Chapter Eighty-Six: Consuming Raw Flesh and Blood

The black wolf’s head had been smashed to a pulp and lay sprawled on the ground. Up close, its limbs were still twitching faintly, its body brimming with vitality.

“This is just right. The blood won’t lose its potency too quickly.”

Xiao Nan slashed with his sword, slicing through the fur and making an incision at the wolf’s neck. He filled a bottle with blood and threw his head back to gulp it down.

The wolf’s blood was scorching, like fire. Swallowing it made his throat uncomfortable. It was thick, slick, and had a gelatinous elasticity to it. A wave of heat surged in his belly, causing his muscles, bones, and skin to tighten all at once. A strange, pleasant sensation assaulted his mind—a sudden rush of fulfillment and satisfaction. Though subtle, it was undeniably real.

Indeed, the boiling wolf’s blood contained some kind of vital energy.

Delighted, Xiao Nan turned and grinned. “Zhang Shu, do you want to try some wolf’s blood too? It’s brimming with vitality.”

“You’re drinking it straight like that? No cooling or detoxifying medicine?”

“No need.”

Zhang Shu looked at Xiao Nan as if he were a monster but decided to gather a small bottle anyway. With great ceremony, he took out a small green pill and popped it into his mouth, then sipped the wolf’s blood cautiously, daintily.

“Take some more,” Xiao Nan said, frowning. Zhang Shu was drinking with such delicacy, like a maiden; it made Xiao Nan feel a bit embarrassed just watching him.

“This is enough, more than enough. I might not even be able to digest a whole bottle. When we used to hunt beasts and kill a first-rank ferocious beast, most of the blood just went to waste anyway.”

“I see,” Xiao Nan replied, putting the matter aside.

He found the bottle far too slow for his craving—the desire burning inside him was nearly uncontrollable. So he simply lifted the wolf’s carcass and pressed his mouth directly to the wound…

He gulped down a mouthful; the wolf’s blood bubbled like boiling water, gurgling down his throat. Before their very eyes, the wolf’s body shriveled, losing at least ten pounds.

Xiao Nan’s belly swelled, then gradually flattened. Faintly, one could hear a muffled thunder rumbling from his abdomen, like a furnace roaring to life. The moment the wolf’s blood entered, it was instantly incinerated.

His face flushed with a healthy glow, his eyes sparkled with vigor, and the aura around him grew palpably stronger.

Zhang Shu was dumbfounded; he almost dropped the bottle from his hand, barely remembering to steady it.

“Is this guy even human?” he thought. “Drinking so much wolf’s blood—doesn’t he fear bursting? Even if he doesn’t, how could he possibly digest it all…”

He imagined Xiao Nan writhing in agony, blood streaming from every orifice in a tragic scene. But things did not unfold as he had imagined.

Xiao Nan was perfectly fine—better than fine.

He felt a faint cheer from every bone and sinew, the ever-present hunger deep within him finally abating somewhat.

“As I suspected, after optimization, the body desperately needs energy—what it truly craves is this vital force. Wolf’s blood is extraordinarily rich in nutrients and even more conducive to evolution than the Vitality Pills,” Xiao Nan reflected.

“The body’s feedback tells me: with ten more Bloodthirsty Wolves, their blood would suffice for my evolution.”

Of course, in reality, he didn’t need quite so much.

After all, there was still wolf meat.

Looking at the black wolf’s body, a smile spread across Xiao Nan’s face. He exhaled a long breath, as satisfied as if he’d just enjoyed a post-meal smoke.

The effects were immediate—he could feel his vitality surging. Unless it was just his imagination, his vitality value had already broken through 2.0, reaching about 2.3. This was a subjective feeling, but Xiao Nan was certain he was right.

And there was the matter of strength.

He clenched his fists, feeling the subtle resistance of the air between his knuckles, a faint buzzing sound arising. Xiao Nan knew his strength had increased dramatically. His body was still changing rapidly; with adequate nourishment, the difference was clear.

This sensation of power was almost identical to his peak in his previous life—familiar and exhilarating.

Xiao Nan’s gaze grew distant. He sighed softly. In his past life, it had taken more than a decade of hard training and countless methods to reach this level. Now, after only a few days, he had caught up.

Truly, this world was a paradise for martial artists.

You never know until you compare—then the difference is shocking.

If he wanted to verify whether his strength had truly increased, there was a perfect benchmark standing right here.

“Zhang Shu, your vitality value has already reached the 5.0 limit, hasn’t it?” Xiao Nan said with a smile.

