As Li Xuan was thinking this, he suddenly noticed some unusual traces nearby.
"Hm?"
The ground had clearly been trampled and rooted up, exposing the black humus beneath.
Several clumps of low brambles had been snapped, their ragged breaks looking as though some immense force had torn them apart.
Clear hoofprints marked the mud, large and deeply sunken. Around the two forehoof prints in particular, the soil had been churned up.
Even more striking was a nearby sapling with a trunk as thick as the mouth of a bowl.
A large patch of bark had been rubbed away, exposing pale wood smeared with dark brown grime and a few coarse, stiff bristles.
These were wild boar tracks, and judging by the size and depth of the hoofprints...
And the force that had snapped the brambles and scraped away the bark, it seemed to be a big one!
Li Xuan's heartbeat quickened slightly.
Wild boars were troublesome prey in the mountains. Their hides were tough, their flesh thick, and their strength immense. Once wounded, they became exceptionally fierce.
But they were valuable, too. The meat, fat, and hide of a large wild boar could fetch a good sum. More importantly, the "points" it provided would surely far exceed those from mountain pheasants and wild rabbits.
"Still... wild boars aren't easy to handle. If I run into one in its prime, it could weigh three or four hundred jin. Then I'll have to run."
After all, every extra hundred jin put a wild boar in an entirely different league.
He crouched low and carefully followed the tracks.
The hoofprints were fresh. The moisture in the soil suggested the boar had passed less than two hours ago.
The trail led downhill toward a creek valley, where wild kudzu vines and berry bushes grew-a place wild boars often visited to forage.
Li Xuan did not rashly pursue it.
Wild boars had extremely keen hearing and a sharp sense of smell. Approaching carelessly would make him easy to detect.
He surveyed the surrounding terrain. The trees here were relatively sparse, offering a reasonably open view.
He quietly retreated some distance and chose a large oak with sturdy branches.
Climbing nimbly, he secured his footing on a horizontal branch more than ten feet above the ground.
This height was relatively safe, gave him a better view, and made drawing his bow easier.
He unstrapped the Ox-Horn Bow, drew a heavy iron arrow from his quiver, and nocked it.
The cold arrowhead pointed toward the Beast Trail below.
He adjusted his breathing to the rhythm of his internal breath method, long and gentle. His whole body seemed to merge with the ancient tree. Even the sharpness of his gaze faded, leaving only focused anticipation.
Time trickled by.
Only the rustle of wind through the treetops filled the woods, punctuated by the occasional call of an unknown bird.
Li Xuan remained motionless, like a silent rock.
After somewhat less than an hour, a rustling suddenly came from the bushes below, drawing closer.
Then a dark, powerful figure appeared in his field of vision.
Good grief! Li Xuan's pupils contracted slightly, but he soon breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness... this boar isn't ridiculously big. It should be a female or a youngster..."
Its shoulders would have reached almost to his upper thighs. Coarse, dark brown bristles covered its body, while a grayish-white ridge stood along its back like swords and halberds.
Its long snout snorted white vapor. Two curved, outward-pointing tusks, yellow stained with black, gleamed with a chilling light in the dim woods.
At a rough glance, it had to weigh at least two hundred jin.
It moved slowly with its head lowered, constantly rooting through fallen leaves and soil in search of edible roots or insects.
The boar drew closer, gradually entering his ideal range.
Li Xuan knew he had to kill it with one shot, or at least inflict a sufficiently serious wound. Otherwise, enraging this creature would be extremely dangerous.
His gaze fixed on the side of its neck, just behind the front shoulder blade. That was where the heart and major blood vessels lay, and the hide was relatively thin.
The boar seemed to sense something. It suddenly stopped rooting, raised its head, swiveled its small ears warily, and sniffed the air.
Li Xuan instantly held his breath, his eyes blazing with sharp light! The bowstring gave a low, powerful twang beneath his fingers!
Twang!
The iron arrow left the string, becoming an almost invisible streak of black light. It tore through the air with a piercing shriek, hurtling toward its target at astonishing speed!
The boar reacted incredibly quickly, starting to twist aside almost the instant the bowstring sounded. But the arrow was too fast!
