Chapter 37：Consuming The Spirit Fruit (1/2)

After he executed the boulder collapsing fist, the energy that was coursing through Lin Mu's body faded away and was replaced by numbing fatigue. Lin Mu slumped down on the ground in exhaustion. He did not expect that a severe exhaustion of energy would be accompanying the successful use of the boulder collapsing fist.

'Why is the exhaustion of vital energy harsher than before?' Lin Mu wondered as he laid down on the ground.

Lin Mu thought that the exhaustion of energy was due to the boulder collapsing fist not being mastered and losing energy in the process. He did not know that once he mastered it, the exhaustion would only increase.

Before he mastered the martial technique, he was able to execute it twice. But now that he had completely mastered the martial technique, he was only able to use it once before being nearly incapacitated.

'I will have to use the boulder collapsing fist only in the situations when I'm sure of my victory or when I have no other choice left.' Lin Mu thought.

Lin Mu laid on the ground for half an hour before he was able to recover some part of his stamina. He then stood up and decided to hunt. He returned later in the evening just before the sunset. He had been able to hunt a Hook-winged swan and a Six-pronged stag.

Lin Mu would never have been able to catch up with an adult Six-pronged stag had it not been for the increase in his speed after reaching the 8th stage of the body tempering realm. He was able to outrun the Six-pronged stag with ease and swiftly ended its life with one swing of his short sword.

After coming back, he cleaned and prepared both of the beasts before eating some dinner. Lin Mu then continued his practice with the different weapons he had bought yesterday till midnight when the spatial rift finally opened. He found a torn piece of a silk ribbon in the spatial rift this time.

Lin Mu examined the torn piece of silk but found it to be ordinary, so he kept it in the ring. He then went to sleep and entered the Sleepscape. In the Sleepscape he practiced the boulder collapsing fist. Now that he had mastered the boulder collapsing fist, he didn't find practicing it to be of much use, as he did not know where he could improve more.

'The booklet mentioned that the advanced stages of the boulder collapsing fist involved increasing the number of energy spirals when using the technique.' Lin Mu remembered.

Lin Mu could not practice the martial technique fully in the Sleepscape, as he could not use the vital energy in his body. He could only practice the form and coordination.

'I wish I could practice using the weapons at least.' Lin Mu complained to himself.

Lin Mu had no more things he could do in the Sleepscape anymore, unless he could find a new technique to learn. After understanding that he couldn't do much about it, Lin Mu just sat down and thought about things that he can improve on. By the time he had woken up from sleep, Lin Mu had made an entire mental list of goals he wanted to complete.

First of all, he wanted to become a qi cultivator. Second, he wanted to obtain enough money to buy back his property that was seized from him. Lastly, he wanted to explore and experience the world.

Lin Mu's desire for exploring the world came from his mother, who used to tell him stories from the travelogues and books she had read. She told him of breath-taking places, ferocious beasts, dazzling kingdoms, and beautiful princesses. Though the stories that caught Lin Mu's attention the most were the ones about immortal cultivators and their legends.

All of his goals were linked and completing one goal would beget others. Becoming a cultivator would allow him to obtain a lot of money, which would allow him to buy his property back. He would be fulfilling his filial duty of taking care of his ancestral property and also the familial graves that were located there.

Once Lin Mu completed these two goals, he would be free to wander and explore the world. He was looking forward to seeing the places he had heard in the stories.