Snow Pearl
The rough, hard lines of the tree trunk pressed against his palm as Lu Heng crouched behind the tree, his body completely hidden in the shadows of the forest.
The Giant Feather Bow was drawn to its full length, arm muscles tensed, the bowstring pressed firmly against his fingertips, the pent-up power ready to burst forth at any moment. His gaze was fixed on the adult Blizzard Monster at the bottom of the valley, gnawing on the carcass, his breathing extremely shallow, his chest rising and falling almost imperceptibly.
The valley was deathly still, without wind; even the falling snow had almost stopped.
let go.
The bowstring vibrated violently, and the Giant Feather Arrow pierced the frigid air. It did not hit the intended vital point of the head precisely. Due to the deviation in perspective from a distance, the arrowhead sank deeply into the Blizzard Monster's broad shoulder and back.
Hard, thick skin, dense fascia, and cold bones run through it layer by layer.
The immense penetrating impact instantly slammed the heavy, ferocious beast heavily onto the snow-covered ground.
A dull thud suddenly erupted, sending snow flying everywhere.
The adult Blizzard Monster trembled violently in pain, a deep growl escaping from the depths of its throat. The excruciating pain of its flesh tearing exploded along its nerves, and dark red blood seeped continuously from the arrow wound, quickly staining the surrounding white snow.
The baby Blizzard Monster, which was gnawing on scraps of meat nearby, instantly stopped what it was doing.
With its short limbs kicking rapidly through the snow, it quickly rushed to the side of the adult Blizzard Monster, its head rubbing against the other's body repeatedly. Its childish roars were rapid and panicked, filled with obvious vigilance and unease. It circled the heavily injured adult, its dark pupils fixed on the direction of the forest from which the arrows had been shot.
Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Heng's combat instincts compelled him to immediately raise his hand, nock the arrow, and draw the string, completing the entire sequence in one smooth motion.
The bushes where they were hiding swayed slightly with each continuous bow draw.
This slightest movement completely revealed their location.
The adult Blizzard Monster, enduring excruciating pain, struggled to turn its heavy head, its murky, bloodshot eyes locking onto the depths of the forest. There lay the source of the harm.
The cub, initially hesitant, saw the adult's weight and fear of injury, and its ferocity completely overwhelmed its fear. It exerted force with all four limbs, its low body skimming along the snow as it sped towards Lu Heng's hiding place.
The distance of a few dozen meters was covered in the blink of an eye.
Lu Heng's gaze hardened, and he gave up on continuing his long-range shooting.
Close combat is more suitable for quickly eliminating this cub.
He sheathed his bow at his waist, his right hand gripping the Bronze Hunting Blade on his back, the cold metallic touch instantly returning to his palm. He planted his feet firmly on the snow, lowering his center of gravity, waiting for the cub to pounce and get close.
The young Blizzard Monster possesses considerable explosive power, its pounce is swift and fierce, and its open mouth is full of tiny, sharp teeth, carrying a chilling, menacing aura from the forest.
Lu Heng neither dodged nor evaded. The moment the ferocious beast got close, he suddenly exerted force in his waist, sidestepped, dodged the attack, and drew his sword with swift and decisive movements.
The sharpness of the Bronze Hunting Blade was on full display at this moment.
Without any stalemate or collision, the blade sliced through the cub's thick skin and cut into its flesh. Warm, foul-smelling blood gushed out instantly, landing on the snowfield at minus forty degrees Celsius, where it froze instantly.
The cub, in pain, lost control and staggered, its body becoming unbalanced.
Lu Heng seized the fleeting opening, followed up with his footsteps, and with a flick of his wrist, delivered a precise finishing blow with his Hunting Blade.
After a short, muffled thud, the young Blizzard Monster collapsed completely onto the snow, motionless.
The adult Blizzard Monster nearby witnessed the cub's death, and its previously suppressed ferocity went berserk.
The excruciating pain of its lacerated wounds and the rage at the killing of its young forced it to struggle to its feet from the snow, its heavy body straining against the force of the attack. With each movement, the wounds on its shoulders and back would bleed, its steps slow and heavy, far slower than at its peak, yet it moved with a death wish, slowly approaching Lu Heng.
Lu Heng's eyes remained calm, without the slightest ripple.
In this forest, compassion is the first thing to die.
He raised his hand again, nocked the bow, aimed at the heavily wounded adult Blizzard Monster that was closing in, and released the bowstring.
The last Giant Feather Arrow pierced the air, striking precisely the soft armor on the side of the beast's head.
Its massive body trembled violently, its legs buckled, and it collapsed heavily onto the snow. After struggling a few times, it fell completely silent.