Thunk!
The dull, teeth-grating sound of a sharp point piercing flesh rang out!
The iron arrow struck exactly where Li Xuan had aimed, burying itself deep. Only a short section of fletching remained outside, trembling violently!
"Aaaaooow!"
An agonized, utterly savage howl shook the entire mountain forest!
The boar's massive body reared upright, then slammed back down. The excruciating pain drove it mad in an instant!
It had not even seen where the attack came from. Acting purely on instinct, it turned its bloodshot little eyes toward the general direction of the arrow and spotted the figure in the tree.
Boom!
It lowered its head, tusks pointing forward, and furiously scraped its hind hooves against the ground, spraying mud and shredded grass. Like an out-of-control war chariot, it charged at the tree where Li Xuan hid, with a crazed momentum that threatened to crush everything in its path!
Even the ground trembled faintly beneath its heavy footfalls!
Li Xuan's heart tightened. This boar's tenacity truly was formidable!
His movements never stopped. In an instant, his fingers caught a second iron arrow, nocked it, and drew the bow!
The bowstring cracked like thunder!
The second arrow followed the boar's charging course, streaking out like a meteor chasing the moon. It targeted the relatively vulnerable rear flank exposed by its forward rush!
Thunk!
Another arrow buried itself deep!
This shot seemed to have injured its internal organs. The boar's charge abruptly faltered, and it let out an even more agonized, confused roar. Blood began gushing from both wounds, staining its dark brown coat red.
But its ferocity had been fully unleashed. Throwing all caution aside, it lowered its head and charged again, slamming hard into the tree where Li Xuan hid!
Thud!
With a tremendous crash, the trunk shook violently, sending leaves showering down.
The bowl-thick trunk actually cracked under the impact!
Li Xuan steadied himself in the tree, though the shock left his blood surging. He knew he could not give this beast another chance.
The third iron arrow was already in his hand-the last rapid-fire shot he could reliably make with his current strength and condition.
He narrowed his eyes, ignoring the huge beast below as it battered the tree and roared to the heavens. Every ounce of his focus locked onto the vital spot beneath its long snout-the throat briefly exposed as it raised its head to howl!
The arrow flew!
This shot was fast! Precise! Ruthless!
It carried a trace of the almost
Instinctive will to pierce and kill granted by "proficient"-level archery!
Whoosh!
The arrow pierced precisely through the relatively soft underside of the boar's throat, driving so deep that it nearly emerged from the other side!
"Hhh... hhh..."
The boar's howl cut off abruptly, becoming a leaking, breathy rasp. Its frenzied battering suddenly stopped.
Its enormous body swayed several times. Its four legs began to buckle, and the crimson light in its eyes rapidly dimmed.
Crash!
Its hill-like body finally gave out, crashing to the ground like a toppled mountain of gold or a fallen pillar of jade. Its limbs twitched a few times, then it went utterly still.
Blood streamed from the three wounds, rapidly soaking a broad patch of earth. A heavy stench of blood spread through the air.
Li Xuan leaned against the trunk and let out a long, stale breath. Only then did he notice the slight numbness in his arms and the cold sweat soaking his back.
Those few shots, especially the final arrow aimed at its throat, had consumed a considerable amount of concentration and stamina.
Looking down at the huge carcass slowly stiffening beneath the tree, he felt a powerful sense of achievement rise within him.
[Successfully hunted 'Female Wild Boar'...] [Obtained: Hunting Points +55] [Traits available for collection] [Thick Hide (blue): Slightly increases resistance to blunt weapon strikes and slashes from crude edged weapons.] [Reckless Charge (blue): Increases physique by 0.5, but decreases dexterity by 0.3. Also increases explosive power when charging.]
Fifty-five points! And two blue traits!
Li Xuan's eyes lit up.
This haul far exceeded his expectations!
He immediately selected "Collect" with his mind.
An almost imperceptible warmth swept across the surface of his skin, then vanished.
"Thick Hide... doesn't that mean... I've gained another layer of skin?"
"As for the other one, it adds so much physique... but lowers dexterity. It has its pros and cons."
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