Mo Nan expression darkened. He spun around and grabbed the panicked man by the collar, lifting him off the ground.
"Where are the Monster Cores?"Mo Nan growled, his voice cold with fury.
"I-I don't know, Young Master! I buried them here with my own hands. I swear!"the boy stammered, his eyes shut in fear.
Mo Nan threw him to the ground with a snarl and, in one smooth motion, drew his sword from his Storage Ring. The cold steel shimmered under the forest light.
Just as tension thickened, another clan member stepped forward, trying to calm the situation.
"Young Master… please wait. Maybe this isn't his fault. Perhaps someone from another clan discovered the hiding spot."he said.
Mo Nan paused, sword still in hand, his brows furrowed.
"I heard Xiao Clan's Xiao Wei stayed in the outer region of Tiger Mountain for months. After he returned, someone said he sold a large number of Monster Cores in the market. Maybe… he's the one who found and stole them."another boy added cautiously
Mo Nan's grip on the sword tightened as his face twisted in anger.
"Xiao Wei… You dare steal from me?"Mo Nan muttered, his voice like ice.
The forest grew quiet again, as a storm of rage brewed behind Mo Nan's cold eyes.
Upon hearing the others' suspicions, Mo Nan's expression darkened. With a sharp breath, he clenched his jaw and sheathed his sword back into his Storage Ring. But his anger was far from settled.
Without warning, he turned and slammed a heavy punch into the chest of the boy still lying on the ground—the same one who had originally buried the Cores.
The boy coughed harshly, pain flashing across his face as he stumbled backward and hit the ground again.
"Useless! You three, go and find Xiao Wei. Capture him and bring him back to me—alive. I want answers."Mo Nan spat coldly as he pointed at the boy and the two boy who had spoken up earlier.
The three quickly lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.
"Yes, Second Young Master!"the injured boy said, forcing himself up despite the pain.
Without hesitation, the three of them split from the main group and disappeared into the forest, beginning their hunt for Xiao Wei.
Mo Nan watched them go, his eyes filled with fury. His fingers twitched with restrained violence.
"Xiao Wei… If you're the one who took those Monster Cores… I'll make you regret it."Mo Nan whispered under his breath.
With that, he turned back to the rest of the Mo Clan group and motioned for them to move out.
"Let's go. We'll continue hunting monsters. We're must win the competition."Mo Nan ordered.
The rest of the group nodded silently and followed him deeper into the Tiger Mountain forest, unaware of the storm that was quietly brewing.
In the outer area of Tiger Mountain, Xiao Wei remained unaware that several members of the Mo Clan were already on his trail.
At that moment, he was carefully observing a Tier 1 Level 9 Fire Bear, peacefully sleeping under the shade of a large, moss-covered tree. The bear's heavy breaths made its chest rise and fall slowly, clearly unaware of the danger looming nearby.
Xiao Wei narrowed his eyes, a small smirk forming on his face. After five months of hunting Fire Bears, he had studied their habits, weaknesses, and attack patterns thoroughly. Among all the beasts in the outer area, he preferred Fire Bears because he knew exactly how to bring them down quickly.
Without hesitation, he raised his hand and whispered.
"Arise."
In response, ten Shadow Bears silently emerged from the darkness of his own shadow, their black like forms flickering under the trees like living shadows.
Xiao Wei pointed forward with calm authority.
"Kill the Fire Bear"Xiao Wei order.
The Shadow Bears moved like a pack of wolves, their dark bodies blending into the dim forest floor as they charged forward. The thundering of their footsteps startled the Fire Bear, who jolted awake just as the first of them approached.
The bear roared furiously, shaking the nearby branches with its cry, and immediately took a defensive stance. Its crimson eyes scanned the Shadow Bear that now surrounded it—ten in total—closing in from all sides.
From a distance, Xiao Wei watched the battle unfold with a faint smile on his lips. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his eyes gleamed with satisfaction as the scene played out exactly as he had hoped.
