The entirety of Cloudreacher forest was bursting with activity, the sound of thunderous footsteps, deafening roars, and trees getting torn down audible from all directions as dark clouds started to gather in the sky. The first human screams mixed in with the roars after only a handful of seconds, the entire forest became an exquisite picture of hell in less than half a minute. Huang Ying sprang up from his seated position even before Li Jun's voice rang out in his head, and to his surprise, even Li Jun's voice seemed to contain a touch of panic.

"You have to flee! The beast that just unleashed that roar seems to contain a fairly dense Behemoth bloodline, looking at the gathering clouds it's probably an ocean sub-species, it is not something any of you kiddos here can deal with! The Behemoth is one of the nine Demonic Deity races strong enough to easily kill the gods that you know of and even contend with the nine Ancestral Gods, even the smallest sliver of its bloodline is enough to create a monster beyond common sense!"

Li Jun clearly didn't expect Huang Ying to have any understanding of what a Behemoth was, which was why he quickly supplemented the name with a bit of information that Huang Ying could wrap his head around. Hearing that the Behemoth could easily kill the gods that he knew about was enough to cause Huang Ying's heart rate to skyrocket, his pupils drastically shrinking.

But what he didn't know was that he was still not fathoming the true scope of a Behemoth's might. The blood that flowed through his body, the law of Devouring that he wielded, they all belonged to Baku, one of the nine Ancestral Gods. There was no telling just how much his heart rate would speed up if he knew that a Behemoth was on par with an unfathomable being like Baku.

Huang Ying's gaze swept over Hong Yi and Hei Ya, both had stood up at the same time as him and were currently gazing nervously at their surroundings. All the fur on Hei Ya's back stood up like sharp needles, both his and Hong Yi's legs trembling almost nonstop. Chen Hong had also stood up the moment the roar sounded out, his usually carefree expression having been exchanged with an extremely grave and dark one.

The two nodded at each other and Huang Ying lowered the earthen walls he had raised around their abode, these walls would be unable to provide even a shred of defense when the stampede arrived. But just as they prepared to escape, they noticed that there was one person in their group that had yet to stand up. Song Yi was still sitting down with her knees tucked up to her chest, her eyes desperately flickering between the closest lantern and the dark sky above her.

The sun was still about an hour from rising so the forest was still shrouded in a thick darkness that crepy right up to the edge of the light that the lanterns cast. Song Yi's two-colored eyes flickered incessantly between the lanterns and the sky, her limbs trembling so fiercely that they resembled leaves in a storm. It was clear that she was currently doing her best to stand up and flee alongside Huang Ying and Chen Hong, but her fear of darkness seemed to overpower even the fear caused by the incoming stampede. Even her most primal fight or flight instinct had been completely shattered by the bone-deep fear that the Dark King had instilled in her. Li Jun was quick to remind Huang Ying of the situation, simultaneously giving him a word of advice on where to flee.

"Her fear has paralyzed her, abandon her, the two pets, and flee out of the forest, the fewer burdens you have to bring along the better! The beasts are likely to head out of the forest as well, but there are definitely going to be a few defensive lines set up outside of the forest in no time, especially after that grueling roar!"

Li Jun's suggestion was definitely the most sensible and logical one, abandoning the frozen Song Yi, and even the weak Hei Ya and Hong Yi would prevent Huang Ying's speed from dropping. Li Jun's voice and suggestions continued to echo throughout his head as Huang Ying's thoughts continued to race, quickly causing him to let out a loud shout.

"Shut the fuck up already and stop acting so pathetic, I'm not abandoning a single little thing! Chen Hong, you carry those two and I'll carry her! We're heading for the exit of the forest, the others are welcome to ram their heads against the wall in an attempt at getting to the center of the forest, I won't join them in their suicide."

Huang Ying could be certain of one thing by listening to the roar that had just rocked the forest, no one present would be able to get to the center of the forest to kidnap the child that had been born to the Demonic beast residing there. The plan had been worthless and idiotic from the start and now every living being in the forest would have to pay the price for it.

Chen Hong knew that now was not the time to argue so he hefted Hei Ya over his shoulders and stuffed Hong Yi into the front pocket of his robe. Huang Ying's body was stronger than Chen Hong's, which was why he was the one who picked up the heavier Song Yi and hefted her onto his back, making sure that one of the lanterns was squeezed between his back and her abdomen as he carried her in a piggy back.

