As he spoke, Qin Yuyan formed a hand seal, and with a slight motion of his fingertips, several Green-Edged Short Swords fluttered like butterflies, landing on the notch of the Age Birch's trunk.

To say he's unskilled, Wang Mu felt his Sword Controlling Technique was quite precise, landing on the same spot every time. A series of CLANGS and BANGS followed. There was no helping it. The Age Birch was much tougher than the Purple Shuo Tree. But to say he was skilled... this was already the seventh Green Blade Small Sword to be knocked away, its edge chipped. For a moment, Wang Mu didn't know what to make of him.

Glancing at the sky, Wang Mu drew an axe with a backhand motion and swung it down in a simple, unadorned chop—a true return to basics. Axe-light flashed! A section of the Age Birch's branch was instantly severed. The cut was smooth and even; one could even see the sap within, yet to ooze from the fresh break.

Qin Yuyan, who was in the midst of forming a hand seal, froze for several seconds. He then picked up the severed Age Birch branch from the ground and fell silent.

"See? An axe is much faster," Wang Mu said. "Alright, let's head to the next spot!"

"..." Qin Yuyan.

"You..." Qin Yuyan sized Wang Mu up and down. "Your strength is... that incredible?"

"Just brute force," Wang Mu waved his hand dismissively. "In a real fight, your Flying Swords would have riddled me with holes long ago."

Brute force? Qin Yuyan looked at the smooth, clean cut, then glanced at Wang Mu skeptically. That didn't seem like something mere brute force could achieve, could it?

"It's mainly because I've chopped a lot," Wang Mu explained. "Practice makes perfect. If you chopped often, you'd be able to do it too."

"Anle Village truly is the dwelling of Ancient Sages…" Qin Yuyan said with admiration as he stored the Age Birch wood. "Even though you villagers cannot undergo Cultivation, you far surpass ordinary people. You're among the most capable individuals in the world."

Wang Mu had to admit, this Qin Yuyan was quite eloquent. Truly befitting a Disciple from a Righteous Sect.

"For the Crying Blood Black Spirit, I won't trouble you, Brother Wang. Once we find it, you just need to hide," Qin Yuyan said, patting his chest. "I can handle a Fierce Beast like that on my own."

Wang Mu nodded, not doubting his claim.

The Crying Blood Black Spirit was, in fact, a type of red-feathered sparrow with a black tail. It was just a fancy name. Their strength was average within the Divine Wood Forest. They were known for flying fast and liked to suck the blood of living creatures. Sometimes, when they overindulged, they would weep special blood-tears, which were rumored to be a unique material. For Cultivators, chopping trees might not be their forte, but dealing with Fierce Beasts was another matter. A few casually cast Spells, as long as they connected, would make short work of them.

Wang Mu estimated these three were at the Qi Cultivation Stage, though he wasn't sure which layer. The mere thought that he had to practice the Hundred Refinement Body Technique to one hundred layers just to reach the First Layer of Qi Cultivation made Wang Mu feel that the Immortal Path was as arduous as ascending to the heavens.

After obtaining the Age Birch, Wang Mu led Qin Yuyan to search for the Crying Blood Black Spirit in the Divine Wood Forest. This type of Fierce Beast had no fixed lair. It would fly over and hide nearby whenever it sensed the scent of Fierce Beasts fighting, waiting to suck their blood. Finding one wasn't too difficult.

Before long, Wang Mu spotted a Crying Blood Black Spirit several hundred meters away. It was gnawing on a Fierce Beast's corpse, and as it fed, it seemed to be performing Wash Marrow on the remains.

"It's right ahead. You want to handle it yourself?" Wang Mu asked, standing atop a tree trunk, looking down, and pointing into the distance.

"Of course!" Qin Yuyan inhaled deeply. A stream of pure, ethereal Qi seemed to emanate from his eyes, as if he were employing some special Divine Skill.

Wang Mu watched quietly.

The next instant, Qin Yuyan's fingertips flicked.

WHIZ!

A Light Sword shot from his eyes! Guided by his sword finger, it instantly crossed a distance of over a hundred meters! In the blink of an eye, it pierced right through the Crying Blood Black Spirit.

Such potent killing power. Wang Mu nodded inwardly in acknowledgment. I wonder what kind of Spell that was? Precise and instantly fatal!

"Success!" A smile spread across Qin Yuyan's face. "Thank you, Brother Wang! I didn't expect this trip to be so smooth!"

Wang Mu waved his hand, about to speak. Just then, a wailing cry suddenly echoed from the distance. Upon hearing it, Wang Mu's expression changed drastically.

"Run! We have to leave now!" Wang Mu's expression darkened.

"What's going on?" Qin Yuyan, startled, quickly asked.

"A Fierce Beast is coming… a very powerful one," Wang Mu said, turning as if to flee.

"What powerful Fierce Beast?" Qin Yuyan asked confidently. "Brother Wang, no need to worry. No matter how strong it is, it's just…"

He hadn't finished speaking when a bird-like Flying Beast emerged from the distant sky. It was shaped somewhat like an eagle but had goat-like horns on its head. Its cry, like an infant's wail, was both savage and chilling. It wasn't particularly large.

"Just a mere Flying Beast," Qin Yuyan glanced at it, unconcerned. With a flick of his sword finger, the Flying Sword that had just slain the Crying Blood Black Spirit immediately streaked toward the creature in the sky. The sword light flashed brilliantly, like falling rain. However, when it struck the creature's wings, it only caused water-like ripples before vanishing instantly.