"As I thought, this Shadow Soldier ability is far more powerful than it appears on the surface."Xiao Wei muttered quietly to himself as he continued to observe with growing admiration.
"They're not just mindless puppets... they think, plan, and fight as if they have there own mind and soul. They know they have the numbers advantage, so they immediately surrounded the Fire Bear without me even needing to tell them. Just like trained soldiers on the battlefield."Xiao Wei muttered in admiration.
The ten Shadow Bears worked in perfect coordination. Each one darted in and out of the Fire Bear's range, striking with precision before retreating to allow the next to land its blow. The Fire Bear tried to retaliate with furious roars and powerful swipes of its claws, but the Shadow Bears gave it no opening—constantly shifting positions, never letting up, and slowly wearing it down.
The once-mighty Fire Bear was overwhelmed by their relentless assault. Its roars turned to pained growls, its movements sluggish as injuries covered its massive frame.
And then, with one final synchronized strike, the Shadow Bears brought the monster crashing to the ground.
A heavy silence followed, broken only by the sound of the bear's labored breathing before it finally stilled.
The Tier 1 Level 9 Fire Bear was dead—brought down with precision and coordination in just a few minutes.
Xiao Wei slowly walked over to the lifeless body of the Fire Bear, his footsteps calm and steady. Behind him, the ten Shadow Bears followed silently, forming a semicircle around their fallen prey. The air was still, thick with the lingering energy of battle.
His gaze swept over his Shadow Bears until it landed on one in particular—a Tier 1 Level 7 Shadow Bear, noticeably weaker than the others. Without hesitation, Xiao Wei raised his hand and spoke a single word:
"Release."
The chosen Shadow Bear trembled for a moment, then began to dissolve. Its form disintegrated into fine, dark ash, scattering into the air until nothing remained. It had served its purpose, and now made way for something stronger.
Xiao Wei turned his eyes toward the fresh corpse of the Tier 1 Level 9 Fire Bear lying on the ground.
"Arise."
Black mist rose from beneath the bear's body, quickly enveloping it. Within seconds, a new Shadow Bear emerged—larger, stronger, and more menacing than the one before. Its dark form stood tall and silent, waiting for its master's next command.
Xiao Wei nodded in approval, then knelt beside the Fire Bear's corpse. With practiced ease, he extracted the Monster Core from within the Fire Bear chest—an orb glowing faintly with fiery energy. He examined it for a moment, then slipped it into his Storage Ring.
"Come back"Xiao Wei said calmly.
The newly formed Shadow Bear, along with the others, dissolved back into the darkness, returning to the depths of his shadow. The forest around him fell quiet once more.
Xiao Wei sat down cross-legged on a nearby patch of grass and take out a Tier 1 Spiritual Power Pill from his ring. Without hesitation, he swallowed it.
The battle and the shadow summoning had taken a toll—more than one-third of his Spiritual Power was depleted. The pill would help him recover it quickly.
Spirit Power Pills is a valuable resource. Not only did they aid in cultivation, but they also help in replenishing Spiritual Power, something Xiao Wei relied on heavily to control his Shadow Soldiers.
He closed his eyes, letting his breathing steady as the energy of the pill began to flow through his body. For now, it was time to rest and recover.
One hour passed.
The forest was quiet, the only sound being the rustle of leaves and the gentle breeze sweeping through the trees. Xiao Wei sat cross-legged under the shade of a large tree, eyes closed as he absorbed the remaining medicinal energy of the Spiritual Power Pill.
Suddenly—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three figures leapt through the dense woods, their footsteps light but swift as they approached the clearing where Xiao Wei was resting. Their robes bore the insignia of the Mo Clan, and their eyes locked onto Xiao Wei the moment they arrived.
The leader was the same boy Mo Nan had struck earlier. He is in a First Layer of Martial Master Realm. The other two, both in the Ninth Layer of Martial Apprentice Realm.
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[Author Note - I have been writing continuously for many hours for you guys. Please give me your support.]