The Thorne of Destiny

His actions, to an outsider, would seem courageous. However, to the Ember Earth bear, it was utterly foolish. All it took was one paw...

Just one swipe with its paw was enough to end the disciple's suicidal charge. The bear paw landed on the disciple, snapping his Silver Rank sword in two before crashing into his chest.

The sword was like a twig facing a storm. Utterly powerless in the face of unimaginable power. The sword swing was not even able to slow down the bear's paw, and it landed on his chest with full force.

PUCHI!

That was the sound of his chest cavity caving in. The bear's paw, filled with immense energy, directly crushed the chest of the disciple of the Cloudcrest sect. If he were fixed in a stationary position, the paw would have directly blasted a hole in his chest.

His body was flung backward, and, before it even landed on the ground, he was dead. His life had been snuffed out by the Ember Earth bear.

For the bear, killing this disciple was just a mere interlude. A momentary distraction in the pursuit of its goals. However, for Adrian and the rest, it was a harrowing experience.

Hearing the distinct sound of bones breaking caused a chill to creep up the spines of everyone. The leader of the Cloudcrest sect disciples couldn't help but turn his head to see the carnage behind him.

He turned around just enough to catch the flying body of his fellow disciple. His heart shivered with fear, and his legs moved even faster beneath him. He had to escape! He couldn't let himself get caught by the bear!

Meanwhile, the Ember Earth bear, that had taken a brief interlude, had begun its chase once more. In its eyes was the lone figure of Adrian. Aside from its hatred towards him, it had also picked up the scent of something particularly delicious on him.

Even though he had quickly stored it, the brief moment of contact was enough for the scent of the Vermilion Spirit grass to linger on him. With the superior senses of the Ember Earth bear, it was able to detect that it was coming for Adrian.

For the Ember Earth bear, the rank 4 herb was like an irresistible temptation for it, causing it to disregard everything and chase Adrian.

Actually, if the disciples of the Cloudcrest sect were a little smarter, they would have noticed that the bear was only chasing Adrian and that they were just collateral damage.

If they simply changed directions and got out of its way, they would be able to escape. However, fear had clouded their judgment, so they were not able to make such a logical conclusion.

Of course, it wasn't as if Adrian was going to let them escape. He lured the bear to deal with these disciples in the first place. If they tried to escape by changing directions, he would simply follow them endlessly.

The brief headway they had gotten from the disciple stalling the bear was not enough for them to escape. The Ember Earth bear, despite not being a beast known for speed, was already rapidly closing the distance between itself and the humans.

Adrian, who was in last place, had a frown on his face. He was still a bit of a distance from the other disciple. Unlike the previous one, this wasn't injured and was in tiptop shape.

He was a bit lucky; none of the disciples of the Cloudcrest sect seemed to have a movement technique. If they did, it would make this situation ten times harder.

'Since he isn't injured, I just have to help him with that.' Adrian thought, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. Without further hesitation, his sword appeared in his hand.

With a whoosh, his figure vanished into the void before reappearing dozens of meters ahead. He was now much closer to the disciple, but not close enough to overtake him.

However, that was fine. That wasn't what he was going for, at least not yet. With a thought, flames surged around his sword, engulfing it in a blazing fire.

Slashing down, Adrian sent a column of fire straight towards the back of the unsuspecting disciple. However, his Golden Core realm wasn't just for show. Sensing the danger behind him, his body instinctively moved in an attempt to dodge the Flaming Slash martial skill.

However, his reaction was a bit too slow. The diagonal strike missed most of his back, but still hit him in his right thigh. The searing pain caused him to crumble to the ground, while eating a face full of dirt and crimson grass.

He turned around, and just as he was about to begin cursing at Adrian, he saw a scene that he would remember for the rest of his very short life. Adrian's figure blurred past him before quickly disappearing among the trees.

However, that wasn't what caught his attention. The huge figure of the Ember Earth bear barreling towards him was what filled his view. Watching the bear coming towards him, his heart leapt into his throat.

