The morning sun illuminated the Baspian Forest.
Near the waterfall, Alex stood motionless with his eyes closed. The training of the previous days had completely exhausted him, but after several hours of recovery, his energy had returned to its peak condition.
A calm current of elemental energy flowed through his body.
His muscles felt lighter.
His bones felt stronger.
The effects of reaching the First Body Manifestation Stage were becoming clearer with every passing moment.
Alex slowly opened his eyes.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I've become stronger."
Before he could say anything else—
Yi Zhau suddenly appeared before him.
Without warning.
Without explanation.
He raised his hand.
A dense wave of soul power gathered around his palm.
Alex's expression changed instantly.
"Master—"
The attack came.
A powerful blast of soul energy shot toward him.
The distance between them vanished instantly.
Alex instinctively crossed his arms before his chest.
The attack struck.
A deep impact echoed through the forest.
Dust rose.
Leaves scattered.
The ground beneath Alex's feet cracked.
Yet—
He remained standing.
His body trembled slightly but suffered no serious damage.
Slowly, the dust settled.
Yi Zhau looked at him carefully.
Then a rare expression appeared on his face.
Approval.
"Not bad."
Alex lowered his arms.
His eyes widened slightly.
"That's all?"
Yi Zhau snorted.
"You think surviving one attack makes you impressive?"
Alex laughed awkwardly.
"No."
"Good."
Yi Zhau stroked his beard.
"But the Body Manifestation Mantra has proven its value."
He nodded slightly.
"Your body is finally beginning to resemble that of a cultivator."
Those words made Alex smile.
Receiving praise from Yi Zhau was rarer than finding treasure.
After a short rest, the two resumed their journey through the Baspian Forest.
The day passed peacefully.
Ancient trees stretched toward the sky.
Small beasts occasionally crossed their path.
A cool breeze drifted through the forest.
Hours passed.
Slowly—
The sun began to set.
Orange light covered the horizon.
Then darkness arrived.
The Baspian Forest transformed completely at night.
The lively atmosphere disappeared.
Silence spread.
The towering trees became twisted shadows.
The cold wind sounded like distant whispers.
Even the moonlight struggled to penetrate the dense canopy.
Alex sat near a large tree.
A small fire burned quietly nearby.
His body relaxed.
His eyes gradually closed.
Soon—
He fell asleep.
The forest remained silent.
Minutes passed.
Then—
Something appeared.
A faint purple glow floated above the distant trees.
Its light was weak.
Yet strangely eye-catching.
Alex's eyes suddenly opened.
His instincts immediately sensed something unusual.
He sat up.
The purple aura still flickered in the darkness.
"What is that?"
He stood slowly.
The glow seemed to pulse.
Almost as if it were calling him.
At that moment, Yi Zhau's soul form emerged from Alex's Soul Sea.
His expression became serious.
"Interesting."
Alex looked at him.
"You know what it is?"
"No."
Yi Zhau narrowed his eyes.
"But something powerful is nearby."
The two moved carefully through the forest.
The further they traveled, the stronger the purple aura became.
Eventually—
They arrived near a clearing.
Yi Zhau immediately raised his hand.
"Hide."
Alex quickly crouched behind a cluster of bushes.
His breathing became controlled.
Then he looked ahead.
His eyes widened.
A massive python occupied the center of the clearing.
Its body stretched across the ground like a living river.
Purple scales covered every inch of its body.
Moonlight reflected from them like polished metal.
Its eyes glowed with cold intelligence.
Poisonous mist escaped from its mouth.
The surrounding vegetation had already withered from its presence.
Alex immediately felt pressure.
"What level is it?"
Yi Zhau's expression became grave.
"Seventh Level."
Alex's pupils contracted.
A Seventh-Level Beast.
Such creatures could easily kill him with a single attack.
Then Alex noticed something else.
Humans.
Seven cultivators surrounded the python.
Four were at the Elemental Focusing Stage.
Two were at the Elemental Core Stage.
And leading them—
A powerful cultivator at Elemental Perfection Stage.
The battle had already begun.
The python suddenly attacked.
Its massive tail swept through the clearing.
The force behind the movement resembled a collapsing mountain.
