Chapter 5 - Battle in the Black Forest

Black Forest was as its name suggests, mostly included dark pine trees. The air was humid and one would have to deal with mist most of the time. It could be found as creepy and if you include to that the missing people, it was no wonder it was called Black Forest and would be avoided like a plague. Actually most of the beast wouldn't be higher than a foundation sea level, leaving the forest as it is could be used as cultivating a farm to visit time to time. There would be demon cores, plants and treasures that can be found time to time. And having it stay also would help pressure the masses to control them, so that could be count as a bonus too. Thus black forest was always here and counted as a taboo for mortals.

Actually until a couple of days ago, Long Yang was also a mortal without any cultivation. So even if they sent him to outer circle of the forest, it could be seen how cruel they were towards even to their own servants. Long Yang released a sigh and continued on his way. He had already accepted his situation when he first arrived to this world in this very forest.

'Black Forest was as gloomy as always.' thought Long Yang. It has been only five minutes after his first steps betweeen the pine trees, but he already started feeling suffocated. Mount Emei Sect was in the west of the Everlasting City. It couldn't be called too far but it would still take a month on foot to reach the sect. Logically there was still five months until sects recruitment so it would be better if he could stay in the clan and prepare for it. But as they say man proposes, god disposes. Here he was on his way there already.

'But in the end, how could i prepare in the clan in the first place? With no resources in my disposal might as well sit and cultivate any other place.' thought Long Yang. He was constantly contemplating between going to another city first or staying in the forest past couple of days. Each had its own benefits but in the end he decided to just stay in forest. This way his absence wouldn't be noticed easily by others and he could possibly get some resources from the forest to help improve his cultivation.

While walking he tried circulating his Qi and feel around him. Nobody explained him these things but seeing Sun Guo always noticing him outside his room, he could understand that if he could feel the changes in the Qi around him, he can detect abnormalities.

'Oh, really someone came huh.' thought Long Yang. After he reached the second layer of Qi Condensation, he noticed his awareness has been expanded till 20 yards away from him. And shortly after he entered the forest, he noticed an abnormal presence 15 yards behind him. Since the layers in cultivation levels are mostly for people to understand their standing between each levels, he couldn't figure out at which layer of Qi Condensation the person who is tailing him. Only thing he knew was he certainly wasn't someone at Foundation Sea level since he wouldn't notice him if that was the case. And other thing was the person behind him was under his radar, which means that person was probably weaker than him.

Since he couldn't find the chance to learn a movement martial art in the clan, and he couldn't risk more people coming after him in the case his escape were to be known, he decided to face the opponent. So he started dragging the opponent inside the forest without changing his path to the sect. Since he had to pass the forest to reach his destination, he should find a place where people wouldn't usually come.

...

If one could look the black forest from a birds point of view, one would notice an old man chasing a young man in a speed normal people couldn't reach.

This old man was exactly Wan Tingfeng who was sent to dispose Long Yang. At the start Wan Tingfeng didn't take the job seriously and was thinking he would return in an hour or two. But surprisingly the young man he was chasing was fast. He didn't seem like running for his life but was running in a speed he didn't see in other servants. If he wasn't in the second layer of Qi Condensation he wouldn't be sure to catch him but since he knew the person he was chasing was the cripple everyone knew, he was sure to get him eventually.

'He is probably aware of being chased, but sadly he is a cripple. Even if he has innate power and speed that he can use to run away from me, he can't keep this up too long. After he gets tired i will pluck his life like a flower.' thought Wan Tingfeng at the start. But the chase was continuing for almost at two hours, and his back was drenched in sweat when he noticed where they're going.

'Damn it, even if i could catch up to him, we're already too into the forest. Is this even worth risking my life?' thought Wan Tingfeng. But when he recalled how he sounded so sure of himself before the young master, he could only weight the risks between returning and continuing.

But when he was contempling about that, he noticed the young man before him started to get slower and slower. After noticing the time he was waiting for has come Wan Tingfeng's eyes lit up. He rushed to confront him.

...

While the old man was thinking like that, Long Yang started to guess the thoughts of his chaser too. The chaser has come this far but Long Yang wasn't sure the chaser would risk it all and continue chasing him more into the forest. So he decided to run slower and eventually stop.

