Bizarre Survival: I Can Devour Thousands of Talents

Chapter 172, Section 171: Perfect Spellcasting! A New Humanoid Monster?

The Snow Shadow Viper advanced silently, with a rare and well-concealed "heat light" in the distance.

As the top predator in this snowfield, it hadn't eaten such "high-calorie" food in a long time.

The more the other party conceals themselves, the higher their level of existence.

By hunting and killing them, one can gain the confidence to go into hibernation and survive the most brutal cold wave.

Snowflakes are falling.

The snow piled up.

After Ling Xiao stopped practicing and chased away the wolves, the world seemed to be filled only with the lonely rustling sound.

The Snow Shadow Viper slithered forward, patiently approaching its "prey" while suppressing its desires.

The subtle sounds it made as it moved through the snowdrifts were masked by the monotonous, world-filling sound of falling snow.

This is beyond doubt.

In the past, when it hunted, no prey could detect it in advance during the stealthy approach phase.

At most, they will only start to struggle frantically after attacking themselves and injecting venom, causing trouble of varying degrees.

But without exception, they all eventually died stiff, their abdomens swelling and contracting repeatedly.

This one looks rather unusual today, but once it's poisoned, it should be easy to swallow...

Getting closer and closer...

The muscles surrounding the spine began to gather power, and the Snow Shadow Viper had already infiltrated the attack range. The prey showed no abnormality, simply turning its direction casually in this direction.

But it's okay.

If the other person had spotted me, I would have definitely screamed and jumped away, but they didn't.

Now, all I need to do is quickly charge up my power to unleash my ultimate skill, one bite...

boom!!!

The magnificent flames rapidly magnified in the Snow Shadow Viper's cold, serpentine eyes and filled its entire field of vision!

Its instincts finally delivered a belated warning, but it was too late.

Moreover, the damage from this burst of fireworks is far too high!

Snow Shadow Viper hastily exerted its muscles, which were not yet fully prepared, in an attempt to move its body away from this powerful attack.

However, it was caught off guard by the enemy's sneak attack and was then sprayed in the face with [Flame Blossom]. Even its remarkable scales were instantly burned to ashes!

Along with the flesh and internal organs underneath!

Only the most precious bones survived the scorching heat of the flames.

This was only because Ling Xiao realized something was wrong and stopped in time.

Good heavens!

Wow, a proper magic damage skill can deal such explosive damage!

No wonder everyone wants to be a lawyer.

It's not just that he's handsome (of course, being handsome is also important), the key is that his strength is really off the charts!

While unleashing his Eye of Insight amidst his fire-breathing attack, Ling Xiao managed to glean the intelligence before the attackers were instantly killed.

This Snow Shadow Viper possesses stealth-related talents and skills, but none of them are effective in his "eyes".

They experienced an unexpected encounter with the followers of the [God of Snowfields and Frost].

In terms of perception and detection, Ling Xiao has kept the [Ice Soul Domain] active at all times.

His recovery ability is extremely abnormal; once his spiritual energy level decreases by a little, he gets stuck and doesn't move.

Because it constantly consumes spiritual energy, and its recovery is much faster than its consumption, it has developed into such a bizarre form.

It might sound like a fantasy to outsiders, but it's just one of Ling Xiao's less noticeable unique traits.

Now, it's not just his terrifying paper strength that's what makes him the foundation for dominating the top spot.

[Ice Soul Domain] helped Ling Xiao extend his senses beneath the snow layer, and the cold air that had been imbued with his spiritual power all became his followers!

This is the power of the field!

Ling Xiao possesses three such domains!

The reason why the Snow Shadow Viper was allowed to approach was because Ling Xiao was short of experimental materials.

He not only wanted to test the actual power of [Flame Bloom], but also wanted to take the opportunity to verify the feasibility of the battle plan.

After all, [Blazing Flames] requires casting time, and in the heat of battle, any pre-cast animation could be seized by the enemy and become the trigger for unforeseen events.

Even if Ling Xiao can become more and more proficient in casting spells and shorten the pre-cast animation, there will still be a certain risk as long as there is a starting action.

As an experienced (and cunning) practitioner, how could Ling Xiao tolerate his newly acquired powerful skills being accompanied by such serious flaws?

Since the wind-up animation can't be eliminated anytime soon, then make sure the enemy can't easily figure out your starting move.

The cold air became the best cover.

Whether it's that crimson ball of flame or the power it contains, it can all be concealed by the [Ice Soul Domain].

Once the charge is complete, there's no need to manually remove it; simply blast away the layer of cold air that's providing cover!

Gaba—

The snake bone, still scalding hot, fell into the snow and melted, creating a long, narrow "pit".

Ignoring the steam rising from it, Ling Xiao reached out and pocketed the last remaining spoils.

