Chapter 80: Wild Boar Mountain

The old man was chopping wood in the courtyard. Hearing this, he looked up. His gaze swept over the Ox-Tail Saber at Duan Rong's waist and the date-red horse behind him, and he said, "Guest, please come in!"

As the old man spoke, he got up and opened the wicker gate.

Duan Rong walked in and led the horse into the courtyard as well.

The old man went to the kitchen and scooped out a large ladle of clear water. Duan Rong thanked him, took the ladle, and drank it all in one breath, gulping it down. He looked up and smiled, "Old man, one more ladle."

Seeing Duan Rong's amiable smile, the boss's defenses immediately vanished. He turned and scooped out another ladle of water for Duan Rong.

Beside the doorway of the main room, a small boy with a dark complexion was hiding, showing only half his face. He watched Duan Rong's bovine way of drinking and giggled incessantly.

Duan Rong drank another ladle of water dry before he felt satisfied.

Seeing Duan Rong's face covered in dust and the horse behind him looking wilted from the journey, the old man struck up a conversation: "Guest, where are you headed?"

Duan Rong looked up at Wild Boar Mountain, which lay like a giant beast coiled not far to the east of the village, and said, "Preparing to enter the mountain!"

"By yourself?"

Duan Rong smiled slightly. "By myself."

"How can you enter Wild Boar Mountain alone? Big tigers and black bears often haunt the mountain. Hunting teams that set traps deep in the mountains don't dare go in unless they have at least twenty men! Young man, let me give you a piece of advice: don't try to be a hero!"

Duan Rong smiled and said, "Old man, thank you for the reminder! It's no trouble!"

Seeing Duan Rong's attitude, the old man could only shake his head.

"Old man, please look after this horse for a few days! Feed it some tender grass too! I will come to collect it in a few days!"

As Duan Rong spoke, he fished out a piece of silver scrap weighing four or five qian and stuffed it into the old man's hand!

When the old man saw the size of the silver scrap, he was momentarily stunned and said, "Why would you need to give so much?"

"It's fine, old man. Keep it to add a set of clothes for the child!"

Duan Rong had seen the child hiding by the door, naked, with skin dark as soot and ribs visible one by one from his thinness.

This old man had just kindly warned Duan Rong that there were fierce beasts in the mountain!

To Duan Rong at this moment, this bit of silver was nothing more than a single hair.

"This..." The old man still wanted to decline. In a year of farming, his harvest, once converted, was barely worth a few qian of silver.

But Duan Rong had already stuffed the reins of the date-red horse into the old man's hand and turned to leave...

Watching Duan Rong's back, the old man muttered, "To dare enter Wild Boar Mountain alone, he must have some ability!"

As he spoke, the old man led the horse into the cow shed and tied it next to an old yellow ox...

The old man called to the dark-skinned child hiding behind the door: "Heiya, go cut a load of grass in a while, and cut a portion for that horse too! Pick some fresh and tender grass; the guest has paid!"

In the deep forests of Wild Boar Mountain, there were naturally many fierce beasts lurking.

However, Duan Rong entering the mountain alone was not him trying to be a hero!

A Martial Artist at the Inner Breath Realm First Layer was no longer afraid of fierce beasts, and furthermore, Duan Rong had the Cloud Snake Step at his disposal!

Wild Boar Mountain had steep terrain, jagged boulders, and ancient pines and cypresses could be seen everywhere!

Duan Rong employed the Cloud Snake Step, climbing and leaping through the mountains like an old ape!

After less than an hour, he had crossed a mountain peak. Duan Rong stood beside a low pine tree on the summit. As the mountain wind blew past, a sudden chill ran down his back!

Using the Cloud Snake Step continuously consumed quite a lot of energy, and he was already drenched in sweat.

Below the mountain peak was a valley surrounded on all sides!

A stream trickled through, and old trees formed a forest!

Duan Rong smiled; this was the kind of place he was looking for!

After catching his breath for a moment, Duan Rong leaped down and dived into the old forest!

Duan Rong looked at the old pine tree in front of him, as thick as two people could embrace, standing straight and reaching into the clouds.

