Exploration, discovery, research, learning, replication, improvent.
This is the true essence of academia, and it is also the cycle of strengthening oneself.
Li Chengyi carried the owl back to the experintal field outside his Black Castle.
The diamond-shaped structure was still there, with no one daring to enter and disturb.
Carrying the owl into the only stone house, he quickly examined it from top to bottom, confirming that aside from its toes, it was no different from other owls.
Then, he slowly dissected from the toes upwards with a knife to see why there were so many extra toes.
More than ten minutes later, after identifying the abnormal biological structure that had developed, he left behind a dissection diagram and then divided its flesh, bones, innards, and feathers into many parts.
He then used various cooking techniques to prepare them in many different ways, tasting each one.
Feeling is the first step to cognition: to feel its sll, texture, pattern, temperature, and the changes under different environnts.
These were all areas he needed to explore.
After toiling for more than an hour, finally, a complete owl had completely disappeared, turned into a pile of scattered flesh and bones.
Li Chengyi slowly consud the owl’s flesh and crushed bones, wrapping them up and gradually absorbing them into the Sword Furnace, burning and analyzing them.
A large amount of information fed back into his mind, which gave him a more detailed understanding of this kind of owl with multiple toes.
’A type of creature not naturally created...’
Li Chengyi frowned slightly. During this research process, he discovered many inconsistencies that made the owl slightly disharmonious.
For example, its flying speed was not as fast as a normal owl’s, and its lifespan was shorter than that of common owls, among other things.
’Could it be, this is the work of a mage who cultivates magic pets?’
He speculated in his mind.
Barbarians and elves also ca to mind; the things he needed to understand and learn were becoming ever more nurous...
"I need a stable environnt, a vast information database that knows everything about the outside world... Originally, the mages of White Tower might have been able to provide this for , but now... that hope is impossible."
Li Chengyi muttered to himself in a low voice.
He rarely spoke so openly about his thoughts. Talking to himself now was more about convincing himself to make a firm decision.
Stepping out of the stone house, he returned once more to the mysterious diamond-shaped structure.
The secrets within fascinated him; if he could understand why it generated its own electric current, it might greatly help him grasp the fundantal rules of this world...
’The mages do not accept . But I need the accumulated knowledge of mages... Their suspected creations have found their way to ...’
Li Chengyi’s thoughts linked together.
’So... I need to take action.’
He needed to assess the full strength of the White Tower mages to ascertain their impact on him.
And the simplest thod to assess would be...
Pssht!
In an instant, Li Chengyi turned and charged toward the right wall. He leaped gracefully over the wall, landing in the snowy ground outside.
Before the guards could react, he had disappeared into the snow-laden forest.
The terrifying speed, combined with the agility and technique of the Void NightStep practiced in the woods, made his movent within the dense forest nearly like a phantom, vanishing in a blink.
The detailed maps in the multitude of books also included the nearby terrain. These details allowed him to move easily like a fish in water, easily overcoming various obstacles in the surrounding area.
The Flower Language Technique-influenced blood of the Divine Dark Dragon, although unable to unlock all his potential, still allowed him to ld with the dark and move with increased swiftness and stealth.
In the snowy white forest, only a vague, ash-like shadow flashed by, so fast that even the most sensitive snow rabbits could only sense a breeze passing in a flash, unable to catch any trace of his movents.
Ten minutes later.
Li Chengyi left the Okra Domain and made his way to the forest where he previously hunted griffons.
He began to slow down and strolled leisurely toward the location he had visited last ti.
anwhile, he also observed his surroundings, searching for flora and fauna he had not previously noticed.
The natural environnt was also a target of his exploration and study, and he had conducted detailed surveys of the area in the past.
Although he had found nothing before, this ti, en route to capturing the mage, he vaguely noticed sothing was amiss.
Within the forest, there was a special, fresh scent of living things mixed in the cold air.
The scent of snow was very faint, making this particular aroma stand out even more.
Thump.
Suddenly, Li Chengyi stopped in his tracks and turned to look to his right.
Behind a large snow-cedar, there seed to be a whiff of an unusual fragrance.
"Let’s see what I’ve discovered."
He grinned.
Pssht!
In a flash, his figure disappeared from the spot, crossing several tens of ters in an instant, appearing behind the large snow-cedar and reaching out his hand.
At the sa ti, a sharp Silver Dagger shot out from behind the snow-cedar, aiming straight for the palm of his outstretched hand.
In a critical mont, Li Chengyi rotated his palm, sliding deftly from the side of the dagger and precisely grabbing the assailant’s wrist, flinging it downwards.
Bang!
The figure behind the tree staggered to the ground with a low cry.
But quickly, the figure bounced up, and a strong, agile right leg swung fiercely, kicking towards Li Chengyi’s chin with a fierce whoosh.
Unfortunately for this kick, though it had strength and speed beyond human limits, it was effortlessly swatted away by Li Chengyi.
With a crack, the person’s right leg broke into an unnatural angle.
