Chapter 29: Drinking the Sacred Water of the Ancient Pool, Attributes Skyrocket

The next day, after logging in, Lin Yi appeared inside Gu Cheng-hu’s tent.

Gu Cheng-hu was sitting cross-legged on a rug, wiping down his Dragon-Song Blade. Seeing Lin Yi, he said, "I’ve prepared water and flatbread. We’ll set out once you’ve eaten your fill."

"Understood, Captain."

Lin Yi hadn't expected Gu Cheng-hu to be so efficient, and by the looks of it, no danger had occurred during the night.

Just then, Lin Yi heard the rhythmic sounds of training exercises coming from outside the tent. He picked up his water and flatbread, eating as he leaned out to take a look.

The members of the Fifth Militia Squad were beginning their drills under the bellowing commands of Gu the Fourth. The training method resembled military formation drills; the men stood in lines, called out numbers in sequence, and then wielded their weapons to form a defensive phalanx. It looked quite interesting. However, the "Born Ones" in the Fifth Militia were having a rough time, being worked until they looked like half-dead dogs.

Lin Yi could sense that both the training of the Fifth Militia and the setting up of camps in the wilderness were all preparations for the journey to Tianshui City. It seemed the leadership of Gutan Village had made up their minds to use the strength of the Born Ones to clear the road between Gutan Village and Tianshui City.

After finishing breakfast and bringing his satiety to near-maximum levels, Lin Yi packed his gear and followed Gu Cheng-hu deep into the valley. They followed the same pattern as the day before, scouting the outskirts of the valley for stray corpses.

Whether it was because they and the militia had been grinding levels here for the past two days, or because too many corpses had been killed, Lin Yi and Gu Cheng-hu searched the surrounding jungle for half an hour without finding a single one.

"Let’s head a bit deeper."

Gu Cheng-hu led Lin Yi toward the core area of the Ancient Grave Valley, though he was careful not to get too close. Soon, they spotted three corpses wandering under a large tree, while a flock of sparrow-like birds chirped incessantly in the branches above. The corpses had been drawn by the birds' cries, but lacking the ability to fly, they could only stare blankly at the canopy, occasionally waiting for a drop of bird droppings to fall.

"Three corpses. If we’re careful, it won't be a problem. Qingshan, stay here and wait for me."

Gu Cheng-hu drew his Dragon-Song Blade from his back, intending to step forward and cripple the three corpses.

"Captain, let’s go together. I can’t hide behind you forever. Leave one for me to practice on."

After logging off yesterday, Lin Yi had received the Longquan metal blade he ordered online. After a night of practicing, his proficiency in the Blazing Sun Saber Technique had skyrocketed, reaching level 6.

[Blazing Sun Saber Technique · White] - LV6 (108/2000): Infuse a minimum of 10 points of Blood Qi into the blade to increase blade-force damage by 128%. Doubling the infused Blood Qi doubles the damage.

At level 6, the Blazing Sun Saber Technique’s damage bonus had doubled compared to level 5, reaching 128%. Lin Yi could finally deal double damage with a single swing, and the Blazing Sun Qi contained within the blade acted as a strong counter to the corpses.

Seeing Lin Yi’s eagerness, Gu Cheng-hu nodded. "Very well." He had brought Lin Yi out specifically to train him and help him grow quickly.

Gu Cheng-hu charged in first, drawing away two of the corpses and leaving one for Lin Yi. As the foul-smelling corpse lunged at him, Lin Yi remained calm. With a flick of his wrist and a firm grip on the blade, he moved forward with a direct saber strike.

For this move, Lin Yi unleashed the Blazing Sun Saber Technique. The blade was enveloped in a golden glow, like a scorching sun descending.

*Boom!*

With a single strike, the charging corpse was sent flying. By the time it hit the ground, both its arms were shattered, rendering them useless.

"Good lad! How is your progression in the Blazing Sun Saber Technique so fast? You’re almost at my level!" Gu Cheng-hu was shocked, even while dealing with the other two corpses, having noted Lin Yi’s display.