Considering the outcome of his failed sneak attack and subsequent defeat, his combination move was actually quite effective!

[Talent plundering in progress... Current success rate 99.6%...]

[Plunder successful! Talent—[Cold Poison Paralysis (Normal)] is ready!]

After breaking through to the [Excellent] level, the success rate of [Gluttonous Heart] in forcibly seizing resources has never fallen below 99%.

After his initial surprise, Ling Xiao was once again plunged into worry.

The quality cap of all derived talents has also been upgraded.

He now has more than twenty "outstanding" level competitive eaters!

Ling Xiao, who had never even held a girl's hand, skipped countless steps and experienced firsthand what it meant to be "a half-grown boy who eats his father out of house and home."

It's truly joyful to watch them grow up and become stronger, but finding "food" to feed them is incredibly painful!

With over twenty talents that can be improved, it's impossible to balance them all; a few must be prioritized for advancement to [Excellent].

Originally, the "Potion Prodigy" talent wasn't a high priority, but after unlocking the learning options for potions and magic in the Alchemy Notebook, its priority became a certainty.

The night was long, and only the fire kept me company.

The consumption of 100 points of spiritual energy was not a big deal for Ling Xiao.

With the remaining spiritual energy always above 90%, clusters of surging and exploding flames began to burn tirelessly under the vast night sky.

……

The saying "the early bird catches the worm" makes a lot of sense.

However, Ling Xiao felt that the route was a bit too roundabout.

Having no talent in magic and only possessing an excellent-level skill, Ling Xiao was quite prepared for this assignment.

But just one night!

He didn't even manage a single perfect spellcasting. Isn't that a bit too "stupid"?

During this time, Ling Xiao also consulted the Alchemy Manual, but only received praise for his diligence.

As for the evaluation of his magical talent...

Ok……

It's a rather horrible sight...

It is suspected to be the remnant of Flamel's true spirit. It likes Ling Xiao's hard work and study attitude very much, but it will not lie through its teeth.

It seems that if I want to figure things out without talent, I'll have to rely on rote practice to get the hang of it.

"Damn it! Nobody's going to chat with me! What the hell am I worrying about?!"

As Ling Xiao gazed at the world gradually brightening, he suddenly burst into self-deprecating laughter.

He then gave himself a low shout in high spirits to cheer himself up:

"So what if it's just doing practice problems? I've been doing them since I was a kid, and I'm never afraid of anyone! Fine, you can have all my nights from now on!"

"A tiny [Flaming Blaze]? I'll definitely get it!"

The team also "woke up" from its rest period.

Everyone was busy tidying up the tents, while the cooks cooked a big pot of food that smelled delicious.

Ling Xiao suddenly realized that they hadn't had any staple food for a long time.

They relied entirely on high-energy meats and strange but highly effective ingredients to fill their stomachs.

This truly proves the famous saying: "Why eat staple food? You can be just as full eating meat!"

"Brother Xiao, this is for you! Drink it while it's hot!"

Ling Xiao smiled and took it, tilting his head back slightly to swallow the fragrant broth and tender chunks of meat together.

The warmth traveled down the esophagus into the stomach, displacing the negligible chill and transforming it into a comfortable sigh.

"Great! Your skills are getting better and better!"

"Of course! It's all thanks to Brother Xiao's excellent teaching!"

"Get lost! Are you ready to shower me with compliments anytime, anywhere? Let me reiterate, we don't do that kind of flattery here!"

"Oh my! Brother Xiao's awareness is really something else..."

Before Qi Heng could finish his sarcastic and righteous speech, he was silenced by a kick from Ling Xiao.

The group quickly and efficiently tidied themselves up, and the increasingly robust snow bulls on the ice plains consciously put on their bridles and began to trot along, controlling their speed.

southward!

southward……

Over the next few days, while traveling, Ling Xiao also sensed some heartless people lurking beneath the snow.

However, after Qi Heng "sweeped" it out, he did not find any baptists similar to Freud.

They were all ordinary believers still suffering from the blessing.

The well-trained combat personnel handled the task without any surprises.

The convoy continued south, and the cold wave showed no signs of abating.

The relentless pursuit cast a shadow of gloom over everyone's hearts...

If the hope of survival lies further south, then one must inevitably face this vast, endless mountain range.

If the difficulty of walking increases after entering the mountains, their speed will be forced to slow down, and the cold wave will eventually engulf them.

By then, everyone will probably perish in the mountains...

But as the convoy drew closer, the mountains right in front of them seemed unavoidable.

The latest novel is first published here!

east?

west?

Both options are just a waste of time.

Ling Xiao and several senior executives have made a decision after discussion.

A mountain range cannot be an impenetrable "wall"; there must be gaps between two mountains.

If you don't find a flat, open valley, you can spend another day expanding your exploration area!

But only for one day!

