Purple Night and Fall Night continued deeper into the Misty Rain Forest, their boots sinking slightly into the damp ground. The pale fog hung low, rolling around their legs like smoke from a dying fire.
The silence between them stretched on—heavy, but no longer uncomfortable like it had been when they first entered the forest.
Purple Night broke the silence first.
It was a smooth tactic for someone of her standing within the team and the Elder factions. Knowing how to deal with a multitude of cultivators was one of the primary roles of a tactician. Even so, Purple Night was still an immature tactician compared to cultivators who had already walked this path.
Her voice was calm and smooth, yet edged with curiosity.
"What do you know about cultivation and tiers?"
Fall Night didn't look at her. His tone was even, somewhat clipped.
"I know a little bit."
Purple Night glanced at him from behind her mask, her violet eyes faintly glowing.
"Before I continue, I want to know how much you truly know about cultivation levels and tiers—not just their names, Fall Night. I need details before I can continue. This will help me assess what you know and fill in the gaps, since you might not have experienced the Great World."
He nodded once, his gaze scanning the fog for any potential enemies.
"Given my limited understanding, regardless of whether we are talking about humans or monsters, we categorize most things according to human cultivation levels. It is easier to digest the information that way."
"That is true. Keep going, Fall Night."
"Monsters begin at the Awakening Plane, which has eight levels. We designate those as Tier 1. They progress to the Human Realm, which should be the peak of Tier 1. When they reach Tier 2, they evolve—their bodies and minds change. We also begin to see differences in their types and nature."
Purple Night's lips curved slightly behind her mask.
"Quite impressive, Fall Night. As you're aware, the Awakening Plane consists of eight stages. Within the Earth Realm, though…"
She paused, her tone lowering.
"…that's when they begin to awaken their ancestral powers or tap into their bloodline traits. The real threat begins there."
She continued after a brief pause.
"For humans… they will try to break through the realms quickly because of their short lifespans. That is what makes us and them different. I will touch on why at a later point. For now, let's get back to the main point."
Fall Night gave a small nod as they moved through the mist. The dim forest light traced their path. The air grew colder and thicker, and their breathing became visible in the chill.
Fall Night's senses became sharper.
"We classify monsters further," Purple Night continued, her voice like the slow edge of a blade. "Beast, ferocious beast, magical beast, spirit beast, legendary beast…and at the very top, the mythical beast. Each has strengths and weaknesses that depend on bloodline and instinct."
She continued without waiting for him to respond.
"As for humans, they are closer to the Heavenly Dao and have the advantage of possessing a Chi Sea, which houses their will and soul. Because of this, cultivating soul and will skills or techniques is much easier for humans than it is for beasts—or for us."
She paused.
"In addition, they can be enlightened by the Heavenly Dao, allowing them to gain new traits or skills."
Fall Night glanced toward her.
"You're saying that humans can gain rare traits from the heavens?"
"Not exactly. They must be qualified by the Heavenly Dao to receive such gifts."
Fall Night nodded slowly.
He understood now that whether one was a beast or a human, everyone had their own advantages and disadvantages.
Purple Night paused for a moment, finishing her thoughts.
"You might not know this, but we classify ferocious beasts into five categories: Terror, Nightmare, Calamity, Apocalypse, and Forbidden."
Fall Night's voice was low.
"Purple Night, what's the strongest monster you've faced?"
She thought for a moment, her eyes glinting faintly behind her mask.
"Tier 2, at the Initial Stage. A Mature Golden Bear somewhere in some backwater country. Its roar alone could crack boulders. It was slightly unique, but nothing too special overall."
Purple Night deliberately downplayed the experience.
Fall Night continued listening like a pupil receiving a lecture from a master. Yet his senses never truly left the fog, which had grown denser as they walked.
"The reason ferocious beasts are given these labels is because they push their bloodlines to the limit. Something changes within them, and their power becomes something it shouldn't be."
She glanced at him.
"A Tier 2 ferocious beast classified as Terror can possess the combat power of a Tier 3 creature."
Fall Night stopped, his heartbeat slowing as a chill passed through him.
