Apocalypse: Grinding EXP through Hunting

In his previous life, there had been an information explosion.

Tutorials teaching men how to pursue women were everywhere.

Tang Wen had absorbed many of them, whether actively or passively.

To put it bluntly, it all came down to a classic five-character piece of advice on seduction.

But considering Shopkeeper Li Miao was a woman,

He had altered one character in his letter, changing the part about a man’s "prowess" to advice on becoming a "confidante."

The kind of confidante who becomes a best friend.

After writing all this, Tang Wen added some questions about Extraordinary cultivation at the very bottom of the letter.

Two days later, Li Miao watched as a Blood Crow descended from the sky and landed in her courtyard.

Intrigued, she took the message tube tied to its leg and read the contents aloud:

"’Looks, Confidante, Wealth, Patience, and Availability?’"

"’Looks’ refers to beauty. Disguise yourself as a man to attract her attention and get to know the target..."

"After getting to know her, observe her, become a similar person, cultivate shared hobbies, fabricate shared experiences, and become her closest confidante. If you’re quick, you can invite her directly to the hot springs. If you take it slow..."

The text flowed on for several hundred words.

Then it stopped abruptly.

Li Miao’s eyes widened. She impatiently scanned the rest of the letter, which was filled with Tang Wen’s questions about cultivation.

"That’s it?!"

"What comes next? It only explained the ’Looks’ and ’Confidante’ parts! What about ’Wealth, Patience, and Availability’?"

"Damn it!"

"How dare he leave a cliffhanger here!"

After calming down, Li Miao figured it out.

Tang Wen’s main goal was to ask questions. Providing her with this content was just a side note—or rather, a down payment.

"Hmph! Just you wait."

"CAW!"

The Blood Crow silently flapped its wings.

Li Miao rushed back to her study to write a reply.

The Four Seas Inn had a very well-established system for Extraordinary cultivation.

Shopkeeper Li herself was a Veteran Extraordinary.

But even she couldn’t help but scoff at Tang Wen’s questions. "Truly overestimating himself! ’Perfect Extraordinary,’ he says!"

This wasn’t information that needed to be kept particularly secret.

Shopkeeper Li wrote out the full explanation.

Then, she impatiently blew the ink dry, folded the letter, and tied it back onto the Blood Crow’s leg.

Late that same night, Tang Wen was still awake.

He was rereading and contemplating Bai You Ruo’s reply.

In the letter, Bai You Ruo naturally hadn’t confirmed that the safe house was left behind by the Bai Family’s exploration team.

As for Tang Wen’s questions about cultivation, she had been quite detailed:

[Becoming a Perfect Martial Artist—awakening and transforming spontaneously without relying on potions or external forces—is already incredibly difficult. Not even one in a hundred succeeds.]

[After transforming into an Extraordinary, one who develops their abilities to their peak state becomes an Extraordinary Peak. At that point, they can attempt to break through to the next realm.]

[However, a Perfect Extraordinary is different.]

[One must use their Superpower to refine their internal organs, condense their Spiritual Power until it becomes tangible, and reach a state where they can manipulate objects and harm others with their mind alone. Only then is it a success.]

[However, forget about places like Ganshan City in the Northwest Land; even within Sanlian City, few can achieve the state of Perfect Extraordinary.]

[...]

Gazing at her elegant handwriting, Tang Wen silently read over every word.

WHOOSH!

A faint gust of wind sounded from outside.

"Go take the letter from the Blood Crow. Tie this one to it."

"Mm, yes, yes, Master."

The beautiful Ah Shui lifted her head, slipped on her shoes, and went out into the courtyard, her lips pressed together.

Seeing the Blood Crow, which was taller than her with its wings spread, she approached it timidly. It took her a good while to complete the task Tang Wen had given her.

"CAW!"

The Blood Crow spread its wings and soared into the night.

This time, it was carrying a second letter to Li Miao.

Inside, Tang Wen unfolded Shopkeeper Li’s letter to compare it.

He found that both of their descriptions of a "Perfect Extraordinary" were essentially the same.

It was just that Shopkeeper Li’s tone was more sarcastic, and her words more blunt:

[Pursuing the state of Perfect Extraordinary not only carries an extremely high risk of death, but it also takes an immense amount of time. The gains don’t justify the losses. The so-called "Perfect" state is a matter of fortune, not something one can actively seek.]

To summarize: using one’s ability to refine the internal organs has a certain chance of strengthening one’s own Extraordinary Ability.

It was equivalent to increasing the intensity of one’s awakened ability.

For example, if your ability was originally a basin of water, after refining your organs...

...it would become a vat of water, and purer as well.

But the internal organs were fragile.