She collapsed to the ground, trying to scream, but was easily silenced as a large hand lightly clasped her throat, cutting off her voice.
"Ah... look what I’ve found?" Li Chengyi said with surprise and delight as he looked at the prey in his hands.
"A living elf!?"
He gazed at the lovely and slender creature before him, with its pointed ears revealing anger and hatred in its beautiful eyes, and a rare happy smile spread across his face.
"I had just heard that elves might be around, and now I’ve caught a live one right away; indeed, fortune always favors the prepared."
Paliya watched the young human before her with anger and shock. She was the captain of the Bluefall Tribe’s hunting team and one of the four strongest fighters in the tribe today.
She had received a scout’s report of unusual activity in the area and had co to investigate personally, but she hadn’t expected...
Because this place was near a human settlent, she had co forth confidently, relying on her powerful strength.
But... after just a few hours of investigating, she had been ambushed and defeated by this seemingly young human!
The opponent was indeed powerful, but had she not been suddenly ambushed, caught unprepared, and unable to react, how could she have been defeated in a single encounter?
"Despicable humans!" Paliya exclaid angrily.
"The lant of the weak," Li Chengyi responded with a smile. "I find everything about elves very interesting, so I’ll leave you alive for now."
"It’s just to satisfy the twisted desires of you humans, right? Speaking such pretentious words?" Paliya mocked boldly and without fear.
"I’ve heard you have a deep understanding of nature, and I too am a lover of nature. I hope to learn more about it from you," Li Chengyi continued to say with a smile.
"However..." he looked up at the sky, "wait here for a bit. I’ll co back later to take you with us. Hmm... There are a few friends that will be going back too."
Friends?
Paliya internally tensed up, realizing that this human had accomplices or rather, he probably had others ready to ambush nearby elves!
This was likely a trap targeting elves!
A chill ran through her heart instantaneously; the earlier report from the scout might have been false information deliberately released by this cunning human.
It was ant to lure out the lurking elves!
Hisst!
Before she could respond, Li Chengyi in front of her had already disappeared into a blur, vanishing from the spot.
His speed was so swift that even Paliya, renowned for her agility as an elf, was left feeling her scalp tingle.
She hadn’t been able to keep up with his movent speed at all!
What kind of speed, what kind of agility was this!
When had humans beco so formidable!?
She suddenly grew intensely worried for the nearby Bluefall Tribe.
’No! I must find a way to escape! I need to warn all the tribe mbers! Otherwise, if they get targeted by that man... the consequences are unimaginable!’
Imdiately, Paliya forced herself to endure the excruciating pain, dragging her broken leg as she struggled to move in another direction.
But she hadn’t gone more than ten ters.
Thump.
A sound of a body hitting the ground ca from the spot she had just left.
A young woman wearing a gray and white mage robe was being dragged by the hair by the sa burly young man who tossed her carelessly onto the snow-covered ground.
The female mage was still spitting blood from her mouth, convulsing wildly as if possessed, looking like she was on the brink of death.
"A human mage!?" Paliya’s expression froze.
’Wasn’t this person here to capture elves? How...?’
Before she could gather her thoughts, Li Chengyi tossed two more gray and white-robed mages onto the ground beside her.
All three human mages, now looking at Li Chengyi as if they were staring at a demon, hadn’t even noticed Paliya, the injured elf nearby.
"The haul today isn’t bad. I was a bit heavy-handed last ti and didn’t have captives for questioning, but this ti is different."
Li Chengyi was quite satisfied with his spoils of war.
An elf and three human mages who had co to investigate, although they were all of a lower rank than Tyga, the mage from last ti, what he needed was basic, low-level knowledge.
"We are Trace Mages sent by the White Tower to investigate the traces! Stranger, do you understand the consequences of attacking us!?" one of the mages, an older man with graying hair, shouted angrily.
"I’ve heard that the profession of a mage can have subtle influences on a person’s character? Mainly changes in the environnt and the things they co into contact with lead to feedback that results in the final outco?" Li Chengyi asked, seemingly off-topic.
"We are White Tower envoys! Servants of White Tower Mages; do you realize what you’re doing!? This is a cri, an unforgivable atrocious cri!!" another mage with dark red curly hair muttered loudly.
Thump, thump, thump!
With one hand each, Li Chengyi knocked all three unconscious, then walked over to Paliya.
Paliya broke out in a cold sweat on the spot.
She had now co to a realization.
This man... this human male with a handso face and a sturdy build, didn’t seem to be here for elves at all.
He was a ruthless criminal.
He was hunting.
Hunting for interesting prey that caught his fancy, regardless of whether they were humans or elves...
She knew of the White Tower, the most powerful mage organization in the Sola Empire, and even in the depths of the forest, she had heard of the strength of White Tower Mages.
Yet this man, upon hearing about them, didn’t even blink and attacked right away.
Thump.
Paliya’s mind was in chaos, and before she could think of what to do, she felt a sudden pain in the back of her head and imdiately lost consciousness.
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