Leaves grew dry under the sun, and the smell of pine and sap filled the air as Hao walked beneath the trees.

As he grew more familiar with the surroundings, he moved faster. Moving further into the forest, never too far from the cliff that gave him direction.

The canopy of the trees was thick little light getting through unless there was a gap; each gap Hao found himself thinking of kindly. Light came in like streams, beams both warm and bright. It was a sight like a gift. He could now see more than water or stone, but he had to kill for it.

The trees were shorter than the ones he knew, but the bark was far more gnarled and dark. Hao knew little of trees but guessed they were far old despite their height.

He took them in memory as he explored the brush far from the safety of the wall that led him.

In a few spots, he found large gaps in the forest ceiling, like a tree was missing, with no evidence of one ever being there; Large lights shot down through like heavenly spears, shining on patches of herbs, the shafts of light moving as the day passes.

Hao enjoyed the forest’s majesty. He picked the herbs he found in an ethical manner, not taking the roots of a plant that was growing alone. The only whole plants he took were from spots where plants were clustered.

There were a few plants he found growing in large clusters. None that got him overly excited, but he gathered them accordingly; He made sure one he left had space for each to grow, taking in no more than five from each heap of unkempt flora.

Hao couldn’t notice the difference in World Energy between this level of the Mountain and the layer above with the mines. He assumed it would be less, as the Sect was slightly denser.

Despite that expectation of this place, he found life much more vigorous. It grew bold at almost every step. The forest on the outskirts was more of a paradise described in stories than the ‘world of Immortals’, where his bed was. It fits the image Hao in mind too; A place of nature at its greatest, but it was just nature as it was interacting with itself.

It was coming close to noon. The shafts of light had shifted when Hao’s nose caught a sweet scent. He found a beam of light, the brightest time of summer, shining down on a small plant.

A straight stem, with thin leaves and small red berries.

Hao was just a few steps away from the plant when a small, hard object hit him in the back of his head.

He turned fast, his eyes squinted and sharp. He was a little concerned and slightly angry. That all melted away when he saw the perpetrator.

The tiny fur-covered animal was on a branch, waving its arms.

Hao struggled to stay angry at the little thing. It was too pitiful and small. Cute, in a way that coerced Hao into caring.

When he took another step towards the plant, another one appeared. Every step until he was in the light, they multiplied. All of them threw things at him. Pebble, seeds, and small sticks were thrown in Hao’s direction.

Hao took it as a good chance to practice. The little creature never relented at the peak of noon or after. He stood in the light, taking in World Energy as he tried to catch, dodge, and pull the objects into the bag.

The debris would touch his hand and disappear from the air. He tried to do it without touching them with his hand, which felt negligible in terms of side effects compared to before. Now, while catching the stones, store a handful all at once.

A row of objects came to Hao. He swept his hand, all the debris in the air disappearing one by one the moment they came in contact. His hand acted as a portal, pulling the objects inside the bag, the debris maintained momentum inside flying around.

When Hao grew bored, even a little annoyed by the pitiful things, he took out one of the large berries, throwing it at the first to throw something at him.

It hit the little creature in the belly. The creature rolled back off the branch, holding onto the berry, landing surprisingly well with a look of confusion in its surprisingly intelligent eyes.

The flying objects stopped while the little things tasted it.

Hao threw berries, both large and small, into the air. They paid Hao no mind as they chased and tasted them before digging a hole.

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They were abrupt in their actions, placing what they didn’t eat into the holes before leaving. Each seemed to vanish into the leaves. With a full stomach, they had no interest in Hao or the plant near him.

They knew their match better than most people. Not hindering him anymore.

Hao bent down and harvested the plants in front of him. He took just one of the roots, wrapping it with dirt before putting it in the bag. The first creature put the rest of his berry in the hole that Hao left just when Hao walked away.

The bag was getting heavy for the first time since letting out World Energy. Dozens of new plants population the space once empty. They gave off World Energy at a slow pace themselves.

Hao found it was a good time to make it back to the Sect. It was still early, just after noon. He only played with the little creatures for a few minutes.

Perhaps I should have taught them survival of the fittest. They did look like they would taste alright, too bad. Hao was half-joking in his thoughts.

He was surprised by the first reaction they had to the purple berry he threw. He only wished to taste the little creatures, but they seemed to take it as a trade.

What kind of animal understands the concept of trade? More things Hao thought impossible were walking in front of him—Well, I am on a mountain where people fly…

Hao was going to head toward the cliff wall and follow it back to the stairs on the slope, but his curiosity was getting the best of him. He started acting recklessly; looking out for any more animals.

It was only halfway back to the path by Hao’s count when he found the strangest beast.

Merchants often brought livestock to the Islands as food was a commodity of endless value to those who relied on the fickle heart of the sea. They were able to purchase chickens, a flightless bird that yielded a fair amount of food throughout its lifetime.

Once they brought another type of beast, similar to the one in front of him, but dramatically different in a few ways.

The livestock merchants brought stood on four legs to an adult’s stomach. It had saggy skin that shifted from pale white to reddish-brown with short hairs in a few spots. They called it a few things; Giwh, Hilswa, Nhuu—Great-uncle called it “A damned Moo.”

