Encounter

Outside the village lay a sheet of darkness, the scenery hard to make out. Few people came out at this hour.

"Uncle Yang?" Not far after leaving the village, Qin Ming spotted a sturdily built man.

Yang Yongqing said in surprise, "Little Qin, Shallow Night has not arrived yet. Why are you heading out so early?"

"I wanted to try my luck in the wilderness and see whether any mountain beasts froze to death," Qin Ming replied.

Yang Yongqing laughed. "We were thinking alike. I just took a turn outside the mountains, but unfortunately came up empty-handed."

Qin Ming was taken aback. This middle-aged man with a face full of beard had actually returned from outside. He had gotten up remarkably early.

"How could Uncle Yang be the same as me? Could it be that you're tracking some rare and precious prey with spiritual nature?" He knew Yang Yongqing was formidable, one of the few New Life Evolvers in Double Tree Village.

They had only exchanged a few words when they noticed black shadows swaying in the distance.

"Mountain Patrol," Yang Yongqing murmured.

In an era without the sun, the wilderness was especially dangerous. Highly skilled people were needed to patrol the mountains and keep watch.

A man in leather armor appeared. He was rather tall, with a bow on his back and an iron spear clenched in his hand. His long hair hung loose, and his entire body brimmed with wild power.

"Brother Shao," Yang Yongqing proactively greeted him.

Shao Chengfeng nodded. Around forty years old, his gaze was exceptionally sharp. He stopped before them and said, "Heading out with you at such a young age... could he be that Er Bingzi?"

"Er Bingzi is from the neighboring village..." Yang Yongqing explained.

"Your Double Tree Village won't do. In recent decades, not a single New Life Evolver has appeared during the Golden Age," Shao Chengfeng said bluntly.

Yang Yongqing found that normal. Looking across this entire region, there were only a few who could undergo New Life at fifteen or sixteen. Talent could not be forced.

He said, "No one saw it in his early years, but Er Bingzi turned out to be this capable. I heard that after making up for the deficiencies in his body recently, his physical constitution improved by another notch."

Shao Chengfeng nodded. "He truly is extraordinary. The question is whether he can stand shoulder to shoulder with the outstanding ones in that Bright City in the distance."

"That would be difficult. One patch of soil raises one kind of people." Yang Yongqing was somewhat moved. He had seen the city's splendor and knew the brilliance brought by advanced force manuals.

"Indeed." Shao Chengfeng acknowledged this reality. "I heard that two incredibly remarkable youths appeared there, surpassing the New Life Evolvers of the Golden Age from all previous years. One male and one female—they dazzled this entire region."

"It truly is a land of spiritual beauty." Yang Yongqing felt only envy, not jealousy, because that place lay far too distant from them. The two sides were not comparable at all.

Qin Ming listened attentively throughout, without interrupting.

After pausing only briefly, Shao Chengfeng vanished into the night.

No one knew what level of creatures dwelled in the depths of the pitch-black mountains, or how many dangerous races were there. Mountain Patrols were needed to monitor the outer regions and give warnings.

Qin Ming asked, "Are Mountain Patrols all formidable people? Do they enter the mountains every day?"

"Some people are very responsible," Yang Yongqing replied.

Qin Ming froze. Did that mean some people were very irresponsible? He had not expected this heavily bearded, burly man to answer so tactfully.

"The situation in the mountains is very wrong right now, far too dangerous. I reckon it won't be long before the higher-ups launch a Mountain Sweeping Operation. There should be scions of great families following along. Little Qin, you need to work hard and strive to undergo New Life during the Golden Age." Yang Yongqing patted his shoulder. "If some noble young lady who comes down takes a liking to you, perhaps you can change your fate."

The two parted ways, and Yang Yongqing returned to the village.

Qin Ming digested the news as he headed into the wilderness.

He moved extremely fast, cutting through chest-high snow as though breaking waves, sending snowflakes splashing to both sides of the path.

At this time, the night was no longer quite so dense. Shallow Night arrived, and the mountain forest appeared and disappeared through the gloom.

Qin Ming stood outside the mountains, raising his guard. No one knew what dangers lurked in areas they could not see clearly.

With a gurgle, his stomach growled. His body once more sent out signals of hunger. Earlier, when he had run into acquaintances on the way, he had forcibly restrained it. Now, that restraint had completely failed.

Acid churned in his stomach. Looking at the dim Dense Forest, he tightened his grip on his hunting fork and darted inside.

