Dense forests and grasses covered the Steel Fang region. But what looked like an abundant land was, in reality, a very treacherous one.
Big and small swamps, dozens of impossibly deep ravines, and other natural dangers were the true face of the region.
Beasts that had not evolved to sentience and in place hunted anything that moved were a common occurrence as well. So common that they were the source of food and materials for most sentient Beasts.
Dozens of less describable dangers came from being so near to the planar boundary as well.
The borders of a plane protected it from interacting with the chaos qi that filled the void outside any plane. But the protection never meant to be a full one.
Small amounts of chaos qi would be allowed to seep through, in quantities small enough to be not dangerous by themselves. They were even helpful for the plane itself, as they would nurture any nearby spirit herbs and spirit ores, allowing the birth of higher tier materials.
But what happened when a dantian or spirit core absorbed Chaos qi?
With no constant currents of Heaven and Earth qi, the chaos qi would gather and slowly force any normal qi outside one's body.
So while most beings could take measures against it, circulating and cleansing themselves, an unevolved beast would be unable. Thus, they would absorb more and more. Until the chaos completely took over.
That is the origin of the demon beasts, also called chaos beasts.
No one could be entirely sure of the reasons that led any living being to approach the chaos qi, as it would give a sense of dread even to an insect. Bai Qi personally always had assumed that it was simple power-seeking. Indeed, how could a Spirit Beast live in a mid-tier plane where Saint Beasts were common? Or a 1st level Saint Beast with no possible evolution among dozens of predators?
In his opinion, the beasts by instinct began looking for ways to survive, and one of them was the absorption of chaos qi.
And chaos qi gave them an opportunity, even if it was at the cost of any possible sentience. Their offspring would be born without intelligence. But with an innate ability to sense and locate surrounding strands of chaotic qi. And after a few generations of Demonic Beasts, their bloodline would break from the cultivation limitations. In place of slowly growing and maturing until their natural limit, the Demonic Beasts could ascend without stops, simply by ingesting more and more demonic qi.
Twisted, warped, stripped from everything further than basic instincts. But amazingly powerful and a danger for any plane.
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Although the invitation to join the hunting expedition had been unexpected, Bai Qi did accept, so he spent the night in deep meditation. Neither his qi nor aura were at their peak, and considering the danger, it was something that he must do.
It was during this meditation that he questioned the reasons behind it. He did not expect treachery or danger, but he did suspect that something wasn't right.
***
The next day, his trainees arrived after sunrise, as usual.
"I will be joining a hunting expedition. So I will be away for a couple of days" Bai Qi did not know if they knew, so he chose to tell them at the start. But he wasn't planning on just leaving them like that, so he supplied enough scales for Chi's group and answered any questions they had.
Bai Qi also explained that as soon as they could move the scales even briefly, they would have completed the same training as Kass Shaa'r. "Concentrate on one scale first, and then as soon as you feel ready, add another one. Like that, you will be able to sense the difference between a single item and several of them" He added after noticing that Xi Ai's aura moved all of the scales as one, in place of individually.
***
Their training finished around noon, and as he dismissed them, the Beastmen of the expedition arrived.
The group was smaller than he expected, and except for a 4th level Beastman that acted as the leader, the others were all equivalent to Warrior Lords. But after hearing what kind of prey they were going after, he agreed that such a group should be enough.
The hunting target was a gathering of about 30 immature demon beasts. Half of them were first-generation, while the others were born recently. Thus, their actual power could hardly be above the 1st level. The only two stronger beasts would be the pair of unidentified Demon Beasts that gathered them.
Still, the strength level made the question of why surface again.
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It was strange indeed, as Chaos Beasts were usually solitary, only searching for others during mating seasons. So a couple of beasts that managed to gather a group was indeed disturbing. Especially after the hunt leader, a black lynx-like Beastman explained they had no idea of their race.
"Are you ready? The caves they occupied are about three hundred miles from here, and we plan to get there at sunset" Heise Zhao pointed with his left claw towards the east, and after Bai Qi nodded, the lynx-beastman shortly growled, commanding everyone to move out.
***
The hunting pack that Bai Qi moved with was a mixed one, but even the slow-looking lizard woman, Gi La, moved at a speed that made Bai Qi resort to his qi to keep up with them.
Speaking of Gi La, Bai Qi knew that Lizardmen existed on this plane, but it was his first time seeing one. When Huo Laohu had come to invite Kass Shaa'r, he had said that the prophecy of the [Feathered Snake] had been "Not from our race, but our kin", making Bai Qi aware that there was at least a group of them somewhere.
