Beast God
Chapter 8: Don't Underestimate Yourself

"Chen Guan, this doesn't prove anything. Others could do the same, even better than me." Old Bird still lacked confidence.

"Again." Chen Guan ignored his hesitation, this time tossing two small stones into the air simultaneously.

Old Bird thought hitting two tiny, fast-moving stones consecutively was impossible, but to make Chen Guan give up, he still drew his bow and shot. 

Yet the moment he released the arrows, Old Bird experienced an indescribable sensation - his movements flowed effortlessly as he rapidly fired two arrows in perfect succession. Somehow, he just knew both would hit. It was a mystical feeling, as if he'd entered an extraordinary state beyond his normal capabilities.

Sure enough, both arrows struck their targets simultaneously, knocking down stones flying in different directions. Old Bird could hardly believe his own eyes.

"Continue." Chen Guan immediately threw four stones this time, matching the four remaining arrows in Old Bird's quiver.

Without thinking, Old Bird nocked and released arrows with finger movements so fast they blurred. All four stones were precisely intercepted midair, the accuracy astonishing even to himself. He even felt unsatisfied, as if he could easily hit one more target given the chance.

Stunned, Old Bird stared blankly at his bow-wielding hand.

"Old Bird, don't underestimate yourself. You've always been exceptional. Your archery talent is unique - hitting every target is no challenge for you. Stop limiting yourself. With some confidence, you'll become the world's greatest archer." Chen Guan patted his shoulder firmly.

The Cheerleader's Soul indeed worked on cultivators, with effects surpassing Chen Guan's expectations - it could even enhance archery precision. 

Hitting moving targets with perfect accuracy was notoriously difficult, involving countless variables that made 100% success nearly impossible. Yet the Cheerleader's Soul's encouragement had unlocked such remarkable potential in Old Bird's aim that it was downright shocking.

"World's... greatest... archer..." Old Bird felt hot blood rush to his head like an epiphany, leaving him dizzy yet euphoric. 

In that moment, he felt invincible - perfect accuracy seemed trivial now.

Chen Guan secretly felt nervous. This was his first time using Cheerleader's Soul on a human, uncertain if it would be detected. He'd prepared excuses, planning to claim a weakened version of his talent if discovered.

But soon he realized his worries were unnecessary - Old Bird never suspected his sudden improvement came from Chen Guan's ability. He simply believed, as Chen Guan said, that his previous poor performance stemmed from lack of confidence.

This was mainly because Cheerleader's Soul didn't provide external enhancement - it merely unlocked inner potential. Those affected wouldn't notice anything unusual, only feeling their own improved state.

"Chen Guan, you're right. After my first Blessed Land expedition and some setbacks, I lost myself and grew insecure. That's why my aim suffered. You've awakened the real me." Old Bird gripped Chen Guan's shoulders excitedly. "Now I understand - with enough confidence and my natural talent, I can become an exceptional archer. I'll make everyone who underestimated me regret it, especially Ji Nanhong for kicking me from the elite team..."

"Old Bird, I know you can do it. You've always been the best in this regard." Chen Guan's eyes shone with conviction, his voice firm as he continued providing emotional support.

"Come! Let's hunt Mystical Spirits to level up first. When we both reach Level 10, we'll go to Golem Valley, slay those golems, obtain legendary treasures, and make Ji Nanhong's team eat their words!" Old Bird's confidence overflowed, itching to immediately shoot down a golem with one arrow.

Fortunately, he retained some rationality, fearing his recent performance might be temporary luck. He wanted to verify whether his awakened archery skills remained consistently accurate while leveling up.

"Chen Guan, what Secret Technique are you cultivating now?" Old Bird asked as they walked, curious how Chen Guan planned to level up. Different Secret Techniques had varying methods of absorbing Primordial Energy for advancement.

Old Bird himself practiced the rare "Stealth Kill Art" obtained from an uncommon Mystical Spirit called "Stealth Killer." It allowed absorbing some dispersed Primordial Energy from slain spirits, though the quantity was limited to only freely floating energy, unable to actively extract more - far inferior to the Bloodsucking Art.

Each level gained through Stealth Kill Art increased his Primordial Energy capacity by 1.63 while providing significant physical enhancement.

"I'm still practicing the Longevity Art, haven't found a suitable new technique yet. Currently still Level 1. Ideally, I'd like to obtain a Unique-grade high-quality Secret Technique before leveling up." Chen Guan stated his ambition plainly - a deliberate move. If a Secret Technique dropped from the golem, he needed to secure it; otherwise this partnership would lose meaning.

"Chen Guan, you're too idealistic. Unique-grade high-level Secret Techniques aren't so easily obtained. Any Rare or Uncommon technique with growth rate above 1.6 would suffice for now. You can always switch to better techniques after leveling up - the Primordial Energy difference won't be huge." Old Bird pulled a Secret Core from his pocket, handing it to Chen Guan. "This is my spare Rare-grade 'Diamond Art.' Like Longevity Art, it absorbs Primordial Energy from Blessed Lands but much faster. Use it temporarily until we find something better."

"Even at Level 10, my combat ability would remain lacking. With Rouge and your archery, we can handle the golem. Focus on leveling Rouge first." Chen Guan paused, meeting Old Bird's gaze. "If we kill the golem and get Secret Skills, treasures, or pets, you can have them all. But if a Secret Technique drops, it goes to me. Agreed?"

"Absolutely! Done deal." Old Bird agreed without hesitation.

"By the way, what level is your cute rabbit?" Old Bird asked.

"Level 2." Chen Guan answered truthfully.

Old Bird's eyes widened in shock. "Level 2? A Level 2 creature decapitating a mutated corpse puppet in one strike? That's insane attack power! Are you sure it's only Level 2?"

He'd assumed Rouge must be at least Level 5 to behead a Level 6-7 mutated corpse puppet, even with the element of surprise.

"Just reached Level 2, no mistake." Chen Guan confirmed.

"Unique-grade Mystical Spirits are truly on another level. Those with treasure items are different indeed." Old Bird marveled, his excitement growing visibly. "With such a pet, we might actually slay that Great Dark Heaven Golem Mystical Spirit!"

After some thought, Old Bird added, "Your pet's abilities are impressive, but its level's too low for high-level areas. Let's hunt corpse puppets in the Corpse Puppet Forest first. Regular ones are Level 4-5, and the mutated ones we encountered were Level 6-7. Together with your pet, we can handle them safely, as long as we avoid the Level 10 Corpse Puppet Forest Lord deeper inside."

Chen Guan had no objections. With Rouge following, they proceeded upstream along a winding mountain creek resembling a green serpent. Along its banks grew exotic flowers, peculiar mushrooms, and bizarre fruits rarely seen outside Blessed Lands.

Some Blessed Land treasures could increase one's Primordial Energy capacity. The academy's Mystical Botany courses documented many miraculous fruits, including the Primordial Sun Fruit that could boost energy capacity by over 100 points overnight.

Numerous rare fruits possessed various wondrous effects, though they were exceptionally scarce. Most Blessed Land flora contained toxins, making indiscriminate consumption deadly - countless had perished from mistaken ingestion.