Qi Cultivation Starting from the Repair Panel

The black crows perched on the branches contained quite a bit of Spiritual Energy. Although they were far from transforming into demons, they were already extraordinary creatures.

Chu Zheng glanced at the numerous wooden nests on the branches, restrained his aura, used the Invisibility Technique, and quietly climbed up to the treetop.

As he had expected, many of the wooden nests still had unhatched crow eggs.

He casually picked about ten and tucked them into his bosom. Finding a secluded corner, he wiped them carelessly and swallowed them whole, shells and all, to absorb the nutrients within and nourish his body.

The Spiritual Energy within these crow eggs was much better than Chu Zheng had anticipated. After swallowing over a hundred crow eggs consecutively, the poison in his blood was quickly expelled from his body, and the wounds on his chest and abdomen improved considerably.

Chu Zheng lightly tapped his toes, soared up like a falling leaf, and stood steadily at the crown of a towering ancient tree.

Beneath him, the vast forest sea surged with dark green waves, layer upon layer.

He focused his mind, holding his breath, and his gaze penetrated the overlapping gaps between the branches and leaves, capturing the trajectories of the Yuan Qi flowing through the forest.

Suddenly, a particularly abrupt fluctuation of Yuan Qi broke into his perception, far surpassing that of the armored warriors patrolling the forest.

After a brief consideration, Chu Zheng's form flickered, transforming into a vague green shadow, swiftly traversing the treetops in the direction of the fluctuation.

In just a moment, he emerged from the dense forest, and his eyes were greeted with an open and expansive view.

A clear creek meandered down from the mountains, its gurgling sound especially pleasing in the serene valley.

On one side of the creek was a steep cliff covered with moss and vines.

In the corner of the cliff was a small cave naturally formed, recessed inward.

The cave was not deep, visible at a glance, with scattered sinister white bones on the ground, evidently the remains of a large beast.

Inside the cave, a bonfire was burning brightly, the flames licking the void with a crackling sound. Above the fire, several skewers of sizzling, golden-brown meat exuded a rich and tempting aroma.

Fat dripped into the fire, igniting small flames.

A familiar figure leaned against the rock wall—it was Xue Qing.

According to Chu Zheng's initial speculation, her situation should have been one of encountering a strong enemy, heavily injured, and clinging to life.

However, the current scene before him was nowhere near as perilous as Chu Zheng had imagined; it was quite the opposite.

Xue Qing appeared exceptionally relaxed and at ease, as if she were picnicking in her backyard, casually draped in a large, colorful tiger skin on her shoulders. Under the firelight, the smooth fur shone with an oily sheen, adding a touch of wildness.

She held a perfectly cooked skewer of tiger meat in one hand, and tore off large bites, with the rich meat juices flowing down her fair jaw, reflecting an oily luster in the firelight.

Her cheeks were flushed with a healthy rosy hue from the bonfire's warmth. Her bright eyes were contentedly narrowed, and her long eyelashes cast a faint shadow.

Her aura was harmonious and full, showing no signs of injury, her complexion astonishingly good.

The strong Yuan Qi Chu Zheng had sensed earlier was precisely emanating from Xue Qing.

Without a sound, she had shed her mortal shell and stepped onto the path of cultivation, becoming a cultivator.

Chu Zheng slowly withdrew his gaze, instinctively lowering it to his chest and abdomen.

The vicious wounds, with skin and flesh turned over, were faintly oozing dark red blood through his tattered clothes.

Looking at his own injuries, Chu Zheng couldn't help but curl the corner of his mouth, a hint of self-mockery.

Earlier, he was worried about Xue Qing's safety, but now, it seemed that the one genuinely needing help might be himself.

He took a deep breath and slowly walked toward the hollow on the cliff.

Still ten zhang away, Xue Qing, who was focused on dealing with the tiger meat within the hollow, suddenly paused, her ears moving ever so slightly, like a vigilant beast.

Immediately thereafter, two gazes pierced through the dancing light and shadow of the bonfire, like tangible icicles, precisely locking onto Chu Zheng, with a scrutinizing look.

Once she recognized Chu Zheng, the sharpness in Xue Qing's eyes instantly dissipated, her eyebrows raised slightly.

"What are you doing here?"

It wasn't until Chu Zheng entered the cave that she spoke, her voice calm and without waves.

Xue Qing's gaze lingered only briefly on Chu Zheng's blood-stained clothes and the ghastly wound on his chest and abdomen, then returned to the skewer of aromatic, char-grilled tiger meat in her hand.

Clearly, she wasn't very concerned about Chu Zheng's injuries.

At that moment, Chu Zheng felt a strange inexplicable bitterness, as if something lightly pricked his heart.

He remained silent, stepping into the cave and slowly sitting opposite Xue Qing.

The cave was filled with the rich aroma of roasted meat and a faint scent of blood.

The firelight flickered, illuminating Xue Qing's expressionless, oil-sheened cheeks. She casually picked up a golden, sizzling skewer of tiger meat from beside the fire, stretched out her arm, and handed it to Chu Zheng.

"How did you get injured?"

Her tone remained flat, intently tearing into her own skewer of roasted meat, as if merely mentioning it in passing, not genuinely caring about the answer.

Seeing Xue Qing's indifferent expression, Chu Zheng lowered his gaze, speaking in a deep voice:

"The government office sent troops to our home to search for your whereabouts. I was concerned for your safety, so I went to the government office to gather some information."

He paused, omitting the details of the process, only lightly summarizing with a few words:

"Things went amiss."

With that, he spoke no more, bowing his head to fiercely bite into a large piece of tiger meat.

The meat was scalding hot, yet the texture was exceptionally tender and springy, with a rich and overpowering aroma immediately filling his mouth.