Devouring the Heavens (ATG)

Chapter 6: Forest Shenanigans

A/N: So if you guys aren't aware, Webnovel has been 'shadowbanning' comments recently. This means that any comment that contains profanities in any form, will be automatically deleted.

So words like: Fuck, Shit, Bitch, Bastard, Cock, Bollocks are all nonos. Even words such as: Sex, Hell, and Damn are out too. Basically, if you want to comment using forms of those words, you will need to get creative.

Well, Enjoy the chapter...

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When Shane finally recovered from his bout of narcissism, he thought it would be a good idea to have a bit of a workout. This would essentially be hitting two birds with one stone. On one hand, he could fully integrate with his new body and on the other hand, he could start building up vital energy to use when breaking through to the [1st of Elementary Profound].

Shane decided to start off with the old-fashioned Earth way and do some push-ups and sit-ups. These activities that would have left him weak and winded in his last life were now laughably easy, he even started doing one-handed and even one-fingered push-ups without even breaking a sweat, like some chad! He decided to up the ante and grab one of the large rocks from near the side of the pool to do some squats with.

The rock he grabbed was bigger than his head! it must have weighed 50KG no problem and he even managed to work up a bit of sweat while squatting with it. The only problem was '*Hais* this is boring, it's like my body just wants to move and the longer I stay here, the worse the feeling gets'

After experimenting with lifting some different-sized rocks for a while longer, the feeling became almost unbearable and Shane decided he would pick one of the trails that led into the forest and explore for a bit. According to the little clock on his minimap, it was only just after midday and so he had plenty of time before nightfall.

As soon as Shane took his first step into the forest, he felt at home and at peace, as if he was finally back where he belonged. All of his senses, smell, hearing, sight, touch, and even taste felt heightened to new levels and before he knew it, his steady steps had turned light and graceful and he began to accelerate into a swift jog.

As he got faster and faster he instinctually began to use branches and trees to increase his speed even further and in no time at all, he was practically flying through the forest using all four of his limbs to propel himself forward through the undergrowth at a pace that would put most professional cyclists to shame.

He could feel the life of the forest, the wind across his face and in his wild mop of hair, every leaf, bush, fern, sapling, and root beneath his feet. He could see streams of light bursting through the gaps in the treetops, shining on birds and insects that were everywhere.

The images were being processed back into his brain like a rapid series of shuttered still frames and he could see all of them! He could smell all the different plants and flowers that grew along the trees and the forest floor and he could hear the occasional bird call, the rustling of the leaves, and the snapping of twigs as he pressed onwards but mostly he could hear the roaring of the wind in his ears. For the first time in years. He. Felt. Free.

Shane could see a clearing ahead in the distance and continued forward but suddenly, something felt out of place. He slowed down from his feral sprint into a cautious jog and moved closer to the clearing. There was definitely something wrong but Shane couldn't put a pin in it until he came within 10M of the edge of the clearing and it finally clicked The forest was too quiet, silent even.

A cold shiver passed up Shane's spine followed by a wave of fear that threatened to overwhelm his mind as he came to a terrifying realization. His knowledge and instincts told him that the only possible reason for this occurrence was him entering into the territory of a profound beast and a strong one at that. He very quickly tucked himself behind a tree at the edge of the clearing and focused on his minimap.

Sure enough, there was something there! The minimap showed the clearing, only 10M or so across, highlighted with a red haze and the image of a tri-colored flower flashing in the middle. This red haze was not a good thing, but the flower definitely was! The haze symbolized that the area was the territory of a strong profound beast.

Shane wanted that flower, it had to be something good! He was almost drooling at the thought! imagining the benefits he could gain from devouring it awoke a potentially fatal desire within him. He had to have it! But alas, as tempting as it was to take the flower now, he hadn't yet lost his sense of danger.

He had no idea where the beast was or when it would come back and naturally he was also pitifully weak at the moment! So instead of pushing forward, he decided to play it safe for now, retreat, and come up with a plan to rob the flower later.

If he was being honest, everything he had experienced today was so fantastical that it had given birth to a dangerous notion within his mind. Everything felt like a game. He knew it wasn't of course and the very real 'smell' of danger in the air kept him grounded barely.

Shane hated losing games, he was in fact a very competitive and somewhat petty person so he was naturally unwilling to take this loss. With visible effort, he turned around and silently made his way back towards the cave chanting to himself as he went. 'This isn't running away, it's a tactical retreat. This isn't running awa'

*Grooowwwwlll*

Shane immediately woke up from his reverie as his senses heightened to the max and all his hairs stood on end. He turned to his left and his red and black eyes met with the muddy yellow of a Wolflike creature that looked as if it had just crawled out of the deepest recesses of hell.

It stood there, almost a meter in height with obsidian black fur that had the look of fine needles with inch-long, brutal-looking claws that were practically made for tearing flesh and bone. At the end of its snout, was a gaping maw filled with serrated teeth that dripped thick saliva, streaming towards the ground as it blew clouds of steam into the air with each breath.

A quick and intuitive use of appraisal named it [Savage Wolf: Elementary Profound 2], not all that dangerous but Shane felt terrified and unprepared... that was until he noticed the look in the beast's eyes. It was looking at him like he was food, him!?

A primal fury started to bubble up from deep within as it pushed the fear completely out of his mind. 'The nerve! how could I become food for such a lowly creature!?'

His fight or flight response had evidently already decided on fight and it was as if his whole being was now running on instinct alone. Shane turned to face the beast fully and assumed a loose stance. He moved into a slight crouch, his knees bent and with one foot in front of the other. His arms were raised, elbows tucked into his sides.