“Yes, it’s been stuck there for over half a year. I just can’t break through to first-rank martial artist. It might take another year or two,” Zhang Shu replied, clearly troubled.

Cultivation was arduous and lengthy; he had no idea when he’d finally break through. It required not just resources but also luck.

“You can be stuck at the limit for a long time?” Xiao Nan was surprised—this hadn’t been covered in his high school classes.

The teachers at Yuanjiang No.1 High School never expected students to break through to martial artist before the university entrance exam. Those prodigies who did so usually had backgrounds—either family elders guiding them or early recognition from powerful mentors, so there was never any confusion in their path.

But Xiao Nan was different; he’d always been the underdog. No one had ever bothered to explain how to break through. Hearing now that there was a bottleneck made him somewhat puzzled.

“After reaching the limit, it’s all about depletion and replenishment, forging and recovery. Constantly striking the skin and muscles, breaking them down and rebuilding them… In the cycle of fatigue and recovery, the skin and muscles are tempered by vital energy. The first-rank Vitality Pills on the market are used for this process—and they get consumed quickly,” Zhang Shu said, frowning.

Clearly, breaking through to first-rank martial artist was a heavy burden for him, with no guarantee of success. This was the reality for most martial artists in society—every step was hard-won.

Medicine and forging, but whether you break through or not is up to fate?

Why did that sound so familiar?

It was just like the traditional breakthrough method in martial arts from his previous life.

Indeed, most people only thought of the most laborious methods.

“Isn’t it said that one should use spiritual force to drive the vital energy and break through the body with intent?” Xiao Nan suddenly recalled his homeroom teacher’s repeated emphasis that spiritual power was the foundation, which contradicted Zhang Shu’s explanation.

“That’s something only you top students can achieve. I didn’t even get into a martial arts high school—how could I possibly reach a spiritual breakthrough? As for intent forging the body, don’t even mention it,” Zhang Shu replied, full of resentment. “If my spirit could reach a meditative state, run the intent-forging technique, and combine it with physical training, I would have broken through to first-rank ages ago. Maybe I’d even be ready for the second-rank by now.”

He dared not say more. Breaking through to second-rank before thirty was already an achievement. As for the fifth-rank level of someone like Zhang Yi, that was like divinity to him—not even worth aspiring to.

“What about your strength? How much is it?” Xiao Nan asked.

“I tested at the association a few days ago—my punch is a steady one thousand and eighty pounds…” Zhang Shu answered quickly, finally showing a hint of pride. Achieving over a thousand pounds of force before breaking through to first-rank meant his foundations were solid.

“Attack me with your full strength—let’s test our power,” Xiao Nan beckoned. No need for a school test—he could find out right now if he was imagining things.

Zhang Shu, eager to prove himself, didn’t hesitate. He threw a punch without a second thought. The punch whistled through the air, his muscles bulging—imposing indeed.

Xiao Nan twisted his waist, turned, and countered with a punch of his own.

“Bang—”

The fists collided.

Xiao Nan retreated three steps but was all smiles. Zhang Shu staggered back two and a half steps, finally halting himself on tiptoes, grimacing and shaking his hand with a hiss.

“What on earth are your bones made of? So hard—like stone! Ah, it hurts…”

Xiao Nan ignored him, instead marveling at his own fist. There wasn’t even a red mark.

His guess was correct—his strength was about a thousand pounds, with a margin of error of no more than five. But the toughness of his body was a pleasant surprise. After the optimization of his roots and constitution, he’d gained not only strength but also resilience. His physique had become vastly sturdier, easily matching that of ferocious beasts, worthy of bearing the bloodline of the mighty Bearmen, famed for fighting above their rank.

At this rate, breaking through the lower three ranks would be much easier for him than for others. Even before forging skin, tendons, or bones, his body was already evolving in those directions, saving him much tedious effort.

…

“Did I forget something?” After testing his strength, Xiao Nan felt at ease and turned to look at the wolf’s corpse. With all the blood drained, the black wolf’s twitching had ceased completely, likely having breathed its last.

He approached, placed his hand on the wolf’s body, and focused his mind. His spiritual power stirred, and a white light, tinged with gold, shot from the wolf’s body straight into the birthmark on his chest.

Turning his mind inward, he saw that the golden lines within the misty space inside him shone a little brighter. The lake beside the square, once perfectly still, now rippled, and all the images within it began to move. Countless lights and shadows flowed, gradually becoming clearer.