Gu Chen's spirits lifted, and he immediately rushed into the forest. As soon as he stepped in, a rich, primeval forest scent rushed towards him, accompanied by the aroma of soil and various kinds of leaves. He took a deep breath and was filled with a refreshing fragrance.
The Land of Heaven and Earth has only been established for a few hundred years, so why does this forest seem to have existed for tens of thousands of years?
Back on Heavenly Nether Star, Gu Chen had spent many years training in forests that were over ten thousand years old, so he was very sensitive to this familiar aura. However, this also gave rise to his doubts.
But Gu Chen had no time to think, because he had only entered the forest less than a kilometer away when he smelled a bloody stench. Looking closely, he saw several bushes not far away, and a monster lying on the ground in the grass, clearly dead.
Beside the corpse were five birds, each about half a foot tall, pecking at its carcass. The dead beast's chest and lower limbs were mangled and bloody; the birds' sharp beaks had ripped it open, and intestines and blood were spilling all over the ground.
"Gale Wolf!"
"Sharp-Beaked Crow!"
Gu Chen recognized the quality of these two demonic beasts at a glance!
Low-level monster!
Upon hearing Gu Chen's footsteps, the crows that were pecking at their food immediately sensed it, raised their heads, and when they saw Gu Chen, they all let out sharp cries in unison.
The sound was both piercing and unpleasant. Gu Chen circulated his True Qi, and soon a layer of True Qi barrier rose around his body. After its cry, the Sharp-Beaked Crow flapped its wings and took off into the air, then flew towards Gu Chen at the same time.
Gu Chen grunted, then gripped the longsword he had just received from Zhuge Wangyue. With his True Qi flowing through it, the entire blade glowed red-hot, as if it were being forged from iron. He then drew the sword and thrust it forward, piercing the chest of a Sharp-Beaked Crow that was in the lead. Dark green blood splattered, and the crow died instantly!
After killing the demonic beast, Gu Chen flicked his hand, and the corpse of the Sharp-Beaked Crow was sent flying by his True Qi, hurtling towards the left-hand Sharp-Beaked Crow at an even faster speed than when it arrived.
The two collided, and the Sharp-Beaked Crow let out a miserable cry, feeling dizzy. But before it could adjust its attack posture, the remaining True Qi in the corpse shot out like popping beans, directly invading the Sharp-Beaked Crow's body!
Then, Gu Chen used his Sword Control Technique. His longsword hummed and moved at an incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, the remaining three Sharp-Beaked Crow were also pierced through by Gu Chen's sword at the same time.
They let out a scream as they were impaled by the sharp sword tip and died one after another!
With a few deft movements, Gu Chen killed the five demonic beasts. When he sheathed his sword, he gave it a sharp shake, and the corpses of the three Sharp-Beaked Crow were instantly torn to pieces, their feathers and internal organs scattered all over the ground.
After all, they were still low-level demonic beasts and posed no threat to Gu Chen. After killing these Sharp-Beaked Crow, Gu Chen continued forward. The entire forest was vast, with towering mountain ranges stretching out one after another, like the back of Heaven and Earth Beast was also gradually improving.
Now, the map that Zhuge Kun gave him is no longer of much use. He relies entirely on his own Divine Sense to determine his route and direction. To avoid getting confused by the similar scenery, Gu Chen always chooses a straight line.
"Twelve."
Another Ghost-Fang Bat was slain by his sword. Gu Chen sheathed his sword, then pried open the Ghost-Fang Bat's corpse on the ground. Finding no demon crystals inside, he continued forward.
Today marks the twelfth low-level demonic beast he has killed.
"The twenty-fifth."
After walking for a while, another Wilderness Hyena lunged fiercely at Gu Chen. He drew a circle in the air with his long sword, like a peacock spreading its tail feathers. With only four sword strikes, the beast fell to the ground.
"The Wilderness Hunting Dog is already considered a mid-tier demonic beast."
Gu Chen thought to himself, "A mid-level demonic beast is equivalent to a martial artist in the Revolving Illumination Realm, while a high-level demonic beast is equivalent to a cultivator in the Qi Refining Stage!"
In the cultivation world, high-level demonic beasts are further divided into three grades: upper, middle, and lower, corresponding to the early, middle, and late stages of the Qi Refining Stage.
"Got it." This time, when Gu Chen opened the corpse, his eyes finally lit up, and he discovered a crystal the size of a thumb.
Demon Crystal!!
This is the only demon crystal Gu Chen has obtained since entering the Heaven and Earth Forest and slaying the demonic beasts!
Holding the crystal in his hand, which was as hard and dazzling as a diamond, Gu Chen had another question in his mind. Back when Gu Chen killed those demonic beasts that Wang Gui had raised, even though they were all low-level demonic beasts, there would be demonic crystals for every one he killed. But now that he had entered this Heaven and Earth Forest, he had only seen one a day!
Logically speaking, this shouldn't be the case at all. After all, the Land of Heaven and Earth is rich in spiritual energy, and the Heaven and Earth Forest is geographically more suitable for the growth of demonic beasts. Under such an environment, these demonic beasts should be more likely to possess demonic crystals.
For demonic beasts, demonic crystals are as important as the dantian for humans. Without demonic crystals, how did these demonic beasts cultivate and grow? Could it be that the demonic beasts that Wang Gui took out back then weren't from the Heaven and Earth Forest?
The sky gradually darkened, night fell, and the forest began to echo with the chilling roars and howls of monstrous beasts. The sounds filled the air, sending shivers down one's spine even before any danger was detected.
Gu Chen was unaware that the Heaven and Earth Forest was essentially a forbidden area for the powerful families of the Land of Heaven and Earth Land of Heaven and Earth. Few martial artists ventured here for training or exploration, not only because of the terrifying Heaven and Earth Beast, but also because of the complex terrain and the ancestral precepts passed down through each family.
Because he was unaware of the danger, Gu Chen acted recklessly, showing no mercy even when slaying demonic beasts, just as he had done back on Heavenly Nether Star.
Gu Chen knew that many people were still chasing after him, and even though it was night, he couldn't stop.
Soon, Gu Chen had entered the deep heart of the Heaven and Earth Forest. At this time, the demonic beasts that appeared had gradually reached the peak of the low-level, and most of them were at the level of Wilderness Hyena, which had become very troublesome. According to his estimate, it would probably take another half a day to get close to the mountain range in front of him.
"If we go any deeper, we might encounter mid-level demonic beasts," Gu Chen pondered. "We've traveled for so long and haven't seen a single rare treasure. What secrets does this Heaven and Earth Forest hold? Do the demonic beasts just kill each other and never eat rare treasures?"
Just as Gu Chen was wondering, a loud roar suddenly resounded throughout the surrounding mountains.
"Gu Chen, I know you're nearby. Come out now, and I can guarantee your life!"
The sound was deafening, emanating from Inner Breath. Some leaves on nearby trees were shaken and fell to the ground. Within Gu Chen's vicinity, the muffled roars of many wild beasts also echoed.
Gu Chen looked in the direction of the sound and saw a figure standing tall on the canopy of a giant tree that was twenty meters high. The person was wearing a martial arts robe, Full Moon in the Sky, he exuded an aura of authority that was not angry but dignified, like a master.
Gu Chen had never heard this sound before from the jade pendant.