Section 8: Borrowing Strength to Design, Phantom Scorpion Bat

"The Claw Monkey is a minor beast with 12 years of cultivation, while the Drunkard Dog has around 14 years. Not only that, but it is being commanded by a Beast Tamer; the outcome of this battle is already decided." Chu Yun observed quietly from the sidelines, and upon seeing this scene, he reached his conclusion.

Generally speaking, a beast guided by the intelligence of a Beast Tamer can often overcome a certain gap in cultivation to successfully challenge a wild beast. Since the Claw Monkey's cultivation was two years behind the Drunkard Dog's, the result was self-evident.

Seeing the Claw Monkey's situation becoming increasingly dire, Chu Yun dared not continue lurking nearby. He quietly withdrew from the battlefield and headed deeper into the forest.

"The opposition has two Beast Tamers and eight burly men. With such a formidable lineup, they could wipe me out with a flick of a finger. I must not fight them head-on. It seems I can only win through wit!"

Chu Yun was rich in combat experience and was by no means the type to wait for slaughter or rely on blind luck. Since his own strength was insufficient, he would have to outsmart them. Upon careful consideration, the Claw Monkey had undoubtedly provided him with a highly viable strategy.

"I have Scentless Powder on me, which can mask my odor. Combined with the memories of my past life, I know this environment like the back of my hand. I can use their own strength against them and continuously wear them down." Thinking of a solution, his spirits lifted.

In the dark forest, a youth dressed in simple hemp robes moved nimbly. His skin was fair, his features refined, and his eyes shimmered like two black gemstones, reflecting the moonlight filtering through the canopy. A faint, elusive smile played upon his lips.

"You want to kill me and seize my treasures? Hmph! I'll make sure you never return!"

An hour later, the group of burly men encountered a 16-year-cultivation Sawtooth Forest Python. The man with triangular eyes took action, maneuvering his 13-year-cultivation Green Blade Mantis to slay it after a grueling struggle.

Two and a half hours later, they encountered a swarm of Firefly Spiders and fell into a bitter fight. The man with triangular eyes and the bearded man joined forces to barely eliminate the 15-year-cultivation spider mother, but they still left behind the corpses of two of their men.

"This can't go on. My Green Blade Mantis has exhausted most of its beast essence; its strength has dropped significantly." The man with triangular eyes wore a gloomy expression; his initial confidence of a sure victory had long since vanished.

The bearded man's eyes burned with rage as he cursed bitterly, "Damn it, is that brat a rabbit? I've never seen anyone run better than him in my life!"

The shop assistant, Ruan Er, felt a heavy gloom settling over him. Being a shrewd man, he already sensed the scent of a conspiracy. He hesitated, saying, "This situation is ominous. The opponent has Scentless Powder to mask his scent, allowing him to pass through most beast territories safely. Furthermore, I feel as though he is consciously luring us..."

"Bullshit! What is he? Ruan Er, if you're scared, get lost now. I despise cowards the most. To be frightened by a thirteen-year-old brat!" The bearded man looked at the shop assistant named Ruan Er with disdain, sneering at him.

"You..." The shop assistant Ruan Er was too angry to speak.

"Enough, Ruan Er. Don't be suspicious. That little brat is just lucky. As the leader this time, you also bear responsibility. You didn't prepare properly; if we had Scentless Powder too, we would have caught him long ago."

The man with triangular eyes snorted coldly, pulled a medicine bottle from his robes, and took out a round, thumb-sized emerald pill, feeding it to the Green Blade Mantis perched on his arm.

The Green Blade Mantis was the size of an infant's head, its body a deep ink-green flowing with a cold luster. Its two scythe-like forelimbs were lighter in color than the rest of its body, their edges sharp and glinting with a cold light. It lowered its triangular head, opened its mouthparts, and swallowed the pill in one gulp.

This pill was a Beast Essence Pill. When consumed by a beast, it could replenish lost beast essence. A beast without essence could not unleash its beast arts or techniques.

A moment later, the man with triangular eyes felt the beast essence within the Green Blade Mantis rising slowly but steadily. He nodded in satisfaction, though a flicker of pain crossed his eyes.

This pill was expensive for him. Usually, he let the Green Blade Mantis absorb natural energy on its own to replenish its essence. But at this moment, he could not afford to stop; he had to hurry to hunt down Chu Yun.

"Heh, you're quite generous." The bearded man glanced at the man with triangular eyes, then at his own Drunkard Dog. The latter was covered in wounds, panting with its tongue lolling out, its fur matted with blood that had turned black—a truly wretched sight.

The bearded man had pills in his possession, but he was loath to use them unless absolutely necessary.

"Damn it, if we run into another blocking beast and still don't catch that brat, I'll really have to use my pills!"

A ferocious light shone in the bearded man's eyes. He had originally thought catching Chu Yun would be a sure thing, incredibly easy. But events had exceeded his expectations. Now, he hadn't even caught a glimpse of Chu Yun, yet his own side was already in a sorry state.

