24 Chapter XXIV: Hunter's Forest

Lunar Temple, Hunter's Forest

For the first time in my new life, I was slightly terrified as the Hunter's Forest reminded me of a Predator Movie. Wonderful movie to watch, but I would never want to be a part of it. The climate there was tropical-like with killer humidity, and the heat wasn't lacking in the slightest. The air had a rich sweet smell that accompanied the humidity.

Looking around the dense forest, I noticed the moisture was extremely vast, signifying it had just rained. Even the slightest movement of my feet produces a wet, squelching sound.

However, apart from the environment, there was an even pressure overlaying the area. In a nutshell, I had stepped into the beast nation, and I was incredibly nervous. After a few deep breaths, I calmed down slightly when a domineering feminine voice resounded over the forest.

"So another batch has come! Good! Though this seems like the first floor, it's just the preliminary test! The rules are simple! Kill a beast a realm above you. If another person so much as lands a strike on your targeted beast or saves you, the hunt is void. If one person starts the attack and fails to kill the beast, the beast will be labeled invalid and no longer counted amongst the pool of available beasts to hunt…

This means, even if you kill an invalid beast, it will not count. Unfair?! Who cares! My clan was destroyed by its slaves! Unfairness is a way of the world! Overcome it, and you'll get a chance to march to the top of the Chaos Serpent Planet." the voice boomed, then fell silent.

"Well fuck me…." I sighed.

Moving as stealthily as possible, I zipped through the forest following the basic survival information that I once learned in my former life. In the search for a water source, I learned that the forest had multiple climates as I eventually crossed over into an area with dry heat.

After hours passed, moving through the dangerous land and avoid beasts, the mysterious sun that lit the forest began to set, and the moon took its place. Noticing the change, I recalled a small cave a few miles back and decided to camp for the night.

Morning came slow. But when it did, I changed my approach and decides to map the forest from a different perspective. From the top of the forest trees, I discovered that the forest seemed to be never-ending. But at the edge of the horizon, numerous trees were falling.

Hoping that it was one of my people and not a fight between beasts, I rushed forward, only stopping when I was within earshot. The moment I focused my senses, I noticed a familiar heartbeat and scent. Kicking off the tree, I flew into the altercation as my sword appeared in my hand to block a vicious paw strike.

The sheer power of the beast shook my organs, and time seemed to slow down. Staring into the eyes of the raging daemon beast, we shared an intense determination. Mine, to protect the people close to me. Motivation flashed before my eyes as my stomach churned, my throat burned, and a mouthful of blood was spit from my lips.

I flew like a napkin in the breeze. As my vision faltered, I felt a pair of arms wrap around my torso, and we twisted as a miaodao swung around, lashing the side of the beast's face. The petite hand clutched my blouse, and the wind cascaded off my body during the hard maneuver.

The moment she lands, her footwork was flawless, moving with the momentum to create distance and stabilize us.

"M-master…" she panted while holding up her miaodao with a slight tremble.

Reaching out, I pulled down her sword and stepped in front of her. I used a palm to push her away in less than a second as my essence flared and martial intent exploded.

Pah! Pushing off the ground with great force, I used my strongest ability, martial arts stimulated by my martial intent, created solely for me.

Just like the phantom figures that appeared the day achieved martial intent. My body moved as I engage the twin-tailed spiked-back hippopotamus-like creature.

As my strikes switched fist and palm, kicks and knees, I took on the beast, destroying the land around us. I quickly learn that its hide was like steel, and its strikes like falling mountains.

In the mists of an airborne spin, my palm came like a blade, severing a back spike in two before reclaiming distance between my opponent. My body ached, blood-stained my skin as I struggled to breathe. But the smile on my face was one of victory.

Though I looked miserable and at my wit's end, I took a healing pill from my interspatial ring along with a Qi Replenishing pill. My eyes then focused on the back spikes. An image then flashes across my mind of the beast's tender back and how it reacted to my last attack.

Gathering my strength, I watched as the beast's eyes turned blood red and black veins riddle its body. It then cried out in uninhibited rage --a howl so harrowing that blood tricked from my ears.

