The Mystical universe

Back in the Western Wilderness 

A group of teenagers moved through ancient trees as tall as the sky, surrounded by untold mysteries of the wild. Occasionally, they encountered monstrous beasts but swiftly dispatched them without issue. 

It had now been three weeks since they had faced that terrifying demonic beast. As planned, they had spent just over two weeks training before resuming their journey. 

Indeed, these two weeks had been immensely rewarding, as the group experienced a significant surge in strength. 

Kaeln, in particular, had reached the 12th layer of Elemental Resonance, only a step away from the Innate Spirit Realm. He had also awakened 500 additional dragon and solar cells, increasing his strength by one million pounds. 

While this was a substantial boost, Kaeln had a feeling that his bloodline's awakening rate would soon slow down—though he wasn't sure why. 

"Judging by the number of awakened cells, I can more easily track the rate of my bloodline's advancement. At 1,500 cells, I am still nowhere near the 33 trillion needed for full awakening. 

"Though I'm not certain whether full bloodline awakening requires converting all regular cells, if I only awaken 50 to 100 cells per breakthrough, then by the time I reach the peak of this martial world, I would have, at best, only 10,000 to 50,000 awakened cells. 

"But that doesn't add up..." 

Kaeln frowned, lost in thought. 

"I need to find another way to accelerate my bloodline's awakening. I feel that with every 10,000 cells unlocked, my bloodline power will undergo a significant transformation. I don't know if all bloodlines work like this, but for me, it'll be an exceptionally tedious process—fortunately, my bloodline is already powerful as it is." 

Assessing his own progress, Kaeln made a firm decision. 

"In any case, I will break through to the Innate Spirit Realm soon. Great realm breakthroughs should provide a much bigger awakening than minor realms. I look forward to it." 

With that in mind, Kaeln turned his gaze toward the others. 

Raizel and Thorin had both advanced to the Innate Spirit Realm, reaching Bronze and Silver Spirit stages, respectively. 

Su Yao was nearing Intent Materialization, though she hadn't broken through yet. 

Xue Qing had caught up to Su Yao, having reached Sun Spirit stage, thus attaining the Sovereign Spirit Level. 

Tang Hao, surprisingly, had managed to advance two small stages, reaching Sovereign Spirit—Moon Spirit Stage. 

Despite their dangerous circumstances, surrounded by ferocious beasts and endless perils, their cultivation speeds had been astonishing. 

Yet, Kaeln had a realization— 

Even though he remained the strongest in combat, his cultivation realm was now the lowest in the group. 

Although he didn't mind too much, a part of him felt a little down about it. 

"Sigh… I need to pick up the pace and break through soon. We've been traveling for three months already. 

"Soon, it will be time to return..." 

A slight unease flickered in his heart. 

"It's strange… I have a feeling that something terrible is going to happen." 

Walking through the ancient forest, Kaeln rested the Blood-Swallowing Spear on his shoulder, occasionally cutting down large weeds and branches blocking the path ahead. 

Raizel followed behind, similarly paving the way with his sword. 

"Hey, Kai, what missions do we have left?" he asked nonchalantly, slicing through a thick branch. 

Kaeln retrieved two scrolls from his storage ring—one blood-red, the other deep crimson. 

"Now that you mention it… we've strayed quite far from our next mission's location, thanks to that annoying beast we encountered earlier. 

"The next mission was to eliminate a rampaging demonic beast between the outer and inner layers of the wilderness. Since we didn't encounter it earlier, it should be somewhere around this area. 

"As for the other mission…" Kaeln frowned. 

"I think another group may have taken our place since we should've met up with that young master from the Yun Clan two weeks ago. 

"But if we happen to run into his group, we can still join them." 

The others listened as they followed along. 

"I wonder how strong that rampaging beast is," Tang Hao mused, stretching lazily as he walked at the back of the group. 

"Hopefully, it's not too strong." 

"Is there any information on what kind of beast we're looking for?" Thorin asked. 

Kaeln glanced at the mission scroll but found no detailed description. 

The only information provided was its general location and a rough estimation of its power level. 

However, considering the scroll had been posted over a year ago, the information was likely outdated. 

"There's nothing useful," Kaeln admitted. 

"If there were detailed instructions, they would be obsolete by now. We'll just have to go with what we have." 

"Alright." 

The squad continued traversing the mystical forest, immersed in its surreal atmosphere. 

The deeper they went, the stranger the environment became. 

The trees grew increasingly ancient, their trunks massive, their canopies stretching high into the sky. 

