In the depths of the forest, it was pitch black, and now and then eerie sounds echoed, sending chills down one’s spine.
Lin Fan, though known for his fearlessness, still felt uneasy in this strange forest. If a ghost were to suddenly pop out, it could literally scare someone to death.
“I’ve been walking for hours; I should be far enough from the Saint Devil Sect by now. Time to rest well and continue heading north tomorrow.” Lin Fan picked a spot, laid some leaves on the ground, and lay down, closing his eyes to prepare for a good rest.
As for whether the forest was dangerous, he couldn’t say for sure. Back at the sect, he had heard rumors—this forest was said to be perilous, though exactly why remained unclear without firsthand experience.
Sough…sough…
The surroundings were eerily silent. Lin Fan lay beneath a giant tree, softly breathing. In the dark bushes nearby, a pair of blood-red eyes flickered briefly.
Those crimson eyes were filled with ferocity and bloodlust, but Lin Fan, lost in slumber, remained oblivious to the approaching danger.
The owner of those eyes was a fierce beast—a monstrous creature nearly half a man’s height, with a horse-like tail, powerful hooves, sharp curved claws, and two tufts of red fur standing upright on its back. Its teeth were lined with razor-sharp fangs, capable of tearing apart anything in sight.
Its face somewhat resembled a dog.
This was a Moon-Devouring Demon Hound, a common ferocious beast found near the Saint Devil Sect. Any disciple below the先天 realm would be doomed if they encountered one.
Now, the Moon-Devouring Demon Hound firmly planted its four legs on the ground, its red eyes greedily fixed on the sleeping human under the tree.
Just moments ago, it had indulged in a passionate encounter with a beautiful female Moon-Devouring Demon Hound under the moonlight, leaving it exhausted. When it caught the scent of a human, it immediately came searching.
Though savage and bloodthirsty, the beast wasn’t entirely mindless.
It had observed from the shadows, relying on its keen nose to detect the strength of its prey through scent.
After sniffing Lin Fan for a full minute, it reached a conclusion: this was a free meal, served on a silver platter.
The beast crept forward slowly. When it was just a few steps away from its prey, it bent its hind legs and lunged forward with terrifying speed.
“Clang!”
Its razor-sharp teeth sank toward the human’s chest—but to its shock, something unexpected happened.
A sharp metallic sound rang out, making the beast’s teeth rattle.
Impossible! Usually, its bite would tear through flesh like soft silk, yet now—it felt like biting steel.
Enraged, the beast refused to back down. Its fangs, known for slicing through anything, couldn’t even pierce a human? This was an insult.
I bite!
I bite again!
I bite and bite…
“Ding… Congratulations! +1000 experience for ‘Indestructible Devil Body.'”
“Ding… Congratulations! +1000 experience for ‘Indestructible Devil Body.'”
…
The system notifications kept coming, one after another, nearly splitting Lin Fan’s head wide open in his sleep.
“Can it be any more annoying?” Lin Fan grumbled, sitting up in irritation. As he opened his eyes and saw the creature before him, he froze in surprise.
Where the hell did this dog come from?
“Ding… Detected a先天first-stage beast, the Moon-Devouring Demon Hound.”
Lin Fan blinked. He had heard of beasts before—he remembered reading about them in the sect’s introductory manual when he first became an outer disciple.
They were creatures of the Xuan Huang World—ferocious and brutal. Even the weakest among them possessed the先天 cultivation level, and with their innate advantages, they could effortlessly overpower humans of the same cultivation level.
Now, the Moon-Devouring Demon Hound was getting more aggressive, clamping down on Lin Fan’s arm and refusing to let go, as if determined to fight to the bitter end.
“Woof! Woof!”
Realizing the human had awakened, the beast snarled with a fierce glare.
Lin Fan blinked again at the beast. He hadn’t expected that being bitten by a beast could actually grant experience to his “Indestructible Devil Body.” The only downside was the unbearable stench of the creature’s saliva.
“Woof! Woof!”
The beast howled louder in fury. Its horse-like black tail suddenly ignited with a dark flame, as if attempting to burn the human alive.
“Right between the eyes.”
Without hesitation, Lin Fan pulled out his legendary treasure—the “95 Big Red Brick”—and slammed it straight onto the beast’s forehead.
The once-fearsome beast instantly staggered into a daze.
Lin Fan shuddered. That had been close. He really needed to fix his habit of sleeping too deeply.
Grabbing the beast’s leg, Lin Fan began searching for vines. At the very least, breakfast was now sorted.
As the beast started to recover from its daze, Lin Fan smacked it again with the brick.
…
When the Moon-Devouring Demon Hound finally regained consciousness, it roared furiously at Lin Fan, eager to tear him apart. But to its shock, it found its limbs completely immobilized.
“Stop barking. You’re tied to the tree. What can you do now?” Lin Fan couldn’t help but admire the marvels of nature—the vines he had found were so strong that even with his先天-level strength, he was unable to tear them apart.
As dawn approached, Lin Fan was wide awake. He looked at the bound beast tied spread-eagled to the tree and examined it closely.
Its fur was pitch black, with a snow-white belly. Hmm, and it was male.
“They say the morning sets the tone for the day. Since you came knocking on your own, I might as well use you for some practice.” Lin Fan stretched his neck and warmed up.
The beast stared at Lin Fan, its heart pounding. What was this human planning? Why did his gaze seem even more sinister than its own?
“Woof!” The beast barked, warning the human not to get too cocky.
Lin Fan approached the beast, his eyes fixed on its lower body. He took a deep breath.
“Time to train…”
Under the beast’s furious glare, Lin Fan moved. His movements were simple yet fluid. Though he only used one technique, it gradually embodied the essence of simplicity in martial arts.
“Monkey Steals the Peach…”
“Woof!”
A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the forest.
“Ding… Congratulations! +500 experience for ‘Monkey Steals the Peach.'”
At the sound of the system notification, Lin Fan smiled with satisfaction. Just as he suspected, “Monkey Steals the Peach” was a divine technique—any male creature in the world was vulnerable to its devastating effects.
“Monkey Steals the Peach.”
“Ding… Congratulations! +500 experience for ‘Monkey Steals the Peach.'”
“Woof!”
Lin Fan then embarked on a shameless grind-fest for experience.
The beast trembled violently, its once-fierce gaze turning bewildered and regretful. Its agonized howls spoke volumes about its torment.
As the morning light filtered through the dense canopy, gently illuminating Lin Fan’s face, he glanced at his status panel. The “Monkey Steals the Peach” skill had gained over forty thousand experience points, needing just over ten thousand more to level up.
Lin Fan clapped his hands together. That was enough for today. He looked at the beast and sighed softly. To grind experience, he had even resorted to tormenting animals—truly a despicable act.
“Woof…” The beast howled in despair, regretting the events that had led to this moment. It looked at Lin Fan with a mournful cry.
Lin Fan retrieved a mid-grade longsword from his bag and gazed at the beast with reluctant affection.
“Brother Dog, today’s lesson won’t be forgotten. I shall repay you someday.”
“Ding… Successfully defeated a Qi-refining first-stage beast, the Moon-Devouring Demon Hound.”
“Ding… Experience +5000.”
“Ding… Dropped an unranked martial art: ‘Black Tiger Strikes the Heart.’”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage