Chapter 29

Chapter 029: Choosing a Cultivation Method

Once the thought of wanting to eat bear paw arose, it was hard to suppress.

After all, that unlucky bear had "wasted" over seven hundred of his Fate Points for nothing.

Shouldn't he "eat back" the loss from its kind?

Of course, the main reason was that he suddenly remembered he wanted to taste what bear paw was like.

So Yan Cang eagerly opened the Trading House and quickly searched for "bear paw" under the food category.

The result...

Disappointing.

It was too early in the day. Most of the items listed in the Trading House were processed raw meat, wild vegetables, fruits, and some simply prepared breakfasts.

Hard-to-cook dishes like bear paw, which required long preparation and careful cooking, were not for sale at all.

After all, who would stew bear paw first thing in the morning?

Remember, this was the Trial Ground.

Even if someone knew how to cook and had the time, they would still have to consider whether there were any buyers this early.

"It looks like if I want to enjoy good food whenever I feel like it, I'll need to privately contact a reliable chef..." A realization flashed through his mind.

But that was a bit troublesome, so he set it aside for now.

First, he needed to eat.

He closed the search results, which were full of raw bear paw ingredients, and settled for browsing other breakfast options.

At this hour, the variety of breakfasts was much richer.

He picked and chose until he found something that whetted his appetite.

A moment later, a steaming bowl of fish porridge and several plump, white meat buns appeared on the table.

The fish porridge was thick and creamy, the rice grains fully bloomed. The fish meat was white, tender, and boneless. Chopped mushrooms and emerald-green wild vegetables dotted the porridge, releasing a fragrant aroma.

The buns had thin skins and generous fillings, the dough soft and fluffy. Although they were clearly opened from a supply crate yesterday and reheated this morning, they were still delicious.

Eating the buns with the hot porridge, Yan Cang felt a light sweat break out on his forehead.

The meat buns were substantial, and the fish porridge bowl was large.

When he finished the last spoonful of porridge, he patted his slightly bulging stomach: "A bit too full..."

Yan Cang decided to go outside and move around a bit to help with digestion.

Pushing open the upgraded, thick, and sturdy wooden door, the cool, fresh morning air rushed in, carrying the unique fragrance of grass, trees, and damp soil.

The rising sun on the horizon was casting its glow.

The sunlight was just right—not too scorching—warming his face pleasantly.

In the distance, a few crisp and melodious bird calls could be heard. Nearby, faint rustling sounds of insects came from the grass. The whole world was filled with a tranquil yet vibrant vitality.

Yan Cang casually strolled near the wooden cabin.

The tension and survival pressure that hung over most people in the Trial Ground were completely absent for him.

Coupled with the existence of [Fate Protection], he didn't even need to worry about the dangers of the wild.

Stepping on the soft grass, watching the dew sparkle under the morning sun, he almost felt like he was taking a walk in a forest park.

He wandered leisurely like this for about half an hour.

Feeling that the food had mostly digested, he turned and walked back to the wooden cabin.

Yan Cang then opened the window, letting more sunlight and fresh air flood in, brightening the cozy room.

His gaze naturally fell upon the prominently placed supply box inside the cabin.

Focusing his mind for a few seconds, the countdown for the chest's refresh appeared before his eyes:

【Supply Box (Exclusive): Can be opened once daily. Will refresh in 03:42:47.】

"Still over three hours!"

This time, the items he planned to select were crucial for strengthening his own abilities, so he was naturally filled with anticipation.

In this state of mind, the waiting time became somewhat unbearable.

His thoughts were restless, unable to settle down.

"Forget it, I'll just play games!"

"Nothing else to do anyway."

Yan Cang plopped down into the comfortable ergonomic chair, pulled out the Strange Game Console, and started up Black Myth.

Familiar interface, familiar monkey.

He quickly immersed himself in this bizarre and challenging world, temporarily putting the chest out of his mind.

Time flew by.

The joyful hours spent immersed in the gaming world always passed quickly.

When the monkey on the screen once again fell to the fists and feet of the Tiger Vanguard, Yan Cang was just about to put down the console in frustration when...

A clear notification sound echoed in the ears of everyone in the Trial Ground:

【Ding! Congratulations on surviving two full days in the Trial Ground. Your faction gains +1 point.】

【You receive +1 faction contribution.】

【The Faction Ranking and Personal Contribution Ranking have been refreshed.】

The leaderboard had refreshed!

Yan Cang instinctively called up his personal status panel, his gaze immediately darting to the details of his faction.

The newly refreshed Faction Ranking unfolded before him, and he quickly scanned the top spots:

【First Place: Huaxia, Faction Points: 2,528,769,012】

【Second Place: United States, Faction Points: 523,345,678】

【Third Place: India, Faction Points: 486,543,210】

【Fourth Place: Indonesia, Faction Points: 274,567,890】

【Fifth Place: Pakistan, Faction Points: 267,654,321】

...

Huaxia remained firmly at the top, though their point growth was over 100 million less than yesterday.

But in comparison, other factions had grown even less.