Duan Rong pressed his palm against the trunk of the old pine. At this moment, a squirrel with bright fur darted out from the high branches, its small black eyes curiously sizing up this uninvited guest in the mountain!

Duan Rong glanced at the squirrel's clever and cute appearance, smiled slightly, then lowered his head and whispered to himself, "Spirit Reader!"

Artifact: Old Pine Wood (Tree age: 121 years)

Spirit Artifact Tier: Second Tier.

Devour Requirement: Host Level 2 Mental Power (Not met).

Devour Effect: Initial intelligence (can slightly increase the host's Mental Power).

Duan Rong looked at this set of data, his eyes flickering.

This was very important data. This Tree Spirit was Second Tier, the tree age was 121 years, while a 92-year-old Tree Spirit was still Unranked.

Although he still couldn't devour a Second Tier one, based on the comparison of these two sets of data, there must be a First Tier Tree Spirit between the tree ages of 92 and 121 years!

And he could devour a First Tier Tree Spirit!

Duan Rong immediately felt full of energy. He leaped through the forest, reading the Spirit Tools of one old tree after another without stopping.

"95 years! Unranked!"

"98 years! Unranked!"

"123 years! Second Tier!"

"129 years! Second Tier!"

Duan Rong only looked for old trees of similar thickness to that 121-year-old tree to read their Spirit Tools.

Old trees in the mountains grow slowly; if there is a clear difference in thickness, the gap in tree age will only be greater!

Duan Rong suddenly stopped beside a rock!

His eyes shone with brilliance as he looked at the Old Camphor Wood in front of him!

The Old Camphor Wood emitted a faint fragrance, its mottled bark like the quiet face of a wise woman who had experienced the vicissitudes of life.

Artifact: Old Camphor Wood (Tree age: 103 years)

Spirit Artifact Tier: First Tier.

Devouring Requirement: Host Mental Power Level 1 (Satisfied).

Devouring Effect: Initial Awakening (Can weakly increase the host's Mental Power).

After going to such great lengths, he had finally found a First Tier Spirit Tool, and it indeed had a Devouring Artifact Spirit effect that increased Mental Power, even if it was weak.

Duan Rong could not suppress the excitement in his heart!

Duan Rong compared this set of data from the 103-year-old Old Camphor Wood with the data from the 121-year-old Old Pine Wood.

Duan Rong made a preliminary judgment: the Tree Spirit should achieve Initial Awakening after one hundred years, becoming a First Tier Spirit Tool. And after another twenty years, approximately after one hundred and twenty years, it would begin to possess basic intelligence, becoming a Second Tier Spirit Tool!

Whether it is a First Tier Spirit Tool or a Second Tier Spirit Tool, their increase to Mental Power is weak!

Compared to the Reading the Years of the 300-year-old Ginkgo Ancient Tree and the vicissitudes of the 1,200-year-old Ancient Mulberry Wood, the First and Second Tier Tree Spirits were still very weak, equivalent to a nascent stage.

His Mental Power could finally grow; a weak increase was still an increase!

Duan Rong's eyes were clear and bright as he said, "Devour Spirit Tool!"

What was there to fear from a weak increase! At worst, he would live in these mountains, become a guest of the mountains, and devour every day!

After devouring the Spirit Tool of the Old Camphor Wood before him, Duan Rong was slightly surprised; this was also a First Tier Spirit Tool, but the discomfort in his brain that usually occurred after devouring a Spirit Tool had not happened!

Duan Rong did not think this was a good sign!

When things happen abnormally, there must be a demon!

Changes occurring for no reason usually meant that some kind of situation had arisen!

Duan Rong specifically went to the side of the stream to drink some water, taking the opportunity to observe his own reaction after devouring the Tree Spirit!

The result was no change at all; how should he put it? It was seriously normal, just like he hadn't devoured anything at all!

"However... it seems there are no adverse reactions either?"

Since that was the case, he would just devour more to test it out!

Duan Rong suddenly darted out like a ghost, leaping through the forest!

(End of this chapter)