The sound of battle came from ahead.
It was getting closer.
Danger! Hide!
Han Luo swiftly climbed up an ancient tree and concealed himself among the branches.
To be extra safe, he pulled out ten Concealment Talismans and stuck them onto his body. Holding his breath, he focused on the approaching fight.
"Stay in formation! Keep the demon wolf surrounded! Look for an opening before attacking!"
A tall and lean young man, wielding a silver sword, commanded a group of over ten people as they encircled a demon wolf. He had the demeanor of a peerless expert.
The demon wolf let out a deafening howl.
It was incredibly powerful, at least a second-rank beast.
In the midst of the crowd, it was like a prehistoric monster—unstoppable.
Fortunately, the young man leading the fight, Li Jun, was no weakling. He was at the second level of Qi Refining, and with the assistance of the others, he engaged in a fierce battle with the demon wolf.
Demonic beasts were naturally stronger than human cultivators.
At the same level, a demonic beast would completely overpower a human cultivator.
The battle was intense. Several people had already been injured, their blood spilling like a river.
Han Luo winced.
Too reckless, way too reckless.
Even with Li Jun leading the attack and the others providing support, a second-rank demon wolf was still a second-rank demon wolf.
Not something they should be facing head-on. If it were him, he would have run far away by now.
At best, they’d win and get some meat. At worst, they’d die. How could they not see such a simple risk?
They might as well go home and raise pigs instead of trying to cultivate. Han Luo scoffed to himself.
Of course, part of his irritation was that they had brought danger so close to him.
As someone who treasured his life above all else, there was no way he was going to get caught up in this mess. Fortunately, the battle didn’t last too long.
Li Jun finally used his trump card, burning through two third-grade offensive talismans to take down the demon wolf.
Using a talisman beyond one’s cultivation level carried great risks.
For most, attempting to wield a third-grade talisman at the Qi Refining second level could easily lead to backlash—mild cases would result in serious injuries, severe cases could cripple their foundation or even leave them as vegetative husks.
Unless, of course, they were exceptionally talented.
Like Li Jun.
For him, using a talisman a rank above his level merely drained some stamina and energy. With the demon wolf slain, the danger had passed.
Li Jun pulled out a silver dagger and swiftly cut into the beast’s belly. With practiced movements, he extracted a glistening demon core.
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Demon cores were the essence of a demonic beast's cultivation, similar to a human’s golden core. They were highly valuable.
Even a second-rank demon core could fetch hundreds of lower-grade spirit stones.
Of course, selling it was the worst option.
Demon cores were immensely useful in alchemy, talisman crafting, puppet refinement, and even magic weapon enhancement.
They were one of the most sought-after resources, second only to spirit stones.
The group stared at the demon core in Li Jun’s hands, eyes filled with longing.
They all knew its value.
A single second-rank demon core could save them a year or two of cultivation effort. And in the early stages of training, an extra year or two made a huge difference.
Noticing the greedy looks from his companions, Li Jun raised the demon core for all to see.
Even Han Luo looked up from his perch, intrigued.
"Everyone," Li Jun said, "this demon core is the result of our joint efforts. It is also a symbol of our bond. Tell me your names, and once I exchange this for spirit stones, I will divide the earnings fairly among us."
At these words, the group’s greed finally subsided.
"Li Jun, without you, we would’ve been eliminated long ago. Honestly, you should just keep the demon core as payment for protecting us!"
One of Li Jun’s followers chimed in, subtly pushing him to take the core for himself.
"Exactly! Li Jun is strong and kind. When we enter Luo Xian Sect, we’ll need to support each other. With Li Jun around, we’ll never be bullied!"
A girl, practically drooling, looked at Li Jun with admiration.
With these two speaking up, the rest of the group grew lively.
"Everyone, please, calm down."
Li Jun raised a hand, silencing the chatter.
"I am unworthy of such high praise. Rest assured, as long as I can help, I will never hesitate. But as for this demon core, I ask that you respect my wishes. When converted to spirit stones, we shall all share in its benefits."
At that moment, many saw a dazzling radiance emanating from Li Jun.
A light so brilliant, they could hardly look directly at him.
This… was charisma.
"A true expert," someone muttered.
But Han Luo saw no such light.
All he saw was trouble.
He pulled out his blacklist notebook and jotted down Li Jun’s name, marking him as an S-rank individual to avoid.
Li Jun was dangerous—not in brute force, but in manipulation. His ability to control a crowd had reached a frightening level.
In his past life, Li Jun would have made the perfect pyramid scheme leader. This was someone Han Luo absolutely could not be near.
Otherwise, he might find himself willingly scammed and thanking Li Jun for it. After making his notes, he put away his book.
Now, he just had to wait for them to leave. But judging by their behavior, they had no intention of moving on.
Instead, they were setting up camp near a river.
Too reckless.
They had just killed a demon wolf, leaving the air thick with blood. In a primeval forest like this, blood would attract more beasts.
Yet they chose to spend the night by a river? They might as well be serving themselves on a silver platter.
Of course, Han Luo wasn’t about to warn them.
For all he knew, they had a plan—maybe they were using the blood to lure more beasts and hunt them for their demon cores.
If it were him, he would have prepared traps.
First, a maze formation to make the beasts turn on each other.
Next, an explosive talisman array to wipe out any survivors.
Finally, long-range bombardment with a burst-fire spirit bow, raining down destruction until even their ashes were gone.
After all, demon cores were sturdy and wouldn’t be destroyed easily. That way, he wouldn’t even need to get his hands dirty—just pick up the cores from the ground.
Han Luo entertained himself with this theoretical strategy but remained in place.
There was no guarantee more beasts would come. If he climbed down and ran into a beast head-on, it would be beyond awkward.
Besides, he was in a very safe position.
Atop an ancient tree, thirty meters off the ground, with twenty Concealment Talismans stuck to his body.
Even so, he still felt uneasy. Especially after watching Li Jun and his group fight the demon wolf.
From his backpack, he pulled out a bottle of beast-repelling powder and sprinkled it over himself. Then he took out three more bottles.
And emptied all of them over himself.
After finishing, he sighed.
Damn.
Should’ve brought more.
Just three bottles? Now it felt like not enough.
He noted this down in his blacklist notebook. Next time, he would pack extra supplies.
Night fell.
From the riverside came the aroma of roasting meat, the scent of alcohol, and bursts of laughter. The group was celebrating.
But this forest was not a place to celebrate. From the treetop, Han Luo ’s eyes gleamed in the dark, sharp and alert. He had no intention of sleeping tonight.
He hadn't found a perfectly secure hiding place. He hadn’t set up any alarm talismans nearby. There was no way he could sleep soundly.
And now, with the smell of food and wine in the air, he was even more on edge.
A primeval forest. Midnight. A bonfire. Roasting meat. Drinking.
Were they asking for death?
If he were a beast, he would charge in and show them the wild side of nature. As if responding to his thoughts—
A deep, rumbling beastly roar echoed through the forest.
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