When he thought about his Dragon Stretching Its Claws, he knew he only had one chance. Since the chaser were still underastimating him and would probably sneak attack, he started to prepare himself for his counter.

After stopping he turned behind him and donned a frightened face. He didn't want to give the opponent a chance to notice anything wrong. While waiting, he started to gather his Qi in his meridians to make it flow to his hands in the crucial moment. He knew he could only afford one move so he didn't want to take chance of opponent dealing with his fist. If the opponent were also achieved some level in Bronze Skin, he or she could endure his fist and then all he could do would be waiting like a pig for slaughter. So he decided to use his hands like a knife and with the help of his bursting Qi, deal with only one move.

...

After he noticed the young man stopped, a cold glint has passed from the eyes of Wan Tingfeng. He started using his Qi with the movement martial art he was studying and suddenly gained a quick burst. After passing the pine trees and coming face to face with the young man he couldn't help but flinch for a second.

'Did he notice me somehow? But wasn't he a cripple?' thought Wan Tingfeng. But when he noticed the face of the young man which are filled with dread, he quickly thought he was worried for nothing. He was too deep into this anyway so only thing he could do to focus on his Unbreakable Iron Fist and finish it with his sudden attack.

So after bursting forward he gathered his Qi in his fist and started to aim it towards the face of the young man. When he noticed the young man standing still in fright, he didn't hesitate at all and finished his attack. He could already imagine young mans head popping, he couldn't hear or see anything like that. Only thing he punched was air. When he quickly thought of searching for him, he noticed he wasn't too far away from him. He was only at the other side of his shoulder. While he was starting to think about how he dodged his fist, he noticed the right arm of the young man was under his own arm. He traced the young mans arms ending point with his eyes, he saw a stunning sight. The arm of the young man was already deep in his body, but instead of feeling weight of the arm in his body, he felt like he lost a considerable amount of weight suddenly.

While he was stunned, the young man pulled his arm out of his body. A beating heart could be seen in his hand. When he noticed the weight he lost was from his heart an agonized look has passed on his face. But before he could say anything he felt his world was going black slowly. After only a few seconds later his eyes has lost their lustre and his body plopped down.

...

After Long Yang saw the old man lost his last breath, his gaze came on the bloodied heart in his hand. The heart slowly fell to the ground. When the life and death situation ended he suddenly felt his stomach was moving to his mouth. He also plopped down and started throwing up.

After a minute of throwing up has passed he lied down on his back and started looking into the sky. He felt a warmth passing on his cheeks. He had started crying without noticing.

'I took a life...' was the only thought in his mind.

When he thought about how the people from this world would kill each other for even a trifling reason, he waited for his tears to stop flowing. But exact opposite happened. He started crying harder and louder.

'After i stepped on this path of cultivation, i wonder how many people will come after me.' thought Long Yang. And exactly this thought was the reason for his current tears.

People could be coming for him for anything. Like this current situation was nothing in his eyes. He couldn't even understand why a man like Young Master would go on his way to kill his servant for a girl. He always was respectful and would do anything he can to achieve his task. But even then there he was lying alone in the forest after almost losing his life. When he thought about the future, he knew he would face similar situations. So he thought about steeling his heart about killing, but that was easy to say than done. He came from Earth, he grew up with the thought of every life matters. He couldn't imagine calling himself human if he started killing people without a single thread of emotion.

But what would come would come eventually. So only thing he could do was to accepting himself and mourning for his future lying on the ground in tears. But there was one thing he can do too. For maintaining his sanity if nothing, he decided to promise himself something.

'I will never take a life for nothing. I will never be like other people who will kill indiscriminately. Only a life should be a reason to take another.' promised himself Long Yang.

While he was immersing himself in his thoughts, he suddenly heard a familiar voice in his mind.

-A second layer of Qi Condensation cultivator has been slain. The host gained 3 Immortal Domain Points.-

-The first Immortal Domain Point has been claimed. Requirement of the new feature has been fulfilled. The new future Shop opened. Host may check the Shop by saying the word.-

When he heard the voice Long Yang was stunned.

"Even this system is encouraging me to kill..." murmured Long Yang. He sighed in a pained face. And decided to add another line to his promise 'Whatever this so called Shop include, i will not kill for some points too. Human life should matter more than a number.'.

After clearing his mind he decided to take a look at the shop. 'Shop' said in his mind Long Yang.