A forest filled with unique kinds of trees and countless plants,this was the Thirty Plant Forest.
But that didn't mean monsters weren't lurking within.
On the contrary, countless demonic beasts roamed these lands, hidden beneath the thick trees. The overwhelming density of trees and plants, however, was what made this forest truly unique.
And that was painfully visible to Yuan as he carefully made his way through the outskirts of the Thirty Plant Forest.
Each time he misstepped, he would trigger a tree,only for it to attack him with its roots.
Trees, in general, were incredibly difficult opponents. Unlike beasts, they were nearly immortal unless one destroyed their entire root system.
But thankfully, Yuan had the Azure Basilisk Flames.
However, unlike the original Azure Basilisk Flames that belonged to Basilisk,which were wildly destructive, capable of burning everything in their path,Yuan's flames were different.
Through his refinement of the Azure Basilisk Flames using the Flame Poison Cleansing Demonic Beast Technique, the nature of his fire had shifted.
Rather than being purely destructive, Yuan's flames had gained a regenerative nature.
This meant that while its offensive power was significantly weakened, it still possessed enough strength to burn down the attacking trees.
Though it was a pity that he couldn't wield the true power of Basilisk's flames, Yuan wasn't disappointed.
For now, his flames were strong enough to kill a Bright Beginner Bone Stage cultivator,and that was enough.
As he continued to be careful around the various traps set by the trees, he even discovered a few decent spiritual herbs,valuable enough to fetch a good price if sold.
His Bag of Holding, granted to him upon becoming an Inner Sect Disciple, gradually became heavier as he gathered more herbs.
And so, he lingered, spending extra time searching for more treasures.
"Birds die for food, and men die for treasures."
A smirk crossed Yuan's lips as he pressed forward.
Time passed slowly as Yuan searched through the southern region of the Thirty Plant Forest.
Although he didn't find many spiritual herbs, he still managed to collect a few. But aside from searching for herbs, he was also on the lookout for any beast lairs.
Yet, he found nothing.
The entire southern outskirts of the Thirty Plant Forest lacked demonic beasts.
Not even a normal Blood Purification Stage demonic beast could be found,only Blood Purification and Meridian Awakening Stage plants.
That didn't make sense.
According to the Howling Wind Sect's School Records, the outskirts of the Thirty Plant Forest should have Blood Purification Stage demonic beasts. In some cases, there should even be an Overlord Meridian Awakening Stage demonic beast roaming around.
But there were none.
Had the plants killed all the beasts?
That thought crossed Yuan's mind for a brief moment.
But then, he scoffed at the idea.
Impossible.
Plants could not survive without other life forms.
How would they hasten their cultivation without absorbing the blood of beasts? Without it, they would eventually stop cultivating altogether.
Even though plants at this level lacked intelligence, they still possessed innate instincts that guided their survival.
Even demonic beasts understood this.
Many beasts actively sought to befriend certain spiritual trees, as those trees could bear fruits that aided their cultivation.
This wasn't just common knowledge,it was something all demonic beasts were born knowing.
Whether it was a dragon or a mere demonic ant, all of them inherited this knowledge through their bloodline memories.
And so, Yuan came to a different conclusion.
The problem wasn't in the outskirts.
Something must have happened in the inner region… or even the core region of the Thirty Plant Forest.
The core region of this forest was known to house countless Bone Forging Stage beasts, and perhaps even few Marrow Essence Stage creatures.
Although Yuan could enter the inner region, the core region was completely beyond his reach.
Only someone like Sect Head Wang would be able to move freely in that area.
Perhaps, a Peak Bone Forging Stage cultivator could barely survive there.
But him?
With his mere Blood Purification Stage cultivation?
nearly Impossible.
"What should I do now?" Yuan muttered to himself. "Should I go into the inner region… or inform the sect that something strange is happening in the Thirty Plant Forest?"
After a brief pause, he shook his head.
"Let's look around the inner region carefully first. Maybe I can find the reason there."
Although Yuan considered the possibility that a powerful herb or treasure might have appeared, attracting the beasts and causing chaos, he hoped that wasn't the case.
If a rare treasure had truly emerged, then countless demonic beasts would have been drawn to it, leading to endless bloodshed.
And if that was the case, then he wasn't the only one who would come looking.
His mission had now shifted.
Instead of merely hunting down the beast that attacked the villagers, Yuan was now investigating the strange changes within the forest itself.
And so, he stepped forward.
As he crossed into the inner region, a distinct, metallic scent filled his nose.
Blood.
The further he walked, the stronger the scent became.
Just as he had smelled,there was indeed a dead demonic beast nearby.
Lying in a pool of dried blood, a Blood Purification Stage demonic beast lay motionless. Its body was covered in deep wounds, with missing body parts, evidence of a brutal battle.
Yuan frowned.