"WAAAH..."

The wailing cry arose again, and the Fierce Eagle immediately looked towards Qin Yuyan and Wang Mu.

"What... what kind of Fierce Beast is this?" Qin Yuyan, his attack having failed, was slightly stunned. "My Green Light Transformation Sword Technique had no effect at all? That can't be right! I killed that Crying Blood Black Spirit so easily just now…"

"This is a Gu Diao, a Fierce Beast that has lived for at least several hundred years," Wang Mu said, turning to flee. "It's one of the most powerful Fierce Beasts from the depths of the Divine Wood Forest. To be precise, it's not native to the Divine Wood Forest; it just occasionally visits…"

The Village Chief had warned them about it on the very first day; the Gu Diao was the first creature he mentioned. The best choice upon encountering it was to flee immediately. Compared to the Xuan Gu and the Flame King Human-faced Lion, this one was the strongest. It was far beyond what someone from Newbie Village could handle as a boss. A bit like a roaming world boss: fleeting and rarely seen.

"Such a formidable creature?" Qin Yuyan had vaguely heard of it but had never seen one. He shivered and turned to flee after Wang Mu.

The Gu Diao, drawn by Qin Yuyan's attack, pursued them relentlessly, like a vengeful honey badger.

Gu Diao devour humans. They especially favor eating Cultivators. Getting caught would basically mean bidding farewell to this world.

Wang Mu's running speed was exceptional. Darting east and leaping west through the Divine Wood Forest, he made shaking off the Gu Diao look easy. Moreover, he had secretly constructed one or two temporary hidden caves in the Divine Wood Forest, which could serve as shelters.

However, Qin Yuyan wasn't having such an easy time. The Gu Diao was too fast. To Qin Yuyan, Wang Mu's explosive burst of speed had left him looking like nothing more than a fading afterimage. Moreover, the effects of Qin Yuyan's Light Body Technique seemed to have worn off.

"Brother Wang… I… I can't run anymore…"

Before long, Qin Yuyan called out from behind, his voice strained, "Go on without me, Brother Wang! Don't worry about me! I still have a Protective Magic Treasure; this Gu Diao shouldn't be able to harm me!"

Wow, truly a rich second-generation kid. He certainly has plenty of Treasures!

After a moment's thought, Wang Mu hesitated briefly, then glanced back. He immediately saw Qin Yuyan take out a Jade Token, which transformed into a transparent barrier of light, enveloping him.

In the distance, the Gu Diao flapped its wings, and a violent wind instantly coalesced into countless Qi Blades.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

A single clash!

BOOM!

The barrier of light shattered instantly! The powerful torrent of Qi instantly sent Qin Yuyan flying…

"..." Wang Mu.

So much for that Protective Magic Treasure! This Gu Diao really is a randomly roaming world boss! Damn, it's strong! It seems only Cultivators with profound Cultivation levels could deal with it.

Wang Mu looked at Qin Yuyan, who lay not far away. He frowned, hesitated for a moment, then went over. Qin Yuyan's complexion was ashen, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. His gaze was unfocused.

"Brother Wang…" Qin Yuyan's voice was weak and his breathing shallow, as if he were on the verge of death.

Wang Mu immediately hoisted Qin Yuyan onto his shoulder and dashed off.

This guy is really light, just like carrying a small stone, Wang Mu thought, shaking his head. These Cultivators, supposedly subsisting on wind and dew, really don't have much meat on their bones.

"I've burdened you, Brother Wang."

"You certainly have," Wang Mu replied bluntly as he ran.

"..."

"But since I was the one who brought your group into the Divine Wood Forest, I can't just stand by and watch you die," Wang Mu said, shaking his head. "Don't worry, there's a hidden cave I built up ahead. We can hide there for a while. Once this Gu Diao's aggression subsides, it should leave on its own."

Soon after, Wang Mu, still carrying Qin Yuyan, arrived at the cave. The entrance was a pit about the size of a well. Below, there were temporarily set traps and a relatively spacious cavern, large enough for several people.

When Hunting in the Divine Wood Forest, creating such temporary shelters is essential. Even someone as strong as the Village Chief sometimes had to retreat when pursued by an unbeatable Fierce Beast. One particularly feared encountering an unusually terrifying Fierce Beast like the Gu Diao.

Upon entering the shelter pit, Wang Mu felt much safer. Outside, the cries of the Gu Diao continued unabated… But the pit entrance was too small, and the cavern was deep underground. A Flying Beast like this couldn't do much unless it could burrow or somehow tear up the entire area. For the time being, it wasn't likely to reach them.

"We're safe for now," Wang Mu said, setting Qin Yuyan down and letting out a sigh of relief. "Rest for a while."

"Thank you, Brother Wang." Qin Yuyan managed a faint smile. As he looked at Wang Mu, a subtle flicker seemed to pass through his eyes. He suddenly reached out towards Wang Mu's face.

Wang Mu immediately recoiled several steps, a shiver running down his spine as he demanded:

"What are you doing?"

Qin Yuyan, startled, pointed at Wang Mu's shoulder. "There are some leaves on your shoulder. I just wanted to help you get them off…"

"I can get them myself," Wang Mu said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Just… keep your hands to yourself."

"..." Qin Yuyan.

Huh, so he doesn't like men? Qin Yuyan wondered, a little puzzled.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.