Strange Creatures

"Young master and miss Calista, it would be best for you to surrender. Instead of dying here in the forest of a thousand deaths, which I assure you will make you die as if your soul has been pulled out a thousand times, feeling the pain repeatedly."

The two teenagers with the surname Calista remained silent. They were puzzled about what decision to make. If they surrendered, they would become guarantees for their parents to surrender as well. This would undoubtedly harm their families and the martial world. Many practitioners, both from the Academy's elite and from various clans, had been kidnapped by the demon sects. They were well aware of this from the stories told by their Masters and their parents.

These two teenagers were the son and daughter of a renowned Cultivation Master named Calista Shum Kaili. He was one of the cultivators in the realm of the First Level Semi-God. His abilities were not inferior to those of the head of the Tower of the God Academy. Their names were Calista Yue Ho and Calista Qian Lin, a pair of teenagers being chased by members of the Demon Sect.

"You're right, this is indeed the forest of a thousand deaths, especially for those with demonic hearts!"

The six pursuers of the Calista siblings were startled to hear another voice in the area. They, who were focused on chasing Calista Yue Ho and Calista Qian Lin, hadn't realized there was someone else present. Even the campfire that was burning at that moment didn't catch their attention as they were too pleased that the two Calista siblings they were pursuing were cornered and couldn't run anymore.

"Who are you?" the leader of the pursuit snapped.

Despite his threatening tone, the leader of the pursuit was somewhat concerned about who the person speaking to him was. It crossed their minds that the young man lounging on the ground might be a resident of the forest. Therefore, although he shouted, it wasn't too loud, more like a call.

"Are you still questioning that to me? Are you tired of living, or do you really want to experience a thousand deaths here?" Julius replied coldly, with a touch of sarcasm in his voice.

Upon hearing those words, the six pursuers turned pale instantly. They became even more convinced that the one they were dealing with was indeed the inhabitant of the forest of a thousand deaths. Without a second thought, they all turned their horses and quickly fled the scene, leaving swiftly. Julius himself had no intention of chasing after them.

"Thank you for your help, brother. Who are you? I'm sure you're not the feared inhabitant of this forest," said Calista Yue Ho.

"Hahaha, you're absolutely right, brother Calista. I'm not a resident of this forest. I'm just a wanderer taking a shortcut to the Eternal Caldera Mountain. It seems luckier to enter this place, being chased by people, than what they claimed earlier that the forest inhabitants might be kind to me," Julius replied.

"Sssstttt..! Later, the real inhabitants of this forest will indeed appear and will pounce on you, mischievous young man."

This time it was Calista Qian Lin who spoke. She almost let out a small scream because she was worried that Julius's loud voice could summon the feared inhabitants of the forest. Unlike Julius, who didn't seem to be afraid at all to be in that place. Not only because he didn't know about the stories of the forest's inhabitants, but also because he never feared anything.

"Hmmmmm... I suspected that you were just a deceitful young man trying to scare us. This time, I guarantee you will beg for forgiveness, lest your life be forfeited."

Once again, the two Calista siblings were startled by the voice of the person who had chased them earlier. Their faces turned pale as the threat loomed once more. If they had inherited even a fraction of their father's knowledge, those six individuals wouldn't dare to disturb them. Unfortunately, despite all efforts, their attempts at training had only managed to reach the ninth level of Heavenly Spirit cultivation. Meanwhile, their pursuers were on average at the third level of semi-fairy spirit, with the leader of the pursuit at the seventh level.

"Hmmm... Dare you come back to this place. It seems you're tired of living in this world and are eager to be sent to hell. And I guarantee you will regret returning to this place, a regret that will not fade until you find yourselves in hell," Julius replied mockingly.

"Hihihi... Oops!"

Calista Qian Lin couldn't help but laugh at Julius's words directed at their six pursuers. Especially when she saw the annoyed and frustrated expressions on their enemies' faces. Somehow, she felt her fear dissipating after witnessing how the young man confronted their opponents.

"You scoundrel! Hey, attack that brat!" The group leader cursed, then ordered one of his subordinates to attack Julius.

A man dressed in black with a black headband, indicating he was a low-ranking member of the Flame Star Demon Sect, immediately lunged towards Julius. Despite being considered a low-ranking member; his skill level was above average for a senior student at an academy.

"Hmmm..."

Only a murmur was heard from Julius's mouth, but his hand waved towards the enemy, suddenly nine purplish-shadow swords appeared. That was Julius's Thunder God Nine Sword technique. The swords swiftly flew towards the opponent who was charging at him. Without being able to defend, the enemy was struck by the swords, causing his body to shatter into pieces and die instantly.

"Y-you..."

The group leader stuttered as he witnessed Julius's attack. He immediately remembered the young man who reportedly killed one of their sect's main figures, the Right-Wing Commander of the Flame Star Demon Sect.

"Run!" Aware of the formidable enemy, the group leader shouted to his men to flee the scene.

"Hmmm... Do you think this forest is just a mere name? Anyone who enters this forest shouldn't expect to leave alive, including you kids!"

Before the members of the demon sect could leave, a hoarse voice rang out, causing their hair to stand on end. The atmosphere suddenly became chilling and oppressive. From nowhere, a large creature covered in thick black hair appeared. The five members of the Flame Star Demon Sect were immediately swallowed by the voluminous strands of long hair. The sounds of their agonizing screams echoed briefly before silence fell.