Under Xiao Wu's watchful gaze, Ye Tian swiftly processed another fathead fish in the same manner as before.
Seeing Xiao Wu observing intently, Ye Tian chuckled lightly and explained while holding the fish:
"Removing fish bones isn't actually that difficult."
"The arrangement of these bones follows a certain pattern."
"As long as you maneuver through the gaps between them, picking them out is just a matter of skillful slicing."
Hearing this, Xiao Wu smacked her lips and made a playful face.
"It sounds easy when you say it like that. But how would I know where the bones are?"
Ye Tian's skill was indeed exceptional.
These blue-scaled fathead fish were a unique species found only in the Lake of Life.
No other place had them.
This meant that it was Ye Tian's first time handling one.
Yet, just by touching it briefly, he was able to memorize the skeletal structure through the fish's flesh.
Such extraordinary skill wasn't something one could simply learn.
Realizing this, Xiao Wu's admiration for Ye Tian grew even further.
A sly glint flashed in her large eyes.
If Ye Tian were to become an instructor at Shrek Academy, it would undoubtedly elevate the academy's faculty strength tremendously.
After all, his abilities were worthy of a Title Douluo specializing in healing.
Someone like him was a strategic asset no matter where they were placed.
Of course, recruiting Ye Tian into Shrek Academy was only a small part of Xiao Wu's true goal.
What she really wanted was to bring him into the ranks of the Shrek Seven Devils.
This way, when the time came to oppose the Spirit Hall, they would have an extra layer of security.
With this intention in mind, Xiao Wu's smile became even more radiant.
She bent her knees slightly, then suddenly leaped up and snapped off a large golden book tree branch.
Then, she carved the branch into a hairpin-like shape and handed it to Ye Tian with a sweet smile.
"Tie up the fish meat with this. I'll start the fire."
"Alright."
On the surface, Ye Tian nodded in agreement, but deep down, he was slightly surprised.
Just now, Xiao Wu's expression no longer carried the wariness she had for a stranger but rather the warmth reserved for a friend.
Shaking his head at Xiao Wu's retreating figure, Ye Tian smirked to himself.
He had no intention of becoming friends with her.
After all, they belonged to opposing factions.
They were destined to be enemies.
If too much emotion was involved now, it would only cause problems later.
Pushing such thoughts aside, Ye Tian turned his attention to the largest burrowing rodent on the ground.
Its fur was still warm, indicating it had just died recently.
Though not too familiar with spirit beast classifications, a quick observation told Ye Tian that this burrowing rodent was around a thousand years old.
Suppressing the scent of blood, Ye Tian retrieved an exquisitely crafted tungsten-steel knife from his storage space and began dissecting the rodent.
Processing such rodent-type spirit beasts wasn't difficult.
Based on his past experience, roasting them required splitting the beast in half.
Ye Tian decided to start by cutting from the skull.
Crack.
As soon as the tungsten-steel blade struck, it snapped instantly, chipping at the edge.
Ye Tian froze.
This was a tungsten-steel knife—capable of cutting through iron.
And yet, it couldn't slice through a burrowing rodent's skull?
The sharp sound drew Xiao Wu's attention as she laughed lightly while tending the fire.
"Ye Tian, your knife isn't good enough."
"The skulls of burrowing rodents are extremely tough. Try using my knife instead."
She pulled out a white crescent-shaped blade and tossed it to Ye Tian.
Catching it instinctively, Ye Tian's gaze remained fixed on the rodent's skull.
"This doesn't make sense," he muttered, shaking his head.
Tungsten-steel blades represented the pinnacle of blade craftsmanship on the Douluo Continent.
Even the bones of the most renowned tiger-type spirit beasts could be cut.
Let alone a mere burrowing rodent.
Suppressing his curiosity, Ye Tian unsheathed the crescent knife.
This time, instead of slicing directly at the skull, he started from the thinner areas of flesh.
Soon, a translucent skull was revealed before him.
It emitted an indescribable golden glow.
The glow flickered in an irregular pattern but reXiao Wuned predominantly golden.
Moreover, the skull showed no sign of the damage inflicted by the tungsten-steel knife earlier.
"Soul… soul bone?" Ye Tian muttered instinctively.
But he quickly shook his head in denial.
Soul bones didn't release energy on their own.
Not to mention, a thousand-year-old burrowing rodent had an almost zero chance of producing a soul bone.
Xiao Wu, who was close by, noticed the strange golden light and approached.
"What's going on?" she asked, confused.
Ye Tian forced a bitter smile. "I was about to ask you the same thing."
"Are you sure this is a burrowing rodent?"
"Of course! I eat them all the time."
"But I've never seen anything like this before," Xiao Wu said skeptically.
"Let me touch it."
Fearless, she stepped closer, twitching her rabbit ears in alertness before reaching out cautiously.
Her fingers lightly brushed against the skull.
"Huh? Nothing's happening."
Her large eyes widened in surprise.
Ye Tian chuckled. "What, were you expecting a disaster to strike you?"
"Not exactly," she laughed sheepishly, withdrawing her hand.
The moment she pulled away, the golden light flared dramatically.
It surged into Xiao Wu's body like a flood.
"Ah!"
She let out a cry of pain before collapsing limply to the ground.
Ye Tian was stunned.
He immediately threw the skull away, fearing he'd suffer the same fate.
"Xiao Wu, are you okay?"
He quickly crouched beside her, grasping her wrist to check her pulse.
If anything happened to her, and Da Ming and Er Ming returned, he was as good as dead.
For a moment, panic flickered across Ye Tian's face.
But years of professional habit quickly restored his composure.
"Her pulse is stable, her soul remains intact, and there are no signs of injury."
He let out a long breath.
Only then did he turn back to the burrowing rodent's skull.
Now, the skull no longer emitted golden light.
Instead, fine, organized cracks had appeared on its surface.
Ye Tian examined them carefully.
A shocking thought struck him.
"These cracks… they look like a map."
His heart skipped a beat.
Quickly, he retrieved a map of the Star Dou Forest from his storage space—the one he had obtained in the Spirit Hall.
Comparing it with the cracks on the skull, he made a startling discovery.
The outermost cracks of the skull perfectly aligned with the center of the Star Dou Forest!
(End of Chapter)
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