5: First encounter with humans

In the dense forest, sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting dappled light. Even during the day, the light in this forest wasn't bright, but rather somewhat dim. At this moment, dust filled the air as countless wild beasts ran swiftly across the ground. Gu Yuchuan, with his invisibility active, looked around from within the herd of beasts.

He was looking for that Lynx. The System's evaluation was quite sharp; he truly was a vindictive and somewhat petty little Yao. That Lynx had killed him in the Simulation, so he would never give it any chance of survival.

Looking left and right, he finally spotted the Lynx. It had to be said that Lynxes were truly beautiful—fluffy with golden stripes on their bodies. They looked quite small, like a pet cat kept at home, just slightly more domineering.

He had also kept a cat in his previous life. He shook his head; now was not the time for such thoughts. Obviously, revenge was the priority. He slowly approached the Lynx. The other party sensed the threat, and its fur stood on end. Gu Yuchuan stopped his footsteps, but the Lynx looked around and found nothing.

Gu Yuchuan's invisibility couldn't even be detected by the Blazing Flame Toad, a fellow Yao Beast, let alone a little Lynx with no cultivation. It could sense the threat only because Gu Yuchuan had revealed his killing intent.

Gu Yuchuan didn't want to get bogged down here with it. After all, his body was being drawn by the Cinnabar Fruit and was constantly moving forward. He fired a Water Sword; nearly transparent water vapor condensed into a blade. The Lynx had no chance to react before being pierced through.

He raised his head. Great, another enemy killed. He would kill any enemy who had dealt with him. After his revenge was over, he followed his body's instincts and continued forward, and only after a long time did he see the Cinnabar Fruit Tree.

This Cinnabar Fruit Tree was truly extraordinary. Although it wasn't large, looking like a small sapling, it was lush and leafy, with three nearly ripe Cinnabar Fruits hanging from it. There was a layer of white jade-like frost on its leaves, making any living creature feel the nobility of this fruit tree.

Once he reached this place, that attractive force finally vanished. However, Gu Yuchuan became even more cautious. He knew that human Cultivators were lurking in the shadows, and a single mistake could lead to total disaster.

Remaining invisible, he searched for a hiding place nearby and found a hole in a neighboring tree. It was just the right size for him to hide in. He didn't know what animal's nest this was, but it was now named Gu.

After hiding inside, he felt much more at ease. Now that the Cinnabar Fruits were ripe, many Yao Beasts were already itching for action. He looked at the tiger, the roc, and the Leopard; each of them possessed Divine Might as vast as an abyss. Just now, when he had accidentally passed by the tiger, the impact of its Aura was so strong that he almost couldn't maintain his invisibility.

Is this what power feels like? These were just Yao creatures at the Mid Qi Refining Stage, yet they were so formidable. What kind of strength would Foundation Establishment or Golden Core Cultivators possess? His desire for power grew even deeper.

Finally, the battle began. Among this group of Yao Beasts, the most powerful was a Golden-Winged Great Eagle, which was also the only Yao Beast at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer. The tiger and the Leopard were both at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer. Although they didn't communicate, they rushed toward the Leopard together.

Gu Yuchuan hid even more carefully. He kept muttering in his heart, 'Go fight somewhere else, go fight somewhere else. This little tree is innocent, don't hit me.' Whether his prayers were answered or for some other reason, they really didn't fight in this direction.

He only knew that the battle outside was earth-shattering, but he didn't dare show his head, fearing he would be seen by the human Cultivators in the shadows. Although he was once human, he knew very well that humans looked down on other races with a superior attitude, ready to strike at any time. He was now an alien race, no longer part of the Human Race.

He didn't know how long they fought outside, but slowly the noise died down. Just like in the simulator, the Golden Eagle won. After all, both its cultivation and Bloodline were superior, making it naturally more powerful.

However, as the saying goes, the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. A man and a woman descended from the sky. The man was handsome and elegant, wearing a grey robe with a long sword on his back, looking very much like a banished Immortal. The woman was even more extraordinary; she was holy and noble, wearing a pure white gauze dress with a golden shawl, making anyone feel inferior just by looking at her.

"Senior Brother Mingchuan, your method is truly effective. By transplanting a Cinnabar Fruit Tree, you lured a noble-blooded roc. Its body will fetch a good price at the market. As expected, Cloud Sea Marsh is full of wealth."

Senior Brother Mingchuan's face showed a hint of fawning. At this moment, Gu Yuchuan, while invisible, stole a glance at the two. This was his first time seeing Cultivators, so he naturally wanted to take a look. He hoped his invisibility technique would work.

Senior Brother Mingchuan looked at the goddess in his heart and, hearing her happy words, felt very happy himself: "Junior Sister Yan'er, if this roc can use its life to make you smile, then that is its greatest purpose. It died a worthy death."

This infuriated Gu Yuchuan. He gritted his venomous teeth. What a joke! Your lives are lives, but others' aren't? This Grandpa Snake will remember you. Once my cultivation improves, see if I don't kill you. You even dared to use Cinnabar Fruits for entrapment. If he didn't have the simulator, it would have been hard for him to survive this ordeal.

He kept cursing in his heart, using every term for 'simp' and 'green tea bitch' without repeating a word. Suddenly, Senior Brother Mingchuan's expression changed: "Junior Sister, there's a little snake Yao watching us nearby. It can actually turn invisible. It doesn't seem to have an ordinary Bloodline either. I'll catch it for you as a pet right now."

Gu Yuchuan immediately realized he had been discovered. Although his innate invisibility was very powerful, his cultivation was too low. Senior Brother Mingchuan was at the Late Qi Refining Stage, so it was still hard to completely hide from him. But just as he was about to move, a voice rang out from the distance.

"How audacious! Humans, this is the Cloud Sea Marsh, the territory of my Yao Race. You actually set a trap here to kill our Yao juniors. Give up your lives!"

Since he had been discovered, Gu Yuchuan didn't plan on hiding anymore. He poked his head out and saw a giant black python flying in from the distance.

Senior Brother Mingchuan's face turned ugly: "Not good, it's a subordinate of that Serpent from the Yunxi River. That Serpent is a Foundation Establishment Stage Yao General. Junior Sister, run quickly!"

The two of them summoned a flying boat and left quickly. The black snake chased after them relentlessly, leaving Gu Yuchuan slumped on the ground. He had been so close to death—he almost died! If not for the black snake's appearance, his fate would have been to become someone's pet. With his personality, he would have definitely committed suicide. He remembered these two Cultivators! He would definitely have his revenge.