A while ago…
Elder Lin Dong stared in the direction Ming Ren left. He saw many unexpected events and near-death encounters as a hunter, yet nothing explained what had happened. A young man popped out of nowhere, displayed master-level cooking, swordsmanship, and knowledge, then destroyed every bit of common sense about the Dao. Changing martial arts as if it was nothing, improving cultivation laws as easily as breathing.
‘The Bright Clan produced such monster talent! The other clans of Bluecloud City… no, even the Brave Clan and royal family, made a grave mistake. Patriarch, our Forest Clan might have found great fortune!’ The elder clenched his fists, gaze landing on Lin Qiang.
Not especially talented, not outstanding in any field. Her only redeeming point would be activating the low-grade treasure of the clan, ‘It seems our vision was lacking. Benefactor, worry not, I will see Qiang’er is treated like a treasure.’
The elder woke up the others. Hunters spent a lot of time in the wild and sometimes stalked their prey for a long time so they rested at any opportunity. With Little Red, the group slept assured they would not be taken by surprise.
None of them woke up during the night. As long as Little Red didn’t warn them of danger, any sleep was priceless while on the field. The group asked about Ming Ren. When the elder said he had left, they had looks of disappointment, especially Little Fu. He’d have chained Ming Ren before if he knew.
Elder Lin Dong commanded once everyone got up, “We’re heading back to the Clan!”
The group became confused. They would usually hunt for a few weeks, try to kill a weak Spirit Sea Realm first layer spirit beast, and only then go home. None of them had a space ring, but they possessed a size-reducing formation plate that worked on non-living things and increased the spoils they could carry. A must for hunters, and something they wouldn’t show to outsiders. It was not considered a treasure but still expensive. This time they only spent a few days, and the elder already wanted to head back.
“What? Elder, perhaps… did the food yesterday give you diarrhea…?” Little Fu asked with a serious face.
Elder Lin Dong, Lin Shu, Lin Qiang, Lin Yin: “😑😑😑😑”
“Little Fu, you… *ahem* Enough nonsense, we’re heading back straight to the clan, don’t dawdle!” The elder thought about teaching them the new techniques, but it would take too long. They changed a lot despite having a common root and similarities. Lin Dong trained for many years but those youths had just begun the path.
To Ming Ren, those techniques embodied the principle of simplicity. To others, they were still heaven tier techniques, requiring months, maybe years, of training and comprehension.
Elder Lin Dong reached great accomplishment with the former techniques, and small accomplishment on the new techniques, but they became more profound with each step. Those techniques also became the most important possession of the clan, their foundation for years to come. The responsibility of handling them to fell to the forest patriarch, not him.
Little Red came out and Lin Qiang traced an almost problem-free path for them. Summoning Little Red took a lot of spiritual energy out of her. Without a complete spirit sea, spiritual energy had to be managed and spent with care. Halfway through to the exit of the Vagrant Woods, Little Red’s spirit jade beast token trembled. A sudden strike like lightning jolted Lin Qiang’s body, stopping her steps. Everyone else stopped and raised their guards while looking at her.
Lin Qiang’s beautiful face was pale and panic-stricken. A small electric shock spread from the token every time Little Red warned her. A much stronger jolt hit this time, signaling danger unlike anything before. She summoned Little Red to find out where the danger would come from. Soon rumbling noises came from the edges of the forest.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Cultivators screamed, one after the other. A powerful aura came forth, surrounding them, an aura filled with hatred and killing intent belonging to a powerful spirit beast.
The entire group brought out their weapons and waited for Little Red to point the way. The small red and white rabbit shook the head and pointed back to where they came from. Leaving the forest was no longer an option, spirit beasts blocked the paths as far as Little Red could check.
“Run back!” Elder Lin Dong shouted, and they all followed. Cultivators of the Body Tempering Realm ran much faster than normal humans but they would still be no match for most spirit beasts, especially flying ones. Soon hurried steps approached. They ran into a group of hunters but didn’t slow down at all.
“Lin Dong!” The middle-aged man in the lead, full of new scars and dripping blood, was happy to see his peer, and also sad for him. A few dozen wounded hunters followed behind, with cultivation at least at the seventh layer of the Body Tempering Realm. The one in the lead reached Spirit Sea Realm second layer and carried a red peak unranked spear.
“Red Leg, what’s going? Why is such powerful killing intent coming from the edge?” Elder Lin Dong asked. The man was an experienced hunter and led an independent group, a loose cultivator.
“Some bastard from the Silver Clan hunted a queen’s newborn!” Red Leg cursed them.
Elder Lin Dong became more worried. A queen!
Powerful spirit beasts that ruled an area were called queen or kings by the hunters. They possessed exceptional power and leadership among their peers. The hunters had to kill the king or queen if one of their children died, or revenge would follow. This was one of the hunter’s ironclad rules.
The elder wanted to ask about the queen when a cultivator in Red Leg’s group screamed in pain. Over a dozen spirit beasts rushed from the woods in the next moment, pouncing at them. Lizard-types, feline-types, snake-types, varying a lot in realm, and with some species the elder had never seen. None exceeded the peak of the ninth layer of the Body Tempering Realm.
A battle broke out. Red Leg’s group could either abandon their own and keep running or turn back and fight. Lin Dong’s group had the same dilemma, but run where? Deeper into the woods, straight into more powerful spirit beasts? Try to break through from the front? They could try choosing one side, but according to Little Red, the beasts surrounded them. A frenzied queen was no joke, even barging into other spirit beasts’ territories in its quest for revenge.
As if combined beforehand, Red Leg and Lin Dong stood ground and signaled to assume battle formations.
“Lin Dong, we kill as many as we can, then make a run for the edge! Hopefully, the queen will go after some other group!” They both knew running away would only reduce their numbers. Without numbers, they would be only prey.
Red Leg bolted to the front, aiming at a peak of the ninth layer snake-type beast called [monster grass snake]. It didn’t spit venom and had weak defenses, so the best way was to take it out quickly. Spiritual energy surrounded his body, spreading to the tip of the red spear, bursting into flames.
The attack hit the snake straight in the head but didn’t kill it right away. The other cultivators took the chance to attack and finish it.
‘I always envied Red Leg’s flame spear, however…’ Elder Lin Dong also joined the fray. He stepped forward, the might of the peak of ninth layer fully present. He wanted to break through after properly tempering his body, but already had the confidence to succeed. His cultivation and martial arts reached new heights.
Aiming at a nearby spirit beast at the peak of the ninth layer, his step carried strength and seemed unmovable for a second.
[Forest Clan Movement Art – Unmovable Forest, Small Accomplishment Stage]
In the blink of an eye, his hand took knife-stance, chopping horizontally from right to left in a sharp and destructive movement.
[Forest Clan Hand Technique – Leaf, Small Accomplishment Stage]
The seemingly effortless strike tore apart the neck of the feline-type spirit beast, beastly forest tiger. A peak of the ninth layer spirit beast, dead in one hit. Red Leg’s jaw dropped to the floor. When did Lin Dong become so powerful?