"It really can absorb blood."
"And by absorbing blood, this sword becomes even more sinister, with the blade growing sharper," Lin San murmured to himself as he observed the Demon Slayer Sword in his hand.
"Why didn't I notice this before?" he wondered aloud, continuing to let the sword absorb all the blood from the bodies of the Flame Clucks.
"A blood-drinking sword... it doesn't seem like a normal weapon. Are you a divine sword or a demonic sword?" Lin San mused as he held the sword, speaking softly to himself.
"You can call me whatever you want," Ye Fan responded, even though Lin San couldn't hear him.
Feeling somewhat bored, Ye Fan's gaze wandered around. The trees in the Black Forest were tall and thick, reaching up to the clouds, with dense foliage. This made the surroundings rather dark, limiting visibility.
After collecting the beast cores from the slain Flame Clucks and storing them in his large backpack, Lin San carefully scanned the area before moving deeper into the forest. Holding the Demon Slayer Sword, his perception was heightened, giving him a sharp awareness of his surroundings.
Suddenly, the ground beneath him began to shake violently, accompanied by a loud, thunderous noise.
"What's happening?" Lin San's expression shifted as he felt the tremors beneath his feet.
"What a powerful presence—could it be a high-rank beast?" Ye Fan sensed the intense aura emanating from the depths of the Black Forest, reminiscent of the time when the sixth-rank Red-Eyed Furious Python appeared in the Forest of the Furious Python.
A deep, thunderous roar echoed through the forest, causing the ground to tremble even more violently. Explosions boomed in the distance, shaking the earth.
"A seventh-rank beast! And it seems like two seventh-rank beasts are fighting over territory!" Lin San's eyes widened as he identified the roar.
When two beasts of this caliber clashed, one would inevitably die or be gravely injured. If both perished, it would be the ideal scenario. A seventh-rank beast core could fetch an incredibly high price!
With this thought, Lin San hesitated only briefly before sprinting towards the source of the commotion.
As he approached, he noticed that the surrounding area was devoid of other beasts, likely driven into hiding by the tremors.
Soon, Lin San reached the epicenter of the disturbance.
"There really are high-rank beasts..." Lin San crouched behind a large black tree, carefully peering ahead. He saw two enormous beasts locked in a fierce battle— a Seventh-Rank Thunder Bear and a Seventh-Rank Gale Leopard.
"Amazing... two seventh-rank beasts," Lin San whispered, feeling a mixture of excitement and fear.
"Seventh-rank beasts belong to the high-rank category," Ye Fan explained, recounting what he had learned during his time as a sword. "At this level, beasts possess powerful elemental abilities."
"These seventh-rank beasts have a lot of blood. Absorbing it could give us a significant energy boost! But Lin San is no match for these high-rank beasts; charging in would be suicide. Better to wait and see," Ye Fan advised.
Though Lin San couldn't hear Ye Fan, he understood the principle.
"I'll wait until they're both exhausted or one of them is dead, then I'll swoop in and take the spoils," Lin San thought, settling in to observe.
It was a good plan, but there was always the risk of being the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Star City was home to many warriors who hunted beasts for their cores, and although the area seemed deserted now, there was no telling who might show up once the beasts were weakened or dead.
Lin San crouched low, using the tall plants around him for cover.
The two beasts roared as they clashed, the Thunder Bear's body crackling with electricity, filling the air with the scent of burning. Each swipe of its massive paws sent bolts of lightning into the Gale Leopard's body, making it roar in pain as it released powerful gusts of wind. The wind was so sharp that it sliced through the trees around them, leaving deep gashes.
"This is insane," Lin San muttered, awed by the display of power. Even from a distance, he was nearly caught by the violent winds.
The ground shook with every blow exchanged between the two beasts. The Thunder Bear's body was covered in deep wounds, bleeding profusely from the slashes inflicted by the Gale Leopard's wind blades. Meanwhile, the Gale Leopard's skin was scorched black by the Thunder Bear's electricity.
Both beasts were gravely injured, yet neither was willing to back down. With one final roar, they lunged at each other again.
A thunderous crash echoed through the forest as the Thunder Bear finally struck down the Gale Leopard, crushing it with a powerful blow.
The Thunder Bear roared in victory, its voice echoing through the forest as it claimed its hard-won territory.
"This is my chance!" Lin San thought, but before he could make a move, several figures emerged from the surrounding area.
As expected, he wasn't the only one watching.
"Attack the Thunder Bear!" The hidden warriors couldn't resist any longer and launched their attacks at the heavily injured beast. The Thunder Bear, weakened from its battle, was quickly overwhelmed and killed by the combined assault.
But the moment the beast fell, the warriors turned on each other, each determined to claim the valuable beast cores.
"Stay calm," Lin San reminded himself. The warriors were all around the fifth rank, while he was only at the third rank. Charging in now would be suicide. He had to wait for the right moment, even if it meant not getting any cores.
The battle between the warriors grew more intense, their powerful techniques shaking the ground.
"Let them fight it out. If Lin San plays it smart, he might just walk away with the prize," Ye Fan chuckled, intrigued by the unfolding chaos.