Not avoiding the attack, the sharp nails of Red shot out, instantly turning into a red light, directly meeting it as clusters of fiery flames rose up on the sharp claws.
"Hiss!"
A sharp whistling sound echoed as two small spiritual beasts passed by each other. Red lightly landed on the ground, indifferently raised its Cat paw, the sharp nails retracting with a hiss, while the previously aggressive Thunder Mouse stiffened in place, and in the next moment, both its claws and head fell off, its body weakly collapsing to the ground.
"Flame Claw?" Regret looked at Red in astonishment. Flame Claw was a skill usually understood by third order Scorching Flame Cats, yet Red was able to execute it at the second order, truly displaying extraordinary talent.
Shaking its small head, Red leisurely walked to the dead Thunder Mouse, dug its claws in, and a thunder attribute core appeared in its paw. This was a third order Thunder type core, worth about three gold coins.
Placing the core in front of Regret, Red sat halfway down, wagging its tail as if seeking praise.
"Not bad."
Smiling and patting Red's head, Regret stuffed the thunder attribute spirit core into his clothes. Red couldn't devour the thunder attribute spirit core, so it could only be sold for gold coins.
Glancing into the distance, a fiery flame flickered in Regret's eyes. Through the recent battle, he had roughly understood that the third order low level novice level spirit beasts were no match for Red. As long as he didn't encounter spirit beasts of the fourth order or higher, he could roam freely around the outskirts of the mountain!
In the quiet forest, a person and a Cat were walking slowly, with only the rustling sound echoing in the peaceful forest.
On Regret's shoulder, there was a substantial cloth bag. If someone were to open it and look inside, they would surely be surprised to find that it was filled with spirit cores emitting various colored lights!
Such a quantity would be enough to make many spirit masters envious.
However, at this moment, whether it was Regret's clothes or the fur of Red, they were both stained with some blood. But from the parts that were stained, it was obvious that the blood did not come from them.
"With so many spirit cores, I should be able to sell them for a good amount of gold coins."
Thinking of this, a happy smile appeared on Regret's face. Red, who was at the second rank, was considered an existence that could be easily preyed upon by many spirit beasts. This directly led to a continuous stream of spirit beasts coming from the shadows to attack. The pure spiritual power contained within the bodies of spirit masters was a rare delicacy for many spirit beasts.
For those spirit beasts that wanted to bite their own necks, Regret did not show any mercy and had Red kill them all. While gaining a large number of spirit cores, Red's strength also gradually showed signs of advancing towards the third rank.
Suddenly, Regret's steps abruptly stopped, and Red's eyes narrowed. With both legs pushing off Regret's shoulders, Red instantly dashed into a thicket of bushes.
"Rustle!"
A bush shook for a moment, and then Red walked out with a spirit beast in its mouth. It was a third order Snowflake Rabbit, completely snow white with fur as clean as dust, looking extremely beautiful. However, at this moment, it was trembling with fear, its black gem like eyes filled with dread.
"Sigh." Regret waved his hand helplessly.
The Snowflake Rabbit was quite timid, never having heard of any incidents of spiritual masters being attacked by it, making it one of the most gentle spirit beasts.
Receiving Regret's instructions, Red obediently nodded and gently placed the Snowflake Rabbit on the ground. After hesitating for a moment, the rabbit hurriedly turned around and disappeared in this area as if fleeing, leaving behind a faint trace of white snowflakes in its wake.
Just as they were about to continue forward, Regret suddenly paused, as if he had remembered something, his breath becoming rapid.
Snowflake Rabbits were a rare type of spirit beast, seldom seen by people. Regret had heard from his tribe that wherever Snowflake Rabbits were active, there was usually a kind of spirit herb called Snow Condensing Grass. This herb was quite rare, and even large commercial stores couldn't find more than a few plants.
Looking up slowly, Regret's eyes lit up as he spotted a white spirit herb growing at the top of an ironwood tree. This herb consisted of three leaves, each surrounded by a thin mist – it was indeed Snow Condensing Grass!
"Red, go up and pick it." Regret's face flushed with excitement. After ensuring there was no danger around, he quickly pointed to the top of the tree.
Shaking off a few grass leaves stuck to its body, Red turned and climbed up the trunk. Within a few breaths, it reached the Snow Condensing Grass and gently scraped the stem with its claws, causing it to float down.
With a smile, Regret caught the Snow Condensing Grass, feeling a sudden chill spreading through his palm and entire body.
"This Snow Condensing Grass is quite valuable; the price of one is equivalent to dozens of fifth order spirit cores."
The cold temperature made Regret shiver involuntarily. With a faint smile, he placed the Snow Condensation Grass on top of a pile of spirit cores. Just as he was about to return with Red, who had leaped down from the treetop, an angry beast roar suddenly came from deep within the forest, scaring countless birds into scattering.
"Whoosh!"
A rapid sound of something breaking through the air echoed through the forest. Then, a giant silhouette swung down from the sky on a thick vine, crashing heavily onto the ground. Amid the ensuing dust, and with the help of the faint light filtering through the trees, Regret finally got a clear look at the approaching creature.