Flying in mid-air, Lu Heng looked at the occasional villages below. These small villages were not marked on the map of the Divine Yuan Continent. He guessed that the beast skin map had limited coverage, so it might only mark towns of a certain scale or cities with strategic importance.
Seeing that they were approaching the Misty Forest, Lu Heng finally put the map into his spatial storage.
"Fly higher, I want to see the overall appearance of this forest."
Following the command, the Eagle Beak Beast immediately ascended. Lu Heng controlled the Eagle Beak Beast to fly a circle above the Misty Forest, carefully observing the distribution of the entire forest from above.
"This forest is so vast. I must not have truly entered the depths of the forest last time."
Moreover, there was a large patch of dense fog in the depths of the forest. When Lu Heng saw the Blood Wolf last time, there was no fog in that area.
"Alright, find a place to land. Later, you and the Golden Eagle will return to the spatial storage. You can come out again after we leave the forest."
Inside the forest, walking on the ground, it was inconvenient to bring flying animals like the Golden Eagle. Lu Heng did not dare to leave the Golden Eagle and the others outside alone. If they encountered a high-level demonic beast or human, it would be troublesome if they were hunted or taken away.
Landing back on the ground, Lu Heng only released the Blood Wolf. The Blood Wolf was a native of the Misty Forest, so its appearance here would not be out of place. Moreover, the Blood Wolf was now an eighth-level demonic beast. Riding it through the forest, it was estimated that lower-level demonic beasts would sense them and avoid them.
The Blood Wolf's running speed within the forest was extremely fast. Lu Heng also used vines to create a saddle-like seat on the Blood Wolf's back.
"Do you remember where you used to live?" Lu Heng patted the Blood Wolf, which was now as large as a hippopotamus, and leaped onto its back.
Lu Heng had taken the young Blood Wolf directly and brought it out in his spatial storage. He didn't know if the Blood Wolf could still find its original den by entering from the outer edges of the forest.
"I remember. Remembering one's den is a beast's instinct. Demonic beasts have a strong sense of territory," the Blood Wolf nodded and communicated with Lu Heng using its thoughts.
"Then let's go. Let's head to your original den first."
Patting the Blood Wolf's hindquarters, Lu Heng leisurely rode on its back, observing the situation within the forest.
Perhaps influenced by him and the Blood Wolf, Lu Heng did not see a single animal as they traveled through the Misty Forest. Furthermore, he did not sense the presence of any demonic beasts within a considerable distance.
"With your eighth-level rank, can you just run rampant in this forest?"
"I don't know about that, but I haven't sensed any beings higher than me yet. I sense the lower-level ones and they hide far away."
"Oh, then I won't be able to hunt any demonic beasts."
"Master, if you want demonic beast meat, I can restrain my aura, and then some small animals will be able to encounter us."
"Then forget it. However, your father was only at level four back then. Why don't we both restrain ourselves to level four? I am interested in the demonic cores of demonic beasts above level four."
Low-level demonic beast meat was available in Jin Yang City, and Lu Heng was not interested in those. However, he did not have any demonic cores above level four yet. Since they were not available in the city, it would be good to obtain them by killing demonic beasts in the forest.
Immediately, Lu Heng and the Blood Wolf both restrained their auras. The auras they exposed were only at the level of the fourth level here, so some weak demonic beasts in the outer areas of the forest still did not appear before them.
Perhaps they were nearing the Blood Wolf's former den, the Blood Wolf gradually began to run after walking for a while in the outer areas of the forest.
Initially, the speed was not fast, and Lu Heng could still adapt. But as its speed increased, Lu Heng gradually became uncomfortable.
"Uh, you, you're almost there, aren't you? Slow down."
Lu Heng felt his stomach churning. This feeling, similar to sitting on a galloping horse, made Lu Heng very uncomfortable.
"Master, I forgot you were still on my back. My home is not far ahead."
"Then restrain yourself a bit. You haven't been back for a long time. What if someone has occupied your original den? You need to check if there are any other demonic beasts nearby, don't just rush forward."
Looking at the hot air exhaled by the Blood Wolf due to its vigorous running, Lu Heng patted its back.
After such a long absence, and with the Blood Wolf's father having been killed, that territory would surely be occupied by new demonic beasts.
"By the way, back then, was it just you and your father in your home?"
"My father said that he used to go out to catch prey, and only my mother stayed with me and my younger brother. But later, a demonic beast killed my younger brother, and my mother died not long after being seriously injured."
"Is that so? What demonic beast killed your mother?"
"Father said it was a giant python."
"Was your mother also level four?"
"Yes, adult Blood Wolves can reach level four, and at most level five. That's after consuming a large amount of demonic beast meat, we can evolve to that level."
"Don't you eat demonic cores?"
"Demonic cores?"
"Didn't I show you? That pale yellow thing of your father's."
"That's a demonic core. The small animals my father caught didn't have those."
Indeed, the Blood Wolf was probably too young at the time. Lu Heng still remembered that on the day he first met the Blood Wolf, its father had caught a rabbit-like demonic beast.
Low-level demonic beasts here did not have demonic cores, so the Blood Wolf had not seen them before.
Lu Heng later gave the Blood Wolf the demonic core of its father, which was still placed in its room.
Of course, Lu Heng did not mention that the Blood Wolf's father was killed by Wu Chenzi. Otherwise, if the Blood Wolf knew, it would surely remember Wu Chenzi's name and seek revenge.
As they communicated, the Blood Wolf slowly walked to the den where it was born.
Lu Heng sensed the surroundings. Fortunately, there were no other demonic beasts nearby.
Lu Heng glanced at a large rock in the bushes not far away. He remembered that Wu Chenzi had landed on that large rock, waiting for the Sacred Spirit Fruit guarded by the Blood Wolf's father to mature.
The Blood Wolf walked forward slowly and suddenly stopped, remaining motionless. Lu Heng looked down and saw a skeleton lying quietly in a pile of weeds.
Lu Heng knew that this was the skeleton of the Blood Wolf's father. Lu Heng had only collected the demonic core from the Blood Wolf's brain at the time, but he had not had time to deal with its father's body.
"Awooo... awooo..." A mournful and piercing cry sounded. The Blood Wolf raised its head and howled to the sky.
It was mourning its father, and even more so, it was missing its deceased relatives.