Training Through the Hunt

"Improving combat prowess must be prioritized." Chen Jinshu murmured to herself, making a mental note.

Chen Wenshan's aptitude was not low—he was already at the seventh layer of Qi Refining, making him a formidable force in the family. His wife, at the fifth layer, would struggle against anyone in a fight.

Of course, now that she possessed a spirit plant space, once her alchemy skills improved and she could refine her own pills, she wouldn't need to buy them from the market anymore.

She could also ask Chen Huaiyang to help sell the pills, but explaining the source of so many spirit pills would be difficult.

"It's still safer to go myself—but I should join the procurement team."

Her mind settled, she carefully stored the letter away.

Then, she walked over to Shadowpeak Finch. The once severely injured bird had mostly recovered. Though it still couldn't fly, it could hop around energetically in the little nest she had built.

Using the beast-taming formation left behind by the Beast Taming Sect youth, she had already formed a contract with the sparrow. Now, she could sense its thoughts, and a faint mental connection had formed between them.

"Hungry?" Chen Jinshu smiled faintly, taking out some Golden Blossom Rice from her storage bag and placing it before the bird.

"Chirp chirp!"

"No need to thank me!"

Three days later.

After watering the three acres of spirit fields on Vulture Mountain, Chen Jinshu headed toward a peak to the north.

From the conversations of the Chen family's spirit farmers, she already knew the distribution of spirit beasts on the mountain.

The southern side, where the spirit farmers' residences and the management halls were located, had long been cleared of beasts. Chen Huaiyang also regularly organized hunts, so there were hardly any remaining.

The eastern side, near the canyon, had many avian spirit beasts and was more dangerous.

The western side had steep terrain and fewer beasts, making it unsuitable for combat training.

Only the northern side had a small plateau of frost pines, home to many Pine Spirit Mice, as well as spirit chickens and rabbits. These creatures had low cultivation levels and weak offensive power—perfect for her training.

Plus, any spirit chickens or rabbits she hunted could be used to supplement her meals, boosting her vitality and spiritual energy.

After walking about five li, she finally reached the frost pine forest, its trees covered in pale white bark. The sounds of insects and birds echoed through the dense woods.

"Finally here."

She glanced around, her guard rising. Taking out her Plum Rain Fan from her storage pouch, she channeled spiritual energy into it, causing it to enlarge slightly. The edges of the fan sharpened.

"Whoosh!"

A yellow Pine Spirit Mouse burst from the underbrush, lunging at her.

Chen Jinshu dodged back a zhang, then swiftly sent the fan spinning through the air. With a swish, a white arc of energy sliced through the shrubs ahead, cleaving them apart. The fan circled back into her hand.

"Squeak squeak!"

The mouse dodged frantically, glaring at her with bared teeth, its sharp incisors gleaming.

Glancing down, Chen Jinshu noticed scattered pine cones—she had trespassed into its territory.

"Only Qi Refining second layer? Perfect for practice!"

Smiling, she summoned several finger-thick spirit vines that lashed out toward the rodent.

"Squeak!" 

The mouse grew even more furious but couldn't close the distance, forced to dodge in place. Soon, its legs were entangled by the vines.

Chen Jinshu swiftly conjured a golden needle and shot it straight through the mouse's head.

"Thunk!" 

The needle pierced its skull, and the mouse collapsed. She followed up with a few more needles to its heart, staining its yellow fur crimson.

"My Golden Needle Technique has reached the 'Proficient' stage! All that daily practice wasn't in vain." Delight spread across her face.

Reaching the Proficient stage before the mid-levels of Qi Refining was no small feat—most cultivators only achieved it at the mid-levels. Her golden needles now carried a sharper, more lethal edge, capable of piercing through the mouse's skull and even blasting a small crater into the ground.

This rivals ordinary attack spells!

After cleaning up the area, she stored the mouse in her pouch and ventured deeper into the forest. Before long, she spotted a small herd of Great-Horned Spirit Deer—their bodies pale green, their antlers thicker than her arms, resembling giant pincers.

Though the group was small, it included a leader at the fifth layer of Qi Refining.

"Not worth the risk." She quickly turned away.

At the third layer of Qi Refining, even with a fierce magic weapon, she stood no chance against so many deer. Soon, she came across a few black mountain spirit chickens.

Her eyes lit up. Forming a hand seal, she summoned a net of spirit vines that ensnared three of the birds in a flurry of feathers.

"A bountiful haul!" Grinning, she walked over and inspected them.

"I'll raise them in the courtyard. Fresh spirit eggs every day." Eyeing the spirit beast pouch at her waist, she stored the chickens inside, instructing Shadowpeak Finch to "train" them for future management.

"Four beasts already—not bad for a start!"

A cold wind blew, and light snow began to fall.

Chen Jinshu spent a full hour in the frost pine forest, testing every spell she knew.

The Spring Thunder Technique was the most powerful but also the most draining—her spiritual energy reserves allowed only five uses. After one devastating blast that turned a Qi Refining Second Layer rabbit into charred scraps (a waste of good fur and meat), she stuck to the Spirit Vine Technique and Golden Needle Technique, bagging several more rabbits, two more chickens, and two more mice.

On her way back, she ran into Uncle Yong'an, who had just finished tending the fields.

She offered him a rabbit as thanks for his earlier planting advice.

"Jinshu, catching even one of these isn't easy. You should keep it for yourself!" Though his eyes gleamed with desire, he waved her off.

"I got four—one for you won't hurt. I can't eat them all anyway." She pulled out three more rabbits, finally convincing him to accept.

"You're lucky. The farmers near the frost pines hunt after work, but most come back empty-handed after days of trying. They joke that the beasts flee at the sight of him."

Chen Jinshu pondered this. She had encountered beasts almost immediately—why were the others struggling?

These farmers were at the third or fourth layer of Qi Refining, matching her strength, with decades more experience. If Uncle Yong'an knew how many beasts she had stored away, he'd question his life choices.

"Maybe I just went deeper into the forest," she suggested.

"Don't do that again! The deeper parts are full of venomous insects and predators." His expression turned stern.

"Understood. Thank you, Uncle."

"It's getting late—head back soon!"

"Yes, Uncle!"

Back at Plum Blossom Courtyard, she set up a bamboo enclosure in a corner and released the five spirit chickens inside.

Turning to the Shadowpeak Finch, she said, "You're in charge of them now."

The sparrow stared at the chickens—each several times its size, with sharp beaks—then nodded solemnly.