The race part usually referred to the initial bloodline or the original Spirit Beast form, and Bai Qi could only agree with the prophecy. Gi La was shorter than Kass Shaa'r for about two feet, a full head shorter than Bai Qi himself. The scales on her body were rounded and not triangle-like, and the color also differed. If Kass Shaa'r was like the leaves of a tree, then Gi La would be the trunk. Brownish and with small darker spots, with a small yellow stripe on her flat head, except for their bloodlines being related she had no other relation to Kass Shaa'r. Her aura revealed a 3rd level Saint Beast strength.
Moving to the sides of Gi La, there were four fire-tigers slightly older than the ones who trained under Bai Qi. The four of them 2nd level Saint Beasts.
And in front of everyone, just a few steps behind their leader, two One-eyed Leopards ran side-by-side. Looking very similar to Dian, the only difference was in their auras. As they respectively released the auras of a 2nd and a 3rd level.
No one did speak while moving, but as everyone had their aura and senses expanded, it was easy for Bai Qi to feel the familiarity of a few auras to the ones of his trainees.
***
They ran nearly straight to the east, only once moving from the course, taking a wide berth around a small swamp. Noticing that Bai Qi looked at it with curiosity, Gi La explained, "The Earth blisters look small, but they are almost impossible to sense and can extend for several miles. No one has found how deep they are because they prevent one from using aura or qi to escape after falling"
"Mmm, thank you. I was attracted by the herbs beneath that tree" Bai Qi pointed at a perfectly straight tree in the middle of the area they were circling.
"Don't even think of going after them. The [Fake Arrow] trees look as if they have ground beneath them, but in truth, they stand in the most dangerous part of the earth blisters. It's just one cannot sense it" She quickly cautioned with a low hiss.
"Got it" Bai Qi considered that using the tree as an anchor should be safe. But did not say anything else, noticing that the lynx beastman turned his head around to send them both a glare as if telling them to shut up.
Four and half hours later, when Bai Qi and the hunting group had moved over 280 miles, Heise Zhao raised his arm, indicating to stop.
"Our destination lies just past that grove, on the side of that hill" He briefly explained while pointing at a barely visible hill about five miles ahead.
He then explained the plan, although it was mostly done for Bai Qi, as it seemed the others were already aware of it.
***
Demon Beasts did not use their qi sense in the same way as cultivators or Saint Beasts, but by entirely concentrating it on smells, scents, and air movement. Some of them could even smell a cultivator from a dozen miles away. But the Beastmen hunters were experienced in dealing with them, using some sweet-smelling medicine over their bodies, prompting Bai Qi to do the same while explaining it would mask them from the Demon Beasts. At least until they entered their field of vision.
After the preparation was complete, the group separated into three. The fire-tigers would circle from one side while the two one-eyed leopards took the opposite one.
Senses and aura retracted, Bai Qi followed Gi La and Heise Zhao through the undergrowth, taking the frontal approach.
The three of them were supposed to alarm the Chaos Beasts and made them act. Then, as soon as they were committed to attacking them, the two groups from the sides would enter the fray.
Being the bait was usually the most dangerous part of any plan, but to be fair towards the Beastmen, Bai Qi was offered to stay back. And it took him a couple of minutes to refute their arguments and say that he would follow the man-lynx and the lizard woman.
"If the beasts are at the levels we expect, then I should be able to defend myself. And if they are stronger, I don't think that it will make much difference if I am a couple of miles behind" In the end, Heise Zhao had to agree that the human was right. And it also made him recall the words of Elder She Weida, "The human has many abilities and secrets, but most importantly he has a different view than we do. So don't hesitate on using him to help you if needed"
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Around the time the hunting pack was approaching their targets, another thing occurred.
Bai Rui would have to be blind, to not notice Bai Ze's change.
At first, Bai Rui had thought about the swarm. But when Bai Ze woke up on that day, the first thing she asked was how was Wu Guang. She also was running ragged with worry during the first day of him being unconscious, even offering to go and search for rarer or better, spirit herbs.
But when Wu Guang awoke, Bai Ze changed entirely. She did not hound him with curiosity and interest as before. Furthermore, she avoided him outside the required contact.
"What happened between you two?" Hoping that the human's absence would help her find out, Bai Rui asked her sister while they were dining. But Bai Ze did not answer.
Bai Rui continued to insist, and at some point, Bai Ze failed to maintain her calmness and angrily blurted, "I did what was required. I followed Elder Xiaoshan's method. But why do you even care?!"
"..." Bai Rui could only open and close her mouth without making a sound. Her eyes widened as she recalled the elder's words, and only a few moments later, she managed to ask, "You?"
"Unn" Bai Ze nodded with tears in her eyes.