Overdraw the future and become a peerless martial god

Chapter 6 Earth Treasure
The mountain fog was as dark as ink, and the morning light had not yet broken. Chu Ning stepped on the dew-soaked dead branches, his figure moving between the jagged rocks.

The cold wind blew past his ears, lifting a few strands of his hair, but he seemed unaware, his eyes scanning the surroundings like an eagle.

When he returned home yesterday, he pushed open the dilapidated wooden door carrying a basket of medicinal herbs.

Chu Yun was curled up in the corner of the kang, coughing, with a sickly flush on his sallow face.

The newly hired doctor twirled his goatee, shook his head, and sighed, "The cold has penetrated the marrow. We need to use ginseng and antlers to warm and nourish it, supplemented by acupuncture and moxibustion to expel the evil."

Chu Ning said nothing as he piled all the silver ingots he had earned from selling furs on the table. Seeing this, the doctor hurriedly prescribed a prescription and gave him acupuncture. Before leaving, he also gave him a packet of wormwood to dispel the cold.

"Brother Ning, how much silver will this cost?" Chu Yun clutched the corner of the quilt, his voice as thin as a mosquito.

"Just take your medicine, sister." He chopped wood to start a fire and placed the medicine pot on the stove. The firelight reflected the newly repaired window frames. Yesterday he had bought tung oil paper and sealed the leaking holes tightly.

The villagers peeked through the fence and pointed and talked.

"You spendthrift! You just made some money and you're wasting it!"

"He must have hooked up with a shady businessman. Look at those herbs, they're enough to buy three acres of land!"

Chu Ning picked up the axe and chopped the wooden stake. Amidst the flying debris, several villagers who were peeking out hurriedly retracted their heads.

Jealousy and curses buzzed like flies, but he didn't even raise his eyelids. In this world, the weak are guilty of even breathing. Only by becoming strong can one crush all the noise.

At this moment, he gripped the longbow tightly and stroked the frost condensed on the bowstring with his fingertips.

The day before yesterday, when I was hunting a snow fox, I caught a glimpse of a red shadow passing by the cliff. It was as fast as lightning and was definitely not an ordinary beast.

After the transaction with Shen Yan, he understood more and more: money is easy to get, but strength is hard to come by.

The Wang family stalks the county like a venomous snake; a low-rank warrior could crush their throat at any moment. Only by risking one's life can one hope for survival.

The deeper mountain streams hide dangers as well as opportunities.

Chu Ning licked his cracked lips, the hidden power of "Rough Stone Hard Skill" flowed through his muscles, and a layer of cold stone light appeared on his skin.

The advance payment of the Hunyuan Divine Order gave him a physique beyond the reach of ordinary people, but the three-month tuition fee of ten taels for the martial arts school was still like a huge rock weighing on his heart.

"Ordinary prey is just a drop in the bucket. Only by hunting down intelligent monsters and taking their bones, blood, and fur can I collect enough money." He tapped his toes lightly and jumped onto a dead tree.

From afar came the roar of beasts, the sound like muffled thunder, shaking the snow on the branches to fall.

Following the smell of blood, I suddenly saw several charred claw marks embedded in the rock wall.

The claw marks were more than three inches deep, with the edges emitting a lava-like red hue, and all the surrounding vegetation had withered.

Chu Ning's pupils shrank slightly, and he drew his arrow with his backhand and put the bow on the string, and the bow was as tense as a full moon.

The deeper we went, the hotter and drier the air became. Dead trees were charred black like charcoal, and the smell of sulfur seeped from the cracks in the ground.

Chu Ning held his breath and concentrated, his ears moving slightly.

A hundred feet away, a low roar of an animal could be faintly heard, mixed with the clanging sound of metal and stone colliding.

He tiptoed and rushed towards the source of the sound like a ghost.

In front of the cave, a crimson vine coiled around the stone wall, with nine red fruits hanging from its branches. Gold-plated patterns flowed on the surface, as if cast from lava.

The fruity fragrance was refreshing. Chu Ning only took a sniff and felt the blood and energy in his body surge. Even the hidden injuries from the "Rough Stone Hard Skill" seemed to be healing.

"Nine-transformation Xuanyang Fruit!" His heart was pounding.

This item is a treasure recorded in ancient books. It is said that taking it can cleanse the marrow and strengthen the bones, and even help warriors break through the realm and reach a higher level.

However, the next moment, a fishy wind blew in my face.

"Roar--"

A massive beast leaped from the shadows, three feet tall, its fur crimson like flames, a single horn on its forehead, and golden pupils like torches. Its claws slammed the ground, sending gravel flying and a wave of heat and a whiff of sulfur wafting towards us.

