Hunting

Chu Zhiyuan and the other twelve were all dressed in dark green fitted outfits, standing before a massive boulder and blending into the surrounding mountain scenery.

Chu Zhiyuan lifted his head and looked up.

Opposite them stood a towering peak, half its summit piercing the low, dark clouds, impossible to see clearly.

Mountain mist drifted like smoke, and the trees were blackish green.

Chu Qingfeng and thirteen middle-aged men stood atop the boulder, solemn-faced with a hint of tension, utterly unlike the excited, exhilarated expressions on Chu Mingxuan and the others.

Farther out stood more than a hundred Imperial Palace guards. Every one of them wore the Great Jing Dynasty's standard-issue armor—Bright Armor—gleaming with cold light and exuding a chilling aura.

The hundred-odd Imperial Palace guards formed a circle, sabers at their waists and hands resting on the hilts. Their eyes swept the surroundings like tigers watching and eagles soaring.

"I won't waste words," Chu Qingfeng said, his gaze sweeping across the Princes and Heirs Apparent. "There is only one rule: don't get greedy for merit and take risks. The instant something goes wrong, shout or send a signal. Someone will rescue you immediately!"

"You need to be alive to earn merit. You all know which matters more, so don't lose your heads when you fight. Especially since the roars of these Demon Beasts can stir your blood and turn your eyes red. Hold yourselves back!"

His gaze finally settled on Chu Zhiyuan. "The Demon Beasts within Little Scarlet Cloud Mountain are not to be underestimated. Stay sharp. This is your first time here, so don't think about earning merit."

"Yes, Granduncle."

Chu Zhiyuan clasped his fists amid the group of Princes and Heirs Apparent.

"It is noon now. When the mountain turns red, the bell will signal the end. ...Enter the mountain!"

"Let's go!"

"Here I come!"

"This time, I'm definitely killing one!"

Everyone's eyes gleamed as they shouted excitedly, but their movements remained cautious as they slowly approached the forest at the foot of Little Scarlet Cloud Mountain.

They spread out, each choosing a direction and entering the woods.

Prey killed together did not count as merit. Only solo kills counted.

Chu Zhiyuan first circled around the foot of the mountain without approaching the forest, seemingly hesitating to move forward.

Roars and shrieks rose and fell continuously from the mountain forest.

His Super Sensation covered a radius of one hundred meters. As he moved, he kept watch over Chu Zhiting and Chu Zhichuan.

A squirrel-like little beast turned into a black blur and shot toward Chu Zhiting. Chu Zhiting failed to react in time and was slammed into a pine tree ten meters away.

Bang! Pine needles rained down in a shower as he clung painfully halfway up the trunk.

Not far away, Chu Zhichuan also encountered a black blur transformed from a squirrel-like little beast. Yet he nimbly evaded it and thrust his sword.

The little beast flicked its large tail in midair, made a nimble turn, and darted into the woods, vanishing from sight.

Chu Zhiyuan grew thoughtful.

That little beast was far too fast. Without preparation, it would be difficult to react in time. Chu Zhiting and Chu Zhichuan had clearly been prepared; this was certainly not their first encounter with one.

"Hiss—!" Chu Zhiting sucked in cold breaths and bared his teeth as he slid down to the roots, shaking his head.

A green shadow suddenly shot toward the back of his head.

Bang! He punched at the green shadow.

The green shadow wheeled through the air and abruptly vanished into the distance.

It was a small snake, green and gleaming as though carved from jade. Its eyes were clear, and its head was not fierce-looking at all, but lively and adorable.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded. Ninth Son had clearly known it would launch a sneak attack at this moment.

That was the use of experience. Such experience had likely been bought with injuries.

At the same time, the situation on Chu Zhichuan's side also unfolded in his mind.

Chu Zhichuan's handsome face was taut. He shook his longsword, took another two steps forward amid flickering sword light, then suddenly slashed into the air.

Clang...