One of the Elemental Focusing cultivators barely reacted.
The tail struck his defensive barrier.
The barrier shattered instantly.
The cultivator was thrown dozens of meters away.
Blood erupted from his mouth.
The others immediately moved.
One warrior raised his sword.
Elemental energy surged into the blade.
A brilliant slash flew toward the python's neck.
The attack landed.
Sparks exploded.
But the scales remained intact.
The python released a furious hiss.
Its gigantic body lunged forward.
The speed was shocking.
A mouth large enough to swallow a person opened.
One cultivator narrowly avoided being devoured.
His clothes were torn apart by the pressure alone.
"Spread out!" shouted the Elemental Perfection cultivator.
The formation changed instantly.
The seven warriors surrounded the beast.
Attacks erupted from every direction.
Fire.
Wind.
Earth.
Water.
Different elemental powers illuminated the darkness.
The forest shook continuously.
Explosions echoed through the night.
Trees collapsed.
The ground cracked.
Yet the python continued advancing.
Its scales acted like natural armor.
Its enormous body absorbed attack after attack.
Then the beast counterattacked.
Purple poison burst from its mouth.
The toxic mist spread rapidly.
The surrounding grass turned black.
Several trees dissolved upon contact.
The warriors retreated immediately.
One cultivator was slightly too slow.
The poison touched his arm.
His skin instantly began to decay.
His scream echoed through the clearing.
Alex's expression changed.
"That poison..."
Yi Zhau nodded.
"Extremely dangerous."
The battle became increasingly brutal.
Sometimes the warriors gained the advantage.
Sometimes the python dominated.
Neither side could completely suppress the other.
The Elemental Perfection cultivator finally stepped forward.
His aura exploded.
The pressure surrounding him increased dramatically.
Even Alex felt the difference.
"This is the power of Elemental Perfection..." he whispered.
The warrior raised both hands.
Energy gathered continuously.
The surrounding elemental particles rushed toward him.
The air itself began vibrating.
A giant spear formed above his head.
Pure elemental energy condensed into a devastating weapon.
The python sensed danger.
Its eyes narrowed.
The cultivator roared.
"Die!"
The spear descended.
The attack struck the python directly.
A deafening explosion shook the entire forest.
The shockwave flattened dozens of trees.
The ground split apart.
For the first time—
The python screamed in pain.
Blood erupted from its body.
Several scales shattered.
A deep wound appeared across its side.
Alex stared in shock.
The mighty beast had finally been seriously injured.
But Yi Zhau's eyes narrowed.
"No..."
Alex looked at him.
"What?"
Yi Zhau stared at the wounded python.
His voice became heavy.
"The real battle is only beginning."
The gigantic python screamed in pain.
Its massive body twisted violently across the battlefield, uprooting trees and tearing apart the earth beneath it. Purple blood flowed from the deep wound left by the Elemental Perfection warrior's attack.
The forest shook continuously.
Yet despite its injuries—
The python's aura remained terrifying.
Its cold eyes stared at the seven cultivators with pure killing intent.
Alex watched from behind the bushes.
The pressure radiating from the battlefield made his chest feel heavy.
"Master... it has already suffered such a serious injury."
Yi Zhau narrowed his eyes.
"And that is exactly why it is dangerous."
Alex frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"A wounded beast is often more dangerous than a healthy one."
Yi Zhau's gaze remained fixed on the python.
"It has nothing left to lose."
The python suddenly raised its enormous head.
A sharp hiss echoed throughout the forest.
The sound sent chills through Alex's body.
The surrounding elemental energy became chaotic.
Even the leaves on nearby trees began trembling.
The seven warriors immediately became alert.
The leader of the group stepped forward.
His robes were stained with blood.
His breathing had become unstable.
Yet his eyes remained determined.
"We cannot drag this battle any longer."
The others nodded.
Everyone understood.
A Seventh-Level Beast was not something they could continue fighting forever.
Every moment increased the risk of death.
The python moved first.
Its gigantic tail swept across the battlefield.
The attack carried tremendous force.
The air itself seemed to split apart.
The four Elemental Focusing warriors immediately dispersed.
One jumped backward.
Another rolled across the ground.