"Half step Rank Two...Haiz! Such a terrifying beast." I muttered to myself as I stirred my senses, pushing them to the maximum.

The crazed beast prepared to move, and my ears twitched as I heard its tendons, bones, muscles, and breath. In my eyes, it seemed to be moving slowly as my body reacted to my mind in a near-instant.

Cahh! My strike connected, and the force of the collision rippled through the area.

"Bone Destruction Set! First form, Shaking the Bone!" I grunted, pushing my strength to the limit. The beast was rocked as his bones were attacked with a strong vibration.

"Second Form! Cracking the Bone!"

"Third Form! Destroying the Marrow!"

"Four Form! Shattering the Bone!"

"Fith Form! Bone to Dust!"

"Sixth Form! Bone Annihilation!"

After images appeared above the beast as I executed the set with furry. Finally, tumbling to the ground, my vision wavered. Thankfully, I saw the back spikes on the giant beast crumble to nothing before its body crashed to the ground.

Beasts were naturally durable, and the stronger they became, the more horrifying their physiques became. Unlike the Beast, the Mythic and Human races had to cultivate the body and awaken a physique to match a Daemon Beast head-on without worry.

That day I learned the gap between Deamon beast and me. To bridge the gap, I needed a physique as soon as possible.

Sometime later, I awoke beside a small fire, and the fragrant scent of freshly steeped tea filled the air. The ground had a pleasant coolness, and the sun was just low enough to color the sky beautifully without providing proper light.

"Master Orym…" a small voice roped my attention.

Turning my head to the side, I noticed Wu Zexi frantically putting down a pot of tea before rushing to my side. I chuckled a bit to myself as she examined me with a worried look.

"Little girl, I worry about your intelligence." gently grasping her forearm, I move her aside then sit up. "You almost died out there. You should know when to run away. No one becomes a powerhouse overnight. Start small and work your way up."

I sat in silence as I watched Little Wu's cheeks turn a deep red, and tears created a light gliding effect, hit just right but the minimal amount of light the sun provided. Her breathing became labored and her sniffles more pronounced.

"Haiz… Xi'er…" I spoke softly, coaxing her attention. When I could finally look into her wary eyes. I gave her a comforting smile before pulling her into a hug. "Everything will be okay. I'll save you a million times until the day comes that you can protect yourself. And even then, I'll put myself between you and Daemon Beast, so save your tears."

"M-Master…" she stammered between sobs.

'Wu Zexi...Wu Zexi,' I thought solemnly in my heart as I held the crying girl. I was regretful, guilty. Even though she was willing to follow me, I should have done more to prepare her as the person looking after her. The memories of Ace Zenith came flooding back of the future battle that was destined to take Wu Zexi's life.

This pitiful girl belongs to me. Everything she lacked is my responsibility. And at the moment, the tears she shed and the blame she shouldered were all due to my shortcomings and had nothing to do with her.

I continued holding her until her cries died down, and she drifted into a much-needed sleep. That night I swore to the heavens that I would do better to help her grow. Throwing money to save her, putting books in her face, and showing her to use a miaodao isn't enough.

I swore to help her live, understand and navigate the world and master the miaodao.

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"Master?" she called, "Shouldn't we leave this place?"

I looked over the lake that the Spiked Hippo had come from with scrutinizing eyes. The beast was dead, hours had passed, and the lake was calm. Besides the stealthy few beasts that had arrived to lap up a few drops of water before fleeing, the lake was ultimately peaceful.

"I think we'll be fine. If I'm not mistaking, there should be another beast in the water. One a lot more terrifying than that hippo thing." I replied.

Wu Zexi looked worried as she clutched her miaodao. "What should we do?"

"Mmm. I'm still too weak to move across the forest." I told her, " We'll stay here for now. It seems to be safe apart from the few beasts."

"Shouldn't we find the others?" Little Wu asked.

Placing my hand on her hand, I could feel her relax. " Nim is going to be fine." I said, " QingQing and the others know how to run and hide. The beasts here are strong, so we need to get stronger. First, I heal, then we train, and when we're ready, we'll move across the forest to find them. But the best way to see them again is hunting the beast that we need to enter the first floor."