"Purple Night, are you saying that ferocious beasts tagged as Terror or above can possess combat power beyond what their cultivation should allow?"
"Hahaha. Yes, but with one correction."
Purple Night's tone became slightly more serious.
"Bloodline also plays a part. As you grow, you will experience and learn never to underestimate what is possible in this vast world."
There was a faint longing in Purple Night's words, as though she herself wanted to see more of that vast world.
"Oh…"
Fall Night remained quiet for a moment.
"Let's continue with monster classification. Tier 1 consists of the Awakening Plane through the Human Realm. Tier 2 consists of the Earth Realm through the Heaven Realm, while Tier 3 consists of the Life and Death Realm."
She shook her head slightly.
"There are more tiers beyond that, but I don't know their exact cultivation equivalents. There is one little caveat, however."
"Bloodline also determines strength," Fall Night said.
"Correct."
Fall Night gave a soft grunt of approval.
"So, it is possible to face a Tier 1 ferocious beast classified as Terror with a much stronger bloodline, and its core could be more valuable?"
"Yes. You're getting it now, Fall Night."
Purple Night's voice became slightly lighter.
"Meeting one could be your greatest disaster—or one of your greatest opportunities. The higher the classification, the more difficult the fight will be."
Their conversation faded into silence again.
They walked deeper into the forest, where the mist grew darker and heavier. The farther they went, the more the air itself seemed alive—humming faintly, whispering between the trees.
Soon, the monsters that had been watching them from the background finally revealed themselves.
They first encountered two Golden Bear cubs.
Fall Night handled them himself.
The two cubs charged through the mist with surprising ferocity, but Fall Night dispatched them without needing Purple Night's assistance.
Not long after, they encountered an Emerald King Snake.
This time, both Purple Night and Fall Night took care of it together.
The Emerald King Snake was close to the peak of Tier 1, making it considerably more dangerous than the Golden Bear cubs.
Its scales shone like green steel, and its movements were unpredictable—its body twisting like a ribbon of living metal. It struck with frightening speed, forcing both Fall Night and Purple Night to move with precision.
Purple Night carefully pinned down the Emerald King Snake's movements.
At the same time, Fall Night unleashed a triple palm strike against the exact same spot.
Boom!
The repeated strikes cracked the snake's hard scales.
The moment an opening appeared, Purple Night sent a lightning-imbued Seeking Talisman straight into the wound.
The Emerald King Snake's scales were incredibly tough, but the flesh beneath them was soft and vulnerable.
Once the wound widened, Fall Night launched [Immolation Scar], penetrating deep into the creature's body.
Meanwhile, Purple Night continued locking down the Emerald King Snake's movements, giving Fall Night enough time to gather his strength.
Then he unleashed his full-powered [Immolation Claw].
The massive attack tore through the wounded creature.
The Emerald King Snake finally collapsed.
Its blood hissed as it struck the ground, burning small holes into the soil.
Neither of them had escaped the battle unscathed.
Both Purple Night and Fall Night were tired and exhausted, their bodies bruised and bloodied, their energy reserves running low.
Even for cultivators, the constant tension of this forest was exhausting.
They continued onward.
Their next opponents were a pair of Silver Wing Griffins.
This time, Purple Night handled them alone.
She had to reveal a portion of her true strength when she summoned her five Seeking Talismans, each one imbued with lethal sword qi.
Purple Night utilized a killing formation known as [Five Ways of the Sword].
She had developed the technique after witnessing Death Sword fight with the quickest and most effective methods possible.
The five Seeking Talismans moved simultaneously.
The Silver Wing Griffins attempted to escape, but there was nowhere for them to go.
The formation completely sealed their paths.
Sword qi erupted through the mist.
The two Silver Wing Griffins were brutally killed before they could escape the formation.
The forest became silent once again.
Afterward, Purple Night and Fall Night continued forward, their bodies carrying the exhaustion of their recent battles.
Eventually, a faint shimmer ahead caught their eyes.
Through the mist, they saw a small pond.
Its water was clear and perfectly still, an almost unnatural sight in the middle of the Misty Rain Forest.