35 Immortal Lotus - 1

Being back in the forest, Marcus felt like he is alive again, the sound of leaves moving with the wind, the chirping of birds made him feel like he is back home. He again felt a connection with the world. Back when he was living in the clan grounds, he never felt like it was his home, but a prison. And only when he started to live in the forest close to the Hundred Temples City, he felt like home.

As both of them traveled in silence, the evening came, and Marcus set up a fireplace. Starting it with his lightning, he took some food from his storage ring and prepared it.

"You have a storage ring?" For Xiao Mei, it was unthinkable for Marcus to have a storage ring. They are not rare, but with their price, only elders and wealthy people have one.

"Yes, Guild Leader Xu give it to me when I got here." Marcus was surprised that Xiao Mei spoke on her own accord. Ever since they left the city, she didn't talk a lot.

Guild Leader Xu? The Leader of the Hunters Guild personally gave him a storage ring? Who exactly is Marcus? Eating the food, he prepared she kept looking at him with doubtful eyes. She will get to the bottom of this.

Finishing his food, Marcus looked around and together with Xiao Mei they left. "I will keep the first watch." The area was not dangerous, but it's better to be cautious. Climbing up a tree, Marcus looked around, making sure that Xiao Mei wasn't looking he opened his eyes.

Changing his vision to infrared, he saw small animals moving around. But there was nothing dangerous. Switching to the energy vision the world changed and became covered by mist. He was able to see some disturbance far in the distance, but the area around them was calm. To his surprise not far from where they are there is a high concentration of Qi in a tiny space. It was roughly a size of a small plant.#

Quietly making his way over to it, Marcus soon arrived and moved some bushes to the side there was a small blue plant, it gave off a very faint glow, even in darkness it would be hard to spot it, not to mention when it's hidden in bushes.

"Es. What is it?" Marcus could search for it himself in the library, but it would take him hours, if not longer to identify it. It was wiser to ask Es to help him.

"It looks like a Moon Rose, host you can collect it, but be careful of its thorns; there is poison on them."

Moon Rose, quickly searching the library for its uses, he found that it can help make a breakthrough into a higher realm. In other words, it's useless for him. But it still has some value; he can trade it with Xiao Mei for something that may be of use for him.

Making his way back Marcus stayed up until the middle of the night, closing his eyes he woke up Xiao Mei and switched with her. It didn't take him a long time to fall asleep.

In his dreams he was back in is tree house close to the Hundred Temple city. At first tranquil, but then Zhi Ruo flashed in front of his eyes, and he woke up. Looking around it was morning, Xiao Mei was to the side staring into the distance.

Standing up he called her over and started to discuss the route they will take today. Making their final decision, they continued their travel.

From time to time Marcus used the Energy Wave Sonar, with Xiao Mei beside him, he didn't want to open his eyes and gamble if she sees them. Even though it cost was very small he had to cast it every time making it very monotonous.

Deep in the forest, Marcus continued to use the Energy Wave Sonar, occasionally he picked up some stronger signals, but there was nothing dangerous. Suddenly he stopped. At the edge of The Energy Wave Sonar, he detected a big group of people. Most of them were experts of stage eight and nine. There was also a lot of people with no cultivation whatsoever.

"Stop." Saying this he made his way up a tree and making sure Xiao Mei can't see his eyes he opened them. He was shocked by what he saw!

"Marcus, what is there?"

"... about 250 meters from here there is a bandit camp, most are stage eight with five stage nine experts. They… are holding slaves with them…"

"..."

"Why do they have so many experts?"

"What do we do? They are bandits so that they won't have and strong Martial Arts or Cultivation Techniques. We should be able to kill all of them." Xiao Mei ignored his question and got lost in her thoughts.

Es?

"Host, from the information that I have, it looks like Dantian Nourishing Stage Nine is the highest a normal person get to with an ordinary cultivation technique. Without the support of an exceptional cultivation technique or a treasure it is very hard for them to mkae a breakthrough into the Body Reconstruction realm, so in their lifetime they stay in the Dantian Nourishing realm."

"It still doesn't make sense. Why are they, bandits? With their strength, they can rival the Hundred Temples City!"

"This is a matter of choice. They could live comfortably in a small city like the Hundred Temples City, but they won't find resources they need to enhance their strength there. And if they want to breakthrough, their best chance is to find a treasure, and as a normal person, even if they find a well-paid job, it will take a lot of time before they can earn enough to buy something that can help them. You need to remember that there is many that strength is at their stage, an entire army's only composed of stage nine experts exist in this world!"

"Knowing this they would rather take their chance and become bandits, not only they can earn more, if they are lucky and stumble upon someone rich they can find what they need to make a breakthrough."