Outside of Azure Water city to the northwest was situated a vast expanse of wild land called the jade forest. It was so huge you could easily lose yourself going through and it was filled with vicious wild beasts. The further you go the stronger they get. Many died inside so there weren't much people coming here anymore.

Under a big tree Ye Mo was cultivating his brows furrowed, beside him were the mummified remains of a black wolf.

Sighing he stood up and crushed the wolf corpse.

"As expected of a demonic body refining technique, it's the most effective against humans..."

Ye Mo came to the jade forest trying to cultivate by killing beasts but as he thought it's a lot slower, he would need hundreds of them to breakthrough while just one or two humans would be enough currently.

He couldn't spend this much time hunting and he was just in the outer parts of the jade forest where the wild beasts weren't as numerous and strong as the inner parts but he wouldn't go there and risk himself. His life was the most important, as long as he was alive everything was possible. He wouldn't gamble on it if the benefits didn't outweight the risks.

Pondering on a solution Ye Mo heard sounds of fighting. Climbing on a tree he silently approached the scene. When he was close enough he peeked at the place and saw a red leopard with a horn on the forehead fighting a young girl around fifteen years old and three servants all dressed in the same green martial suit. Five more of them were laying around the zone in a pool of blood probably dead.

This leopard was a wild beast that evolved thanks to the environment or something he ate while the girl and the servants were low rank cultivators. Ye Mo could see the beast had a wound on the neck but it still held the advantage and his opponents wouldn't last long anymore. The three servants seemed stronger than the young girl, if they abandoned her and ran they might be able to escape but they were resolved on protecting her from harm so not only they could not run away but they couldn't even fight properly.

Taking his time Ye Mo waited for the right moment, one servant fell then another, until only one remained. Soon enough his belly got lacerated and his innards were flowing out of it before he flatly fell on the ground. The girl screamed which attracted the attention of the red leopard who pounced on her. As a last attempt to protect herself or hiding the horrible scene from her eyes she put her arms in front of her face. Expecting pain to follow soon enough she stopped moving but even after some time she couldn't feel anything. Slowly removing her arms to take a peek she saw a young man with spiky black hairs, dark eyes and bare chested holding a machete in his right hand.

It was something Ye Mo bought to hunt animals as doing it bare handed would waste too much time. It was suposedly extremely resistant since the vendor told him the machete was made from a special ore making it very durable but Ye Mo didn't believe it, he just thought it was good enough as a weapon and took it.

Behind him was the corpse of the horned leopard. The head was severed from the body.

Approaching Ye Mo asked.

"Are you okay?".

"Yes. T-thank you." She answered blushing.

It was like a scene from stories she heard where women in distress would be saved in extremis by a man. She never thought it would happen to her.

"Who are you and why were you fighting with this monster, don't you know how dangerous is the jade forest?" Ye Mo inquired

"Im Liu Hualing from the Liu clan, of course i know venturing here is dangerous but i had no choice." She said, explaining her situation to Ye Mo.