C13 Raise

"Is it her?"

"Absolutely!" Yeh Haishan's companion stared with terror-filled eyes at the vanishing figure of the silver-haired woman and whispered, "Snow Girl, that fearsome woman."

"Single-horn Wolf and Explosive Bear?" Another person grimaced as he looked at the two bodies on the ground, "Even if we teamed up against these Devil Beasts, we wouldn't stand a chance at killing them so effortlessly, right? Yet Snow Girl, on her own, made it seem so easy..."

Devil Beasts are not like human warriors; their inherent combat strength is naturally higher.

The Single-horn Wolf is manageable, being a Level 2 Devil Beast, but the Explosive Bear is nearly a Level 4. In human terms, that's akin to Level 6.

And now, these Devil Beasts have been utterly massacred...

"There's simply no comparison!" a woman scoffed, her gaze following Snow Girl's retreating figure, envy burning in her eyes. "She's one of the current Ten Great Heroes of the Yeh Family. The Ten-hero War is just a month away, and it's likely she'll retain her position, and a high one at that."

"True to her reputation as the 'Sleep Lotus of Snow Country', but why isn't she venturing deeper into the No-falling Forest? What's she doing in these outer regions?"

"Who knows? Maybe you should ask her?"

"I'm not ready to die. You know how sinister she can be—unpredictable, one moment sharing a laugh, the next, taking a life. Besides, dying in the No-falling Forest would be utterly pointless. I haven't lived long enough."

"Enough, why bring this up?" Yeh Haishan, who had been quiet, let out a low growl. In just ten days, his wounds had healed, save for one eye wrapped in blood-soaked gauze. His other eye seethed with venomous hatred, giving him a fearsome and terrifying appearance.

"What about Yeh Yulin? Wasn't that scoundrel supposed to be in the No-falling Forest by now? Why haven't we seen him? I want to kill him, kill him!"

Yeh Haishan seethed with rage at the mere thought of Yeh Yulin, particularly when he recalled the harm inflicted upon him. He was consumed with the desire to devour Yeh Yulin whole.

"What's the rush?" the somewhat mature teenager remarked coolly. "Now that we know he's in the area, there's a chance of encountering him. But don't get your hopes up too high. The No-falling Forest is vast; looking for someone here is like searching for a needle in a haystack."

Yeh Haishan harbored a measure of caution toward the young man. Despite his apparent dissatisfaction, he ultimately nodded in agreement.

The mature youth's face broke into a pleased smile as he continued gently, "I've already delivered that troublemaker, Kong Yaer, to you two days ago. You should have vented enough of your anger by now. The only one left is Yeh Yulin. Don't be impatient. There will certainly be an opportunity. Remember, he is a direct heir of the family. If you encounter him outside the No-falling Forest, you must restrain yourself."

"I'm aware!" Yeh Haishan clenched his teeth, his voice tinged with malice. "Unless we're within the No-falling Forest, I won't lay a finger on Yeh Yulin. As for that woman, hmph, I've already handed her over to my servants. Once they've had their fill, she'll be passed on to the slaves..."

"Do as you please," the mature teen replied with a nonchalant shrug. "Let's focus on finding Yeh Yulin. And leave any Devil Beasts we come across to me."

At his words, Yeh Haishan's companions exchanged glances and shrugged subtly, though none spoke up.

The mature youth, known as Yeh Nianhuo, had an innate sensitivity to fire and impressive talent. By the time he reached Level Six Battle Soldier, his Spiritual Force had already awakened to its own attribute—fire.

Spiritual Force attributes differed from the three major realms of Spiritual Force. One involved a qualitative transformation of purity, while the other added specific characteristics to the attribute, such as the burning quality of fire.

While it might not be on par with the three major realms of Spiritual Force, cultivating an attribute Spiritual Force during the Battle Soldier phase was rare, with only a 20% chance of occurrence. Even within the Yeh Family, talents like this were scarce.

