After awakening the Devour the Mountain talent, Wu Tian did not leave the cave dwelling. Instead, he immersed himself even deeper in bitter cultivation.
At night, he circulated his energy through full cycles, swallowing moonlight to nourish both body and soul. During the day, he trained various spells, refined cursed artifacts, and honed his talents. Every moment of his time was tightly packed—there was not a single instant of rest.
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye, and the Thread Extraction Art finally reached completion.
Ding!System Notification: Your skill "Thread Extraction Art" has reached Perfection and may awaken into a talent. Please choose one of the following options.
Option One (Intermediate Talent): Silk SpitYou can refine natural energy into silk threads, which may be used to bind enemies or refine cursed artifacts.
Option Two (Intermediate Talent): Verdant RenewalYou can extract vitality from plants to restore stamina and heal injuries.
This time, Wu Tian did not hesitate at all. He chose Verdant Renewal.
The first option was frankly useless. He wasn't a spider demon—what was the point of spitting silk?
The second option, however, allowed for healing and recovery, exactly what he needed most. Combat without injury was a fantasy, and with the upcoming descent from the mountain, this talent would be invaluable.
When he bit through his own fur to draw blood while refining Wish Cords, Verdant Renewal immediately took effect. Since the wound was tiny, it healed completely within a few breaths.
The cost?
Just a few leaves from the bitter bamboo nearby.
Wu Tian stared at the withered bamboo leaves that crumbled into dust, his eyes shining with delight.
"In this savage mountain range, nothing is more plentiful than plants."
"As long as I'm not killed outright, I can continuously recover by drawing on plant vitality."
"Excellent. Excellent! I'm steadily advancing toward the ultimate boss template."
"Still, I mustn't get arrogant. After all, I'm just an ordinary Southern Border White Hound."
"Everything I have today comes from hard work."
After reassuring himself, Wu Tian returned to cultivation. His recent progress had been astonishing. Many of the spells he had trained diligently were approaching completion, and the time of harvest was drawing near.
Even the Moon-Devouring Qi Circulation Art progressed at an incredible pace thanks to the system. He could now circulate five full cycles each night. His body and mind had both grown tremendously stronger.
Three more days passed.
The Spirit Communion talent finally evolved.
Ding!System Notification: Your talent "Spirit Communion" has reached Perfection.
Ding!System Notification: "Spirit Communion" has evolved into an Intermediate Talent: Devour Spirits.
Devour Spirits (Intermediate Talent):Communicating with spirits is merely preparation—to better devour them and nourish your soul.(Rumor has it that ghost brides taste sweet, but the risk is extremely high. Please do not attempt lightly.)
Wu Tian's mouth twitched when he read the description. His system's tone was becoming increasingly unhinged.
Strangely enough, he now felt a faint urge to pull out the wolf spirit sealed inside the Soul-Shaking Bell and taste it.
…Perhaps it would be delicious?
Thankfully, he restrained himself. High-quality cursed artifacts were rare, and once he descended the mountain, there would be no shortage of spirits to satisfy his appetite.
"Devour the Mountain. Devour Spirits…"
"My whole cultivation style is getting a bit… mouth-oriented."
He suddenly thought of a mythical celestial hound gazing at the moon, and an unsettling thought flashed through his mind.
What did the moon taste like?
Wu Tian shuddered violently and immediately cut off that line of thinking.
"I must be exhausted. I'm just an ordinary Southern Border White Hound—how could I have such insane thoughts?"
"I should focus on finishing Cloudwater Spell and Wind Gathering Spell. The day we descend the mountain is getting closer."
Suppressing his wandering thoughts, Wu Tian returned to cultivation. The recent flood of talents—Devour the Mountain, Verdant Renewal, and Devour Spirits—had rapidly filled in his weaknesses, making him increasingly terrifying in battle.
With Devour Spirits, even Skull Mountain disciples would not escape him. Their souls—and even the beast spirits bound to them—could be devoured whole.
Those who died by his jaws would truly perish, with no chance of becoming wandering ghosts.
Meanwhile, his second Wish Cord was complete, and he had already begun refining the third. His efficiency in extracting threads and inscribing runes continued to improve. It wouldn't be long before he could successfully refine a true Wish Whip.
With both the Wish Whip and the Soul-Shaking Bell, combined with his ever-growing list of talents, Wu Tian was confident.
Whether it was mountain demons below or Qi Nourishment Realm disciples on Skull Mountain—he could bite them to death.
Time flowed quietly as he cultivated. His strength increased day by day. His fur became increasingly smooth and radiant, as though light flowed across it. His limbs grew powerful, his claws and fangs sharp—beautiful, yet deadly.
Before he realized it, two full months had passed since his return to the mountain.
On this day, Cloudwater Spell and Wind Gathering Spell both reached perfection simultaneously.
Ding!System Notification: Your skills "Cloudwater Spell" and "Wind Gathering Spell" have reached Perfection and may awaken into talents.
Ding!System Notification: These two skills may fuse and evolve. Fusion will randomly awaken a wind-water aligned monster bloodline.
Ding!System Notification: Do you wish to fuse?Note: If you refuse, both skills will independently evolve into two Intermediate Talents.
Wu Tian's eyes lit up.
"A bloodline again?"
He had encountered this option once before, but had chosen to ignore it.
"This time, I want to see what kind of changes a monster bloodline can bring."
With his growing number of talents, he no longer urgently needed the individual evolutions of the spells. It was better to see what this bloodline might offer.
Without hesitation, Wu Tian chose to fuse.
The system interface shifted.
Ding!System Notification: "Cloudwater Spell" and "Wind Gathering Spell" have fused.
Ding!System Notification: You have acquired a new bloodline. Please review.
Cloud Leopard Bloodline (Monster Bloodline):Naturally attuned to wind and water. Capable of treading on wind, swallowing clouds and mist, concealing one's form. Its twin pupils can pierce fog and darkness, making it a lethal hunter of the shadows.
Ding!System Notification: You now possess two bloodlines—Southern Border White Hound and Cloud Leopard. Due to bloodline conflict, forced fusion is required. Please select your primary bloodline.
The barrage of notifications left Wu Tian dizzy.
At the same time, he felt as though a massive serpent was writhing inside his body. His organs trembled violently, as if his body were about to tear itself apart.
Ding!System Warning: Bloodline conflict detected. Please select a primary bloodline immediately.
The pain intensified, spreading through his limbs and bones. His vision blurred, and his head spun.
"Damn it… bloodline conflict?"
"Primary bloodline… If I choose Cloud Leopard, will I really turn into one?"
"And if I ever unlock something like a dragon bloodline in the future… could I go from a white hound to a dragon?"
Wracked with pain and unable to think clearly, Wu Tian hurriedly prepared to make his choice.