Volume One: First Signs of Brilliance Chapter Seventy-Four: Slaying Monsters Really Works!

Wang Jue watched as his confident, all-out sword strike missed its mark, unwilling to accept defeat, he pressed on, relentlessly wielding his sword in pursuit. It took over a dozen strikes before he finally landed a blow and successfully slew the Thornscale Beast.

The next moment, two lines of information appeared quietly on the panel before his eyes.

[Star Source +1]

[Experience +100]

At first, Wang Jue thought he might have misread them, but when he saw his Star Source, unchanged for so long, increase from 202 to 203, his face lit up with excitement.

“I was right, killing monsters really works!”

Truthfully, the reason he had volunteered to take care of the Star Beast was to test whether slaying it would grant him Star Source points or experience. This was the primary purpose for his joining Lan Yi Yi on this hunting expedition. The five thousand reward was secondary in his mind—even though Wang Jue had less than a hundred in his pocket at present.

It must be said, Wang Jue not only confirmed his suspicion, he also discovered another way to acquire Star Source points. Though defeating this level-one Star Beast had only granted him a single point, he was more than satisfied. After all, a single Star Energy Stone worth a hundred thousand was needed to exchange for one Star Source point.

Wang Jue knew of only two ways to obtain Star Energy Stones: either purchase them, or complete tasks. The former was out of the question for him, being penniless; the latter even less so—though the bounty board listed many lucrative rewards, attempting those missions with his current strength would be no different from courting death.

These two methods were the only ones Wang Jue knew for gaining Star Source points. He had been worrying about how to acquire them, planning to take up a few tasks after this hunt. Unexpectedly, he discovered a new way to earn points.

Wang Jue was overjoyed, but didn’t let it distract him from his work. Without hesitation, he quickly processed the corpse of the Thornscale Beast.

After he finished, Lin Mu approached and shared some advice: “Wang Jue, fighting Star Beasts is nothing like training. A Star Beast won’t stand there foolishly to let you kill it.”

“If you want to end the battle quickly, you have to predict its escape route and attack patterns ahead of time, aiming directly for its vital spots. Otherwise, no matter how powerful your sword technique is, if you can’t hit it, it’s useless.”

“Especially when facing a Star Beast stronger than you, your method will easily exhaust your Star Force, and then you’ll be left waiting for death.”

Lin Mu, worried his words might discourage Wang Jue, comforted him: “Of course, it’s your first time out hunting. It’s normal to lack experience. Next time we encounter a Star Beast, don’t take action. Watch how we handle it first.”

“Understood, thank you for the guidance, Brother Lin.” Wang Jue nodded in thanks.

Though Wang Jue and Lin Mu had only met twice, he appreciated Lin Mu’s willingness to advise him. He knew he owed Lin Mu a debt of gratitude and resolved to repay it once he had the strength.

Meanwhile, Lan Yi Yi packed the Thornscale Beast processed by Wang Jue into the iron cage cart and then signaled the group to continue onward.

The party pressed deeper into the forest. Perhaps because this area was frequented, they traveled over half an hour without encountering another Star Beast.

Along the way, Wang Jue observed several places marked by signs of battle—the surrounding trees hacked and broken. They also crossed paths with a sizeable adventurer team, but there was no conflict; upon noticing each other, both groups instinctively kept their distance.

They continued into the forest for another half hour.

Finally, they spotted a new Star Beast.

Although it was another level-one Star Beast, Wang Jue refrained from volunteering to fight it, instead heeded Lin Mu’s advice and observed from the sidelines.

The next moment left Wang Jue utterly dumbfounded.

Wei Lin, a member of the group, stepped forward and, with a single effortless move, dispatched the Star Beast, striking directly at its throat.

Wang Jue noted that Wei Lin, like himself, used a sword. Yet Wei Lin’s strike not only accurately predicted the beast’s escape route, it also precisely hit its vital throat.

What pained Wang Jue most was the contrast—he had needed over a dozen strikes to kill a Star Beast, while Wei Lin managed it with one.

The disparity was enough to bring him to despair.

Fortunately, Wang Jue’s resolve surpassed that of most, and his ability to accept setbacks was strong; his confidence wasn’t much shaken, though disappointment lingered.

This scene etched itself deeply into Wang Jue’s mind, leaving an indelible impression.

Indeed, their combat experience far exceeded his own.

To them, Wang Jue was nothing but a novice.

With his current abilities, if they wished to kill him, it would be effortless.

