Chapter 219: The Highland Tribe
Chapter 219: The Highland Tribe
Swish!
An invisible arrow shot forth, aiming for the carrion vulture furthest away—over three hundred meters from Ji Xinghuo.
Sensing the danger, the carrion vulture had already started ascending, attempting to flee. If Ji Xinghuo had targeted the nearest vulture, it would have surely escaped the arrow's range.
In the next second, the distant carrion vulture had its head pierced, its cries cut short as it plummeted to the ground. Another arrow was loosed, taking down the second-to-last vulture.
With three vultures slain, the remaining one pounced forward.
This was another exceptional carrion vulture, only slightly lagging behind its companions. Despite witnessing the unfortunate fate of its kin, the allure of prey so close was too great, and it continued its assault. The carrion vultures were known for their ferocious and aggressive nature, lacking in intelligence, and becoming frenzied once engaged in combat.
Amidst its shrill shrieks, the vulture swung its massive claws towards Ji Xinghuo.
He didn't have time to nock another arrow, but this was all according to his plan. With a swift step, his figure transformed into a lightning bolt, darting between the vulture's claws and appearing behind it. Landing on the ground, he drew his bow, the Invisible Spine already loaded with an arrow, aiming at his next target.
Behind him, exposed to the vulture's claws, Qinghong's body suddenly swelled several times its size, transforming into a behemoth over twenty meters long.
The carrion vulture let out a terrified cry.
Qinghong, who had been charging forward, turned back and leaped upwards, akin to a majestic dragon taking to the sky. It directly pounced on the low-flying carrion vulture, forcing it to the ground.
Due to inertia, Qinghong and the vulture tumbled violently on the ground.
Adorned with the Tri-colored Sacred Dragon Scales of green, gold, and silver, Qinghong's thick hide and sturdy frame rendered such collisions and rolls negligible.
However, the carrion vulture was not so fortunate. Its wings snapped, and before it could retaliate, Qinghong clamped its neck in their struggle. Qinghong's claws unleashed a virtual blade, severing the vulture's body into over a dozen pieces, its blood and entrails spilling forth.
Ji Xinghuo paid no heed to the battle unfolding behind him, not even sparing a glance.
Almost as soon as he landed, he loosed another arrow.
Swish!
The third-to-last carrion vulture, flying towards them, had its head pierced, and fell from the sky.
In the blink of an eye, only two vultures remained in the air, both elite monsters. Terrified by the turn of events, they frantically flapped their wings, striving to gain altitude.
Even the most savage of monsters wouldn't be foolish enough to court death.
Ji Xinghuo, of course, wasn't about to let them escape.
The bowstring of the Invisible Spine vibrated continuously, sending two arrows in quick succession. The vultures, now over a hundred meters high, plummeted to the ground with loud thuds. Their heavy corpses lay in a line on the grassland—seven in total.
The howling wind subsided, and the sky grew quiet.
This had been a battle that seemed intense yet was, in reality, devoid of any suspense.
Only then did Ji Xinghuo turn back.
Qinghong had returned to its usual size, licking the carrion vulture's blood, its eyes revealing disgust as it quickly spat out mouthfuls of saliva.
"Hahaha..." Ji Xinghuo couldn't help but laugh.
Carrion vultures were omnivorous monsters with a particular penchant for rotten flesh. Their blood and meat carried a nauseating stench that only fellow carrion vultures could stomach.
However, the repulsiveness of their flesh didn't affect their value for other purposes.
Ji Xinghuo approached one of the corpses and placed his hand on it, causing an information interface to appear before his eyes.
[Monster: Carrion Vulture]
[Level: Exceptional]
[Variants: Sonic Screech, Eagle Eye, Rending, Carrion Feaster, Instinctual Reflexes]
Exceptional monsters typically possessed four to six variants, and this carrion vulture was no exception. The more valuable ones were Sonic Screech and Eagle Eye.
The Magic Sound Sword also had the Sonic Screech ability, a sharp sonic attack.
Eagle Eye was a core variant for hunters.
Carrion Feaster was an excellent variant, allowing the digestion of rotten flesh to rapidly restore stamina and stellar power, slightly accelerating the growth of stellar power. Though its effects were quite good, it was too disgusting, and no other variant human would want it, nor could it be sold.
Ji Xinghuo proceeded to inspect the remaining six carrion vulture corpses.
He held a glimmer of expectation.
You see, flying monsters had a very low probability of possessing the "Flight" variant, which was worth hundreds of millions. The higher the monster's rank, the greater the probability of this variant appearing.
However, his hopes were soon dashed.
"As expected, it's a low probability..." Ji Xinghuo chuckled at his own naivety and quickly harvested the vultures' variants, a pleased expression on his face as he said, "Quite a harvest."
Just the seven Eagle Eye variants could be sold for over 10 million Asian dollars.
The other variants added up to about 7-8 million as well, bringing the total earnings from this battle to 20 million.
There were also over 100 units of spiritual source energy.
Ji Xinghuo looked towards the distant mountaintop. Carrion vultures were communal monsters, and there was undoubtedly a nest on the summit with more of their kind.
Without hesitation, he mounted Qinghong and galloped back towards the peak.
However, they had only gone halfway when the summit erupted in chaos. Over a dozen large and small carrion vultures took to the sky, fleeing without a backward glance.
"Ugh..."
Ji Xinghuo was helpless; the carrion vultures' eyesight was just too good. They had evidently witnessed the previous battle.
He didn't give chase, nor could he have caught up with them.
Thus, he continued his search for the Gale Beast.