Some factions had barely moved, nearly showing negative growth.

However, the United States had actually risen in rank?

While part of the reason was that the original second-place India had underperformed, Yan Cang was genuinely curious about the specific factors.

With a faint, almost imperceptible flash of Fate Power in his eyes, he instantly understood.

It turned out that many eliminated participants who had abandoned the trial had chosen to recommend the United States faction.

"So that's how it is. Never mind, then."

Yan Cang paid it no mind.

He then glanced at the changes in the subsequent rankings—the top thirty had seen considerable fluctuation.

But he paid no attention to it at all, merely skimming through before exiting.

Yan Cang's thoughts had long since drifted elsewhere.

"Treasure Chest!"

As for the Personal Contribution Ranking?

The ranking refreshed on the dot, but faction contributions updated in real time.

When he had called up the Status Panel earlier, he had already caught a glimpse of that absurdly long number:

【Name: Yan Cang】

【Age: 16】

【Talent: Great Fate Art】

【Ability: Mental Space (Peak Mastery)】

【Survival Days: 2 days】

【Faction: Huaxia】

【Faction Contribution: 1,286,231,775】

One point two eight six billion in faction contribution!

So, what was there to see on the Personal Contribution Ranking?

If anyone could surpass this number, he'd eat the game console in his hand!

After casually tossing the Strange Game Console back into his Mental Space, Yan Cang sprang up from his chair and walked straight to the Supply Box.

As usual, he first used Fate Power to anchor the future line for obtaining a "Golden Chest," then reached out and touched the box.

A dazzling, radiant Golden Chest materialized before him in all its splendor.

If anyone else had witnessed this scene, they would have been green with envy.

Yan Cang himself was also quite excited.

This was his once-a-day chance to "strike it rich."

Though it happened daily, this was only the third Golden Chest he had obtained, far from the point where he could take it in stride without a ripple of emotion.

"This time, I need to pick something that boosts my own strength..." Yan Cang's thoughts raced.

"Great Fate Art," activate!

His perception instantly transcended the present, his vision elevated to an infinite height.

The Golden Chest before him was no longer a single entity but had transformed into countless diverging "future" branches, each shimmering with different possibilities.

Every branch represented a choice upon opening and its corresponding outcome.

He precisely anchored onto the future timeline of "Cultivation Method items" and began browsing at high speed.

His mind shot through countless fragments of the future like a beam of light.

Shadowy images of cultivation method manuals, each with different forms and radiating various elemental auras, flashed rapidly before his "eyes."

Related information and evaluations flooded in:

Greenwood Longevity Art: A wood-type health-preserving cultivation method, extending life and brimming with vitality. Requires closeness to nature and absorbing the essence of plants. Progress is slow, but the foundation is solid and the endurance long-lasting.

Blaze Fire True Manual: A fire-type aggressive cultivation method with extremely strong attack power and scorching true qi. However, it requires enduring the burning pain of meridians during cultivation, easily affects temperament, and risks qi deviation.

Mystic Ice Force: An ice-type cold cultivation method with true qi as biting as frost, capable of freezing all things. The cultivator must be in an extremely cold environment or rely on a large number of cold-type treasures for assistance. Long-term practice tends to make one's disposition indifferent.

Devouring Origin Secret Manual: Forcibly devours others' true qi or the chaotic natural energy of heaven and earth to strengthen oneself, with progress that could be called lightning-fast. But the devoured power is impure and carries immense hidden dangers, easily leading to an unstable foundation, rampant true qi, and even mental confusion.

...

As streams of information flashed by, Yan Cang's brow furrowed slightly.

As a top-tier cultivation method that could be produced from a Golden Chest, these texts were naturally extraordinary, each with its own unique strengths.

Even if there were differences in power, the stronger ones mostly had flaws, so they were all roughly on the same level.

But the problem was that he couldn't find one that perfectly matched his core vision.

That kind of heaven-defying technique that could perfectly devour external energy to strengthen itself.

If he could obtain such a cultivation method, he could devour the vast energy in the Energy Pool, strengthen himself, then draw it back into the Energy Pool, and continue devouring again...

Thus, stepping on his left foot with his right, spiraling upward to the heavens!

"It's a pity that the Golden Chest's limit is right here."

Yan Cang understood in his heart.

Although his demands were high, he believed that similar techniques or abilities must exist.

"Maybe there will be some in higher-grade treasure chests?"

This thought only flashed by.

Suppressing the jumbled thoughts, Yan Cang began to re-examine those cultivation method projections shimmering with golden light.

Since there was no ideal one, he would settle for the next best—choose one that was relatively suitable for him and cool enough.

After all, being cool was a lifelong matter!

In the end, his gaze settled on a jade slip floating in the void of his consciousness, exuding a cold and sharp aura.

The jade slip was pure white all over, with pale golden runes flowing along its edges. At its center seemed to be sealed a faint yet extremely condensed sword-shaped light shadow. Even as just a projection, it gave a feeling of sharpness that could tear apart one's soul.

The relevant name and brief information naturally surfaced in his mind:

The Sword Nurturing Art!