He took a moment to experience the changes brought by the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer.
A more refined and potent Magical Power, keener senses, and a comprehensive upgrade to his physical functions...
A moment later, Yang Qi finished his cultivation and stood up.
On the ground, the five Mid-grade Five Elements Spirit Stones used for the array had lost their luster. Their surfaces were now covered in fine cracks, their Spiritual Qi completely depleted.
He cleared away the spent stones and went downstairs to the backyard.
The early morning air was damp with dew.
Yang Qi turned off the power to the Demon Extermination Array and took stock of last night’s haul: over eight hundred contribution points.
An eight-pull!
A shame.
He didn’t get a single Spirit Awakening Pill from the eight draws.
The best he got was a Thunder Spirit Stone; the rest were just standard supplies.
All things considered, Yang Qi wasn’t too disappointed.
He checked on Hu Zi, Bai Wan, and Liu Fu, who were still slumbering.
The three Guardian Beasts were breathing evenly, the Spiritual Light on their bodies flowed steadily, and their auras were slowly undergoing a transformation.
Relieved, Yang Qi prepared cat food, dog food, and fresh water for Xiaojiu and Leopard.
Afterward, he changed into his work clothes and began his day’s work.
First, he went to the Gray Wolf District, then to the Raccoon Hall.
Around ten in the morning, he went to the Leopard Hall to check on Big Flower.
The pregnant leopard’s belly had gotten rounder. She lay on her side on a pile of hay, lazily basking in the sun.
When she saw Yang Qi, she merely lifted an eyelid to glance at him, giving the tip of her tail a slight flick as a greeting.
Clearly, she was growing lazier as her due date approached.
...
In the afternoon, the sky turned overcast.
A little after three in the afternoon, a sudden thunderstorm swept through Donghua. Fat raindrops hammered the ground, kicking up clouds of scorching vapor.
The sweltering heat was momentarily broken.
The storm came and went quickly.
Around four o’clock, the storm passed and the sky cleared. Sunlight pierced through the clouds once more, filling the mountain forest with the fresh scent of earth and vegetation.
After instructing Xiaojiu to stay home and guard his slumbering companions, Yang Qi took the energetic Leopard into the mountains behind his house.
In the rain-washed forest, the air was exceptionally cool and refreshing.
Water dripped from the leaves, and the mountain path was slick with mud.
The man and his dog ventured deep into the woods.
Leopard bounded ahead excitedly, clearing the path.
After about half an hour, they reached the edge of a remote, seldom-visited cliff.
The cliff face was steep, with exposed rock.
At the base of the cliff, a small stream wound its way through. Swollen by the rain, the current was swift and the water roared.
"This is a good spot."
Yang Qi walked to the edge of the cliff and peered down.
’I’ll start with a lower one.’
He took a few steps back and found the edge of a gentle slope about five or six meters high.
From this height, with his current physical fitness, he could jump down without using any Magic and at most feel a tingle in the soles of his feet. He wouldn’t get hurt.
’Feather Fall Technique!’
At his command, the Magical Power within him circulated along a specific path, and a light, ethereal force instantly enveloped his body.
Yang Qi leaped.
There was none of the expected sensation of falling.
His body felt as if it had become a real feather, drifting and swaying gently downward.
Yang Qi could even sense the subtle shifts in the air currents, his body adjusting to them instinctively.
Two seconds later, his feet touched the ground.
There was no impact at all; he didn’t even have to bend his knees.
"Yes!"
Yang Qi’s eyes lit up with delight.
WOOF WOOF!
Leopard barked excitedly from the top of the slope.
’Again.’
Yang Qi moved to a different spot, found a stone ledge about ten meters high, and leaped again.
Empowered by the Feather Fall Technique, his descent was still slow and controlled. He landed without a sound.
Next came twenty meters, then thirty, then fifty...
With each increase in height, Yang Qi carefully gauged the Magic’s consumption and effects.
He discovered that the Magical Power consumed by the Feather Fall Technique was related to the descent height and his own body weight, but the amount was surprisingly low.
With his current Magical Power at the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer, he had more than enough to handle a fall from a hundred meters.
So, he walked decisively to the edge of a hundred-meter-high cliff.
The mountain wind howled, whipping at his clothes.
Below him was a dizzying drop; the stream at the cliff’s base looked like a silver ribbon.
Leopard circled restlessly to the side, letting out a low whine.
[Master, be careful]
"I will."
Yang Qi replied reassuringly, his gaze fixed on the cliff’s base.
He took a deep breath.
The next moment, he stepped forward and launched himself from the cliff’s edge.
A sudden feeling of weightlessness washed over him!
The wind howled in his ears as the ground rushed up to meet him.
’Feather Fall Technique!’
Magical Power surged through him. The instant the spell took effect, his plummeting momentum slowed dramatically.
Just then, a powerful updraft swirled up from the base of the cliff, hitting him head-on!
Yang Qi felt his body lighten. Instead of falling, he was lifted by the current, drifting seven or eight meters upward.
His clothes billowed and his black hair whipped in the wind.
Hanging in the air like a real feather, Yang Qi drifted and swayed with the wind, even managing to hover briefly at a certain altitude.
"WOOF—"
On the clifftop, Leopard stared, dumbfounded, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. He began to bark wildly with excitement.
[Master can fly?]
[Master is flying!]
His body was like a drifting feather, riding the wind.
Yang Qi savored the unprecedented, wonderful experience.
He had no wings, yet with a combination of Magic and the air currents, he could briefly hover and drift in the sky.
Although he couldn’t actively control his direction, the feeling of dancing with the wind was still exhilarating.
After ten or so seconds, the updraft weakened.
Yang Qi adjusted his posture and, like a falling leaf, drifted slowly toward the base of the cliff.
Finally, he landed lightly on a flat boulder by the stream.
His toes touched down without a sound.
"Awesome!"
Yang Qi clenched his fists, his face alight with exhilaration.
This Magic’s practicality and entertainment value were far beyond his expectations!
As he was savoring the moment, he suddenly felt a pair of eyes on him.
He turned to look and saw, by a bush about ten meters away, a half-grown Lin Lu staring at him blankly. It held a few tender leaves in its mouth, having forgotten to chew.
Apparently, the sight of him "descending from the heavens" had left the little creature completely stunned.