Spirit Devouring Rat

Two days later,

Night had fallen,

And stars filled the pitch-black sky overhead.

Zhang Qingyuan hid atop a lush big tree in the forest,

Using the moonlight above,

His gaze sweeping back and forth across the Spirit Fields within the valley's formation,

Sneaking about.

All around,

The Hu Family's Low-level Cultivators at the first and second layers of Spirit Essence patrolled back and forth around the Spirit Fields.

Their sharp eyes vigilantly scanned the surroundings.

Do not misunderstand,

Zhang Qingyuan was not up to anything bad.

He had hidden atop the secluded big tree

To wait for that Spirit Devouring Rat hidden somewhere unknown, which often came to ruin the Spirit Plants,

To observe its movements

And determine how to deal with it.

There was no helping it,

The Manifestation Tracing Technique had failed.

Two days ago,

On the very day Zhang Qingyuan arrived at Azure Mountain Town, he had used the Manifestation Tracing Technique. But after pursuing it for one li, the Spirit Devouring Rat's trail had completely faded, leaving not the slightest trace behind.

According to Hu Yong'an,

Before Zhang Qingyuan arrived, two Outer Sect Disciples had actually accepted the mission, one of whom had cultivated the Manifestation Tracing Technique.

Yet they had all failed.

According to the Outer Sect Disciple who had cultivated the Manifestation Tracing Technique,

This Spirit Devouring Rat

Likely possessed an Innate Spell that erased its own Traces. Unless the Manifestation Tracing Technique was raised to the third layer, there was simply no way to find its trail.

Zhang Qingyuan was helpless as well,

But the reward for this mission was generous, and it was also his first mission to hunt a Demonic Beast,

So he was unwilling to give up so easily.

Thus,

He could only resort to the clumsy method of waiting by the stump for a rabbit.

To see whether he could kill that Spirit Devouring Rat on the spot.

As for the Hu Family's Low-level Cultivators patrolling nearby,

They were merely a cover to maintain the status quo,

So that the Spirit Devouring Rat would not notice anything unusual.

According to Hu Yong'an,

These past few days,

He had continuously arranged for clansmen to patrol around the Spirit Fields. Yet every night, that damned Spirit Devouring Rat still ignored the patrolling guards, ravaged the Spirit Fields, and departed safely.

There was no helping it,

That damned Spirit Devouring Rat was simply too cunning.

The guards' purpose

Was merely to keep it from becoming too brazen.

So Zhang Qingyuan planned to maintain the current arrangement,

Hiding in the shadows himself,

Observing in secret.

The instant the Spirit Devouring Rat appeared,

He would strike it a fatal blow from behind!

I hope today succeeds.

Zhang Qingyuan thought to himself.

He had waited the entire day yesterday,

But perhaps the Spirit Devouring Rat had noticed some clue,

For it had not appeared.

He hoped that damned Spirit Devouring Rat would walk into the trap today.

Zhang Qingyuan hid atop the enormous, lush tree,

Focusing his mind,

His gaze sweeping back and forth through the surroundings.

He did not dare meditate either,

Fearing that his Aura would leak out

And frighten the Spirit Devouring Rat away.

It was deep into the night,

And just as Zhang Qingyuan's concentration had begun to waver,

Suddenly,

One Hu Clan Guard patrolling around the Spirit Fields with a torch seemed to see the Spirit Grain seedlings within the fields swaying—or perhaps his eyes had simply blurred.

So he rubbed his eyes,

Then looked closely.

They really were moving!

It was the Spirit Devouring Rat!

"The Spirit Devouring Rat is here!"

The guard shouted.

In an instant,

The once quiet, silent night erupted into a frenzy.

"Where?!"

"That damned rat—beat it to death!"

The surrounding Hu Clan Guards

Raised their torches,

Gripped their weapons, and shouted as they charged over,

Their voices boiling like a cauldron!

Then,

The dense seedlings within the Spirit Fields stirred in a wave of commotion.

With a whoosh,

The Spirit Devouring Rat darted swiftly out of the Spirit Fields,

Whipping up a gust of Demonic Wind.

Like a flash of gray lightning, it streaked past, so fast it nearly surpassed the limit of what the human eye could catch!

In the blink of an eye, it had crossed five or six zhang,

And was about to flee into the dense forest surrounding the fields, escaping without a trace!

At that moment,

The sound of wind being torn apart suddenly rang out from the other side. Zhang Qingyuan sprang from the tree trunk, the surging True Essence within his body circulating as he crossed seven or eight meters in an instant. Then he stamped down at his landing point, his body transforming into an afterimage as he flashed forward, whipping up a gale behind him.

Clang!

While still in mid-air, the longsword in his hand had already left its sheath.

A streak of silver light flashed,

Like a venomous dragon emerging from its cave.

It struck later yet arrived first, catching up to that gray afterimage in an instant!

The Hu Family Guards present only felt as though a bolt of silver lightning had streaked through the air. Amid the shrill sounds of air being torn apart, Zhang Qingyuan had already flashed several zhang to catch the Spirit Devouring Rat, his silver-light sword instantly piercing through the fleeing rat's shadow!

The sharp remnants of Sword Qi burst through its body,

Like tangible Sword Aura,

Sweeping across!

In an instant, they severed a tree behind it,

As effortlessly as crushing dry weeds and rotten wood!

With a crack,

The tree fell along a slanted line from its middle,

Its cut as smooth as a mirror!

The Hu Family members all around

Stared dumbfoundedly at Zhang Qingyuan, who slowly sheathed his sword before them, his expression as calm as ever.

Their hair stood on end.

If this young man before them had been an enemy rather than an ally,

Probably not, but their heads might have been cut off in a single exchange before they could even react!

So young,

Yet already so powerful!

No wonder he was a young talent so highly regarded by the Clan Leader!

At this moment,

Everyone present could not help but feel a trace of relief at having survived a calamity.

Fortunately, they had not offended him.

However,

At this moment,

Zhang Qingyuan frowned slightly.

Because before him,

There was no corpse of the Spirit Devouring Rat.

That strike just now

Had indeed hit it.

But he had clearly seen that at the instant his longsword pierced through the Spirit Devouring Rat's head, its figure had actually dissipated in an instant!

"Innate Spell!"

Zhang Qingyuan gritted his teeth slightly.

He had fallen for it!

That cunning creature had used its Innate Spell to create an afterimage clone,

Deceiving everyone,

And deceiving him as well!

His gaze hurriedly swept around the Spirit Fields.

The fields were utterly still.

Apart from the freshly toppled Spirit Grain seedlings,

Where was there any sign of the Spirit Devouring Rat?