As Gang Xin entered the forest that resembled a jungle, he was bedazzled by the tall trees that reached the sky. How tall were they? 100 meters? 200 meters?
He didn't know.
As for the life force within the forest, it was even more dazzling.
Just from the outer skirts, he seemed to see many unique lifeforms.
There were the Leaf Cicadas that had taken nest up on a tree. The Spindle Ants that were secreting silk to catch prey, just like how spiders did. The Lumen Crickets that made noise far away, and the Brass Beetle that seemed to be engaging in a fight with a Scorchmantis.
Above the trees, Gang Xin could also make sense of a figure of a group of birds flying.
From the noises they emitted, he figured they were close to or were the species of Sylphjay. Sylphjays were songbirds that sang strange but soothing songs.
Gang Xin had listened to them during a field trip in the academy before, and that's why he was able to differentiate them.
As for the reason they were flying here, the outskirts, he was thinking it was because the weather was getting more and more colder.
When the weather was warmer, some species of birds liked to stay outside of places dense in qi. This was really strange because all kinds of lifeforms preferred dense qi - reason being that the nourishment and evolution it might bring to the said lifeform.
Without qi, some species that evolved to need it might even die.
It was undoubtedly counterintuitive.
However, some researchers believed that this was because of the dangers that places dense in qi represented. Because of their lure, many lifeforms would be living there, undoubtedly making it a dangerous place to live in.
They all had their own needs, and who knew if some monkey or slightly larger insects wouldn't snatch their eggs?
It was a small but nutritious food after all.
Thus, prioritizing safety, some species of birds would live in a place sparse in qi during the warmer seasons.
Then, they would move back in when it became colder.
Well, the whole reason they were moving back to a place dense in qi was complicated but Gang Xin could sum the reason up to being that the deficiencies the cold brought was being counter balanced by the advantages a qi-dense place could bring.
Well, this was only a trait found in flying lifeforms anyways. It was because for the others, migrating wasn't that easy.
In a way, it was similar to bird migration back on Earth. Birds always aimed for the warmer lakes and countries.
Except here, the length and distance was too great for normal birds. As for the extraordinary ones that evolved to become demonic beasts, they might still migrate consistently. Gang Xin didn't know.
The information on demonic beasts were far too scarce and hard to find.
If Gang Xin had the time, he even felt interest in becoming a researcher and being knowledgeable about the affairs of the natural world.
After all, almost every species on Earth had been researched and had their information disassembled by Artificial Intelligence.
His spirit of curiousity had died almost at the same time it had been birthed.
In this world, things might be a bit different.
...
When Gang Xin entered more and more deeper into the forest, he noticed even more life flourishing.
Some plants and insects even had traits of qi. Unfortunately, the spirituality they had was too insignificant for cultivators to make use of them. Perhaps only after years and years of growth will they contain value.
However Gang Xin expected that by that time, wild beasts would've already eaten it. Unless a demonic beast with some spirituality had enough sentience to guard the plant until it matures.
For example, this Glimmerpetal flower only provided some light during the night. It's spirituality was close to none.
But if it was allowed to live in a spiritually dense environment for 3 years and given the proper nutrition, it would be able to grow; or more exactly "evolve" into the Lightsmoke flower.
The Lightsmoke flower was much more popular because it had the dormant ability to explode light particles around it. The resulting damage may not be much but it was especially useful for camouflaging when used with other ingredients.
For some darkness attributed and light related beasts, the Lightsmoke flower was also a good food that can push towards evolution.
Unfortunately, many beasts would just eat it immaturely, due to their lack of enough sentience.
Screeech! Kiriiiijik!
Just as Gang Xin was looking at his surroundings, looking for any abnormalities, the screech of a few birds startled him.
"Wait, is that Screecherkin...?"
Although the sound had been a bit distant, he didn't have any doubt that it was heading his way.
More importantly, it was also the Screecherkin birds, the species of birds that mimicked sounds like a parrot.
They were different in that more than a bird, they resembled monkeys - it was better to call them monkeybirds.
They were also very mischievous and brought trouble wherever they went.
From their screech, Gang Xin could tell that they were coming. He either had to conceal his presence or go away.
Unfortunately, he didn't believe he could effectively conceal himself within the given time. As for going away? He didn't entertain the thought.
As a 5 star Form Fighter, and more so a practitioner of the Undying Phoenix who once possessed a Nascent Soul, he was a very powerful creature.
Given preparation and time, he didn't doubt he could hunt even demonic beasts.
Thus, Gang Xin waited.
He didn't wait long.
Gradually, the view of 5 low altitude flying monkeys, along with a gray leopard with big fangs and dotted skin came into his vision.
The feline was big, and even in its horizontal position, it was as big as a 2 meter tall human.
Its eyes glowed yellow and fiercely, although its coat of fur covered in blood betrayed the fierceness.