep within the Ten Thousand Mountains.
At the bottom of the valley, there was a cave on a rock face, which was originally the lair of a gray bear. After Yuan Ming had slain the gray bear, he made some minor modifications, turning it into his current residence.
Yuan Ming sat down in the cave, pondering his next actions.
The award of two hundred Blood Food portions greatly excited him. Together with his previous accumulations, the Beast Blood he had submitted had already exceeded nine hundred portions, not far from his goal of one thousand. With a bit more effort for a period, he should be able to gather the full amount.
Lately, the backlash from the Fur Cloak Technique had become increasingly severe, and he had been constantly worried that his body would not endure until he gathered enough Beast Blood. Now it seemed he wouldn't have a problem.
Time was pressing, Yuan Ming stood up, ready to head out.
Having taken just two steps, a scorching sensation suddenly surged in his lower abdomen, as if a ball of fire was burning there, causing all his internal organs to ache intensely.
Yuan Ming's heart chilled as he quickly sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes.
After a moment, his brow furrowed, and through his not-so-powerful Divine Sense, he faintly sensed the source of the burning sensation, which seemed to come from the Detoxification Pill he had just consumed.
Yuan Ming's face shifted between light and dark, this Detoxification Pill was unlike any before; something was off this time. What was Elder Hu Huo up to?
Before he could ponder further, the burning sensation erupted violently, spreading throughout his body.
His meridians began to tremble with a buzzing sound, and a wild and sinister aura surged up suddenly. The White Ape Skin at his waist rolled up by itself, adhering to his body and instantaneously transforming him into a White Ape form.
After reaching the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, the White Ape Transformation appeared even more imposing than before, but his spine was somewhat bent, and his limbs were longer, resembling a White Ape more than in the past.
The White Ape Skin pulsed and writhed ceaselessly, as though numerous small mice were scurrying beneath it.
This was a familiar situation for Yuan Ming, one that had been occurring with increasing frequency as of late: the onset of backlash from the Fur Cloak Technique.
He quickly activated the Nine Elements Technique to suppress the sinister qi, while taking an incense burner into his embrace.
Waves of heat from the incense burner entered his body, assisting the Nine Elements Technique in suppressing the Fur Cloak Technique's backlash.
A few breaths later, Yuan Ming's complexion turned exceedingly grim.
This instance of backlash from the Fur Cloak Technique was different from previous times, with indescribable restlessness rising from his heart like a furious wave, several times more intense than any past backlash.