Chapter 004: The First Real Hard Enough Challenge That Yao Zi Chen Must Face!

The Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast could be heard making some slight chirping noise, as it stares down ominously at Yao Zi Chen's figure from above a branch of a tall forest tree.

It steadily contemplates upon whether to pursue Yao Zi Chen as a potential target prey or not. However, its understanding of an individual strength and weaknesses is extremely limited. The Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast's intellect is extremely low, equivalent to a simple normal rodent. Even normal rodents can sometimes outsmart or outmanoeuvre large predators.

So the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast must have thought along the lines of, 'Since my cultivation base is higher than this individual, then I must immediately be stronger than this individual right?' Going by that said logic, it is most definitely right to assume that the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast would then end up as the immediate victor of this bout.

However, such things does not always turns out like what you actually wanted to. As you could not always foresee any unpredictable circumstances and chances that may have affected the outcome of the fight that is about to happen.

Having immediately made up its mind, the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast then decided to launch a full frontal on assault attack against Yao Zi Chen, whilst his attention was currently focused on elsewhere.

The Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast then leans its own body forwards, whilst still crouching on top of the branch of the tall forest tree, thereby causing its own centre of gravity to fall forwards. Its two back hind legs then tensed up, as its body slowly falls forwards, getting ready for a pouncing position.

Using the tree branch that it was on currently as a jumping board, the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast then kicks off the tree branch bark to steadily propel itself, forwards. With a strong kick. It manages to arrive in front Yao Zi Chen's locations within seconds, thereby spooking him in the process. It definitely caught him off-guard.

Yao Zi Chen didn't even have time to fully react, as the moment that the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast has just started to jump off the tree branch. Yao Zi Chen's snake fork tongue was only measly able to detect the faintest of scent coming off from the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast, as this is because the distance between two is too high of an altitude for his measly low-level snake fork tongue to be able to pick up the scent.

So as the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast fall, it has already brandished out its full frontal right claw outwards, ready to slash at Yao Zi Chen the moment that it has landed on the ground.

Like a sickle-blade cleaving through a field of grass, Yao Zi Chen barely has any time to react, as the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast quickly draws near with its right claw.

'What the...' Yao Zi Chen was then left speechless, as he is then prepared for what is about happen.

The Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast's right claw cleanly cuts through Yao Zi Chen's defences and hexagonal snake scales, thereby leaving four deep gash wounds in the form of claw marks upon Yao Zi Chen's snake body.

Yao Zi Chen's snake body was just about to be sent flying to the side, as the momentum of the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast's right claw slash was being transferred to Yao Zi Chen's body. However, by a fortunate luck of chance, Yao Zi Chen's grass manipulation skill has caused some of the numerous grass blades that which he control to wrapped around the end part of Yao Zi Chen's snake tail. So he wasn't sent flying backwards.

However, Yao Zi Chen's upper half snake body was send flying upwards into the air, carried by the momentum of the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast's right claw slash.

As his snake head is up in the air, Yao Zi Chen then looks furiously down at the figure of the sneaky Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast. His slit snake eyes were opened wide, filled with pure rage, as he withered in pain at the damage that the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast had dealt to him.

"Hiss!.. (Why you...)" Yao Zi Chen hisses loudly at the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast.

'How dare you! A mere forest rodent dares mess with me! I show you! I show you what I made of. You won't dare mess with me...' Yao Zi Chen then started to ramble to himself, withinside his head, as he instinctively activated his grass manipulation spirit ability at full frontal.

There was a sudden fluctuation of spiritual energy, as a wave of raw spiritual power is then send outwards from Yao Zi Chen's body. The numerous grass blades tendrils within the surrounding facility then began to react to Yao Zi Chen's command, according to his will, they all began to start wrapping around the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast relentlessly like a herd of snakes.

Grass blade tendrils could be seen wrapping around the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast's arms, legs, and body, but nevertheless, the thin strands of grass blades were effortlessly cut down by the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast's sharp claws.

It was a relentless struggle, as Yao Zi Chen is steadily burning away his large reserves of spiritual energy in order to conjured up massive waves of grass blades to bind down the aggressive Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast.

If one strand of grass blade was cut off, more will eventually be grown within its place, like a hydra regrowing one of its lost heads.

At the same time, the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast is steadily tiring itself out, trying its best to desperately claw its own way out to get itself much closer towards Yao Zi Chen's locations.

'It's not enough. I can't keep up like this. If this eventually goes on any longer. Eventually, I am the one who is going to be running out of spiritual energy much faster.' Yao Zi Chen thought so to himself, whilst glaring seriously at the struggling Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast.