A White Swallow abruptly appeared where the sword tip struck. It fluttered twice and was about to fall.

After dropping barely a foot, it flipped over and flew up again, gliding diagonally into the air before disappearing into the void.

Chu Zhiyuan raised his swordlike brows.

That White Swallow actually possessed the ability to turn invisible.

Someone unfamiliar with it would find it almost impossible to evade the swallow's attack.

Little Scarlet Cloud Mountain truly lived up to its reputation.

Chu Zhiting and Chu Zhichuan continued upward, gradually leaving the range of his Super Sensation.

He circled outside the forest again, observing the situations of several other Heirs Apparent.

Some encountered jade-green little snakes, some squirrel-like little beasts, some invisible Spirit Swallows, and others came across a snow-white rabbit.

With a single kick from that little white rabbit, an Heir Apparent was sent flying, spraying a bloody arrow through the air before crashing heavily to the ground and falling unconscious.

A middle-aged expert appeared gracefully, carried him out, and ended his Winter Hunt.

Chu Zhiyuan clicked his tongue.

That snow-white, adorable rabbit's kick was no different from a strike by a Xiantian Master.

A feeling suddenly arose within him: the Winter Hunt was not them hunting these Demon Beasts, but the Demon Beasts hunting them.

Judging from the performance of these Heirs Apparent and Princes, they were like sheep entering a pack of wolves—careful and trembling, seeing snakes in every cup-shaped shadow, treating the slightest rustle of wind or grass as a great enemy. It was truly rather laughable.

His heart became increasingly vigilant and cautious.

After all, these Princes and Heirs Apparent were no weaklings. They had learned the finest martial arts and endured tempering; they were absolutely not comparable to ordinary martial artists outside.

Their trembling caution naturally came from the terror of these Demon Beasts.

After watching for a while, once all the Princes and Heirs Apparent had gone upward and beyond the range of his Super Sensation, he finally began walking toward the forest.

Chu Qingfeng stood on a mountain peak opposite, looking down at this side with eagle-sharp eyes. He saw Chu Zhiyuan's every move clearly, yet did not urge him over his hesitation. He merely watched indifferently.

Little Scarlet Cloud Mountain was thickly covered with trees and wild grass. Various trees grew tangled together, their branches and vines intertwined and crisscrossing everywhere. Only a few narrow trails had been opened up by the Princes and Heirs Apparent.

The instant he stepped into the forest, every hair on his body stood on end, warning him to retreat. He had already entered a dangerous area.

Under his Super Sensation, everything within a hundred meters was clearly displayed in his mind.

What his eyes saw, what his ears heard, and what his skin, mouth, and nose sensed came together into a strange world woven from color, sound, scent, and touch.

This world was clearer, finer, deeper, more vivid, and more wondrous than the world he saw with his own eyes.

He walked at an unhurried pace, then suddenly thrust his sword.

Screech—!

A miserable cry sounded from behind his head. His sword had already skewered a small squirrel, its brown fur sleek and glossy as silk satin.

The sword tip had entered through the vulnerable spot in its throat and emerged from the back of its neck.

Through Super Sensation, he knew the weak point of this demon rat. The sword could not pierce its other parts.

With a flick of his sword, he hung the demon rat on a nearby forked branch.

The blade remained bright as new, clear and gleaming, cold and eerie.

With his left hand forming a sword gesture, he lightly wiped along the blade to its tip. Not a trace of blood remained, only a faintly sweet, fishy scent.

"One."

He continued deeper.

After taking only a few steps, his swordlike brows furrowed.

That strike of his had unexpectedly intimidated them. A Spirit Swallow was flying invisibly through the air, observing him.

No matter how formidable he was, he could not fly into the sky to kill it.

A Jade Snake lay motionless against the treetops, blending into the branches. It was quite far away and showed no intention of attacking.

Not far away, another Demon Beast was crouching, silently and gently retreating.

That strike had frightened them.

These Demon Beasts were exceedingly cunning, cautious, and careful.

