Yuan strode along the narrow dirt path, its surface crisscrossed with the exposed roots of ancient trees. He kept his head still, eyes locked on the small pond ahead. His footsteps were neither quiet nor cautious, he moved with purpose, even snapping a slender branch underfoot.
It was as if he wandered his own garden, utterly unconcerned by his surroundings. Any creature watching such boldness would assume he was either impossibly powerful or foolishly courting death, especially in a forest filled with bloodthirsty demonic beasts.
After a few more strides, Yuan reached the pond's edge and knelt to study its glassy surface. There was no sign of the creature that had swallowed the beast that lead them to this pond.
No ripples, no shadows.
But Yuan wasn't searching aimlessly. His gaze settled on the spot where the crippled human skeleton lay half buried in the dirt.
Leaning closer, he noticed more than just the battered bones and discarded sword, a small leather pouch lay nearby. Instantly, Yuan recognized it as a bag of holding, an exceedingly rare treasure in the Mortal Domain, normally possessed only by Overlords of the domain or their vassals, like the Martial Cloud Sect.
A lone cultivator owning one was as rare as finding a treasure useful to breakthough to the Meridian awakening stage.
Yuan rose smoothly to his feet, hand sliding to the fang strapped at his thigh. Fingers closing around its bone handle, he watched the water's surface ripple.
In that instant, a sinuous form breached the pond's edge, a massive sky blue serpent, sky blue scales gleaming, lunging toward him.
Yuan took a quick step back as the demonic snake surged forward, his fang already raised and ready.
The demonic snake's slit pupils widened in surprise as it hurtled through the air toward Yuan. Its tail scraped the ground, giving it only tenuous control. Yuan didn't intend to strike it mid air, instead, he tracked that trailing tail.
As the beast flailed and fell, Yuan seized its tail in a swift motion, anchoring the serpent to the earth. Enraged, the creature lashed out with its two razor sharp fangs, but at that moment Haoran thundered into the clearing, his presence alone sending a shiver down the snake's scaly back.
The serpent recoiled in panic, its sinuous body twisting in a frantic bid for freedom. Behind it, Tianyu crept forward silently, using Yuan and Haoran as bait. With fierce determination, Tianyu lunged and pinned the snake's head to the ground, his arms straining against its powerful coils.
Now fully at their mercy, the demonic snake thrashed and writhed, but Tianyu's grip held fast.
"Brother Luanyuan, let's finish it!" Yuxin called from the edge of the bushes, her voice tinged with urgency as the sun dipped low behind the trees.
Yuan nodded. He released the tail, and the creature's struggles weakened, as if it sensed its fate. Yuan placed a firm boot on its midsection to keep it still, then approached Tianyu. Drawing his fang shaped dagger, he probed the serpent's armored scales for a weakness.
At first, the fang glanced harmlessly off the creature's indigo hide, until Yuan spotted a single scale tinged a lighter blue. He struck that spot again and again, at last the hardened scale cracked, and with a final thrust he drove the fang deep into the snake's neck.
The beast's thrashing slowed, its breathing growing faint. Moments later, the demonic snake lay still and lifeless at their feet.
"Haah…" Tianyu's grip on the demonic snake's corpse finally slackened, and he exhaled, pinning it had taken considerable strength.
"What beautiful scales, so sky blue!" Yuxin exclaimed. Haoran leaned in to inspect the serpent's hide and could only nod, agreeing that the scales were indeed pleasing to the eye.
Yuan said nothing, merely shaking his head. He returned to the pond's edge, scanning the water for any other hidden threats. Finding none, he knelt and carefully retrieved the bag of holding, then drew the sword from the mud.
Once free, Yuan tested the Sword against the snake's scales. Though it wasn't his ideal weapon, it remained razor sharp. He noted the handle's awkward grip and visible damage there, but with just a little force, the edge cut cleanly through the serpent's scales.
A genuine smile curved Yuan's lips. "Although the handle is uncomfortable, this is still a good sword. Today, I am truly lucky!"
With Yuan's silent signal, the others, seeing that no beasts emerged to attack him as he retrieved the bag of holding and the sword, began to drink from the pond.
"Hehe," Yuan chuckled softly at their relaxed behavior. Just because nothing had attacked him in that moment didn't mean the pond was safe, a clever demonic creature could still be lurking. He kept his doubts to himself, however, drawn instead to the newly acquired pouch.
As he examined it more closely, Yuan realized the bag was sealed.
"Tsk," he clicked his tongue. Only a Blood Purification, stage cultivator, one with spiritual blood, could break such an seal.
Slightly disappointed, Yuan placed the demonic snake's corpse into the bag alongside the horned wolf and giant bear they had slain earlier. Three demonic beasts felled in a single day, though Yuan had done the fighting, his companions' support had made each kill feel easier.
Until now, they'd dispatched both demonic and ordinary beasts using only their fang-shaped daggers. But with this newly acquired sword in Yuan's hand, their work would become much easier and they could afford a moment's relaxation.
Yuan nodded to himself and lifted the cup of pond water to his lips, but even as he drank, his eyes never left the glassy surface. When they had drunk their fill, the group gathered their things and set off back toward the cave.
Though the cavern was wide open, it was their only shelter and with the sun dipping below the treetops, the night would bring out more dangerous creatures, ones far more vexing than the daytime predators.
They retraced their steps without incident, felling a few ordinary beasts along the way. Haoran, Tianyu, and Meilan had grown accustomed to slaughtering creatures in their path, only Yuxin still struggled in the heat of battle, often needing help when the fight turned frantic.
By the time they reached the cave entrance, night had fallen completely. Darkness pressed in, but Yuan's guidance and the firewood they had collected en route, ensured they found their way inside safely.
Once indoors, they moved with caution. Those with awakened spiritual sight scanned the shadows for sudden attacks, but the cavern remained eerily silent. No beasts stirred, yet Yuan noticed fresh footprints in the mud, markings he was certain hadn't been there earlier.
They were far too large and misshapen to be human.
Coldness shoned in his black eyes. A den of beasts littered with rotting corpses would be a feast for any demonic beast.
With that thought, Yuan braced himself and signaled to the others, they must be ready for an ambush at any moment.