Half a month after leaving the Buddhist temple, Zhang Yong and his companions found themselves at the border of the "Shadow Fangs Forest," an area known for its density and the many powerful beasts that lived within it. Due to the vastness of this forest, they had to camp overnight.
Zhang Yong lit a quiet fire, placed a pot over it, and began preparing noodles.
The noodles were easy to cook, so it didn't take much time for them to become ready.
When the boiling water was ready, Zhang Yong put in the noodle packets they had obtained from the previous city.
After cooking was done, Zhang Yong served the noodles with a few side vegetables.
And thus, dinner was prepared.
After Zhang Yong finished serving the simple yet delicious noodles, everyone sat around the fire eating in quiet contentment.
The firelight danced on their faces, creating an atmosphere of warmth and intimacy in the heart of the dark forest.
"I have to admit," Liu Yan said between chews, "no one cooks better than Little Brother. Even this simple meal tastes amazing!"
Zhang Yong smiled, raising his bowl. "Cooking is like training. All you need is focus and the right ingredients."
Wang Fei, who was eating quietly, nodded in agreement. "Actually, these noodles are better than some restaurant food in the city."
Su Ming, who was devouring his food quickly, suddenly stopped and asked, "By the way, Zhang Yong, what's next in our plan? This Shadow Fangs Forest is vast, and it seems we haven't reached our destination yet."
Zhang Yong set his bowl aside and looked toward the dark depths of the forest. "There is a tree in this forest called the Crystal Heart Tree. I need it for a specific purpose."
Su Ming bit his chopsticks while thinking. "I still can't believe you dragged us to collect two materials before this during this half month. What are you planning to make?"
Zhang Yong smiled slightly. "Let's just say it's a surprise."
As the group was preparing to sleep after dinner, Zhang Yong lay on the ground, leaned his back against a tree, took a piece of wood in his hand, and began carving.
With precision and skill, Zhang Yong carved the piece of wood under the moonlight filtering through the leaves. His fingers moved confidently, as if they already knew the shape hidden within the raw material.
The rest of the group had already fallen asleep, except for Su Ming, who was training quietly under a nearby tree, the flash of his golden sword cutting through the air silently.
After an hour, Zhang Yong put the final touch on the carving. It was a small phoenix figurine, its details so precise it seemed about to take flight.
He looked at it for a moment, then bit his finger to draw blood and began painting on the small figurine. Then he placed his finger on its head.
Six Desire Mantra – Six Desires
After Zhang Yong finished preparing the figurine, he smiled to himself, then placed it in his pocket with a satisfied expression.
The next day, the group ventured deeper into the Shadow Fangs Forest.
The trees were denser, and light barely penetrated the canopy, creating an atmosphere of perpetual darkness.
Not everything was peaceful.
At times, there would be deer, foxes, rabbits, and other animals moving around them.
Most of them were birds—all kinds of birds, either in groups in the trees or large flocks flying in the sky.
Others stood on branches singing in harmony.
At times, the roar of tigers could be heard in the distance.
The group moved and stopped, relying on Zhang Yong's Heavenly Eyes to avoid much of the danger.
But some areas could not be avoided, and thus force was required.
But with Ancestor realm cultivation, all dangers were nothing. The only danger would be the presence of a sixth-rank beast.
However, Zhang Yong deduced using the Library of mysteries that the current aura of the area was insufficient to produce one at the moment.
After three days of continuous travel, night had already fallen, and the forest's nature began to change once more.
The trees were no longer as dense and dark as before; instead, scattered trees with silver leaves that glistened under the moonlight began to appear.
The air became noticeably purer, carrying with it hints of cold spiritual energy with a Yin characteristic.
"We're close," Zhang Yong said, stopping suddenly, his red eyes scanning the horizon between the trees. "The Crystal Heart Tree only grows in places where Yin energy is concentrated."
They advanced cautiously, each step bringing them closer to the source of energy. Finally, they arrived at a wide open space in the center of the forest.
At its center stood a giant tree, its trunk crystal-clear and transparent, glowing from within with a soft blue light.
Its leaves were crystal-heart-shaped, dancing with the slightest breeze, emitting a faint crystalline chime that filled the air.
The ground around it was covered in soft silver grass.
But they did not dare to advance. They hid in the shadowy forest, carefully observing what would happen.
It seemed that a rainbow light was moving rapidly around the tree. It appeared that only the lines were moving quickly, but that was incorrect.
To the naked eye, only the lines seemed to move. But with Zhang Yong's fourth-dimensional vision, he could see it clearly.
In the center of the rainbow light was a creature with two crystal horns shining brilliantly with the seven colors of the rainbow. It had a body similar to a deer, but its size was twice that of an elephant, with luminous blue fur.
"Alright, that's the tree's guardian... a Rainbow Shadow Deer," Zhang Yong whispered in a voice so low that others couldn't hear him. "Power at least of the fifth rank. Its speed is its greatest threat."
