My Strangeness Points are now 459.
Whoosh!
The rustling sound of giant bamboo leaves rubbing against each other filled the air, as if the forest itself was whispering a welcome to his arrival.
The bamboo here was unlike anything he had ever seen on Earth; its stalks were as thick as house pillars, a jade green that emitted a faint glow, and soared so high they pierced the clouds, creating a canopy almost impenetrable to sunlight.
The air felt incredibly fresh, and the spiritual energy here was so abundant, as if every breath was drinking heavenly dew.
Alright, Chen Ming. This is it. Solo adventure. He sighed, holding the jade pendant Xian'er had given him in his hand. It was cold, yet there was a strange, soothing warmth.
Xian'er is gone. I'm alone. But at least I have a hunting knife, antidote, and... a System always ready to collect points from my misfortunes.
He pulled out the Tian Xuan Continent Map from the System inventory. The map unrolled in his hand, emitting a soft light enough to illuminate his surroundings.
The Jade Bamboo Forest was depicted as a vast area of bright green, with several points marked as "Spiritual Resources" or "Dangerous Areas."
This Jade Bamboo Forest is indeed large. Xian'er said it's a good place for her to recover her strength and for me to cultivate. But where should I start?
Chen Ming decided to follow the clearest path, a natural gap between giant bamboo clumps. He walked carefully, his eyes scanning his surroundings.
The sounds of the forest felt closer now: creak... creak... the sound of unknown insects, the rustling of rubbing leaves, and occasionally, the faint gurgle of water.
He walked for some time, admiring the beauty of the forest. The bamboo radiated an aura of tranquility, but beneath that calm, he knew there was potential danger.
Suddenly, he saw something interesting. In the middle of a dense bamboo clump, there was a small flower emitting a faint blue light. Its petals were transparent, as if made of ice, and in its center, there was a glistening drop of dew.
[Detection: Ice Dew Flower. Low-level spiritual plant. Contains pure cold Qi. Can be used for cooling elixirs or assisting in ice element Qi cultivation. Value: Low.]
Wow, a spiritual flower! This must be useful! Chen Ming approached, his hand reaching out to pluck it.
However, just as his hand was about to touch it, the flower suddenly swayed, and a giant... praying mantis leaped out from behind its petals! It was the size of Chen Ming's arm, with sharp sword-like forelegs and compound eyes staring intently at him. Creak! A shrill chirping sound came from its mouth.
[Detection: Jade Praying Mantis. Low-level spiritual beast. Aggressive if its territory is disturbed. Strength: Equivalent to Mid Mortal Body Stage.]
A spiritual praying mantis?! Good heavens, even insects here can be monsters! And it's on top of me again! Chen Ming panicked, his hand instinctively recoiling.
The Jade Praying Mantis darted forward, its sharp forelegs swinging towards Chen Ming.
Swoosh!
Chen Ming dodged quickly, using his now slightly improved 'Light Shadow Steps'. He darted sideways, avoiding the deadly attack.
Okay, Chen Ming, don't panic! It's just a giant praying mantis that wants to cut me in half!
He tried to swing his hunting knife.
Slash!
The knife merely bounced off the mantis's hard shell. The Jade Praying Mantis charged again, this time with a flurry of attacks.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Chen Ming kept dodging, his movements clumsy but somehow successfully avoiding every attack. He jumped back, then darted sideways, trying to find an opening.
[Ding! Detection: User engaged in a highly inefficient but spirited battle. Collecting Strangeness Points from the unexpected fighting style...]
[+10 Strangeness Points.]
"System, you're really... you're like a spectator cheering when I'm about to die!" Chen Ming screamed internally, still jumping around.
My Strangeness Points are now 469.
He saw that Xian'er wasn't here to help him. He was alone. He had to rely on himself.
Qi Recovery Pill!
He swallowed another one. Gulp! Fresh Qi flowed, giving him a burst of energy. He felt slightly faster.
He saw an opening. The Jade Praying Mantis slightly opened its guard after launching a flurry of attacks. Chen Ming didn't waste the opportunity. He darted forward, activating 'Raging Rooster Kick' which he aimed at the mantis's leg joint.
Thud!
His kick struck the mantis's leg joint with unexpected force. The Jade Praying Mantis chirped in pain, Creak! and staggered.
Chen Ming didn't stop. He jumped onto the mantis's back, then with a focused 'Raging Dragon Fist', he punched the back of its head, looking for a weak point.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
His punches struck the mantis's shell. The Jade Praying Mantis trembled violently, then collapsed to the ground with a Thud!, lying motionless.
Chen Ming panted, his body trembling with exhaustion. He stared at the motionless praying mantis, then at his slightly bruised hands. He had succeeded! He had defeated a spiritual praying mantis alone!
[Ding! Detection: User successfully defeated a spiritual beast alone with a highly unorthodox method. Collecting Strangeness Points from the surprising victory...]
