Lie Ke and the other two brute experts came to a stop when a forest appeared before them.
Forests were one of the most terrifying places in Demon Cloud Ridge. They were filled with poisonous miasma, various strange and frightening venomous insects, and ferocious beasts.
Under normal circumstances, neither the human nor brute experts would willingly enter.
“Lie Ke, do we continue?” One of the brute experts asked with a grave expression.
Lie Ke swiftly enquired, “Are we certain the culprit’s trail leads into this forest?”
The other brute expert answered in a low voice, “There should be no mistake. I’ve been following his presence since the beginning and although he is adept at concealing his traces, the unique scent he left behind cannot hide from my nose.”
He was called Shui Zi and specialized in tracking and assassination. The cultivation method he practiced could lock onto the unique scent of an enemy.
“Chase!” Lie Ke cast aside all hesitation with a wave of his hand and led the way by charging into the miasma-filled forest.
……
The dark forest was like a giant maze. Mists filled the air, making it extremely easy for someone to lose their sense of direction.It was also extremely dangerous. Poisonous toads could be hidden in the shrubbery, beautiful flowers could instantly transform into giant bloody mouths which could devour any passerby, and the thick chain-like vines could easily be a snake in disguise.
The environment here was strange and treacherous. Even the seemingly solid ground could instantly transform into a giant swamp which emitted a suction force that even a Spirit Dipper expert would be powerless against.
Not only did the Lie Ke trio fail to immediately find Lin Xun’s trial, but they also instead found themselves in dangerous situations several times. If not for their quick reactions, they might have lost their lives there and then.
This made their expressions become increasingly grave and alert. They were beginning to regret entering this dangerous and unpredictable forest.
One of the brute experts asked, “Lie Ke, this forest is too bizarre. Could the culprit have died already?”
“He’s not dead!” The one who answered was Shui Ze. His gaze was locked into a certain spot in the distance, “I can still detect his scent and it leads somewhere nearby. We’ve almost caught up to him!”
“Continue chasing. We cannot lose our sacred treasure!” The hesitation in Lie Ke’s heart was dispelled as he gritted his teeth and pushed forward.
Moments later.
Shui Ze came to a stop and noiselessly signed to the other two to stop as well before he looked towards a certain thick ancient tree in the distance.
The other two immediately understood and gripped their weapons as a chilling light flashed in their eyes.
The trio silently spread out and approached. When there were only a hundred feet left to the target——
“Kill!”
The trio charged forward, dashing towards the tree from three different directions.
However, their prepared attacks completely whiffed. There was only empty space behind the tree and a bloody rag in the bushes which had clearly been torn off from someone’s clothes.
Oh no!
In mid-air, the trio’s expressions changed slightly as unease bubbled within them.
Beng! Beng! Beng!
A series of explosion-like arrow sounds seemed to seize their souls like a call from the underworld.
Lie Ke immediately twisted his body and curled up in the air like a porcupine, allowing him to shift his trajectory mid-air.
Bang!
An arrow brushed past his body and pierced a tree, causing a spray of splinters before it struck the ground with a loud and terrifying bang.
Lie Ke landed on the ground and found himself drenched in sweat. The archer’s timing was nearly impeccable, choosing the split second when they could not avoid in mid-air. He had felt like a live target and if he had not taken evasive maneuvers in time, the outcome would have been unimaginable.
“AHH——!” A blood-curdling scream rang out.
Lie Ke immediately turned his head and saw an arrow embedded in Shui Ze’s right eye. The arrow had pierced right through his head and dripped with viscous blood and brain fluids, creating a nauseating sight.
With a loud thump, Shui Ze fell to the ground and died.
Lie Ke’s eyes nearly popped from their sockets, wishing he could wrangle the hidden culprit’s neck.
Before he could move, the whistle of another arrow rang out, causing him to shiver as he instinctively threw himself to the side.
Lie Ke roared, “Mu Qu, are you okay?”
“I’m…I’m fine.” The other brute expert uncertainly shouted back a hundred feet away. His face was slightly pale.
He was backing away as if he was facing a hidden demon that was ready to pounce and devour him.
After retreating about seventy feet, the ground below his feet suddenly softened and he sunk into it with a splash.
The ground churned like a vortex, releasing a terrifying pulling force that made it impossible for him to escape.
Horrified, the brute expert yelled, “Big Bro Lie Ke, save me!”
“Damnit!” Lie Ke was furious. He tried to approach but was immediately forced back by a volley of arrows.
“Mu Qu! Hold on!” Lie Ke’s entire body shook with anger as he roared. He kept trying to move but was repeatedly forced back by sharp and merciless arrows.