Little Wu hummed as she nodded. Leaving the lakeside, we found a spot to cultivate. Circulating the Nature Sutra, my body was hit with overflowing Nature Qi of pure and almost intoxicating quality. The Nature Qi filled my body, and I used it to strengthen my foundation further before building upwards.

After some time, my body was completely healed. Satisfied, I watched Little Wu until the clammy feeling of dirt, blood, and impurities urged me to bathe.

Looking towards the lake, I stretched my senses and couldn't find a beast near the surface, so I decided to take a chance. Leaping towards the lake, I freed myself from my clothes and dived into the water with a big splash. It was oddly warm and thick, though it was clear like water.

Once I resurfaced, I kicked my feet steadily to tread water, ready to haul ass the moment a beast moved. Surprisingly, even after I entered, nothing happened. Time then passed as I washed when I suddenly began to feel the energy on the water turn from warm to hot. I then felt it snake into my pores and slither its way to my sea of consciousness.

Panicking, I shot out of the water and landed in the lotus position, diving into my mind. Entering my sea of consciousness. The landscape had somehow developed thick, dark, harrowing storm clouds. When the storm cloud gave way to a great deluge over my sea of consciousness, I quickly developed mind-splitting headaches.

"This….ahh!"

My eyes snapped open a squeezed my head, desperately trying to hold on as the rain clouds in my mind became smaller as the storm continued. However, it was torture, and the level of pain I was at was indescribable.

Crack!

"Gahh!" Blood spewed from my mouth as the boundaries of my sea of consciousness began to crack.

Forcing my hand together, I struggled to form a hand sign. Once set, I cultivated the Six Natured Limit Breaker. Almost instantly, five flames of varying colors appeared in my mind. The flames were intense. As raindrops hit them, the sound of sizzles filled my mind.

The vapors produced became soothing before the flames released a low hum and spun at high speed. The flames created a vortex that swallowed the storm clouds, and the revolving flames then became a furnace. The clouds soon nourished my spirit and strengthened my senses, refining, shattering, and expanding my sea of consciousness.

Hours later, the five flames had become shards surrounding a red spark. Looking at the scene, something inside me gave me the answer to the question I had yet to ask.

"My sixth sense…." I muttered. The spark was the birth of my sixth sense, and the five shards were my perfected senses.

Once I opened my heavy eyes, I looked at the lake and realized that the place was undoubtedly a coveted treasure amongst the finest prizes.

"So this is what people call a fortuitous encounter," I spoke to myself, "I wonder what this place is. To have such a lake the nourishes the soul would surely start wars. And to think we haven't even entered the official floors."

At the same time, while I was in awe of the chanced upon fortune, a pair of eyes were locked on me and Soul Cultivation technique that once belonged to the Faye race. The pair of eyes then widen as it took in my characteristics.

I had become a person of interest as the Elven Sage's Nature Sutra, Dragon Race's Ecliptic Battle Body Technique, and the Faye's Six Natured Limit Breaker were identified.

"Three path cultivator... Elven Sage? In the Deep South? No...Impossible. And his hair…" a feminine voice muttered to herself as he looked at me.

She then looked around the Forest and saw another Elven Sage, Nimue.

"This is real… I can't let this go.." The mysterious woman quickly began to calculate.

Outside of the lunar temple. An array appeared, and a barrier was erected. Within the Lunar Temple, a Seven Colored Water Lilly appeared on the surface of the mysterious lake before it was pulled to the bottom of the lake.

Once the seven lights vanished, I knew I had to make it to the bottom somehow.

"Master! Master! Did you see?!" Wu Zexi was ecstatic as she had read many of the books that I had. Though she couldn't remember all of the text. Something like the Seven Colored Water Lilly was etched into her mind. It was a treasure for sword users. Specifically female sword users.

Though I wasn't aware that I was being baited at the time. I was determined as the Seven Colored Water Lilly was something even my Vamoria clan didn't have. A treasure that can give Little Wu an unshakeable foundation and establish a coveted physique if the Heavenly Treasure is old enough is something I was obligated to fight for.