Chapter 12
The dangerous forest soon embraced Liang Chen. He had been walking for only five minutes, yet he felt like he was lost.
Even the trees were wrong.
They were gnarled like aged fingers, some of the trees bore scratch marks, some looked withered and decayed.
There were no birds, no insects, no creatures. Just silence. The kind of silence that meant something predatory lurked around.
Liang Chen gripped the haft of his spear tightly. Liang Chen wasn't scared of most things, nowadays he barely even flinched at death.
This forest was an exception. For the first time in months, a cold sweat formed on Liang Chen's brow.
Then a loud snap echoed throughout the forest, it was on his right side.
It sounded like someone or something was stepping over a brittle bone.
He turned slowly, and there was nothing. But he could sense it, the familiar killing intent of a demon beast.
Spirit beasts and demon beasts were leagues apart. Spirit beasts were more benevolent than demon beasts. Spirit beasts didn't attack unless attacked or for some, it was in their nature. And you were more likely to survive an attack from a spirit beast.
A demon beast was a completely different case study.
Demon beasts were basically spirit beasts that fell under corruption and demonic forces. Their features changed drastically, gaining more sinister appearances and were more sentient and could stalk prey. They also fed on flesh and blood predominantly.
Those thoughts were from his previous experiences in the previous timeline.
He saw a shadow blur past the trees. It was fast, too fast for most cultivators to track. But Liang Chen wasn't most cultivators.
SKRK. SKRK. SKRK.
That sound echoed throughout the forest. Like the carapace of some beast was brushing against the trees.
The sound grew closer.
SKRK. SKRK. SKRK.
He crouched low, eyes narrowed into slits. His spear angled toward the sound, Whispering Gale still sheathed across his back. He didn't draw it. Not yet.
It was far too dark for him to scan the surrounding areas. The beast wasn't even making a sound.
There was another flicker of movement somewhere to his left. Liang Chen held his breath for a brief moment. Then…
CRACK!
A tree to his left snapped in half, its trunk splintering with unnatural force.
And that's where he saw it.
A scorpion emerged from the mist like it had been drawn from his nightmares. It was the size of a carriage. Its black chitin shimmered in the moonlight like a mirror. Eight legs stabbed into the dirt like spears. Two massive pincers dragged behind it, each large enough to crush a man whole. Its tail arched high overhead, barbed with a stinger that pulsed with sickly green venom.
It had six sentient eyes. Far too intelligent for any beast. It knew it was hunting. And Liang Chen was its prey.
Liang Chen sighed.
Not out of fear. But from disappointment.
"You really crawled out of hell looking like that?" he muttered. "Should've stayed dead."
The scorpion shrieked. Then it lunged at Liang Chen.
Liang Chen ran at it.
The pincer smashed the dirt beside him, sending rocks and splinters flying into the air. He leapt sideways then spun, and drove his spear forward, targeting the scorpion's eye.
CLANG!
The blow casually bounced off the armored carapace of its head. Liang Chen skidded back, staring at the scorpion, he narrowed his eyes, studying its movements.
Not even a single scratch.
The beast didn't even flinch.
"Damn. Tough hide, dumb brain. Just my type of creature."
The scorpion dashed forward, its legs stabbing the soil as it appeared in front of Liang Chen. The tail was raised high into the sky, its silhouette blocking the moon. Then it came crashing down.
Liang Chen twisted, narrowly avoiding the stinger as it stabbed the soil, the ground sizzling with venom.
[DANGER DETECTED: STATUS—POISONED ZONE]
[Recommendation: Dodge or use ability {Qi Vein Pulse}]
Liang Chen growled. "System, I am dodging."
[Affirmative. You're doing a pretty decent job.]
"Shut up."
The scorpion swung again. Liang Chen dashed forward, sliding beneath its body, jabbing his spear into the underbelly. This time, it sank in, barely.
The scorpion let out an almost human-like screech. Greenish ichor spilled out from the wound, but the beast only grew angrier.
It reared back, preparing for another attack. Liang Chen was forced to retreat, dragging his spear free.
The ground began sizzling as a fog of venom clouded over its stinger.
And then, the beast lunged, travelling at speeds impossible for a creature its size.
Liang Chen raised his spear in an attempt to block it.
CRACK!
The giant pincer of the scorpion struck the wooden part of the spear and it cracked in half.
Half the shaft flew behind him. The blade spun to the side and got lodged into a tree trunk.
Liang Chen stood there, holding a splintered stick in one hand. A smug expression on his face.
"…Great." He cracked his neck. "Didn't like that one anyway."
The system pinged.
[Weapon destroyed. Recommended action: Draw Whispering Gale.]
[Would you like to activate Combat Mode: Savage Intent Lv.1?]
[Activating now will increase Qi output by 37% and boost reaction speed.]
"Do it."
[Savage Intent activated.]
Something travelled through his meridians.
