Chapter 4: Unexpected Circumstances

"Good boy, learning to hunt with grandpa is very hard, you need to be prepared." Grandpa Wang, carrying his tools, looked at the short Zhou Tian and patted his head.

"No matter how tough it is, it's not as tough as going hungry!" Zhou Tian shook his head and replied.

"True!" Grandpa Wang nodded, a hint of heartache in his eyes. He led Zhou Tian out of the village.

Half an hour later, the village chief hurriedly ran over, frowning upon seeing Zhou Tian already gone.

In the evening, upon receiving news of Zhou Tian's return, the village chief rushed over.

He saw a small figure holding a rabbit.

"Xiao Tian!"

"Village Chief!"

Zhou Tian stopped as he saw the village chief rushing towards him.

After a quick glance at the rabbit, the village chief noticed a large hole above its front leg – an arrow had pierced through it.

Zhou Tian, still a novice in hunting, couldn't achieve this. It must be the work of an experienced hunter.

Nodding internally, the village chief looked at Zhou Tian, standing there obediently, and felt a momentary resentment.

Why did everything happen so conveniently?

"Village Chief, is there something wrong?" Zhou Tian asked, seeing the village chief lost in thought.

After hesitating for a moment, the village chief truthfully said, "Xiao Tian, there have been some unexpected developments regarding the position of a working student."

Zhou Tian was slightly stunned, feeling a bit nervous.

The position of a working student was crucial for Zhou Tian, as it involved the fundamental knowledge of the cultivation system.

Although he had read the original work's plot, his understanding was broad and not detailed. It covered various soul beast knowledge but lacked specific details about how different soul beasts affected various martial souls.

He needed to study on his own, including some early-stage cultivation precautions.

Even though the original master had mentioned some details, Zhou Tian was unsure of how much personal insight was added. Combining that with various fan theories, the master's theories were mostly unreliable. So, the position of a working student was important for Zhou Tian's initial cultivation, providing access to unique cultivation resources.

It was like building a house – having better materials was not enough; one needed rich construction knowledge and a solid foundation to transform them into a large, sturdy, and beautiful house.

"Village Chief, is there a problem?" Zhou Tian forced a smile and inquired.

"Sigh! You're just unlucky!" The village chief shook his head, explaining further.

"Yesterday, in another village within the same region, the Holy Soul Village, a Blue Silver Grass martial soul with full soul power appeared..."

Zhou Tian's gaze contracted, immediately understanding.

It was Tang San!

Only he would possess a Blue Silver Grass martial soul with full soul power.

In this way, he was of the same age and wouldn't miss out on certain opportunities.

Listening to the village chief's words, the subsequent situation became clear. With a full-level innate soul power, there was no need for a working student position for Zhou Tian.

However, he could apply for it next year.

It was compensation for Zhou Tian!

Seeing Zhou Tian lost in thought, the village chief sighed and decided not to say more. He consoled Zhou Tian briefly before leaving.

Back in his room, Zhou Tian sat on the simple bed.

"Tang Hao!" Zhou Tian furrowed his brows, his heart filled with anger.

A terrible father like you, not teaching your own son, and now coming to snatch resources from an orphan like me – damned!

Zhou Tian gritted his teeth, his initial dislike for Tang San deepening.

Zhou Tian gritted his teeth a little, obviously...

"Bang!" Zhou Tian banged his fist on the bed, and gradually relaxed his expression.

"Everything is a foregone conclusion. i can only wait for next year. What is more important now is to use this year to lay a good foundation. At the very least, i must make my body stronger." Zhou Tian looked at his body.

The skin is shallow, and the traces of bones can be clearly seen. It a skin and bones.   

Thinking of this, the instinctive aversion to Tang San from his previous life became even deeper.

Shaking off those thoughts, he turned to today's prey.

A rabbit!

Lifting the rabbit between his hands, a glimmer suddenly appeared.

The rabbit floated between Zhou Tian's hands, and the light condensed into a pyramid shape, emitting a faint glow.

"Disintegrate!"

In an instant, Zhou Tian felt a difference in disintegrating living organisms.

A mysterious force separated from the rabbit's body.

From the large pyramid glow, a small pyramid glow, not even the size of a fist, disintegrated. Inside, a force circulated like mist, ultimately condensing into a peculiar pattern the size of a fingertip.

Zhou Tian's eyes lit up as the information appeared in his mind.

[Spirit Essence: Stomping Force] – The power contained in the essence of the rabbit's spirit. Transforms into a seed. Absorbable, continually growing, endowing the individual with this power.

Zhou Tian's eyes brightened. Decomposition of living beings was indeed different.

Turning his gaze to the large pyramid glow, Zhou Tian could sense that it couldn't disintegrate anything extraordinary from the rabbit anymore. However, the rabbit's main body was still suitable for disintegration.

With a thought, the pyramid glow disintegrated,

decomposed and turned into small pyramids. Then, the light gone revealing what lay inside.

Rabbit hide, rabbit bones, rabbit meat...

Collecting these, Zhou Tian started fusing the Spirit Essence.

After the thumb-sized glow merged into his body, Zhou Tian immediately felt a change. A refreshing feeling, like drizzle of rain on parched soil, emanated from within.

Especially his legs, which became warm. It seemed like they had become stronger.

Zhou Tian looked at his legs with shining eyes. Suddenly, he jumped in place.

This jump was higher than the bed, probably around half a meter.

After gently landing, he kicked forward a few times, feeling a strength different from his previously weak physique.

"Without using soul power, I can achieve this level!" Zhou Tian's eyes filled with surprise, a fiery excitement surging in his heart.

"Truly a being after The Divine Transformation it going against heaven, I knew it – it's definitely more than just disintegration!" Zhou Tian's voice was filled with joy.

Just a small spirit essence, from an ordinary animal, could bring such growth.

Moreover, it was only the initial growth, and Zhou Tian could feel that the changes hadn't stopped. The bouncing and stomping ability was still continuously growing.

"Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle!"

The sound of a rumbling stomach suddenly echoed, and Zhou Tian felt hunger.

"This sudden hunger is probably due to the spirit essence!" Zhou Tian, while hastily preparing a meal, thought to himself.

Soul power circulated gently in his body. Perhaps because the nature of the superhuman power tended towards the soul, or due to his low cultivation, the mitigating effect was very weak.

This was just an ordinary animal's spirit essence; what if it were the spirit essence of a soul beast?

The enhancement would probably be even more tremendous, but the consumption would be equally intense.

One year later!

In the wild mountains jungles, a figure lay on the ground, motionless, patiently waiting.

Not far ahead, a small deer happily grazed on fresh grass, unaware of the imminent danger.

Suddenly, a massive yellow figure pounced, opening its bloody mouth and instantly biting the small deer, giving it no chance to make a sound.

Zhou Tian's eyes lit up as he stared at the leaping yellow beast. With a burst of powerful force under his feet, he rushed out.

(End of this chapter)