After Raed recovered from the injuries caused by the Lightning Tiger, he decided to avoid such beasts for the time being, knowing that he couldn't fight them.
He went hunting for other beasts but didn't dare go too deep into the forest because the depths of the Demonic Forest were inhabited by high-level monsters.
There could even be king-level monsters, which are fifth-level beasts equivalent to the Vein Opening Realm in humans.
At this level, the beasts have very high spiritual intelligence and are dangerous, even though they can't transform into humans until they reach the Innate Realm.
The first monster he encountered was a venomous python, a fierce beast at the late stage of the first level.
Although this snake was only at the first level, its physical defense was very strong, and the most dangerous part was its venom.
Before Raed could attack, the snake opened its mouth and released a poisonous fog, filling the area and making Raed grimace.
"Damn... this damn snake is dangerous. I have to be careful of this poisonous fog and seize the opportunity to attack."
Raed held his breath and pretended to be poisoned and weakened, almost falling
."Hiss... hiss..."
Seeing this, the snake let out a happy hiss and lunged at Raed to devour him. As the snake approached, Raed smiled and said,
"Stupid beast..."
He then used Shadow Steps and appeared near the snake's belly, its weak spot, delivering a "Mountain Crushing Fist."
"Hiss..."
As soon as Raed's energy-filled fist touched the snake's belly, the beast cried out, its internal organs destroyed, and it died.
....
While Raed was fighting, several people entered the Demonic Forest with fierce expressions
."... Is it true that the leader will give 2,000 gold coins to whoever kills Raed and 5,000 gold coins to whoever brings him alive?"
said one of the people dressed in black with a large black snake emblem. They were members of the Poisonous Snake Mercenary Group.
"...That kid has caught the leader's attention; it seems he has a secret that could change our lives..."
replied his companion, with a greedy look in his eyes, as if eyeing prey. Dozens of people entered and split into groups, searching for Raed's traces.
"...Look, there's a burn mark here; it seems he's staying here. Let's set up an ambush..."
One man looked at the cave where Raed had been staying and smiled, then they hid around the cave, waiting for Raed.
Raed continued hunting, gaining combat experience and collecting many medicinal herbs.
As night approached, he headed back to the cave, but as he got closer, he sensed multiple killing intents and became alert.
The fighting over the past two days had sharpened his sense of danger.
He used his spiritual power to sense the surroundings of the cave and detected ten people ranging from the fifth to the seventh level, with one at the eighth level of Qi Refinement, likely the leader.
A smile appeared on Raed's face, but he remained calm on the surface.
As he approached, he didn't wait for them to attack. He used Shadow Steps and appeared next to the leader, delivering a powerful punch.The leader couldn't react, and his head exploded, killing him instantly.
"...What? The leader is dead! Run away quickly..."
The remaining members tried to flee in all directions, but Raed's speed was too fast, and within ten breaths, everyone was dead except for one person at the fifth level.
"...Who are you, and why do you want to kill me?"
Raed approached him coldly, not recognizing them but angered because they had tried to kill him.
"...Hehehe, you'll kill me anyway, but you'll die too. I'll wait for you in hell..."
the man said, about to bite his tongue, but Raed quickly knocked him unconscious.
"...Hmph, do you think I can't find out anything if you don't talk..."
Raed sneered and then recalled a technique he had read about but hadn't cared for, thinking it too cruel.
The technique was called the "Soul Searching Technique."It was a spiritual technique that searched the opponent's memories, but one's spiritual power had to be stronger than the opponent's or at the same level, or the person had to be unconscious.
Otherwise, there was a risk of rendering the person an idiot if not careful.After searching the man's memories, Raed's face turned grim as he learned that a man in the Blood Refining Realm was targeting him.
"... Hmph, do you covet my secret?! Very well, but shouldn't you live long enough to enjoy it... Hehehe, let's see who's the prey and who's the hunter..."