The remaining two leaped into the air.
The tail struck the earth.
A deep trench instantly appeared across the battlefield.
Broken rocks flew in every direction.
Trees shattered into pieces.
The warriors counterattacked.
Fire erupted.
Wind blades cut through the darkness.
Water spears descended from above.
Earth spikes emerged beneath the python.
Attack after attack landed upon the beast.
The battlefield became illuminated by countless flashes of elemental power.
The python roared.
Its scales blocked most of the attacks.
Yet several wounds continued appearing across its enormous body.
Purple blood stained the forest floor.
The beast suddenly opened its mouth.
A cloud of poisonous mist erupted outward.
The cultivators immediately retreated.
The poison touched the surrounding vegetation.
Grass withered instantly.
Trees turned black.
Even rocks began melting.
Alex felt a chill.
"Such terrifying poison..."
Yi Zhau nodded.
"That poison alone could kill dozens of ordinary cultivators."
The battle continued.
Neither side was willing to retreat.
The warriors wanted the beast's treasures.
The beast wanted their lives.
The fight had become a struggle of survival.
Finally—
The Elemental Perfection warrior raised his hand.
"Everyone prepare!"
The other cultivators immediately understood.
Without hesitation they moved toward different positions around the battlefield.
Alex noticed strange symbols appearing beneath their feet.
Golden lines spread across the ground.
The seven warriors became connected by streams of energy.
The python immediately sensed danger.
Its attacks became more frantic.
The giant beast charged directly toward one side of the formation.
Its body collided with the energy barrier.
The impact shook the entire battlefield.
Several warriors coughed blood.
Yet nobody moved.
The formation continued growing.
More runes appeared.
More energy gathered.
Ancient symbols illuminated the darkness.
Alex's eyes widened.
"What is this?"
Yi Zhau stroked his beard.
"A sealing formation."
Alex immediately focused.
Yi Zhau rarely explained techniques.
When he did—
Every word contained value.
"Observe carefully."
Yi Zhau's voice became serious.
"This formation uses multiple cultivators to create a prison."
"The energy is shared equally."
"The burden is shared equally."
"The power is shared equally."
Alex stared carefully at the battlefield.
Every movement.
Every symbol.
Every energy flow.
He engraved everything into his memory.
Golden chains suddenly emerged from the formation.
One chain.
Two chains.
Ten chains.
Hundreds of chains.
They wrapped around the python's body.
The beast roared furiously.
Its enormous muscles bulged.
It attempted to break free.
The chains trembled violently.
Cracks appeared throughout the formation.
Several warriors spat blood.
Still—
Nobody gave up.
The chains tightened further.
The python's movements slowed.
The struggle became weaker.
Then—
The beast finally collapsed onto the ground.
Unable to move.
A smile appeared on the faces of the cultivators.
Relief.
Excitement.
Victory.
The battle was finally over.
One of the Elemental Focusing warriors laughed.
"We succeeded."
Another sat down heavily.
"I thought we were going to die."
Even the Elemental Perfection warrior allowed himself a smile.
Years of preparation.
Months of tracking.
Days of pursuit.
Everything had finally paid off.
But Yi Zhau suddenly narrowed his eyes.
Alex immediately noticed.
"Master?"
Yi Zhau's expression became serious.
"The battle isn't over."
The moment those words left his mouth—
The python's eyes turned crimson.
A terrifying aura erupted from its body.
The surrounding air became cold.
The earth trembled.
The cultivators' smiles vanished instantly.
The python opened its mouth.
Dark-purple energy began gathering.
The energy became denser.
And denser.
And denser.
The atmosphere itself seemed to distort.
The Elemental Perfection warrior's expression changed dramatically.
"No..."
His voice trembled.
"No!"
The python was burning its blood essence.
Sacrificing its remaining life force.
Alex felt a chill travel down his spine.
Even from such a distance—
The attack being prepared felt terrifying.
Yi Zhau stared at the scene.
"Poison Nail."
Alex looked at him.
"Poison Nail?"
"A forbidden attack used by high-level poison beasts."
Yi Zhau's voice became grave.
"It condenses all remaining blood essence into a single killing strike."
The dark-purple energy continued shrinking.
