Consultation with Bobby and the Learning Plan

  Leaving the library, Huang Di realized it was already night. He had been so focused on his studies that he had lost track of time, even with a clock nearby. Now, his understanding of skills and the increase in his power have improved significantly.

  Using the Technique of Light Steps, he noticed that, unconsciously, he had reached the final stage of the technique, the perfect success level, thus achieving mastery. His reaction speed and movement had doubled, a considerable benefit. Furthermore, upon reaching mastery, the energy cost of the skill dropped drastically, reducing to only 25% of the original consumption.

  Huang Di knew that the true power of a skill only fully manifested when the practitioner reached the corresponding rank. A Sky Rank technique, for example, would only reveal its full potential with a Sky Rank expert. He was eager to reach that level and manifest the full power of his abilities.

  Determined to seek more knowledge, he headed to Bobby’s house to discuss his plan. Upon arrival, he greeted the young dwarf and descended the stairs toward Bobby’s secret area, having been granted permission to enter at any time. He found Bobby extracting mineral resources from the cave and, without delay, approached him with his questions.

  “Bobby, hello. I have some doubts about cultivation, and I remembered that Merlin mentioned you’re an expert in this area. Could you help me? I have little time, and as you and the others emphasized, the test can be quite difficult. I need to prepare well. Can I count on your advice?”

  Bobby, with a knowing smile, replied:

  “Calm down, young Huang Di. Although it’s difficult, it’s not impossible. With your strength, I believe at least the first stage won’t be a problem. As for advice, if it’s within my reach, feel free to ask, and I’ll answer honestly.”

  The two sat on a sofa and began to talk. Huang Di started:

  “Actually, I think you should know my time has been shortened, so I had to make some adaptations. Wanting to take advantage of the benefits while I can, I found a skill in the library called Become the Metal. The curious thing was that, at the end, I discovered the skill had the creator’s identification, and that creator’s name was Bobby. Do you know anything about this?”

  Bobby, who was about to take a sip of beer, almost dropped his mug upon hearing that. He laughed and said:

  “Boy, it seems we have some compatibility. Yes, I created that skill but know one thing: I wasn’t the one who put that tome in the library. The library itself placed it there, hahaha.”

  Surprised by the information, Huang Di pondered for a moment before continuing:

  “So, since you’re the creator, the skill is registered at Sky Rank, but I believe you have a better version of it.”

  Bobby laughed again and replied:

  “Huang Di, you’re truly perceptive. So smart for your age that it scares me when I compare myself to you at your age. Yes, I have a better version, but if you want to learn it, I believe you’ve already noticed you need certain materials. The core I mentioned might be the right material for you to use in constructing the Exoskeleton Armor, an advanced Emperor Rank skill that suits you well, young one. You just need to bring the black iron core and the rank 6 beast core. Then, I’ll teach you the skill. What do you think?”

  Huang Di, who had already decided to seek those items, nodded in agreement.

  Confrontation in the Spider Cave

  After ending his conversation with Bobby, Huang Di left his home and headed determinedly into the forest, resolved to achieve his goals as quickly as possible. He quickly arrived at the spider area and summoned Umbra, saying:

  “Are you ready, my friend? Now we need to give everything we must conquer this area. That way, you can evolve to the next power rank.”

  Umbra nodded, showing determination in his eyes. Huang Di continued:

  “Partner, I need you to lend me your shadow power so we can infiltrate the place and find our target faster.”

  Without wasting time, Umbra was placed into the grimoire, channeling his energy through it into Huang Di’s body. Huang Di received a torrent of energy that allowed him to use the Shadow of Umbra skill. Transforming into smoke, he became a shadow near the cave entrance. Knowing this ability wouldn’t last long, he swiftly entered the place, penetrating deeper while searching every corner of the region.

  Confirming his suspicions, he perceived that the place held a great concentration of Yin energy, which grew stronger the deeper he went. Aware that his friend could not maintain the skill for long, he hurried and reached the cave’s core.

  There, he saw an entrance well-guarded by Spider Warriors, whose upper bodies were metamorphosed into men, and their lower halves were spiders. They wielded spears made from the exoskeletons of other arachnids. Their presence was formidable, these were the most powerful creatures Huang Di had encountered so far, with rank 5 strength, on the verge of reaching rank 6. But what caused him the greatest fear was the energy emanating behind the guards: the force of a rank 6 beast. It would be the first time he would face such a being.

