Chapter 66

Chapter 66: The Essence of Battle-Hardened.

The sun set once again, and the night was filled with insect chirps and mosquitoes.

Smoky Snow Weasel lay limp on the ground as four Fire Dragons crowded around him, sniffing away.

He just wanted to confirm what made battle-hardened Smoky Snow Weasels so special.

Shaking his fur, the young dragons swarmed him, sucking greedily.

Is he really that fragrant? Really?

Jié Jié hugged his tail and took a whiff—indeed.

Shouldn’t creatures from the weasel family reek of stink glands? Why is he emitting some kind of gas that’s attractive to monsters?

Lying there pondering, he saw a pink tongue approach.

“Pr～”

Did… did he just get licked?!

Smoky Snow Weasel raised his head, dumbfounded, staring at Iron Pot with utter disbelief.

“Pr～”

His backhead got licked again by some unknown Fire Dragon.

Can’t stay in the Fire Dragon nest anymore!

In a flash, Smoky Snow Weasel darted out. Porcelain Bowl quickly lunged to bite but missed entirely, leaving only a fragrant taste between lips and teeth.

After escaping the young dragons, Jie Jie finally got to do what he initially intended.

He ran through the grasses and trees, visible only as a white shadow in the dark.

Life energy surged restlessly within Smoky Snow Weasel, wandering aimlessly or manifesting as an intense urge to move.

It seemed like only running and moving could make this energy drill into the gaps of his muscles and fill them.

Like fat, life energy needed to be consumed through exercise to become solid muscle.

Life energy, much like fat, doesn’t disappear; it merely transforms into a form more compatible with you.

“Huff!”

The heart-lung enhancement provided by Hōng Lóng’s gemstone greatly assisted in such training. Jié Jié could feel the hum in his body while running, as energy resonated with the rhythm of life, syncing perfectly.

His fur trembled as he ran, his glands contracting, cooling down alongside various heat-dissipating organs, while white pheromones scattered, trailing a long streak behind him.

Jié Jié paid no heed, running freely with unparalleled ease and joy.

From the low vantage point of Smoky Snow Weasel, the surrounding environment transformed into a fantastical fairyland, making him question if he’d gotten high.

A shake of his head revealed tears of exertion blurring his vision.

But still, it felt like boundless energy…

Energy that isn’t digested after being full cannot define a battle-hardened individual. Encountering an environment rich in Earth Pulse Energy during activities stimulates extreme aggression, which consumes life energy in battles, leading to evolution and achieving a leap in life.

Only after crossing the boundary of life can one truly be called a battle-hardened individual.

Only a small number of monsters naturally possess high adaptability to Earth Pulse Energy, allowing them to become battle-hardened without consumption or training—such monsters are probably only the chosen son of heaven…

Suddenly, it feels a bit like cultivating immortality, doesn’t it?

Finally exhausted from running, Jié Jié collapsed onto the soft earth, lying beneath tender leaves watching the glowing specks flutter before him.

Even green Guide Insects appeared. If simply running could achieve battle-hardened status, then it wouldn’t be worth much, would it?

Feeling the abundant energy within him that hadn’t diminished much, Jié Jié couldn’t help but wonder what kind of monster this Smoky Snow Weasel should farm to level up.

Never mind, compared to this vast world, Smoky Snow Weasel is still too insignificant. There’s no need for fighting; happiness is enough.

The happy weasel fell asleep on the ground, but the smoke and snow he left behind drifted endlessly in the evening breeze.

…

Appropriate exercise always makes sleep sweeter. Jié Jié opened his eyes and saw daylight once again.

In broad daylight, two monsters were battling.

It’s Flying Thunder Dragon and Thunder Wolf Dragon. Which one should I eat for breakfast?

Following a fallen, tilted log, Smoky Snow Weasel sprinted and leaped at its end, entering the fray with the most savage and brutal monster-like demeanor.

Hōng Lóng tilted its body and crashed into the battle, twisting and kicking up dirt directly toward the Flying Thunder Dragon electrifying the tree.

Never tasted Flying Thunder Dragon before.

Caught off guard, Flying Thunder Dragon was immediately bitten by Jié Jié, pulled over along with its own head and smashed onto the ground.

Hōng Lóng’s head is tough enough to smash rocks, its wide nose gleaming with metallic luster, untouched by any dust.

But the Flying Thunder Dragon in his mouth wasn’t so lucky—the force of Hōng Lóng’s head smashing into the ground translated into the power of sharp fangs pressing against it.

Before even five seconds had passed since Hōng Lóng entered the battle, the Flying Thunder Dragon was already crippled.

Flying Thunder Dragon’s suffering didn’t last long, quickly ending with Jié Jié’s biting.

This sudden intrusion and surprise attack feels amazing.

Hōng Lóng lifted its head from the Flying Thunder Dragon’s corpse, extending its tongue tingling with sensation, licking its bloody cheek, revealing an extremely malicious and unaware expression.

And the remaining Thunder Wolf Dragon?

Jié Jié eyed it, thinking it must be the one that previously showed hostility towards him.

Recalling the image of Thunder Wolf Dragon in the valley…

There seem to be too many Thunder Wolf Dragons in density and quantity in this forest—

Charge! Charge! Charge!

Car! Car! Car!

Thunder Wolf Dragon’s signature backflip dodged Hōng Lóng’s Dragon Charge, but this only gave it a brief respite.

Jié Jié charged like a monster crawling out of the abyss, opening his mouth wide on the ground, showing nothing but endless hunger in his movements.

Thunder Wolf Dragon chose a double backflip, pausing slightly before starting to charge electricity with the Thunder Light Bugs.

Perhaps due to having fought Flying Thunder Dragon earlier, it entered its ultra-charged state very quickly, even lifting its front claws to strike Jié Jié.

“Boom!”

The front claw thrown at him, along with the Thunder Wolf Dragon itself, was forcefully pushed aside, staggering as the lightning dissipated across its body.

Ultra-charged state lasts less than three seconds.

The front claw tore across the Thunder Wolf Dragon’s shell, its body spinning, tail slightly raised, the spines tearing away flesh and fur.

The two front claws stopped the rotation by grounding themselves, unleashing the power of absolute strength upward without any wind-down.

Without room for retaliation, Thunder Wolf Dragon was pounced upon and knocked down, its Thunder Light Bug guards capable of bullying smaller animals but unable to truly cause significant harm—

Still needs claws and teeth.

Pouncing on the Thunder Wolf Dragon, Jié Jié looked down at this exceptionally handsome monster.

To be honest, quite disappointing.

Besides Golden Thunder King, there’s not a single Thunder Wolf Dragon here as remarkable as the old Thunder Wolf Dragon under the Ancient Tree.

A roar came from afar, indicating quite a few monsters gathered nearby?

He was somewhat confused until he sniffed and realized.

Seems like it’s his fault.

Lowering his head to look at the groaning Thunder Wolf Dragon, the savagery in Jié Jié’s eyes began to fade.

PS: Always puzzled about Hōng Lóng’s weakness to lightning. Why does yellow mean weak to lightning when it’s grounded? (?)