Chapter 23: Harvesting the Spoils of Battle
Shen Yuan awoke to the warmth of morning light brushing against his face. When he tried to sit up, pain surged through every muscle in his body, forcing a low groan from his throat as confusion crossed his expression.
At first, he couldn't remember what had happened—but when his gaze fell on the corpses of the stone-scaled crocodiles surrounding him, the memories flooded back all at once, crashing through his mind like a raging tide.
He forced himself to stand despite the pain, scanning the area carefully, measuring distances and watching every flicker of movement.
The thought of losing consciousness in such a desolate place was unsettling; if other beasts had passed by while he was out, he would have been long dead.
Then, a familiar voice echoed in his mind—the voice of the Elder—calm, steady, and reassuring:
> "Do not worry. No creature dares to approach this place. The aura of the Crocodile King still lingers in the valley. Even in death, his energy continues to seep through the land."
Understanding dawned in Shen Yuan's eyes. He let out a tired breath and sat down on a nearby rock, groaning as he did.
He asked weakly:
> "Morning already… how long have I been out?"
The Elder chuckled softly.
> "You think it's been hours? You've been unconscious for three full days."
Shen Yuan's eyes widened in shock.
> "Three days? That long?!"
A chill ran down his spine as he realized that if not for the King's lingering aura, he would've been devoured long ago.
The Elder's tone shifted, calm but carrying a hint of admiration:
> "You pushed your body beyond its limits, using the Primordial Body Technique under a surge of chaotic power. The strain nearly destroyed you, but that same technique is the reason you healed so quickly. Without it, you'd need a full month to recover from such injuries."
Shen Yuan bowed his head slightly, silent awe flickering in his eyes. The Primordial Body Technique truly defied the heavens.
Though he hadn't formally reached the first stage yet, the results were already beyond astonishing.
He didn't allow himself to rest long. Forcing himself to move, he began gathering the spoils of battle.
He cut open the bellies of the first, second, and third crocodiles—collecting their energy cores one by one.
But when he reached the corpse of the Crocodile King, he froze.
A thought struck him, and he began searching carefully until he found it—a black sack with dark veins pulsing faintly with a sinister aura. The poison sac the King had used during their fight.
He kept it alongside the massive core, sealing both within his spatial ring.
Then he stood before the lake that had been the battlefield.
Without hesitation, he stripped off his tattered clothes and dove into the icy water.
He swam downward, deeper and deeper—over four hundred and fifty meters—until he saw it: the Earth Star Root Herb.
It shimmered faintly, its sandy hue glowing like starlight beneath the murky depths. Its texture was firm, its form branching like living roots.
He carefully harvested it and stored it away before swimming back to the surface.
It took him five full hours of work to finish—something that would've taken less than half an hour under normal circumstances.
His old wounds still weighed on him, slowing every movement.
After changing into fresh clothes from his ring, he made his way back to the cave he had claimed as a temporary base in this savage forest.
He needed full recovery before taking his next step forward.
Sitting cross-legged, Shen Yuan drew out several energy cores from first-star beasts of varying ranks.
He consumed them one after another, focusing on restoring his strength.
Seventeen cores in total—devoured completely. Their effect was mild; they didn't increase his strength much, but they replenished his chaotic energy reserves abundantly.
Three more days of constant meditation passed before his wounds fully healed. His body felt stronger than it had in a long time.
Only then did he begin absorbing the cores taken from the mid-grade second-star beasts.
The energy within them was fierce and wild, but his body had learned to endure.
Three hours of burning pain later, he could feel the difference—his strength had grown noticeably.
Then came the final core: the Crocodile King's nucleus.
The moment he swallowed it, a dark red radiance erupted from his body. His veins bulged as if molten blood surged within them.
The agony was immense—waves of heat tore through every cell—but a faint smile curved his lips.
He knew this pain well. It meant only one thing: true growth.
The storm within lasted four full hours.
When it finally subsided, sweat soaked his entire body, yet he could feel new power coursing through his veins.
When he had first entered the Valley of Shadows, he was at the seventh layer of Body Refinement—his strength roughly equal to a third-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Now, after absorbing all those cores, he had leaped three entire stages, reaching the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment—an astonishing breakthrough by any standard.
The Elder's voice echoed once more in his mind:
> "The Primordial Body Technique will only reveal its true potential in the higher realms—where energy is pure and the beasts far more terrifying. What you've achieved here is merely the beginning."
Shen Yuan smiled faintly as power surged within him.
In a low-tier world like this, such progress was already extraordinary—deep, st
able, and brimming with promise for what was yet to come.
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Enjoy the read, everyone.
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