Chapter 17: The Quasi-Second Rank Demonic Beast

Chapter 17: The Quasi-Second Rank Demonic Beast

The night was deep, with dark clouds blanketing the sky and the rumble of thunder echoing across the land.

In a corner of the camp, Chen Feng sat inside a simple tent, eating fruit after his meal.

This was the tenth day since arriving at Ten Thousand Woods.

Apart from the first day, which had yielded substantial gains, the following nine days had only earned him a little over a hundred silver taels. After purchasing and refining another Foundation Establishment Pill, his cultivation had improved slightly, but he remained at the Seventh Level of the Body Forging Realm.

Breaking through to the Eighth Level seemed like a distant prospect.

"Tomorrow, I’ll try venturing deeper into Ten Thousand Woods," Chen Feng muttered to himself as he finished his fruit, his gaze piercing through the darkness toward the forest.

Over the past ten days, he had mostly operated in the outer and middle regions of the forest, with minimal gains.

Now, he set his sights on the inner reaches of Ten Thousand Woods.

The inner region was undoubtedly more dangerous, possibly even inhabited by Second Rank demonic beasts. Initially, Chen Feng had no intention of entering, but two days ago, his Nine Shadows Illusory Body technique had broken through its bottleneck, significantly enhancing his ability to survive.

A figure paced nearby before striding toward him.

"Chen Feng," the man stopped a few meters from the tent, his voice low.

"What is it?" Chen Feng’s sharp eyes swept over the speaker, recognizing a bearded middle-aged man.

"My name is Wang Qi, at the Ninth Level of the Body Forging Realm. I’ve come to invite you to join our team," the man said quietly. "Before you refuse, hear me out. We’ve discovered a treasure tree in the inner region of Ten Thousand Woods, bearing rare fruits—one of the main ingredients for refining Meridian Opening Pills. Their estimated value is three thousand silver taels."

Chen Feng’s pupils contracted at the mention of the sum.

Three thousand taels!

It was a staggering amount, enough to buy thirty Foundation Establishment Pills. Not only could it help him break through to the Eighth Level, but even the Ninth Level would be within reach.

"Chen Feng, our team currently consists of four members, all at the Ninth Level of the Body Forging Realm. With you, we’d be five. If you’re willing to join, meet us at the Seventh Entrance of Ten Thousand Woods tomorrow at 7:00 AM sharp," Wang Qi said, cupping his hands before turning to leave.

Watching the man’s retreating figure, Chen Feng pondered.

An estimated value of three thousand taels meant he could potentially earn six hundred taels if he participated—more than enough to break through to the Eighth Level.

"Opportunities like this are rare. It’s worth a try. Seizing the initiative is crucial." After a moment of deliberation, Chen Feng made his decision and resumed meditating on the Wind Shadow Sword Technique.

Each time he contemplated it, he gained new and deeper insights.

Chen Feng was certain that mastering the Wind Shadow Sword Technique’s ultimate killing move was far from his limit.

The night passed without incident. When Chen Feng awoke, he felt refreshed. After rinsing his mouth, washing his face, and eating some dried rations, he set off straight for the Seventh Entrance of Ten Thousand Woods.

Spanning over a hundred li horizontally, Ten Thousand Woods could be entered from anywhere, but for convenience, ten designated entrances had been established, marked with clear signs and basic routes to help travelers navigate.

At the Seventh Entrance, four figures had already gathered.

"Chen Feng, it seems you’ve made your decision," Wang Qi said with a smile as he noticed Chen Feng’s tall figure approaching.

"Everyone, this is Chen Feng, a young genius from Huntian Dao Academy," Wang Qi introduced him to the other three before turning back to Chen Feng. "Chen Feng, these three are my friends..."

The stout and sturdy middle-aged man carrying a bronze round shield was named Han Hui, while the towering, iron-like figure with a battle axe on his back was Han Jie—brothers to Han Hui. The last member was a lean middle-aged man named Yan Bin, who wielded a pair of short spears. As for Wang Qi, his weapon of choice was a long blade.

It could be said that almost all rogue cultivators specialized in a single weapon, with very few relying solely on unarmed combat. Against demonic beasts, fists and kicks were far too dangerous and comparatively weaker in lethality.

Han Hui gave Chen Feng a nod, while Yan Bin offered a faint smile.

"Wang Qi, are you certain he’s at the Ninth Level of the Body Forging Realm?" Han Jie, however, shot Chen Feng a cold glance before asking in a frosty tone.

"Han Jie, Brother Chen Feng is a prodigious disciple of the Huntian Dao Academy. Not long ago, in the camp, he single-handedly slew the entire Dark Howl Squad with just his sword," Wang Qi replied. Han Jie’s expression stiffened, while Han Hui and Yan Bin both wore looks of astonishment.

"Brother Chen Feng, since you’ve joined our squad, we’ll set out now. I’ll explain the details to you as we go," Wang Qi said.

"Those precious fruits are Crimson Vein Fruits, each worth at least two hundred silver taels."

"But guarding the Crimson Vein Fruit tree is a Giant Strength Bear. To pluck the fruits, we must first deal with the bear," Wang Qi explained calmly.

"With the four of you, taking down a Giant Strength Bear shouldn’t be an issue, right?" Chen Feng countered.