Yao Zi Chen watched as the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast is able to easily tear, ripped, and pull the many strands of grass blades that are steadily being wrapped around its body.

It was then that a sudden idea then immediately pops up withinside Yao Zi Chen's head. 'What if I wrapped around many strands of thin grass blades to form a much thicker and more sturdier vine.' He thought.

Without even an ounce of hesitation, Yao Zi Chen then immediately began to put his strategic idea and hypothesis into practice, as he steadily conjures up several strands of thin grass blades up from the ground. He then rapidly intertwined them all together to form a sort of thicker grass vine, which is akin to a rope made out of grass.

The thick grass vines were more durable, as it steadily wrapped itself around the now agitated Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast. And it now took more effort and energy for the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast to get out from Yao Zi Chen's reinforced grass blades.

Rather than letting the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast slowly tiring itself out in the long run, Yao Zi Chen then started to go more upon offensive approach, as he then uses the numerous reinforced grass blades tendrils to whip the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast into submission.

Although, the amount of damage that is dealt by is the reinforced grass blade vines is minimal, a minor slight injury at best, but when it is steadily accumulated over a long period of time. The damage would eventually stack up and could possibly become fatal.

Some of the many numerous strands of grass blades that are wrapped tightly around the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast then started to cut deeply into the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast's skin and caused some slight bleeding.

In addition, the numerous many whipping that the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast had incurred, as some whip lashes have managed to successfully penetrated the skin of the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast.

In the beginning, Yao Zi Chen was definitely struggling to desperately restrained the rampaging Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast, but over time, as his control over the grass manipulation spirit ability gradually improves. His home-field advantage would definitely allow for Yao Zi Chen to steadily overthrow the stalemate and overcome an almost impossible to win fight.

As time passes, the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast finally succumbs to the numerous injuries and wounds that it has incurred from it's own battle with Yao Zi Chen. Its own body, from top to bottom, is steadily covered in numerous cut slash wounds of varying different depths, lengths, and sizes.

It's blood soaked body finally breathed its own last breathe, having died whilst still kneeling in front of Yao Zi Chen and still tied up by his numerous strands of blade grass.

The numerous blades of grass is keeping the dying Horn Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast's body still standing upright, and not letting it finally tumbled to the ground, when it finally breathes its last breathe.

'I won...' Yao Zi Chen thought so to himself.

His seamless tired and exhausted body is constantly panting heavily, as the sounds of his heart beating fast could be heard ringing withinside his ear.

Yao Zi Chen then releases his control over the numerous grass blades over the facility, as the dead body of the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast then tumbles to the ground. And it left quite a fair bit of mess, as there are countless splashes and small tiny puddles of blood.

With some of the tall grasses within the grass field having been stained by the blood of the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast.

Without even uttering another sound, Yao Zi Chen then quickly opens up his mouth and gobbles down the whole body of the dead Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast. It was quite a struggle at first, as his stamina and many reserves of spiritual energy was greatly exhausted during his battle with the wild Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit.

Shortly afterwards, after consuming the dead body of the twenty-seven years old Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast, Yao Zi Chen could instinctively feel some of his own reserves of spiritual energy is steadily recovering.

Yao Zi Chen could instinctively feel the burning sensation of his spiritual beast spirit pool and beast dantian is steadily expanding, as he is converting the dead Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast's spiritual qi energy into his own, and slowly increasing his own spiritual beast cultivation base.

However, only less than a half of the dead Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast's full spirit power was then assimilated with Yao Zi Chen's body and spirit beast cultivation base.

The rest was somehow lost a fair bit during the long lasting fight with Yao Zi Chen, and the absorption rate of spiritual energy is not perfect. So quite fair bit is loss and slowly dissipates back into the atmosphere.

Ding!

Yao Zi Chen then heard the familiar sounds of the divine beast cultivation system prompt notification ringing withinside his head.

[You have successfully killed and consumed the dead body of a 27-year-old Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast!]

[Your spiritual energy count has been forcefully increased by 1269.7 points!]

[You have obtained 27 blood essence points!]

[Your spiritual energy count has reached 1472.5 points!]

[Your spiritual beast cultivation base has been increased to 14 years old white spirit ring! All attribute stats value has been increased in proportion to the rise of cultivation base!]

Onced the whole thing was over, and Yao Zi Chen then manages to live another day. He finally breathes out a sigh of relief.

"Hiss..." Yao Zi Chen then started to make some slight snake sounds with his tongue.

He then thought, 'That was surely exhausting. I've never really experienced anything of that sorts, where I have to stake everything upon the line. If I surely wanted to come out of this battle relatively unscathes.'

