Led by Zhou Zhong, a group of strong villagers left Feiyun Village and headed towards the distant mountains.
Lin Xun was among them. He had promised Zhou Zhong to exterminate the worms in his plantations when he returned from hunting if Zhou Zhong agreed to let him join the hunt.
Naturally, Zhou Zhong happily agreed.
Zhou Zhong’s wife had caught a cold earlier and had only just recovered, but her body was still quite weak. She urgently needed to nourish her qi and blood.
Therefore, Zhou Zhong's main purpose in going into the mountains was to collect medicinal herbs with qi and blood replenishing properties. Hunting was only next in importance.
As an experienced hunter in Feiyun Village, Zhou Zhong was very well aware of the dangers in the mountains, and so he asked some strong villagers to join him even if he was just going to collect medicinal ingredients.
Zhou Zhong wasn’t particularly worried about Lin Xun, who had insisted on participating. He had heard how Lin Xun defeated Lu Ting and knew Lin Xun was likely much stronger than all the villagers.
The group set off, and it took them at least an hour to reach the foot of the mountains even with Zhou Zhong leading the way.
As far as the eye could see were mountains piercing the clouds and towering into the sky. All of the mountains were shrouded in dense clouds from midway up.
The roar of beasts echoed faintly in the mountains, filling people with terror.“Everyone, be careful. The ancient forest in the mountains is incredibly dangerous. Not only are there fierce beasts, but also disease-carrying insects. Follow me closely and don’t run off by yourself.”
Before the vast forest, Zhou Zhong gripped his bow and vigilantly scanned the surroundings.
The other villagers simultaneously drew their weapons with solemn expressions.
Although they all had strong bodies, they were only ordinary people and not cultivators. They had to be on constant alert in such a place.
After a thought, Lin Xun also took out his azure blade.
The group was ready. They stepped into the vast forest and soon disappeared.
……
The forest was enormous with ancient trees towering into the sky. Their flourishing leaves and branches created a canopy, making the atmosphere dim and humid.
Vines as thick as a bucket hung all over the forest like pythons. Leaves were piled high on the ground with strange yet enchanting flowers and there were plants that were clearly extremely poisonous growing from them.
Zhou Zhong and the others tensed up as they cautiously moved forward. No one dared to utter a word in fear of attracting attacks from poisonous insects or beasts.
However, Lin Xun looked very relaxed and even had the mood to admire the scenery along the way. He occasionally crouched down to pick some flowers and plants.
“Lustrous Purple Flower, Jade Star Plant, Three-Leaf Silver Thread Vine, Scarlet Tail Bitter Root... I didn’t expect to find so many rune materials in this ancient forest.”
Lin Xun was enjoying his time in the mountains. As a rune apprentice, Lin Xun had handled various rune materials since young. Naturally, he could identify what was good and bad with one glance.
Taking advantage of his experience and sharp eyes, he spotted many rune materials along the way. Many of them could be used as medicine or refined into rune ink.
Of course, he could also sell them!
This was an unexpected surprise to Lin Xun. Unfortunately, it was difficult to exchange rune materials for some loose change in Feiyun Village, let alone fill up his stomach, as there was no market for them.
Lin Xun carried an animal skin sack, which was at least as long as an average person, so he wouldn’t have to worry about storing any rune materials he found.
When Zhou Zhong noticed that Lin Xun was picking flowers and plants from time to time along the way, he couldn’t help but ask, “Little Brother Lin Xun, what do you pick those things for?”
Zhou Zhong wasn’t the only one who had been curious as the other villagers had also found it perplexing.
Lin Xun didn’t try to conceal the value of the rune materials he found and explained each one to the villagers, making them look more confused.
However, their faces immediately lit up when they heard that such things could be sold for good money, and they all asked Lin Xun for advice to point them out.
Lin Xun readily agreed. Under Lin Xun’s guidance, the villagers began to search for rune materials along the way.
The saying ‘strength lies in numbers’ was indeed true. In less than the time it took to burn an incense stick, Lin Xun’s animal skin sack was already filled to the brim.
It was clear that the vast forest was full of various kinds of rune materials despite its remote and dangerous location.
Of course, if Lin Xun hadn’t come along with them, they wouldn’t know about the value of those flowers and plants.
While everyone was marching ahead in great spirits, Lin Xun abruptly halted and signaled everyone to stop.
Under the puzzled gazes of Zhou Zhong and others, Lin Xun suddenly grabbed the bow and arrow in Zhou Zhong’s hand and climbed a nearby tree. Then he took a deep breath, drew the bow, and shot the sharp arrow into the distance.
The villagers didn’t understand what happened, but they had a feeling that a fierce beast must be approaching!
All of a sudden, their nerves tightened and they were prepared to fight.
Roar—
In just a few breaths, a deafening beast roar resounded like thunder from a distance and drove the birds out of the forest.
“This is bad! It's a snow spotted leopard!”
Zhou Zhong’s expression dramatically changed. Given his years of hunting experience, he could identify a snow spotted leopard from its cry!
