Strongest Family System Chapter 155 155: Deep Forest Encounter

The deeper regions of the Forbidden Forest were far quieter than the outer hunting grounds. The air felt heavier, and the towering trees blocked most of the sunlight reaching the forest floor. Thick roots twisted across the ground like ancient serpents, and layers of fallen leaves muffled nearly every sound beneath them. Few cultivators willingly travelled this far inside the forest. The beasts that lived here were stronger, more territorial, and far less predictable.

Robert moved carefully through the shadows between the trees, his footsteps light and controlled. Earlier that morning, he had spoken briefly with Ronan, Sai, Sarah, Taylen, and Eissa inside the training yard. Instead of organising another hunting expedition, he had given them a different instruction.

For the next few days, their focus would remain inside the clan compound. Training and increasing their cultivation level.

The clan had recently gained access to enough spirit stones to strengthen several mbers imdiately. Robert understood that improving their cultivation now would help the clan growth. Sending them into the forest repeatedly while their strength was still developing would only slow their long-term progress.

Because of that, Robert had decided to co here alone.

His recent breakthrough had stabilised his cultivation at Spirit Root Realm Level Six Mid Stage, and he wanted to test his awareness deeper inside the forest without the distraction of a group formation. Hunting was not his goal today. Observation was.

The surrounding forest grew denser as he moved further from the usual hunting routes. Large claw marks scarred several tree trunks nearby, suggesting that stronger beasts had passed through this area recently. Broken branches lay scattered across the ground where sothing heavy had forced its way through the undergrowth.

Robert slowed his steps and paused near the base of a tall tree.

The air carried a faint scent of blood.

It was not fresh, but it had not completely faded either.

He quietly climbed the tree, moving from branch to branch until he reached a position high above the forest floor. From there, he could observe a large section of the surrounding terrain without exposing his position.

The forest remained silent for several monts. Then a distant shockwave of spiritual energy rippled through the trees.

Robert's eyes narrowed slightly.

Soone was fighting.

The energy fluctuations were far stronger than those produced by ordinary Spirit Root cultivators. Even from this distance, he could feel the pressure spreading through the forest.

He shifted his position along the branch and looked toward the direction from which the disturbance originated.

Several hundred ters away, a clearing had been torn open among the trees.

Two figures stood near the centre of the battlefield.

One of them was an older cultivator dressed in dark travelling robes. His movents had the controlled discipline of soone who had fought in cultivation battles for many years, and his hair had already started to turn grey.

The spiritual pressure surrounding him confird Robert's initial guess.

Robert focused his awareness on the battlefield below and quietly activated the system within his thoughts.

Activate system scan.

A faint response appeared inside his mind as the system analysed the surroundings.

Beast Identified

Ironback Ravager

Cultivation: Soul Manifestation Realm — Level 9 Mid Stage and Soul Manifestation Realm — Level 1 Mid Stage

Description: High-grade territorial beast. Extrely aggressive and normally hunts in pairs. Possesses heavy bone armour along the spine and shoulders.

Robert's gaze remained fixed on the massive beast moving across the clearing.

The beast was nearly the height of a small house. Its strong body was covered in dark fur, and its back was covered in thick, bony plates that served as natural defence for the beast.

Each movent of its enormous claws carved deep trenches into the soil as it circled its opponent slowly.

Even for an experienced cultivator, facing such a beast required careful control.

Robert then shifted his attention toward the older cultivator fighting the beasts.

The system responded again as his focus settled on the man.

Human Target Identified

Na: Varis Valen

Age: 40

Cultivation: Soul Manifestation Realm — Level 9 Low Stage

Na: Aria Valen

Age: 17

Cultivation: Soul Manifestation Realm — Level 1 Mid-Stage

Robert observed the elder.

The cultivator fighting is not from a magical city or a nearby city, as this powerful cultivator definitely exists outside powerful sects or ancient cultivation families. Even many clan heirs struggled for years to break through the Spirit Root Realm in the magical city.

Yet this girl had already crossed that threshold.

His gaze studied her appearance carefully.

Her long dark hair was tied loosely behind her back, though several strands had escaped and moved gently with the wind created by the beasts' movents. Her robes were a deep blue colour, embroidered with thin silver patterns on the cloth that shimred faintly whenever she used a movent skill.

Despite the chaos of the battlefield, her posture remained calm.

She held a slender sword in one hand. The blade was narrow and elegant, its polished surface reflecting faint light through the forest shadows.

Instead of rushing forward recklessly, she moved around the battlefield with controlled steps, carefully watching the beasts while waiting for the right mont to strike.

One of the Ironback Ravagers suddenly lunged toward the elder.

Its massive claws swept across the ground with explosive force, scattering dirt and broken roots in every direction.

Varis Valen twisted sideways and barely avoided the strike. His sword flashed forward in response, leaving a shallow cut across the beast's armoured shoulder.

The wound was not deep enough to slow the beast. Before the beast could attack again, the young woman finally moved. Her figure blurred slightly as she stepped forward.

The sword in her hand drew a clean arc through the air, releasing a narrow wave of condensed spiritual energy. The strike cut across the beast's foreleg with remarkable precision, forcing it to recoil several steps.

Robert watched the movent closely from above. Her cultivation technique was high-grade and more efficient. Every motion of her sword contained just enough power to control the battlefield without wasting spiritual energy. Her movents showed the skills of soone trained within a powerful cultivation sect.

Varis Valen used the brief opening to reposition himself, but the strain of battling such powerful beasts had already begun wearing him down. Blood stained one side of his robe where a claw had torn through the fabric earlier.

The beasts circled them again, their low growls echoing through the clearing.

Robert remained completely still in the tree. Aria Valen's cultivation might allow her to fight one of the beasts, but facing such powerful beasts was still extrely dangerous even for Soul Manifestation cultivators.

The battle continued for several more exchanges.

Her sword movents beca faster as she stepped in to assist the elder whenever the beasts attempted to surround him. Her strikes were clean and controlled, targeting joints and weak points rather than relying on brute force.

The impact forced a rough cough from his throat as blood appeared at the corner of his lips.

Aria Valen stepped forward instantly to intercept the beast before it could finish the attack. Her sword flashed again, forcing the beast backwards.

But Robert could see the situation clearly. Varis Valen was not badly injured. Although they managed to push the beasts back, they could not kill the beast.

Robert leaned slightly against the tree trunk while observing the battlefield on the ground.

His thoughts remained calm. Aria Valen. Soul Manifestation Realm Level One Mid-Stage.

At the sa age as him. Robert continued watching her movents carefully. For a brief mont, her eyes lifted toward the forest where he was hiding.

It almost seed as if she had sensed sothing.

Robert remained perfectly still among the branches. Far below, the Ironback Ravagers slowly began circling once more. And the battle in the clearing was far from finished.