Chapter 18: Hunting
Chapter 18: Hunting
Chapter 18: Hunting
“Alexander, hurry home.”
Beside him, Mason Chen spoke without irritation. He was actually quite pleased that his son had such aspirations; it was just that his third brother was a bit too impatient in this regard.
“Why can Oliver go and we can’t!”
Lucas Chen protested.
“Hmph, if you were at the Blood Condensation Realm, you could go too!”
“Alright, it’s getting late, let’s set off.”
Ethan Chen interrupted the two and spoke up.
The group no longer delayed and re-entered the secret passage.
After the others had left, Ethan Chen turned his gaze to Lucas and Alexander, smiling slightly:
“Hunting is dangerous, and your strength is not yet sufficient.”“However, since you both also wish to contribute to the clan, I do have other tasks for you. Are you up to it?”
“Of course we are!”
Lucas Chen said confidently.
After sending the two off, Ethan Chen looked towards the clan’s secret passage and once again prayed to the Sacred Tree.
This time, there were a few more people sent out for the hunt, and with Oliver, a late-stage Blood Condensation Realm warrior, there shouldn’t be much of a problem.
Above, Noah Ji silently observed everything, gaining a deeper understanding of the Chen Clan.
It seemed that even in a family with a steady person like Elijah Chen, there was bound to be a Rebel Son.
Just as Noah Ji was reflecting, he suddenly noticed that the absorption of moonlight seemed to have quickened significantly.
Yesterday at this time, he had only increased by 0.1 in vitality.
But now, half an hour had passed, and he had already increased by 0.2 in vitality.
It seemed like a small difference of 0.1, but it was actually twice as much.
This both surprised and delighted Noah Ji.
To confirm his speculation, Noah Ji waited another hour.
When he saw his vitality had increased by 0.4, his face was filled with joy.
His absorption rate of moonlight had indeed doubled.
This meant he could absorb 2.4 vitality in one night, a significant improvement.
The reason for the increase, Noah Ji guessed, was probably because he now had two lush branches, which doubled the area for absorbing moonlight.
It made perfect sense!
To grow more branches and leaves, he would need more vitality.
Now it seemed, his actions from yesterday were correct; had he retained his Qi and Blood, such a change would not have occurred.
…
“The exit of the secret passage is up ahead, everyone be careful.”
Inside the passage, the group moved quietly and cautiously, attentive to their surroundings.
Although it was a clan passage, considering the transfer of clan people and the difficulty of transporting goods, the passage was not small, wide enough to accommodate three people side by side.
This also made it easier to carry the hunt back without having to dismember the prey on the spot.
However, since the exit of the passage was built deep within Disordered Burial Mountain, they had to be cautious of any beasts that might be lurking within, especially those adept at burrowing.
Approaching the exit, they had to be particularly vigilant.
Beasts have a keen sense of smell, and some are quite intelligent; they must not discover the location of the passage’s exit.
Soon, the group arrived at the exit of the passage.
At the exit, a large Blue Stone Slab blocked their way.
Elijah Chen, at the forefront, surged Qi and Blood into his arms and pushed forcefully, revealing the world beyond the slab.
Before them lay a sunken valley surrounded by dense jungle, which helped to reduce the chances of the passage’s exit being discovered.
Looking at the dim environment outside the valley, Oliver Chen’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
It had been months since he last hunted in Disordered Burial Mountain, and in the skirmishes with the Li Clan, he often found himself at a disadvantage, mainly because the Li Clan had two warriors who had already reached the late stage of the Blood Condensation Realm.
Today he was finally able to flex his muscles and test the strength of his late-stage Blood Condensation Realm.
Just as Oliver Chen was confidently preparing to step out of the passage, Elijah Chen stopped him:
“Oliver, wait, sprinkle some Wood Lotus Powder!”
With that, Elijah Chen took out a porcelain bottle and sprinkled the white powder on everyone’s clothing.
Wood Lotus Powder was a medicinal powder that could mask one’s scent, preventing beasts from detecting them.
Oliver Chen frowned slightly, hesitant.
He was at the late stage of Blood Condensation Realm and full of confidence; he didn’t think the powder would make much difference.
But unable to withstand the persuasion of Elijah and the others, he reluctantly sprinkled some on himself.
After everyone was ready, they slowly exited the passage.
Before leaving, someone moved the Blue Stone Slab back to its original place to block the passage.
Deep within Disordered Burial Mountain, there were many fierce beasts. Although it was dangerous, this also saved them the trouble of searching far and wide; as long as they encountered a suitable beast, they could strike at any moment.
The group walked for about half an incense stick’s time but saw no beasts, causing Mason Chen, who was leading, to frown slightly:
“Something’s not right. There were plenty of beasts at this time yesterday. Why haven’t we seen a single one today?”
“Everyone, be careful!”
Hearing Mason Chen’s words, the people behind him also became solemn.
“Wait! Over there!”
Suddenly, Oliver Chen gestured with his hand and, with eyes shining, quickly headed in a certain direction.
Elijah and Mason Chen looked puzzled, as neither of them had sensed anything unusual, but they still quickly signaled the others to follow.
Soon, the group stopped behind several scattered rocks.
Under the faint moonlight, a beast resembling a leopard with a single horn on its head and covered in light red fur appeared before them.
“A mid-stage Blood Condensation Realm Zhen Beast!”
Seeing the beast, everyone was focused, with a hint of joy in their eyes.
No one spoke; the seasoned hunters of the clan already had a set of signals for communication.
The Zhen Beast before them was a suitable target for their hunt.
Under the command of Elijah and Mason Chen, the group slowly began to back away.
The reason for retreating was not to startle the Zhen Beast, to prevent it from detecting their presence and fleeing.
In the depths of Disordered Burial Mountain, chasing prey without regard for the surrounding environment could lead to accidents.
Once they had retreated a certain distance, they began to slowly encircle from all sides.
The Zhen Beast, lying on the ground and resting, was unaware of their presence, simply grooming its fur.
Oliver Chen stood to one side, struggling to suppress the Qi and Blood that was about to burst forth.
As the highest realm warrior in the hunting team, Elijah and the others had made him the main force.
Once the others approached, the panicked Zhen Beast would surely flee towards the area with no people.
The gap left open was where Oliver Chen was positioned. When the Zhen Beast blindly fled, it would be his turn to strike.
Although the plan was simple, it left no room for distraction.