Chapter04.
1395 Words
Stepping out with a casual demeanor, Luo Xiang promptly bade farewell to Luo Lan and Luo Jin.
"Mother, Grandfather... Xiang'er wishes to take his leave."
Luo Lan and her father nodded simultaneously. Though it pained her deeply to let her son go, she knew that since Luo Xiang had made this decision himself, she could no longer hold him back.
"Oh, right, Mother... Where can I find a large gathering of Demon Beasts?" Luo Xiang asked, catching Luo Lan completely off guard.
"My son, are you joking?" Luo Lan questioned, her eyes widening.
Putting on a pitiful expression, Luo Xiang turned his gaze toward his grandfather, who was currently pretending not to notice him.
"Grandfather..."
"Sigh..." Luo Jin could only let out a long, heavy sigh. "Are you absolutely certain about this?"
Shen Luo Xiang merely nodded his head. Witnessing this unwavering resolve, Luo Jin proceeded to present Luo Xiang with a few choices.
"Within this Eternal Empire, there are two primary locations you can visit... The first is the Demon Forest, and the second is the Desert of Death. To put it briefly, it would be wiser for you to choose the Desert of Death."
"Why is that, Grandfather?"
"The Desert of Death encompasses the territory of the Holy Bell Sect. If you ever find yourself in mortal danger, some good fortune might just come your way. The Demon Forest, however, is entirely different—it is a hundred times more perilous," Luo Jin explained solemnly.
Luo Xiang appeared to plunge into deep thought. Moments later, a sharp gleam flashed across his mind.
‘I thrive in dangerous places. Besides, perilous domains usually conceal profound secrets...’ Luo Xiang mused internally.
"Grandfather, I choose the Demon Forest!"
Instantly, both of their eyes went wide upon hearing Luo Xiang's choice.
"Xiang'er, you possess absolutely no cultivation! For what earthly reason would you choose such a treacherous place?"
"Grandfather..." Luo Xiang put on his pitiful expression once more.
Faced with this, his grandfather instantly crumbled. After all, Luo Xiang was one of his most precious treasures.
"Very well... However, I will personally escort you there later."
Hearing this, Luo Lan, who had been about to protest, immediately held her tongue. It was blindingly obvious that her father intended to secretly protect her son within that forest. Meanwhile, Luo Xiang was absolutely thrilled upon hearing his grandfather's decision.
"Thank you, Grandfather!"
Luo Jin nodded his head. Following that, he bade farewell to Luo Lan to escort his grandson to the Demon Forest. Though she remained reluctant, her father reassured her once more, leaving Luo Lan with no choice but to give her consent.
"My son... This is your father's spatial ring. Make good use of the treasures your father left behind."
"Understood, Mother!"
After slipping the ring onto his pinky finger, Luo Xiang and Luo Jin promptly stepped out of the residence.
Swuiiiit!
With a single whistle from Luo Jin, a brilliant Phoenix materialized from the sky, diving sharply toward the duo. After boarding the Phoenix—which was a Tier-3 Sacred Beast—the two commenced their journey toward the Demon Forest.
"Grandfather... How long will it take for us to arrive?" Luo Xiang asked, breaking the silence.
"Hmm, perhaps a week from now."
Luo Xiang nodded, then chose to gaze down at the majestic landscapes of the Eternal Empire passing beneath them. A few moments later, Luo Jin broke the silence.
"My son, do you truly intend to duel Han Lu?" Luo Jin inquired.
Luo Xiang merely nodded, without even turning to face his worried grandfather.
"My son, if you wish to call it off, I will personally take full responsibility before the Han Clan Patriarch."
Luo Xiang shook his head. With his vast ocean of knowledge, as long as he could secure a decent source of resources, surpassing the Dao Dan Realm would be child's play.
"That won't be necessary, Grandfather... I know my own limits."
‘It's true, then. Luo Xiang's temperament and demeanor have completely transformed...’ Luo Jin thought to himself.