"That’s a Quasi-Second Rank Giant Strength Bear," Wang Qi said with grave emphasis.

Chen Feng’s eyes narrowed. A Quasi-Second Rank demonic beast was practically the overlord among First Rank demonic beasts, far more formidable than even a First Rank Ninth Level demonic beast. No wonder they needed five cultivators at the Ninth Level of the Body Forging Realm to join forces.

The five of them had a clear objective—the Crimson Vein Fruit tree in the inner region—so they wasted no time lingering in the outer or middle zones.

After roughly an hour, Wang Qi lowered his voice and said, "We’re almost there."

Each of the five focused their gazes, their sharpness concealed yet razor-edged.

A kilometer ahead, a cave entrance came into view. Nearby grew a verdant tree, about five to six meters tall, as if freshly bathed in the rain of early spring, brimming with vitality. On its branches hung over a dozen egg-sized fruits, each adorned with crimson veins—the Crimson Vein Fruits.

These fruits were the primary ingredient for refining Meridian Opening Pills, each worth two hundred silver taels. As for the Meridian Opening Pill, it was an essential elixir for Body Forging Realm cultivators attempting to break through to the Aperture Opening Realm, as well as an auxiliary aid for those already in the Aperture Opening Realm.

"Fifteen Crimson Vein Fruits… three thousand silver taels…" Han Hui, Han Jie, and Yan Bin trembled with excitement.

"A single Meridian Opening Pill costs a thousand silver taels. I’m just four hundred short of buying one," Yan Bin said, his voice quivering.

"One pill isn’t enough to guarantee success. You’d need at least one more to have a better chance of opening your meridians and advancing to the Aperture Opening Realm," Wang Qi said solemnly. "But… it’d be best to take the Crimson Vein Fruits to an alchemist and have them refine the pills for us."

"Fifteen Crimson Vein Fruits, divided among five of us—that’s three per person," Han Hui said, his voice trembling slightly, betraying his inner excitement.

To them, the Crimson Vein Fruits weren’t just silver taels—they were the very materials needed to refine the Meridian Opening Pills.

Sometimes, having money doesn't necessarily mean one can buy a Meridian Opening Pill, but with Crimson Vein Fruits, one could hire an alchemist to refine the pill. Listening to their conversation, Chen Feng finally understood this. After all, he was only at the Seventh Level of the Body Forging Realm, and theoretically, the Aperture Opening Realm was still quite distant for him.

At that moment, an immensely burly figure stepped out from the cave entrance. The figure stood nearly five meters tall, its entire body pitch-black and indescribably muscular, exuding a ferocious and violent aura that made Chen Feng and the others' hairs stand on end.

Giant Strength Bear!

"A body exceeding four meters, close to five—this is indeed no ordinary Giant Strength Bear," Chen Feng thought to himself.

"Lure the Giant Strength Bear over and work together to kill it," Wang Qi said solemnly. "A Quasi-Second Rank Giant Strength Bear could fetch seven or eight hundred taels if sold."

"Then let's kill it!" Han Jie growled.

Yan Bin flicked a fist-sized rock, sending it flying like a meteor toward the Giant Strength Bear a hundred meters away. The rock shattered upon impact.

The Giant Strength Bear roared, its lantern-like crimson eyes blazing with fury as it locked onto them. Then, its thick legs stomped forward, shaking the earth with thunderous booms.

"It's coming," Han Jie said excitedly, immediately drawing the battle axe from his back.

Han Hui retrieved his bronze shield, his expression grave. With a low shout, his stocky frame seemed to swell further, his legs rooted to the ground like pillars, steady as a boulder.

Boom!

The Giant Strength Bear charged, its massive body slamming into the bronze shield with a deafening crash. Han Hui's sturdy frame trembled violently before he was sent flying, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"Kill!"

Han Jie leaped into the air, bringing his battle axe down fiercely toward the Giant Strength Bear's head.

Yan Bin darted around, his twin spears striking like vipers from the flank, their shadows weaving a continuous assault.

Wang Qi's long blade slashed from another direction.

Chen Feng flashed forward, his Hundred Refinements Sword unsheathed, its Nine Sword Shadows locking onto the Giant Strength Bear's eyes.

The bear roared, its enormous paws lashing out in all directions.

Han Jie's battle axe was blocked, the sheer force sending him flying backward.

Yan Bin's twin spears pierced the bear's hide, but only inflicted superficial wounds. Wang Qi's blade swept through the air like a cleaver parting water, slicing across the bear's body with a grating, ear-piercing sound. The hide split, blood oozing out, but it was still just a flesh wound.

Hundred Refinements-grade weapons could only deal limited damage to a Quasi-Second Rank demonic beast.

Chen Feng's sword struck, seizing a fleeting opportunity to target the bear's eyes. The bear instinctively closed its eyelids, but Chen Feng felt the resistance give way as his Wind Shadow Sword Technique pierced through—the eyelids, less resilient than the rest of its hide, were no match for his attack.

Before he could drive the sword deeper, a millstone-sized paw, carrying enough force to shatter stone, came crashing down. The overwhelming pressure made it hard for Chen Feng to even open his eyes, nearly suffocating him.