Chu Zhiyuan did not rush to pursue them. He quickly moved forward several steps, bringing Chu Zhiting and Chu Zhichuan within the range of his Super Sensation again. Eighteenth Prince Chu Mingxuan was also within range.

Chu Zhiting was knocked flying by a Golden Lynx, spraying a bloody arrow through the air. The Golden Lynx became a streak of golden light and immediately pursued him, crashing into him again.

Chu Zhiting threw a punch while vomiting blood in midair, only to be sent flying again by the Golden Lynx.

The Golden Lynx slowed slightly, then made a turn in the air, landed between the forks of a tree, sprang away, and vanished into the forest.

Chu Zhiting hit the ground with a bang, making the earth tremble. He wiped his mouth and spat out a bloody wad of saliva resentfully.

Chu Zhiyuan raised his swordlike brows.

Chu Zhiting cultivated a body-tempering art. His skin was rough and his flesh thick; despite taking several impacts, he was unexpectedly none the worse for wear.

Looking toward Chu Zhichuan again, continuous sword light formed a mass of clear light around him. His body was light and nimble. Though his footwork was not as swift as the Within Reach, Yet Worlds Apart Step, it was still exceptionally exquisite, allowing him to evade sneak attacks by a hair's breadth and counterattack in the same motion.

Yet Chu Zhiyuan could see that, while Chu Zhichuan's sword light was unbroken, its power was truly insufficient.

He had struck a Spirit Swallow and a white rabbit with his sword, yet both had escaped easily. That alone revealed the weakness of its force.

These Demon Beasts all possessed sinews of bronze and bones of iron. To break through their defenses and kill them, one first needed to find their weak points, and second, strike those weak points.

They might know the first part, having accumulated experience or learned it from books or the elders of their families.

This was where he suffered a disadvantage. He had no experience to speak of.

The second part was not easy.

These Demon Beasts shared one trait: they were incredibly fast.

These Demon Beasts would all, whether noticeably or not, protect their own weak points. Ordinary people could not detect it, but they could not hide it from him.

Even knowing their weak points, one still could not hit them without being faster than they were.

His Great Avalanche Sword Art and Within Reach, Yet Worlds Apart Step excelled in surprise and speed.

He walked roughly a hundred meters farther up, then suddenly turned right and circled along the mountainside again, observing what the other Princes and Heirs Apparent experienced.

After making a full circuit, he turned and headed back.

He discovered a pattern: the farther up one went, the stronger the Demon Beasts became. The Demon Beasts below were easier to handle.

The moment these Princes and Heirs Apparent entered the mountain, their expressions became fervent and their spirits surged with excitement.

He discovered that whenever his right hand released the sword hilt, he too would become excited, his hot blood boiling as he longed to slaughter every Demon Beast.

The moment he gripped the hilt, clarity immediately returned.

That excitement and soaring battle intent came from a special scent drifting through the air.

The scent was nearly colorless and odorless, originating from the wild grass on the ground.

He shook his head with a laugh. This was truly a trap.

Though he knew the mountain held tigers, he had no courage to march straight into tiger mountain. Naturally, he would pick the soft persimmons to squeeze.

His figure flashed, and he suddenly appeared before a peach tree. Sword light flashed, and a small jade-green snake had already appeared upon the sword tip.

Its vital spot had been pierced through, and the snake was already dead.

With a light shake, he sent the Jade Snake flying onto a forked branch. Then he flashed away and vanished. The next moment, he appeared behind another tree, his sword tip already stabbing into the grass.

When he withdrew his sword, it had pierced through a silver little beast resembling a hedgehog, except the spines across its body shone with dazzling silver light.

The sight of those silver spines made his entire body turn cold and his hairs stand on end.

That silver little beast was extraordinarily dangerous. If it fired its spines, his life would be in danger.

It possessed the ability to move stealthily, soundless and breathless, making it extremely terrifying.

Afterward, he flickered through the forest, sword light flashing only occasionally.