After the bear meat had turned a perfect golden brown, Draven scuffed soil over the fire pit with his foot, smothering the flames.
Without a thought for the heat, he ripped off the two hind legs and tossed one to Little Su before sinking his teeth into the other.
"Mmm... Papa, this is delicious. We should do this more often," Little Su mumbled around a mouthful of rich meat.
Draven wiped a smear of oil from the corner of her mouth. "Forget that for now. The pressing matter is how we're going to hunt the other godly beasts."
"What's to think about?" she said between bites. "Just use your god transformation and kill them like we did that stupid monkey."
Draven shook his head. "Activating even the second head's power pushes my body to its limit. As for the third head... the strain on my mind and soul is not something to be taken lightly. On top of that, the chaos essence energy it consumes is a thousand times the normal rate. Didn't you see how dim my chaos core was afterward?"
Little Su nodded. "It's true. That red sun is still dull. And replenishing chaos essence is much harder than any other elemental energy."
Draven took a long pull from a wooden bottle of wine at his side. "Our next target is the sword-winged crane. It's not the strongest of the godly beasts, but it's the only one that can match me in sword skills. Before we face it, we need to concoct a poison potent enough to at least slow it down." He sighed. "To be honest, I doubt I could beat it in a fair fight. It's as if it can see through my every move."
"I've noticed," Little Su agreed. "All the other godly beasts seem to respect that crane a lot. I once saw that stupid monkey bow to it like a subordinate."
Draven simply nodded, finishing his meal in silence. Within half an hour, the two had devoured the enormous bear, larger than a buffalo. The energy from the meat seeped into Draven's body, and deep within his inner world, the red sun of his chaos core regained a flicker of its brightness.
After resting on the hilltop a while longer, Draven stood and dusted off his shorts. "I'm going to Ghost Valley. Are you coming or not?" he asked Little Su, who was sprawled on the ground, fast asleep with a bulging stomach.
"Not coming. I'm sleepy," she mumbled without opening her eyes.
Draven ignored her and leaped from the hilltop. Like a mountain deer, he bounded down the steep rocky face with effortless ease. Once he reached the bottom, he set off toward the north with a lazy expression on his face.
"Arghh!"
A woman's piercing scream sliced through the forest's calm.
Draven's expression sharpened. He knew with certainty that aside from him and the six elders slumbering in their coffins, no other humans remained in this world. Though the sound was suspicious, he didn't hesitate, sprinting at full speed toward its source.
"Awoo..."
The howls of wolves and the distinct sounds of a struggle grew louder as he neared. Frowning, he pushed his speed further.
Soon, he broke into a clearing where four women were surrounded by a snarling wolf pack. One of them, a young woman who looked to be about twenty, lay unconscious on the ground.
Three other middle-aged women stood protectively in front of her, fending off the wolves. Judging from there clothing, two were mages and one a sword practitioner. The phoenix symbol on their armor hinted at a significant background.
Draven didn't dwell on it. They were human, and he could help. That was enough.
With a calm demeanor, he walked toward the pack, releasing a sliver of his killing intent. The wolves, fierce and bloodthirsty moments before, instantly began to whimper and shiver, scattering into the forest as if fleeing from a monster.
The three women sighed in relief and bowed deeply. "Many thanks, Senior, for saving our lives."
Draven waved a hand and moved toward the unconscious young woman. The two mages frowned and stepped forward to block him, but the warrior woman stopped them with a sharp look.
As a warrior herself, she could feel the immense power radiating from Draven; he was not someone they could oppose.
Unfazed by their reaction, Draven studied the young woman. She was a divine beauty, with long black hair, fair skin, and delicate features that could launch wars.
But to Draven, who had lived for eons, her beauty was merely a fact, not a distraction. He placed a hand on her forehead, sending a thread of his spiritual energy into her body to diagnose the problem.
A few seconds later, he withdrew his hand and shook his head. "Her soul is injured. In less than a month, her body won't be able to tether her soul, and she will die."
The women's faces fell. One of the mages stepped forward. "Senior, my name is Grace Smith. I am a royal physician of the Phoenix Nation." She retrieved a golden herb from her storage ring. "Our young lady consumed this before she fell unconscious. Can you identify it?"
Draven stroked his beard. "Common golden spirit grass. It strengthens the spirit, but it can't cure her. If you have a way, you must awaken her bloodline spirit. Her soul is weak because she is suppressing it. The bloodline spirit is now feeding on her soul to survive."
The three women exchanged helpless glances. The warrior woman bowed again. "Senior, Grace's cultivation is restricted to the mortal realm; she cannot wake our young lady. If you have the knowledge, we beg you to help her."
Draven gave a curt nod and pulled a needle from a pouch at his waist. As he prepared to work, he asked casually, "By the way, how did you enter this place? Your attire suggests you are not from here." He gently inserted the needle between the young lady's brows, channeling his spiritual energy to rouse her.
"We were exploring an ancient pocket realm for herbs to strengthen our young lady's spirit," the warrior woman explained respectfully. "We accidentally triggered a teleportation portal and found ourselves here. Now we are trapped, with no way to contact our companions."
"Done," Draven announced, withdrawing the ghost needle from between the young lady's brows.
Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing a pair of clear, watery eyes.
Draven gave her a brief nod and turned to the three women. "This place is a sealed pocket realm. Everyone in my village died in a disaster four years ago. That makes us five the last humans in this world. You are welcome to come with me; I can offer you a place to stay. If not, be careful. Most of the beasts in this forest would end you in a single strike."