Chapter 121: Hunting Demons
Chapter 121: Hunting Demons
The vast expanse of Dah Hei Mountain was shrouded in darkness, its boundaries unknown.
Veteran demon hunters from Tongxian City often divided Dah Hei Mountain into three sections: the outer mountain, the inner mountain, and the deep mountain.
The outer reaches of Dah Hei Mountain were where most demon hunters ventured to hunt for demons. The area had fewer venomous creatures, and the miasma was less potent. While the terrain was treacherous, it wasn't exceedingly perilous.
The demons in the outer mountain were mostly mid-first rank, with the occasional late-first rank demon, but they were rare.
However, the inner mountain was a different story. It was exceptionally dangerous, filled with venomous creatures, thick miasma, and mind-altering toxic fog.
The demons in the inner mountain were predominantly late-first rank, and occasionally, one might even encounter a second-rank demon.
For a Qi Refining cultivator, encountering a second-rank demon meant certain death if they couldn't escape in time. Thus, only a handful of daring demon hunters ventured into the inner mountain.
As for the deep mountain, it was an absolute forbidden zone, off-limits to all cultivators.
Mo Hua had never heard of a demon hunter daring to venture into the deep mountain, and Mo Shan had warned him that death was certain for anyone who dared to trespass there.
Mo Hua, keenly aware of his low cultivation level, knew better than to even consider such a place.
He wouldn't even cast a glance at such a forbidden zone as the deep mountain.
And while the inner mountain was tempting, he knew better than to take a single step into that treacherous territory.
His planned hunting ground was limited to the outer fringes of the outer mountain—the safest option available.
Mo Hua, along with Da Hu and the two brothers, entered Dah Hei Mountain, sticking to the outskirts of the outer mountain.
The surrounding forest was dense, the mountain paths winding and treacherous. The deep recesses of the mountains hid unknown dangers, and from time to time, eerie sounds echoed through the air.
A faint miasma hung in the air, mixing with the crisp mountain breeze and an unidentified putrid stench, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere.
Occasionally, traces of demonic energy lingered in the quiet corners of the mountains.
This was merely the fringe of the outer mountain, and yet Mo Hua already felt a sense of oppression.
He dared not imagine what it would be like in the inner or deep mountains.
"What do we do now?" Shuang Hu asked softly.
The three of them looked at Mo Hua, awaiting his instructions.
"Leave it to me," Mo Hua said, full of confidence.
He had already formulated a plan.
Using the tracks on the ground, hairs caught on tree branches, bloodstains on rocks, and the faint traces of demonic energy lingering in the air, he deduced the demons' movement patterns and their route out of their lair.
At a narrow mountain cleft along this route, Mo Hua set up a trap.
The trap contained a wood binding array, capable of immobilizing a mid-first rank demon temporarily, but only for a brief period of about ten breaths.
Surrounding the trap were five earth fire arrays, each embedded with a spirit stone.
Mo Hua concealed the trap with stones, then placed several bloodthirsty grass plants on top and splashed it with blood, creating a tantalizing lure for any passing demons.
The bloodthirsty grass had been procured from Jiang Yi, and the blood was a leftover from cooking demon meat at an eatery.
With everything in place, Mo Hua led Da Hu and the brothers to hide behind a nearby boulder, waiting in ambush.
"Will this work?" Xiao Hu asked, his voice laced with doubt.
"We'll see," Mo Hua replied, his attitude one of cautious experimentation.
He had thought through this plan countless times in his head, considering every detail, from the trap to the bloodthirsty grass, the blood, and every subsequent step. It should work without a hitch.
Demon hunting was a dangerous endeavor, and one couldn't afford to be careless.
Moreover, this was Mo Hua's first demon hunt, so he had prepared meticulously.
The group waited behind the boulder. As the sun rose, a thin mist enveloped the mountains, only to dissipate by noon. Still, there was no sign of any demons.
"Do you think there aren't any demons here?" Xiao Hu grew restless.
"Shh," Mo Hua placed a finger on his lips, signaling for quiet. "Uncle Chu always said that setting traps requires patience and attention to detail. We can't rush this."
The others nodded in agreement.
Another hour passed, and as the trees swayed, a demon finally appeared.