He passed the Mutant Squirrel's habitat, crossed that low mountain, and went farther than he had last time.

After penetrating a little deeper into the forest, he found many traces: shattered beast bones, huge hoofprints. He did not need to worry about the snow being too thick to traverse, since many creatures had already trampled out small paths.

A burst of sobbing drifted over, like a woman crying. It was rather strange amid such a desolate forest.

Qin Ming abruptly accelerated, searching the mountains for the source of the sound. He quickly approached his destination.

Between the pitch-black trees, pairs of emerald-green eyes looked over. Shadows flickered there—more than a dozen creatures in all.

Those who did not know the truth might have been frightened by the crying earlier, but for people who had spent years walking the wilderness, it might be an opportunity.

Qin Ming charged over with his hunting fork. Immediately, a flurry of wingbeats erupted, and more than a dozen creatures shot into the night sky, all startled away.

They were carnivorous night birds, two feet long and fond of living in groups. Their cries sounded like faint sobbing. They hunted all kinds of small animals for food and sometimes attacked humans as well.

Qin Ming rushed over in an instant and inwardly lamented his bad luck. There was only a pile of bloodied bones on the ground, along with several scraps of bloodstained hide. A muntjac had been eaten clean.

Having failed to snatch food from birds' beaks, he turned and left, wary of being attacked by these carnivorous night birds.

In an open stretch where the trees were sparse, blood stained the ground. There were beast pawprints larger than a sea bowl's mouth, likely a place where a large fierce beast had fed.

As for the leftover remains, they had probably been carried away by other carnivorous creatures.

Just as Lu Ze had said, even the outer regions of the mountains had now become dangerous. One could imagine what the mountain depths were like.

Qin Ming remained alert as he left the bloody site.

A moment later, he discovered many hoofprints in the snow. His spirits immediately rose, and he followed them all the way.

In the night, more than twenty black shadows stood ahead. All were sizable, and gathered together they carried a considerable oppressive presence.

"Saberhorn Deer!" Joy appeared on Qin Ming's face.

In the past, deer herds rarely appeared in this region.

He took down his bow and arrow, aiming at a large stag.

These were not gentle deer. Adult males each had six antlers, arranged on both sides and the front of their heads. They were all flat and sharp, like six steel blades. If they rammed into someone, they would certainly leave fatal bloody holes.

Even some fierce beasts did not dare charge them head-on, instead ambushing from behind. If a person fell among such a deer herd, the outcome would be miserable.

Qin Ming pulled the hard bow into the shape of a full moon. With a whoosh, the iron arrow flashed like lightning and pierced the stag's lung.

Saberhorn Deer had always been fierce, daring to fight all kinds of predators. After being struck by the arrow, this large stag did not flee. Instead, it immediately charged toward Qin Ming.

After being briefly startled, the herd followed it in a mad rush. Snow exploded beneath their hooves, hoofbeats packed together, and the entire forest trembled faintly.

Qin Ming did not panic. He drew his bow again and struck with the same precision. The iron arrow carried enormous force, sinking in completely and making the large stag's body sway several times.

He put away the bow and arrows, then calmly climbed a thick tree and hid several meters above the ground.

In the dense forest, it was difficult to aim at prey after climbing a tree, as the branches of many trees blocked the way.

After running for some distance, the large stag staggered and could no longer hold on. With a bang, it fell into the snow.

The startled deer herd all came to a stop, then departed amid a rumbling roar.

Qin Ming waited for a while. When no dangerous mountain beasts appeared, he jumped down from the tree and approached with his hunting fork.

This blackish-brown Saberhorn Deer was exceptionally robust, weighing a full seven hundred jin. Even in winter, it had not grown thin.

He was extremely satisfied with such a harvest.

The forest was dangerous, and it was not wise to linger. Dragging the Saberhorn Deer, he immediately hurried back along the original route.

He experienced the benefits of "New Life." With his greatly increased strength, he dragged such a heavy prey swiftly through the snow without feeling tired.

There were countless species of trees in the wilderness, such as larches and spruces, many soaring dozens of meters high into the night.

The mountain wind gradually strengthened, whipping up many pellets of snow that struck his face painfully.

Amid the howling cold wind, goosebumps rose over Qin Ming's skin. A pair of furry giant claws suddenly rested on his shoulders from behind.

At the same time, he felt a burst of hot breath behind him brush the hairs on his neck. He realized that it was likely a gaping bloody maw, close enough to bite through the back of his neck.

