After a short rest I left the cave in search of my prey. The hunt was on, after jumping out of the cave I flew around in a circle to make it look like I came from somewhere else. This was just in case someone was standing by and stalking.
It was common for cultivators to fight in this Mountain Forest. Moreover I was still a True Element Realm. This meant I would be seen as an easy target for others. However, they couldn't have been further from the truth. A mistake that I would make whoever would be stupid enough to bully the 'weak'. It helped that I wasn't worried about anyone aside from Saint Realms and above.
Not having to worry about the cultivators I encountered made my progress quite smooth. I searched high and low around each individual mountain. I used my innate eyes to see any possible obstructions or restrictions. If I found a hidden cave of another cultivator from a long time ago I could find a decent amount of resources for myself.
Occasionally I came across a few 4th Order Monster beasts but none of those fights really gave me anything I'd call worthy battler experience. However they did leave behind their corpses for me. I could process these at a later time so I decided to put just the whole thing inside my space ring. All while hoping that I have enough space to continue my hunt. I could only hope this was the case. Not because it was a small capacity but rather because the number of monsters was quite high.
Sadly after this hunt there weren't any great discoveries. It was unfortunate but not everyone can be lucky, and no one can be lucky all the time. It gave my still tiny body time to grow. Because of this I wasn't worried and began cultivating.
Two months later I made an advancement and stepped into the 4th layer of the True Element Realm. In doing so my body grew slightly as if to compensate for the increase in power. Now that I had broken through it would be safe to assume that someone would come to make trouble with me. It was simply a matter of time. And of course just like clockwork some idiot came to make trouble with me.
"Brother Lin, have you found that cultivator yet?" a person asked, looking over at another person who was holding something.
"Don't worry Junior Brother. This Senior brother will find where they are cowering." the one known as Lin said.
I could see them because, well… they were just outside the restriction I had set up. And they weren't alone. They easily had a dozen cultivators all of the Immortal Ascension Realm or better. Even for me, taking on that many opponents would be troublesome. That is if I don't take out either of my heavy hitter weapons. Which I would have to kill all of these people in order to have my secret kept.
"Damn! Where is this coward! I'm going crazy. I must steal from this guy." The one known as Lin said.
"Brother Lin, if this guy has the secret coordinates for the Thunder Temple we must find him. Or else the efforts we've made thus far. Will be wasted." the other guy said, looking back at the cultivators that were with them.
"I know Junior brother Huang. I know this. We must be the ones to find it! It's for us to inherit and no one else! When we find this coward everyone works to kill him! No conversation. We can loot his corpse after." The Lin Brother said, putting on a scary looking serious face.
"Brother Lin, what if it's a woman? You should take them. After all, with your 2nd order Saint Realm Cultivation, who here could possibly resist you?" the Huang brother said.
"You must be forgetting something brother Huang. You are a 1st order Saint Realm aren't you. Why not take her yourself?" The Lin brother chuckled.
So it seems these brothers are committing a taboo. Their Sect masters should also be somewhere outside the forest. Likely keeping up appearances. Now I will need to be more careful. There are evil Taboo committers out here. This area of the forest is strictly for up to the Transcendent Realm. And even then no one would openly declare they are going to murder the weak without a just reason. Seems I might have to find this Thunder Temple first though. It sounds perfect, as if made for me. Inheritance here I come!
"Uhm, seniors there seems to be movement down below." one of the random extras said.
The one brother Lin turned and looked. "Judging from the direction this might be that cultivator. Come with me to kill the enemy." he said, launching off the cliff.
The others clearly were not of the same mindset. And they even wore different sect outfits.
"Hey isn't that the Purple Phoenix Palaces Disciples? We really shouldn't kill their people. They are a fearsome sect among the top in all of the Void World." another random person said.
"But right now we can't offend our captors. And if we wait much longer then they will do to us what those two will do to them." the first one said again.
If Purple Phoenix Palace disciples were here. Then, that meant their master was also here. Likely waiting outside of the forest. This was a place where cultivators would risk the outcome of life and death to grow stronger. But it seemed like whichever sect these two brothers came from they were not good people.
Knowing that I could stay safe with my identity as a disciple of both the Void Temple and Purple Phoenix Palace I decided to step outside of the restriction and make it look like I had come from another place.
"I suggest you leave this forest seniors. Find your masters and tell them the situation." I said, floating in the air.
"May I ask what junior brother plans to do?" one of them asks.
"I can not allow my Purple Phoenix Palaces people to be targeted and just do nothing. Even if they are above my Realm I will show no mercy." I said before rocketing off towards the place where the Saint Realms had flown off too.
"Let's go! And quickly! The Purple Phoenix elder outside the forest will want to hear this." someone said.
"Yes, we have been bullied by these shameless Saint Realms. Too long. We will seek justice." they said, before rocketing off towards the place where their masters were gathered. None sparing even an ounce of energy putting it all into speed.