SpaceMage
Chapter 40 40 - Tracking Down

The sun beat down on the vast and dense canopy of the Desolate Astral Forest, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor below. The air was thick with the scent of earth, moss, and the faint aroma of distant herbs. The silence was broken by the soft crunch of footsteps on fallen leaves, and the occasional rustle of undergrowth as the red-haired young man and Dongfang made their way through the forest.

Their goal was simple: to retrieve a coveted treasure from a 10-year-old boy who had somehow managed to survive in the treacherous forest for an unknown length of time. The treasure in question was a Qi Scroll - a precious item that could hold the key to unlocking unparalleled power.

As they approached their quarry, Dongfang spoke up, his voice hushed but filled with anticipation. "Are you sure he's not dead yet?"

The red-haired young man nodded confidently, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "Yep, even I can't believe a 10 year old kid can survive for this long. But even if he dies, that doesn't matter. We'll just pick the treasure from his body."

Dongfang's eyes gleamed with excitement at the mention of the treasure. "A 10-year-old child running around with a Qi Scroll, it definitely must be some precious treasure. Maybe an unprecedented Qi Technique? Or even a Qi Condensation Manual!"

The red-haired young man nodded in agreement. "Indeed, when I saw the treasure on him, I didn't want to bring any unwanted attention from those eccentrics fighting, so I just threw a tracking talisman at him."

Dongfang's expression lit up with admiration. "What a brilliant decision of yours! If any of these Level 3 Eccentrics saw you chasing that kid, they'd definitely think something weird is going on. So you pretended like you let the matter drop and let the kid go! Absolutely genius!"

As they continued through the forest, the conversation turned to the dangers they might face. "However, what are we going to do about the Qi Beasts here?" Dongfang asked, his voice tinged with concern. "I've heard the Desolate Astral Forest has a King Qi Beast who is equivalent to a Rank 2 Qi Expert... If we stumble upon it by accident, we're gone."

The red-haired young man's eyes narrowed, his mind already working out a plan. "We'll have to be careful and avoid any unnecessary confrontations. We can't let anything stand in the way of getting that Qi Scroll."

The red-haired man chuckled as he produced a seemingly unremarkable bronze lantern from his bag. With a smirk, he ignited the wick, and a faint blue flame flickered to life. Despite its unassuming appearance, this was no ordinary lantern - it was the Song Family Ancestral Treasure.

Dongfang's eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the artifact. "You've brought the Song Family's one and only Qi Artifact! I can't even believe that you gained the Patriarch's approval to bring this item with us. Good, good. With this item, we don't have to worry about any beasts."

The red-haired man nodded, a smug grin on his face. "That's right. This artifact has been passed down through generations of the Song Family. It's a powerful Qi Artifact that can suppress any Qi Beast that we might encounter in the Desolate Astral Forest."

With the lantern in hand, the group made their way into the depths of the forest, the blue flame illuminating their path. The flickering light cast eerie shadows on the trees, and the air was thick with the sounds of nocturnal creatures.

But with the Song Family Ancestral Treasure in their possession, they were unfazed by any beasts that might cross their path. They moved through the forest with ease, their confidence growing with each step.

As they pressed deeper into the forest, the air grew colder and the trees grew taller and more twisted. But the group pressed on, driven by their desire for the coveted Qi Scroll.

The red-haired man and Dongfang exchanged glances, their eyes sparkling with anticipation. With the Song Family Ancestral Treasure to protect them.

The battle between the Qi Cultivators in Green Lotus City had come to a close, its outcome shrouded in mystery. Ximen Wei, meanwhile, had taken refuge in a nearby thicket, crouched low and waiting for a pack of one-horned alpacas to pass.

The encounter had been entirely accidental, and Ximen Wei had nearly soiled himself with fear at the sight of the beasts. Their power was staggering - each one was a Qi Beast comparable to a Level 1 Qi Trainee, with some at the forefront that exuded auras akin to Level 2 or even Level 3 Qi Trainees.

After waiting for several hours, the pack had finally passed by, and Ximen Wei breathed a deep sigh of relief. The Desolate Astral Forest was every bit as dangerous as its name suggested. One misstep, one false move, and you could find yourself in a perilous situation.

As he caught his breath, Ximen Wei couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of the forest. Its verdant foliage and exotic flora were unlike anything he had seen before, but they were also a stark reminder of the dangers that lurked within.

Fortune had smiled upon Ximen Wei when he had absorbed the Beast Core - his senses had been heightened significantly, making him far more attuned to his surroundings. It was a stroke of luck that had undoubtedly saved him from a dire situation.

As he made his way through the dense foliage, he couldn't help but reflect on how much his newfound abilities had changed his perception of the world. His senses were now sharper than ever before, and he could sense the slightest movement or sound from miles away.

It was this heightened state of awareness that had allowed him to avoid a potentially fatal encounter with a massive pack of almost 200 one-horned alpacas. Without his newfound sensitivity, he would have been completely caught off guard, and the consequences could have been catastrophic.

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