From an outsider's perspective, if you were to observe Yao Zi Chen's snake body rather closely. You would obviously see from a glance that the serious injuries that he had ever incurred from the recent battle with the Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast was the initial first claw strike, whilst he was not paying attention towards his surroundings.

The Horned Rock Claw Squirrel spirit beast's claw strike, thankfully avoided the majority of his important internal organs that he needed to survives, but the four claw mark were incredibly deep.

It tore directly through the flesh, skin, and the muscles tissues of Yao Zi Chen's snake body, directly exposing the contents of his stomach to the outside world, which is extremely unnerving at a glance. And there is no bandages at the moment, so any sorts of emergency treatment to close up the wound would be near impossible. If it takes too long, the wound may become infected, or worst. He would then become sick due to the infection or die from an unsuspecting illness.

'The wounds still stings.' Yao Zi Chen thought so to himself, whilst his slit snake eyes are wincing slightly out in pain.

Afterwards, he then thought of something creative upon the spot. 'Since I don't really have any sort of bandages at the moment, then the only last resort of resolving this issue is by wrapping my wounds up with strands of grass as a temporary fix. I sure do hope that my wounds don't get infected.'

With that thought in mind, Yao Zi Chen then immediately activates his grass manipulation spirit ability. Instead of utilising it for combat and offensive capabilities, Yao Zi Chen Instead uses the numerous strands of grass wrapping it on top of one another to form a makeshift grass sheet, before steadily wrapping the makeshift grass sheet around the opened wound, whilst acting as first aid emergency bandage treatment.

Ding!

Yao Zi Chen then heard the unlikely sound of the Divine Beast Cultivation System notification prompt message ringing withinside his head, and a blue virtual display screen interface panel then appears in front of him.

[Through unlikely events and due to your own ingenious creativity. You have successfully created an defensive spirit skill {Weak Grass Armour Lv.1} that is a skill derivative of {Grass Manipulation}! ]

Through reading the contents of the most recent blue screen panel, Yao Zi Chen couldn't help but expresses his sense of amusement. 'Oh. Now that is quite interesting that I've managed to obtained a new skill out of some simple ideas.' He thought so to himself.

'Going along those lines, if these weak sheets of grass strands is considered armour by the Divine Beast Cultivation System, then couldn't I just layered them on top of one another to increase the thick and the defensive capabilities of the weak grass armour.' Yao Zi Chen thought so to himself, as he weakly contemplated upon the improvisation of the idea.

Yao Zi Chen then immediately conjured up a couple of strands of grass blades, whilst repeating the very same process that he did previously to create thin grass sheet, but this time, he steadily wraps the thin layer of grass sheet on top and over the previous one.

If we assumed that the thin layer of grass sheet is approximately 1 to 3 mm in thickness, but after several layering of thin grass sheets. It would eventually stack up to roughly a 1 cm in thickness.

The defensive capabilities of the grass sheet armour to potentially block blunt force physical damage and piercing strikes would then drastically increased, but it would lose the flexibility of body movements, in exchange for rigidness and durability.

Thankfully, Yao Zi Chen's body is a limbless snake. So the only thing that the increased of the layering of the grass sheet armour does is increasing the size and width of Yao Zi Chen's overall body weight.

'Does this grass armour really makes my body look a bit more fat, or am I just imagining it.' Yao Zi Chen thought so to himself.

Ding!

It was then that Yao Zi Chen had heard the familiar sounds of the divine beast cultivation system prompt message ringing withinside his head, and a blue virtual display screen panel then appears in front of him.

[Skill proficiency has reached a designated degree! The skill {Weak Grass Armour Lv.1} has levelled up and become {Weak Grass Armour Lv.2}! ]

[Through an ingenious idea and creativity. You have successfully created a branch skill {Layered Grass Armour Lv.1} that is a derivative of {Weak Grass Armour} skill! ]

Unlike the other skills withinside Yao Zi Chen's arsenal, the grass armour-related skill is passive and does not require the consumption of spiritual energy in order to maintain the activation of the skill.

However, it does require some spiritual qi energy initially in order to conjured up the numerous strands of grass blades. Manipulating the many strands of grass blades with his spirit ability does consumed spiritual energy.

And like all kinds of grass, grass that are disconnected from the roots of the ground soil will eventually dry up and wilt away due to the lack of nutrients and water to maintain it in the long run. So spiritual qi energy can be used as a substitute energy source to maintain the lifespan expectancy of the uprooted grass to a certain extent.

However, in this case, Yao Zi Chen would stand to gain more benefit in the long run, as the grass armour-related skill would gain skill proficiency passively without even having to do anything.