Clan Building System: I'm not the Protagonist?!-Chapter 71: Dark Forest [2]

Deep within the Dark Forest...

The trees loomed taller, darker here, their gnarled roots twisting like the bones of buried giants.

Even the air began to feel denser.

Fang Yuan moved without haste, his youthful face serene, hands tucked behind his back as he stepped over mossy stones and ducked under low-hanging vines.

He looked more like a scholar on a countryside stroll than someone wandering into one of the deadliest places in the north.

Then he stopped.

His gaze narrowed slightly.

A pair of amber eyes blinked from the shadows ahead.

From the underbrush slithered a massive serpent, its body the width of a carriage wheel, covered in lustrous scales that shimmered like wet obsidian.

Its head rose above the grass with elegant lethality, tongue flickering lazily as it regarded him.

A Golden Core realm beast, no doubt, its aura oppressive, like a vice pressing on the lungs.

Fang Yuan tilted his head. "Oh? It’s already at the Peak of Golden Core?"

The snake hissed, coiling slightly.

"Good," he murmured. "Let’s use this one to test my moves properly then."

He raised a single hand and exhaled slowly.

Golden Shell Armor — First Form: Cowardice.

A soft shimmer of light bloomed around him, and in the next breath, a radiant barrier snapped into place, tight, seamless, and golden.

It wasn’t ornate, nor was it jagged or dramatic like so many other defensive techniques.

It simply was.

A perfect dome of spiritual energy encased him, smooth and reflective, like an egg forged from sunlight, or a turtle shell crafted by the heavens themselves.

Elegant, efficient and absolute.

And yet... even as the shell held firm, a faint flicker rippled across its surface.

It was the drain, very constant but subtle. This form was too steep for prolonged use.

Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes behind the barrier and the snake’s eyes also narrowed.

Then it struck.

With blinding speed, its jaw unhinged, fangs glowing with poison as it slammed forward with a sonic crack, aiming straight for Fang Yuan’s chest.

BOOM!

Its fangs collided with the golden dome—

And bounced off.

The force of the impact shattered trees around them, but the golden shell merely shimmered, absorbing the strike like water absorbs a pebble.

Inside, Fang Yuan hadn’t budged an inch.

"Mm. Not bad for a golden core serpent," he said casually.

The serpent hissed louder now, clearly agitated.

"Go on," Fang Yuan said cheerfully, "Try again. I’ll stand here."

The snake coiled tighter, preparing for another strike.

And inside his golden dome, Fang Yuan grinned.

The snake reared back, tongue flicking furiously. Its pride was wounded.

It had struck with all the power of a peak Golden Core beast and gotten nothing for its efforts.

But it wasn’t done.

With a furious hiss, it lunged again, its muscles coiling like iron cables as it launched forward.

This time, venom laced its fangs, and its speed doubled. The strike came like a lightning bolt.

CRACK!

Fangs slammed into the golden shell once more.

But this time... Fang Yuan moved.

His fingers curled in a subtle, spiraling gesture. His voice rang out, light and playful

"Golden Shell Armor—Fourth Form: Take Back What’s Yours!"

A ripple of energy surged through the dome.

The shell shuddered, absorbing the snake’s strike like a sponge taking in water and then rebounded.

Not forward but inward.

An echo of the snake’s own ferocity was flung back at it, compressed and redirected through the shell’s mirrored surface.

BANG!

The serpent was blasted backward, hissing in shock as its body slammed against a thick tree trunk, cracking the bark.

It slithered wildly, dazed.

Fang Yuan let out a satisfied tsk as he dusted off debris from his shoulder.

"That was supposed to return triple the damage you just gave me."

He paused, frowning at his palm.

"Hmm... guess it’s still incomplete. Only managed a onefold rebound."

The snake twitched.

It understood now.

This wasn’t just some wandering brat with a shiny technique.

This was a monster who hadn’t even shown his real strength.

Fang Yuan smiled.

"Let’s call it even for now. Next time you bite someone, make sure they aren’t me."

He turned leisurely, leaving the battered snake to contemplate its life decisions among broken roots and glowing moss.

"Oh right," he added with a wink over his shoulder, "and thank you for helping me calibrate that form. Much appreciated."

Then he strolled deeper into the forest, humming a cheerful tune.

As Fang Yuan ventured deeper into the forest, he quickly understood why it was called the Dark Forest or more ominously by the locals, the Night Forest.

No light reached this place.

Not a single beam.

The towering trees above stretched endlessly into the sky, their canopies woven so tightly that not even the faintest sliver of sunlight could pierce through.

It was like walking beneath a blanket of ink.

But for a cultivator like Fang Yuan?

That was nothing.

Night vision was the least of his gifts.

Any half-decent cultivator could perceive their surroundings in darkness; otherwise, how could they claim to stand above mortals?

With a touch of qi funneled into his eyes, the pitch-black world around him lit up like noon.

His senses expanded, sharp as blades.

Eyes that saw through the dark.

Ears that caught the flap of distant wings.

Skin that tingled at the faintest shift in spiritual pressure.

At his level, peak Nascent Soul, his body had evolved beyond human limits.

A forest like this was little more than a quiet walk to him.

As he walked, the wild stirred.

Strange beasts peeked out from behind twisted roots and knotted branches, eyes glowing, claws twitching.

But the moment they sensed him, felt the pulse of the qi in his veins, they fled.

The apex predator had entered their home.

Minutes bled into miles; the forest floor softened, each step releasing a wet suck of peat.

Only then did the trees part and a swamp unfurled before him...

Sprawled out underfoot, miles wide and rimmed with thick reeds and eerie willows. Steam clung to the surface.

A low, wet mist curled along the waters like living smoke.

He stopped at the edge and studied it in silence.