The valley floor finally returned to deathly silence, with only the heavy stench of blood slowly permeating the frigid air.
Lu Heng slowly walked into the valley. The snow under his feet was stained with blood, and it felt wet, cold, and sticky.
He first walked to the corpse of the young Blizzard Monster, tapped his Wristband with his fingertip, and activated the dismantling function.
A faint light enveloped the corpse, its skin, flesh, and bones rapidly dissipating and dissipating, leaving several neatly arranged materials lying steadily in its hands.
Blizzard Monster hide, bones, Energy Core, and finally a few strands of bluish-white, firm fascia.
Lu Heng performed an assessment of the opening of the fascia.
[Blizzard Monster Tendon]
Grade: Black Iron-Tier Material
Description: The unique, resilient fascia within the Blizzard Monster's body. Its fibers are fine and tight, with elasticity and tensile strength far exceeding that of ordinary wild beasts' tendons. The Blizzard Monster relies on this special fascia to store and store energy, enabling it to unleash a powerful sprint even under extreme cold. It can completely replace high-grade elastic materials for crafting exquisite bowstrings and high-strength ropes.
Its properties far surpass those of ordinary animal sinews, making it extremely practical.
Lu Heng put away the materials, moved towards the adult Blizzard Monster corpse, and activated the Wristband to disassemble it again.
The same animal hides, bones, Energy Core, and Blizzard Monster Tendon are being produced one after another.
Finally, a round, translucent, ice-white crystal floated quietly in the dim light, its texture hard yet warm, exuding a faint aura of extreme cold.
[Blizzard Monster Snow Pearl]
Grade: Black Iron-Tier Material
Description: A special crystal that has condensed over many years inside an adult Blizzard Monster, similar in formation to bezoar. It is formed by the ferocious beast absorbing the extreme cold energy of the Frost Forest over many years, which is deposited in its gallbladder and condenses over time.
With unique medicinal properties, it is specifically designed to treat injuries caused by extreme cold: when ground into powder and applied externally, it can quickly relieve pain and swelling, and repair frostbitten and ulcerated skin; when mixed with alcohol and used to rub the body over a long period of time, it can weaken the corrosive effects of low temperatures and slowly increase the body's cold tolerance threshold; when taken internally in trace amounts, it can clear the meridians, expel accumulated cold toxins from the body, and cure stubborn joint pain and bone coldness caused by long-term accumulation of low temperatures. Due to its extremely cold nature, excessive consumption is strictly prohibited.
It feels icy cold to the touch when held in your hand, yet it is a genuine and precious medicinal material.
In this Frost Forest, where ice reigns year-round and the risk of frostbite is ever-present, the value of this Snow Pearl far exceeds that of ordinary Black Iron resources.
The chronic joint pain accumulated from long hours of staying up late and sleeping outdoors in low temperatures has finally found a way to be cured.
A rare moment of genuine relaxation and joy welled up in Lu Heng's heart.
This investigation and reconnaissance trip, despite all the risks and struggles, was absolutely worthwhile.
He looked down and opened his inventory, organizing the newly added materials one by one. His gaze fell on the snow-white and translucent Blizzard Monster Snow Pearl, and he secretly planned how to make medicinal wine and regulate his body.
In that brief moment when my emotions calmed down...
Suddenly, a dense, ear-piercing rustling sound came from the Withered Branch in the woods on the left.
It wasn't the wind and snow that caused the branches to sway; it was the sound of heavy objects bumping against them.
The valley floor fell into a deathly silence; even the stench of blood seemed to freeze instantly.
Lu Heng's back muscles tensed instantly, all his relaxed mood vanished in an instant, and his entire body was on high alert. He abruptly looked up at the source of the sound.
The trees rustled, and an even larger shadow slowly pushed aside the branches and stepped out of the woodland.
This is a brand new Blizzard Monster.
It was a whole size larger than the adult one from before, with greater shoulder height, a wider body, and thick, coarse fur, giving it a completely different sense of intimidation.
It stood at the edge of the forest, its dark eyes fixed on the valley floor, its gaze settling on the two mutilated corpses on the ground, the bloodstains still wet, and finally settling on Lu Heng, who stood there holding materials.
It arrived too late to witness the battle.
But I saw the ending clearly.
I saw the corpses of my kind disappear, the cubs completely perish, and I saw this blood-stained massacre scene.
The next moment.
A furious roar that shook the valley exploded with a deafening boom.
Extreme rage completely shattered reason. The massive beast lowered its huge body, its four limbs stomping heavily on the snow beneath its feet, sending snowflakes flying and exploding everywhere. With a violent force that could destroy everything, it charged straight at Lu Heng in a frenzied attack.