His heart was beating faster now. His entire body was being pumped with adrenaline.
Liang Chen's lips curled.
"Alright, roach. Let's dance."
He drew the Whispering Gale in one clean motion.
The blade sang as it left its sheath.
SHING!
[Whispering Gale Detected: Spirit Weapon]
[Skill Unlocked: Crescent Slash Lv.1]
[Description: A wide-arcing slash imbued with wind qi. Travels five meters. Cooldown: 10 seconds.]
He dashed forward, dragging the saber along the dirt behind him, sparks flying in his wake.
The scorpion raised its pincers to strike.
But it was too late.
Liang Chen twisted his body and unleashed the [Crescent Slash] skill. A crescent of wind screeched through the air.
FWOOOO!
SHHHHHNK!
It struck one leg clean off. The beast staggered with a cry.
But as it twisted to retaliate, the stinger whipped out faster than a lightning bolt and buried itself deep within Liang Chen's shoulder.
"Tch...!"
Liang Chen felt himself flying back. Time slowed down as the stinger injected its poison into Liang Chen.
The venom effect happened almost immediately. It travelled through his bloodstream, attacking his organs. He felt the two qi flowers he had spent days cultivating wither away.
[WARNING: Status Effect Applied – VENOM: Grade 3]
[Antidote not found. System unable to neutralize.]
His knees gave way. His saber clattered uselessly to the ground.
The forest began to spin.
He could feel it, the familiar embrace of death. This time it felt different. Like he wasn't really dying. Like his body was playing a prank on him.
But just before his vision could darken, he smirked.
Then his blood ignited.
The venom surged through him and his blood burned back even harder.
Something awoke inside him.
[Unique Constitution Detected: Bloodline Awakening – 1%]
[Bloodline Awakened: The Heaven-Eater Lineage]
[Latent Skill Unlocked: Bloodweaver Seed Lv.1]
[Description: The blood within you resists corruption. Poison is purified, and your blood may be externally manipulated for minor attacks.]
The poison evaporated from his bloodstream, hissing out through his pores. The venom came out like a steamy miasma. He was panting and sweating as if he had undergone a rigorous exercise.
He slowly stood up.
Eyes narrowed. His lips curled into a savage grin.
He opened his palm and a droplet of blood rose from the gash on his shoulder, floating and shining like a gem.
"You just picked the wrong human to mess with."
With a flick of his fingers, the blood lashed outward like a whip, snapping across the scorpion's remaining eyes. It hissed and reeled.
Liang Chen picked up the Whispering Gale, blood still swirling behind him like a cape.
He dashed forward and ducked under another wild pincer swipe. The saber roared like the wind in his hand as he activated [Crescent Slash] again, this time the slash was aimed at the joint of the tail.
SHHHHHNK!
The slash travelled towards the tail. Leaves and twigs severed as the slash cut through the tail.
The tail dropped wiggling like a worm doused in salt.
The beast flailed wildly. It screeched again.
But Liang Chen was already on its back.
SLASH. SLASH. SLASH.
Every one of the three blows found flesh. Each strike was guided by killing intent so sharp it could cut the mist itself.
He raised Whispering Gale one last time and drove it deep between its eyes.
SHUNK!
The scorpion gave a final shudder and then collapsed like a falling mountain.
Its body twitched once. Then it fell totally still.
Liang Chen stood atop it. He was bathed in blood and mist. His breathing was laboured. He smirked.
[Demon Beast (Grade 3 – Variant) Eliminated.]
[XP Gained: 180]
[You have leveled up!][Level 6→ Level 8]
[Item Obtained: Venom Gland (High-Grade Poison Material)]
[New Trait Gained: Toxic Resistance Lv.1]
[Bloodweaver Seed Progression: 2%]
STATUS
Name: Liang Chen
Age: 17
Realm: Qi Condensation (Mid-stage)
Physique: Mortal Grade Physique(Rank 4)
Bloodline: The Heaven-Eater Lineage
Soul Type: [Awakened] - Fragmented Deva Soul
Martial Path: Undefined
System Integration: 19% (Basic Functions Available)
Contribution Points: 300
Level: 8. XP: 12/130
Liang Chen nodded as he viewed the information on the status screen.
He hopped off the carcass, cracked his neck, and sheathed his saber.
"All this from one ugly bug?" he muttered. "Either I'm lucky, or fate's got a hard-on for violence."
The system pinged.
[Correction: You're just really good at murder.]
Liang Chen shrugged.
"Close enough."
He went closer to the corpse of the beast and dissected its abdomen. Green ichor and miasma gushed out of the abdomen. The ground beneath the carcass sizzled. Liang Chen wasted no time and plunged his hand deep into the abdomen of the beast and pulled out the beast core.
The beast core of a demon beast was pitch black, unlike those of a spirit beast that were crystal clear.
Liang Chen gazed at the body of the scorpion one more time, then turned away slowly walking back into the camp.