Azure-maned Scorpion-lion

"Stop! Stop right there..."

"Leave it the hell behind..."

"You bastard spawn, who told you to run..."

Shouts and curses soon rang out behind Yan Qingshan. Upon spotting him, these people had intended to divert disaster his way and changed direction to run toward him. But Yan Qingshan was far too alert; without even slowing down, he fled from a distance. Their attempt to shift the blame failed, and their sudden turn slowed their escape, bringing them one step closer to danger.

"Roar~~~"

Just as Yan Qingshan sprinted away and left those bastards far behind, a beast's roar exploded through the forest. The Magical Beast chasing those herb gatherers had finally revealed itself.

"This is... an Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast!!!"

Yan Qingshan flipped onto a patch of high ground. Ahead lay a small river, and beyond it was a rocky gorge with complex terrain. Once he crossed the river, it would not be difficult to shake off the people behind him.

But after landing, he turned back for a glance.

Then he stopped.

A Calf-sized Magical Beast, blue-purple all over and wreathed in lightning, looked much like a male lion from his previous life.

A ring of pale blue mane around its neck stood on end as though bristling. Its lion's body was sleek and powerful, yet it possessed a wildly mismatched Blue-purple Tail like that of a venomous scorpion. Crackling with lightning, that tail was now slaughtering the fleeing herb gatherers one by one.

The Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast was a relatively rare Third-tier Magical Beast of the lightning element within the Magical Beast Mountain Range. It could wield the power of lightning from birth. During infancy, it possessed First-order Magical Beast strength; after one year, it entered its growth stage and became a Second-order Magical Beast. Upon reaching adulthood, it became a genuine Third-tier Magical Beast.

Lightning-element Magical Beasts were already among the strongest at the same tier. Moreover, the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast was said to be a hybrid of the Ancient Thunder Lion and Scorpion Dragon, carrying a trace of high-tier Magical Beast bloodline. An adult Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast would dare fight even a weaker Fourth-order Magical Beast.

Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beasts generally lived only in the inner regions of the Magical Beast Mountain Range and rarely came to the outskirts. Those herb gatherers must have done something hateful to be pursued all the way here by such a powerful Magical Beast.

"This seems to be... a cub?"

Yan Qingshan carefully hid behind a boulder and watched from afar as the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast hunted down the group of herb gatherers. By the standards of its species, this Calf-sized Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast had not even entered its growth stage. It was still a cub less than a year old.

But even a lion cub possessed peak first-order strength. Since this species was already exceptional among creatures of the same tier, it was even more troublesome than a Second-order Magical Beast.

"Here, take it back! We shouldn't have taken it..."

After two unlucky men were caught and brutally killed in succession, one of the fleeing herb gatherers broke down. He turned around, dropped to his knees, pulled a fruit from his herb pouch, and cried out in surrender at the Magical Beast.

"Thunder Tempering Fruit. No wonder..."

Yan Qingshan looked over from afar. Once he saw what was in the man's hand, he finally understood why these people had suffered so badly.

Thunder Tempering Fruit could be considered a companion spiritual herb of the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast, or rather, a herb specially cultivated by their species. It was somewhat similar to the Amethyst Source of the Amethyst Winged Lion King. It was extremely important to young Scorpion-lions; only by consuming enough Thunder Tempering Fruit could an Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast successfully enter its growth stage after one year.

This group had probably found a Thunder Tempering Fruit Tree and stripped it clean while the Scorpion-lion Beast was away, which was why they were being hunted so relentlessly.

"Roar! Roar..."

The Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast stopped before the pleading man. The herb gatherers fleeing in every direction watched the scene nervously, hoping for a turn in their fortunes.

It was not as though they had not considered splitting up after being chased. Unfortunately, the Magical Beast Mountain Range was far too dangerous. Even when they had all traveled together on their way in, they had lost two men. If they scattered through the mountains and ran blindly alone, they would likely be swiftly caught and killed by the Scorpion-lion Beast before long.

They had only just reached the outskirts and had been planning to run a little farther before splitting up to save themselves. Who could have expected them to encounter an unfamiliar youngster? Their leader had harbored ill intentions and led them toward him, only to find that he was extremely alert and would not even face them. Instead, their sudden change in direction allowed the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast to catch up.