Su Ming, who was beside him, nodded slowly, staring at the guardian. "How do we deal with this? A direct confrontation would be suicide."
Zhang Yong looked at him as if to say, 'Isn't that obvious?' Then he turned his head and took out the small phoenix figurine from his pocket. "We'll use this."
The rest of the group looked at it with curiosity. The figurine was intricately carved, with detailed feather patterns, and seemed about to take flight.
Even under the dim moonlight, they could see faint glowing blood patterns on the surface of the figurine.
Wang Fei raised his eyebrows before noticing. "This... there's some kind of spirit?! Little Brother, have you reached the peak of the refining Path?"
Zhang Yong smiled mysteriously. "No, this isn't a spirit in the literal sense. It's just a little something I made last night. It can distract that beast for a while."
After Zhang Yong explained his plan, everyone began to move. Wang Fei and Liu Yan set up a concealment formation around the area to prevent any energy vibrations from attracting other beasts.
Meanwhile, Liu Yin held her guqin and began thinking of a melody that could momentarily distract the deer.
As for Su Ming, he stood ready, his hand on his sword's hilt, prepared to intervene if the plan failed.
Zhang Yong took a deep breath and focused. He injected his mental energy into the small phoenix figurine.
As he exhaled, the figurine absorbed the blood on its surface and glowed with a bright crimson light.
"Go!" Zhang Yong whispered.
The small figurine suddenly exploded into a cloud of crimson fire, forming the shape of a giant phoenix.
It wasn't real, but it radiated dense spiritual power and a majestic presence.
The fire phoenix let out a loud cry, a sound that filled the entire forest, then shot toward the Rainbow Shadow Deer.
The deer immediately turned, completely ignoring the crystal tree. Its eyes, resembling multicolored rubies, fixed on the illusory fire phoenix.
It seemed confused for a moment, then shot off in pursuit with astonishing speed, leaving a trail of rainbow light behind it.
After the Rainbow Shadow Deer sped off in pursuit of the illusory fire phoenix , Zhang Yong seized the opportunity and shot toward the Crystal Heart Tree at lightning speed.
But he wasn't aiming to pick fruits or leaves alone; he intended something greater.
As the rest of the group watched anxiously, they saw Zhang Yong raise his hand not toward the branches, but toward the crystal trunk of the tree itself. His red eyes glowed with power, and Death Qi appeared in his hands.
"What is he doing?" Liu Yan whispered in surprise. "Aren't we supposed to just get its fruits or leaves?"
Wang Fei, watching intently, realized Zhang Yong's intention. "He doesn't want the tree's byproducts... he wants the tree itself!"
At that moment, the Rainbow Shadow Deer realized the deception. It understood that the fire phoenix was merely an illusion and turned back toward the tree with astonishing speed. But it was too late.
A black hand shot up from beneath the tree, and Zhang Yong tore it from its roots in the earth.
The tree itself trembled, and the crystal leaves emitted a mournful chime, but it was quickly placed into the system's storage.
"Run!" Zhang Yong shouted, turning quickly. "He's furious!"
The Rainbow Shadow Deer erupted into a frenzy of rage. Its body released brilliant flashes of rainbow colors, and the energy it unleashed was overwhelming.
Even the concealment formation set up by Wang Fei and Liu Yan began to crack under the pressure.
"Su Ming, now!" Zhang Yong commanded, leaping away from the tree.
Su Ming shot forward. He didn't need to draw his sword; a golden sword appeared in his hand. The property of his Sword Will was speed.
Su Ming swung with such incredible speed that his movement was barely visible. The sword struck the Rainbow Shadow Deer, causing a massive explosion of energy and light. But the deer was barely harmed; it only slowed for a moment.
"He's too strong!" Su Ming said, retreating, his hand trembling from the impact's force.
Zhang Yong had expected this. No matter how advanced someone was on a Path, if the level difference was too great, even completing the Path to its peak wouldn't easily overcome the gap.
It might be possible for those in the same realm, but not if the difference was a full realm.
Thus, even if someone was at the peak of the Guru realm like Su Ming, they couldn't defeat someone who had entered the Ancestor realm.
Of course, there were exceptions, but they were abnormal, such as in Zhang Yong's case. Even without a cultivation foundation, he could contend with those stronger than himself.
"Don't fight him! Run east!" Zhang Yong led the group in a frantic escape through the forest.
The Rainbow Shadow Deer, having lost the essence it had protected for hundreds of years, was in an unprecedented frenzy.
It pursued them at lightning speed, each step shaking the ground and shattering trees in its path.
"It's much faster than us!" Liu Yan shouted as she ran beside Zhang Yong.
Zhang Yong quickly turned his head to assess the situation. His red eyes flickered with intense focus
the Rainbow Shadow Deer would never stop pursuing them after he had stolen the tree's essence.