If there is no better option, we cannot waste all the buffer time we have managed to gain!

We have no choice but to charge in!

……

The night is dark.

There hasn't been a fire on the snowfield for a long time.

Ling Xiao raised his hand, and the flame surging in his palm appeared even more magnificent in his eyes.

Those are traces of the flow of elements, subtle yet ubiquitous.

Especially the ball in my hand.

Sometimes they gather together, sometimes they scatter, and the uniform, fiery light points dance like little sprites.

He didn't know how long he had been immersed in it, but suddenly he seemed to be able to see the traces and trends of their flight.

As Lingxiao smoothly increased the infusion of spiritual power, the already formed flame flower began its final filling.

The little elves were unusually active, restless and eager to break free and run towards freedom!

It's now!

He simply moved his hand a little further away.

A dazzling, violent firework suddenly burst open, unleashing its fiery colors towards the sky!

Finally... we succeeded!

This is the perfect casting of [Blazing Flames]!

Ling Xiao finally started writing on his homework.

At that moment, he felt no great surprise, but was simply immersed in that wonderful and beautiful feeling.

The gates to the magical world have truly opened for him...

……

The mountain, its sharp edges piercing the blue sky, remain unbroken.

The sky was about to fall, but it was supported by something.

Only when he reached the foot of the mountain could Ling Xiao truly understand the extraordinary scenery he had only ever glimpsed in words.

Fortunately, once you get closer, you'll find that those places that don't look clear from a distance are actually quite spacious valleys.

Against the backdrop of towering, cloud-piercing mountains, the survivors appeared so small.

The convoy stopped outside for the time being, and Ling Xiao walked into the valley alone.

His spatial perception is not limited by his field of vision; even if there is a corner at the end of the road, the situation behind it will be clearly reflected in his mind.

Deep into the valley.

The surrounding vegetation gradually began to increase.

Although still sparse, it is much richer than a vast expanse of snowfield.

Naturally, the number of active monsters also increased dramatically.

Ling Xiao did not go on a killing spree, but only eliminated the eyes that were secretly watching nearby.

There's much more to spatial perception than that.

But since the other party showed no intention of making a move, he figured it was better to avoid trouble.

After all, we are newcomers and don't intend to stay here for long.

I'm just passing by.

When the situation inside the mountains is unclear, it's best to keep a low profile.

Ling Xiao's figure swept across the valley, and with his current speed, he could quickly scout dozens of kilometers.

If possible, he even planned to cross the mountain range directly!

Unfortunately, the planned exploration time was nearing its end, and the edge of spatial perception remained a narrow, elongated terrain.

Just as he was preparing to notify the convoy to enter the mountains and return to provide support.

Something has intruded into the edge of spatial perception!

Ling Xiao didn't pay attention at first, but then he immediately stopped and a serious expression flashed across his face.

All limbs intact... walking upright...

Are they those strange believers known as the Lost-Hearted People again?

Did they really come from the south?

Could this mountain range be their lair?

Will more and more powerful believers emerge from deep within the mountains?

For an instant.

Several ominous thoughts flashed through Ling Xiao's mind, but he suddenly dismissed them all!

and many more!

Something's not right!

He had seen two kinds of heartless people.

They are followers of the Lord of the Swamp and the God of Snow and Frost, respectively.

The two underwent different initial mutations, but both retained their humanoid appearance.

But whether their bodies are stuffed with vines or they are hairy yeti, their movements are very "awkward".

Resembling a human, yet not quite human.

It's just moving forward with its feet; it can hardly be called "walking".

Once the critical point of alienation is reached, it will transform into a more bizarre but also more natural and reasonable mode of movement.

So after seeing so many of them, Ling Xiao no longer regarded these former natives as "people".

Having only the appearance of a human is only temporary.

The interior was filled with strange and bizarre things that had undergone mutations.

Eliminate them on sight, eradicate them completely. They are Lingxiao's only act of kindness towards these natives who were once fellow human beings.

But the humanoid creatures appearing in his perception right now are different.

Their movements were different from the comical gait of the mentally unstable people; they were the same as Ling Xiao and the others!

Smooth...flexible...natural...

Sometimes they would even gather together in twos and threes...

He moved freely and appeared to be conscious.

Ling Xiao turned back and continued to extend his spatial perception outwards until it covered all of these people.

Nineteen people...

If they weren't indigenous people, then they could most likely be other survivors...

Moreover, they are survivors of large-scale, clustered operations...

Ling Xiao didn't hesitate for long. After sending the message back, he decided to go and "block" them first.

Whether it's direct contact or covert observation.

The appearance of this group of "living people" undoubtedly ignited a flame of unease in the icy wilderness.

After receiving the reply "Be extra careful," Ling Xiao sped up again and disappeared around the bend in the valley...

(End of this chapter)