"Roar..."

The pleading man ultimately failed to move the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast. Its jaws suddenly opened wide before him, biting off the arm holding the Thunder Tempering Fruit. After chewing it several times, it swallowed the arm into its stomach. Before the man could scream, the scorpion tail behind the beast lashed forward and struck his head, exploding it completely. The Scorpion-lion then roared again and resumed its pursuit.

"Ah..."

"Run, everyone!!!"

"Split up! Split up! We're already at the outskirts. Life and death are up to fate..."

The herb gatherers who had stopped finally came to their senses. They scattered and fled wildly, each one fleeing toward a different part of the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range. There was no longer any sense of sticking together.

Yan Qingshan carefully concealed himself behind a mountain rock, Peeking at the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast as it hunted in all directions. The Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast isn't a Wood Attribute creature, so it isn't the best choice.

But... an immature Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast is exceptionally rare. And... a cub of a Third-tier Magical Beast must be stronger than a First-order Magical Beast.

Yan Qingshan's cultivation had now entered the proper track. He had barely begun to master the Profound-tier High-grade Lionheart King's Art. Although this cultivation technique was Attribute-free, it had certain special requirements: forging a Lionheart and condensing a Lion Aspect. The Lionheart King's Art required lion-type Magical Beasts for cultivation.

Yan Qingshan's current cultivation speed was not slow, but he still wanted to become stronger faster. The Lionheart King's Art also possessed a secret method to increase cultivation speed, called Lionheart Baptism. Using the heart's blood of a lion-type Magical Beast alongside the secret method, practitioners of the Lionheart King's Art could undergo it once at every stage after becoming a Dou Zhe.

Lionheart Baptism used the warm heart's blood of lion-type Magical Beasts for cleansing. It could not only improve a cultivator's cultivation but also strengthen the body and temper the physique. With enough luck, one might even gain certain special abilities.

After entering the Magical Beast Mountain Range for over half a month, Yan Qingshan had relied on his previous accumulation and the opportunity in the cliff cave to become a Three-star Dou Practitioner in less than a month. But now, he seemed to have encountered a minor difficulty.

The barrier from three stars to four would not be difficult for someone cultivating a Profound-tier Cultivation Technique like him. He could naturally grind through it with steady cultivation.

But there was a sense of urgency in his heart. He did not want to drag things out like this. Now that a suitable lion-type Magical Beast had appeared, refusing a gift from heaven was not his style. Besides, he wanted to test the results of his hard cultivation over these past days.

"Although the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast is exceptional among creatures of its tier, success isn't impossible. For a better Lionheart Baptism, it's worth taking a chance."

Yan Qingshan had originally planned to leave immediately after escaping, but the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast that appeared behind him changed his mind.

Lion-type Magical Beasts were not common in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. An Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast with first-order strength and a high-tier Magical Beast bloodline was simply a rare opportunity. If he missed this chance, he might never get another. Yan Qingshan truly could not accept retreating without trying.

"Shuguang, gather information and deduce a battle plan..."

Having made up his mind, Yan Qingshan carefully observed his surroundings. First, he needed to make sure whether this Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast was acting alone and whether an adult Scorpion-lion was following behind it.

This was extremely important. If an adult Scorpion-lion was following from afar to protect it, Yan Qingshan would leave without a word.

An adult Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast was among the best of the Third-tier Magical Beasts. It was simply not something he could provoke. Once it targeted him, even with a Flying Dou Skill, he had no absolute confidence in escaping safely.

"Looks like the situation is fairly good."

Yan Qingshan secretly slipped away, spreading the wings of the Purple Cloud Eagle to circle around the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast. After making a rough sweep of the area, he did not discover a second Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast. This reassured him somewhat. The cub appeared to have sneaked out on its own, without an adult Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast accompanying it.

Yan Qingshan returned to the crown of a large tree behind the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast. His movements were light and careful; neither the hunters nor the fleeing prey noticed that he had returned to the scene.

"Roar~~~"

The Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast roared as it slaughtered the remaining herb gatherers. It had chased these thieves for nearly an entire day and night, and its heart was filled with rage.

