"Grip the hammer with both hands and swing down with all your strength. Don't be afraid, and don't hesitate to strike. They are no longer human; they are monsters."
Su Li guided Xu Xuehui, knowing that getting her to smash a Corpse Beast would be a significant psychological hurdle, and since she wasn't very strong, smashing the monster's head wouldn't be easy.
"The first one is always the hardest. Once you take down the first one, the rest will get easier."
Under Su Li's guidance, Xu Xuehui finally summoned her courage. She gripped the hammer with both hands and swung it down toward the monster's head, but she instinctively closed her eyes.
The first swing missed.
The hammer struck the floor, the resulting shock making Xu Xuehui's hands numb and a look of pain appear on her face.
Su Li sighed. He had no choice but to grab Xu Xuehui's arms from behind, help her grip the hammer, raise her arms, and then guide the hammer down hard, releasing his hands halfway through the swing.
This time, the hammer landed squarely on the Corpse Beast's back of the head, but due to insufficient force, it didn't smash the skull.
"Again!" Su Li lifted her arms again to help her.
After several repetitions, Xu Xuehui finally dared to keep her eyes open to watch. Finally, with a crisp "thud," the Corpse Beast's head was smashed open.
The monster's fatal weakness was its head. Even if its heart was pulverized, it wouldn't die, but destroying the head meant instant death.
A Spiritual Source appeared and merged into Xu Xuehui's forehead.
A look of surprise appeared on her face. She was clearly sensing the information flooding her mind.
Having obtained her first Spiritual Source, her entire body began to change, including an increase in strength.
Su Li remembered that when he started absorbing Spiritual Sources, each one resulted in a significant boost in strength. Xu Xuehui was no exception.
With the experience of the first kill and a considerable increase in her strength, killing the second Corpse Beast wasn't so difficult. Xu Xuehui smashed the second Corpse Beast three times in a row and finally managed to finish it off.
After acquiring the second Spiritual Source, Xu Xuehui's strength increased by at least over 100 jin (approx. 110 pounds).
With greater strength, the subsequent kills became easier.
Xu Xuehui quickly killed five Corpse Beasts, accumulating five Spiritual Sources.
With five Spiritual Sources absorbed, she successfully advanced to a "Level 1 Spiritual Source Wielder."
She then killed the last remaining Corpse Beast.
"Kid, remember to choose the Stomach enhancement," Ding Longyun called out loudly, seeing that Xu Xuehui had killed all six Corpse Beasts.
Su Li advised, "Enhancing the Lungs first is better. The outside world is completely water right now, so it's best to prioritize increasing the ability to survive underwater."
Enhancing the lungs would boost her lung capacity. Also, their food supply was sufficient for now, so they weren't yet at the point where they needed to drink outside water or eat monster corpses.
Ding Longyun acknowledged, "You have a point. Enhancing the lungs first is fine. She can enhance the stomach next time."
Xu Xuehui hesitated and said, "But… there is no choice to enhance the lungs or the stomach."
Ding Longyun was stunned. "What?"
Su Li's mind stirred. "Then what choices is the information in your mind prompting you to choose from?"
Xu Xuehui replied, "Eyes and Ears."
"Hmm," Su Li said. "It seems the enhancement options are randomized with every advancement; they might not be exactly the same for everyone."
Ding Longyun chuckled, "Eyes enhance vision, and ears enhance hearing. I think choosing either one is fine. Go ahead and choose yourself, kid."
Su Li agreed with Ding Longyun. Both vision and hearing were equally important, so choosing either one would be a sound decision.
Xu Xuehui quietly glanced at Su Li and whispered, "I chose to enhance my Eyes."
Ding Longyun laughed. "Enhancing your eyes is pretty good too." As he spoke, he looked out the corridor window. "It's getting late; the sun is almost setting. I need to go prepare dinner. Tonight is the main event."
"How should we deal with these corpses?" Su Li asked Ding Longyun.
"Just leave them here for now. We'll deal with them later."
"We still have some leftover rice from lunch. We'll have fried rice with egg and sausage tonight."
Ding Longyun was a good cook. The egg and sausage fried rice he prepared was appealing in color, aroma, and taste. The rice grains were golden yellow and looked very appetizing.
"Brother Ding, your cooking skills are truly excellent. I'm embarrassed to admit I can't cook anything besides instant noodles," Su Li said, taking a deep breath and feeling his appetite instantly sharpen.
Pleased by Su Li's praise, Ding Longyun chuckled. "I couldn't help it. After the divorce, I lived alone. I couldn't just order takeout every day, which isn't nutritious or healthy, so I slowly taught myself to cook."
"You're divorced?" Su Li was slightly taken aback.
Ding Longyun took out three clean bowls and placed them aside. He first served a heaping bowl to Xu Xuehui. Xu Xuehui quickly waved her hands, indicating she couldn't eat that much. She had a small appetite, and the bowl was too much for her.
Ding Longyun chided, "You're at a growing age; you must eat more." He then returned to Su Li's question: "Yes, I've been divorced for a few years. I have a daughter named Ding Han. She's 13 this year. Because I didn't have a stable job back then, she was awarded to my ex-wife."
As Ding Longyun spoke, a hint of bitterness appeared on his face. He then looked at Xu Xuehui, a flicker of paternal affection in his eyes, and said, "My daughter is the same age as you. If you ever meet, I'm sure you'll become good friends."
Only then did Su Li understand why Ding Longyun was so caring and doting toward Xu Xuehui: he had a daughter the same age as her.
It was clear that every time he saw Xu Xuehui, he thought of his daughter, Ding Han.
Xu Xuehui blinked her big eyes, seeming about to say something, then looked at Su Li's face again.
Su Li saw her holding the bowl but not eating, so he sternly said, "Eat your food."
Xu Xuehui was startled. She immediately lowered her head and began eating large mouthfuls obediently, then choked.
Ding Longyun glared at Su Li. "Why are you scaring the child?" He quickly helped pat Xu Xuehui's back and got her some water, adopting a fatherly demeanor.
Su Li felt a little awkward, saying, "I just noticed she doesn't like eating proper meals and prefers snacks. Eating too many snacks isn't good for her health."
Ding Longyun immediately sternly agreed. "That's right. Kid, you're still growing and need nutrition. Remember to eat fewer snacks; those things aren't nutritious."
Xu Xuehui replied softly and lowered her head, slowly eating the rice one small bite at a time, no longer speaking.
Su Li looked at her eating pace and thought that at this speed, it would take her about an hour to finish that large bowl of fried rice.
By the time Su Li and Ding Longyun finished their meal, Xu Xuehui had eaten less than a third of her bowl of fried rice.
(End of Chapter)