Chapter 564: Wild Shape

Time flies.

As the one-month deadline drew nearer, the atmosphere in the valley grew increasingly oppressive and brutal.

Occasionally, thefts and private robberies had already occurred.

If not for the supervising disciples maintaining order, it might have turned into a full-scale battle royale.

At this point, everyone held many Blood Papers—their wealthiest moment yet.

At this time, the Paper Slaves clung desperately to their wealth while glaring red-eyed at others' possessions.

The most extreme case was Xing San and his gang!

That day.

Fang Xing glanced again at the progress of Shuang Quan Shou and sighed inwardly, knowing he could not master the "Ten Perfect Hands" in the short term.

He pulled out a Blood Paper and thought wryly: "Those outside assume I now hold ten Blood Papers—yet they don't know… I only have this one."

Clearly, if he didn't flee before the task deadline, he was dead.

But Fang Xing wasn't the least panicked.

According to the attribute bar's progress, he would certainly reach Level 2 Druid before the task day.

"It's time to boost my combat power."

Fang Xing took a deep breath and extended his hands, now even paler and more refined.

His palms had changed drastically from before.

His ten fingers flexed smoothly and powerfully, pressing repeatedly against the Blood Paper.

Blood Paper was a specialty of the Blood Shadow Sect, its finished product as tough as cowhide, unblemished even after repeated folding.

Yet now, under Fang Xing's pressure, its edges began thinning continuously, becoming as sharp as a blade's edge.

Fang Xing's hands moved like bats, nearly invisible, rapidly folding the Blood Paper dozens of times within moments, gradually shaping it into a small dagger.

Suddenly!

His expression changed—he felt a rebounding force from the Blood Paper.

The already-formed "Paper Dagger" now felt as if it would shatter into countless fragments.

"Of course… I had to reach this point."

Fang Xing sighed, then bit his tongue and spat a mouthful of essence-blood onto it.

That spray of essence-blood, infused with plant essence, instantly drained his complexion.

But the blood glow on the "Paper Dagger" stabilized at once.

"Success!"

Fang Xing reached out, grasped the dagger's hilt, and sensed it inwardly.

The Paper Dagger appeared as if carved from white jade, flawless, its blade shimmering with a faint blood glow.

Though light in hand, when Fang Xing released it slightly, the dagger plunged deep into the ground, embedding most of its length.

He held the Paper Dagger and felt almost no weight.

A light swing severed a corner from a nearby wooden board, the cut perfectly smooth.

"What a divine weapon—cutting through iron like mud, slicing hair with a breath—nothing extraordinary…"

"More importantly, I sense it hasn't yet reached its peak refinement…"

Fang Xing caressed the Paper Dagger, recalling the information he had perceived.

"I spent only a year of my lifespan, and the failed refinement succeeded instantly… and I have a premonition: if I invest over ten years of lifespan, it will become a true 'Artifact,' forming a faint soul-link with me, capable of flying-sword assassination… If I dare invest a hundred years of lifespan, the Paper Dagger's power will surge further… yet if it falls into another's hands, it reverts to ordinary, its power drastically diminished…"

"Pfft! What a seductive bitch, trying to drain my lifespan?"

Fang Xing glanced at his attribute panel—the 22-point lifespan cap snapped him back to reality.

"Cultivation is for immortality and freedom, not to become a short-lived fool…"

He tucked the Paper Dagger into his robe and stepped out of the wooden hut, heading for the mess hall.

"Damn it…"

At that moment, a piercing cry reached his ears.

Fang Xing's expression changed—he recognized it as Tao Hong's.

He immediately went to Tao Hong's hut and found her sitting on the ground, hair disheveled, eyes vacant.

The situation was obvious.

"Tao Hong… you…" Fang Xing stepped forward and helped her up.

"Those bastards—I went to them for protection, and they still watched while others robbed me!"

Tao Hong, hair wild and uncaring of her appearance: "It's Xing San—I'm sure of it! I'll report him to the supervising disciples!"

At the mention of this, the surrounding Paper Slaves turned pale; some even stepped back, clearly unwilling to draw trouble upon themselves.

Seeing this, Tao Hong fell silent—despite having used her beauty to gather a few allies, at the critical moment, they were all cowardly quails.

"Fang Xing!"

Suddenly, she spotted him, her eyes brightening: "Please, lend me a few Blood Papers—I'll repay you double next month! Last time you were half-dead from beating, I was the one who healed you…"

Fang Xing couldn't help but smile bitterly.

He truly had no Blood Papers—and more importantly, his Druid senses detected several watching, hostile glances at the edge of the crowd.

"I…"

He feigned hesitation, then averted his eyes, as if unable to meet Tao Hong's gaze.

"Heh…"

Tao Hong's expression darkened instantly.