  He was apprehensive about taking this step but knew it was necessary for his growth, and that of his new friend, Umbra. If Umbra grew stronger, Huang Di would also gain power, so it was beneficial for both.

  Feeling the skill was about to fade, Huang Di deactivated it himself and positioned himself in front of the two guards, summoning Umbra:

  “Friend, you take the one on the left, I’ll handle the one on the right. Now it’s time for our teamwork.”

  The two guards, stunned to see two unknown figures suddenly appear, raised their weapons and took combat stances. Wild beasts also possessed a certain level of intelligence, and the higher the rank, the greater their cunning.

  Without warning, Huang Di and Umbra launched their attack. The battle was chaotic, with intense use of skills from both sides. The spiders tried to limit and seal their enemies’ movements, casting webs to trap them, while Huang Di sought to quickly close in and finish the fight.

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  Umbra activated the Ghost Step skill and swiftly appeared behind his target, aiming at the neck and attacking relentlessly, leaving the opponent dazed and furious. Huang Di, in turn, took the opportunity to test his new fighting style: One Sound as a Weapon, a skill derived from the fusion of four of his techniques. Vibrating the air, he generated small, compressed needles that struck the enemy’s weak points.

  The Spider-man unleashed a jet of venom, but to his surprise, his skill did not fully nullify Huang Di’s technique, allowing the needles to penetrate joints and cause severe damage to the opponent’s stability.

  At that moment, Umbra delivered a fatal bite to his Spider-man, separating his head from the body with the passive skill Death Bite, which in its initial phase had a 10% chance to kill the target if its health was below 25%.

  Huang Di was impressed by his beast’s vigor. He intended only to immobilize the enemy, while Umbra went directly for the execution.

  The remaining Spider-man, now sitting down, glared at Huang Di with fury. Not wanting to prolong the confrontation, Huang Di executed sealing and capturing formations, imprisoning the creature in his grimoire.

  Confrontation with the Black Widow

  Huang Di and Umbra entered through the makeshift gate guarded by the Spider-men. As they stepped inside, they felt the intense aura of Yin energy emanating from the place. The cave was filled with eggs of various sizes, ranging in color from deep red to dark brown. However, they had yet to notice the presence of their true target.

  The cave was immense, located deep underground. As they advanced, something watched them from above with a piercing gaze. It was a massive Black Widow, about forty meters long and eight meters tall. Its upper body had the form of a beautiful woman, exuding sensuality with ample breasts. Her face bore multiple eyes, and her hair was made of spider webs in shades of dark red.

  Sensing that something was wrong, Huang Di warned Umbra and rushed toward the eggs, which enraged the beast. The Black Widow unleashed her Sonic Scream ability, aiming to intimidate her opponents and affect their hearing. Huang Di and Umbra were stunned by the effects, despite being hundreds of meters away.

  Umbra shrank back slightly, while Huang Di tried to seal his body’s auditory senses using pressure points. After succeeding, he applied the technique to Umbra, reducing the impact of their ability on them, although it did not prevent the secondary effects of disorientation.

  The Black Widow approached with fury and rage in her eyes, for Huang Di had unknowingly stepped on some of her eggs, harming her future offspring. She wanted to tear the intruders apart as quickly as possible.

  Huang Di then instructed Umbra to separate and attack from different points. Thus, the two moved in opposite directions. However, instead of chasing Umbra, the Black Widow ran after Huang Di, which surprised him but was also within his calculations. He did not panic.

  Preparing the sonic needles, he had effectively used against the Spider-man, Huang Di launched them at the Black Widow to restrict her movements. However, contrary to his expectation, the ability proved useless against the Black Widow’s Black Exoskeleton, which protected her from damage and nullified his skill.

  Seeing his new attack was ineffective, Huang Di grew concerned but not desperate. The Black Widow’s movement was slow due to her enormous body, especially her abdomen, which accounted for 80% of her length. This indicated difficulty in mobility; besides the fact she was pregnant and at a critical stage of her cultivation. The cave’s space was also limited for large-scale maneuvers, negating the greatest advantage of rank 6 beasts and sky rank cultivators: mastery of the skies.

  Huang Di identified that the Black Widow was only levitating, which indicated she was a lesser rank 6 beast. Still, it was a great difference compared to rank earth cultivators, who resembled rank 5 beasts. A significant challenge for him, leaving fewer options as time passed.

  At that moment, Umbra’s skill Ghost Step in master domain emerged as an advantage, allowing him to float in the sky and sneak behind the target. The disadvantage was that Umbra lacked long- or mid-range attacks, as did Huang Di, who, although initially focusing on close combat, had now acquired some mid-range and multi-target skills, expanding his repertoire.