Unusual plants, insects, and creatures appeared in greater numbers. 

They saw multi-colored grasses, radiating various elemental energies. 

They spotted oddly shaped mushrooms that absorbed other plants to grow. 

They encountered insects, some highly venomous, others possessing immense strength and bizarre abilities. 

Occasionally, they caught glimpses of phantasmal visions, appearing for brief moments before fading away. 

"This place is strange," Raizel remarked. 

"If we keep walking like this, we won't get very far. Maybe we should pick up the pace." 

Kaeln nodded. 

"Agreed. We're not going much deeper anyway." 

Then— 

"Hush. I hear something," Su Yao suddenly said. 

The group immediately halted. 

Though they neither saw nor heard anything, they trusted Su Yao's judgment. 

After all, she had the keenest divine sense among them. 

"Everyone, get down," she added. 

Without hesitation, they dropped low, hiding within the tall grass. 

A deadly silence fell over the forest. 

Then— 

A faint disturbance reached their ears. 

The ground began to shake, the tremors intensifying with each passing second. 

A violent gust of wind tore through the area, accompanied by a heavy atmosphere that compressed the surrounding air and suppressed the natural spiritual energy. 

A dreadful pressure descended upon them, making movement difficult. 

Then, in the distance, a sound emerged— 

A deep, rhythmic stomping, like the march of a behemoth. 

The earth quaked violently, as the sound of splintering trees filled the air. 

Something huge was approaching. 

Raizel swiftly climbed a towering tree, gaining higher ground to see further ahead. 

"What do you see?" Xue Qing's voice echoed in his mind through telepathic transmission. 

High in the treetops, Raizel's face hardened. 

His expression turned grim as he gazed into the distance. 

A massive gray-haired gorilla, the size of a three-story building, loomed ahead. 

Its muscular frame rippled with a sinister black aura, exuding an overwhelmingly oppressive presence. 

As if sensing Raizel's gaze, the demonic gorilla slowly lifted its monstrous head. 

A ghastly grin spread across its feral face, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth stained with fresh blood. 

Raizel's blood ran cold. 

"This thing…" he whispered. 

"It's Peak Intent Materialization... 

"And judging by that aura... 

"It must have killed countless humans." 

With a swift leap, he descended from the treetop. 

Drawing his sword, he activated his bloodline powers. 

"Everyone," Raizel declared, his golden eyes flashing with lightning. 

"We've been discovered." 

Raizel's warning rang in everyone's ears. 

"There's no point in hiding anymore," he continued. "Besides—" 

A cold glint flashed through his purple-gold eyes, golden lightning flickering within them. 

"I believe that's our prey." 

Kaeln's grip tightened around the Blood-Swallowing Spear. 

"Aiya… here I was hoping we wouldn't have to fight this rampaging beast," Tang Hao muttered with a sigh. 

Still, he pulled out his weapon—a five-foot-long bronze saber, its yellow dragon head hilt gleaming under the dim light. 

The saber's blade was ten centimeters thick, with three half-moon holes every thirty centimeters, making it lighter to wield while maintaining its formidable power. 

A soft golden glow radiated from it—it was clearly a treasure. 

Thorin gave Tang Hao's weapon a curious glance. 

"What's the name of that saber?" he asked. "I don't think you've taken it out before." 

Tang Hao grinned. 

"Heh. This is my father's Sha Long Divine Blade. He used it in his youth, during his adventures and on the battlefield. Despite years of war and countless battles, the blade is as sharp as ever. 

"It's a heavenly treasure, after all. 

"My father gave it to me before we left—" 

Tang Hao suddenly chuckled. 

"—you should've seen his face when he let go, mouahahaha!" 

Kaeln and the others exchanged glances, watching Tang Hao twirl the saber excitedly. 

A silent understanding passed between them. 

"He definitely stole it," they all thought at the same time. 

Kaeln shook his head but refocused on the approaching beast. 

"Well, at least you have a strong weapon," he said. 

"Because our prey is powerful—" 

"I didn't expect this mission to be this difficult." 

The thunderous stomps of the demonic gorilla grew louder. 

"Thump… thump… thump!" 

The ground trembled violently, the pressure growing stronger as the beast approached. 

Kaeln's gaze turned sharp. 

"Alright, here's our plan—" 

"Raizel and I will face it head-on." 

"Thorin and Tang Hao will attack from the back." 

"Xue Qing and Su Yao, you'll stay at a distance and strike when an opening appears." 