After picking up the others, Huang Ying and Chen Hong jumped out of the tree they were hiding in and started to run as fast as they could. They didn't have Song Yi's extraordinary vision to guide them but they were still able to somewhat trace back their own steps to figure out which path would take them out of the forest. Of course, without Song Yi guiding them they would have to rely on Huang Ying's perception and Li Jun's senses if they wanted to avoid other people and beasts.

But seeing as the entire forest was currently experiencing a violent stampede, wanting to avoid everything was just a pipe dream. The two had only managed to run for around two minutes before all paths around them were blocked by enemies, Li Jun quickly acting as the guide.

"Head to the northeast! The only enemies in the way there are some humans that are trying to flee, they shouldn't bother with you. And even if they do, they aren't strong enough to stop you!"

Huang Ying gave Chen Hong the information, altering it a little to make it seem like he was the one who had discovered the path, and then altered his direction. Li Jun was unable to lie to Huang Ying thanks to the oath, easing some of Huang Ying's fears that Li Jun would guide them into a trap.

The group ran down the appointed path and quickly spotted the group of people, who were actually fleeing by heading deeper into the forest. The group consisted of five people, two of whom were already wounded and dripping with blood. A few pairs of amber eyes were visible in the darkness behind the group, a few Demonic beasts still madly chasing them. Huang Ying and the woman at the front of the group locked eyes, the woman's expression flickering for a bit before she chewed on her lips and came to a decision.

"Attack! We just have to wound them to hopefully divert the attention of the beasts!"

The group of five didn't come from the Fierce Flame academy so they didn't know Huang Ying or Chen Hong, nor was there any animosity between them. But to ensure that they could survive, their best bet was to have the beasts chasing them focus on Huang Ying and Chen Hong instead. Huang Ying's expression sank when the woman made her decision, one of his hands letting go of Song Yi's legs and swiftly assembling his two-headed spear as he muttered.

"How sad, all of us are really pathetic."

He stomped the ground as he ran, the earth beneath his feet rising up and launching him into the air, a quick gust of wind allowing him to run through the air for the last few steps between him and the woman's group. He arrived above the woman and smashed down with his spear, immediately bursting forth with all the physical might he could exert.

The pupils of the woman quickly contracted as she raised her head and faced the spearhead that came for her, but she was still swift to react. She had evidently seen the uniqueness of Huang Ying's spear as he assembled it, she drew the saber at her waist with her right hand and raised it to block the spear, her left hand shooting towards the center of the spear.

The spearhead and the blade of the saber collided, the intense clash breaking three of the fingers on the woman's right hand and causing her saber and arm to sink down so violently that her elbow bent and shattered. But her left arm still reached the center of the spear, her fingers tracing the array carved into the spear and inserting some Qi into it. The array was activated and the spear split in two, dispersing the force in the front part of the spear before the clash could cause even more damage to the woman.

Huang Ying's expression sank further when he saw the scene, he hadn't even considered that others could use the array to disassemble his spear. But that was to be expected, this weapon was designed and created entirely by Ling Uyong, who was just a student, it was bound to have flaws and room for improvement. It was up to Huang Ying to improve and strengthen the weapon in the future, altering it to suit his style.

The one who made the next move wasn't Huang Ying or the woman and her group, it was actually Chen Hong. He kicked one of the earthen pillars that Huang Ying had used to launch himself into the air, the pillar instantly shattering into tiny fragments that shot forward like lethal shrapnel. The shrapnel stabbed into the woman leading the other group, the pain of the attack mixing with the pain of her broken elbow and preventing her from reacting before Huang Ying could launch his follow-up attack.

Huang Ying exerted force with his left arm, the one still holding onto Song Yi, and threw her into the air to free up both arms. His now free left hand shot out and grabbed onto the second part of his spear, quickly jerking it forward and stabbing it into the right eye of the woman, piercing directly through her head. He leaned his body forward and used the weapon stabbed into the woman's head as support to summersault above her and slash out with the spear part that his right hand was still grasping.