  Suddenly, a tremendous groan echoed through the cave as the Black Widow crashed down onto her eggs, struck by a critical blow from Umbra, who had hidden in the shadow of her body and attacked directly an area unprotected by the Black Exoskeleton: the bones protecting vital zones, reinforcing her defense.

  Huang Di watched the scene before his eyes: Umbra, now enormous, materializing behind the Black Widow, attempting to bite her head. With quick reflexes and, apparently, the use of some Sensory Skill, the Black Widow managed to dodge the critical strike at the last moment, but not without paying a price.

  Umbra appeared beside Huang Di, visibly tired after expending much spiritual energy using Shadow skill repeatedly. In his mouth was a humanoid-shaped hand metamorphosed from the Black Widow.

  The Awakening of Fury

  Huang Di watched Umbra feed on the humanoid arm of the Black Widow, regaining vigor and energy. At that moment, he recalled one of Umbra’s skills called Hungry Fang, which, upon dealing damage to enemies and feeding on their bodies, restored Umbra’s energy and vitality. At the novice domain, this skill provided a restoration of 2% per second through energy theft. Huang Di sighed in relief, grateful he was not Umbra’s enemy, for if he were, he would be at a severe disadvantage.

  Meanwhile, the Black Widow rose and unleashed her Sonic Scream once again. However, Huang Di and Umbra were prepared, and even at a closer range, they were not drastically affected, only experiencing slight dizziness.

  The Black Widow, now bleeding from her eyes, was consumed by mortal hatred for the invaders who had caused her such grievous harm, something she had never experienced in her hundreds of years of life. She cast her Reinforced Spider Web, increasing her resistance to the point of becoming as hard as steel while maintaining elasticity, and began to attack ferociously.

  Huang Di and Umbra, however, were no novices. They knew how to act. They began coordinating their attacks, engaging in close combat while dodging the Black Widow’s frantic blows. Huang Di employed his new fighting style One Sound as Weapon, which combined speed and force amplification. With his enhanced understanding, his speed had doubled, allowing him to easily evade attacks while conserving energy.

  Meanwhile, Umbra used Ghost Step, an almost cost-free skill that consumed only stamina, something he possessed in abundance, and which regenerated quickly. The two closed in even further on their target.

  The Black Widow, seeing herself surrounded, prepared her body to expel venom at her adversaries. But this venom had a special property: a corrosive capacity far superior to that of the Spider-men.

  When Huang Di and Umbra drew near, the Black Widow, fearing serious injury, released her venom uncontrollably in all directions. Huang Di managed to dodge at the last moment, but Umbra, too close, was hit. One of his legs was severely damaged, defense was not his strong point after all.

  Seeing his fallen and wounded companion, something awakened within Huang Di. A reason to attack without concern for defense. An uncontrollable fury emerged from his subconscious, transforming him into a true beast. He channeled this energy and unleashed his indomitable rage upon the Black Widow, who was closing in to finish Umbra off.

  The Black Widow, sensing a dark premonition through her Sensory Skill, tried to flee. But it was too late.

  Huang Di surged forward like a runaway train, consumed by rage, delivering a devastating punch that tore through the Black Widow’s Black Exoskeleton and pierced her body. With wide eyes, the creature saw the enormous strength of her enemy. Huang Di, covered in blood and venom, paid no mind, he continued attacking brutally.

  "This is for Umbra," he muttered through clenched teeth, striking blow after blow.

  The Black Widow froze, fear and blood loss weakening her more and more. Huang Di gave no quarters. With another leap, he aimed for the beast’s head. She, using her Sensory Skill, barely managed to dodge. But Huang Di, still midair, spun rapidly and kicked her head, which exploded on impact.

  At that moment, the Black Widow activated her ultimate ability: Cruel Venom. In her last breath, she released all the venom she had, forming a deadly rain over the two enemies. Huang Di, exhilarated by victory, had no time to react.

  The deadly rain fell as he heard, faintly, a familiar voice whisper in his ear:

  "Boy, you do like to cause trouble, don’t you?"

  In the next instant, Huang Di fainted. Something began to emerge from his head: a nine-story pagoda emitting an intense light. This light collided with the Cruel Venom, completely nullifying its effect and enveloping Huang Di’s and Umbra’s bodies with protective energy, alleviating the damage and preventing more severe consequences.