Hunting

# Chapter 15: The Hunt

The thirteen of them, including Chu Zhiyuan, were all dressed in ink-green form-fitting attire, standing before a massive boulder, blending seamlessly into the surrounding mountain colors.

Chu Zhiyuan looked up.

Across from them stood a towering peak, its tip half-buried in the low, dark clouds, impossible to see clearly.

Mountain mist drifted like smoke; the trees were a deep, blackish green.

On the boulder stood Chu Qingfeng and thirteen middle-aged men, their expressions solemn, faint tension showing through—a stark contrast to the excited, eager faces of Chu Mingxuan and the others.

Further out, over a hundred palace guards surrounded them, each clad in the Great Jing Dynasty's standard armor—Bright Armor—gleaming with cold light, a chilling, imposing sight.

These hundred-plus palace guards formed a circle, swords at their waists, hands resting on the hilts, eyes sweeping their surroundings like hawks watching their prey.

"I won't waste words," Chu Qingfeng said, his gaze sweeping over the princes and heirs. "Just one rule: don't be greedy for glory and take risks. If anything feels wrong, shout or send a signal immediately—someone will come to your rescue!"

"If you want to earn merit, you need to stay alive. You all know what matters more. Don't lose your head when the fighting starts. Especially—these demon beasts' roars will stir your bloodlust, make your eyes go red. Keep yourselves in check!"

His gaze finally settled on Chu Zhiyuan. "The demon beasts in Little Scarlet Cloud Mountain are nothing to underestimate. Stay sharp. It's your first time—don't think about earning merit."

"Yes, Paternal Granduncle."

Chu Zhiyuan clasped his fists from among the crowd of princes and heirs.

"It's noon now. When the mountain turns red, the bell will ring to signal the end... Enter the mountain!"

"Let's go!"

"Here I come!"

"I'm definitely bagging one this time!"

Their eyes gleamed, voices excited as they shouted, but their movements were cautious as they slowly approached the forest at the foot of Little Scarlet Cloud Mountain.

They spread out, each choosing a direction to enter the woods.

Kills made together didn't count as merit—only solo kills did.

Chu Zhiyuan first circled the base of the mountain, not approaching the forest, appearing hesitant.

From the mountain forest came roars and howls, rising and falling in waves.

His Super Sensation covered a hundred-meter radius as he moved, keeping his eyes on Chu Zhiting and Chu Chuan.

A Squirrel-like Beast turned into a dark blur shooting toward Chu Zhiting. Before he could react, it slammed into him, sending him flying into a pine tree ten meters away.

"Thud!" Pine needles rained down like a shower. He clung to the tree trunk halfway up, grimacing in pain.

Not far away, Chu Zhichuan also encountered a dark blur from a Squirrel-like Beast, but he dodged nimbly and thrust his sword at it.

The beast swung its big tail in midair, twisted gracefully, and vanished into the forest.

Chu Zhiyuan pondered.

That beast was too fast. Without preparation, it was hard to react. Chu Zhiting and Chu Zhichuan were clearly ready—this definitely wasn't their first encounter.

"Hiss—!" Chu Zhiting sucked in cold air through his teeth, slid down to the tree's roots, and shook his head.

A green streak shot toward the back of his head.

"Bam!" He punched at the green blur.

It looped through the air and vanished into the distance.

It was a small snake, emerald green like carved jade, its eyes clear and bright, its head not fierce but lively and cute.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded. Ninth Son clearly knew it would ambush him at that moment.

That was the value of experience—experience bought with injuries.

At the same time, his mind also showed him what was happening with Chu Zhichuan.

Chu Zhichuan's handsome face was taut. He shook his longsword, its blade flashing as he took two more steps forward, then slashed at the air.

"Ding..."

At the tip of his sword, a white swallow suddenly appeared. It fluttered twice, about to fall.

But after dropping a foot, it flipped over and flew up again, slanting upward, gliding lightly into the void and disappearing.

Chu Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow.

That white swallow could turn invisible.

For someone unfamiliar with it, dodging that swallow's strike would be nearly impossible.

Little Scarlet Cloud Mountain truly lived up to its reputation.

Chu Zhiting and Chu Zhichuan continued upward, gradually moving beyond his Super Sensation's range.

He circled around the edge of the forest again, observing the other heirs' situations.

Some encountered Jade Green Snakes, some Squirrel-like Beasts, some invisible Spirit Swallows, and one even ran into a Snow White Rabbit.

That little white rabbit kicked once, and an heir was sent flying, spitting a blood arrow in midair before hitting the ground hard and passing out.

A Middle-aged Expert drifted in and pulled him out, bringing an end to this Winter Hunt.

Chu Zhiyuan clicked his tongue.

The force behind that snow-white, adorable little rabbit's kick was no less than a strike from a Xiantian Master.

A sudden feeling arose in him: the Winter Hunt wasn't them hunting these Demon Beasts—it was the Demon Beasts hunting them.

Watching the performance of these Heirs Apparent and Princes, they were like sheep that had stumbled into a wolf pack—cautious, trembling, jumping at shadows, treating every rustle of wind or stir of grass as a grave threat. It was honestly a bit laughable.

He grew even more vigilant and careful in his heart.

After all, these Princes and Heirs Apparent were no weaklings. They had all learned top-tier martial arts and been tempered through hardship—nothing like the ordinary martial artists of the outside world.

The fact that they were so jittery could only mean these Demon Beasts were truly terrifying.