The sharp spear tip descended on the face of the man right behind the woman, nearly splitting his face right down the middle and causing blood to gush forth like a geyser. Huang Ying used some wind to slow himself down, giving him enough time to angle his own body so that he could kick the chest of the man whose face he had just split in half. The man was launched backward and collided with the only remaining unwounded person in the other group, causing her to stumble back several steps.

These several steps caused her to stumble directly into the range of the chasing beasts, sharp claws and teeth quickly tearing into her body. Huang Ying took this opportunity to land on the ground and remove the second part of his spear from the first woman's head, quickly sheathing his weapon again and catching Song Yi so that she didn't hit the ground. Within just a few seconds of meeting, the only ones remaining of the other group were the two wounded people, who were already pale from despair as they knew that they couldn't escape the chasing beasts that were now practically right behind them.

Chen Hong had already caught up with Huang Ying, the two quickly continuing to run. The four beasts chasing the other group looked at Huang Ying and Chen Hong but decided that the easy meal in front of them was a better choice than trying to fight with the two of them, so the two groups ignored each other. The screams of the last two group members quickly rang out and then died down, Huang Ying and Chen Hong not even turning back to look at them.

This was why Huang Ying said that they were all pathetic earlier. The other group wanted to use Huang Ying as bait to escape these Demonic beasts and Huang Ying decided to do the same with them, not wanting to lose time on fighting the beasts. The first group couldn't trust Huang Ying to work together with them and Huang Ying found himself unable to be merciful enough to recommend working together or sparing the other group after they made their decision. In this situation, none of them were able to think about working together and were fully focused on their own escape, easily sacrificing others to achieve so, a depressingly sad and pathetic fact.

But there was no time for Huang Ying or Chen Hong to think about anything else right now, they were besieged by more beasts less than a minute after they dealt with the other group. Li Jun did his best to guide them, but the sheer number of beasts living in the forest made it impossible to avoid them all, they were like a tidal wave that swept through everything. Huang Ying and Chen Hong did their best to fight their way through the tidal wave, but they were like leaves dragged along by the stream, constantly forced to change direction and thus getting delayed.

After running for nearly half an hour and ending up with several small wounds that were starting to add up, Huang Ying learned exactly how bad his luck was and what people meant when they said that when it rains, it pours. He felt a drop hit his forehead, a second and third quickly following it. His eyes shot skyward, his expression twisting when he saw that the clouds that started to gather the moment the horrifying roar rang out had already gotten so thick and dark that they blotted out nearly the entire sky.

And from these dark clouds came a heavy torrent of rain, it was as if the sky beyond the clouds was actually an ocean and the clouds served as no more than a sieve. Li Jun said that the beast that unleashed the roar seemed to be an ocean-subspecies of the Behemoth, so it was more than just a little likely that it was the beast itself that had summoned this intense rain.

Huang Ying's eyes moved slightly and landed on Chen Hong, whose expression was now bitter and twitching, his movements much slower and stiffer. He wasn't paralyzed by his fear like Song Yi was, but his fear of water still drastically slowed him down in this intense rain, he was already running slower than a non-cultivator. Chen Hong could only shake his head bitterly, speaking out at the same time as Li Jun's voice rang out in Huang Ying's head.

"Seems like our luck is truly terrible. I wonder if this is what they call destiny, or maybe retribution. Take them and flee, I will only slow you down like this."

"Beasts are closing in from the south and north, with more getting close to the east and west! If you ditch them now, you should be able to get through the surrounding beasts by heading to the west!"

Chen Hong was well aware of his fear and how it was slowing him down, but actually trying to resist it was a completely different thing. He tried to hand over Hei Ya and Hong Yi, who were both looking somewhat miserable, well aware that they were no more than burdens right now. But Huang Ying's expression simply hardened when he saw Chen Hong's actions, his lips curling into a sneer as he cursed.

"Fuck that and fuck you. I've already said that I won't abandon a single little thing, and I stand by my words, that is my determination."

Huang Ying changed Song Yi's position, carrying her over his right shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He then stretched out his left arm and grabbed onto Chen Hong's arm, lifting him up and slinging him over his left shoulder to carry him. He placed Hong Yi inside his robe and had Hei Ya jump onto his neck from the side, carrying him too like a sack of potatoes. He now had the weight of two people and one wolf stacked onto his body, but Huang Ying's waist didn't even bend, a testament to just how strong his body had gotten after devouring so many Demonic beasts.

