It was a one-horned lizard!
Zhou Zhong and the others immediately identified the beast lying dead on the ground to be an adult one-horned lizard.
There were strict standards on how animals and beasts were categorized. They were divided into three types: wild beast, ferocious beast and savage beast.
For example, jackals, minks, foxes, and mongooses were only considered wild beasts. Although they were fierce, ordinary hunters could kill them.
Ferocious beasts included beasts such as tigers, leopards, wild boars, bulls and bears. Their vicious aggressiveness made them able to take on and even kill beginner cultivators.
Savage beasts were completely different in that they were all overlords in the mountains and possessed considerable intelligence. Even the weakest savage beast could easily kill first layer True Martial Stage cultivators, while the strongest could make even ninth layer True Martial Stage cultivators flee in terror.
The snow spotted leopard that Lin Xun and the others killed was precisely a savage beast.
However, compared with the one-horned lizard before them, the snow spotted leopard could only be regarded as an ordinary savage beast. The lizard, on the other hand, could take down cultivators of the fifth True Martial Stage!
In all the years that Zhou Zhong had hunted, he had never seen a one-horned lizard in person despite hearing about its terror many times.
Fortunately, the one-horned lizard was dead. Otherwise, everyone might have lost their lives there.Lin Xun squatted down to examine the one-horned lizard’s wounds.
It was as huge as a bull and had four pillar-like hooves. Dark green scales covered its entire body apart from the crescent moon shaped horn on its head. However, the horn had been cleanly sawn off and a hole that was still oozing blood was left.
Its throat had also been pierced, leaving a fist-sized hole. Given the clean edges of the hole and the position of the dead beast, Lin Xun speculated that a spear-like weapon instantly took the beast’s life after it skewered through its throat!
Thinking of this, fear filled Lin Xun’s heart. Someone who could kill an adult one-horned lizard in one strike had to possess the strength of at least the fifth True Martial Stage!
Could there be another strong cultivator in the mountains besides them?
“The one who killed this beast is much stronger than our Village Guard Leader, Lian Rufeng.”
Zhou Zhong and others gasped in astonishment.
Lin Xun made a prompt decision and urged, “We should leave now.”
“Leave now?”
Zhou Zhong and others seemed taken aback.
“If my guess is correct, that cultivator is very powerful and we are no match against them. The cultivator must have a certain purpose to appear in this ancient forest, and if we run into the cultivator, it’s hard to guarantee that nothing will happen.”
Lin Xun said casually, “Of course, the cultivator might not want to make things difficult for us, but to be on the safe side, we better leave as soon as possible.”
Zhou Zhong and others understood and quickly agreed.
Before leaving, Lin Xun and the others dissected the one-horned lizard’s corpse and stored its body parts into their animal skin sack.
All parts of the one-horned lizard were considered treasures, especially its scales. Ordinary blades and swords couldn’t penetrate them, so they were most suitable as armor-crafting materials. The scales could be sold for good money.
In addition, its tendons, bones, flesh and blood had great nourishing properties, and its teeth and claws were ideal materials for making weapons.
It was just a pity that the most valuable horn had already been taken.
However, Lin Xun and others were already very satisfied with their harvest. It was already an unexpected surprise to come across a one-horned lizard’s corpse.
Zhou Zhong did not need to search for the medicinal ingredients he set off to find because, compared to any herbal ingredient he could find in the mountains, the one-horned lizard’s blood and flesh had superior qi- and blood-nourishing properties.
Everyone traveled back along the same path without stopping.
……
While Lin Xun and others were leaving, a rumble echoed from the depths of the ancient forest, followed by towering trees being set ablaze and crashing to the ground.
A tremendous wolf as red as fire bolted by so quickly that if anyone was still there, they would only see a blurred image. It barged through everything without even bothering to evade any obstacles in front of it and tore down trees along the way like it was on a rampage.
If Lin Xun was there, he no doubt would recognize the lava wolf!
It was a savage beast with great intelligence. It swallowed the essence of the sun and moon for its cultivation and could easily kill experts of the ninth True Martial Stage!
However, the giant lava wolf looked terrified, as though it was being chased by an even more terrifying enemy.
Clang!
Suddenly, a silver light flashed across the sky like a star and tore through the air at unimaginable speed before vanishing without a trace.
Roar—
The giant lava wolf charging at full speed unleashed an incomparably tragic roar before its tremendous body collapsed on the ground. The flames that shrouded its entire body incinerated all trees within a ten meter radius and charred the ground.
The roar quickly faded and the lava wolf was already dead before it hit the ground. If someone looked closely, they would see that a ten foot long bone spear had pierced through its back and ruthlessly nailed its body to the ground.
