The dark night was offset by the picturesque view of a crescent moon, its light falling softly across the forest like rain, only to be blocked by the army of green leaves; their assault only lasted moments before they were breached.
The trees rustled as the wind blew, its cold breeze whipping them into a frenzy as their comrades were lost in the onslaught.
A shadowy figure could be seen dashing between the trees with torn robes as their eyes like a predatory in the night surveyed the forest before them.
The roars of beasts could be heard in all directions as he sought to avoid direct confrontation.
Battles raged anew, as different sects' disciples fought tooth and nail for survival as they pressed forwards.
All aimed to return with the famed 7 Soul Peony as they aimed to reach the left behind cave abode of an expert that was talked about in the rumours.
Xiao LingYue took in all he saw as he continued, only being a spectator to these gruelling and desperate battles.
Limbs were torn, bowels were ripped from corpses as well as the carcasses of ferocious beasts fell left and right.
No one was safe amongst the trees of this forest...
The forest floor was littered with leaves, blood, appendages and corpses as the fighting continued...
Roaaarr!
A beast had caught sight of him as it came charging over!
Its body was built like a moving tank as its rough outer skin glistened under the faint moonlight, its snarling fangs biting and crushing all the trees that stood in its way as it barreled down its path.
Taken by surprise the beast slammed forcefully into his side sending him tumbling across the ground, his body sliding as it made a deep ditch across the forest floor.
The beast roared in triumph as its head was held high, standing gloatingly under the moonlight.
Xiao LingYue's eyes narrowed as a cold glint appeared within his eyes, his body slowly rising out of the rubble as he tore the shredded upper robes revealing his slender but athletic build.
His feet pressed upon the ground as he leant forwards, his fury spiking as his claws grew longer and his fox-like features reappeared.
It had seemed due to his neidans increase in its cultivation his fox fae bloodline was invoked much easier as two tails slowly unfurled behind him.
His Demonic Demeanor Transformation Art circulated furiously while his neidan spun to keep up, releasing a faint pressure that came with the ivory-coloured fox as it soon appeared behind him.
Roar!!
Feeling challenged the bone-plated beast sprinted over in LingYue's direction.
Neither retreating nor evading, LingYue rushed towards the beast as his fury had hit its peak!
With a single bound he was above the beast, his right hand drawing back as he made a fist!
His Demonic Qi surged as the fox's image blurred as it incorporated itself within his body.
His muscles flexed while his tendons tensed, and the sound similar to that of a longbow reverberated throughout the nearby forest as he punched forwards!
*BANG!!**
His fist collided with the bone-plated beast as his knuckles sank deep into its bony plating, its body shuddering before it was pressed into the ground beneath them!
His left foot was like a whip as it whistled through the air!
Kaaanngg!
Upon collision, the beast was sent flying as it only stopped after crashing through over 4 trees.
Xiao LingYue smiled as the beastial aura that was once hidden soon reared its head, his sleek and shiny black tails flowing behind him.
He looked savage as his ears began to sharpen and his fangs grew further, his muscles flexing as they became more compact. . .
This was the first time he had felt this powerful since leaving the sect, he could feel his heart and neidan pulsing as the Demonic Qi constantly filled him with strength and vitality, his muscles becoming more refined while his strength increased once over by a whole QiongQi!
With his physical body alone, he had the power of 3 QiongQi similar to that of a low-tier stage 2 ferocious beast!
The beast was enraged as it got to its legs, its head shaking as it roared unceasingly, its feet sinking into the ground as it charged with all its might!
Its feet sank into the muddied forest floor as bloodied grime flew in all directions, the deep thumping could be heard from afar.
LingYue reached for his saber out of habit only to realise he had lost it before in the fight with the serpent!
His anger once again soared as he gritted his teeth as he rushed the infuriated beast!
He could only take of this new foe with his pure brute strength and his cultivation!
His Moon Lotus Mantra began to circulate as Demonic Qi pumped through his 17 meridians, each adding 3 Tigers' worth of strength!
His strength multiplied as his strength increased to 8 QiongQis!
His arms bulged as he gripped the monster, his feet sinking into the floor as he wrestled it to a stop!
Its ravenous jaws snapped repeatedly as it caught his torso!
His flesh was once again mangled by its bite force as he sunk his claws into its upper and lower jaws, wrenching them open slightly!
Arrgghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!
Little by little his arms pried the jaw of this strange beast open before pulling with all the strength he was capable of!
Rrriiippppppp!!!
The bone-plated beast was torn in two as he held its bottom jaw, trachea and a portion of its chest in his left, while his right hand held the remainder of its large body!
Blood splashed over LingYue's body as he was once again drenched in the blood of a beast.
His eyes were filled with cold indifference underneath the faint moonlight as he knelt while searching for its core.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"I told you not to go this way!" A voice that seemed like the singing of larks was heard in the night.
"Heehh? It was you who said this direction!" A similar voice replied.
The two voices had belonged to the twins Hua Mei and Hua Ying, the twin attendees of Ye Ru, who had gotten separated once entering the Silver Deer Forest.
They had slaughtered their way through the eerie forest as they made their way to the cave abode, whether it be beasts or disciples, they all fell under their 2-Man Array, Sole Yin SwordPlay.
Boom!!
Noises of collisions and clashes could be heard nearby and as their eyes lit up they dashed forwards!
'Fortune favoured the bold'; This was a statement everyone knew and they too wanted to profit while doing the least amount of work.
They had soon reached the epicentre of the battle as they saw an unbelievably unprecedented scene. . . . .
A Fae. . .
Slaughtering and killing a stage 2 ferocious beast with his bare hands before ravaging its body for its core.
His body was covered in its blood as his entire being oozed of murderous aura and a baleful qi which made them sick to their stomachs.
*..crack..*
Hua Ying had retreated unconsciously as she had stepped on a twig, which made the figure stop what it was doing as its gaze fell upon them...
...Their heart seized.
Red slit-eyes could be seen through disheveled hair that hung low, the skin on his upper body torn and shredded as it was covered in the blood of its prey and its own.
Hua Mei drew her sword as she snapped out of her fear while shouting, regaining her previous presence as a cultivator!
" I don't know who or what you are but you will fall beneath our swords, you filthy cur!" Hua Mei spat through clenched teeth, her arms slightly shaking as she realized turning her back on this opponent would mean. . .
. . . . .Death. . . .