Chen Yang held the Shadow Wolf core as he returned to the Herb Garden, a plan already forming in his mind.

He didn't consume it immediately but instead took out the clay bowl and placed the core at the bottom.

Clear spring water was poured into the bowl, gradually emitting a spiritual glow.

Chen Yang focused intently, watching as the core slowly rotated in the spiritual fluid, absorbing its essence.

In just a moment, the spiritual fluid in the bowl was depleted, and two identical Shadow Wolf cores lay at the bottom.

"It really can be duplicated," Chen Yang's eyes flashed with joy.

Following the same method, he used the spiritual fluid to duplicate three more cores.

Five grayish cores lay before him, exuding a rich spiritual energy.

Chen Yang took one and swallowed it.

As soon as the core entered his stomach, it dissolved, and a surge of violent spiritual power rampaged through his meridians.

This feeling was completely different from consuming a Pure Origin Pill, whose medicinal power was gentle and long-lasting, whereas the spiritual power of the demonic beast core was fierce and domineering.

Fortunately, Chen Yang was already at the peak of the third level of Qi refining and could barely control this power.

The spiritual power circulated within him for three cycles before gradually calming down.

He clearly felt his cultivation had advanced significantly, much better than the current Pure Origin Pill.

"One more," Chen Yang swallowed another core.

This time, the spiritual power was even more turbulent.

He felt his dantian swell, and his meridians throbbed with pain.

The barrier of the fourth level of Qi refining began to loosen under the impact of the spiritual power, as if just a little more effort would break through.

Chen Yang was delighted and was about to take out the third core when he suddenly felt dizzy.

Scenes of a Shadow Wolf pouncing on its prey flashed before his eyes, and he seemed to smell the scent of blood.

He even involuntarily looked at the chickens pecking outside the window, his Adam's apple moving, feeling an urge to devour their flesh raw.

"Not good!" Chen Yang snapped awake, recalling Little Douzi's warning.

He quickly activated the Mind Purification Technique to suppress the distracting thoughts in his mind.

After a long while, the bloodthirsty impulse gradually subsided.

"That was close," Chen Yang broke out in a cold sweat. "This is just a first-rank demonic beast core. If it were of a higher rank, I might truly lose my mind."

He carefully stored the remaining cores, deciding to be more cautious when consuming them in the future.

In the following days, Chen Yang went to the Rear Mountain every morning.

No longer satisfied with hunting Shadow Wolves, he began searching for stronger demonic beasts.

With his cultivation at the fourth level of Qi refining, he felt more confident; ordinary first-rank demonic beasts were no longer his match.

He had gained quite a bit recently: a core from an Iron Claw Bear, two cores from Venomous Pythons, and various demonic beast materials.

After each hunt, he would use the clay bowl to duplicate the cores, but he was very careful when consuming them, stopping immediately if he felt his mind waver.

After consuming three Iron Claw Bear cores consecutively, Chen Yang finally broke through to the fourth level of Qi refining.

Feeling the surging spiritual power within him, he was overjoyed but continued to act like an ordinary servant, going about his daily tasks to avoid arousing suspicion.

One morning, Chen Yang once again set foot in the Rear Mountain.

Unlike previous times, this time he had a clear target.

The second-rank demonic beast, the Blaze Tiger!

He had been tracking the Blaze Tiger's whereabouts for days.

It was said to reside in a cave on the eastern side of the Rear Mountain, frequently attacking passing cultivators and demonic beasts.

A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled.

Chen Yang had seen it from a distance once, its massive body, fiery red fur, and the flames spewing from its mouth leaving a deep impression on him.

If he could obtain its core, duplicate it, and consume it, he might break through to the fifth level of Qi refining in one go.

By then, even facing Zhao Yanran's three senior brothers wouldn't be too daunting.

Chen Yang gripped the short sword in his arms, with several fireball talismans and Vajra talismans hidden in his sleeve.

These talismans were also duplicated using the clay bowl, costing him quite a bit of spiritual fluid, but it was worth it to deal with the Blaze Tiger.

The further east he went, the sparser the trees became, and the air began to fill with a sulfurous smell.

This was the mark of the Blaze Tiger's territory, where ordinary demonic beasts dared not approach.

Chen Yang lightened his steps, proceeding cautiously.

About a stick of incense's time later, he heard the sound of flowing water ahead.

Following the sound, he saw a small stream flowing in front of a concealed cave.

Scattered around the cave entrance were numerous beast bones, some still fresh.

Heavy breathing could be faintly heard from within the cave, indicating that the Blaze Tiger was resting inside.

Chen Yang pondered for a moment and decided not to rush into the cave.

He set up a formation near the cave entrance, sprinkling the realgar powder he had brought into a circle. This was a folk remedy he had learned from an old servant, said to weaken the ferocity of the Blaze Tiger.

After setting up, he took out a piece of raw meat he had prepared and tossed it into the circle.

Then he hid behind a large rock, waiting quietly.

Time passed slowly, and the breathing inside the cave grew heavier.

Suddenly, a low tiger roar echoed from the cave, making Chen Yang's eardrums ache.