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

Chu Qingfeng stood atop a peak on the opposite side, looking down with eyes like an eagle's. He saw Chu Zhiyuan's every move clearly, and made no rush to urge him on as he hesitated—only watched calmly.

Little Scarlet Cloud Mountain was thickly covered with trees and wild grass. All kinds of trees grew in a tangled mess, branches and vines crisscrossing every which way, with only a few narrow paths carved out by the Princes and Heirs Apparent.

The moment he stepped into the forest, the hairs all over his body stood on end, warning him to retreat—he was already within a dangerous zone.

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

What his eyes saw, his ears heard, his skin, mouth, and nose felt—all of it formed a strange world composed of color, sound, scent, and touch.

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

He walked slowly, then suddenly thrust out his sword.

"Squeak—!"

A shrill cry sounded from behind his head. The sword had already skewered a small, nimble squirrel, its brown fur sleek and glossy like silk satin.

The sword tip entered through the vulnerable spot at its throat and came out through the back of its neck.

Through Super Sensation, he knew the weakness of this Demon Beast rat; the sword tip couldn't pierce any other part of its body.

He flicked the sword body, and the Demon Beast rat hung from a nearby tree fork.

The blade was as bright and clean as new—clear, cold, and sharp.

He pressed his left hand into a sword-finger gesture, lightly wiping it along the blade all the way to the tip. Not a trace of blood remained, only a faint, sweet, fishy smell.

"One."

He continued deeper inside.

After a few steps, he furrowed his sword-like brows.

That single strike of his had actually created a deterrent. The Spirit Swallow flying in the air was hovering invisibly in the void, watching and observing.

No matter how strong he was, he couldn't fly into the sky to kill it.

The Jade Snake clinging to the treetop was motionless, blending perfectly with the branches. It was quite far away and showed no intention of attacking.

Not far off, another Demon Beast was crouching, silently and soundlessly backing away.

That one sword strike had scared them.

These Demon Beasts were extremely cunning, cautious and careful.

Chu Zhiyuan didn't rush to pursue. He hurried forward a few steps, bringing Chu Zhiting and Chu Zhichuan back within the range of his Super Sensation. At the same time, the Eighteenth Prince, Chu Mingxuan, was also within its scope.

Chu Zhiting was sent flying by a golden lynx, spitting a stream of blood in midair. The Golden Lynx turned into a streak of Golden Light, chasing after him and slamming into him again.

Chu Zhiting punched while still spitting blood in the air, only to be sent flying once more by the Golden Lynx.

The Golden Lynx's speed slowed for a moment, then it twisted in midair, landed on a fork between trees, and with a single bound, vanished into the forest.

Chu Zhiting hit the ground with a "bang," shaking the earth. He wiped his mouth with his hand and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva with a hateful look.

Chu Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow.

This Chu Zhiting had trained in a body-tempering technique, thick-skinned and tough. He'd taken several impacts and seemed completely unharmed.

Turning his gaze to Chu Zhichuan on the other side, his sword light formed a continuous mass of Clear Light, protecting himself. His movements were light and agile, and though his footwork wasn't as swift as the Within Reach, Yet Worlds Apart Step, it was still exquisitely subtle, allowing him to dodge ambushes in the nick of time and counterattack.

But Chu Zhiyuan could see that while his sword light was unbroken, its power was truly lacking.

Just watching his sword strike a Spirit Swallow and a white rabbit, both of which escaped easily, was proof enough of its weakness.

These Demon Beasts all had bodies of bronze and bones of iron. To break through their defenses and kill them, one had to find their weak points and then strike those weak points.

The former they might know—after all, they had experience, or they might have learned it from books or from elders at home.

In that regard, he was at a disadvantage, having no experience to draw on.

But the latter was not easy.

These Demon Beasts shared a common trait: blinding speed.

They all instinctively guarded their weak points, subtly or otherwise. An ordinary person might not notice, but it couldn't fool him.

Even knowing their weak points, hitting them was another matter—one had to be faster than they were.

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

After climbing about a hundred meters, he suddenly veered right to circle the mountainside again, observing the trials of the other princes and heirs.

Having made a full circuit, he turned back.

He noticed a pattern: the higher he went, the stronger the demon beasts became, while those below were easier to handle.

The moment these princes and heirs set foot on the mountain, they grew fervent and stirred with excitement.

He realized that as soon as his right hand let go of the sword hilt, he too became agitated, blood boiling with the urge to slaughter every demon beast.

But the instant he gripped the hilt again, clarity returned.

That fervor and blazing battle lust came from a peculiar scent drifting in the air.

Nearly colorless and odorless, it emanated from the wild grass on the ground.

He shook his head with a wry smile. This is too much of a trap.

Knowing there were tigers on the mountain, he wouldn't charge straight into their den—he wasn't that brave. Of course, he'd pick the softest targets.

With a flicker of movement, he appeared before a peach tree. A flash of sword light, and the tip already held a jade-green snake.

Its vital spot pierced, the snake was dead.

He gave a light flick, sending the jade snake flying onto a branch, then vanished in a flash. The next moment, he stood behind another tree, the sword tip thrust into a patch of grass.

When he withdrew the blade, it had run through a silver beast, like a hedgehog but with spines gleaming silver.

The sight of those silver spines sent a chill through him, raising every hair on his body.

This silver beast was extremely dangerous—if it shot out all those spines, his life would be at risk.

It could stalk silently, moving without a sound, utterly terrifying.

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