"The Red Flame Tiger has actually gained intelligence!" Chu Ning retreated half a step, the bowstring vibrated, and three arrows were fired in succession.

"boom!"

The arrow pierced the air, but the Red Flame Tiger opened its mouth and spewed out a stream of flames. The flames swept across, turning the arrow into molten iron before it could reach the tiger.

Chu Ning rolled to avoid the blow, his clothes instantly scorched black, and the heat seared his face. A hint of mockery flashed in the monster's golden eyes, and its sharp claws swept across, forcing him into the rock wall.

"boom!"

Chu Ning used the "Rough Stone Hard Skill" to strike hard, and amidst the flying stone chips, his fist collided with the beast's claws, and sparks flew.

The collision of the fist and the beast's body produced a sound of metal clashing.

The Red Flame Tiger roared in pain and swept its sharp claws across. Chu Ning took advantage of the momentum and flew into the air, firing three arrows in succession.

Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!
The arrow broke through the wind and went straight to the monster's eyes, throat and heart.

The Scarlet Flame Tiger's golden pupils shrank suddenly, its fur standing on end, and it turned its head away at the instant the arrows reached it. Three arrows grazed the tiger's body and pierced the rock wall, their tails trembling endlessly.

"What a beast!" Chu Ning retreated quickly, sweat oozing from his palms. This monster was not only incredibly powerful, but its reflexes far surpassed those of an ordinary warrior.

The Red Flame Tiger did not give him a chance to breathe, and rushed towards him like a cannonball.

Chu Ning gritted his teeth and fought back, fists and claws clashing, sparks flying everywhere. Every collision shook his internal organs and cracked his knuckles.

After thirty blows, the cave was covered in scorch marks. Chu Ning was panting like an ox, blood stains beneath his tattered clothes. The Red Flame Tiger was also covered in wounds, but its golden eyes were brighter and brighter - it was enjoying this fight!

"We can't waste any more time." Chu Ning glanced at the Xuanyang Fruit, his mind racing. The demon beast's intelligence had awakened, perhaps...
He suddenly retreated three steps, drew his bow back, and raised his hands high: "Wait!"

The red-flame tiger bared its fangs and let out a threatening growl from its throat, but it actually stopped its attack.

"Are you guarding this fruit so you can eat it all by yourself when it's ripe?" Chu Ning stared directly into the golden pupil, his voice as cold as iron. "But these fruits grow on the same branch, and they need to be watered with essence and blood for three days to ripen. Although you are strong, by then the strange phenomenon will rise to the sky, and I'm afraid it won't just attract me!"

The monster narrowed its golden eyes slightly and pawed the ground anxiously.

Chu Ning took a step forward, his fingertips slicing across the wound on his chest, blood dripping onto the ground. "How about I help you protect the fruit and take one as a reward?"

The Red Flame Tiger's breath spitted fire, its fangs almost touching Chu Ning's throat. After a moment's stalemate, it suddenly retreated, its tail tip sweeping towards a certain part of the rock wall.

Boom!

The stone wall collapsed, revealing a pile of white bones.

There are broken swords of human warriors and remains of giant pythons. They are all the souls of the dead who covet the treasures of the earth!
"I know you don't trust people." Chu Ning wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and sneered, "But three days from now, on the night of the full moon, the blue-eyed snow fox will appear in the North Mountain. By then, all the warriors in the county will come out in full force. Who will care about your cave?"

The red flame tiger's golden pupils suddenly shrank.

"Cooperate with me, you keep eight and I get one." Chu Ning picked up a piece of charred bone from the ground and exerted force with his palm, turning the bone into powder. "If it doesn't work, I will destroy this vine right now. You can kill me, but no one will get the treasure!"

As the last word fell, the cave fell into dead silence.

The Scarlet Flame Tiger's golden eyes flickered, and it finally roared to the heavens, its voice shaking the mountains and forests. Its claws slammed heavily onto the ground, cracking the rock and releasing an unripe Xuanyang Fruit into Chu Ning's palm.

"Deal." Chu Ning took the fruit and put it in his arms. Before turning to leave, he suddenly turned back and said, "By the way, my name is Chu Ning. If you need help in the future, you can come to find me at the foot of the mountain."

The monster's golden eyes stared at him deeply for a moment, then turned and disappeared into the shadows of the cave.

Chu Ning held the Xuanyang Fruit with a sneer on his face.

Monsters are monsters after all, and no matter how human they are, they can hardly be considered human beings.

The vine's roots had already been corroded by the sulfur, and it could only last another half a month. Nine fruits? It would be a stroke of luck if only three ripened!
(End of this chapter)