[+20 Strangeness Points.]
"YES! Here it is! More Strangeness Points! I'm a hero who can defeat a giant praying mantis with my own fighting style!" Chen Ming cheered internally, feeling extremely delighted.
My Strangeness Points are now 489.
He picked up the Ice Dew Flower he had wanted to pluck earlier. The flower now emitted a brighter blue light, as if thanking him. He stored it in his pouch.
After the battle, Chen Ming felt more confident. He knew he was still weak, but he had his own 'Dao of Strangeness'. He continued his journey through the Jade Bamboo Forest, feeling a little braver.
He walked for some more time, until he found a more open area, where the bamboo clumps were not as dense. In the middle of the area, there was a small pond with clear water that radiated spiritual energy. This was a perfect place to cultivate.
Chen Ming sat cross-legged at the edge of the pond, closed his eyes, and began to concentrate his Qi. He felt the spiritual energy from the pond and its surroundings flow into his Half-Dragon Meridian, cleansing and strengthening it.
This is it. Time to get stronger. The Chen Ming way.
Whoosh... The wind rustled softly among the bamboo, accompanying his cultivation.
The following days passed in a new routine. Every morning, Chen Ming would practice 'Light Shadow Steps' and other fighting techniques.
His movements slowly became smoother, though still far from graceful. He still often missed or made unusual movements, but he began to feel better control over his Qi.
[Ding! Detection: User shows steady progress but with a consistently unique style. Collecting Strangeness Points from the unconventional cultivation...]
[+10 Strangeness Points.]
"Not bad, at least I don't bump into trees anymore every time I practice!" Chen Ming grinned inwardly.
My Strangeness Points are now 499.
After training, he would spend the rest of the day cultivating at the edge of the pond. The spiritual energy in the Jade Bamboo Forest was indeed extraordinary.
He could feel his Half-Dragon Meridian pulsing with power, absorbing Qi from the environment at a speed far exceeding normal cultivators.
One afternoon, as Chen Ming was meditating, he felt a strong wave of Qi flowing through his meridians. A warm sensation spread throughout his body, followed by a faint golden flash from his chest.
[Ding! Congratulations! User has successfully broken through to Mid Mortal Body Stage!]
[Reward: Increased physical strength, denser Qi, and increased efficiency of 'Light Shadow Steps'.]
[+50 Strangeness Points from the unexpected breakthrough!]
"Huh?! I... I broke through?!" Chen Ming opened his eyes, surprised. He felt stronger, lighter, and his Qi felt denser within his Dantian. He jumped to his feet, trying to move his body.
Whoosh!
He darted several meters forward with surprising speed, much faster than before, and this time, without the slightest wobble. He stopped perfectly, without bumping into anything.
"Wow! This is it! I really got stronger! And my Strangeness Points jumped drastically!" Chen Ming cheered internally, feeling extremely delighted.
My Strangeness Points are now 549.
This breakthrough gave him great confidence. He began to explore the area around the pond more boldly. He found more Ice Dew Flowers, and several other low-level spiritual plants that he collected.
A few days later, as he was searching for resources, he heard a faint rumbling sound from a distance. Grrrrummm... The sound was different from the Earth Dragon, heavier and more rhythmic.
Chen Ming immediately hid behind a dense bamboo clump, peeking towards the sound. He saw a group of spiritual beasts moving in the distance. They were... Stone Bears.
[Detection: Mid-Level Stone Bears x2. Territorial, strong defense, devastating physical attack. Strength: Equivalent to Early Qi Gathering Realm.]
Stone Bears?! And there are two?! And they're at Qi Gathering Realm level?! Damn, this is worse than the Moss Golem! Chen Ming swallowed hard, his hand trembling as he held his knife.
I just broke through to Mid Mortal Body Stage, but they're already at Qi Gathering Realm! That's a full tier difference!
The Stone Bears moved slowly, each step shaking the ground. They stopped near a large tree, and began scratching its trunk with their large claws, leaving deep gouges.
They don't see me. Maybe I can sneak away. Chen Ming thought, trying to retreat slowly.
However, as he turned, his foot stepped on a dry twig.
Crack!
Both Stone Bears suddenly turned their heads, their glowing red eyes staring intently at Chen Ming.
ROOOARRR! Their roar thundered, and they charged towards Chen Ming with surprising speed for their size.
"Damn it! Caught!" Chen Ming screamed internally. Here we go again! An unfair fight!
[Ding! Detection: User engaged in a highly disadvantageous situation. Collecting Strangeness Points from the clearly expressed panic...]
[+15 Strangeness Points.]
"System, you're really... I'm about to die and you're still collecting points?!" Chen Ming screamed internally.
My Strangeness Points are now 564.
Chen Ming darted back, activating 'Light Shadow Steps' with all his might. He had to rely on his agility to survive.
Whoosh! He moved quickly, avoiding the Stone Bears' claws that slammed into the ground, Thump! creating large holes.