"Absorbing Palm!"
"Just a small trick!"
The man in the white robe gently stroked the White Spirit Fox in his arms.
At the same time, he responded to Chen Xuan's question.
Then he asked, "I can't take the White Spirit Fox for nothing. Tell me, what do you want? As long as it's not too excessive, I might consider it."
At this moment,
Chen Xuan's mind was racing,
analyzing the situation.
He didn't know if the man in front of him was speaking the truth or just making small talk.
To him,
the White Spirit Fox wasn't a big deal.
It wasn't of much use, so giving it away was no loss.
At least,
a moment ago he hadn't intended to ask for any reward.
However,
the man's casual move just now—lightly sucking the White Spirit Fox into his hand—
gave him the feeling of being drenched with cold water on a hot summer day.
He wanted to learn it!
So, he made up his mind and tentatively asked, "Could I possibly learn that Absorbing Palm just now?"
"Haha... What a bold and honest kid!"
The man in white robes chuckled softly.
The more he looked at Chen Xuan, the more he felt he was different.
At least,
not like an ordinary hunter at all.
Smart at analyzing the situation!
Not lacking in courage either!
A talent indeed.
However, as for the Absorbing Palm...
Although he said it was a small trick, that was only relative to him.
Still, he pondered, since he had already spoken.
He was someone who cared about appearances.
Moreover,
he was pleased to have caught the White Spirit Fox today,
happy indeed!
The next moment,
the man's figure vanished from Chen Xuan's sight,
"What?"
Before he could react, the man appeared in front of him, a trace of coldness on his forehead at the same time!
"Close your eyes and carefully comprehend!"
The man's voice echoed in his ear.
Seeing this,
Chen Xuan immediately closed his eyes, and then an unfamiliar scene appeared in his mind.
At the same time,
the man's voice sounded once more.
"Absorbing Palm..."
He didn't know how much time had passed,
when Chen Xuan opened his eyes again,
the man had already vanished.
"Is this the Absorbing Palm?"
Chen Xuan's eyes were still filled with shock.
A moment later,
after gathering his wits, he immediately called up the panel.
[Name: Chen Xuan]
[Life expectancy: 18/55]
[Realm: Eighth-Grade (Muscle Refining)]
[Cultivation Technique: Health Cultivation (Proficient)]
[Skills: Basic Archery (5/10), Intermediate Tracking Technique (0/20), Chamber Mastery (Minor Achievement) (0/20), Absorbing Palm (Not meeting cultivation requirements)]
[Skill Points: 21]
"Not meeting cultivation requirements?"
Seeing the words following Absorbing Palm on the panel, Chen Xuan was dumbfounded.
What does this mean?
The system recorded it but couldn't cultivate it!
"Is it because I lack strength?"
Chen Xuan pondered for a long time and felt this might be the reason.
Suddenly,
it was quite frustrating!
It's like being an eunuch visiting a brothel.
"Sigh!"
He shook his head, smiled bitterly.
...
In the blink of an eye,
a month passed.
After a cold winter,
everything began to revive.
As the temperature rose, the snow in the mountains had completely melted away.
The animals and beasts in the mountain coming out for food also increased.
However,
more and more people entered the mountains to hunt.
Even some ordinary villagers started entering the mountains,
despite the danger,
it was a helpless move,
as there was really nothing to eat at home, although the mountain was dangerous, sometimes catching a rabbit or two, and if not, gathering some mushrooms to fill their bellies.
But,
even with more people entering the mountains, it had no impact on Chen Xuan.
From the first time he entered the back mountain,
he had been hunting around the outskirts of the back mountain for this entire month.
As for why he didn't go deeper into the back mountain, it was fully due to being frightened.
Can you imagine a giant snake several meters long, as thick as an adult man's thigh?
Its casually flicked tongue was half a foot long!
Chen Xuan just took one look,
and it scared the life out of him!
He retreated slowly and carefully, terrified of being noticed by that black snake, and when he reached the outskirts of the back mountain, he mustered all his strength and bolted down the mountain.
After that day,
Chen Xuan rested for five days before returning to the mountain.
It was too terrifying.
Now, whenever he recalls it, his heart can't help but tremble.
Indeed,
the saying circulated in Shuanggang Village was not unfounded, entering the back mountain was a life-and-death ordeal!
Facing such a creature, even an Eighth-Grade Martial Artist like him felt his legs wobble, let alone the ordinary hunters.
However,
even staying on the outskirts of the back mountain,
Chen Xuan's gains during this period were quite abundant.
Now in the kitchen,
it was almost full with the game he brought back.
Rabbits, roe deer, wild boars, White Tiger...
He estimated they wouldn't run out for a few months.
Once food was no longer a concern, Chen Xuan lost the interest to go into the mountains.
Today,
on a rare sunny day,
after a long cold winter,
all the clothes at home were damp,
so Su Wanqiu with the little girl Su Yun took all the clothes that needed sunning out,
washed whatever needed washing.
After lunch,
the two went to the village's grain store.
They didn't rest for a moment.
As a result,
only Chen Xuan was left at home.
He found the lounge chair that hadn't been used for a while, placed it at the doorway, and lay on it to bask in the sun.
So comfortable!
"Sigh!"
He inexplicably sighed.
Looking at the panel in front of him.
[Name: Chen Xuan]
[Life expectancy: 18/55]
[Realm: Eighth-Grade (Muscle Refining)]
[Cultivation Technique: Health Cultivation (Proficient)]
[Skills: Advanced Archery, Advanced Tracking Technique, Chamber Mastery (Major Achievement), Absorbing Palm (Not meeting cultivation requirements)]
[Skill Points: 589]
In a month,
everything that could be upgraded was upgraded, yet he still had 589 skill points left over.
It's really feast or famine!
Previously, all he thought about was skill points, now look,
he's got so many points and nowhere to use them!
Seriously... an unlucky break.
"If only I had asked that man for a cultivation technique instead of that dang Absorbing Palm, it's only good to look at, can't use!"
He felt a bit regretful now.
"How can I get a cultivation technique?"
Chen Xuan rubbed his temples.
It was really frustrating.
He had asked around some elders in the village, but they were all simple villagers, some hadn't even been to the county town.
Of course, there were no results.
As he was troubled,
a familiar voice reached his ears.
"What should we do, sister?"
"Will our family have to eat nothing but meat in the future?"
"We can't even eat that much..."
It was all Su Yun's voice.
Ever since his Tracking Technique reached an advanced level, his hearing had improved tremendously.
He could hear much farther now.
See,
these two women were still hundreds of meters away, but he could hear Su Yun's voice clearly.
A moment later,
the two women came to Chen Xuan's side,
Su Wanqiu had a face full of worry, while Su Yun grabbed his hand and urgently said, "The village's grain store isn't selling anything anymore, and the owner says this situation will last for a long time, Brother Xuan, what do we do in the future?"
"Don't worry, I'm here!"
Chen Xuan patted her head, comforting her, then looked at Su Wanqiu and asked curiously, "Why?"