Yeh Nianhuo had garnered significant attention within the Yeh Family, becoming a primary candidate for their intensive training programs. Yet, this recognition was not enough for him. He aspired to be more than just a well-trained member; he aimed to join the ranks of the Ten Great Heroes and be the focus of the family's concerted cultivation efforts.

His vested interest in avenging Yeh Haishan stemmed from a desire to hone his skills in the No-falling Forest, especially with the family's Ten-hero War on the horizon. Despite the slim odds perceived by Yeh Haishan and his peers, they were reluctant to alienate the formidable Yeh Nianhuo and thus accompanied him.

"Die!" A deep bellow echoed through the No-falling Forest, followed by the sight of a tiger's claw soaring through the air, its blood spraying onto a hefty axe. "Die, die, die!" Yeh Yulin, having severed the limb of a tiger-shaped Devil Beast, pressed forward, engaging the beast at close quarters. Amidst receiving several gashes, he unleashed a flurry of strikes, dismembering the creature.

Yeh Yulin looked at his fresh wounds with a scornful chuckle. His blood energy had been pulsing since the fight commenced, and the injuries were visibly healing. Such minor wounds would mend within a day, thanks to the Holy Body.

Three days had passed since their arrival in the No-falling Forest. Initially, Yeh Yulin was exhilarated, attacking any Level 2 or Level 3 Devil Beast with a ferocious zeal, reducing them to pulp. Though frequently injured, his recovery was swift.

Gradually, his excitement gave way to composure. The resilience forged through years of adversity shone through, and the thrill of his burgeoning power subsided. He approached battles with a newfound calmness and made a sober assessment of his capabilities.

He was at the pinnacle of the second level of Spiritual Force, just shy of advancing to the third level. His physical attributes were quadruple that of an average person, with a stark illustration being his strength of 300 pounds. The Holy Body's absorption rate of Spiritual Force had increased by three and a half times, while the Devil Body's rate had skyrocketed to twelve times its previous speed.

Considering the cultivation speed of the Devil Body, it was undoubtedly among the elite, not just within the Yeh Family, but across the entire Human Clan Empire.

Yeh Yulin wasn't taken aback by this fact. The strength of one's parents often influenced their offspring, which is why aristocrats preferred intermarriage—not only for the alliance of power but also for the consolidation of strength.

As the progeny of both a Devil Clan noble and a Human Clan Empire noble, Yeh Yulin's talent was unquestionable. The only issue was the peculiar nature of his Holy Body, which had been a limiting factor.

But the Devil Body was unaffected. With its potential unleashed, it was now twelve times stronger than when he cultivated using the Holy Body, which made Yeh Yulin feel as if his progress was slower.

After all, his previous cultivation speed had been abysmal!

Moreover, there was an aspect that even Twilight hadn't anticipated.

His Devil Body and Holy Body weren't growing in tandem. On the surface, the Spiritual Force from both seemed nearly integrated—cultivating one would seemingly enhance the other. However, during the process, Yeh Yulin realized they were still distinct.

The growth rate of the Devil Body outpaced that of the Holy Body. When the Holy Body was in use, the Devil Body experienced the same development. However, when the Devil Body was activated, the growth of the Holy Body lagged behind.

This was likely due to the Holy Body operating at an overload, causing damage to the meridians, which then required a portion of his power to heal.

The discrepancy was minor and not immediately noticeable. But over time, the Devil Body's level would eclipse that of the Holy Body, and he would become a member of the Devil Clan.

This was precisely what Twilight had feared.

If it were discovered that he had awakened the Devil Body, Yeh Yulin would surely be cast out of the Yeh Family, or worse, executed.

"No matter," Yeh Yulin quickly dismissed the thought with a shake of his head. Abandoning the Devil Body was out of the question—not only because it granted him rapid growth but also because it promised to endow Yeh Yulin with formidable combat prowess.

Imagine this: while others possess ten Spirit Flames, he harbors twenty...

Given Yeh Yulin's insatiable thirst for power, how could he possibly let go?