His hands were spread shoulder-width apart with fingers bent and splayed. A low, almost inhuman growl made its way out of his throat and the beast responded in kind.

Lips curled back, the beast's fur bristled as its hind legs tensed and a much louder and throatier growl sounded in the otherwise silent forest. This stalemate lasted for barely a second as both man and beast moved towards each other at the same time.

Time seemed to slow down for Shane as he watched the wolf close the distance between them at an incredible pace. 'Fast!, I won't be able to avoid it entirely!'

As the beast approached, Shane also moved. A split-second decision was made, his feet dug into the soft earth below and he raised his hands as the Wolf leaped high into the air aiming for his throat. At the last moment, Shane's upper body moved and his hands managed to knock the jaws of the beast towards his left shoulder where it immediately clamped down.

Shane felt a searing pain and a viciousness that wasn't there before flashed through his now entirely blood-red eyes. His hands raised to grip the wolf's upper and lower jaws as he was pushed back several meters, feet leaving furrows in the ground.

They both came to a halt just as he managed to pry the wolf's jaws from his shoulder and Shane tensed all his muscles like a coiled spring before twisting his torso and throwing the beast into its back.

His hands never left the wolf's jaws as he came crashing down on top of it, forcing the wind out of its lungs. Straddling its midsection, his knees closed around it like a vice as the stench of its body and rancid breath filled his nostrils. He pushed the wolf's head back into the ground and it clawed desperately at his forearms.

With a guttural *ROOOAR* from Shane and a sickening *CRAAAACK* from the wolf below, he pulled the jaws apart using all the strength he could muster... Then it was over, the wolf fell limp and life swiftly faded from its eyes not before releasing a final pained whine.

Shane rolled off of it onto the cool forest floor, gasping for air as the adrenaline started to fade. He felt incredibly tired and his shoulder was already beginning to swell. Strangely enough, there was no visible wound there and only a few small bloody holes along his forearms from the wolf's claws were left as evidence of its final struggle.

He touched his shoulder and winced a bit while thinking. 'It seems as if this body is quite tough. The wolf's teeth may not have broken the skin but the strength of its jaws was no joke!'

Shane looked at the quickly cooling wolf corpse with none of the conflicting feelings he was expecting to come, in fact, he only felt excitement. Excitement so great that it completely drowned out the pain in his shoulder. Slowly, he reached his right hand forward and activated his ability.

"Devour" A small swirl of a tattoo on the palm of his hand, unnoticed until now became something akin to a black hole and the wolf corpse simply flashed once before erupting into a cloud of energy. The cloud of profound energy, milky white in color then rapidly streamed towards his palm before it was all quickly sucked into the tattoo.

The whole process took less than a second and Shane could feel his ability converting and refining the Profound energy into what he needed the most right now. It was vital energy! The type of energy he needed to break into the [1st of Elementary Profound].

This was amazing! This meant that he could use this refined energy to break into the Profound way and wouldn't need to use his own vitality for it, therefore keeping his body in perfect condition!

He was extremely happy! Today had brought him great danger but also a great fortune. He glanced up past the canopy and noticed that the sun was getting low in the sky. His minimap showed late afternoon and so he turned around with a smile on his face and started making his way back to the cave. Along the way, he once again became lost in the feeling of the forest and seemed to blend into it as he swiftly navigated all obstacles in his path with practiced ease.

Thankfully, the journey back was without incident and he approached the pool to take a long drink and wash the filth from his hands and also to attempt to wash the dirt out of the holes in his forearms. He looked down and his eyes widened in disbelief.

'Is it just me or are the wounds smaller than before? And are they scabbing over already!?' Contemplating for a second he came to a logical conclusion. 'Hmm, it seems like the either Primordial Shadow Panther bloodline or my special veins give me a slight healing factor. Either that or it's just cultivator stuff, better to not question it.'

Thinking about it, his shoulder also hurt a lot less now too He shook his head and ultimately decided not to dwell on something that was obviously beneficial to him. Shane turned back and with a spring in his step, headed towards the cave where he would begin his journey down the path of cultivation.

With every step taken, his body trembled in excitement, he was finally about to do it. Everything he ever dreamed of was right within his grasp and he was going to latch onto it and never let go!

Well Maybe some would think he was being a bit over the top, but not Shane! Real Cultivation was every Otaku's wet dream and even more so for him who spent his last few years on Earth with a weak body and unable to move as he liked!

Obviously, by real Cultivation, he didn't mean sitting cross-legged and gathering energy for years on end. God NO! He meant throwing around sword beams and punching holes in mountains, cool stuff like that.

As he passed the shadow barrier and entered the cave, he stood still for a moment and allowed his eyes to adjust to the low light before moving towards the pile of furs and dropping down on top of them in a cross-legged position.

Shane closed his eyes and willed the energetic ball of vitality floating around his profound veins to dissipate into them. It happened almost instantly and he experienced a feeling that was very hard to explain.

It felt as if everything that made up Shane Long was becoming better and in almost every conceivable way. His mind felt clearer, his hearing and sense of smell improved, his muscles felt refreshed, his breathing became more powerful and he felt lighter, faster, and stronger. An audible click sounded within his ears and he officially took his first step down the path of cultivation, becoming a [1st of Elementary Profound].

Shane opened his eyes and let out a turbid breath, the whole process must have taken a few hours as it was definitely after nightfall now. Just as he was about to jump to his feet and test his newfound strength, he felt awash with tiredness and keeled over on the spot.

"*Yaaaawn*" 'I guess I do deserve a nap after today. Goodnight me' Almost immediately after that thought, he fell into a peaceful slumber ending his first day in the Profound Sky Continent.

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