"Understood?" 

"Hm." Su Yao nodded gently, while the others gripped their weapons tightly. 

"Good—Disperse!" 

The group exploded into motion, moving like blazing streaks of light toward the demonic gorilla. 

The massive beast let out a menacing grin, its bloodstained teeth gleaming. 

As if amused that its prey dared to strike first, its grin widened even more. 

Then— 

"GRRRRR!" 

A low, guttural growl rumbled from its throat. 

"F… fools," it struggled to say. 

Its voice was deep and hoarse, the words barely comprehensible—a clear sign that its mind had been consumed by its berserk nature. 

Then, with a thunderous roar, it charged forward, its massive frame crushing everything in its path. 

Towering ancient trees were ripped apart as its monstrous body barreled toward Kaeln and the others. 

Despite its immense size, its speed was terrifying. 

Kaeln, however, showed no fear. 

Although the heavenly beasts he had battled for months in the Azure Dragon Mountains were weaker, they had been far trickier to deal with— 

After all, they were ranked beasts with ancient bloodlines. 

Even if this gorilla was stronger, he would not back down. 

Instead, his fighting spirit burned brighter. 

"Come!" 

Kaeln rushed forward, fully activating his bloodline. 

Inside his dantian, his two elemental cores spun at incredible speed, generating a seemingly endless amount of energy. 

His Blood-Swallowing Spear trembled in his grip, the weapon's spirit roaring with battle intent. 

Then— 

With a fierce thrust, a crimson dragon coalesced around the spear's body, its golden flames burning ferociously. 

A tyrannical might surged through the air as Kaeln's spear pierced toward the demonic gorilla's monstrous head. 

The beast beat its massive chest twice, the sound echoing like a war drum— 

Then it lunged forward, crossing dozens of meters in an instant, soaring into the sky before unleashing a mountain-crushing fist toward Kaeln. 

"BOOM!!" 

The diamond-like fist collided with Kaeln's red-gold spear, causing a thunderous explosion. 

The shockwave uprooted dozens of ancient trees, sending them flying like twigs. 

Kaeln was pushed back, his feet digging deep into the ground, leaving behind a long trail of torn earth. 

His arms trembled from the sheer impact. 

"How tough!" he muttered, shaking his slightly numb hand. 

The invigorated gorilla, having won the first exchange, lunged forward once more, its murderous intent surging. 

But— 

"Not so fast!" 

Three figures blurred into motion. 

Thorin, Tang Hao, and Raizel attacked from different directions. 

"ROOOOAAAARR!!" 

The berserk gorilla howled in rage, realizing it was surrounded— 

And it would have to face them all. 

Battle Commences! 

Raizel was the first to strike. 

"Twin Phoenix Dual Blade Art—Falling Thunder Wings!" 

He slashed downward with both of his swords— 

One blazing with golden lightning, the other sparking with purple thunder. 

The twin sword energies transformed into giant phoenix wings, crackling with destructive lightning as they descended onto the gorilla's back. 

"AWUUU!!!" 

The beast howled in pain, two deep slash marks appearing on its thick fur. 

Thorin followed immediately— 

"Tyrannical Great Blade—Hegemonic Slash!" 

A black and red blade aura cleaved toward the gorilla's right shoulder, carving a gaping wound into its flesh. 

Tang Hao charged next, his Sha Long Divine Blade flashing with earth energy. 

"Coiling Dragon Saber Art—Divine Descent!" 

With a roar, he leaped high into the sky, then spun downward, his saber cutting through the air like a comet. 

His blade struck the same wounded shoulder, deepening the injury. 

"ROOOOAAAR!!" 

The gorilla bellowed, its eyes flashing with madness. 

It lashed out, its giant arms swinging fiercely. 

The trio dodged swiftly, but the ground beneath them cracked and exploded from the sheer force of the beast's swings. 

Meanwhile— 

High above, Su Yao and Xue Qing had already taken their positions. 

The moment the gorilla staggered from the combined attacks, Su Yao's voice rang out. 

"Now!" 

Hundreds of gigantic ice swords materialized in the air above Xue Qing then rained down towards the demon beast. 

At the same time, Su Yao's purple wind tornado began swirling ominously. 

The attacks converged from opposite directions— 

Trapping the rampaging beast in a storm of relentless destruction. 

The gorilla's rage-filled howls echoed through the battlefield— 

But the fight was far from over. 

Kaeln, gripping his spear tightly, prepared to unleash his strongest attack— 

This battle had only just begun.