Weird… why hasn't anything eaten this corpse yet?
This was too strange.
The blood had already dried, meaning the beast had been dead for quite some time. Yet, despite that, its meat remained untouched.
In a place filled with starving, weaker demonic beasts, a corpse like this should have already been devoured.
Now, Yuan was beginning to realize the truth.
Something far bigger was happening in the Thirty Plant Forest.
At first, he had suspected the village. Perhaps Elder Rein or someone else was hiding something. But this…
This was different.
This wasn't something just the village anymore.
This was about the entire Thirty Plant Forest.
And there was no way someone like Elder Rein could have schemed something like this. He was too weak, too insignificant to even move the powerfull demonic beast of the core area.
No, this had to be the work of a powerful cultivator.
Perhaps an enemy sect.
Perhaps even one of the Grand Elders of the Howling Wind Sect itself.
A deep sense of unease settled in Yuan's chest.
This situation is already beyond my control.
Now, he truly had only two choices left.
First choice
Investigate.
Find out who is behind this. If this was a scheme against the Howling Wind Sect, then he might be able to gather information and uncover important secrets. Perhaps he could even find something useful to himself.
Return to the sect and report everything.
He could tell the elders about the strange behavior of the villagers, the abnormal state of the forest, and the disappearance of powerful beasts.
But… if he did that, he would immediately fall under suspicion.
The elders and Grand Elders would surely keep an eye on him.
And worst of all, if this was truly an internal scheme, then he might even be silenced before he could speak.
Yuan stood still, deep in thought.
This was an important decision.
And the path he chose now would shape his fate moving forward.
"Hehehe…" Yuan chuckled at the absurdity of his own predicament.
As if there was even a choice to be made.
"The path I take is already obvious."
A sly grin spread across his face.
"Let's find out a few secrets, shall we? Hehehe…"
With that last chuckle, Yuan stepped deeper into the forest, his movements now careful and calculated.
He moved as silently as possible, trying not to attract the attention of any demonic beasts or aggressive plants.
But trees have highly sensitive roots.
It didn't take long before a few trees noticed his presence. Their roots twitched, their branches swayed, and soon enough, Yuan was forced to burn a few of them down.
That, in turn, attracted a few demonic beasts.
Although they were weak, they were still troublesome.
Time passed.
Night fell.
The golden sunlight no longer pierced through the thick canopy.
Darkness engulfed the forest.
But this was not an unnatural darkness, not one caused by spiritual means, but simply the absence of light.
For ordinary mortals, this would be a nightmare.
But Yuan's awakened eyes saw through the darkness as if it were broad daylight.
Now, he had spent half a day in the forest, gathering a few valuable herbs along the way.
But more importantly
The deeper he went, the more dead demonic beasts he found.
The number of corpses increased as he neared the core region of the Thirty Plant Forest.
And now, he had arrived at one of the thirty unique plant areas within the forest.
The Water Valley Plant Area.
In this area, a waterfall cascaded down from the towering cliffs, forming a crystal clear river that eventually flowed out of the Thirty Plant Forest, feeding into a small lake beyond its borders.
But the beauty of the Water Valley was deceptive.
This was not a peaceful place.
This was a valley of death.
Here, the plants and creatures were especially dangerous.
Yuan's eyes flickered as he took in the sights around him.
The Surprise Spike Tree,A tree that appeared perfectly normal, its roots hidden within the river. But if an unsuspecting demonic beast tried to drink from the water, the tree would launch its roots like deadly spears, piercing its prey in an instant.
The Small Beast Poison Demonic Fish,A deceptively harmless-looking fish. But if any beast smaller than it tried to consume it, the fish's deadly poison would kill them instantly.
The Angry Ravager Demonic Fish,A true killing machine. This fish did not discriminate. It would slaughter anything in the river,even its own kind.
The Sharp Four Toothed Demonic Fish,Unlike most fish, this one could kill even outside of water. It was fast, aggressive, and had four razor sharp fangs capable of tearing through flesh in an instant.
As to why he even remembered these demonic fishes and Plants,there was something intersting about the Valley that Yuan heard.
During his time at the sect's school pavilion, his teacher had spoken about many things, including a few details about the Thirty Plant Forest.
One particular lesson stood out to him.
The instructor had mentioned that among the deadliest places in the Thirty Plant Forest, there was one that was also considered strangely place,the Water Valley region.
But what truly engraved this place into Yuan's memory was not just its reputation.
It was the story of an elder from the Howling Wind Sect who had died here.
Before his death, the elder had once said
If I die anywhere outside the sect, I will leave my inheritance behind, hidden near the place of my death.
Yet, despite many cultivators searching, no one had ever found anything.
For decades years now, the rumor of this lost inheritance had remained.
But now, Yuan was here.
"Maybe… it's time to take a look."