Chapter Seventy-Two: A Fateful Opportunity

Without sparing a moment to test his body’s current regenerative abilities, Luo Tian had no intention of stretching out his neck or arm just to let those Fang Rats take a bite; he could only continue slaughtering his way through. After all, if there were benefits to be gained, accumulating more of them would do no harm.

Dozens of Fang Rats leaped onto Luo Tian, offering him energy, and he soon found himself quite overwhelmed. Though he had already mastered the Snake Form to a remarkable degree, Luo Tian could only choose to fight and retreat simultaneously, not daring to allow himself to become surrounded.

At the Qi Condensation stage, cultivators could still be defeated by sheer numbers or a beast tide, but at the Meridian Flow stage, with the ability to project primal energy, and especially in the Core Formation stage, when one could wield mighty martial techniques, that was when true progress on the path of cultivation began.

A deeper thirst for power surged in Luo Tian’s heart.

Just then, a shrill, piercing screech, sharper than those of the ordinary Fang Rats, rang out from beneath the earth. Luo Tian felt a sudden sense of danger, his retreating steps faltered, and then, body leaning forward, he lunged with a sudden stride.

A faint sound of earth being split reached his ears. Luo Tian, keenly alert, pivoted forcefully on the ball of his landing foot, spinning around a hundred and eighty degrees. In that instant, he caught a glimpse of a gigantic Fang Rat launching a surprise attack from underground.

This creature was twice the size of a normal Fang Rat. Its cherry-sized eyes shone with a fierce, blazing light, and its crimson pupils brimmed with murderous intent. It certainly carried an air of menace, and its speed was noticeably superior to its lesser kin.

However, its somewhat bloated form thoroughly undermined its savage appearance, so much so that Luo Tian found it almost comical.

But this was no reason for Luo Tian to show mercy. The blue radiance shimmering along his blade grew denser; even the air around the sword seemed to ripple, as if aflame.

With a crisp hiss, the sword slashed through the air. Yet Luo Tian’s heart was utterly tranquil.

From the moment he sensed the giant Fang Rat’s ambush—his pause, stride, twist, and thrust—every move was executed cleanly and decisively, without an ounce of hesitation.

In one seamless motion, the blue light pierced straight through the behemoth’s throat. Luo Tian twisted his arm, spinning the sword viciously inside the creature’s flesh.

Under Luo Tian’s full strength, the giant Fang Rat had no chance to resist; it perished instantly.

Luo Tian remained vigilant, but when no further Fang Rats appeared, he was finally convinced—the slain giant was this pack’s leader.

With the tree toppled, the monkeys scatter; once the strongest fell, the rest of the Fang Rats naturally ceased their assault.

After advancing some distance, Luo Tian finally found time to examine his own condition.

When the Fang Rat King died, it had contributed a massive surge of foreign energy. Luo Tian, wary of further attacks, had not dared linger to observe the effect.

Now, however, he had time to spare.

Once more, he swept himself with his Divine Eye, but detected nothing out of the ordinary. He concluded that the foreign energy had fully merged with his body, indistinguishable from the rest—even the Divine Eye could not pinpoint its presence.

Of course, there was another explanation: the energy’s grade was so high that even the Divine Eye could not locate its hiding place. But Luo Tian considered this possibility too remote to entertain.

He had begun to put some faith in what that ancient tome had said about the Divine Eye; even in this alien world with its profound power, Luo Tian still trusted the artifact.

He clenched his fist and released it, carefully sensing any subtle changes in his body, but nothing seemed amiss.

With a quiet sigh, Luo Tian could not help but purse his lips in frustration. It seemed he would have to resort to self-inflicted wounds to conduct a proper test. Though effective, the method always felt a bit odd.

Blue light flashed, and fresh blood spattered from his fingertip once again. Yet the torn flesh around the wound was already knitting itself together, slowly closing from either side. At this rate, it would heal completely in no time.

Could it be that all the beasts in this secret realm possessed such abilities?

The thought startled Luo Tian, then filled him with boundless joy. Without doubt, this was a stroke of extraordinary fortune!

Even cultivators at the Meridian Flow stage, able to project primal energy, still relied often on close combat. Not to mention, whether wounded by weapon or primal energy, so long as there was injury, it could quickly be restored.

Thinking thus, Luo Tian gritted his teeth and punched his own arm.

If there were no open wounds, only internal injuries, would the regenerative power still work?

He held his breath, attentive to any change.

This time, he did not hold back—he wanted to gauge the exact state of his body and the use of this strange new power. Luo Tian put considerable force into the blow.

A man, after all, must be ruthless with himself.

Agonizing pain immediately twisted his features, and a large patch of bruising bloomed on his arm, turning blue and purple.

What delighted Luo Tian, however, was that the bruise began to dissipate almost as soon as it formed, quite unlike the usual process.

It seemed this foreign energy truly enhanced his regenerative ability.

Excellent, powerful indeed!

With such a gift, in any battle of attrition, he would hold an overwhelming advantage. His formidable regeneration could wear an opponent down to death—who could outlast Senior Brother Luo in a drawn-out fight?

Meanwhile, across the secret realm, other teams—disciples of both the Grand Yuan Sect and the Divine Sun Sect—were making similar discoveries.

After all, fighting magical beasts inevitably led to injury. When their newfound regenerative powers exceeded former limits, some began to sense something was amiss. After several experiences, the sharp-minded among them deduced the truth.

This realization left everyone excited. If this ability could be heightened enough to grant monstrous recovery from wounds, what power that would be!

As a result, all teams pushed deeper into the secret realm. The logic was simple: the stronger the beasts, the greater the energy they could yield. Even a fool could do the math.

Deep in the secret realm, amidst a forest, a broad clearing lay.

At the very center of this clearing stood an enormous wooden stake, over two meters in diameter.

Upon this stake, a person lay quietly. He wore resplendent golden robes, exuding an aura of nobility, yet his figure was withered; his eye sockets sunken, and his exposed skin clung tightly to bone, devoid of all healthy color.

His face, though still faintly handsome, was now nothing but skin and bone, lending him a truly ghastly appearance.

It was as if all the flesh had vanished from his body, leaving only an empty husk.

Yet even in this decrepit, dying state, the figure’s abdomen rose and fell almost imperceptibly, the frequency much slower than that of an ordinary person—by at least tenfold.

As more and more of the foreign energy entered the disciples of the two great sects, a faint rasping sound emerged from this man’s throat, as if that withered body suddenly began to exhibit the faintest signs of life.