It had crimson fur, sharp fangs, and claws, and drool dripped from its mouth. It was a Split-claw Wolf Demon, likely around mid-first rank.
It was the perfect target for Mo Hua.
His spirits lifted, and Da Hu and the brothers also tensed, ready for action.
Soon, it reached the trap.
It sniffed the air, its eyes gleaming with greed as it caught the scent of the bloodthirsty grass and the putrid smell of blood. Yet, it remained cautious, circling the trap a few times before finally stepping inside.
The trap was triggered, and the wood-binding array sprang to life, shackling Split-claw in place with faint green spiritual energy chains.
Split-claw struggled desperately, and it seemed that in just a few breaths, it would break free.
Mo Hua poked his head out from behind the boulder, his right hand pointing forward as he condensed a fireball. The fireball flew straight and arced, but instead of hitting Split-claw, it exploded at its feet.
"Did I miss?"
Da Hu and the brothers were surprised to see Mo Hua using a fireball technique.
However, when the fireball didn't hit Split-claw as they had expected, they felt a twinge of disappointment.
"No, I hit it," Mo Hua said calmly with a smile.
He hadn't aimed for the demon but the spirit stone beneath its feet.
The spirit stone beneath Split-claw's feet shattered from the impact of the fireball, releasing spiritual energy that infused the earth fire array buried beneath.
The array patterns flashed with red light, and after three breaths, the five earth fire arrays exploded.
A deafening blast shook the mountains, causing rocks to shatter and fly in all directions.
Mo Hua and the others were stunned by the force of the explosion, their ears ringing.
As the smoke cleared, the ground was littered with rubble and charred marks.
The Split-claw Wolf Demon lay there, its body riddled with wounds, half of its fur charred black, and its eyes glowing with malevolence, but its breath was faint.
"Strike while the iron's hot!" Mo Hua waved his hand and shouted, "Now!"
Da Hu and the brothers snapped out of their daze from the explosion and, at Mo Hua's command, rushed forward, surrounding Split-claw in a pincer formation.
Mo Hua remained hidden behind the boulder, peeking out with only his small head to watch the battle.
Not being a body cultivator, he wasn't skilled in hand-to-hand combat or close-quarters fighting, so he didn't want to get in their way.
Da Hu and the brothers had good innate talent for body refinement, and after being tempered by demon hunting, they were now quite proficient in their martial arts and techniques.
Da Hu used his fists, the two brothers wielded their knives, and Xiao Hu employed leg techniques.
They advanced and retreated strategically, entwined in a fierce battle with Split-claw. Fierce gusts from their punches, blustery gusts from their kicks, and the heavy shadows of their knives filled the air.
Fire and earth spiritual powers intertwined, clashing with the demon's dark crimson demonic power.
After several dozen exchanges, the already badly wounded Split-claw could no longer hold on. It received a fatal blow from one of the brothers' knives to its lower back, ending its life.
The three hunters also bore wounds, their bodies stained with blood, but the injuries were not severe.
They stood there, a little incredulous.
Was this Split-claw really dead?
Their demon-hunting team usually required one or two late-stage Qi Refining demon hunters to lead, along with five or six mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators, to take down a mid-first rank demon beast like this.
Additional cultivators would be needed to support from the periphery to prevent the demon from escaping.
Even with all these preparations, it was still a challenging and arduous task to kill the demon.
Yet, here Mo Hua had set a trap, laid down a few arrays, thrown a fireball, and the demon was now mortally wounded.
The three of them had easily finished off a severely injured Split-claw...
It had been too easy, much easier than they had anticipated.
Da Hu and the brothers turned to look at Mo Hua, still feeling the aftershocks of the earth fire array's explosion.
A mid-first rank demon beast with such a robust body could be blown to near death...
Unknowingly, Mo Hua had become proficient at creating such powerful arrays!
The way they looked at Mo Hua changed subtly.
Mo Hua poked his small head out from behind the boulder, glanced at the demon, and asked, "Is it dead?"
Only then did the three of them snap out of their daze.
Da Hu nodded and said, "It's dead!"
"Good!" Mo Hua's spirit lifted, and he held a jade bottle in his hand as he ran out from behind the boulder.
He was going to use the blood-drawing technique.
(End of Chapter)
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