…

"Heh…"

Xing San, hearing reports from his subordinates, smirked: "Of course—they're all fat lambs now, too scared to fight back, as long as we don't rob them directly…"

"Let's hit a few more targets—we'll meet this month's quota… Brother, if we keep this up, won't the Sect notice?" the second-in-command, slightly more perceptive, worried.

"What's to fear? We give the majority to the higher-ups, and we never openly rob—old saying: catch the thief with the stolen goods… Prove it? Where's your evidence?"

Xing San reassured them, yet knew deep down it was all nonsense.

The supervising disciples were shepherds—they could afford to lose a few sheep, but if the entire flock died, would the higher-ups stay silent?

"Sorry, brother…"

Xing San glanced at his own brother, thinking inwardly: "The escape route is cleared, but the price is too high—we can only send one person out after all this madness… Brother, bear with it—stay here a few more months…"

Brothers on the road—how could they truly share their lives?

Backstabbing was the norm!

…

Two days later.

In the wooden hut.

Fang Xing sat cross-legged, palms facing heaven.

This book's latest update is ##!! Updated!

In the void, countless green photons drifted toward him, radiating affection.

Lines of prompts appeared:

【You completed a cultivation session and gained 'Nature's Blessing'! You acquired partial 'Nature Knowledge'!】

【Druid Class advanced to Level 2! Gained 'Wild Shape'!】

Boom!

Fang Xing's mind trembled—he felt his strength grow stronger.

The Druid advancement even boosted his Qi Sensing cultivation, making him more robust and his senses keener.

But most crucially—he had obtained the 【Wild Shape】 talent!

【Wild Shape: You can transform into a wild animal and gain all its abilities!】

【Current available forms: Carp, Sparrow, Field Mouse, Owl, Badger!】

…

Fang Xing studied them carefully—the options appeared as animal icons; with a thought, he could access partial information.

"Rats? Eliminated immediately… Flying birds are excellent, but unsuitable now."

He had already uncovered the weakness of the Paper Person technique—he planned to escape via the river.

No more hesitation: "Choose—Carp!"

【You gained 'Carp Transformation'!】

The attribute bar remained as sparse as ever.

But the next instant, Fang Xing's vision filled with a pond.

He himself had become a black-backed carp, flicking his tail and plunging into the water.

Splash!

Water exploded upward.

As he swam, streams of information surfaced:

Carp transform into snakes after ten years, into serpents after a hundred, into jiao after five hundred, into dragons after a thousand!

Splash!

The pond churned violently—as if a colossal serpent's tail was stirring up the waves among the spray.

Then, a strange dragon soared forth, rising swiftly as thunder and rain roared.

"This is…"

Fang Xing suddenly gained more inheritance knowledge of 【Wild Shape】.

"So this is it—【Wild Shape】 is a core skill of the Druid's Animal Domain, allowing perfect transformation into a single creature… gaining all its abilities."

"After choosing 'Carpet Fish Transformation,' I can still learn other transformations later, but 'Carpet Fish Transformation' will remain my core… This skill, at level 5, can upgrade to 'Fish Demon Transformation,' increasing my size and granting limited spell-like abilities…"

"A snake entering water becomes a hui; ascending a mountain becomes a python… When my Druid level reaches 10, I can transform into the form of a water hui or mountain python…"

"At level 15, I can master 'Qiu Dragon Transformation'—Qiu Dragons are young dragons… capable of wielding a trace of draconic nature…"

"Then, at level 20, the legendary stage, I can master 'Jiao Dragon Transformation'… riding clouds, summoning mist and rain… while possessing the Jiao Dragon's formidable physical combat prowess—someone at the Foundation Establishment realm might be casually crushed by a single claw…"

The so-called "Foundation Establishment realm" was, in the original body's knowledge, the most powerful cultivator one could know.

"It feels a bit like atavism… I wonder what mythic creature template I'd evolve into if I chose rat, sparrow, or other forms?"

Fang Xing felt a restless itch inside him, as if he desperately wanted to find a river or lake right now, transform into a carp, and swim freely within it.

"Something's wrong…"

He had been momentarily entranced, but then realized something was off.

Based on the inherited knowledge and natural understanding he'd gained, he immediately knew that while 【Wild Shape】 was powerful, it carried certain risks.

He needed to tame the beastly instincts within himself—not be driven by them, becoming a mere beast.

Fortunately, this was very simple for him.

Fang Xing even felt that, with his mental willpower, even if he now possessed 'Jiao Dragon Transformation,' he could immediately master and refine it, shifting effortlessly between human and Jiao Dragon forms.

He glanced at his status bar:

【Name: Fang Xing】

【Age: 16/26】

【Class: Druid Level 2】

【Realm: Qi Sensing Stage One】

【Talent: Nature Affinity, Wild Shape】

【Skill: Perfect Hands (Beginner 53/100)】

…

"Good, my lifespan limit has increased again…"

Fang Xing opened the wooden door, glanced at the moonlight, and sighed: "Dark moon, high wind—perfect night for murder…"

(End of Chapter)