Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World

Chapter 285: Chapter 163: The Troublesome Hallucinogenic Porcupine_2

”Ah!”

Gu Sheng let out a miserable cry. The pain from his foot jolted him back to consciousness somewhat, though he still couldn’t see anything clearly.

The hallucinatory porcupine, after knocking Gu Sheng flying, charged at him again. When it was only two or three meters away, it suddenly leapt into the air, curling itself into a spiked ball and hurtling toward Gu Sheng.

Regaining a bit of awareness, Gu Sheng immediately activated the Snake Breath Skill with all his might. His heightened perception allowed him to detect the porcupine’s movements instantly, and he hastily rolled forward to escape.

After dodging the porcupine’s lethal attack, Gu Sheng’s vision partially recovered. Seeing the leaves and dirt where the porcupine landed instantly transforming into a seven-colored brilliance made him shudder with fear. He hadn’t expected this creature to possess such disgusting tricks—it almost led to his downfall!

Having mostly figured out the porcupine’s methods, Gu Sheng decided to play it safe. He grabbed a cloth rag, soaked it at the pond nearby, and covered his mouth and nose with it, greatly reducing the chances of being affected by the colorful poison.

While the wet rag provided decent protection, it also came with considerable drawbacks. Gu Sheng wasn’t yet at the stage of cultivation where he could stop breathing entirely. At most, he could hold his breath for two minutes, even less if intense movements were involved.

”Seems like I’ll have to finish this quickly!”

The porcupine’s unpredictable techniques made prolonged combat disadvantageous for Gu Sheng. Resolving to end the fight fast, he swung the Thirst Blood Axe into action.

”Angry Blood Third Style!”

Gu Sheng immediately unleashed his strongest killing technique. Torrential energy and vitality erupted with a loud roar, coating the Thirst Blood Axe in a faint red glow, exuding a terrifying aura.

The massive axe smashed downward in a powerful vertical swing. Combining its immense force with the First-level tearing effect, the strike was formidable beyond measure.

The hallucinatory porcupine didn’t rush to retaliate, instead curling its spiked body even tighter. The dense, sharp quills on its body overlapped entirely to form an impenetrable defense.

The porcupine’s quills were astonishingly tough. When Gu Sheng’s axe struck, it only produced a loud ”clang,” and aside from trembling slightly, the quills remained completely unharmed. However, the force transferred through the axe handle made Gu Sheng’s grip tingle painfully.

Gu Sheng’s eyes darkened as he roared, ”Get up!” Shifting the axe suddenly, the spiked tail end of the handle thrust into the ground beneath the porcupine. With a mighty exertion of power, Gu Sheng flipped the entire porcupine into the air.

As the porcupine was sent flying, Gu Sheng swung the axe again, this time using the thick, blunt side of the weapon instead of its sharp edge.

Gu Sheng had previously watched numerous combat videos and knew that blunt weapons were often more effective against creatures like this ”iron-armored tortoise.”

The Angry Blood Second Style doubled in force, and when the axe’s blunt side slammed into the porcupine’s body, the intense power achieved a shockwave effect. Unable to endure the impact, the porcupine let out a wailing cry. Its tightly curled body loosened, exposing a part of its soft underbelly.

Seizing the opportunity, Gu Sheng leveraged the recoil to spring high into the air. As he fully rotated the Thirst Blood Axe in his hands, he unleashed the Angry Blood Third Style yet again. This time, the axe flipped, its sharp blade targeting the vulnerable underbelly of the porcupine.

The strike hit its mark solidly. The porcupine’s anguished cries echoed as its limbs frantically clawed at the axe, managing to dislodge it before trying to flee.

Once the battle was fully underway, Gu Sheng’s Snake Breath Skill could no longer conceal his true cultivation level. The hallucinatory porcupine sensed the immense Copper Bone Realm energy emanating from him and became terrified. It gave up on fighting, releasing another colorful gas cloud from its rear as cover while attempting to escape.

Fortunately, Gu Sheng had anticipated this move. With the damp cloth isolating the gas and his frenzied swings of the Thirst Blood Axe generating gusts of wind, he dispersed the toxic cloud.

