The blood Qi in the air got denser and denser slowly constricting their vision further. The occasional bird chirp sounded within the silent forest, and dead beasts turned up on their path.
The carriage kept on moving through the field with the occasional blood red tree sticking out of the flesh like mud. On top of the cart was Chang as he was sitting cross-legged slowly absorbing the blood Qi in short and manageable bursts allowing his body to slowly get more attuned with it and hopefully gain blood Qi.
Next to him was a small monkey with a pen dashing all over a giant piece of paper, drawing lines and symbols. Its movement perfectly matched the bird chirps sounding all around them.
This monkey was a creature he tamed and trained to work with the scouting birds to create terrain landscapes. The birds go in different directions and give minimally different pitch chirps and noises depending on what they found and what the environment is like.
The monkey is able to use its superior hearing to understand the difference and the exact direction the noise is coming from, but also what the sound bounces off. The monkey is a rare breed on monkey that live in caves, and a rare mutation can occur where a one of them develops a type of eco location.
This allows it to create detailed maps at far distances while also on the move is un-charted territory. Obviously, it took more than training to allow the monkey to be able to do this.
Using his slave seal, he changed the monkey's memories and imprinted enough for it to have a high degree of intelligence and then used some methods by the beast tamer to boost its brain power and cognitive functions at the cost of becoming weaker.
So, the monkey continued to scribble away, while he was absorbing the blood Qi. Bjorne was pulling the cart exercising its will power and training its mental resistance against the blood Qi and the girls where inside the cart meditating to also build a resistance against the blood QI.
Along the way they come across something that peaked Changs interest. It was a small destroyed village. The houses where nothing but a few bricks but the infrastructure of the buildings where still barely visible.
He got off the carriage to look around and managed to find a few interesting things. First from looking at the state of the buildings he could tell this was from a very long time ago as not only are the walls barely visible but when he did a little digging, he found that was the very tip of the houses.
This allowed him to come to the conclusion that these where build so long ago that the earth around the area must have risen enough to cover the houses. Not only that but in the middle of some houses where giant trees that would only grow after thousands of years.
He was a bit confused by this village, as such good trees growing here would have attracted the attention of beasts wishing to make nests or rest, yet there is nothing. No signs of beasts or even fights over the territory.
Like the beasts avoided the place. His thoughts quickly started to wonder as to the reason why and he came up with the options of either a treasure here keeps them away or this is the territory of a strong creature.
He quickly turns to head back towards the carriage but before that a giant shadow leaps forth from within the blood mist, coming from one of the trees. The shadow is easily much bigger than Bjorne and it very fast.
He could barely react in time before two giant glistening fangs came launching at him. The fangs were attached to a large black snake with crimson red scales.
The snake both corrupted by the blood Qi and attacking all creatures but in its eyes showed a little emotion, like it was going to enjoy slaughtering him and his company.
Unfortunately for it the instead of seeing fear in his face, Chang showed a disdainful expression as he spoke. "For one of the only creatures left with some intelligence, for you to be so quick to attack means I over estimated you."
Before the snake's expression could even change a white slash of light landed on the snake's neck. Its body crashed straight down into the ground and it head kept flying off towards him with even more speed after being freed from its heavy body.
A figure quickly flashes in front of him and slaps to speeding head to the side, stopping all its momentum. If the snake had looked closer at his expression then it might not have been so quick to attack. Calm, he was totally calm, like he was in control of the whole situation.
The flickering shadow in front of his disappeared as quick as it arrived. As if not caring about the events just now he stored the snake's body before leaving on his carriage.
Since the moment he saw the village he had one of his experts be stationed near by already assuming either of the situations he concluded after getting the evidence.
The shadow was one of his 3 stage 4 experts. These experts where all the grand elders and hidden elders of the strongest noble families within his empire. With his knowledge of novels, he assumed that the most powerful noble families who are near strength with his own likely have a hidden stage 4 expert or at least peak stage 3.
His guess was right and his father had to take care of them by using his family's own hidden stage 4 expert. His father never said who it was, but he assumes it to be Wang Zao. When he became a stage 2, he was able to enslave the stage 4 experts, since his technique allow up to 2 stages above him. Though it was tough for him to enslave them and took a day for each of them, plus support from his father who supressed their souls.
Since then, he obviously trained them up, changed their memories to have more useful knowledge and gave them new techniques. Even pills to reduce some of the effects of the aging. He now has 2 constantly protecting him and the other protecting his women along with some peak stage 3.
One should know that snake was a peak rank 3 beast, so for a almost dead stage 4 cultivator to one shot it, would be hard. Even if they are stage 4, the effects of aging plus the natural increased strength of beasts, would make it a rare event for them to be willing to fight without the possibility of dying right after.
His techniques have allowed these old dying bats to get even more strength and vitality than before, making them more useful for him.
So, he continued forward with the stage 4 experts protecting him and his other stage 3 servants killing the beasts in the mist.
…
While he was leisurely continuing his journey, Meng Yating was having the opposite of a relaxing time within his internal world. She was constantly swamped with business work having to sort out expansions, profits, where to cut losses.
She had finally after many hours finished her work and was going to take a break and get some late lunch. Unfortunately for her, when she left the tower created for buisnesses she was greeted by a pair of giant fangs attached to a an equally giant head and a long body separated behind it.
She quickly knew why it was here and screamed out. "Damn you darling. Just as I finally finished my work you dump this on me. Just as I finally got a damn break! You better make it up to me later."
A piece of paper appeared in front of her after she finished releasing her frustration. It read "Sorry but its scales look really cool and I want them fashioned into some really nice clothes. Feel free to have your self a few things made as well. I will see you within the next few days and help you unleash your pent-up stress."
Those words where followed by two drawn symbols she didn't understand. A hand with a finger pointing to the right and a hand with its thumb and index finger together making a circle.
She sighed and had people get to work deconstructing the massive creature and got the necessary preparation's ready for manufacturing items out of its hide.
She had to spend a further hour sorting that out before she finally had a break. She once again left to get some food. Her path however was blocked with another giant body with a small note on its head saying "Sorry!".
She screamed in frustration cursing at him for not letting her have a break.
…
Chang both felt a little amused and a little bad for dropping so much work on her, and promised to himself to fully let her mind get lost in pleasures and have no stress when he is done here.