Li Xiaoyao arrived at an open area, feeling a slight chill in his heart. This was a world where the strong are respected, where human life is regarded as insignificant, and one can kill at will as long as they possess strength.

He had merely stepped into a narrow passage and looked around, yet Zhao Xinyi wanted to kill him, even though they were disciples of the same sect.

"The Arrow Martial Spirit user can track and kill enemies, and their attack power is strong, but if I can get close, I'm confident I can kill her with one strike." Li Xiaoyao felt quite satisfied with his sword-drawing technique, which was like lightning, striking with the force of thunder and instantly slicing through the arrows. His effort in enduring mental anguish to train it was not in vain.

It's worth noting that Li Xiaoyao had been practicing the sword technique on a cliff for seven days, continuously refining it while using the Dark Martial Spirit to enhance his comprehension. He only retracted his martial spirit when his mental state could no longer endure, and during those moments of rest, he practiced the Flickering Light Shadow Technique.

"Zhao Xinyi." Li Xiaoyao quietly committed her face to memory. He then gathered some wood, using his soft sword to create sparks by striking stones, and built a fire to dry his clothes.

Not far from Li Xiaoyao, four figures appeared; they were likely disciples of the Cang Hai Sect.

"There's someone over there; let's invite him to join us. More people means more strength," said a youth in green robes.

"Just wondering how strong he is," replied a burly young man with a grin, showing no objection.

As they spoke, the four approached Li Xiaoyao. The only girl among them blushed slightly upon seeing Li Xiaoyao shirtless and said softly, "Hello, could you put on some clothes?"

Li Xiaoyao glanced at the girl. Though she wasn't as stunning as Zhao Xinyi, her features were elegant and refined, and her skin was smooth and delicate. She could be considered a true beauty; in his past life, she would undoubtedly be regarded as a great beauty. However, from his memories, he knew that the women in this world were indeed more beautiful than those in his previous world, perhaps due to the effects of cultivation.

"Alright." Li Xiaoyao was not difficult to talk to; in fact, having endured hardship since childhood, he was simple, easygoing, and very approachable.

"Is there something you need?" Li Xiaoyao asked as he put on his clothes and faced the approaching four.

"Well, we want to go to the Black Ze Forest to hunt yaoshou (monster beasts), and we'd like to invite you to join us. The beast cores we get will be shared equally. Are you interested?" The youth in green explained. The Black Ze Forest was a vast area located to the north of the Cang Hai Mountain range. Some disciples speculated that it might be larger than the entire Cang Hai Mountain range itself. The Yun Hai Sect likely established their sect here also considering the presence of this monster beast forest, as it could help cultivators hone their skills and obtain monster beast hides and cores for useful items.

"Sure, I agree." Li Xiaoyao readily accepted without much thought; he was indeed curious to see what it was like.

"Great! Now we have five people. As long as we don't encounter a level nine beast, we should be fine." The girl looked pleased at Li Xiaoyao's agreement. Among the four, the highest-ranked was the silent youth in white, who was at the eighth level of Qi Martial Realm, while the other three were at the seventh level. Li Xiaoyao was also a disciple of Cang Hai Sect, roughly the same age as them, and likely at the seventh level, or at least the sixth.

Ordinary monster beasts were classified into nine levels, corresponding to the nine levels of the Qi Martial Realm. Thus, she believed that as long as they didn't encounter a level nine beast or a powerful spiritual beast, they wouldn't be in danger.

"Brother, I'm Qing Jiu. This is my senior brother Han Kui, my junior sister Jing Xiang, and the most skilled among us, Han Feng." The youth in green introduced Li Xiaoyao. The burly Han Kui and the girl Jing Xiang both smiled at Li Xiaoyao, while the highest-ranked youth in white had a haughty and indifferent expression.

"I'm Li Xiaoyao," Li Xiaoyao smiled back.

"Useless Li Xiaoyao." This was the first time the white-robed youth, Jing Feng, spoke, casting a half-smile at Li Xiaoyao and said, "Jing Xiang, it seems we're wasting our time. Bringing him along will definitely be a burden."

The other three had clearly heard of Li Xiaoyao's reputation. With so many outer disciples in the Cang Hai Sect, they might not have seen Li Xiaoyao in person, but they had heard his name.

Li Xiaoyao frowned slightly, and the other three looked somewhat awkward.

"Li Xiaoyao, Han Feng has a high talent and is at the eighth level of the Qi Martial Realm. People like him can't help being a bit arrogant. Don't take it to heart; just ignore him. Meeting each other is fate, and we're in this together," the burly Han Kui said in a straightforward manner.

"Yes, what my senior brother said is right," both Qing Jiu and Jing Xiang agreed, while Han Feng merely snorted but said nothing further.

Seeing the sincere expressions of the three, Li Xiaoyao felt a bit of goodwill and didn't reject the idea of going together. The five crossed several peaks and arrived at the Black Ze Forest.