Riding Qinghong, Ji Xinghuo leisurely wandered through the mountain range, his electromagnetic sensing acting like a radar, scanning every inch of the surrounding space. From time to time, he discovered monsters, and if they were close enough and posed no threat, he would effortlessly dispatch them, harvesting their variants and reaping spiritual source energy.
As night fell, the temperature dropped sharply, and rain began to fall.
It was as if the inside and outside of the tent were two different worlds.
Ji Xinghuo sat by the tent entrance, sipping hot soup and eating roasted meat while gazing out at the dark, rainy night. He felt incredibly content and at peace.
After his filling meal, Ji Xinghuo added more firewood to the stove and snuggled into his sleeping bag, quickly falling into a deep sleep.
He awoke at midnight, feeling refreshed and energized without a hint of fatigue. The rain had stopped, and in the darkness, he could hear the occasional calls of beasts or monsters, along with the chirping of insects.
"Time to set off."
Although the tent was comfortable and inviting, there was no point in lingering.
With no need for rest or cultivation, he would only be wasting time.
Ji Xinghuo promptly got up, packed his things, and placed Qinghong, who had been keeping watch, into his pocket to rest. Then, he ventured into the darkness.
With the aid of the Myriad Phenomenon Star Pupils, he could still see clearly in the night, and his electromagnetic sensing remained unaffected.
He continued his search as he moved forward.
Ji Xinghuo looked up at the sky. The crimson Chi Yan Star hung high above, seemingly in the same position, but its brightness had diminished in the night, leaving only a faint red glow. If one didn't look up, they might not even notice its presence.
A few hours later...
Silver light bathed the land as Yin Yao rose into the sky, casting a silvery-white radiance. The reflection of the Milky Way appeared in the sky, and the dazzling stars were awe-inspiring.
The starry night had arrived.
After a good rest, Qinghong emerged, transforming into a mount. Ji Xinghuo climbed onto its back, increasing his efficiency as they continued their journey.
On the first night in the Bloody Highlands, Ji Xinghuo searched through several peaks, canyons, and forests, encountering only a couple of ordinary monsters with nothing else to show for it.
The following days didn't yield much either.
The Bloody Highlands was vast, roughly the size of Earth's surface area, spanning over 20,000 kilometers in all directions.
Ji Xinghuo had only been wandering in the eastern fringes of the highlands for a few days.
He decided to venture further west.
Indeed, after traveling west for two days, he discovered a well-trodden path, indicating frequent usage. Ji Xinghuo hid himself a few hundred meters away from the road and quietly observed for some time until a group finally came into view.
They were a group of Starry Sky humans, their stature much taller than the average human, averaging over 1.9 meters, with many reaching 2 meters in height. They wore thick fur coats and armor, carried heavy weapons, and rode upon sturdy six-legged horned horses. They traveled westward at a steady pace.
"Highlanders," Ji Xinghuo recognized.
There were many branches of the Starry Sky humans, and the Highlanders were a common one among them. They inhabited high-altitude regions and were generally less civilized, comparable to the medieval era on Earth.
However, Highlanders possessed strong racial talents. Regardless of gender, each individual was endowed with "Giant Strength" and "Iron Lungs." Giant Strength granted them innate enhanced strength, while Iron Lungs bestowed robust physical endurance and recovery, enabling their survival in harsh environments.
Exceptional Highlanders might also awaken more abilities as they grew.
Thus, many powerful individuals emerged from the Highlanders.
In the Bloody Highlands, there existed countless Highlander tribes, numbering in the millions, making them one of the two dominant forces in the region.
The other dominant force was the Fierce Tribe.
Both sides were devout followers of the Red Emperor, but they were locked in perpetual war, their enmity unending.
Aside from the Highlanders and the Fierce Tribe, the Bloody Highlands was also home to smaller factions like the Pill People, the Wild Folk, and the Giants, as well as over twenty extraterrestrial races. Some had formed loose alliances, but none were strong enough to challenge the Highlanders or the Fierce Tribe, only managing to maintain their own survival.
"They're probably a hunting party," Ji Xinghuo observed the group of Highlanders. There were about a dozen of them, and the packs hanging on both sides of their mounts were filled to the brim.
There were also several riderless six-legged horned horses carrying prey and tents.
They were on their way back.
Ji Xinghuo didn't disturb them but watched quietly as they headed west. Only when the three hawk falcons circling in the sky departed did he step out.
The Highlanders were skilled in falconry, and their hunting parties always included falcons as scouts.
Gazing into the sky, Ji Xinghuo saw the three hawk falcons transform into tiny black dots. Even with their hawk eyes, they couldn't spot him.
However, he could see them clearly and began to tail them.
Ji Xinghuo shrunk Qinghong and kept it in his pocket, activating his Stealth Ring to bend light and conceal his figure as he trailed the Highlander hunting party. Following the falcons, he traveled over a hundred kilometers and arrived at the foot of a majestic and steep peak as evening fell.
A massive Highlander tribe came into view, with houses built from logs and rocks stretching from the mountainside down to the grasslands, as far as the eye could see.
Ji Xinghuo lay prone on a hilltop, observing the tribe from a distance.
This tribe was home to at least four to five hundred thousand Highlanders, and hunting parties were constantly coming and going at all hours.
A distinctive symbol was prominent throughout the tribe.
It was on doors, walls, and the flags hoisted high above each household. Even the tattoos on the tribe members bore this mark—a blood-soaked skull with a ferocious roar, crossed by two bloody axes and a battle sword, surrounded by a circle of crimson flames.
It was the emblem of the Red Emperor!
Every member of this Highlander tribe was a follower of the Red Emperor.
(End of Chapter)
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