Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Finally, it was the end of November. Winter had deepened, and slender icicles hung from the eaves of the courtyard houses, while morning breaths condensed into thick white mist. The nights in the game world seemed even colder, with moonlight spilling like mercury onto the ground, reflecting the thin frost that had formed on the grass.

That night, Wei Chen was exceptionally focused. He clearly felt that he was only one step away from that threshold.

He led Big Yellow stealthily to the edge of a sparse birch forest. Moonlight filtered through the bare branches, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

A small roe deer with forked horns was idly munching on the remaining dry grass roots in a forest clearing, its ears pricked up from time to time, and it looked around blankly, completely unaware that death was imminent.

Wei Chen lay hidden behind a clump of withered bushes, his breathing slow and deep. He drew a birch arrow and nocked it to the sturdy string of his horn bow. The bow was full, and the arrowhead gleamed like a cold star in the moonlight.

He aimed at the most vulnerable spot where the roe deer's neck met its shoulder blade. Within his dantian, the warm true energy seemed to sense its master's intention, its circulation slightly accelerating, and a faint yet pure power quietly infused the arrow.

"Now!" He silently chanted, releasing his grip. "Thud!" The bowstring vibrated violently, emitting a deep, powerful hum! The arrow transformed into a gray blur, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, tearing through the cold air!

"Thud!" A dull thud of flesh rang out! The silly roe deer didn't even have time to groan before the immense kinetic energy of the arrow propelled it forward two steps. Its front legs gave way, and it collapsed to the ground, its limbs twitching a few times before becoming completely still. Crimson blood quickly seeped into a small patch of white frost beneath it.

[Experience points +8]

A semi-transparent golden notification box, visible only to Wei Chen, instantly popped up in his field of vision. Immediately afterward, a warm current, far larger, purer, and hotter than any previous kill, surged into his limbs and bones like a river bursting its banks! This power was so turbulent that it seemed to stretch and reshape his entire body!

"Ugh—!" Wei Chen couldn't help but let out a suppressed growl, his body trembling uncontrollably. Every inch of his bones and every meridian was greedily absorbing and digesting this immense energy. He felt as if his consciousness was being lifted up by this torrent, breaking through some invisible, resilient barrier, and leaping into a completely new and expansive realm!

The warm current continued to wash over me for more than ten breaths before gradually calming down and settling. An unprecedented feeling of lightness, clarity, and fullness replaced the previous swelling and pain.

"It's done! Finally... I've reached level ten!" Wei Chen suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, like two cold stars in the dark forest! He clenched his fist, his knuckles making a crisp cracking sound, feeling his whole body filled with explosive power, and his five senses became more acute, even the sound of owls flapping their wings over the treetops in the distance could be clearly heard.

Suppressing his overwhelming joy, he immediately focused his mind and summoned the attribute panel that was floating deep within his consciousness.

A pale golden light screen unfolded before my eyes, the words clear and ancient.

Attributes:

Name: Wei Chen (Hunter)

Level: 10 (0/10000)

Cultivation Technique: Nine Heavens Sun-Shooting Technique

True Yuan: 55 years

Skill: Piercing Arrow (Mastery)

Pet: Dog (Big Yellow) lv8

Life Skills: Fishing

"Level 10! This is stepping into a new world!" Wei Chen's heart surged with excitement. This was not merely a change in numbers; he clearly felt a qualitative transformation occurring within his body. The most significant change came from the long-dormant "Nine Heavens Sun-Shooting Technique" within his mind!

As if sensing his improved realm, the ancient book, which floated in his sea of ​​consciousness and was composed of countless golden runes, slowly turned its first page, and then suddenly shone brightly on the second page! Countless more profound and complex golden runes seemed to come alive, rushing into the depths of his consciousness.

Boom! A massive flow of information exploded instantly!

Nine Heavens Sun-Shooting Technique, Second Realm: Body Tempering Realm (Copper Skin and Iron Bones)

The complete second-stage cultivation technique was etched into his soul like a brand! Unlike the simple Qi induction and Qi refining of the first stage, the core of this second stage lies in "body tempering"!

The method clearly explains: while drawing in the primordial energy of heaven and earth and refining it into true essence, one must guide the true essence like a hammer and chisel to repeatedly temper one's own skin, muscles, bones, and internal organs!

This is an extremely painful and arduous process of refinement, working from the outside in. In the initial stage, the true energy travels like fine needles, stimulating the skin and making it tough; in the middle stage, the true energy flows like a stream, hammering and tempering the muscles and tendons, making them strong and firm; in the later stage, the true energy is like a raging fire, forging and refining the bones and muscles, making them as dense and solid as metal!

The ultimate goal is to temper the mortal body to the level of "copper skin and iron bones"! Ordinary swords and knives are hard to hurt, fists and feet are hard to damage, strength is doubled, and reflexes are superb!

"So that's how it is! Qi cultivation is the foundation, and body tempering is the protective shield! Cultivating both internal and external strength is the true path to ascension!" Wei Chen understood and was extremely excited.

This means that he now has a way to improve his physical defense on his own! Although the speed is certainly not comparable to gaining experience points and true essence by killing "monsters", it is the real foundation and the ladder to a higher realm! Moreover, the technique also clearly states that when killing "monsters" in the future, in addition to experience points, true essence will still be rewarded, which is undoubtedly a double guarantee.

