Chapter 12: Loots and Rescue
Fortunately Kalum did not run into any trouble on the way back to the forest. He still had the access for the Orange Flower Sect and managed to avoid the notice of the other sects on the route. This was quite the stroke of luck, each of these sects had experts that could easily find him if they were close. They must not care too much if people passed through their outer territories.
Kalum had no doubt that if he went any deeper into their territory he would be discovered, the outer parts of each sect's territory were claimed in name only enforced by chance encounters. The area was simply too vast for anything other than a large force to patrol.
The long journey had at least granted Kalum more thinking time. He now had the rough outlines of a plan for the future. If he could reach the Qi Soaring realm soon he would be able to join the Moon Beam Sect as a direct disciple, allowing him even more power and influence.
Kalum planned to take a disciple of his own once he was strong enough, this would be the perfect way to impart his free Cultivation System Maker usage onto another and benefit him in the process.
In the meantime, killing as many Demon Beasts for their cores and gathering as much soul-power as he could were his goals. Power and wealth as always.
It was a deep shame that Kalum couldn't find any useful weapons in Musalyum to improve his combat power with. At least he had the consolation prize of being infinitely richer then before and progressing a minor realm in strength.
"Time to hunt." Kalum once again reiterated, steeling himself for the upcoming challenges.
It did not take long for his first target to appear, a White Horror Rabbit. Some of the weakest Demon Beasts to ever exist. Such foes would normally be beneath even Kalum to hunt. But every single kill was a roll of the dice for the Beast Hunting System.
Leaping from his position in the treetops, Kalum jumped down and immediately sliced the White Horror Rabbits throat, killing it instantly.
[Host has killed a 1st Qi Gathering Realm Beast, The White Horror Rabbit, 2x modifier has been added. Host has received a 9th Qi Gathering Bronze Fish Demon Beast Core.]
Kalum was slightly surprised that he had triggered a modifier. It seemed completely random. If that was the case, Kalum simply had to kill as many Demon Beast's as he could. The Bronze Fish was quite a surprise, they were very common in large lakes but he hadn't heard of one that was all the way in the 9th Qi Gathering Realm.
After extracting the Rabbits own Demon Beast Core, Kalum went back to the treetops to scout his next target, his technique shrouding his presence to all but the most astute.
Kalum spent the next twelve hours hunting weaker prey, not hitting a single modifier. He mainly killed White Horror Rabbits and other low realm opponents. He had received a bounty of Demon Beast Cores from the System for this, all of them between the 3rd and 7th Qi Gathering Realms. Although no were near as profitable as the Frost Serpent from before, this was still a decent haul for a wandering cultivator who was taking no risks.
As he was searching for a cave to cultivate for a few hours, Kalum saw a pillar of fire in the distance. No one would dare camp in this forest, therefore Kalum deduced that it was likely the work of bandits. Occasionally people would travel through the frozen forest to trade with the sects or fortress city.
Darting from tree to tree, it only took Kalum a mere few minutes to lay his eyes on the source of the smoke.
Multiple carts from a caravan were still on fire, smoke billowing out like a volcano erupting. Bodys were unceremoniously littered across the floor, all of them littered in sword and arrow wounds. Bandits then Kalum deduced.
Tearing his eyes away from the sorry sight, Kalum saw the last survivor fighting with two bandits. It seemed that both sides had taken heavy casualties in the end. A young girl in a black robe was fighting the two bandits.
Kalum took a moment to analyse the situation as there was no one left to save, and the girl was holding her own for now. The girl had pure white skin like winter snow and hair so black that it was like looking at the void itself. In short she was beautiful, even in her black robe.
He had no clues to her identity, the black robe obscuring any medallions or iconography that could help identify her. She was however clearly in the 2nd Qi Gathering Realm, as were each of the bandits attacking her. It was remarkable that she had held them off for so long.
As if to spite him, the girl finally took a hit to her arm, knocking her to the floor.
Kalum decided now was the time to act, he leaped from the treeline and instantly killed both of the bandits before they could react, their cultivation realms too low to even know how they died. They must have been the leftover dregs that survived the defenders of the caravan.
The young girl looked shocked even when she was in what was likely a great deal of pain. Looking up with starry eyes she smiled before she passed out.
He quickly applied some basic healing ointment to her wounds before leaving her for the moment, she would be fine and was only exhausted. Kalum began looting the caravan and bandits both. Unfortunately most of the products being transported were evidently burnt in the carriages. Kalum still managed to obtain quite the haul. After all, about one hundred cultivators had died here.
In total, he managed to find around one hundred and fifty thousand low-tier spirit stones. As well as a few artefacts that he stored away. The holy grail of a find however was sealed inside of a frost oak chest. It was an impressive sword that must have been part of the caravan and spared the flames.
The fire was from some sort of cultivation technique and was even able to melt many of the other weapons he tried to salvage in the caravan. A pity indeed.
Analysing the sword could come later however.
Kalum picked up the young girl and began looking for shelter. He couldn't just leave someone out here to die a pointless death. However…
"What to do with you?" Kalum asked himself.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone