Deathbloom Vale

{Picture of Alexandra without a mask}

Short Chapter 

—

We had been walking for 1 hour and hadn't encountered any ferocious beasts. Well, except for that weak Flame Rabbit that hopped out in front of us. Xu Jie screamed like a little girl and obliterated it with an ice spike technique called Frostbite. Total overkill. I mean, the poor rabbit didn't stand a chance.

Turns out there are five levels in this forest:

1. Edge of the Forest(Late Foundation Establishment Realm to Late Core Formation Realm) - 3 hours

2. Inner Woods (Peak Core Formation Realm to Late Nascent Soul Realm) - 5 hours (Cemetery's location)

3. Mystic Glades (Peak Nascent Soul Realm to Late Soul Transformation Realm) - 8 hours

4. Dark Heart (Peak Soul Transformation Realm to Late Void Refinement Realm) - 10 hours

5. Ancient Abyss (Peak Void Refinement Realm to Peak Great Ascension Realm) - 15 hours

Every section gets bigger and more dangerous.

I got this information from the system, which, for some reason, forgot to mention it the first time I was here. 'I didn't think it was necessary,' it said. 'The creatures in this forest are weaklings, not worth our attention.' While I would have appreciated the heads-up, it wasn't wrong—they were pretty weak compared to us. But of course, I didn't tell the system that.

The system started getting annoyed. 'Why are we always walking instead of using our cultivation to speed up to our destination?' it grumbled.

'I'm trying to run into some beasts so my disciple and I can fight and meet new ones,' I replied. 'And also so my future disciples have somewhere to gain experience.'

'So, you plan to conquer this forest?' it asked, suddenly excited, which was unusual for the system.

'Basically,' I said.

'Finally, some real action! I was starting to think my life with you was going to be all rainbows and sunshine,' it said with relief.

'What's wrong with that?' I asked.

'It's not fun! A life without bloodshed or death is boring.' it replied.

'Crazy bastard,' I thought.

As if luck was on our side, a Thunder Wolf, an early Core Formation beast, appeared in our path.

Xu Jie's eyes widened in terror. "Is that a Thunder Wolf?"

Yutian Wei's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Master, may I fight it?"

"Of course, my dear disciple," I said, grinning.

Yutian Wei leaped into action. The Thunder Wolf snarled and charged at him, its fur crackling with electricity. Yutian dodged the initial attack, his movements swift and precise. He countered with a series of rapid punches and kicks, each one infused with his qi. The wolf growled, swiping at him with electrified claws, but Yutian deftly avoided each strike.

Xu Jie stood with his mouth wide open, frozen in place. "Is he really fighting that thing?"

The system chimed in. 'He's got good form, but he's expending too much energy on each strike.'

Yutian Wei continued his assault, landing a powerful kick that sent the Thunder Wolf sprawling. The beast struggled to get up, but Yutian was relentless, delivering a final, decisive blow that knocked it unconscious. He stood over the defeated beast, panting heavily but unharmed.

Yutian turned to me, a tired but triumphant smile on his face. He bowed deeply. "What did you think, Sect Leader?"

Hearing him call me that for the first time was a pleasant surprise. Xu Jie looked even more shocked. "Sect Leader?"

I grinned from ear to ear with satisfaction. "You did great, as expected of my sect's only disciple, of course that was before you." I said looking at Xu Jie with a smirk.

Xu Jie's jaw dropped further, his eyes darting between Yutian Wei and me. "Sect Leader? Only Disciple? What have I gotten myself into?"

Yutian's smile grew wider, clearly pleased with my praise. "Thank you, Sect Leader."

"Now," I said, turning to Xu Jie, "shall we continue? The Inner Woods await, and I have a feeling our journey is about to get even more interesting."

—

In the Inner Woods of the Deathbloom Vale, the air was thick with tension. A middle-aged man, dressed in battle-worn robes of dark green and black, stood in a clearing. His graying hair was tied back in a rough ponytail, and his eyes burned with fierce determination. He was a late Nascent Soul realm cultivator, and he was fighting for his life against a Dire Thunder Serpent, a creature with scales that crackled with electricity and eyes that gleamed with malice.

"What is a peak Nascent Soul realm beast doing in the Inner Woods?" he muttered to himself between labored breaths. "I won't ever forgive you, Liao Tao, for leaving me to die," he snarled, his teeth gritted in fury.

This man, Wei Zhang, had once been a trusted ally of Liao Tao, a fellow cultivator. They had ventured into the Deathbloom Vale together, seeking rare herbs and beasts. However, Liao Tao had betrayed him, luring him into an ambush and fleeing with the spoils, leaving Wei Zhang to fend for himself against the forest's deadly inhabitants.

Wei Zhang glared at the beast before him. "But I won't go down without a fight," he declared, raising his sword. The Dire Thunder Serpent lunged at him, its fangs bared and lightning crackling along its body. Wei Zhang dodged, his movements fluid yet strained. He countered with a powerful slash, his blade glowing with his qi, but the serpent's scales deflected the blow, sending sparks flying.

The serpent coiled and struck again, this time catching Wei Zhang on the arm. He grimaced in pain but didn't falter. With a roar, he unleashed a torrent of fire from his palm, engulfing the serpent in flames. The beast screeched, thrashing wildly as the fire seared its scales. Wei Zhang pressed his advantage, striking again and again, his movements growing more desperate as his strength waned.

Finally, with a mighty effort, Wei Zhang drove his sword into the serpent's head, piercing its skull. The beast let out a final, ear-splitting scream before collapsing to the ground, lifeless. Wei Zhang stood over it, panting heavily, his body trembling from exhaustion and his wounds.

Blood dripped from numerous gashes on his body, and he could feel his consciousness slipping away. Just as he was about to succumb to the darkness, he saw a tall woman standing above him. Her presence was commanding, her eyes filled with admiration.

"Impressive," said the mysterious woman, her voice calm and strong.

Wei Zhang tried to speak, but his vision blurred, and the last thing he saw before everything went black was her face, a mixture of respect and curiosity etched upon it.

The woman knelt beside him and placed a hand on his chest, feeling the faint pulse of his life force. "You've been through a lot, haven't you?" she murmured softly, her eyes scanning his injuries. "But you're not done yet. Not if I have anything to say about it."