Amidst this, he could only watch helplessly as Mu Qu’s body continued to sink into the mud and ultimately disappeared with one final despairing cry.
“Come out you human scum! Get your ass out here now!” Lie Ke released a thunderous roar like a wild beast that had gone mad.
His two companions had died in less than fifteen minutes but the enemy was still nowhere to be seen. This made Lie Ke feel as if he was about to go crazy from frustration.
However, no matter how Lie Ke howled, the forest remained deathly silent. There were no more arrows. It was as if the enemy had already vanished.
Moments later, Lie Ke rapidly gasped for breath. He felt as if he was on the verge of crumbling.
Two of his companions had been killed without even seeing the enemy’s appearance. The operation to take back their sacred treasure had ended in complete failure…
It was an outcome Lie Ke could not accept.
“I must report to Shaman Ye Ling as soon as possible. Only by notifying more elite warriors will we have a chance to save the situation. The culprit…must die!!!” Lie Ke gritted his teeth as resolve flashed in his eyes.
He could not bother to think why the enemy had not killed him as well…
……
Lin Xun was fleeing.
When he was preparing to give Lie Ke the final blow, Lin Xun suddenly felt a sliver of intense danger. This immediately made him abandon everything and turn around to flee.
Lin Xun sprinted through the thick fog, leaving after-images and a swirling trail of mist in his wake.
He did not need to turn around to know that his enemy was still following him. The danger felt like a dagger on his back and had not decreased at all.
Lin Xun knew that he had encountered a true expert this time.
It made him recall Shi Yu’s evaluation of the battle zone test before coming to Demon Cloud Ridge.
To the empire and the brute race, Demon Cloud Ridge was merely a soldier training facility. It was a place where their young experts could understand their opponents via real battle.
In other words, Blood Kill Camp’s 237 students in Demon Cloud Ridge were very likely to encounter young experts from the brute race who were definitely not the least bit inferior to them!
Although Lin Xun did not know whether the person who was pursuing him was one of these elites, he understood that he was already at a disadvantage before the battle even began.
He had not rested since he entered the temporary camp set up by the brute experts. He had been constantly on the move even until he lured Lie Ke and the other two brute experts into the forest.
Lin Xun had originally planned to kill the trio and return to the camp to eliminate the rest of them.
However, his plan had now been disrupted.
Lin Xun took a deep breath and gauged his current condition. He estimated that he had used nearly half of his energy and there were several wounds on his body.
Normally speaking, these wounds and energy consumption would be inconsequential. However, they put him at a disadvantage against a true expert.
“I need to lose this guy as soon as I can. Otherwise, the situation will become increasingly unfavorable for me…”
Lin Xun took a deep breath, cast aside all unnecessary thoughts, and pushed his speed to the maximum.
……
A slim and healthy figure confidently advanced through the forest. Every step covered over a hundred feet, making his speed astonishing despite his seemingly slow movements.
It was a young man with bronze skin and very handsome facial features. He had a high nose, deep-set eyes, and a pair of long straight sword-like eyebrows. All of this together with his thin blade-like lips gave off a feeling of prettiness.
His eyes were especially enchanting. They looked like a pair of whirlpools that would occasionally flash a peculiar blue.
If Shaman Ye Ling was present, he would definitely recognize this young man. He was the most outstanding individual amongst the younger generation of the Water Tribe, one of the heaven pride leaders, and a ninth level Brute Slave, Shui Zhi
Shui Zhi wielded an ordinary-looking short bronze blade and strikingly resembled a healthy cheetah as he zipped through the woods.
Shui Zhi’s eyes suddenly shone as an icy smile formed on his lips, “Heh heh, it seems that the heavens are helping me.”
He dived forward like an eagle, moving so quickly that he caused a series of sonic booms.
After a few breaths, his figure came to a halt because his target had already appeared in front of him.
It was a tall and handsome young man who was currently engaged in battle with a blood-horn python whose body was as thick as a bucket.
Shui Zhi arrived just in time to see the young man stab his blade into the blood-horn python’s head, killing it.
“My luck is pretty bad today.” The young man turned his head and sighed when he saw Shui Zhi.
It was naturally Lin Xun.
He was indeed rather unlucky. While running, he had unexpectedly bumped into a blood-horn python, leaving him no choice but to draw his blade and fight.
This slight delay had allowed his enemy to catch up.
“I’m called Shui Zhi and I'm from the Water Brute Tribe.” Shui Zhi was in no hurry to fight. Instead, he smiled faintly, revealing a set of pearly-white teeth as he introduced himself.
“My only goal for coming to Demon Cloud Ridge is to kill more Blood Kill Camp students.”
His ordinary voice gave off a heart-palpitating aura of cold cruelness.