He immediately stood up, disregarding the pain in his thigh, and began hopping away. However, with his injury, his end was already inevitable.

He hadn't even been able to run a dozen meters before the Ember Earth bear was upon him. Though its main target was Adrian, it wouldn't pass up the chance to get rid of the humans.

The beast's huge frame caused the ground to tremble, causing him to stumble and fall.

The last thing he saw was the bear's huge jaw, filled with dozens of sharp teeth, and dripping with saliva, open right before him, before snapping shut on him. In one move, the Ember Earth bear devoured half his body, leaving only his lower torso intact.

The second human was dead.

The ember Earth bear took a few moments to snack on the remains of the human, giving Adrian and the last remaining disciple the chance to get even further away.

Now, only two of them were left. However, the situation wasn't looking good for Adrian. The last remaining disciple of the Cloudcrest sect was the leader. He was naturally the strongest among them, having reached the mid-stages of the Golden Core realm.

The strategy he used against the other wouldn't work against. Not to mention, he was getting low on Qi. He had been using his martial skills for a while now, and even with his abnormal amount of Qi, he was ultimately still a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator.

Besides, the disciple wasn't a fool; from brief glimpses, he had witnessed what happened behind him. Naturally, he was already wary of Adrian backstabbing him, so he was already vigilantly guarding against him while increasing his speed.

Seeing him getting further and further away, Adrian could only curse internally.

"Fellow cultivator, don't be so quick to run away. With your valiant strength, perhaps we could stand a chance against the beast." He called out while desperately trying to catch up to the disciple.

The disciple, upon hearing Adrian's ludicrous words, almost tripped on his own feet in frustration. What valiant strength? He was just a measly Golden Core realm cultivator. His strength in front of the Rank 4 bear could only be called measly.

Seeing that his words could only elicit silence from him, Adrian gave uop onhis pragmatic approach. Turning his head, he could still see the massive beast barreling towards him.

He had previously tried to throw the beast off by dashing between the trees. However, the Ember Earth bear unfailingly followed his every movement. It was clear that this beast was unwilling to let this grudge go.

He could only lament internally. What did he even do to this dastardly bear? Wasn't it just leading a few Flame Wolves for it to kill? Adrian had no idea that the bear had its own purpose. If it were just because of that, it would have likely given up on him long ago.

However, the reason for the incessant chase was the Rank 4 herb. Something internally told it that getting that herb would be immensely beneficial for it. That was why it wasn't willing to give up on it.

Seeing Adrian still running frantically, its already thin patience seemed to run out. Its fur became lush once more, with the mixture of brown and red becoming more vibrant. Its aura surged, once more, releasing a fierce pressure into the environment.

Adrian's eyes widened in alarm when he saw this. He knew exactly what the bear was about to do. However, he had no way of stopping it. The Ember Earth bear continued charging and, with a burst of speed, charged forward.

Raising its two front paws, it stood on its hind legs like a human, and with a devastating thud, crashed onto the ground.

The earth cracked from where it stood, resulting in an explosion of earth and magma, all directed towards the retreating figure of Adrian.

A/N: Hey guys. Its your favorite author here. Show some love by leaving some comments and power stones. Of course, golden tickets and gifts are also welcome.

P.S: Ignore everything beyond this. Its an error, but for some reason I can't correct it.

Its body was covered in thick fur of matte brown interwoven with deep crimson streaks, like dried blood soaked into earth. Each step caused the ground to tremble slightly. A flame flickered faintly along its shoulders and spine, restrained but ever-present.

"This forest really doesn't give people time to breathe…"

He retreated carefully, ensuring he did not draw its attention. This was not a fight he could afford—especially not now.

Yet as he moved away, a thought surfaced in his mind.

Where powerful beasts roamed…

Suppressing his excitement, Adrian vanished into the forest once more, the crimson leaves closing behind him like a curtain of fire.

The Crimson Forest had only just begun to reveal its fangs.