Gu Sheng’s Angry Blood Third Style had struck a critical blow, weakening the porcupine’s strength and speed significantly. Even if it escaped now, it wouldn’t survive long.

The mission required Gu Sheng to collect the quills and brain marrow from the hallucinatory porcupine, which represented fifteen contribution points to the Sect—a crucial step toward becoming a formal disciple of the Holy Pill Sect. Gu Sheng had no intention of letting it get away so easily.

After pulling off the cloth covering his mouth, Gu Sheng took deep breaths before retrieving the Stone-breaking Crossbow lying nearby.

With practiced hands, he loaded the crossbow and aimed at the porcupine’s vulnerable backside. He pulled the trigger, releasing the arrow with a deafening bang as it hurtled towards its target.

The crossbow arrow struck with precision, embedding itself into the porcupine’s rear. Moments later, it exploded with a sharp crack, causing the creature to stumble and roll several times before collapsing, bleeding profusely.

Seeing the pool of pig blood, Gu Sheng couldn’t help but feel regretful. ”Ah, what a waste! Such fresh pig blood—if only I’d brought an iron pot! I could’ve made some fresh pig-blood stew!”

As a beast with demonic blood, the porcupine’s blood had excellent body-strengthening properties. Unfortunately, without a container to store the blood, Gu Sheng had to abandon the idea of bringing it back.

After ensuring the porcupine was completely incapacitated, Gu Sheng swung the Thirst Blood Axe a few more times, only stopping when it ceased moving entirely.

Once the porcupine was dead, its seven-colored aura diminished significantly, though its quills still shimmered with vibrant hues.

Gu Sheng severed its head, dragged the body to the pond, and washed off the bloodstains before starting the painstaking process of plucking each quill.

According to the mission scroll, these quills were essential materials for weapon crafting. The mission required submitting two hundred quills.

Having experienced the toughness of these quills firsthand, Gu Sheng knew their potential—especially if combined with other materials to craft arrowheads. Their enhanced strength would make them fearsome weapons when paired with the Stone-breaking Crossbow, potentially posing a fatal threat to someone at the Silver Bone Realm!

Unlike Canghe County, Red Cloud Prefecture was teeming with experts. Even those at the Silver Bone Realm, or even the Golden Bone Realm, couldn’t claim absolute power or authority here. Only by reaching the Marrow Refining Realm could one truly establish a foothold and gain some semblance of influence.

Currently stuck in the Copper Bone Realm, Gu Sheng found himself far removed from the carefree mindset he’d enjoyed in Canghe County. His thirst for strength had reached a fever pitch—he was constantly pondering how to elevate his power!

The hallucinatory porcupine’s quills proved challenging to remove due to their overlapping structure and residual toxins, forcing Gu Sheng to work carefully and slowly. The battle itself had taken less than ten minutes, but the quill extraction dragged on for over an hour.

”Phew, finally done!”

Gu Sheng collapsed onto the ground, his arms numb from effort. The porcupine had four hundred and thirty-two quills in total, leaving him with an excess of one hundred thirty-two after setting aside the required two hundred for the mission!

If he could successfully forge these extra quills into specialized arrows, Gu Sheng would gain yet another trump card!

”Grumble grumble grumble...”

The porcupine’s now quill-free body looked plump and firm, its pale meat showing great tenderness. Gu Sheng’s belly growled—it had been over a day since he’d eaten.

”Well, can’t bring it back anyway. Might as well have a feast right here!”

True to his decisive nature, Gu Sheng quickly gathered dry twigs and leaves to light a fire. Using the Thirst Blood Axe, he carved out the best cuts of pork belly, skewered them on two branches, and rigged a simple rack with two tree forks to roast them.

Once that was set, Gu Sheng swung his axe again to process the tree he’d knocked down earlier, turning it into wooden planks and crafting a new box for himself.

With the fire roaring steadily, the pork belly on the skewers sizzled and oozed oil, releasing an enticing aroma.

Sniffing the mouthwatering scent, Gu Sheng couldn’t help but salivate.

”Huh! There’s fish mint here too?”

While tending the roasting meat, Gu Sheng suddenly noticed several familiar purple leaves by the pond. Their shape was identical to fish mint from his past life!