Before this gaze, sharp as a Sword Aura, it seemed no secret could remain hidden.
'Such terrifying Sword Intent!'
Jiang Jichen was shaken. He knew that if the man hadn't withdrawn his Sword Thought in time, he would have been severely injured.
In the span of a single thought, the middle-aged Swordsman had already crossed several hundred meters, appearing silently not far from him.
Jiang Jichen was frozen in place. He had the distinct feeling that if he made the slightest move, the man's Sword Intent would cut him down where he stood.
The middle-aged Swordsman glanced dispassionately at Jiang Jichen, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, before his gaze finally settled on Little Yue'Er.
Little Yue'Er clearly felt the man's intimidating presence as well. Her large, expressive eyes watched him timidly.
The man's silent gaze fell upon him, and Jiang Jichen felt a pressure like a mountain crashing down. He fought the overwhelming urge to turn and flee, but he managed to resist.
At last, the middle-aged Swordsman spoke, his tone detached. "Young man, this is a dangerous place. It's no place for you. You should go back."
With that, the middle-aged Swordsman took a single step and vanished into the distance in an instant.
Just as Jiang Jichen was about to let out a sigh of relief, he suddenly felt something flying toward him.
He caught it and opened his palm to find a Little Wooden Sword, about the length and width of a finger. It was plain and unadorned, crudely made, and looked utterly ordinary.
"In a moment of life or death, infuse it with Spiritual Power to activate it. This wooden sword can save your life!"
The ethereal voice drifted over, gradually fading into the distance.
"Big Brother, that middle-aged uncle is really gone this time!"
Little Yue'Er said, her large eyes blinking. Now that she no longer sensed any danger, her lively personality returned as if nothing had happened.
Jiang Jichen, however, was soaked in a cold sweat. The pressure he had just endured was unimaginable.
That middle-aged Swordsman was incredibly powerful. He could slay even a Grandmaster-Level Fire Ape Fierce Beast with a single strike. He was perhaps an existence beyond the Grandmaster realm—truly terrifying.
Thankfully, the man had meant no harm and hadn't discerned Little Yue'Er's secret. As for Jiang Jichen's own Qi Sea, it was mysterious—perhaps due to his cultivation of the Source Character Qi Condensation Technique—to the point that not even a Supreme expert could truly see through it.
What Jiang Jichen hadn't expected was for the man to give him a life-saving treasure in the end.
It was a Forbidden Artifact, casually refined by that Great Cultivator. It could only be used once, but its power was absolutely terrifying; severely wounding any Spirit Cultivator below the Innate Seventh Layer would be a simple matter.
For Jiang Jichen, who was still incredibly weak, this Little Wooden Sword was an absolute lifesaver in a perilous place like the Moonlight Forest.
'This is a great debt,' Jiang Jichen thought to himself. 'I will remember it.'
Then, holding Little Yue'Er, he quickly left the area.
The commotion had been immense, and he feared that powerful experts would soon arrive to investigate. He could not afford to linger.
However, Jiang Jichen didn't press on. The area ahead was far too dangerous. With his current strength, he feared he would die long before he ever found Jiang Ling'Er.
He needed to increase his strength as quickly as possible before moving on.
As for Jiang Ling'Er, he had a faint feeling that although she was in a perilous situation, her life was not in immediate danger.
Jiang Jichen carried a Life Soul Stone that held a wisp of Jiang Ling'Er's aura. Since the aura was still present, it meant she was still alive.
'And with my current strength, even if by some heaven-defying luck I managed to find Ling'er, what could I do without power? Would I just become a burden she has to take care of instead?'
'No. I am a man. I must protect my aunt!' Jiang Jichen thought with unshakeable resolve.
He did not continue forward, but neither did he heed the middle-aged Swordsman's advice to leave the Moonlight Forest immediately. Instead, he decided to stay and fight here for now.
The outskirts of the Moonlight Forest were an excellent training ground, perfect for gaining experience. The vast majority of Spirit Beasts here were below the Innate Realm.
...
"Big Brother, Little Yue'Er hasn't eaten in so long. I'm really hungry!"
Many miles from where they had been, Little Yue'Er blinked her large eyes and looked up at Jiang Jichen pitifully, speaking with a hint of embarrassment.
Come to think of it, Jiang Jichen hadn't eaten in several days either and felt a pang of hunger himself.
Spiritual Power could sustain one's bodily functions, even making them stronger, but until one reached a much higher Realm, hunger was still a reality.
"Alright, then! Big Brother will get you some roast pork!"
Jiang Jichen stopped and turned around. Sure enough, Spirit Beasts were in pursuit.
He had deliberately made a great deal of noise as he traveled in order to attract a group of formidable Spirit Beasts, among which were some powerful, black-furred wild boars.
A dozen or so Spirit Beasts, all at the Seventh-level Mortal Warrior Realm, completely surrounded Jiang Jichen, baring their sharp fangs.
Just as Jiang Jichen was about to strike, a haughty voice drifted over. "Our luck is quite good. To find such a large haul of Spirit Beasts on our first night hunt. Killing them will earn us a good number of points!"
As the voice faded, several figures emerged from the woods. They carried themselves with an air of arrogance, completely ignoring Jiang Jichen's presence. They simply stared at the dozen or so Spirit Beasts as if admiring their own trophies.
There were six of them in total. A man and a woman led the group, followed by four young Spirit Cultivators, all of whom were at the Eighth-level Mortal Realm!
"Senior Brother Yann, I don't care about points, but you have to leave all the Spirit Beast Inner Cores for me, okay?"
The woman looked to be eighteen or nineteen, with a gorgeous face and a bewitching voice.
The young man called Senior Brother Yann gave a roguish smile, waving the Jade Bone Fan in his hand. "Junior Sister Qingya, don't you worry. This trial in the Moonlight Forest will surely see you return with a great harvest. The Spirit Beast Inner Cores we gather will be more than enough for you to refine your Lifebound Pill."