Wild cultivation begins with wielding the Taiyin talisman.

The more complex the plan, the more prone it is to errors. Since no one present could foresee all the variables, it was natural to proceed with caution and keep it simple. In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a rough plan was completed.

Shi Ying would temporarily give them her magical artifacts, since they were used by shamans and priests, and they lacked the corresponding professional skills. Even if they obtained them, they couldn't immediately convert them into combat power.

Then, on the condition that they would no longer interfere with the matter of the Rejuvenation Talisman, and would do their utmost to help the village resist the beast tide and overcome the drought. This was also their duty, and they could not refuse out of both reason and emotion.

Whether they truly tried their best was irrelevant; as long as they participated in the fight against the withered calamity, Ning Che could make the demons prioritize them. After all, it didn't matter to the demons what kind of people they ate; this level of instruction shouldn't have any chance of failure.

Of course, Ning Che did not reveal this ability; he only said that he had a way to do it.

As for the details of the operation, that depends on each person's adaptability.

Then came the assessment that should have been for joining the hunting team.

Ning Che's skills were evident to all, so Shi Yong skipped that step and made him a member of the hunting team. There were no formalities or certificates; they simply greeted everyone and were now teammates.

He originally wanted to stay and observe the hunting team's daily training routine, but his gaze swept across the corner of the courtyard and he caught sight of Zhao Di standing in the corner. He turned and walked towards her.

Zhao Di was unusually dressed today in a garment that showed little sign of wear and tear, with wide sleeves that made it inconvenient for working. The garment was brightly colored and quite eye-catching.

At that moment, she was looking in the direction of the main house when she saw Ning Che push through the crowd and walk towards her. She suddenly looked away and fidgeted with her sleeve.

Ning Che didn't notice this detail. "Why are you here? Did Xiao Hu go to call you?"

"No, no." Zhao Di shook her head, her eyes still lowered, her fingers clenching tighter. "I just... um... heard some noise over here, so I came to check. I'm relieved to see you're alright."

Little Tiger leaned over and shouted, "How could you lie? You got here before me!"

Zhao Di immediately blushed, stamped her foot, and scolded in a low voice, "Little Tiger!"

Ning Che patted Xiao Hu on the shoulder, gesturing for him to be quiet, then led the two outside the courtyard, away from the hunting party's eager gazes. He then asked with a smile, "Why did you come so early?"

"Hmm..." Zhao Di hesitated, glancing furtively around before taking a deep breath and saying, "Today is the day you joined the hunting team, and I wanted to congratulate you. I... I also prepared a small gift."

As she spoke, she suddenly pulled a cloth bag the size of a human head from her sleeve and handed it to Ning Che. The movement was so swift that Ning Che almost thought she was going to hit him.

He took it with both hands, and Xiao Hu immediately came over and grabbed his arm: "Open it quickly! Open it quickly! Let's see what good stuff is inside."

Ning Che looked at Zhao Di, who lowered her head again: "If you want to see, then look."

He opened it and found a garment inside. The fabric was sturdy, with many pockets, narrow sleeves, and a cinched waist; it was clearly suitable for outdoor wear.

Ning Che was somewhat dazed as the original owner's memories began to surface. Since the tragedy that befell his family, he hadn't worn new clothes. He had thought he wouldn't be able to get a new outfit until he traveled the world as a cultivator. Unexpectedly, his first new set of clothes would be a gift from Zhao Di.

"Wow, so cool, I want one too," Xiao Hu whispered from the side.

Ning Che gently patted Xiao Hu's shoulder, his eyes crinkling with laughter, "When you're two years older, you can go to the Shi family to test your cultivation aptitude. Once you become a cultivator, forget about new clothes, what good things won't you have?"

"But..." Xiao Hu hesitated upon hearing about the aptitude test, "What if I don't have the aptitude?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent. All three of them remained silent, with only the wind rustling the roadside grass.

Zhao Di broke the silence first: "I have things to do at home, so I'll be leaving now. Second Brother, you will definitely become a cultivator!"

As she finished speaking, the girl shouted loudly, her voice clear and firm, as if she wanted the whole world to know.

Ning Che stood there for a moment, then understood her intention. A tree that stands out in the forest will surely be felled by the wind.

He is already standing in the center of this small stage, yet he harbors a secret he cannot reveal. If anyone suspects that he is a cultivator and investigates further, he risks being exposed.

However, how much of an effect can this one sentence actually have?

Ning Che had to consider cultivating multiple skills. Thinking about it, he chuckled self-deprecatingly. He had completely contradicted Shi Ying's mature advice. His experiences after transmigrating were like walking on a tightrope over a cliff; whether fast or slow, forward or backward, it was all a perilous journey.

Xiao Hu didn't think much of it and eagerly cheered Ning Che on, shouting, "Brother Xingxing will definitely become a cultivator—"

"You will too," Ning Che said, offering his blessing.

……

After saying goodbye to Xiao Hu, Ning Che watched as he excitedly headed off to train with the hunting team. Inspired by Xiao Hu's vibrant energy, Ning Che followed him.

The hunting team practiced martial arts passed down from the Shi family, which didn't even have a name. Their fist and foot techniques mainly consisted of chopping, smashing, thrusting, and ramming; they also had a sword technique, which was also characterized by wide, sweeping movements, all practical methods for fighting wild beasts.

Ning Che thought it had a lot of military combat techniques in mind.

Because of this similarity, he played it a few times and got the hang of it.

But after practicing for a while, he discovered a problem. This martial arts style was too fierce and powerful, but not enough for self-defense. While it would not leave any openings when fighting wild beasts, it would easily leave gaps when fighting humans.

Because of his trump card, he already had a significant advantage against beasts. What he needed more were methods to fight against humans, so he went to ask Shi Yong for advice.

After a moment's thought, Shi Yong rummaged through the chests and cabinets in the main room and found a book titled "Soldier's Fist".

Shi Yong said that this was one of the martial arts created by the Great Xia Emperor and promoted throughout the world. When practiced to a high level, it could even drive the body to transform, making one a cultivator.

This martial art is indeed easy to acquire, and it cannot be said to be unsophisticated or powerful, but unfortunately it has two major flaws. First, it is difficult to master, far surpassing ordinary martial arts, and in terms of difficulty alone, it even exceeds the spells of many cultivators; second, if practiced incorrectly, it is easy to injure oneself.

Therefore, among all the people in the village, the last one to master it was Shi Gu. Even Shi Yong was wary of the potential for injury from this fist technique and hadn't practiced it. If Ning Che hadn't come to ask for it, he would have definitely cursed him for being so ambitious.

Ning Che thought that even if he couldn't practice, it would be good to read more, so he borrowed the book and took it home to study. He became so engrossed in reading that he didn't wake up until it was almost evening, when hunger brought him back to his senses.

Exquisite, truly exquisite!

He glanced at the ten suns that were about to set, reluctantly put down his book, changed into the new clothes that Zhao Di had made for him, and headed to the hunting party's camp while munching on a biscuit.