"Scatter!" Zhang Yong commanded. "Meet at the Forked Rock three miles east!"
Everyone scattered in different directions, but the deer focused its pursuit on Zhang Yong, who carried the crystal heart.
After they scattered, Zhang Yong smiled as he stepped on the air and increased his speed while the deer pursued him in agitation.
Zhang Yong leaped high into the sky, his body covered in the moon's glow before the deer's gaze, which followed him into the air.
Then the deer's body convulsed unexpectedly, as behind Zhang Yong, a massive black sword of Death Qi rose.
"What? Lost your fighting spirit?" Zhang Yong smiled coldly as he raised two fingers and lowered his hand from top to bottom, commanding the sword to descend.
The massive Death Qi sword descended like a grim judgment. There was no flash or noise, only a solemn silence preceding the storm.
The black blade pierced the Rainbow Shadow Deer's skull as easily as a knife through butter.
The deer didn't even let out a cry. Its shimmering body suddenly stiffened, then was cut in half.
Just as it was with humans, the same applied to beasts. It was impossible for a fifth-rank beast to defeat a sixth-rank beast.
Zhang Yong's Sword of Self was a power on the Venerable level, which was equivalent to the sixth rank of beasts.
Zhang Yong landed gracefully on the ground and looked at the deer's corpse before him. With a command, the inner core, horns, heart, and nerve cords floated from the corpse.
Moments later, the others gathered around him, their faces expressing shock and awe.
"You... you killed it that easily?" Su Ming whispered, his eyes fixed on the inner core in Zhang Yong's hand. "But this is a fifth-rank beast!"
Zhang Yong smiled mysteriously. "Everything has a weak point. That deer relied entirely on the tree's crystal energy, forming a spiritual bond with it. Once I tore out the crystal heart, it became much weaker."
This was, of course, only half the truth. The full truth was that Zhang Yong had used his deep understanding of the Structure of Life and Death to pinpoint the breaking point, or the "gap," in the deer with precision, then directed his finishing strike.
Wang Fei looked at Zhang Yong with a complex expression. "Little Brother, your power now... is truly frightening."
Zhang Yong shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, since we're here, let's share the spoils. Big Brother Wang Fei, you'll take the core. Su Ming, you get the horns. Sister Liu Yin, you get the nerve cords. Sister Liu Yan, you get his blood-rich heart. I'll get the crystal heart. Agreed?"
After Zhang Yong proposed dividing the spoils, everyone looked at him in silence for a moment.
These spoils were incredibly valuable, especially from a fifth-rank beast, and the distribution was surprisingly fair, with each person getting exactly what suited them best.
Wang Fei was the first to break the silence, shaking his head. "Little Brother, this isn't right. You killed the beast and dealt the most damage. You should take the inner core."
Zhang Yong smiled. "Big Brother Wang, the inner core is useful for you, while it's worthless to me. I can't use it properly, unlike the tree."
The others realized that Zhang Yong was acting fairly as usual, so they accepted the division of spoils with gratitude.
Zhang Yong took out Kuro from his pet space. With her plump, bird-like face, she seemed to be frowning.
"Hmm... Kuro? What's wrong?" Zhang Yong looked at her in confusion.
'Hmph, Father, don't you love me anymore? It's been a long time since you last let me out,' Kuro said, fluffing her feathers with an expression resembling a pout, though her large eyes overflowed with a clear desire for pampering.
Zhang Yong smiled, shaking his head, then reached out to gently stroke her head. "How could I not love you? But the past days have been dangerous. I didn't want to put you in harm's way."
Kuro turned away with an unconvinced look, then sniffed the deer behind Zhang Yong. 'Father, this thing smells delicious!'
Kuro's eyes blazed with gluttony as she stared at the giant deer's corpse. She flew quickly and began devouring the corpse, eating ravenously as if it were a fragile candy.
"Kuro! This isn't for eating!" Zhang Yong tried to stop her, but he was too late.
Kuro had already devoured half the body in an instant, and the glowing energy began to spread through her body.
Zhang Yong gently picked her up , it was like lifting a giant boulder as she snorted with disappointment. 'But it's so delicious, Father!'
"This..." Zhang Yong turned toward his companions, trying to find an excuse to let her eat.
After a moment of awkward silence, Wang Fei burst into a muffled laugh. "Let her eat, Little Brother. It seems your little bird has refined taste." The others nodded in agreement.
Zhang Yong surrendered to the consensus and let Kuro finish her meal. Within minutes, Kuro devoured the entire corpse, then flew back to Zhang Yong's shoulder, snorting with satisfaction. 'I'm full now, Father.'
Zhang Yong raised his eyebrows, touching her swollen belly. "I hope that wasn't too much for you."
Then he turned toward his companions. "Alright, now let's head to Blue Feather City."