Succeed in the refinement, and your strength would soar.

Fail, and you would be dead or crippled.

The Marrow Protection Potion was completely useless for this.

’If you want to die, go ahead and pursue it.’ Shopkeeper Li’s meaning was clear.

Bai You Ruo’s letter had said something similar.

But she was more tactful.

[There is a principle every Martial Artist understands: never wait if you can advance. If you can enter the next realm, don’t linger in your current one. The gap between Martial Arts Realms is vast enough to nullify everything else.]

Tang Wen sorted through the information, feeling like he finally had a clear picture.

Becoming a Perfect Extraordinary, though it would make him powerful...

...and benefit his future Martial Arts Realms, was a last resort, as the slightest mistake could leave him crippled.

He looked at his Attribute Panel.

Tang Wen smiled confidently.

’Then, the next direction for my training...’

’First is Spiritual Power. For that, I have the Meditation Technique from Bai You Ruo.’

’I already reached the Beginner level on the way to Ganshan City.’

’I just need to keep grinding, push up the experience, and my Spiritual Power will naturally increase along with it.’

’As for whether I can make my spirit tangible, I’m sure it won’t be difficult.’

’If one Cultivation Technique isn’t enough, I’ll just learn a few more and practice them all at once.’

’Second is the Night Divine Fist.’

’I need to become a Veteran Extraordinary and complete the transformation process.’

’Only then can I even think about refining my internal organs.’

’From the start of the transformation to becoming a Veteran Extraordinary, it takes an ordinary person three to five years.’

’Even for geniuses or the well-resourced scions of great families, it takes at least two years.’

’The path of marrow refinement is exceptionally dangerous.’

’Going too fast is perilous.’

’Third is Constitution.’

’I can’t neglect my Constitution.’

’Refining marrow and organs is so difficult. Strengthening my Constitution should increase the success rate.’

’Spiritual Power, Martial Technique, and Constitution.’

’All three elements are indispensable.’

Having figured this out, Tang Wen folded the two letters into long strips, held them over a candle, and casually set them on fire.

After tidying up a little, he turned and lay down on the bed.

The warm, soft, fragrant woman to his left seemed to pathfind automatically, snuggling into his arms.

「At dawn.」

The Blood Crow flew silently back into the courtyard.

Tang Wen emerged from his room carrying a basin of half-cooked meat.

Shopkeeper Li had replied again.

In the first half of the night, the Blood Crow had brought her the second half of the seduction manual she was so eager to read.

In the spirit of shearing the sheep, Tang Wen hadn’t forgotten to ask her a few more questions.

[Question: Does the Four Seas Inn have an Advanced Chapter for an Extraordinary Fire Element Technique?]

[Li Miao (handwriting is still neat): Heh, your ambition is taller than the sky! We do, but it’s only given as a reward to Seven-star Hunters or Honored Guest Elders.]

Reading this sentence, Tang Wen could practically see her cruel, disdainful, mocking, lip-curling smile!

Tang Wen smiled as well. ’As long as you have it, that’s all that matters.’

’Becoming a Seven-star Hunter or whatever... I’ll leave that headache to the Queen.’

[Tang: By the way, I’m going to say that I paid you for lessons on the ’Night Divine Fist.’ If anyone asks, don’t let it slip.]

[Li Miao (handwriting is getting flamboyant): You *did* pay me for lessons.]

[Question: What are Curiosities? And what’s the deal with the Huang Family’s Slave Factory in Ganshan City?]

[Li Miao (handwriting is now sloppy): Curiosities are Curiosities.

We suspect that a Curiosity is behind the Slave Factory.

A Curiosity that can make people obey willingly, and also...]

’And also what? What’s with the ellipsis?’

’Has this woman learned how to write cliffhangers too?’

’The Huang Family’s Curiosity has such a powerful ability?’

’Willing obedience?’

’Impossible. There must be some kind of restriction.’

’Otherwise, why would the Huang Family even be in the slave business?’

’They could just enslave everyone in Ganshan City and become the number one family.’

’Then they could expand their influence and easily become the number one family in the entire Northwest, or even the entire world...’

’Okay, getting carried away.’

The flint and steel sparked a flame.

In the blink of an eye, the reply was burned to ash.

Tang Wen didn’t go back to sleep. After breakfast, with Xiaorou and Ah Shui’s help, he dressed in clean, formal clothes.

He mounted his horse and rode to the Black Water Gang Headquarters.

Today was the day he would first comprehend the Night Divine Fist within the gang.

The Black Water Gang was a massive and prosperous organization.

A total of fifteen Night Divine Fist Visualization Images were being made available.

This meant that fifteen Peak Martial Artists had come.