Yang Chang'an followed close behind Yang Wushuang. They soon passed through the deep, shadowy forest and, following the map, reached a stream.
Yet Yang Chang'an frowned, his gaze sweeping over the stream and the vegetation along its banks as doubts stirred in his heart.
According to Yang Wushuang, their target-the Star-Breaking Rock Dragon-roamed this area. But now, as far as he could see, there was not a trace of a Soul Beast, nor even the slightest unusual movement.
Could other Soul Masters have beaten us to it?
As soon as the thought arose, Yang Chang'an turned toward Yang Wushuang nearby. The old man was crouching beside the stream, gently parting the weeds and running his fingertips over marks on the ground without even raising his head.
"Grandpa, are you sure that Star-Breaking Rock Dragon is hiding here?"
Yang Wushuang parted a patch of low-growing weeds and lightly brushed the flattened stems, his voice assured:
"Spirit Hall's intelligence is never wrong. Besides, it has only been a month since this Star-Breaking Rock Dragon's tracks were last discovered. This Soul Beast is quite powerful. It wouldn't be so easily hunted down."
Before he had finished speaking, his gaze suddenly sharpened. His slightly furrowed brow relaxed, and a smile curved his lips as he said in a low voice, "Found it."
Delighted, Yang Chang'an hurried over and crouched beside Yang Wushuang, following his gaze. But all he saw was a tangle of grass and shrubs. There was not so much as a shadow of a Soul Beast amid the vegetation.
His confusion only deepened. He looked up at Yang Wushuang, waiting for the old man's explanation.
Yang Wushuang pointed to the grass and waist-high shrubs beside him, indicating their bent branches as he said evenly:
"Look. These grass stems and bushes all show clear signs of something heavy pressing against them. The marks are fresh, and there's still moisture on the grass. These clearly aren't old traces. The Star-Breaking Rock Dragon must have left through here."
Following Yang Wushuang's fingertip, Yang Chang'an finally noticed the details he had overlooked.
Several clumps of grass had been flattened against the ground, the shrubs bore signs of something brushing past, and there were even shallow claw prints in the earth. Hidden beneath fallen leaves, they were impossible to spot without a careful look.
Then Yang Chang'an laughed. "Grandpa, your skills are just like those old hunters in storybooks who spend their lives roaming the mountains and wilderness."
At those words, the light in Yang Wushuang's eyes dimmed a little. He fell silent for a moment, gently brushing his fingertips over the flattened grass, then spoke in a quieter voice:
"Back then, our clan was renowned throughout the region for medicines and poisons. Roaming the wilderness to gather herbs and prepare poisons was commonplace, so every clan disciple had to learn wilderness survival skills from childhood: reading tracks, identifying plants, finding water. Little tricks like recognizing broken branches and pressure marks were required lessons."
Yang Chang'an fell silent for a moment. Not only had he never learned these things, but probably few of his older clan brothers and sisters had, either. He could guess why. What use did a flock of caged birds have for such skills? They might as well spend more time on their Martial Souls.
Yang Chang'an understood that reasoning, and naturally, so did Yang Wushuang. Neither of them voiced it.
Yang Wushuang soon realized he had let his emotions show. The loneliness in his eyes quickly faded, and his usual composure returned. He stood and brushed the grass clippings from the hem of his clothes.
"The Star-Breaking Rock Dragon probably isn't far from water. Since it left through here, its lair must be nearby. Follow me."
With that, Yang Wushuang led the way along the faint animal trail. It lay hidden among the vegetation, marked by only the slightest traces. Without Yang Wushuang to guide him, Yang Chang'an would never have been able to make it out.
They followed the trail in single file for roughly half an incense stick's worth of time before the view ahead suddenly opened up a little. Damp air mingled with a rank smell washed over them.
Looking up, they saw a sizable swamp ahead, thick with aquatic plants, its surface gleaming darkly.
The animal trail they had followed vanished completely at the swamp's edge, as though the swamp had swallowed it without a trace.
Yang Chang'an frowned again at the swamp stretching beyond his sight, troubled. It covered a considerable area, and the aquatic plants obstructed their view. If the Star-Breaking Rock Dragon really was hiding inside, they had no way to find it.
Were they supposed to wait here for days until it came out on its own?
While he was considering what to do, Yang Wushuang suddenly turned toward him and looked him up and down.
"Chang'an, suppose I want to capture this Star-Breaking Rock Dragon, but don't want to sit here waiting. What could I do to lure it out of the swamp?"
Something stirred in Yang Chang'an's heart. With Yang Wushuang's strength, finding this Star-Breaking Rock Dragon would hardly require so much trouble.
The old man was clearly asking to test him. After all, Yang Chang'an was supposed to be the central figure in today's Soul Beast hunt.
Since Yang Wushuang had asked this question, he must have had a purpose. In fact, it meant Yang Chang'an must have something on him that could lure the Star-Breaking Rock Dragon out of the swamp.
What could it be?
Yang Chang'an lowered his head in thought. His gaze swept over his Soul Tool, then returned to the silent swamp as he rapidly considered the Star-Breaking Rock Dragon's habits.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and a smile curved his lips.
He brushed a hand over the Soul Tool at his wrist, and an enormous beef leg appeared in his hand.
He had specially prepared this beef leg while resting in Stone City earlier. Its meat was firm and still bore fresh bloodstains. It was his "hidden reserve fuel" stored in his Soul Tool, and now it would come in handy.
The instant the bloody beef leg appeared, the rich scent of blood spread through the air, drifting deep into the swamp on the breeze. It stood out sharply against the stillness at the swamp's edge.
Yang Chang'an looked toward the stretch of water where the Star-Breaking Rock Dragon's tracks had disappeared and drew a deep breath. Twisting slightly at the waist and hips, he tensed his arm and channeled all his strength into his wrist. Then, with a sudden burst of force, he hurled the beef leg toward that patch of water.
Splash-!
The heavy beef leg struck the water, instantly shattering its calm. Ripple after ripple spread outward.
Yang Chang'an stared fixedly at the disturbed water without blinking, afraid he might miss even the slightest movement.
Yang Wushuang stood beside him with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze on the same patch of water. He said nothing, leaving Yang Chang'an to act.
Within moments, the water, which had only been rippling slightly, suddenly began to churn violently. Something enormous seemed to be moving beneath the surface, stirring up muddy water and making even the surrounding waters tremble.
"There! It's right there!"
Delighted, Yang Chang'an hurriedly pointed toward the churning water, excitement coloring his voice.
Watching this, Yang Wushuang could not help smiling with satisfaction. He raised a hand and drew an egg-sized stone from the ground beside him, letting it float lightly into his palm.
Then he flicked a finger, and the stone shot toward the churning water like an arrow loosed from a bow, cutting through the air with a faint whistle.
Bang!
The stone struck the center of the churning water with pinpoint accuracy, producing a dull impact.
The next instant, a deafening rush of water erupted as an enormous figure burst from the swamp. It landed heavily on the mud at the edge, making the ground shudder.
Yang Chang'an focused his gaze. It was a giant crocodile nearly seven meters long, its burly body like a small mountain. Layers of dark blue-black armor covered it from head to tail, the plates gleaming cold and hard in the dim light. This was the Star-Breaking Rock Dragon they had come to find.
Its head was enormous, its jaws slightly parted. Two rows of sharp teeth glinted with a faint, icy light, and the bloodstained beef leg was clamped firmly between them. The rich smell of blood wafted from its mouth.
Its amber beast eyes were fixed on Yang Chang'an and Yang Wushuang, filled with unmistakable ferocity.