He immediately hunched his shoulders, crouched, and rolled to one side into the snow.

Even so, he bled. The giant claws pressing onto his shoulders carried immense strength, comparable to sharp iron hooks. They tore through his cotton clothes and injured both shoulders.

The snow collapsed with a crash. A terrifying black shadow had been hiding in a hollow in the snow. Tall and powerful, it sprang up and pounced after him.

Qin Ming reacted swiftly, moving over the ground like a swimming snake and narrowly breaking free.

The savage black shadow pounced again. Its sharp giant claws could tear off a person's entire face, while its gaping mouth revealed teeth gleaming with cold light.

Qin Ming had no time to stand, yet he did not panic. He calmly stretched out both hands, grabbed those front limbs, and firmly restrained them.

Those horrifying giant claws were close to his face, nearly pressed against it, but they simply could not descend.

Facing it head-on, Qin Ming finally saw the creature clearly.

It had an enormous donkey head, a broad mouth, and a long black mane behind its neck. With the body of a mountain wolf, it was exceedingly ferocious as it bit toward Qin Ming's throat.

The situation was exceptionally perilous. The hot breath from that blood-red mouth sprayed onto Qin Ming's face, carrying a heavy stench of blood.

Calm in the face of danger, he gripped those front limbs tightly and used its own claws to meet its mouthful of sharp teeth, blocking it with itself.

At the same time, while resisting, he had already curled up and drawn back his legs to gather force. Then he suddenly kicked out, driving his foot brutally into its abdomen.

Qin Ming was undergoing New Life, and his strength was astonishing. One kick sent the several-hundred-jin mountain beast tumbling away, rolling over and over across the ground.

"Donkey-Headed Wolf!" He stared at the black fierce beast ahead.

It was also called a Mountain Ruffian: a donkey head and mountain wolf body, yet far more powerful than a mountain wolf. Normal specimens weighed at least one hundred and eighty jin. This one had clearly mutated, weighing a full four hundred jin.

Ordinary People would certainly die if they encountered one! Its limbs were very long, allowing it to walk upright. Some local elders had once witnessed the bizarre sight of Mountain Ruffians carrying prey as they walked.

The mutant creature before him was savage yet clever. The instant it rose, it pressed the nearby hunting fork into the snow.

Qin Ming was speechless. It really possessed a trace of intelligence, knowing to separate him from his weapon.

The Donkey-Headed Wolf's gaze was fierce and vicious, its thick mane bristling. It suddenly stood upright, instantly becoming much taller, and howled there with an overwhelming presence.

Qin Ming was not afraid in the slightest. He pulled a short blade from behind his back and pressed forward. He was in the midst of a New Life transformation; if they met head-on, he believed he could kill it even bare-handed.

The Donkey-Headed Wolf moved, bringing a foul wind that stirred the snow across the ground into flight. It let out a muffled roar that shook snow from the tree branches in a rustling shower.

The short blade in Qin Ming's hand collided with its giant claw, producing a crisp tremor.

The Donkey-Headed Wolf stood upright, its eyes blood-red as it tried to seize and bite him.

Qin Ming moved like lightning. A flash of snowy blade-light swept past, blood flowing from its mouth as its fangs were chopped off.

He swiftly followed up, his right leg like an iron whip as it slammed into the beast's body. Accompanied by the sound of breaking bones, it let out a shrill cry.

Qin Ming lunged forward, pinned the four-hundred-jin Donkey-Headed Wolf in the snow, and rained down punch after punch.

With a crack, the Donkey-Headed Wolf's neck was broken by his blow, twisted crookedly to one side. It no longer moved.

It was a mutant creature, and its glossy black pelt was highly valuable. It had been preserved in relatively good condition.

If outsiders had been here, they would surely have been horrified. Such an exceptionally savage mutant Donkey-Headed Wolf had actually been beaten to death alive by Qin Ming's fists.

Soon, Qin Ming found a remaining iron arrowhead lodged in its body.

He could determine that this was the mutant creature that had attacked him on the way when he raided the Red Squirrel's nest last time.

The distance had been somewhat great back then, and he had not seen it clearly. However, he had shot that creature that day.

Qin Ming touched his shoulder. The wounds were not deep, and the bleeding quickly stopped. The process had truly been dangerous. If his reaction had been a beat slower, not only would both shoulders have been torn apart, even the back of his neck would have been bitten through.

