Chapter 37: The Banquet (Part 1)

Time slowly passed. As the sky above the small cave’s crevice began to grow dim, Lu Fei awakened from his breathing meditation. This time, however, he didn’t wake naturally; he was roused by the chattering voices of the crow creatures outside the cave. Glancing up at the sky through the gap, he realized it was already afternoon.

“Eight or nine hours—this time it should be enough...” He quickly calculated the duration of this breathing session, thinking to himself, and willed his mind.

One by one, streams of virtual data shimmered before his eyes.

[Host: Lu Fei]
[Realm: Second-level Monster Soldier (209/200)]
[Experience: 147/300]
[Soul Power: None]
[Technique: Monster Clan Breathing Method (Proficient) (80/500)]
[Abilities: Spearmanship (Beginner) (38/100); Archery (Beginner) (21/100); Harpoon Technique (Beginner) (15/100)]
[Divine Powers: Celestial Wolf Devours the Moon (Proficient) (7/500); Within an Inch (Beginner) (1/100); Ambush (Beginner) (1/100)]
[......]

As expected... Staring at the realm bar glowing with pale green light, filled to the brim, Lu Fei’s face broke into a smile. Two hundred and nine experience points—twelve more than before his breathing session. He had known the medicinal effect of the yellow essence herb still lingered.

Elated, Lu Fei quickly scanned the entire virtual panel. The “Monster Clan Breathing Method” had gained seven experience points as well. By the normal rate, half of these should have been deducted. Clearly, this too was thanks to the yellow essence herb from last night.

Lu Fei mused over this, his appreciation for the little creature he caught last night growing even stronger.

And then, looking at the three divine powers listed on the panel, he felt more keenly his lack of soul power. But he was not a wild monster; killing for soul power as he had done yesterday would not be easy. He could only hope the Great Wilderness Mountain would see more battles in the future, and perhaps he could find other ways to earn some soul power on the side.

After a brief train of thought, Lu Fei let the matter drop. With a flicker of his mind, he tapped the realm bar glowing with pale green light.

In an instant, green light flared. The strange pain he had felt last night—tingling, itching, and numbing—returned, coursing through his limbs and bones. This time, the torment lasted longer than yesterday. Lu Fei endured silently, suppressing the discomfort.

Soon, the pain faded. Once again, a sense of strength surged through his body. With the experience from yesterday, Lu Fei carefully examined the changes within himself.

First, his physical strength and flesh had increased. The monster energy inside him had grown three to four times compared to before the breakthrough. Moreover, he sensed he had awakened some inherited memories of the monster clan—understanding knowledge about his true form, about monster energy, and about cultivation.

All in all, the gains from this breakthrough were far greater than last night’s.

“Big brother, it’s getting dark...”
“We should go to the banquet...”

At this moment, the crow creature’s excited voice sounded from outside the cave. Immersed in his internal changes, Lu Fei replied casually, “Wait a bit longer...”

“Oh...” The crow creature responded, then turned to the red-skinned one, “Where were we?”

When Lu Fei finished sensing the changes in his body, he withdrew his spiritual awareness and returned his gaze to the virtual panel. The realm bar had refreshed, now reading “Third-level Monster Soldier,” with its full experience value increased from two hundred to five hundred.

“When I reach full value next time and break through, it should be the Monster General realm...” Lu Fei thought to himself, staring at the data.

Before this breakthrough to third-level, facing the Bear Leader, all he could do was flee for his life, barely able to muster any thoughts of resisting. But now, feeling the unprecedented fullness of power within him, he felt he might dare to challenge the Bear Leader, who had lost an arm.

Even if he couldn’t win, Lu Fei was confident he could escape from the Bear Leader’s grasp—especially since the bear had lost an arm.

Thinking of battle, Lu Fei recalled the strength of the two monsters he and the crow creature had killed together in the valley near the Waves Mountain range yesterday. The snake monster was about second-level, while the green bull monster was at his current stage—third-level.

To think, in just two short days, he himself had advanced to third-level.

“Whew...”

He exhaled deeply, stood up, and brushed the dust from his hips, then glanced down at his body.

Indeed, the changes were even greater than this morning. Both his height and build had grown, nearly reaching the stone cave’s ceiling. Lu Fei estimated he now stood over two meters tall.

But this time, he hadn’t shrunk back entirely to his original size; he remained slightly larger. Compared to this morning, he was just a bit bigger—about a head taller than the crow creature, roughly one meter eighty, similar to his height before crossing over.

He strode out of the stone cave. The crow creature, engrossed in conversation, tilted its head to look at Lu Fei and exclaimed, “Big brother, you’ve grown again!”

Lu Fei was unperturbed by the crow’s keen eye and replied, “I think this suits my temperament better.”

The crow creature immediately hopped off its bed and hurried over, ready to compare height. But Lu Fei ignored him, stepping outside and saying, “We’d better hurry, or all the good spots will be taken...”

Watching the red-skinned one obediently follow his big brother out, the crow creature felt a bit frustrated. Its true form limited its size; this was as tall as it could get after transformation. Catching up to big brother was impossible, but at least he was taller than the third brother, the red-skinned one—not the shortest among the trio. This thought comforted the crow, who then quickly chased after them, “Wait for me...”

When Lu Fei and his two brothers reached the banquet location—the same place as the morning assembly—the sky had already turned dark.

But clearly, they were late. All the stone tables, specially arranged for the occasion, were occupied.

Lu Fei and his brothers, along with other latecomers—those smaller and weaker—would have to eat sitting on the ground.

“There’s a flat spot there. Let’s go over...” The crow creature quickly found a relatively smooth patch of earth and was about to drag his brothers over.

Just then, Lu Fei withdrew his gaze from the noisy crowd of monsters and spoke calmly, “Follow me...”

With that, he strode toward one of the spacious stone tables.

The little pig demon, Redskin, followed immediately, and the crow creature, still unclear about the situation, hurried after them.

Soon, as Lu Fei stopped, the crow creature realized the three brothers stood before a stone table occupied by the three gray-mouse demons, a tiger monster, and a bear monster.

“I think this is a good spot. You can leave now…”

Hearing his big brother utter such brazen words in public, the crow creature felt his brother was utterly dazzling in that moment.