The remains of the Poisonous Mist Serpent had turned into a mere dry, shrunken husk in a corner of the cave, after the Blood-Devouring Stone had absorbed every drop of its vital essence. Wei Shen, sitting in a meditative posture, could still feel the strong flow of his second-level Blood Qi circulating through its pathways, denser and more stable than before. He had reached the peak of this level and sensed that the barrier to the third level was no longer as unattainable as it had been; it had become a clear objective requiring only more of the right fuel.
"The power of spiritual beasts… is qualitatively different from ordinary animals," Wei Shen thought as he opened his eyes, a cold red glint flashing in them for a moment. "Their blood and essence grant the 'Blood-Devouring Stone' more concentrated energy, and this, in turn, better nourishes my 'Blood Qi.' The third level requires offerings of this kind, and perhaps… stronger ones."
But before he could think about hunting another spiritual beast, a more pressing matter occupied his mind. His weapon. The sharpened piece of stone he carried had served its purpose adequately against small animals or a first-level spiritual beast he had taken by surprise. But it was a primitive, crude tool, utterly ineffective against anything possessing real strength or thick hide.
"This rock… is the weapon of a beggar, not a hunter aspiring to dominance," Wei Shen muttered with disdain, looking at the worn stone in his hand. "Against a second-level spiritual beast, or even a more powerful and wary first-level one, this would be nothing but a fatal joke."
His mind began to review the resources available to him. There weren't many. The cave offered only water and this mysterious stone. The forest was full of wood, but crafting an effective wooden weapon required time and tools he didn't possess.
Then, the idea flashed in his mind. "The carcass of the wild black boar."
He had hunted that massive boar before breaking through to the second level. After offering some of its blood to the stone and using its meat for food, he had left its remains in a slightly deeper part of the cave, where the coolness and darkness might preserve it from rapid decay. He clearly remembered that boar's tusks – they weren't just ordinary teeth, but more like two natural daggers, curved, sharp, and incredibly hard.
Wei Shen rose and headed towards the spot where he had left the boar's remains. The carcass had begun to dry and shrink, but the prominent bone tusks protruding from its upper jaw were still intact, white and ivory-like, with naturally pointed tips.
He gripped one of the tusks and tried to wiggle it. It was firmly set in the jawbone. He examined it closely. It was nearly the length of his forearm, thick at the base, and tapered gradually to a needle-sharp tip. Its texture was hard and cold.
"This… could be the basis for a real weapon," Wei Shen thought, feeling a kind of cold satisfaction. "Far better than a mere stone."
The next task was to extract these two tusks, then transform them into usable weapons. It would not be an easy task, given his limited tools.
Wei Shen spent the next few hours in arduous, painstaking labor. He had no hammer or chisel. He had to rely on precisely directed brute force and limitless patience. Using his sharpened stone shard and some other sharp-edged rocks he found in the cave, he began to carefully chip and carve around the base of the first tusk.
The process was frustratingly slow. The boar's jawbone was surprisingly tough, and the tusk itself was embedded as if it were part of the rock. Cold sweat poured from Wei Shen, and his hands began to ache from the continuous effort. But he didn't stop.
"Brute force alone is not enough," he kept repeating in his mind. "It must be applied precisely, at the right points. Every material has a weak point, even this damned bone."
His second-level Blood Qi granted him an endurance and strength surpassing what he previously had. He used it to drive his arms with greater force and to maintain his focus despite the fatigue.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally heard a faint cracking sound, then a louder snap. The first tusk had begun to loosen. With more careful effort, he finally managed to separate it completely from the jaw.
He held it in his hand, examining it. It was surprisingly heavy, and as hard as steel. Its tip was naturally sharp, but the rest of the edges still needed honing.
He repeated the same process with the second tusk. It took a similar amount of time and left his hands swollen and scratched, but he eventually succeeded.
Now, he had two white bone tusks, each the length of a short dagger. The next stage was to transform them into true weapons.
He had nothing to make handles, so he had to shape a portion of each tusk's base to serve as a crude grip. Then, he began the most difficult process: sharpening the edges.
He used a flat, rough-surfaced rock as a makeshift whetstone. He began to rub the edge of the first tusk against the rock at a specific angle, again and again, with unflagging patience. The process required absolute concentration and precise movements. Any mistake could weaken the blade or make it uneven.
His mind worked like a machine. He recalled the principles of weapon design from his past life, those principles that had governed the creation of instruments of destruction capable of wiping out entire cities. Now, he was applying the same principles to this primitive piece of bone. "The optimal angle for the edge… weight distribution… balance point… everything must be calculated for maximum lethality and efficiency."
More hours passed as he worked tirelessly. The sound of bone grinding against rock was the only sound breaking the cave's silence, besides his regular breathing. The Blood Qi helped him maintain his stamina and guide his strokes with consistent precision and strength.
Finally, as the faint light at the cave entrance began to fade again, heralding a new night, Wei Shen had nearly finished with the first tusk.
He held it up, examining his work. It wasn't a polished or elegant weapon; it was a white bone dagger, looking savage and primitive, but its edges were now sharp as razors, and its tip was needle-pointed. It radiated a raw power, a natural strength honed by a hand bent on killing.
He tested it on a piece of the remaining thick boar hide. It pierced through easily, creating a clean, deep cut.
A cold, barely visible smile touched Wei Shen's lips. "This is much better. A tool worthy of a hunter, not a beggar collecting stones."
He continued working on the second tusk with the same patience and determination. It took most of the night, but he didn't stop until he had a pair of bone daggers, each one a lethal weapon in his hands.
When he finally finished, the exhaustion was almost unbearable. But there was also a sense of cold satisfaction. He had made something with his own hands, something that would increase his chances of survival, and something that would help him gather more fuel for the Blood-Devouring Stone.
He secured the two bone daggers to his ragged belt, one on each side. He felt their comforting weight, their solidity. His hands were no longer empty.
He ate what remained of the boar meat he had kept and drank from the cave water. Then, he sat in a meditative posture, not to cultivate Qi this time, but to rest his body and mind, and to prepare for what was to come.
"The third level of Qi Condensation requires an offering from a stronger spiritual beast," Wei Shen thought, staring into the darkness. "And with these new 'fangs,' my chances of success are greater."
He was no longer just a weak boy relying on luck and slim chances. He was beginning to shape his destiny with his own hands, with tools he himself had made, driven by the will of an emperor and the brutality of a nascent hunter.
The forest outside was waiting. And he, now, was more prepared than ever to face its challenges, and to claim more of its blood.