A huge amount of power compressed into something smaller and smaller.
Finally—
The attack was completed.
A single dark spike floated before the python.
Simple.
Small.
Yet terrifying.
The python released it.
The Poison Nail shot forward.
The attack struck the sealing formation.
For a brief moment—
Nothing happened.
Then—
The entire formation exploded.
The golden chains shattered.
The runes collapsed.
The warriors suffered immediate backlash.
Blood erupted from their mouths.
Before they could recover—
The Poison Nail reached them.
The first Elemental Focusing warrior died instantly.
The spike pierced his chest.
The second warrior fell.
Then the third.
Then the fourth.
The attack continued.
The two Elemental Core warriors died moments later.
Their bodies collapsed onto the blood-covered earth.
Everything happened within seconds.
Six cultivators.
Dead.
Alex stared in shock.
The battlefield had become silent.
Only one warrior remained alive.
The Elemental Perfection cultivator.
His condition was miserable.
His robes were torn.
His body was covered in wounds.
Blood flowed continuously.
Yet somehow—
He remained conscious.
The python wasn't much better.
The forbidden attack had consumed almost everything.
Its aura had fallen dramatically.
Its body trembled from exhaustion.
Both sides stood at the edge of death.
The warrior suddenly laughed.
A weak laugh.
A broken laugh.
"You monster..."
Blood flowed from his lips.
"But victory..."
"...is mine."
With trembling hands he removed a black dagger from his waist.
Alex's eyes narrowed.
The weapon felt unusual.
The warrior bit his finger.
Fresh blood dripped onto the dagger.
The blade absorbed it greedily.
Dark runes appeared across its surface.
A dangerous aura spread outward.
The warrior gathered every remaining drop of strength.
His eyes locked onto the python.
The beast attempted to move.
But it was too late.
The warrior threw the dagger.
The blade crossed the battlefield.
No explosion.
No brilliance.
Only speed.
Only precision.
The dagger entered through the python's deepest wound.
Directly into its heart.
The beast froze.
Its body trembled.
Its eyes widened.
Then—
Life disappeared.
The enormous corpse collapsed onto the earth.
The Seventh-Level Python had fallen.
The warrior smiled.
Relief appeared on his face.
His mission was complete.
Moments later—
His body collapsed.
Unconscious.
Silence returned.
The forest became still once more.
Alex stared at the battlefield.
The battle had ended.
Seven cultivators.
One Seventh-Level Beast.
Countless injuries.
Countless sacrifices.
All for treasure.
Yi Zhau's eyes flashed.
"Move."
Alex immediately understood.
The two advanced carefully.
Their footsteps remained silent.
The unconscious warrior showed no sign of waking.
The python's corpse lay before them.
Even in death—
Its presence remained imposing.
Yi Zhau inspected it briefly.
"This harvest is excellent."
Alex nodded.
He quickly extracted the treasures.
The glowing Soul Core.
The valuable Soul Bone.
The concentrated Python Poison Breath.
The Dry Blood Drop.
The Soul Essence.
Each treasure possessed immense value.
Alex stored everything inside his storage ring.
His heartbeat quickened.
This was the greatest harvest since entering the Baspian Forest.
"Hurry."
Yi Zhau looked toward the unconscious warrior.
"We should leave."
Alex nodded.
As they turned to leave, his gaze accidentally landed on the unconscious warrior.
A storage ring rested upon the man's finger.
Alex hesitated for only a moment.
Then—
He quietly removed it.
The action was swift.
Silent.
Yi Zhau had already moved ahead and didn't notice.
Alex quickly followed.
The two disappeared into the darkness of the forest.
The cold night wind passed through the trees.
The battlefield gradually faded behind them.
Inside Alex's storage ring rested the treasures of a Seventh-Level Beast.
And among them—
An ordinary-looking storage ring.
At that moment, Alex viewed it as nothing more than additional loot.
A simple reward obtained from a battlefield.
He had no way of knowing that this small decision would eventually pull him toward troubles, enemies, and mysteries he had never expected to encounter.
Sometimes—
The greatest storms begin with the smallest choices.
And tonight—
Without realizing it—
Alex had taken the first step toward a new chapter of his destiny.