The herb gatherers had boldly ventured into the inner region of the Magical Beast Mountain Range the day before yesterday. They discovered the Thunder Tempering Fruit Tree where the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast resided. At the time, the cub had gone hunting for food, so they ravaged the entire tree. By the time the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast returned, they had already withdrawn from the inner region, leaving behind only traces and scents.

Thunder Tempering Fruit was not especially valuable among low-grade medicinal herbs, and its uses were limited. But because it was unique to the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast species, it was relatively scarce and expensive. A single fruit tree could bear more than a hundred fruits, making its total value exceed ten thousand Gold Coin. How could this group of herb gatherers possibly let it go?

Its entire food supply had been stripped bare, and the fruit tree itself had been badly damaged. This was practically fatal to the growth of the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast. How could the cub endure it? It abandoned even its nest and pursued these people throughout the night.

Not long after dawn today, the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast caught up with these people on the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range. After a round of slaughter, only these people remained. It was not that they had not considered splitting up, but the Magical Beast Mountain Range was too dangerous. The few who had scattered and run wildly at the beginning had soon begun screaming miserably.

Seeing this, how could the others dare run blindly? The entire group followed the mountain path trodden by mercenaries and ran desperately. Then they ran into Yan Qingshan, and someone developed malicious intentions and changed direction. Who would have thought that not only would they fail to harm him, but their sudden turn would slow them down and lead to another slaughter after the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast caught up?

"Stop running, everyone! We'll die if we keep running anyway. Fight this beast..."

One herb gatherer seemed to have once been a mercenary. He still possessed some bloody courage and wanted to turn around to fight for his life. But the moment he turned, the silver-blue scorpion tail dripping with blood pierced through his chest. His corpse was hung on the tail and flung away, smashing into the ground and turning into a puddle of bloody pulp.

Seeing this, the fleeing herb gatherers ran even faster. It was not as though they had not tried surrounding and killing it before, but they had failed even with more people. Who would dare stay now?

Now it was simply a contest of speed. The Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast needed time whenever it killed someone, and they had previously widened the distance while it was killing. But the Scorpion-lion was exceptionally skilled at tracking scents, so they could not completely shake it off.

As long as they made sure they were not last, they had already reached the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range. The nearest Magical Beast town was not far away, and the danger had greatly decreased. Once they survived this, they could split up and run, leaving life and death to fate.

They had thought things through well, but this time, the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast seemed to have lost interest in continuing the chase. Its killing speed and efficiency clearly increased. Before long, the team of nearly twenty people was reduced to only three. The fastest one was only a few steps from the slope where Yan Qingshan had previously hidden.

"Ow!"

"Who did that..."

"Which bastard did it!"

Just as the three believed they would escape with their lives this time, all three of them stumbled at almost the same moment and fell face-first into the dirt. That delay cost them precious time, and the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast had already arrived with a bloody wind.

"Li Lie, you bastard, how could you be so vicious!"

"Wang Chong, why are you falsely accusing me? I say you and Yu Ping set me up!"

"Which bastard was it? We're all doomed now!"

The three climbed up and continuously accused one another. Yet even as they drew their Battle Sabers and guarded against each other, they vaguely formed a line together against the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast.

They all understood that if they simply turned and ran now, all three would certainly die together. They had to sacrifice another person to draw the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast's attention.

In the current situation, whoever turned first would be most likely to attract the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast's attack. They all wanted to run, yet none was willing to turn first. But asking them to join forces against the enemy was useless; there had been so many people earlier, and it had achieved nothing. What could three people possibly do?

The reason they had drawn their Battle Sabers and assumed a joint defensive stance was actually to hand the choice to the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast. Once it attacked one direction first, the other two, who were still pretending to defend together, would turn and run. All three prayed they would not be attacked first, yet none dared make any small moves at such a moment.

Auxiliary function activated. Preparing for battle...

Suddenly, piercing whistles sounded from the forest canopy. Two whistles came one after another from two directions, striking the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast in unplanned coordination. Two Porcelain Bottles burst in succession, and a cloud of powder instantly enveloped the lion's head and most of its body.