Immediately after, a little figure strode out from the depths of the forest. It was a girl who looked to be around six to seven years old.
Her long black hair draped over her shoulders like a shawl and a dress made of old animal skins was wrapped around her slender body. Her feet were fair and bare. She looked like the descendant of a barbarian tribe.
Her pure and fair face was stunning and delicate. Her dark eyes curved like the crescent moon and her every movement exuded an ethereal charm that didn’t match her age.
She came straight over to the giant lava wolf, and her little slender figure looked even smaller next to the giant lava wolf.
She stepped on the giant lava wolf’s back, stretched out her jade-like hand, and with a slight moment and a splatter of blood, removed the long bone spear dripping with blood.
The bone spear was entirely white and exuded threads of silvery light as if it was filled with stars. It added an even more mysterious aura to the six to seven-year-old girl.
The little girl was clearly the one who killed the giant wolf.
How shocked would other cultivators be if they saw this scene?
The little girl leaned over and searched the giant lava wolf’s wound. She quickly retrieved a fiery red crystal that was the size of a pigeon egg.
The girl couldn’t help but grin widely when she saw the crystal. That brief smile was like a blooming flower bud after the rain, and it was so beautiful that it made the world appear dim in comparison.
The girl planned to leave after acquiring the fire crystal, but something made her furrow her dark and straight eyebrows. She narrowed her eyes as she gazed into the depths of the forest.
She faintly sensed a unique aura far away that made her spirit feel strange.
The feeling wasn’t repulsion or hatred, but a kind of longing and joy. It was very bizarre because she had never felt anything similar before. While she stood there in a daze, puzzlement filled her clear and deep crescent moon shaped eyes.
Dong!
Suddenly, the sky and ground quaked as the ancient forest rumbled. The beasts throughout the forest crouched down trembling.
Snapping out of her thoughts, the girl abruptly turned her head and saw a ten foot tall figure coming her way.
It was a majestic and burly black bear, but it moved like a little hill. The trees collapsed and the ground shook as it approached her.
“Yiyi Yaya.”
As though she had thought of something, the little girl motioned her hands and made a strange sound.
The black bear halted its steps, but shook its head, seemingly in refusal.
The little girl looked disappointed, but she clenched her teeth, leaped up and darted like a bullet in the opposite direction.
But soon, a huge paw lifted her into the air. It clutched her so tightly that she couldn't budge at all.
“Yiyi Yaya.”
The little girl yelled, but the black bear ignored her, and headed towards the depths of the forest.
The little girl sat down in disappointment in the bear’s paw as she gazed at a place that seemed to move farther and farther away with her little face full of confusion.
……
On the way back from the forest, a tragic and thunderous roar rang from the deepest part of the forest, terrifying Lin Xun and his party, and their faces paled accordingly.
“Lava wolf!”
“Heavens! Don’t tell me the cultivator who killed the one-horned lizard has now killed a giant lava wolf?”
“That cultivator must be at least at the Spirit Dipper Stage; otherwise it would be impossible to do so!”
“Spirit Dipper Stage? Impossible, I heard that there is no Spirit Dipper cultivator even in the Qingyang tribe.”
“The noises are coming from the direction where we were going to go. Luckily, we didn't go there.”
Everyone was in an uproar and utterly shocked by this development.
Lin Xun also felt like he had dodged a bullet. If he had rashly gone there, he might have been killed. However, he couldn't help but be curious about who killed the one-horned lizard and lava wolf. ‘Where did the cultivator come from?’
“Let's leave this terrifying place as soon as possible. Today’s operation is too abnormal. We shouldn’t stay any longer.” Zhou Zhong said with worry. The others naturally did not object.
After the time it took to burn an incense stick, Lin Xun and the others walked out of the ancient forest and saw the blazing sun hanging high in the clear sky. It was already past noon.
“The harvest this time isn’t small!”
“Let's go! Let’s quickly get back to the village. We have such a great harvest this time, we should share with the others and celebrate together.”
“Haha, you guys just can't wait to show off.”
“So what? I’m so glad I’m still alive. This is the first time in my life that I brought home the corpses of a snow spotted leopard and a one-horned lizard. They aren’t something everyone has the chance to encounter!”
Zhou Zhong and others were clearly relieved to leave the dark and dangerous forest. Their faces beamed when they looked at the stuffed sacks on their backs.
Lin Xun turned around, staring quietly at the forest in the distance. He muttered to himself, “What could be hidden there that could attract an expert powerful enough to kill a giant lava wolf? I have to come back and explore that place again when I get the chance!”
Lin Xun shook his head to stop himself from thinking about it and followed Zhou Zhong and the others into Feiyun Village.