Two sets of tracks were imprinted on the muddy ground, both resembling canine paw prints.
However, the two sets of tracks were vastly different in size, and their strides were completely unalike.
The smaller set of tracks was clearly left by some kind of quadruped, like a running wolfhound. The enormous tracks beside them, however, with their long stride and steady form, gave off an unusual air—they looked more like the prints of some tall, bipedal Sub-human.
In Chen Yu's estimation, these Sub-humans were very likely the native inhabitants of Zeyarira.
'The footprints are clear… They must have passed by this morning. Are they going to investigate last night's disturbance in the forest?'
At this thought, Chen Yu felt a flicker of excitement. He was like a castaway stranded for years on a deserted island who suddenly glimpses unfamiliar footprints on the sand, his heart surging with the joy of imminent contact with civilization.
However, he didn't let his guard down.
After all, he was just a Slime right now. Even a real human might not be friendly toward a writhing, amorphous monster like him, to say nothing of the ones who left the tracks—a Sub-human Alien Race of unknown identity and form.
But if Sub-humans existed, the world outside the Swamp Forest was probably even more bustling than he had imagined.
Dragons and Magic, humans and towers… This was a world of fantasy, completely different from Void Profound Heaven.
'I really want to go out and see it.'
'I wonder what's outside the Swamp Forest. Are there any tasty monsters…?'
Chen Yu let his imagination wander for a moment before pulling his thoughts back to the present.
He was still too weak. He couldn't even defeat the Poisonous Sting Bees blocking his doorstep, let alone venture out.
As for the Sub-humans, he didn't need to be overly concerned. There were plenty of Slimes like him in this Swamp Forest. As long as he didn't rashly reveal his intelligence, it was unlikely these Sub-human outsiders would take any interest in him.
After all, a weak monster like a Slime could be squashed underfoot. No one would care.
He quietly submerged himself halfway in the swamp, not even bothering to hunt Moss Insects, and waited for the Sub-humans who had ventured deeper into the forest to return, preparing to get a good look at these strange new neighbors.
Unfortunately, Chen Yu waited until afternoon, but no one returned. The Poisonous Sting Bees overhead, however, were a nuisance. They attacked him on sight whenever he floated on the surface, treating him as a sworn enemy.
He eventually grew bored. After swiping a few Poisonous Stings from his good neighbors, the Poisonous Sting Bees, he dove back into his lair to rest.
「Void Profound Heaven.」
Chen Yu got up from his wooden bed and ate lunch, sating his rumbling stomach.
Wisps of warmth, carrying the Spiritual Qi of the grain, flowed into his Dantian, making him close his eyes in comfort.
After Devouring and Digesting upgraded to Lv. 2, his appetite had grown, and his cultivation speed had increased.
'I don't know if that's a good thing.'
'Whatever.'
'A good appetite is a blessing.'
'Actually, staying in the Law Enforcement Hall's solitary confinement for a bit wouldn't be so bad. At least someone would be in charge of meals…'
Chen Yu slung his purple sandalwood sword onto his back, pushed open the door of his thatched hut, and patted the bulging pouch tucked inside his robes as he headed for North Peak.
He planned to browse the stalls selling Daoist Skills at South Bridge Market.
His Artifact Manipulation Skill had too short a range to reach the Poisonous Sting Bees. He needed a Daoist Skill specifically to counter them.
A quarter of an hour later, Chen Yu walked through the Bridge Gate of South Bridge Market, and a hubbub quite different from the Bamboo Forest washed over him from all directions.
He wandered around, picking up anything that caught his eye to ask the price. After meandering for a while, he arrived at the same stall where he had bought the Artifact Manipulation Skill.
"Well now, Junior Brother. Looking to exchange for some Dao Coupons?"
Behind the stall, the Cultivator with a wispy, rat-like mustache saw business arrive and subconsciously began to rub his hands together. His face, with its high cheekbones and long, narrow eyes, had a naturally harsh appearance.
He seemed to have a sharp and unforgiving personality, and reality didn't stray far from that impression.
The last time Chen Yu had bought the "Artifact Manipulation Skill" scroll from him, he'd had to haggle for half a day before the man would budge on the price. The vendor had managed to spin a tale that started with the quality of the sect's Spirit Stones and ended with his own tragic past of his mother dying when he was three and being chased by wild dogs at five.
He was quite a character.
But the Daoist Skills he sold were all items he'd picked up from outside the sect. Although they were mostly junk, they were also genuinely cheap.
They were easy to learn, and their power was sufficient—more than enough to deal with the Poisonous Sting Bees.
"Never mind the Dao Coupons. I'm here to see what Daoist Skills you have," he said.
The so-called Dao Coupons were really just contribution points used within the Three Elements Sect. They could only be obtained by accepting sect missions or holding a position within the sect.
Within the sect, their value was equivalent to Spirit Stones. When trading with fellow disciples, it cost almost one Spirit Stone to acquire a single Dao Coupon. They had many uses, such as being redeemed for precious Cultivation Techniques in the Scripture Pavilion or expensive elixirs from the Pill Pavilion.
A disciple like Chen Yu, who just loafed around the sect waiting for death and had no ambition to improve, naturally didn't have a single Dao Coupon to his name.
