Chapter 2: Du En Beats the Owl

Proficiency panel.

This only appeared after Du En began immortal cultivation.

The number here for cultivation base is the completion level, or rather, the accumulation level.

The number here for cultivation techniques has a prefix modifier field, indicating the mastery stage; it is the proficiency level.

Regarding the former, through exploration and verification, he discovered that normally, if he followed the standard procedure, it would take nearly thirty years to fully accumulate the Qi Refining early stage to reach the one-hundred-percent maximum value.

As for why he has twelve points after only practicing for more than a month and a half, that must be credited to the empowerment.

The immortal master lays hands upon my crown, and then proceeds to exploit me!

After moving south to the border city, lining up like an assembly line to receive empowerment, directly awakening spiritual roots and the dantian, directly opening up the meridians throughout the body, and directly becoming a Qi Refining early-stage cultivator—it is even more exaggerated than the illegal use of hormones on a farm, purely forcing the sprouts to grow by pulling them upward.

Back to the latter, the proficiency side.

Du En hid the panel information, turned his head, felt that it was about time, and then slapped Wei Ming twice to wake him from his faint.

The cries of the strange owls were exceptionally chilling; these carrion-eating birds came smelling the scent of the dead, not daring to approach the corpse-burying wasteland, but instead hovering in a flock all around Du En and the others.

Therefore, they could only endure the still-lingering stench and continue burying their heads in the dirty work.

Moreover, this corpse-burying wasteland itself seemed strange; no one would want to linger here at night!

The helpless reality was that they, these corpse-buriers, were not allowed to leave unless they finished all the work for the day, including the corpses transported in this morning.

Facing this dazed newcomer, Du En's tone was calm and quiet, allowing him to quickly regain his senses and recall what had happened before.

Wei Ming only felt that his future was dim.

Du En glanced at him slightly, not paying much mind, and replied calmly: "No need to call me any 'senior'; I have actually only been working here for a month and a half longer than you."

"Ah? O-one and a half months?"

"Ugh—"

"S-so that's how it is, haha, Senior, you are truly amazing, to be able to remain so calm and composed."

With a *crack*, he snapped its neck, gave it a shake, nodded, and said: "This bird is quite large, I can't finish it alone, and it can't be kept for long. Does anyone want it?"

*Clang! *

A shovel hit its head with precision, startling the flock of owls into scattering in flight.

"Although I also want to rest a bit more and wait for the smell to dissipate further, Wei Ming, we must finish this work before nightfall."

At this moment, everyone simultaneously untied the thick cloth over their faces, which had long been soaked with sweat and saturated with all sorts of stenches, and let out a long, heavy breath.

Du En suddenly raised his hand and lunged, grabbing the strange owl that had been stunned stiff and unable to move for a moment.

But the problem was that the body and mind influenced each other; the daily bitter and exhausting labor made the body extremely tired, which indirectly caused the spirit to wither.

Hearing this, Wei Ming turned his head to look at the others.

There was still something to look forward to in life.

Also through practical verification, he discovered that as long as he focused his full attention on practicing his technique ten times, he could accumulate one point, which seemed relatively easy and simple.

Suddenly, one bold and hungry bird launched a direct assault.

He used the shovel to support half a corpse, pushing it while leaving a trail of stench, shoved it into the pit, then turned back to shovel the soil mixed with corpse fluids and semi-liquefied internal organs, filling it all back in; it could be considered giving him a complete corpse in death.

Because the situation was actually very obvious; even as a newcomer who had just arrived, one could see that here, Du En was the boss!

So, in terms of seniority, he was considered the oldest one, right?

If he had only been working for a month and a half, then what about the others from the same period or even earlier? It couldn't be that they were lucky enough to have already changed jobs, or more simply, had already risen to fame and fortune?

"I am not the one who has worked here the longest among us; the longest record before was five years. So, don't think about useless things now; just be sharp and adapt quickly."

You truly live up to your reputation; your pace is steady, your gaze is ripple-free—you are naturally suited for this line of work!

They had no heart for conversation between each other, only silently continuing their work.

Because the night in this primeval mountain forest was much more dangerous than during the day; even though it was very close to the border city, there might be demonic beasts that would smell the yin-evil scent of corpses and run over here.

The lingering stench finally became rootless.

"Coo—coo—coo—"

"Coo!"

Seeing the seniors like this, Wei Ming had originally thought this might be the unique secret technique of this "old senior" Du En, but at this moment, he politely declined and hurriedly shook his head in retreat.

Du En replied casually and walked back to the scene of the dismembered corpses.

Hearing him ask again, and looking at the strange owl that weighed over ten pounds and looked bizarre, the others immediately shook their heads violently in unison.

Moreover, today he had received an unexpected windfall and made a little bit of "dead man's wealth."

Footsteps hurried, the mountain forest dim.

"No need, just a small effort."

Next, Wei Ming felt a lingering fear, while the others were quite numb.

Until the sun slanted to the west, they finally covered the last corpse of the day with soil.

Regarding such gazes, the person in question felt absolutely no joy at all.

Looking around, everyone was filled with exhaustion.

However, although it was forcing the sprouts to grow by pulling them upward, at least they were at the Qi Refining early stage, so their physiological tolerance was stronger than that of ordinary people, and they adapted and eased up after a while.

Physiologically they had calmed down, but psychologically they had not.

Wei Ming subconsciously followed him, trembling and fearful, his steps very slow.

In their eyes, this was a group of moving corpses, long since pickled by the stench of death.

Coupled with poor spiritual roots and low-grade techniques, the efficiency of absorbing and refining spiritual energy was terrible, which also made cultivation slower and more draining on the mind.

But when it reached Du En, it was all consumed and transformed into the current twelve points of cultivation accumulation.

Time to call it a day.

Like a frost-bitten eggplant, Wei Ming let his head droop, leaned against the tree behind him, and slowly stood up.

In this way, Du En was only able to focus his mind on circulating his Qi twice a day after finishing his work, taking five days to accumulate a single point.

He couldn't help but retch, especially when smelling the thick cloth covering his face that was already saturated with the stench; he felt as if he had fallen into a cesspit of corpses, his complexion turning so pale it couldn't be hidden, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

Wei Ming's mind was in a mess right now, so when he said this, there was a faint sense of sarcasm in his tone.

Du En pulled up a shovel and tossed it back to Wei Ming, who had received no comfort at all after hearing such words, then pulled out his own shovel.

I was a fool to believe you before; the meat of this Strange Owl reeks of rotting corpses, making one wonder if their brains have rotted away too, otherwise why do idiots always deliver themselves to our doorstep?

Those in the Qi Refining stage have not yet achieved Inedia, and even those at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining must eat; so, without eating one's fill or having some meat and oil, how could one possibly recover from physical fatigue and cultivate with full concentration?

"However, as long as I go back today and circulate my Qi to cultivate twice more, I will be able to max out the Beginner level of this Yellow Earth Art and cause a breakthrough; by then, the situation should change."

"That, this..."

When looking toward Du En, they all couldn't help but cast looks of admiration and awe.

"Tha, thank you."

Without saying much more, they shouldered their respective shovels and began to walk back, needing to return to the Border City before nightfall.

"Since you've rested enough, let's keep working."

At this moment, they also responded to and followed Du En's pace, ending the longer break they had just taken advantage of.

Du En shook his head inwardly, but did not say much.

The group continued to hurry along, finally emerging from the mountain path and arriving at the main road of the Border City just as night fell.

(End of this chapter)