A massive red tiger slowly emerged from the cave.

It was nearly a zhang long, its fur like fire, eyes like torches, and fangs exposed, exuding an intimidating aura.

The Blaze Tiger clearly smelled the raw meat, but it was very cautious, not approaching immediately. Instead, it scanned its surroundings, seemingly checking for danger.

Chen Yang held his breath, not daring to move. This Blaze Tiger's presence far exceeded his expectations, likely not just at the fourth level of Qi refining.

After surveying for a moment, the Blaze Tiger finally moved toward the raw meat.

The moment it stepped into the realgar powder circle, Chen Yang suddenly threw out a fireball talisman!

Three fireballs whistled toward the Blaze Tiger.

To Chen Yang's surprise, the Blaze Tiger neither dodged nor avoided but instead opened its mouth and inhaled, swallowing all the fireballs!

"Damn!" Chen Yang was shocked; the Blaze Tiger was immune to fire attacks!

Enraged, the Blaze Tiger let out an earth-shattering roar and lunged at the rock where Chen Yang was hiding.

Its speed was far beyond Chen Yang's expectations.

Chen Yang hurriedly used the Wind Riding Technique to dodge to the side.

The rock shattered under the tiger's claws, debris flying everywhere.

Missing its target, the Blaze Tiger lunged again, spewing a stream of red flames from its mouth.

Chen Yang quickly used the Water Condensation Technique, forming a water shield in front of him.

Water and fire clashed, emitting a "sizzling" sound as the water shield rapidly evaporated.

Feeling a wave of heat rushing toward him, Chen Yang quickly leaped back.

Thus, man and tiger engaged in a fierce battle in front of the cave.

Though Chen Yang's cultivation was comparable, his lack of combat experience gradually put him at a disadvantage.

Several times, he narrowly avoided the tiger's claws, relying on the Vajra talisman to barely defend himself.

This couldn't continue. Chen Yang's mind raced, and he suddenly thought of a risky idea.

He deliberately left an opening, luring the Blaze Tiger to pounce.

Just as the tiger's claws were about to reach him, he dodged to the side and slapped the last Vajra talisman on himself.

The Blaze Tiger missed its target and was about to turn around when it saw Chen Yang charging directly under its belly!

This position was the Blaze Tiger's blind spot.

Chen Yang's short sword thrust swiftly, striking the soft spot under the tiger's belly.

Though not a magical weapon, the short sword, infused with spiritual power, was incredibly sharp, piercing half a foot deep.

The Blaze Tiger let out a painful roar, rolling over to crush the human who had hurt it.

Chen Yang was prepared; after landing a hit, he immediately retreated, but the tiger's tail still struck his chest.

He felt a tremendous force, his throat sweetening as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

The injured Blaze Tiger became even more ferocious, ignoring its bleeding wound as it lunged again.

But this time, its speed was noticeably slower.

Chen Yang gritted his teeth against the pain, seizing the opportunity to use the Water Condensation Technique again.

This time, he didn't form a water shield but condensed the water vapor into several long needles, shooting them at the Blaze Tiger's eyes!

At such close range, the Blaze Tiger couldn't dodge, and the needles pierced its eyes!

It let out a piercing wail, thrashing about wildly.

Chen Yang took the chance to retreat to a safe distance, taking out his last fireball talisman.

But he didn't use it immediately, waiting for the perfect moment.

Blinded, the Blaze Tiger rampaged, finally stepping into the realgar powder circle.

At the moment it hesitated in disgust, Chen Yang threw the fireball talisman!

The fireball shot into the tiger's mouth, exploding inside!

The Blaze Tiger's body stiffened, then collapsed with a thud, twitching a few times before lying still.

Chen Yang let out a long breath, feeling utterly exhausted.

He dragged his injured body to the tiger's corpse, using his short sword to cut open its belly and extract a pigeon egg-sized red core. The core was warm, exuding powerful fire spiritual power.

As he collected the core, he suddenly heard the sound of something cutting through the air in the distance. Chen Yang's heart tightened, and he quickly hid behind a tree.

Two sword lights descended from the sky, landing beside the tiger's corpse.

The newcomers were two youths in Inner Sect disciple attire, one carrying a sword, the other holding a fan, the same two he had encountered a few days ago.

"Senior Brother, look! It's the Blaze Tiger!" the fan-wielding disciple exclaimed, "It's been killed!"

The sword-carrying disciple examined the tiger's corpse, his expression serious. "Such impressive methods! First, blinding its eyes, then a fireball exploding in its belly. Judging by the wound, it was likely caused by a short sword."

The fan-wielding disciple was puzzled. "This technique... seems like the same person who killed the Shadow Wolf a few days ago. Who could it be?"

The two searched the area, while Chen Yang held his breath behind the tree, not daring to move.

Just then, the fan-wielding disciple noticed the bloodstains on the ground. "Senior Brother, there's blood here! That person must be injured and can't have gone far!"

Chen Yang's heart skipped a beat, instinctively pressing on his still-bleeding wound.

The sword-carrying disciple followed the direction of the bloodstains, his gaze sharp as a sword. "Friend, since you're here, why not show yourself?"