A colossal wolf, its fur the color of twilight, stood on its hind legs, its massive form easily dwarfing even the largest of cultivator Atticus have ever come across. Its eyes, two burning orbs of molten gold, fixed on Atticus with a predatory glint. Razor-sharp fangs, dripping with a viscous silver liquid, protruded from its maw, and a low growl rumbled from its chest, resonating through the clearing like an approaching storm.This particular beast is considered the lone wolf of the forest, a Moonshadow Stalker, a creature said to roam the deepest, most ancient parts of the forest as it was a vicious predator that was born to slaughter, its power rivaling even some early stage spirit gathering cultivators. Atticus kept his gaze on the colossal wolf as his heart pounded a frantic rhythm against his ribs, adrenaline coursing through his veins. This wasn't just a hunt anymore; this was a fight for survival as Atticus did not expect to meet such high level beast so quickly...or at all.He
As Atticus delved deeper into the forest, the dense foliage cast heavy shadows around him, obscuring the path ahead. He pressed on, mindful of every rustle of leaves and snap of twigs, his senses heightened by the recent encounter with the Moonshadow Stalker.Suddenly, the air grew thick with the acrid scent of sulfur and smoke. A guttural roar echoed through the trees, alerting Atticus who was close by. He quickened his pace, drawn towards the source of the commotion by an unseen force.Emerging into a clearing, he was met with a scene of utter chaos. Four figures, clad in the familiar blue and white robes of outer court disciples, were locked in a desperate struggle against six monstrous creatures. The beasts resembled giant lizards, their scales shimmering like molten obsidian in the dim light, their eyes burning with an infernal glow. Each lizard stood taller than any man, their razor-sharp claws flashing as they lunged at their prey.The outer disciples, clearly outmatched and ou
Atticus resumed his hunt, his body feeling lighter and stronger after the recent battle. The System had finally registered his complaint and refrained from passively absorbing the core of the beasts he had just slain. He reached into the pouch on his waist where six cores now resided, pulsing orb of fiery energy from the fire breathing lizards he had slaughtered. A smirk played on his lips. These cores would normally be worth a significant amount of contribution points, enough to finally purchase the strengthening pills and several other cultivation resources from the alchemy pavilion in the sect but most of the cores with him will probably be going to the sect in return for not being punished for solitary confinement.Atticus wasn't bothered about this though since he could already feel his body getting stronger and more resilient. The rate at which he absorbed and consolidated qi had increased too, once more pushing his cultivation base to the peak of the 3rd level of foundation e
Atticus, unaware of the brewing storm both amongst the beasts and the cultivators, continued his hunt, his senses heightened by the recent exertion. As he stalked through the dense undergrowth, a strange notification flashed across his mind.[Qi dispersion detected, traces of void energy detected.][Master Atticus, this energy source is very important in the potential upgrading of the system which will also benefit you.]Atticus's brows furrowed in curiosity. Void energy? He had never encountered anything like it before and he wondered what it would look like. The System's message, however, was clear – this energy was crucial. He adjusted his course, following the faint traces of energy like a compass guiding him north.Meanwhile, within the heart of the Forbidden Forest, Gorgon and the other beasts watched with grim satisfaction as the distant sounds of a Qi constantly churning echoed through the trees. Their plan was working. The chaotic spirit qi, generated by the ripening of the f
Panic erupted in the clearing as the disciples, caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the beasts and the horrifying scene of their fellow disciple being devoured by unseen insects, scattered in all directions. The clearing, once bathed in an eerie green glow, descended into chaos, echoing with screams, roars, and the clash of steel against flesh.Atticus, his instincts honed by years of training, remained rooted to the spot for a fleeting moment, assessing the situation. A monstrous wolf lunged at him, its eyes burning with predatory hunger. This beast emanated an aura of power, indicating it was at least in the early stages of the Spirit Gathering realm, far exceeding most of the disciples present.However, Atticus, despite being one cultivation realm lower, felt a surge of confidence. After killing his way through the forbidden forest and having several battles with peak Foundation Establishment and early stage Spirit Gathering beasts, he had regained his confidence. Reincarn
The air crackled with tension as Jing Hao and Gorgon stood facing each other amidst the chaos in the clearing. Gorgon's sinister smile widened as he welcomed Jing Hao."Welcome, I've been waiting for a while. At some point, I was afraid you wouldn't show up," Gorgon sneered, his eyes glinting with a malevolent gleam.Jing Hao, her expression stern, responded, "What gave you the confidence to slaughter the cultivators? Today is the day we cleanse this forest of your malevolence.""Hypocrites! Fools!" Gorgon spat. "You think you can stand against the tide of change? This forest has suffered for too long. It's time for a new era, a rebirth."Before Jing Hao could retort, a sudden disturbance emanated from the red plume tree. The entire tree shivered as if awakening, and all the fruits on it burst simultaneously. A surge of spirit qi filled the air, making the space in the area volatile. A large barrier suddenly appeared all around the area, it seemed that its intent was to seal them him.
Atticus knew that he wasn't going to remain safe for long if he kept being in such a passive position. Li ming who was in his arms had long since passed out, this can be seen as a small blessing for her as she would not have to experience whatever catastrophe occurred next."Rhea, isn't there something I could do. I mean I was brought back for a reason and I refuse to believe that I would just die this fast!"[Void energy has long since been detected, the spatial crack is fueled by it, its source being the peculiarity of the mutated red plume spirit tree][Master Atticus just needs to absorb this energy, and this will lead to the closure of the crack.]"Wait, so all this time I could just have absorb the energy?"Atticus stared at the waves of power that flowed all around the red plume spirit tree, it was so dense that trying to absorb something like this was akin to madness.[You had imposed restrictions on the system on absorption master Atticus] Rhea retorted, referring to Atticus'
The casualty of this years hunt was unprecedented and no one would ever have guessed that something like this would have happened. In fact sect had tried to make sure something like this never happened and it could be said that their very act of trying to prevent this also led to the very thing they were trying to prevent.Every year before the traditional sect hunt, Core formation experts would scout the entire forest pruning the beasts and reducing their numbers if it surpassed the amount they had set in stone.This led to the beast breeding immense hate for the cultivators and they and their offspring were being used as a whetstone to temper their young cultivators.Gorgon and the others had tried to fight back but they could not hope to win against the cultivators. The bloodhound sect isn't the only one they would have to face even if they won. The sect was built near the forest for the sole purpose of keeping the beasts in the forbidden forest in check and that was how this tradi