After the heavy rain stopped, Nian Lin slowly pushed aside the stone blocking the cave entrance and stepped outside.
The air was damp and cold.
Water droplets still hung from the branches of the surrounding trees. The ground was soaked with rainwater, and countless puddles reflected the pale light of the sky.
Nian Lin did not relax his guard.
He moved only through the darkest areas he could find, avoiding open ground. His figure slipped silently between rocks, dead trees, and patches of dense undergrowth.
Several months of surviving alone had already become instinct.
Anything that exposed his position could lead to death.
After walking for some time, he arrived at a familiar location.
A shallow valley surrounded by broken stones.
This was one of the places where scaled snake lizards frequently gathered.
Nian Lin knew their habits well.
Every four days, groups of snake lizards would emerge from their nests.
Heavy rainfall would also attract them.
The creatures seemed to enjoy rubbing their scales against wet stones and bathing in rainwater.
Therefore, he knew they would appear sooner or later.
Finding a concealed position among the rocks, Nian Lin waited patiently.
However, he did not remain idle.
He walked to a nearby tree and snapped off a straight branch.
The branch was neither too long nor too short.
More importantly, it was light enough for him to handle easily.
Returning to his hiding spot, he sat down and opened the sword scroll.
His eyes stopped on the first illustration.
The most basic movement of the sword art.
Stab.
Simple.
Direct.
Concentrate all strength and spiritual energy into a single point.
Then release it in one decisive attack.
Before breaking through to the First Layer of Qi Condensation, he could only imitate the movements using physical strength.
Now things were different.
He possessed spiritual energy.
Although he still did not fully understand how to control it, he could at least attempt to use it.
Holding the branch like a sword, Nian Lin repeatedly visualized the movement recorded within the scroll.
Again.
And again.
Every detail was engraved into his memory.
Several hours passed.
Eventually, a faint hissing sound reached his ears.
Nian Lin immediately raised his head.
The snake lizards had arrived.
Green-scaled snake lizards crawled out first.
These were the younger members of the group.
Soon afterward, larger black-scaled snake lizards emerged from the darkness.
Their bodies were nearly twice as large as the green ones.
The adults.
Dozens of them slowly gathered near the valley.
Nian Lin remained motionless.
Then his eyes narrowed slightly.
Behind the group stood a larger figure.
Its scales were crimson red.
Unlike the others, it remained at the rear, surrounded by several powerful black snake lizards.
The leader.
Nian Lin had encountered it before.
Even from a distance, it gave off an invisible pressure.
Without hesitation, Nian Lin stood up and stepped out from the shadows.
His expression remained cold.
There was not a trace of fear in his eyes.
He slowly raised the branch.
At the same time, he circulated the spiritual energy within his body according to the method described in the Qi Condensation scroll.
A faint current flowed through his meridians.
Following the instructions recorded within the sword art, he gathered all of it toward a single point.
The tip of the branch.
Then—
He thrust forward.
Stab!
The branch shot out of his hand.
Like an arrow released from a bow.
In an instant, it crossed the distance.
Bang!
The branch pierced directly through the head of a green snake lizard.
Its skull split apart.
The creature died before it could even scream.
Nian Lin's eyes lit up slightly.
The attack had worked.
However, before he could celebrate, he felt a noticeable amount of spiritual energy leave his body.
His cultivation was still too shallow.
A single attack had already consumed a considerable portion of his strength.
The snake lizard group immediately erupted into chaos.
Hissing sounds echoed everywhere.
The black-scaled adults raised their heads and stared toward him.
Their eyes were filled with hostility.
Nian Lin did not retreat.
Instead, he picked up another branch from the ground.
Taking a deep breath, he once again gathered spiritual energy toward its tip.
The familiar sensation appeared.
This time, the process was slower.
His control was still rough.
But eventually he succeeded.
Stab!
The second branch shot forward.
It struck a black-scaled snake lizard directly on the head.
Crack!
The branch shattered.
A deep wound appeared between the creature's scales.
Dark blood immediately flowed out.
However, the black snake lizard did not die.
Its scales were far tougher than those of the younger ones.
The wounded beast let out an enraged hiss.
At the same moment, the entire group turned toward Nian Lin.
Dozens of cold eyes locked onto him.
And from the rear of the group, the crimson-scaled leader slowly lifted its head.