Chapter 31: Wilderness Trial
With mixed emotions, Chen Ming left the arena. In the next instant, Zhang Peng appeared beside him like Gui Mei.
"Not bad." Zhang Peng raised a barrier of Spirit Power, then nodded at Chen Ming with approval.
"You did very well. You neither hesitated nor showed mercy. Your actions were decisive."
"This was your first time killing someone. What do you think?"
"Master..." Chen Ming paused for a moment. "I don't know how to describe it. It felt like I was hungry and casually killed a rabbit by the roadside to eat. There was no cruelty, no pleasure, just a feeling that this was how it was supposed to be..."
"I thought I might feel sick or want to vomit, but in the end, all I felt was... that's it? Just like that?"
Chen Ming did not feel the heaviness of taking a life. Instead, his mind returned to the scene from before.
If he had to do it again, Chen Ming would not hesitate. His actions would only become faster and more ruthless.
"This may have been your first time killing someone, but it was not your first encounter with life and death. People who survive great disasters often begin to see death as something common."
"Especially once they understand one thing." Zhang Peng looked into Chen Ming's eyes and said slowly, "Many people have their reasons. Within the Holy Spirit Cult, most people deserve to die. By the common standards of the Continent, all of us, including you and me, should already be dead."
"You felt neither the weight of a life passing nor any guilt. I don't know whether that is surprising, or whether it should have been this way from the start..."
Chen Ming did not deny Zhang Peng's thoughts. When he killed Bao Ting, he had indeed felt a sense of ridding the world of evil...
Even though, in the eyes of ordinary people, he himself now belonged to that same "evil."
"Enough. Since that is the case, I will take you to deal with some Spirit Beasts." Zhang Peng did not dwell further on the matter. For Chen Ming to remain rational and not fall into extreme emotion was already a commendable display.
There was no sudden enlightenment, nor any grand revelation after killing someone. Those things rarely happened to Evil Spirit Masters. If they did, Zhang Peng would instead wonder whether Chen Ming's brain had been damaged.
A beast spirit controlled by Zhang Peng emerged from the shadows, wrapping itself around both Zhang Peng and Chen Ming. The two of them turned into a streak of light and moved swiftly along the path. After twisting through numerous tunnels, the beast spirit finally released them, and Chen Ming found himself standing with Zhang Peng inside a dark forest.
"This area is inhabited by Spirit Beasts ranging from 10 years to 100 years old. There are no overly powerful or high level Spirit Beasts here, making it an ideal training ground for you at your current stage."
"3 days. Survive here for 3 days by any means you can, and you will have succeeded. Your Martial Soul grants you extraordinary vitality and adaptability, far beyond anything my Martial Soul can offer. Do not disappoint me."
"Knowledge and wisdom are always part of power, but learning how to turn them into real strength is a lesson that never ends."
Without waiting for Chen Ming's reply, Zhang Peng vanished, leaving Chen Ming alone in the forest.
The teaching method of an Evil Spirit Master was always direct. Learn through blood, and pay in blood. Only lessons written in blood could produce real strength.
Having spent too much time underground, Chen Ming found it difficult to adapt to the light and natural environment above ground. It took him a while to steady himself.
Looking around, Chen Ming scratched his head, thought for a moment, then activated his Martial Soul, transforming into the bloated Abomination as he carefully explored ahead.
Seemingly insignificant insects were one of the greatest threats in the wilderness. These creatures carried all kinds of bacteria and disease and could weaken a person without them even noticing. Some highly venomous creatures could take a life in an instant.
But with his Martial Soul activated, Chen Ming did not need to worry about any of that.
Most insects instinctively avoided Chen Ming. As for the few reckless creatures that dared to attack him, the moment they touched him, they were poisoned to death.
Although Chen Ming had not yet determined the upper limit of his poison resistance, he believed that the toxins of Spirit Beasts below the thousand year level should have no effect on him.
Except for those top tier and special Spirit Beasts that he had never encountered before and therefore could not use as a reference.
One characteristic of the Abomination Martial Soul was that its body was bulky yet agile. Speed was also one of the strengths of the Abomination Martial Soul. Thus, Chen Ming, transformed into a nimble fatty, moved through the forest while using the knowledge he had learned to search for water sources and suitable places to set up camp.
Although Chen Ming could rely entirely on his Martial Soul and simply eat his way through these 3 days, he wanted to test his ability to survive in the wild without relying on it too much. After all, his Martial Soul was an Evil Martial Soul, and the traces it left behind were easy to track. When venturing outside, stealth always had to be a priority.
Along the way, Chen Ming encountered a Spirit Beast that looked somewhat like a purple fox.
That Spirit Beast merely glanced at Chen Ming, sensed the dense Death Qi around him, and fled without the slightest hesitation. Chen Ming did not even have time to identify its species, cultivation level, or what it might taste like.
By a babbling stream, Chen Ming then spotted a pack of 7 Storm Devil Wolves drinking water.
Storm Devil Wolves were common Spirit Beasts in the Douluo world, found on both the Douluo Continent and the Sun Moon Continent.
These wolf type Spirit Beasts were known for their brutality and cunning and possessed wind attribute abilities. In terms of overall quality, a single Storm Devil Wolf was considered an Intermediate Spirit Beast, and in many professional materials it was used as the standard for classifying Intermediate Spirit Beasts. Spirit Beasts weaker than a Storm Devil Wolf were considered Low Spirit Beasts, while those stronger than it were classified as Intermediate or above.
Although the individual strength of a Storm Devil Wolf was only average, they perfectly embodied the cooperative hunting methods of a wolf pack. Even stronger Spirit Beasts could become prey when faced with an entire pack of Storm Devil Wolves. Even some large Spirit Beasts would avoid confronting such a pack head on.
According to the guidebooks, Chen Ming determined that the leader of the pack was a wolf with over 500 years of cultivation. Among the rest, 2 wolves had over 100 years of cultivation, while the remaining ones were 10 year Spirit Beasts.
When he first saw the pack of Storm Devil Wolves, Chen Ming had expected a fierce battle. Just as he was about to activate his Spirit Ability and strike first, the wolves all made expressions of disgust.
The lead wolf let out a howl, and the entire pack retreated without the slightest hesitation.
The Storm Devil Wolves were not afraid to fight Chen Ming. The problem was the foul stench and the faint poisonous aura coming from him, something they could sense very clearly.
To these Spirit Beasts, Chen Ming was a target with high risk and low reward. Losing would cost them dearly, and even winning might not give them anything edible. Getting injured or killed for that was simply not worth it. They were not stupid enough to pick a fight with someone like Chen Ming.
Low level Spirit Beasts possessed the intelligence of wild animals. They were not clever, but they did have the most basic instincts for survival.
Every bit of energy and every bit of physical condition was precious in the wild. Fighting was often necessary for survival, but survival itself did not mean one had to fight.
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