The creature in front of Hao, the one he approached with slow care, was indeed similar. Not one or two together, but a dozen or more grouped in a tight circle. The smallest of them in the center of the herd.

They gnawed away the grass in open spots, lacking a tree or two. The grass was vanishing at a rapid pace. Some began to eat the bark off the trees, even twigs off the ground.

The oddities in their features, the difference between the livestock beast Hao knew and the creature in front of him, was obvious.

Large horns, stretching up on all of them, spaded, flat at the top with a green tint to the color—It looks like leaves. The ears and tails had similar shapes and colors.

They were quite a bit larger and Hao made the last of his observations as a few finished eating, turning toward the setting sun. If they noticed him, they did not care. Their greenest parts, ears, tails, and horns, reached up toward the sun as they basked.

As if they were plants, eager to absorb the light to grow.

“There, just over here. Luckily, they are closer to the Sect this time around. Come along now, keep up.” A voice said. It was a man not shallow in his confidence, and he was not far from behind Hao. The creature showed less interest in the voice than Hao did.

The group came from behind at a wide angle. A man and two women, it was the man talking as if directing, but one of the women took the lead.

They closed in, landing not far from Hao, moving at a good pace, as fast as Hao moved when he was using the ‘Seven Colored Steps’ technique.

When they came to a halt, the man being the second, a younger girl behind the two of them, they started walking towards Hao and the creatures.

They are strong, all of them are a higher layer than me… Hao thought with certainty. They each had accessories on their blue robes.

The man stepped forward out in front of them, his show of bravado, his face a little red. “Oh, is there a Junior Brother here to take a look at these demonic beasts as well? But you should know I am planning to mark these for a mission. Are you a scout for your team?” The man said, his voice close to a boom like a monk giving a proclamation.

The man was Hao’s elder, in strength and years—just a few—Around the same age as the next generation of Fathers on the Island.

The youngest of their group was the girl who moved the slowest, Hao’s age, minus a year or two.

Lastly, the fastest of them, the woman who actually had the lead—The strongest of them. She was the oldest, notably so, but had little maturity on that arrogant scowl of a face. It looked like her bottom lip would fall off her face if she pouted any further—I will have to keep an eye on that one. She rolled her eyes every time the loud man looked around and spoke.

“No, Senior Brother misunderstands. These creatures just caught my eye. They looked similar to livestock I saw once in the past… But rather strange at the same time. I am here to collect herbs.” Hao said. His eyes scanned them to the best of his abilities, before, during, and after he spoke.

He kept his innocent face on. Easy to pull off when he was feeding a long, complex truth.

The three showed a lack of interest in all his words, eagerness, then complete disregard for his final words. Except for the man, initially, he was the same, then saw a chance to show off, not hiding his disregard for Hao while doing it.

“Oh, that’s rare, for an herb picker to leave his hovel. I never expected one to come down the mountain away from the medicine hall.”

“They are usually eager to run there from every thorn in their thumb.” He wore a stupid grin on his clean-shaven face. His charcoal hair was tied back, his appearance sharp.

His constantly looking around between words didn’t do him favors. When no one gave him the reaction he wanted, no chuckle, no snicker, no one offended, he continued.

“Well, you are right to be interested in this beast. It is no mere creature. Its ancestors stepped away from being livestock, going down the path of a demonic beast.” He pulled out a hand fan.

Hao didn’t know where he pulled it from and was not eager to ask.

The man started fanning himself with no plan of stopping, taking a few steps forward and turning around, his back to the beasts.

“Junior Brother, if you like, you could call it ‘Demonic Evolution’. In the past, its ancestors gained spirituality. Then later passed on its genes,” he said.

He threw his hands around himself as he spoke, even wrapping his arms around himself. His self-embrace held as he lingered on “passed on its genes”.

“The evolution of the ancestor could have been caused by many things.” He twirled.

“This specific one I must venture a guess that it involved Wood Spiritual Qi. A sacred land? A herb? Perhaps and great treasure or divine bloodline? Hmm!?”

He spun back, holding his arm out, putting on a truly loud display during his explanation.

It was like a little entertainment with some good knowledge. Hao was not the only one to enjoy the show.

The youngest in their group gave a giggle that seemed to give the man even more fuel; as now he acted with a smirk.

“Their ancestor may have been a great mountain king, a fearsome beast. But now the genes weaken as time passes, and only the most beneficial of survival tools remain. If you need to eat a lot, if grass is your only source, why not enjoy the energy of the sun like the grass itself?”

Facing Hao and the women, the man started to back up a few steps. He was already attracting the demonic beast with his sounds. They did not want him any closer.

“Docile now, but Junior Brother, what if the blood was purified once again? With time and cultivation, consuming magical herbs and blood of other stronger creatures. Then another great king may rise from the bloodline. A Demon Beast wandering mountain slopes, looking for a crown!”

As the man got closer to the herd of beasts, there was something strange, the shadow of a boulder growing.

Hao saw something massive moving in the back of the herd of beasts. A lump of greenery, leaves, bulging veins like tree roots. Easy to mistake for a knoll or mound of earth.

A giant beast of green, a king bull who was napping.