After a week of flying aboard the Phoenix, the two finally arrived before the ominous boundary of the Demon Forest.
Kyaaaat!
Luo Jin's Phoenix mount let out a piercing cry as it touched down flawlessly. Upon their arrival, Luo Jin handed over a piece of his own soul jade.
"If you encounter mortal danger, Xiang'er, you can shatter this jade. Sooner or later, I will definitely come to your rescue."
"Thank you, Grandfather..." Walking with absolute confidence, Luo Xiang slowly stepped into the eerie silence of the Demon Forest.
As he ventured deep into the dark recesses of the forest, Luo Xiang—who currently possessed no cultivation—sharpened his primal instincts. He was fully aware that danger was lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce.
Swuuuush!
Retrieving his father's sword from within the spatial ring, his acute instincts detected several Demon Beasts monitoring his movements from the dense undergrowth.
Swuuuush! Swuuuush!
Sure enough, before he could take another step, two black-horned tigers lunged violently toward him. The razor-sharp, battle-hardened instincts he had cultivated since his days as a God allowed Luo Xiang to effortlessly evade the surprise assault.
"Heh... Did you really think you could kill me?" Luo Xiang scoffed. He then dashed backward, putting some distance between them to manipulate the tigers' movements.
Predictably, after he successfully created a gap, the two tigers charged relentlessly after him.
However, just when the beasts expected their prey to flee in terror, they were met with absolute gravity. The youth before them suddenly spun around, executing a powerful swipe of his blade.
Klaaaaang!
The sharp screech of claws clashing against the sword in Luo Xiang's hand rang out through the air. Although this initial strike failed to land a fatal blow, Luo Xiang immediately darted away again, employing the exact same tactic to outmaneuver the twin beasts.
The only difference this time was that Shen Luo Xiang aimed his strike with flawless precision, causing one of the tigers' claws to sweep harmlessly through empty air.
Slaaaash!
In a flash of cold steel, the head of one of the tigers was severed cleanly from its torso. Witnessing its companion drop dead right before its eyes, the remaining black-horned tiger let out a deafening roar.
Roaaaarh!
"D*mn it, pipe down!"
Luo Xiang abandoned his previous evasive tactics, choosing instead to confront the remaining tiger face-to-face, unleashing a display of sublimely dexterous swordsmanship.
From his hidden vantage point, Luo Jin was profoundly shocked to see his grandson wielding a blade with such staggering mastery. It felt as though he was watching a supreme sword master effortlessly toying with its prey.
‘Is he truly still the Luo Xiang I once knew?’ Luo Jin questioned himself, rubbing his eyes repeatedly in sheer disbelief.
Although several of Luo Xiang's movements could have easily slain the beast right then and there, he chose to prolong the engagement, using the life-and-death struggle as a crucible to temper his physical vessel.
Growing frustrated that its attacks were consistently missing and sensing that its own life was on the line, the tiger attempted to turn tail and flee. Unfortunately for the beast, Luo Xiang had already anticipated its trajectory. With a burst of explosive speed, he lunged toward the tiger's hind legs.
Slaaaash! Slaaaash!
Two clean, precise cuts severed the limbs, followed instantly by the decapitation of the beast. The entire sequence occurred in the blink of an eye. Once his prey was dead, Luo Xiang immediately extracted their soul cores. His purpose in hunting Demon Beasts was not only to condition his body, but also to harvest resources for himself—with the grand hope of stumbling upon one of the ingredients required to mend his Dantian.
Having successfully slaughtered the two tigers, Luo Xiang promptly resumed his hunt. This left Luo Jin completely astounded, as the two tigers were merely the beginning. Within a remarkably short span of time, five different Demon Beasts had already fallen victim to his grandson's terrifying prowess.
‘It seems there is absolutely nothing for me to worry about for the time being... But since when did Lan'er ever teach him such a transcendent sword technique?’
Luo Jin murmured to himself, well aware that the Luo Clan possessed no sword technique that even remotely resembled the one Luo Xiang was currently putting on display.
- Writer