Snow spotted leopards were as huge as an ox, had a pattern of dark spots on their snow-white fur, and were known for their vicious and cunning natures.
Lian Rufeng, the Village Guard Leader, had once encountered a snow spotted leopard’s attack. Despite the fact that Lian Rufeng was already at the Inner Strengthening Stage, he still almost died under a ravaging snow spotted leopard’s fangs. This clearly demonstrated the snow spotted leopard’s power and ability.
As expected, the name snow spotted leopard made all the other villagers’ complexions suddenly turn deathly pale. They tightened their grip around their weapons, looking extremely nervous.
They didn’t think that the peaceful and pleasant atmosphere would be destroyed by a snow spotted leopard. The situation was too dangerous. The slightest carelessness could cost them their lives.
Shua!
All of a sudden, a snow-white figure sped through the forests like a lightning bolt towards Zhou Zhong. It was so swift that their eyes could only see a slight blur as it leapt into the air.
It was incredibly quick!
Even if Zhou Zhong was constantly on guard, he still would have reacted too slowly. He had only raised his blade halfway when the creature’s ferocious jaws were close to snapping him up.
Just as Zhou Zhong was the slightest brink away from meeting death, the snow-white figure suddenly let out a pained roar and stiffened in the air before dropping to the ground.
It was only then that everyone could clearly see it was indeed a snow spotted leopard. However, it had an arrow skewered through its hind leg and blood trickling down from it.
Clearly, that arrow saved Zhou Zhong's life.
Roar—
However, before everyone recovered from the shock, the snow spotted leopard unleashed an enraged roar. Its ferocity clearly hadn’t diminished as it leapt into the air again.
Like a signal of death, a stench assaulted their faces and made them draw back in fear and panic.
Shua!
Almost at the same time, an azure blade descended from above with a force capable of splitting Mount Hua and precisely slashed at the snow spotted leopard’s neck from an angle.
Pu!
A fountain of blood splattered three feet high as the snow spotted leopard’s head hurled into the air. The beast lost complete control of its entire body and crashed to the ground.
It died like that?
Zhou Zhong and others were utterly shaken with disbelief. It was a snow spotted leopard. Even Lian Rufeng, who possessed an Inner Strengthening Stage cultivation base, almost lost his life to a snow spotted leopard, yet it died instantly in a single strike!
While everyone was dumbstruck, Lin Xun came to the snow spotted leopard and thrust the tip of his short azure blade into the snow spotted leopard’s chest. A jet of blood wildly gushed out. He took out another bag to collect the blood.
A snow spotted leopard was no ordinary beast. Its heart contained extremely abundant power, which had remarkable effects when used to concoct medicine or simply consumed as is.
It was only when the bag was filled that Lin Xun gave a hand signal and shook his head. “Everyone, snow spotted leopard’s blood is good stuff and mustn’t be wasted.”
As though they had just awoken from a dream, Zhou Zhong and others scurried over and took out their water sacks.
“Little Brother Lin Xun, you’re amazing. That’s an adult snow spotted leopard. You can exchange its skin for ten copper coins in the Qingyang tribe. Snow spotted leopard’s flesh is also very popular,” exclaimed Zhou Zhong.
The others simultaneously nodded as they gazed at Lin Xun with admiration. A thirteen-year-old boy was able to kill an adult snow spotted leopard alone, which was something they could never imagine doing.
Lin Xun smiled. “Let’s quickly remove the valuable parts of the snow spotted leopard. The smell of blood is too strong. I’m worried that it will soon attract other fierce beasts.”
Zhou Zhong and others nodded in agreement and immediately acted together to dissect the snow spotted leopard’s skin, flesh, bones and tendons. Then, they used the huge leaves of a rotten fish plant to wrap them up and put them away in the animal skin sack.
The rotten fish plant had a pungent smell and could mask the stench of blood. Thereby, they could prevent other beasts following them due to the smell of blood.
Soon, Lin Xun and his party set off again.
After that sudden attack, Zhou Zhong and others became even more cautious. They stopped collecting rune materials and fully concentrated on the surroundings as they moved forward.
Lin Xun was the same as before, except that he had become more picky and selective in what he picked up. He had no interest in rune materials with little value.
Most importantly, the animal skin bags they were carrying had limited space and so they had to discard some rune materials that were of little use.
After traveling in silence for a long while, Zhou Zhong suddenly knitted his brows and whispered, “Something is wrong. Usually, I would encounter seven or eight wild beast attacks in this forest. But this time, apart from encountering a snow spotted leopard, there’s nothing else. It's very strange.”
The other villagers nodded. The situation did seem unusual.
At that moment, Lin Xun seemed to have discovered something. He darted forward and suddenly halted behind a huge tree dozens of feet away.
Soon, Lin Xun’s voice sounded, “Look, it seems someone has been here before us.”
Zhou Zhong and others hurried over to see a lizard-like body covered with dark green scales lying on the ground behind the tree!