"Li Xiaoyao, only core disciples or sect elders likely know the full extent of the Black Ze Forest. We can only operate in the outskirts and mustn't venture too deep. Since your strength is a bit weaker, stay close to us," Han Kui reminded him.

Li Xiaoyao nodded slightly. He understood that Han Kui was straightforward and didn't mean any sarcasm by what he said.

The terrain of the Black Ze Forest was complex, filled with thorns and dense vegetation, making it a paradise for monster beasts.

"Level five monster beast, Qingfeng Wolf, catch it!" Han Kui suddenly said. Not far away, a pair of cold, eerie eyes glimmered through the bushes.

Qing Jiu stepped forward, drawing his long sword from his back in an instant. The sword gleamed like moonlight, spilling down like liquid mercury, swift as the wind and shadow, penetrating without fail.

"Whoosh!" With a soft sound, Qing Jiu's sword plunged into the brain of the Qingfeng Wolf, ending the life of this level five monster beast in a single strike.

"The Divine Wind Sword Technique is indeed brilliant against the Black Wood Wolf," Han Kui laughed heartily, stepping forward to help Qing Jiu collect their catch—the monster core of the level five beast.

"It was just a level five beast," the white-robed youth Jing Feng said with a hint of disdain, his tone indifferent.

Li Xiaoyao shook his head inwardly. He was merely at the eighth level of the Qi Martial Realm. Although he was slightly better than an ordinary martial artist, he was far from a genius, yet he was proud and looked down on everything, limited in achievement.

After collecting the monster core, the group continued on their way. They encountered monster beasts every so often, but none exceeded level seven, which were easily dealt with.

"Haha, the bag is getting heavier; we've probably collected thirty or forty monster cores by now. Not bad!" Han Kui, being strong, was responsible for carrying the bag. Feeling its increasing weight, he couldn't help but grin.

"However, we've ventured several thousand meters into the Black Ze Forest; the monsters ahead might be getting stronger. We need to be careful; if things go wrong, we should retreat," Qing Jiu reminded.

"Understood," Han Kui responded, but as soon as he finished speaking, his gaze froze.

"Level eight monster beast, Violent Ape." Looking at the massive figure appearing ahead, Han Kui murmured. The Violent Ape was known for its ferocity and immense strength, capable of tearing apart tigers and leopards, making it a formidable monster beast.

"Han Feng, we're counting on you." Jing Xiang glanced at the white-robed youth beside her. A level eight beast should be no trouble for him; Han Feng was much stronger than the rest of them.

"Ha ha, Jing Xiang, why the rush? It seems there's someone here waiting to enjoy the spoils without lifting a finger. Does he really think he can eat for free?" Han Feng shot a glance at Li Xiaoyao, his tone sharp.

Li Xiaoyao sneered. Did he think he wanted a free meal? The only reason he hadn't intervened was that Han Kui and Qing Jiu always beat him to it. If they truly faced a crisis, he would certainly not stand by, but this person pushed himself forward against a level eight beast, which was quite sinister. After all, in his eyes, Li Xiaoyao was just a waste. A waste facing a level eight beast would only lead to death.

"Han Feng, what do you mean? Besides you, there's no one here who can handle a level eight beast. Are you trying to get Li Xiaoyao killed?" Qing Jiu was displeased, having picked up on Han Feng's intentions.

"Wanting to split our monster cores without lifting a finger? Is there such a good deal? If he dies, there's one less person to share," Han Feng scoffed.

"Han Feng, since we came together, we should face challenges together. Li Xiaoyao trusts us, which is why he's with us," Han Kui added, equally displeased.

"Humph, if you want to protect him, go ahead and fight. I'm not willing to support a waste for free," Han Feng snorted coldly and stepped back a few paces. Meanwhile, the Violent Ape had already approached the group.

"I'll give it a try," Li Xiaoyao said, stepping forward. A level eight monster beast corresponded to the eighth level of the Qi Martial Realm. He wanted to see how powerful it was.

"No, a level eight beast is beyond your capability to handle," Jing Xiang said anxiously. "Han Feng, you've gone too far."

Hearing this, a cold expression flickered across Han Feng's face as he looked at Jing Xiang's graceful figure with an evil grin. If it weren't for your looks, I wouldn't even bother associating with these wastes.

"I'll help you," Han Kui said, dropping the monster core and coming to stand beside Li Xiaoyao.

"Count me in," Qing Jiu followed suit.

"And me. The three of us should be able to barely hold off the level eight beast, right?" Jing Xiang silently prayed in her heart.

"Overestimating yourselves." Han Feng laughed mockingly from behind. The level eight Violent Ape was extremely aggressive and strong; it wouldn't be something a few Qi Martial Realm seven-level martial artists could handle.

Li Xiaoyao glanced at the few people standing next to him, feeling a warm surge in his heart, and a gentle smile appeared in his eyes.

Rubbing his nose, Li Xiaoyao weakly said, "Maybe I can handle this monster beast after all."