He had expended quite a bit of energy. His stomach rumbled like war drums without stopping, and hunger made his heart panic. He desperately wanted to roast a deer leg on the spot and feast to his heart's content.

However, lighting a fire in the night was like a lighthouse in fog, a guiding beacon. It would expose him to every creature in the mountains, making it far too dangerous.

Qin Ming looked at the Donkey-Headed Wolf beneath his feet, then at the Saberhorn Deer not far away, before glancing toward the low mountain ahead. Hauling two large fellows over the mountain would be quite troublesome.

He decided to "lighten his load."

The Saberhorn Deer and Donkey-Headed Wolf had only just died, their bodies still warm. After he cut open their pelts with his short blade, blood water immediately gushed out and stained the snow red.

Though he was a handsome, refined youth, his ability to survive in the wilderness was very strong, because he had always relied on himself to live.

He swiftly wielded the blade, simply and efficiently clearing out the entrails of both prey. He immediately buried them in the snow to conceal the bloody smell.

"I hope there aren't any dangerous creatures nearby." Qin Ming felt the problem should not be serious. After all, this was already the outer region of the mountains.

Yet just as he reached the mountainside, he heard an enormous commotion in the distance.

This was no ordinary noise. It startled many birds from the forest into the night sky, while numerous mountain beasts fled at high speed.

"Did the bloody smell draw a giant beast here?" Qin Ming was Frowning Deeply as he looked toward the distant Dense Forest.

The sound came closer and closer, accompanied by roars. Snow churned on the ground, and from time to time came the sound of branches snapping.

Soon, he saw a colossal creature, as tall and strong as an armored vehicle, exceedingly ferocious as it overturned every obstacle along the way.

It was wounded, its body stained with blood. This should have been a defeated giant beast fleeing into this area, not coming for Qin Ming.

He sucked in a cold breath. It was actually a wild boar, so enormous it was frightening, weighing at least fifteen hundred jin.

One should know that a six-hundred-jin wild boar could become king among its kind. This one vastly surpassed its peers, its entire body covered in coarse, hard bristles like steel needles. Its snow-white tusks were longer than an adult's forearm, and it looked incomparably vicious.

Qin Ming muttered to himself. Such a mighty Boar King had been defeated—what creature was pursuing and killing it? He had assumed the massive thing would pass beneath the mountain and leave, but who would have thought its nostrils would flare before it charged up the low mountain?

After being injured, it was extremely sensitive. The bloody smell in the forest had stimulated it.

Qin Ming realized the trouble was enormous, not only because this giant beast was exceptionally dangerous, but also because the mysterious creature pursuing and killing it might follow it here.

Vaguely, he could already hear movement from the distant forest.

The wind gradually weakened, then slowly disappeared.

The small-mountain-like Boar King charged through, savage and fierce. Its trampling sent snow flying everywhere as it crashed forward recklessly. Branches blocking its path snapped and scattered all over the place, while some dead trees broke directly from their trunks.

Qin Ming's expression changed slightly. He climbed a massive tree that required several people to encircle, looking down from above as he prepared to shoot its eyes, heart, and other vital points with his bow once it came close.

The enormous Boar King approached, its coarse black bristles standing erect all over its body. When it lifted its head, Qin Ming could clearly see its face. It was actually covered in a layer of black scales that glinted with cold, dim metallic light, making it appear even more hideous and ferocious.

Qin Ming frowned. He had been completely targeted by this giant Boar King that radiated an oppressive presence. He set an iron arrow to the bowstring and aimed below.

Suddenly, he felt something was wrong. The mountain forest had fallen silent in an instant. The birds and raptors that had just flown into the night sky had all vanished. Those fleeing mountain beasts also seemed to have disappeared. The vast forest suddenly did not contain the slightest sound, an extremely abnormal occurrence.

At the same time, he saw a Ball of Light rise from a distant mountain peak. It was gentle at first, but quickly grew dazzling as it gradually ascended.

At this moment, the bad-tempered Boar King did not dare make the slightest sound. It retreated silently, terrified of snapping branches. As cautious as a little cat, it hid in a dim area thick with trees, then finally lurked in a hollow and buried itself beneath the snow.

In the era of Eternal Night, there should have been nothing in the sky, only perpetual darkness throughout the year.

Yet in the night sky before him, that Ball of Light grew brighter and brighter, like a luminous full moon hanging overhead.

Qin Ming's heart shook violently, because he knew it was actually an insect.