"It’s alright. Level 6 is quite powerful, but my own strength attribute is still too weak," Lin Yi said with a hint of regret, stepping forward to finish off the struggling corpse.

"Ding! You have killed a Level 5 Corpse..."

Lin Yi then went over to Gu Cheng-hu’s side and dealt the final blows to the two corpses that had already been reduced to armless husks. As the loot light flickered, Lin Yi let out a joyful cry. Besides a piece of corpse fat, the last corpse had dropped a booklet.

[Corpse Illustrated Guide · White]: A guide recording the race, habits, and weaknesses of corpses. An exclusive item for Born Ones. After use, it allows for permanent viewing of a corpse's status, health, and other attributes.

*Excellent.* This was exactly what he needed. Now, he would have a clear view of attributes during combat. Lin Yi used the guide, and immediately, his mind was flooded with knowledge regarding corpse level ranges, weaknesses, and attack patterns.

Eager to test it out, Lin Yi dragged Gu Cheng-hu along to find more targets. They soon discovered a lone corpse, but it was larger than the ones they had encountered previously—clearly a higher-level specimen.

As they approached, a prompt appeared before Lin Yi's eyes:

[Ancient Grave Valley Mutated Corpse · White]
Health: 260
Status: Hungry
Level: 7
Skill: Eighteen Staff Techniques
Description: An agile corpse with keen perception of nearby living creatures.

As they drew near, the Level 7 corpse roared and charged at them.

"Captain, let me try this one first." Lin Yi stepped in front of Gu Cheng-hu, who was about to strike.

*Boom!*

As the corpse accelerated, Lin Yi used the back of his blade as a shield. However, the strength of the Level 7 corpse was staggering, and the impact forced Lin Yi back several steps.

"This one is tougher than the level 5s. Greater strength, but still within my range of handling." Perhaps due to the "Born Saber-Wielder" trait, Lin Yi felt his timid, cautious nature changing. Now, as long as he held a blade, he felt confident enough to challenge even a level 10 monster.

He unleashed a strike of the Blazing Sun Saber Technique. The level 7 corpse tried to block with its arm, but it was crippled instantly.

"Health -58!"

That single blow took away one-fifth of the corpse's health. While the damage was impressive, the Blood Qi consumption was high; he could only manage another one and a half strikes. He decided to whittle it down and save the Blazing Sun technique for the finisher.

However, the level 7 corpse’s strength, defense, and speed were significantly higher. Despite Lin Yi’s skillful swordsmanship, he was at an attribute disadvantage and was caught off guard by a claw strike, losing 60 health. Fortunately, thanks to his "Blood Extraction" talent, his health pool was over 1700, so 60 points were negligible.

Watching from the sidelines, Gu Cheng-hu felt a jolt of alarm. He feared Lin Yi might perish against a level 7 creature. But seeing that Lin Yi was unharmed, he relaxed.

*Qingshan is only level 3. His attributes are too low; it’s too much to ask him to face a level 7 corpse. To increase his stats quickly, aside from leveling up, he needs rare treasures.*

*I only have the Holy Water I just won, and it would be highly beneficial for him...* Gu Cheng-hu watched Lin Yi trade blows with the creature, pondering whether or not to invest in him.

"-12!" "-9!"

As the corpse's health dwindled, Lin Yi’s rhythm became sharper and more decisive. Within two minutes, he had whittled the corpse down below 50 health. Seeing the moment was right, he used his remaining Blood Qi to unleash the Blazing Sun Saber Technique.

*Squelch!*

A golden flash of light struck the corpse, instantly depleting its health.

"Ding! You have killed a Level 7 Corpse and gained 40 experience points!"

*Not bad.* A level 5 corpse only gave 25 experience. He checked the loot: a piece of corpse fat and a corpse leg bone—a green-quality material.

[Corpse Essence Leg Bone · Green]: A leg bone condensed from the corpse’s essence. Tough and suitable for forging weapons.

Knowing Gu Cheng-hu was collecting green materials, Lin Yi smiled. "Captain, a green material. Just what you needed."

