This is the shadow of a rooster. If David Carter were here, he would probably recognize it—isn't this the shadow of his family's rooster?

The black shadow didn't linger for long before it merged into Henry Carter's body. Immediately, the white breath that Henry Carter exhaled more than doubled in volume, and within the pure white aura of the python-ox energy, there was a faint trace of black light and shadow.

As the python-ox energy circulated with each breath, time passed little by little. Immersed in cultivation, Henry Carter was slowly contracting his true power. During this contraction, the rooster's shadow that had disappeared behind Henry Carter gradually reappeared, this time more solid than before.

After circulating the python-ox energy for nine cycles, Henry Carter was ready to finish. At that moment, he unexpectedly discovered that his consciousness had actually left his body and flown into the void!

Startled, Henry Carter quickly regained his composure and tried to direct his consciousness back toward his body.

"Whoosh!" In just an instant, Henry Carter felt his consciousness return to his body. Shocked, he opened his eyes to see what had happened, only to find that behind him, a phantom with two wings had appeared!

Having honed extraordinary composure amidst blades and shadows, Henry Carter carefully observed the phantom and was surprised to find that it was actually a chicken. In his astonishment, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind: Could it be that his consciousness had just been inside this chicken?

Although he found the idea a bit ridiculous, Henry Carter decided to try again. He calmed himself, letting his mind enter a state of no thought or desire.

As his mind cleared, that floating sensation returned to Henry Carter once more.

Through this sensation, Henry Carter felt himself rising into the air. Looking around, he saw the room was unchanged, but his physical body sat motionless, as if still cultivating.

Amazed, Henry Carter couldn't help but look at his current body, only to see that he had become a faint, chicken-shaped phantom. Startled, he moved this rooster-like shadow and flew out the window.

Standing outside in the void, viewing his surroundings through his mind, Henry Carter found everything incredibly clear—especially the movements of tiny insects, which appeared vividly in his mind. And toward these insects, Henry Carter felt a deep, primal urge to slaughter them at will.

"Awng!"

A wild, furious roar suddenly came from afar. Hearing this sound, Henry Carter's body trembled, and he sensed a tremendous danger rushing toward him from the distance!

Under this unknown threat, his chicken-shaped phantom quickly darted back into the house and merged into Henry Carter's body.

Regaining control of his body, Henry Carter could hardly believe that everything he had just experienced was real. But as the chicken's phantom slowly flew into the small black gourd, Henry Carter realized that it had all truly happened.

The small, dark gourd looked utterly ordinary in the moonlight, but holding it, Henry Carter felt that it had opened a new path for him.

"Help! Somebody help, there's a wild boar!" A terrified cry came from not far away. Hearing the shout, Henry Carter quickly got up from his bed, drew his knife, and ran outside.

Before Henry Carter could get close, a commotion erupted at the village entrance, and soon a chaotic group of people, faces full of panic, came running over.

Seeing these people, Henry Carter was startled. In his memory, the villagers of Yi Family Village had never been so timid or fearful. Though simple by nature, they were a tough folk, with more than a dozen making their living as hunters. No matter how fierce a wild boar was, it shouldn't have sent a dozen strong men fleeing in panic.

"Chu boy, run! It's the wild boar king from the old forest—our arrows can't pierce it!" a disheveled villager shouted loudly at Henry Carter, who had rushed out with his knife.

As he spoke, a reddish-brown figure the size of a calf charged at the last villager in the group.

"Ah!" The woman attacked by the wild boar let out a shrill scream, her pale face filled with terror. The wild boar seemed to relish the human's fear, and just as it was about to reach her, its long tusks lunged fiercely at her chest!

"Clang!" Just as all the villagers broke out in a cold sweat for the woman, Henry Carter, who had been in front of them, had already stepped firmly between her and the wild boar. The steel blade in his hand collided violently with the boar's tusks.

In the intense clash, Henry Carter felt his wrist tremble violently, and the steel knife in his hand was nearly knocked away! The strength of this wild boar was simply overwhelming—far beyond that of any ordinary wild boar.

Chapter Four: Inner Core

"Grace, come here quickly." A bold villager, seeing that Henry Carter had blocked the wild boar, hurriedly helped the village woman up and ran off into the distance.