Liu Xing encountered another spirit beast. It had six colorful wings resembling a rainbow and a humanoid body with white fire for a head. If not for the mountain of corpses beneath it, each swarmed by thousands of repulsive maggots with arms and legs, screeching while the spirit beast appeared delighted, he might have mistaken it for an angel. He shot at the spirit beast, and when it didn't die with the first shot, he unleashed a barrage of exploding bullets. In a mere moment, the spirit beast and its grotesque offspring were thoroughly destroyed.

He then searched for a place to cultivate, absorbed the qi, and then sought out another spirit beast. With this routine, he steadily grew stronger, and by the third day, his sixth lock was at ninety percent capacity. If he found another spirit beast to absorb, he could attempt to open the sixth lock and advance to the sixth stage!

But, while trying to find another target as he ran toward Skull Hill, he sensed qi signatures ahead. This feeling was different from natural qi or spirit beasts, indicating another cultivator approached. Soon, he saw a man running toward him on all fours, emitting a wild, beast-like roar. His eyebrows rose. He recognized the man's face. Mud obscured his short hair and tanned skin, one eye was swollen, and his ragged clothes spoke of recent hardship. Then, he spotted others chasing the man. Pu He, the pale, sickly man with red hair, along with the man with slitted eyes, whose name Liu Xing didn't know.

Upon seeing him, Pu He and the man with slitted eyes widened their eyes in surprise.

"What are you doing here, Pu He?" Liu Xing asked. "I thought you had quit robbing people."

"Senior," Pu He said, "there's been a misunderstanding. I, Pu He, no longer rob people. We're here because our friend has gone mad!"

He observed the man running on all fours and realized Pu He was likely telling the truth. Were they chasing this guy into Dragon Skull Forest? Why was he running on all fours? Was he truly mad?

Deciding to help, he activated his Lightning Cloak technique and dashed forward. Instantly, he appeared above Mo Yan that was running toward him, grabbed his collar, and threw him high into the sky. The man spun wildly in the air, his limbs flailing. Pu He and the other guy rushed to where the man would fall. But instead of catching him, the man with stilted eyes actually punched him right in the stomach, making Mo Yan spat out blood and flew through the air, hit a tree, and landed headfirst on the ground, knocked out.

"We successfully subdued him," Pu He said.

Approaching them, Liu Xing saw Mo Yan suddenly emit black smoke, as if he were a burning tire. He was certain Mo Yan hadn't been emitting smoke when he ran on all fours.

"Why is your friend emitting black smoke?" Liu Xing asked, as Pu He and the man with narrowed eyes clasped their hands.

"Thank you for your help!" Pu He said. "We've been chasing Mo Yan for three days and nights. His madness has made him act like a beast, and our cultivation isn't high enough to subdue him."

The man with narrowed eyes added, "Thank you for intervening. But what are you talking about? Mo Yan isn't emitting black smoke."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing Mo Yan again. His eyes did not deceive him—Mo Yan was indeed emitting black smoke. Was this some side effect of his cultivation method? Pu He suggested they find a place to hide. Liu Xing agreed and escorted them to a large mushroom, where he carved out a hole to create a temporary base.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

As they walked, he asked questions. Pu He and his companion, Han Zhong, recounted their story—from Pu He's decision to retire, to the last robbery he planned as a form of celebration, which Liu Xing thought was bizarre. He should just retire.

Han Zhong said, "I'm not sure what happened. But when our friend saw a senior sister from your sect, he lost his mind and tried to... satisfy his urges toward her. We managed to stop him, but then he chased her like a rabid dog, and we tried to subdue him."

Pu He nodded. "Miraculously, we haven't been attacked by any spirit beasts."

Liu Xing suspected that the girl Mo Yan was chasing was Yan Yu, the one who lived in his caves. Her physical description and the way she regarded others as if they were insects fit perfectly. He wondered why Yan Yu was in this forest and hoped they wouldn't cross paths here. As for the spirit beasts, perhaps it's because of him.

"So, he chased Yan Yu, and you guys chased him?" Liu Xing asked. "And Yan Yu wasn't annoyed with you?"

Han Zhong nodded. "Well, Mo Yan seemed to be chasing that woman, but not really. Sometimes he went north, sometimes west. He shouted vulgar words and seemed like he wanted to leap toward her, but then he'd leap in a different direction."

"It's almost like he's searching for something, but his body wants to chase senior sister Yan Yu," added Pu He.

Liu Xing observed Mo Yan slumped against Han Zhong's shoulder. Mo Yan still emitted black smoke from his body, and Liu Xing wondered about its cause. No matter how many times he asked Pu He and Han Zhong, they didn't seem to notice the black smoke. This led Liu Xing to consider many possibilities, including the idea that this smoke leaking from Mo Yan was what Nui had warned him about.

Soon, they arrived at a giant mushroom. They circled it and leapt into a hole carved into its side. The space inside was cramped since it's meant for only one person. So, Han Zhong slashed at the edges to widen the opening. When the room was large enough, they laid Mo Yan in the center and sat down awkwardly.

"Once again, thank you for your help," Pu He said.

"It's not a big deal." Liu Xing answered. "As I mentioned, he's emitting black smoke, and I'm interested in its cause. Are you sure you've told me everything?"

Pu He and Han Zhong looked at each other. Then, Pu He recounted their attempt to rob a beggar. He then went on to talk about the beggar's sudden death, which seemed suspicious.

"Come to think of it," Pu He said, "when Mo Yan grabbed that black purse, his eyes went blank for a second."

Liu Xing rubbed his chin. He felt certain the beggar was responsible for Mo Yan's madness and the black smoke. By this point, he had become invested in the trio's situation. Even though only a small chance existed that this smoke was indeed the darkness Nui had described, he knew he had to investigate thoroughly. After all, he did not want to overlook anything related to the darkness.

"I can escort you back," Liu Xing said. "I'm not sure if Mo Yan's madness can be cured, but what are your plans from now? Especially you, Han Zhong. Pu He wants to retire, doesn't he?"

"Well, I'm just following Mo Yan," Han Zhong said. "He's my childhood friend. If Mo Yan retires, so will I. And seeing his condition, I think it might be best for us to retire as a group."

"You can follow me," Pu He said. "I intend to become an honest merchant."

"I don't know. If I were to retire, I'd want to become a farmer," Han Zhong said. "But let's discuss that another time. For now, I just want Mo Yan to return to his old self. While I owe him a lot and want to repay him, I don't want to care for him forever."

Seeing the trio, Liu Xing couldn't help but smile. Despite their different dynamics, they reminded him of friends from his past life.

"Then it's decided," Liu Xing said. "I'll escort all of you back to town, but I have a request. Show me where you disposed of the beggar you intended to rob. There's a high chance that Mo Yan's madness is connected to him, and examining his body may shed some light."

"Alright," Han Zhong replied, Pu He nodded in agreement and they decided to rest for the night. Liu Xing still had plenty of energy, but Pu He and Han Zhong were exhausted. After they finished talking, both of them fell asleep.

Now, Liu Xing sat atop the mushroom cap, watching the perimeter alone. He had already scouted the area for spirit beasts and felt confident it was safe, but caution was better than regret.

As the sun dropped below the horizon and the moon rose, the cicadas' song filled the forest, accompanied by the hoots of owls and distant howls of wolves. Liu Xing grew somewhat bored but couldn't cultivate, so he began watching the stars.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.