"Qingshan, you killed this one entirely on your own. You don't need to share your portion with me."

"What are you saying, Captain? We’re a team. Even if I killed it, you deserve a share."

To Lin Yi, he had no means of forging spirit weapons. This bone would just gather dust in his inventory; it was better left to Gu Cheng-hu. It served two purposes: repaying Gu Cheng-hu’s kindness and ensuring his own protection by boosting the captain's strength.

"Alright, I’ll accept it." Gu Cheng-hu nodded, feeling more and more that bringing Lin Yi into the Second Militia was the right decision. He was talented, grateful, and had excellent character.

They spent the rest of the morning hunting, killing about twenty more corpses, mostly level 5 and 6. As they prepared to leave, they encountered a level 6 corpse that dropped a second [Corpse Illustrated Guide · White].

"Qingshan, you’ve already used one. Give this to me; I’ll credit you with contribution points," Gu Cheng-hu said.

"No problem, Captain."

Gu Cheng-hu likely intended to give it to the other members of the Fifth Militia. It was a rare drop, and it was a massive advantage for the Born Ones to be able to see health bars and status effects.

Back at the tent, Lin Yi changed into fresh clothes, stripping off the ones soaked in foul-smelling corpse blood. Just as he was about to log off for the day, Gu Cheng-hu pulled a small white porcelain bottle from his pack.

"Wait, Qingshan. Your attributes are still too low. This should be useful to you."

"This is..." Lin Yi took the bottle, stunned.

[Gutan Holy Water · Blue]: River water from Gutan Village, nurtured by the temple for years. It cleanses the body and stimulates hidden potential. Consuming it increases a Born One’s attribute points.

"Captain, this is for me?" Lin Yi couldn't believe it. It was a blue-quality treasure; he had never seen one before.

Gu Cheng-hu smiled. "Consider it an investment. When you become a professional-level expert in the future, you’ll have to repay me with something even better."

"This..." Lin Yi scratched his head.

"Don't rush to refuse. You played a part in me obtaining this Holy Water. For me, it’s just icing on the cake—it would only help me take a few more steps on the path to level 10. But for you, it’s different. You lack attribute points, and if you get stronger, my pressure will be lessened."

Having spent time with him, Gu Cheng-hu knew Lin Yi wasn't the type to be ungrateful. Given Lin Yi’s talent with the blade, he decided it was a worthy investment.

"Thank you, Captain. I’ll accept it."

"Drink it now. It’s too valuable to carry around." Gu Cheng-hu felt a pang of regret as he said it. If he drank it himself and forged a spirit armor, even the Great Captain Gu Lie-hai might not be his match. "Hurry up and drink it before I change my mind!"

"Right, right." Lin Yi didn't hesitate, opened the bottle, and took a small sip. The water was sweet and cool, and a warm current flowed through his limbs.

"Ding! You have consumed Gutan Holy Water. Strength +3!"

*Holy crap! 3 points of strength!* He took another sip.

"Ding! You have consumed Gutan Holy Water. Constitution +3!"

*Constitution +3 too! Is it random?* Seeing little left in the bottle, Lin Yi downed the rest.

"Ding! You have consumed Gutan Holy Water. Strength +4!"

It was random, and this time it went to strength. *Excellent.* He felt strength and agility were his biggest weaknesses. A single bottle had granted him 10 attribute points—the equivalent of two full levels. The effect was insane.

His current stats were:

Player: Qingshan Bulao
Status: Excited/Active
Number: 007
Gender: Male
Level: 3
Health: 1744
Experience: 1165/400
Satiety: 77/100
Strength: 21 (Normal human limit: 10)
Constitution: 11 (Normal human limit: 10)
Agility: 10 (Normal human limit: 10)
Endurance: 11 (Normal human limit: 10)
Blood Qi: 32 (12 from blood-food)

External Arts:
[Heavenly Star Archery · Green] - LV1 (57/500)
[Blazing Sun Saber Technique · White] - LV6 (490/2000)

Initial Talent: Universal Talent (Red) - LV1: Born Saber-Wielder