Of course, he didn't need any expensive Cultivation Techniques or Daoist Skills either.
"Hmm… a familiar voice."
The rat-whiskered Cultivator found the voice familiar. He leaned in and squinted for a closer look, and his expression immediately soured. He waved his hand as if to shoo him away.
"It's you again, kid! You haggled with me over an Artifact Manipulation Skill that was only two Spirit Stones. Go on, shoo! I'm not selling to you."
Chen Yu took out the pouch from his robes and tossed it in his hand. "That's a shame. I was thinking I wouldn't haggle this time."
"Oh?" The rat-whiskered Cultivator's expression was one of surprise and suspicion. "You're not trying to trick me with a bag of rocks, are you?"
"Senior Brother, a disciple of the Three Elements Sect doesn't swindle another disciple of the Three Elements Sect."
"Tch."
The rat-whiskered Cultivator shook his head disdainfully, clearly scoffing at Chen Yu's words. But the Spirit Stones in the pouch were undeniably tempting.
"Fine, spit it out. What do you want to buy this time?"
"To be honest, some poisonous bees have built a nest in my backyard. I'm trying to figure out how to get rid of them, but the nest is too high for me to reach."
The rat-whiskered Cultivator clicked his tongue in wonder and began to reminisce. "Cultivators are so delicate these days, they can't even climb trees. When I was three, I was already climbing trees to get bird eggs. At four, I was hiking over ten kilometers to study with a master in the mountains…"
Seeing that the man was about to ramble on endlessly, Chen Yu interrupted him.
"Senior Brother, you're a merchant, not a storyteller at Zhenxiu Tower. Be a little more professional."
The man huffed. "I was just speaking from the heart. If you don't want to listen, it's not like I'm eager to share."
The man bent down and rummaged through a woven bamboo chest for a moment, finally pulling out a worn-out book.
Chen Yu took it and looked. "The Water Arrow Skill?"
"Isn't this a Daoist Skill used by late-stage Cultivators?"
The rat-whiskered Cultivator cleared his throat. "That's right. So, this is the son of the Water Arrow Skill: the Little Arrow Skill."
"Daoist Skills can reproduce?"
"Not exactly. This Little Arrow Skill was just something an Early-stage Cultivator stumbled upon by accident while training. He then secretly sold it to me for Eight Spirit Stones."
"Its power is reduced by ninety percent compared to the Water Arrow Skill, but its attack range is the same. Once you cultivate it to the Great Success Realm, forget about a beehive in a tree—you'll be able to pluck earthworms out of the soil one by one."
"Since you're a familiar face, Junior Brother, I'll sell it to you for nine Spirit Stones."
Chen Yu didn't believe his nonsense, of course, but to be fair, nine Spirit Stones wasn't an expensive price for a Daoist Skill.
"Here, take it."
He readily poured out nine Spirit Stones. This time, he really didn't haggle.
The rat-whiskered Cultivator took the Spirit Stones and counted them, his gaze turning suspicious. Chen Yu had agreed so quickly that it actually made him feel uneasy.
"Did the sun rise from the west?"
"Junior Brother, are you all right?"
Chen Yu pointed to the man's woven bamboo treasure chest.
"I'm not finished talking yet."
"Remember that Illusionary Array Map and Sound Transmission Skill you mentioned last time? Throw them in as a buy-one-get-two-free deal."
"The Illusionary Array Map? The Sound Transmission Skill?"
"Easy enough, easy enough."
The rat-whiskered Cultivator grinned so wide he couldn't close his mouth. Those two pieces of junk would sell for two or three Spirit Stones at most; even giving them away, he was still making a hefty profit.
Take the Illusionary Array Map. It was a low-tier Array that any Cultivator with a basic understanding of array principles could easily break.
The so-called Sound Transmission Skill required physical contact to even work. It could be useful in some situations, but it was also a dime-a-dozen trick in the Cultivation Realm.
Afraid Chen Yu would go back on his word, the man hurriedly bent over, took out the array map and the book, patted the dust off them, and handed them over.
Still, he couldn't help but mutter a question:
"Kid, what do you want an Illusionary Array Map for? To keep wild boars out?"
"What if I run into a Cultivator who doesn't understand arrays?"
The rat-whiskered Cultivator sat down in his chair and fanned himself leisurely.
"A Cultivator who doesn't understand arrays? They're probably rarer than a Hundred Treasures Scorpion in the Cave of Ten Thousand Poisons. The competition is too fierce these days. Even Loose Cultivators from the countryside know a bit about Arrays."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk… someone who doesn't know arrays. Well, you've got quite a search ahead of you."
Chen Yu tucked the array map and the book securely inside his robes. He had wanted to ask a few questions about cultivating Daoist Skills, but he suddenly sensed something and decisively turned and hurried away.
"I have to go. I'm leaving."
With that, he vanished into the crowd.
'Wait a minute.'
'That kid ran off so fast. Don't tell me he gave me fake Spirit Stones.'
The rat-whiskered Cultivator had a sudden realization. He hurriedly popped one of the Spirit Stones into his mouth and bit down. Feeling the wisps of pure Spiritual Qi emanating from within, he confirmed it was real and finally breathed a sigh of relief.