The sudden development froze the three herb gatherers. Then something shot out from the canopy in another direction. A mechanism net spread wide in midair, tightly wrapping the lion's head as it emerged from the powder. A streak of light abruptly flashed above the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast.

A blinding slash swept downward. Amid a deafening clang, a figure crashed heavily into the ground. At the same time, the massive scorpion tail of the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast fell to the ground. The Battle Saber had severed it in one stroke, leaving behind a gully more than three inches deep.

The Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast suffered a sudden, devastating attack. Blue blood poured from the wound where its scorpion tail had been severed. Losing its tail also destroyed its balance, greatly impairing its movements.

Its movements slowed, but Yan Qingshan did not hesitate. The Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast had only just torn open the hunting net and turned around when Yan Qingshan spread his wings and soared into the air. He arced through the air, avoiding its pursuit as his blade swept across the blue-maned lion's head.

Yan Qingshan's Battle Saber still failed to sever the lion's head in one strike. It cut halfway through, but the blade could go no farther and became lodged between the mane and bone. With no other choice, he immediately abandoned the weapon, flipped over, and rose into the air.

Yan Qingshan spread his wings and flashed onto a large tree ahead. With a flick of his hand, he took out a bow and arrows, drew the bow, and fired rapidly.

Three arrows whistled forth, piercing its throat wound and both lion eyes. Faced with this series of seamless attacks, the powerful Magical Beast finally collapsed to the ground. Blood foam spilled from its crooked muzzle as it slowly fell silent.

Battle plan successful. Target will completely die in three minutes. Warning: other dangers are nearby...

"Whoosh, whoosh... Clang..."

The Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast had fallen silent, but a deadly battle erupted again the next moment. Yan Qingshan's two arrows directly pierced through two herb gatherers who tried to block them. The third was somewhat more skilled; after knocking away an arrow, he turned and ran.

This group of herb gatherers had harbored malicious intentions toward Yan Qingshan from the beginning, wanting to divert disaster his way. They deserved to die. Yan Qingshan had revealed too many things just now; if word got out, it would be no good. He could not take that risk. They all had to die here.

"Phoenix Soaring Steps, Roaring Lion's Roar!!!"

With a thought, Yan Qingshan leaped down from the tree canopy in pursuit. If the Profound-tier Low-grade movement technique Phoenix Soaring Steps was combined with a Flying Dou Skill, it could unleash the power of a Profound-tier High-grade movement technique. Within only a few steps, his figure crossed dozens of yards and appeared behind the man. As Dou Qi surged, it vaguely formed the shape of an energy lion's head roaring toward the sky.

"No~~~"

The herb gatherer finally noticed the fierce howl coming from behind him. He turned around, saw Yan Qingshan's fist constantly enlarging in his vision, and let out one final unwilling cry.

Amid the roar of a furious lion, Yan Qingshan unleashed the full might of his punch. The enormous energy lion's head completely swallowed the man. A massive explosion nearly overturned all the fallen leaves in the area. Huge cracks spread outward like a spiderweb, and a dark pit one foot in diameter appeared where he had stood. The final person who knew... left not even bones behind.

Yan Qingshan did not let down his guard. He soared into the air and carefully inspected the entire area, only slowly landing after confirming there were no survivors. Looking at the mutilated corpses and blood scattered everywhere, he did not linger. After briefly searching through the spoils, he quickly left with the corpse of the Azure-maned Scorpion-lion Beast.

Not long after Yan Qingshan departed, wolf howls rang out. The heavy scent of blood attracted countless carnivores; they were the best cleaners of the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

Wolf howls and beast roars continued without end. Before midnight arrived, the chaotic patch of forest no longer held a single corpse. Only scraps of torn cloth remained, seeming to tell of what had happened there.

Although winter in Qingshan Town was quiet, many merchants passed through every year at this time, and the jingling of carriages and horses could be heard everywhere.

Around the New Year, many merchants came to small towns near the Magical Beast Mountain Range, such as Qingshan Town, to collect goods stockpiled by mercenary groups. Amid the bustle, the fairly lively Myriad Medicine Hall welcomed a traveler returning at night through the wind and snow.