The Dense Forest on the Back Mountain was rarely visited by people. Spiritual Energy was abundant there, with many exotic flowers and rare herbs growing within, and quite a few Demon Beasts dwelling there as well.
Most of these Demon Beasts were Low-tier Demon Beasts, their cultivation equivalent to Qi Refining Stage cultivators. For Shen Hao, hunting these Low-tier Demon Beasts would not only yield inner cores, but also hone his practical combat ability.
Shen Hao held his Flying Sword as he carefully made his way through the Dense Forest. His footsteps were light, for fear of alerting the Demon Beasts. His gaze was sharp as he vigilantly observed every movement around him.
Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound. Shen Hao's heart stirred, and he quickly hid behind a large tree, holding his breath as he watched closely.
A green Demon Beast emerged from the grass. It had the body of a wolf but a pair of wings on its back—it was an Azure Winged Wolf. The Azure Winged Wolf was a Low-tier Demon Beast, with cultivation equivalent to a First Layer of Qi Condensation cultivator. It was incredibly fast and excelled at attacking with its sharp claws.
A glint flashed through Shen Hao's eyes. He tightened his grip on the Flying Sword and silently circled behind the Azure Winged Wolf.
The Azure Winged Wolf seemed unaware of the danger, its head lowered as it gnawed on a wild rabbit.
Shen Hao took a deep breath and suddenly charged out. With the Flying Sword in hand, he fiercely thrust at the Azure Winged Wolf's back.
Hearing the movement, the Azure Winged Wolf abruptly turned around, a flicker of terror flashing through its eyes. It had no time to evade and could only watch helplessly as the Flying Sword stabbed toward its back.
"Pfft!"
The Flying Sword pierced the Azure Winged Wolf's back, and blood instantly spurted out.
The Azure Winged Wolf let out a shrill howl and swung its claws fiercely at Shen Hao.
Shen Hao had been prepared. He swiftly retreated, evading the Azure Winged Wolf's claws. Then, wielding the Flying Sword, he thrust fiercely toward the Azure Winged Wolf's neck again.
Gravely wounded, the Azure Winged Wolf had slowed considerably. It had no time to dodge before the Flying Sword pierced its neck.
The Azure Winged Wolf's body twitched a few times before it collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
Shen Hao let out a breath and walked over to the Azure Winged Wolf's corpse. Holding the Flying Sword, he carefully cut open its abdomen and removed a green inner core. The core was roughly the size of a thumb and contained rich Wood Spiritual Energy.
Holding the inner core in his hand, Shen Hao felt a warm, gentle current of Spiritual Energy flow into his body through his fingertips. Delighted, he tucked the inner core into his clothes.
"Great, the first inner core is mine!" Shen Hao muttered.
He continued deeper into the Dense Forest, searching for the next Demon Beast.
Half an hour later, Shen Hao encountered another Demon Beast. It had the shape of a bear and was entirely black—it was a Black Bear Spirit. The Black Bear Spirit was a Low-tier Demon Beast, with cultivation equivalent to a Qi Refining Second Layer cultivator. Its hide was thick, its flesh tough, and its strength boundless.
Shen Hao did not dare underestimate it. He gripped his Flying Sword tightly, focused his mind, and waited for the best opportunity to attack.
The Black Bear Spirit spotted Shen Hao, and a savage gleam flashed in its eyes. It suddenly let out a roar and pounced at him.
Shen Hao took a deep breath and met its charge with the Flying Sword in hand. He dodged the Black Bear Spirit's pounce and fiercely thrust his Flying Sword toward its eye.
The Black Bear Spirit hurriedly shut its eyes and swung a massive paw at Shen Hao.
Shen Hao quickly retreated, avoiding the Black Bear Spirit's paw. He knew that the Black Bear Spirit's weakness was its eyes. As long as he blinded them, he could kill it with ease.
Shen Hao charged forward again, fiercely thrusting the Flying Sword toward the Black Bear Spirit's eyes.
The Black Bear Spirit had no time to evade, and the Flying Sword pierced its left eye.
The Black Bear Spirit let out a shrill scream and rolled about on the ground in agony.
Seizing the chance, Shen Hao thrust the Flying Sword fiercely toward the Black Bear Spirit's neck.
"Pfft!"
The Flying Sword pierced the Black Bear Spirit's neck, and blood instantly sprayed forth.
The Black Bear Spirit's body twitched a few times before it fell to the ground, lifeless.
Shen Hao walked over to the Black Bear Spirit's corpse, cut open its abdomen, and removed a black inner core. The core contained rich Earth Spiritual Energy.
Shen Hao tucked the inner core into his clothes, a gratified smile appearing on his face.
Over the following days, Shen Hao hunted many Demon Beasts in the Dense Forest and obtained more than a dozen Demon Beast inner cores. His practical combat ability also improved enormously through battle after battle.
That day, Shen Hao was searching the Dense Forest for Demon Beasts when he suddenly sensed a powerful wave of Spiritual Energy coming from deep within the forest.
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