Huang Ying wasted no time in continuing to run, ignoring Li Jun's 'kind words of advice' whenever he spoke up. Song Yi and Chen Hong were slowed down by their fears and hated themselves for being burdens right now, but Huang Ying didn't mind both of them in the slightest. The simple truth was that even Huang Ying had fears, he feared being forced to live on his knees again, he feared losing people close to him, and above all, he feared loneliness.

He didn't have much in this world, even the person he thought of as a grandfather hadn't actually been on his side all this time. As such, right now Huang Ying only actually had three people he could be considered close to, Chen Hong, Song Yi, and his adoptive sister Xing Tang. Each one lost would add on to his loneliness, each one lost was like a nail in his coffin, he couldn't afford to lose anyone else after Langye.

But the world was cruel, and it was only worse for people who made things harder for themselves. Huang Ying's speed dropped since he had to carry so many burdens, and with the dark clouds covering the sky it was uncertain if there would be enough light for Song Yi to ease her fears once the sun rose. As such, it became harder and harder for Huang Ying to evade the horde of beasts all around, wound after wound accumulating on not only his body but also on the bodies of those he was carrying.

Each step would cause him to lose more blood, resulting in his senses and perception growing duller and duller, his hearing growing faint and his vision occasionally blurring. And it was thanks to this that he was unable to hear one of Li Jun's warnings before it was too late, just barely able to hear the last part.

"..iot, they're right at your side!"

A feathered jaguar-like claw smashed into Huang Ying's waist the moment he recognized Li Jun's voice, his body ending up soaring to the side. Chen Hong, Hei Ya, and Song Yi were tossed aside as Huang Ying flew through the air and crashed into a tree with his back first, blood gushing out from his mouth as his senses grew even blurrier. As the blood gushed forth from his mouth, Huang Ying felt a familiar sensation wash over him.

A soft brush against his cheek, a warm and comfortable feeling enveloping his entire body. Once again, the sensation of death visited Huang Ying, beckoning for him to return to its embrace, to rest easy. The last time he felt this sensation, he died and was reborn through the law of devouring, but this time he was determined to get through it by his own will.

He vomited forth even more blood, staining the earth around him a beautiful crimson that he was unable to see since his eyelids had already grown so heavy that he was nearly unable to move them. But in this situation, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, a burst of somewhat weak and disdainful laughter escaping his lips.

"Ha..ha...ha... what a joke. Running and scampering around, fearing getting devoured this and fearing losing myself that, what a pathetic joke I am. Hesitating for so long, I truly am a joke above jokes."

Huang Ying put as much power as he could into his eyes, forcing his eyelids to slowly open. His right eye had turned completely black, even his sclera had turned as dark as the night, a handful of crimson pupils floating around within his eye. His shadow started to wriggle and expand, muddy tentacles shooting out of it and latching onto the surroundings, pulling the shadow along to help it grow as tens of eyes and maws started to appear in it.

The law of devouring, the basis of everything that was Huang Ying, and also the law he liked using the least. Not only did he fear others learning that he had such a grand and terrible law, but he also feared the law itself a bit, especially after learning the truth about Li Jun. He feared that the law would devour him, that it would warp and twist him, or that it would simply erase him and turn him into a vessel for Baku. What if, just like Li Jun, Baku had just been lying to him all along?

But right now, none of those fears mattered in the slightest, the fear of loneliness and loss overshadowed everything else. If he allowed his fear to keep him down and prevent him from doing everything he could, then he would truly have reached the peak of patheticness. He forced strength to move through his body so that he could stand up, his legs trembling underneath him as he sent a ferocious and challenging smile to the three feathered jaguar Demonic beasts that were approaching.

"Come then, I've got partners to feed so that they can grow strong, so let's see if you will end up feasting on us or if we will feast on you."

The three brown and green feathered jaguars felt a bit uneasy when they looked at Huang Ying, but the crimson light of madness in their eyes prevented them from thinking too much about anything as they continued approaching. Huang Ying wearily grabbed onto the two parts of his spear and assembled it, not noticing that the dim star that had started to descend in his dantian was shooting back into the sky, another one descending and taking its place after he finished his sentence.