Wang Jue understood well that, given his situation, it would be a long road before he could catch up to them.

He sighed inwardly, “No wonder they’re qualified for the hunting team…”

After his moment of reflection, Wang Jue composed himself and hurried forward to process the Star Beast’s corpse.

Afterward, the party continued on.

Noon soon arrived.

Their entire morning’s harvest amounted only to the two level-one Star Beasts slain earlier.

“All right, let’s rest here,” Lan Yi Yi checked her watch and selected a clearing in the woods, instructing everyone to stop. “We’ve nearly reached the depths. The Star Beasts we encounter from here on will be stronger. Let’s eat and restore ourselves to peak condition.”

At her words, except for Wang Jue, who stood there uncertainly, the others moved off to their tasks.

Soon, Lin Mu and Tian Yuan returned with firewood, Wen Da handled the fire, Huang Li and Li Lin fetched Star Beast meat from the cage and handed it to Wei Lin to roast for the group.

Watching their seamless division of labor, Wang Jue felt like an unnecessary presence.

For Lin Mu and the others, level-one Star Beast meat, though containing some Star Force, was inferior to level-two meat in both Star Force and value—the difference significant.

Generally, there was no need to haul level-one Star Beast meat all the way back; it would only waste effort and space in the iron cage cart. It was better to consume it on the spot.

Thus, Wang Jue benefited from the arrangement.

For Lan Yi Yi and her companions, level-one Star Beast meat was merely sustenance, but for Wang Jue, it was a valuable resource for cultivation.

After eating several pieces of beast meat, Wang Jue immediately sensed a surge of Star Force within his body, almost equaling a day’s worth of cultivation. This discovery brought him joy.

He hadn’t expected Star Beast meat to accelerate his cultivation!

Having only broken through recently, Wang Jue focused on consolidating his strength rather than advancing further.

When he felt his Star Force close to exhaustion, he stopped cultivating, ate more roasted meat, then closed his eyes to resume.

Lan Yi Yi and the others said nothing about Wang Jue’s diligent cultivation; if anything, their eyes showed a hint of approval and mild admiration.

To them, talent mattered little compared to attitude toward cultivation.

Wang Jue’s earnest, hardworking approach, even with modest talent, won more respect than those with great talent but little effort.

Perhaps out of consideration for Wang Jue’s training, Lan Yi Yi and her group didn’t rush as before, instead deliberately slowed their meal.

Once everyone had eaten their fill and rested, Wang Jue awoke from his cultivation.

Lan Yi Yi rose and urged the group onward, deeper into the forest.

As expected, just as Lan Yi Yi had said, after advancing less than ten minutes, they encountered two level-two Star Beasts.

Lan Yi Yi refrained from joining the fight, instead instructing Tian Yuan and Wen Da to each hunt a beast.

Normally, unless they faced a level-three Star Beast or a group of ten or more level-two beasts, Lan Yi Yi would not intervene.

After all, the environment was rife with hidden dangers, and she had to oversee everything, ready to respond to emergencies.

Wang Jue watched as Tian Yuan and Wen Da went to face the Star Beasts, trailing behind and finding a good vantage point to observe.

With a clang, Tian Yuan approached one beast, his long blade flashing repeatedly.

The next moment, dazzling light burst from the blade, forming a net that enveloped the level-two Star Beast, sealing all its escape routes.

Even from afar, Wang Jue could sense the formidable power in each of Tian Yuan’s strikes—clearly surpassing his own best efforts.

Wen Da was no less impressive. Approaching the other beast, he thrust his spear like a dragon emerging from the sea, aiming straight for its throat.

Neither Star Beast waited passively or fled; instead, they raised their claws and confronted the attacks head-on.

The Star Beast facing Tian Yuan’s net conjured phantom claws, trying to tear open a path through the blade net.

But Tian Yuan’s attacks targeted its vital spots.

After resisting a dozen strikes, the beast’s abdomen was pierced by a blade, slowing its movements. The remaining blade strikes rained down, finishing it swiftly.

The entire battle lasted less than a minute before the beast was slain.

On the other side, Wen Da’s first spear thrust was narrowly avoided, but he followed with another, again precisely targeting the throat.

Repeatedly, the beast struggled to keep up, forced to defend desperately, until Wen Da twisted his spear and struck under the ribs, hitting the heart.

Wang Jue watched, deeply impressed by how both men dispatched their foes with lethal precision.

Once the two beasts were slain, he ran forward to begin processing their corpses.