Fang Ming dared not underestimate this profound technique. He hastily used his vast magical power to calm his soul, preventing it from leaving his body.
In this realm, cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage could have their Nascent Souls depart their bodies, traveling millions of miles in an instant, exploring the Northernmost cultivation world and the Central Continent within mere days.
For such powerful beings, the combat power of a Nascent Soul detached from the body was no less than that of their physical form. Otherwise, they wouldn't have their Nascent Souls roaming about.
But Nascent Soul experts were Nascent Soul experts, and those below were below.
The Nascent Soul was not the same as the soul. The Nascent Soul was powerful; the soul itself was fragile.
Even cultivators at the Golden Core stage had extremely fragile souls. They could even be severely injured by a fright from lightning during a thunderstorm.
Fang Ming's soul was even more vulnerable.
Theoretically, he was only at the fourth layer of the Meridian Condensation stage. Although he cultivated other systems, none of them specialized in the soul. Therefore, the state of Fang Ming's soul was comparable to that of a Meridian Condensation stage cultivator.
If his soul, so fragile, were to leave his body and be unprotected, let alone encountering lightning during a thunderstorm, even a gust of wind or the sun's rays could severely injure his soul, leading to his demise!
Knowing the fragility of his soul, Fang Ming chose to directly suppress it in the face of the giant tiger's innate profound technique, preventing it from escaping his body.
Seeing that Fang Ming had resisted his method, the giant tiger's face, with a human-like expression, showed surprise.
When this move failed, the giant tiger, with its Dao Foundation stage strength, lunged forward, intending to destroy Fang Ming directly.
This was a close-quarters combat.
However, Dao Foundation stage demonic beasts were not humans. Apart from specialized body cultivators, compared to Dharma cultivators, Dao Foundation stage demonic beasts were much stronger physically than Dao Foundation stage cultivators.
This giant tiger had dealt with humans before and was aware of the internal realm divisions of humans.
Based on the knowledge it had acquired, it initially classified Fang Ming as a Dao Foundation stage cultivator.
Therefore, when dealing with a pure Dharma power cultivator at the Dao Foundation stage, the giant tiger naturally resorted to direct physical combat.
Physical combat was how demonic beasts used their advantages against human weaknesses!
But…
This so-called offensive was still no match for Fang Ming!
"Flying sword!"
Fang Ming deployed his flying sword artifact.
He was no longer the same as before on the path of sword cultivation.
Ever since he obtained the precious sword from Lin Yang, which could carry sword intent, Fang Ming had slowly comprehended the sword intent within it.
This indeed allowed him to grasp some principles, and with the sword intent from the precious sword, he comprehended his own sword intent!
In the first cultivation world, there were three realms for sword cultivators.
Fang Ming had already reached the second realm, the realm of controlling swords to fly, and could already soar through the sky with the aid of his flying sword artifact.
This was no longer the level of a beginner sword cultivator but had achieved a certain level of accomplishment!
This was the benefit of combining and integrating the cultivation systems of the two worlds.
Fang Ming, by comprehending his own sword intent through the sword intent of a sword that did not exist in the first cultivation world, naturally doubled his strength.
When he deployed his flying sword, imbued with profound and extremely sharp sword intent, it directly tore through the surface flesh of the Dao Foundation stage giant tiger, causing damage to its body!
Roar!
The Dao Foundation stage giant tiger let out fierce cries of pain.
Clearly, it had not expected that the Dao Foundation stage cultivator it faced would be so formidable in swordsmanship!
Such swordsmanship, it was likely a rare existence among Dao Foundation stage cultivators.
It was so unlucky to have encountered such a being…
This was the only thought the giant tiger had as it approached death.
After an hour.
Fang Ming finally slew the giant tiger with his strength at the second realm of sword cultivation.
And the Purple Gold Flower, one of the three main ingredients for the Foundation Establishment Pill, which the giant tiger had been guarding, entered Fang Ming's collection.
Now, only two more main ingredients were needed to complete the collection for the Foundation Establishment Pill and begin the alchemy.
Fang Ming mused.
This minor interlude passed quickly.
Having gained this windfall, Fang Ming continued his search for the Shadow Moon Rat.
As time passed, the moon began to rise, and the hazy moonlight seemed to envelop the entire Taihang Mountain range.
Fang Ming was also prepared for a long battle. The arena competition had only five days left, and it would likely continue consecutively afterward, leaving him no time to return to the depths of the Taihang Mountains.
Therefore, Fang Ming had to find the Shadow Moon Rat and obtain its blood within five days.
Otherwise, he might never have another opportunity to come to the Taihang Mountains.
By then, he would have finished the competition and gone to the Lingxiao Sect, with no time to come here.
"The Shadow Moon Rat is a demonic beast that absorbs moonlight, so it's more likely to encounter one at night." As night fell, Fang Ming became even more excited. At night, the probability of encountering a Shadow Moon Rat was higher.
The night was deep, and the surroundings were silent. The clear, water-like moonlight cascaded down, making the young boy's figure appear even more handsome under the moon.
No longer hearing the roars of demonic beasts, in this quiet atmosphere, Fang Ming's eyes grew brighter.
"I've found traces of the Shadow Moon Rat!" The boy chuckled lightly. He had finally discovered the tracks of the Shadow Moon Rat, confirming that it was most active at night!
Effort pays off!
Since he had found the Shadow Moon Rat, Fang Ming followed its tracks and discovered five or six Shadow Moon Rats on a cliff, cultivating under the moon. Wisps of spiritual energy entered their bodies as they cultivated.
Or rather, it should be wisps of moonlight carrying spiritual energy that entered their bodies.
These Shadow Moon Rats absorbed the moonlight from the Taiyin to serve as their cultivation resources.
The Taiyin star emitted the power of moonlight. In this magical cultivation world, although moonlight originated from the Taiyin, it could miraculously cross infinite distances and be directly absorbed by the Shadow Moon Rats.
This was different from the process of absorbing spiritual energy.
Cultivators absorbed spiritual energy, and in Fang Ming's understanding, spiritual energy was akin to air.
It was an objectively real substance that had the magical effect of improving one's physique, enabling one to possess magical power and thus evolve.
The reason it was said to be similar to air was that just as humans could only absorb the surrounding air, cultivators could only absorb the spiritual energy around them.
A cultivator at the Meridian Condensation stage could not absorb spiritual energy from millions of miles away; they could only absorb spiritual energy within a mile or five miles of themselves.
Anything further was cross-distance absorption, which was not feasible.
As for the so-called absorption of moonlight for cultivation.
Whether demonic beasts or humans, they would visualize the Taiyin star in their minds.
Then, regardless of their location, as long as they had the concept of the Taiyin star in their minds, they could draw down moonlight.