Staying all alone inside a forest does many things to one man.
Other than the desire for a nice hot shower to clean himself, a tasty feast to satisfy his stomach, a soft bed to sleep on, and a sexy woman to embrace, Yang Shen's mentality changed a lot through staying alert all the time and fending off threats that awaited him inside every inch of the forest.
For starters, Yang Shen only now understood how foolish his actions were when he increased his cultivation all at once.
Remembering the stupid reason he did that, which was to save him time, which at most would have been a few days, Yang Shen wanted to smack his past self on the back of his head if possible.
It was due to that useless laziness that the current him still didn't know how strong he was, or how to control his strength properly.
Similarly, Yang Shen understood that just possessing the system didn't mean that he could behave like the privileged son of the heavens.
So what if he had the Lecherous Cultivation System, wasn't he right now backed into a hopeless situation with no control over what he should or shouldn't do?
Hesitating as he alternated his glance between the huge bear which was a beast that was only on the same level as someone in the Qi Gathering Realm, and the upgrade button which would increase his cultivation with a single click, Yang Shen gritted his teeth and decided to increase his strength since there was no way for him to even survive another minute otherwise.
But just before he could do that, Yang Shen saw a light flash by as the bear's eyes turned dull and completely lifeless.
Thud!
Falling on the ground and causing it to tremble a little due to its heavy weight, Yang Shen only now saw a gaping huge hole on the side of its head.
Looking in the direction that the light had travelled in, Yang Shen's eyes turned wider upon spotting a small pebble that was stuck inside a huge tree's trunk.
Was that thing what killed the bear?
But how?
Who threw it?!
Turning in the opposite direction, Yang Shen's shock only further grew since he couldn't see anyone there.
What did that mean?
Unless the one who threw the pebble was invisible, they threw it from such a far distance that Yang Shen's eyes couldn't even see them.
Regardless of what it was, the one who threw the pebble was definitely someone who could kill Yang Shen without knowing how he died.
Therefore, he got rid of the idea of running away and patiently waited for the one who threw the pebble to come and collect their kill.
Not having to wait long, Yang Shen was greeted by the sight of two fully armed soldiers making their way through the wild shrubs.
"So he's the lucky one whom the Captain felt like saving."
Talking to themselves after spotting Yang Shen, the two men who were radiating an intense bloodlust finally did what they were sent here to do.
"Come with us. Our captain wants to talk to you."
Nodding his head, Yang Shen who wasn't seriously injured and was simply covered in flesh wounds began following the two men who turned around to leave without waiting for his response.
"Who is your captain?"
Treating Yang Shen like air, neither of the men said anything at all.
After all, they had only been ordered to 'bring the one near the dead bear' back with them. Nothing more, nothing less.
Giving up on trying to find any information, Yang Shen couldn't even make a random guess regarding which of the three kingdoms the two soldiers walking in front of him belonged to due to there being so symbols or emblems on their armor or clothes.
This was also what made it possible that they could belong to some private force.
Walking in silence for almost three minutes, Yang Shen who finally spotted a clearing up ahead which was guarded by similar soldiers only now understood from how far away the pebble was thrown.
Who in god's name could throw such a small pebble so far and with so much strength?
Trembling as he imagined a huge monster sized human that carried around an axe bigger than him, Yang Shen could only sigh in relief that whoever it was didn't have any malicious intentions towards him.
Because if they did so, after he upgraded his cultivation and killed the bear, his head would have blown up like a watermelon after a pebble shot through it.
Gulping hard and doing his best to hide his real emotions, Yang Shen felt that the words sheathed swords were best to describe all of the soldiers.
With an unseen aura around them which Yang Shen was sure would chase even Profound Beasts away, every single one of them was obviously an elite whom not even someone like the snake man from Hao Clan could compare to.
Thinking about this, Yang Shen narrowed the possibilities of the soldiers belonging to one of the three kingdoms, or any force which was comparable to the Four Great Clans of the Xia Empire.
Entering the clearing inside the forest which was guarded by as many as a hundred soldiers, Yang Shen's eyes were instantly attracted by a huge red palanquin that had another fifty soldiers surrounding it.
'Who's inside it?'
"Stop staring at it if you want to continue living."
Turning his head towards the voice which seemed to be speaking right into his ear, but was actually quite far away, Yang Shen took a while to spot the woman who had just warned him.
Jumping down the branch of the tree she was sitting on, the woman smiled and added, "My lady is not as merciful as I am. If she feels offended, she won't spare you just because you're handsome."