What made his heart race even faster was that the second page of the technique also contained a brand new archery skill!

Archery Technique: Armor-Piercing Arrow!

The inherited information flooded in, and he activated the "Nine Heavens Shooting Sun Technique," channeling his pure true essence into the arrow! As the arrow shot out, the true essence condensed at the arrowhead, forming a highly penetrating spiral force!

This arrow is designed to penetrate all kinds of defenses, whether it's thick fur, sturdy armor, or certain energy shields! What's even more mysterious is that this arrow contains a trace of the true meaning of "breaking magic," with a 15% chance of ignoring the target's defense and directly causing true damage!

"Ignore defense! 15% chance!" Wei Chen gasped. This effect was simply heaven-defying! It meant that even when facing a powerful being whose defense far exceeded his attack power, there was a slim but real chance to deliver a fatal blow!

This has completely transcended the scope of ordinary martial arts, touching the edge of a power that is almost "rule"! The extraordinary nature of the Nine Heavens Sun Shooting Technique only truly reveals itself from this second realm onwards!

"This cultivation method... is becoming more and more like the legendary immortal cultivation method..." A thought rose uncontrollably in his mind, filled with shock and indescribable excitement.

The changes brought about by reaching level ten go far beyond a breakthrough in cultivation techniques.

On the attribute panel, below [Life Skill: Fishing], a new prompt has quietly appeared: [You can learn a new life skill].

A semi-transparent skill selection panel unfolded in his mind, listing several options: [Forging], [Herbalism], [Beast Taming], [Planting], [Cooking], [Sewing]...

Wei Chen's gaze swept quickly across the area, finally settling firmly on the [Planting Technique].

"Those ten acres outside the city!" The thought was crystal clear. Owning land and not using it efficiently would be a terrible waste!

The [Planting Skill] is undoubtedly the most suitable choice for his current needs! Not only can it solve his own food problem, but it can also provide him with a hidden and stable source of income in this era of scarcity! More importantly, he has a premonition that the [Planting Skill] given to him by this game world is definitely not the skill of an ordinary farmer!

"I want to learn the art of planting!" he thought to himself.

[Ding! Successfully learned life skill: Planting (Beginner)!]

Another surge of information flooded my mind, with planting-related knowledge coming in droves: how to identify soil moisture, how to select seeds and cultivate seedlings, how to fertilize and control pests, how to grasp the growth cycle and habits of different crops... This knowledge seemed innate and deeply imprinted.

However, the most crucial and heart-pounding piece of information was this: using one's own true energy as a guide, one could stimulate plant growth on a small scale and to a limited extent! Basic planting techniques, combined with the stimulation of true energy, could allow ordinary crops, such as wheat, rice, and vegetables, to complete the entire process from sowing to maturity overnight! For fruit trees, it could significantly shorten the fruiting cycle, even causing them to flower and bear fruit overnight!

"Matures overnight! Bears fruit overnight!" Wei Chen was utterly shocked by this miraculous effect. This wasn't farming; it was turning lead into gold! It was creating things out of thin air! The abilities granted by this game world challenged the limits of his understanding more and more each time.

"I have to try it right now!" The urge to experiment overwhelmed everything. He suppressed his desire to explore the new map immediately, took Big Yellow, and quickly left the birch forest, returning to the real world.

In the open space in front of the main house in the courtyard, he stirred his thoughts and, following the guidance of the [Planting Technique], mobilized the newly generated and more abundant true essence within his dantian. A warm and vibrant power flowed along the meridians of his arm to his fingertips. He squatted down and gently touched a patch of soft earth with his fingers.

Buzz! A faint, almost imperceptible pale green halo appeared at his fingertips, like the tinyest fireflies. With his will, plump wheat seeds appeared out of thin air in his palm—these were the initial "experimental seeds" given to him by the game world.

He evenly scattered the seeds on a patch of land about a foot square in front of him. Then, he placed his hands on the soil, and his inner energy circulated along the unique pathway of the [Planting Technique], seeping into the earth in strands.

A miraculous thing happened!

The freshly sown wheat seeds seemed to be infused with boundless vitality, sprouting at a visible speed! Tender white shoots broke through the seed coat and stubbornly emerged from the moist soil!

Then, the tender buds unfurled, transforming into slender green leaves... The leaves quickly grew and branched... The wheat stalks jointed and formed ears... The pale green ears of wheat quietly emerged, filled with grain, and plumped up under the moonlight...

Finally, a heavy, golden expanse of wheat appeared on this small patch of land! The entire process was completed in just a dozen or so breaths! It was like a scene fast-forwarded a thousand times!

The rich aroma of freshly harvested wheat instantly filled the air, refreshing and delightful.

Wei Chen withdrew his hand, his breath catching in his throat as he gazed at the miniature wheat field shimmering with a mesmerizing golden luster under the moonlight. It was a success! It really worked! Although the real world was small and the amount of true energy consumed had left him feeling slightly fatigued—activating this small area had cost him about a tenth of his true energy—the effect was enough to prove the incredible power of the [Planting Technique]!