"Keep chasing! Once I catch that brat, I'll chop off his fingers, cut off his ears, and hack off his two dog legs!" The more the bearded man thought, the angrier he became. He was a dignified Beast Tamer who had dozens of lives under his belt; to be reduced to this state tonight by a wet-behind-the-ears brat was unbearable.

In fact, not just him, but the man with triangular eyes and the others had long been harboring a deep, stifled rage. Under normal circumstances, any one of them could have tortured Chu Yun to death. But in this forest, they had been repeatedly thwarted, losing three companions to wild beasts. It was incredibly frustrating!

Driven by anger, the eight wolf-like men quickened their pace, closing in on Chu Yun.

"This is it, the territory of the Phantom Scorpion Bat!" Following the memories of his past life, Chu Yun arrived here. He immediately slowed his pace, held his breath, and wore a solemn expression.

Whether solitary or in groups, beasts all had a sense of territory. The stronger the beast, the larger its territory. In Chu Yun's memory, the Phantom Scorpion Bat was the strongest beast in this small forest, possessing a full 19 years of cultivation!

Tall trees swayed their ghostly branches in the night. The wind passing through here carried a chill not found elsewhere, making Chu Yun shiver involuntarily. To ensure his safety, he stopped and took out the second packet of Scentless Powder from his robes, dusting it all over his body.

Scentless Powder, as the name implied, was a powder used to mask one's scent. Unless there were beasts with concealment techniques nearby, it was an essential item for home and travel, for seeking out secrets and exploring.

"I've already used up two packets of Scentless Powder so quickly. I hope the Phantom Scorpion Bat doesn't disappoint me." Chu Yun felt extremely heavy-hearted. He didn't know to what extent the strength of the group behind him had been depleted, but he was certain they must possess restorative pills.

The Phantom Scorpion Bat was the highest-cultivation beast in this region. If even it couldn't stop the opposition, then Chu Yun would be at his wit's end and in grave danger.

He used up all the remaining powder and crumpled the packaging into a ball, placing it in a conspicuous spot. Then, he worked around the area, erasing his real tracks and creating obvious false ones that led deep into the territory.

He was cautious, his nerves stretched to the breaking point! He did his utmost to suppress any sound, spending a full half-hour on the process. By the end, he was nearly exhausted; when he finally curled up inside a hollow, dead tree trunk and let out a long breath, he nearly passed out from fatigue.

It wasn't just physical exhaustion; it was mental. The Phantom Scorpion Bat might discover him, and if it treated him as tonight's prey, Chu Yun would surely die.

He could even imagine that if he were killed by the Phantom Scorpion Bat, the group behind him would likely laugh themselves mad upon seeing his corpse. This was purely digging his own grave!

Fortunately, he had inherited the luck of his past life, and combined with his own caution, he had not been discovered by the Phantom Scorpion Bat.

Inside the hollow tree, it was damp, stuffy, and cramped, with poor air circulation. Added to his fatigue, Chu Yun felt his body grow hot and drenched in sweat shortly after hiding. Fortunately, the Scentless Powder continuously absorbed the smell of his sweat.

No one wanted to be curled up in a ball, trapped in a tiny, cage-like space. Chu Yun felt incredibly uncomfortable, and what was worse, waves of drowsiness washed over him like the tide.

Sweat covered his face, and his eyelids felt as heavy as if two weights were hanging from them, fluttering as his vision gradually blurred.

Hold on! Hold on! Must not fall asleep!

Once he fell asleep, he would lose the initiative and be at the mercy of others.

A voice echoed repeatedly in Chu Yun's mind. Relying on his tenacious will, he fought against the god of sleep. However, he was too tired; his body had not yet fully developed, and fighting wits and strength against powerful enemies had already exhausted his energy. The power of sleep manifested, and the drowsiness hit like a tsunami, instantly drowning his consciousness.

Must not sleep, hold on, hold on...

With his last remaining shred of sanity, Chu Yun gripped his Mountain Chopping Blade with his left hand, and suddenly, his mind cleared!

A sharp pain surged through him. When he pulled his left hand back, there was a wound on his palm—not deep, but bleeding profusely.

Chu Yun gasped softly, gritted his teeth, and pulled a packet of medicine from his robes. He tore it open and applied the powdered medicine to the wound. Immediately, he felt a stinging, itchy, and numbing sensation, and the bleeding stopped instantly.

The drowsiness receded like the tide. The hollow tree was pitch black, yet two sharp glints flickered within. No matter how thick the darkness, it could not hide the brightness of Chu Yun's eyes!

He focused, listening intently. Before long, he heard a group of heavy footsteps.

His heart jolted; he knew it was the powerful enemies hunting him. As the footsteps drew closer, mixed with the bearded man's cursing, his heart began to race, and his breathing grew heavy.