The red wolf pack kept retreating, while on this side, one man and one tiger pursued them relentlessly. They chased all the way into the depths of Red Wolf Valley, and after forcefully killing the massive red wolf leader, Brian Carter and the white tiger finally left triumphantly.

This time, the red wolf pack tried to steal a chicken only to lose the rice used to lure it; they had hoped to pick up some easy gains by following other fierce beasts, but instead nearly brought about their own destruction. After this battle, the red wolf pack wouldn’t recover for decades, let alone have the courage to seek revenge on the white tiger’s territory.

At this moment, Brian Carter and the white tiger dove into the stream at the foot of the mountain to wash away dirt and wounds. When Brian Carter first saw his own reflection in the water, he was startled. The filth clinging to his body after cleansing his marrow and remolding his body, combined with a layer of red blood, made him look as ugly as could be.

He scrubbed for over an hour, and as the grime was washed away, Brian Carter grew angrier. The reason was that his newly transformed innate physique turned out to be so disgusting. Now, his skin was as white and translucent as a baby’s.

“Damn it, if someone saw me like this, they’d better not mistake me for some sissy,” Brian Carter grumbled in dissatisfaction, missing his original bronze skin, forged by years of wind, sun, and rain—that was the mark of a real man. But then he thought, oh well. He’d been here for over three years, with only the white tiger for company, not seeing a single other soul—no one could laugh at him. He could just get more sun in the future.

Besides, there were many benefits to an innate physique. For example, the dozens of wounds left from fighting the wolf pack were already starting to heal and scab over. It was even more effective than taking some miraculous elixir.

After washing himself, Brian Carter helped the white tiger clean up as well. Fortunately, the white tiger’s fur was glossy and had a faint oily layer, making it easy to clean. Otherwise, with all that blood, they’d have had to shave it bald.

“Tsk tsk, Brother Tiger, your fur is really something,” Brian Carter said with a grin. “One of these days, I’ll find some wild herbs and make you a bottle of conditioner, so your fur can be even more silky. How about that?”

The white tiger glared back, clearly not understanding what Brian Carter was talking about, which made Brian Carter burst out laughing.

Afterward, man and tiger went back to clean up the battlefield. The various corpses were handled by the white tiger, who carried them off one by one and dumped them far away. Brian Carter was responsible for covering the bloodstains with sand and dirt. After all, who wants to live surrounded by a pile of corpses?

Originally, Brian Carter had planned that after reaching the innate realm, he would go out and look for a way out, to see if there were any other humans. But first, he was a bit reluctant to leave his only friend, the white tiger; second, after reaching the innate realm, he could start learning some basic spells. So, Brian Carter decided to practice some spells first, then make plans.

The white tiger had no idea about Brian Carter’s change of heart. After life returned to normal, it still brought back prey every day for Brian Carter to cook. After three years, Brian Carter’s cooking skills had long surpassed the crude salt-and-roast methods of the past. He had explored the mountains and discovered many exotic flowers and herbs. Some of these could be used as spices, making the roasted meat especially delicious—some fragrant and tender, others spicy and refreshing. Man and tiger became increasingly picky, searching the mountains for even tastier ingredients. When they got tired of barbecue, they often made stews or steamed dishes. If this went on for a few more years, Brian Carter would probably become a gourmet expert.

Speaking of spells, especially the True Fire Spell, it was the foundation of both artifact forging and alchemy. In fact, spells weren’t that profound; they simply used innate true qi to resonate with nature and produce various effects. Even so, it took Brian Carter over a month to go from practicing to mastering the True Fire Spell.

Watching the innate true qi surge from his fingertip, transforming in midair into a slender, pale blue jet of flame like a snake flicking its tongue, Brian Carter couldn’t help but marvel at the magic of spells. The True Fire Spell he had mastered now was far hotter than ordinary flames. Its core temperature could reach several thousand degrees, almost equivalent to the flame of an oxyacetylene torch on Earth.

Ordinary wrought iron couldn’t withstand more than a dozen seconds in this flame before melting into molten iron—just like the puddle of iron on the ground from the long knife handle Brian Carter was holding in his right hand.

After the last battle with the red wolves, Brian Carter realized the shortcomings of this broken blade. Whether in terms of hardness or true qi conductivity, it greatly limited the abilities of an innate expert.

Now, the plan was to forge himself a new weapon. He spent a few days reading through the basics of artifact forging. Then, searching the white tiger’s territory, he found that most of the area within dozens of miles was mountainous. He did discover an iron mine, but unfortunately, it was just ordinary iron ore. Although he could use the True Fire Spell and forging techniques to refine it into high-quality iron, the result would still not compare to the best materials for crafting weapons.