Chapter 60: Super Group
Chapter 60: Super Group
"Success!"
Ji Xinghuo's gaze locked with the little green snake for a moment, a smile spreading across his face.
He was delighted.
He couldn't believe that such a simple food lure, like tempting a child with candy, had actually convinced the snake to leave its cave and follow him out of the valley.
Ji Xinghuo had been prepared for failure, intending to hunt in the Juefeng Valley for a few days before returning to try again with food. With the little green snake's picky appetite, he was confident that it would eventually be tamed once it grew accustomed to cooked meals.
Spirit beasts possessed intelligence and the ability to think.
However, it was this very intelligence that made them more susceptible to deception.
If it were a lesser beast, one that relied solely on instinct for survival, it wouldn't care about the taste of the food as long as it filled its stomach, and it would quickly forget about the whole affair.
Ji Xinghuo's cheerful mood prompted him to retrieve his bow and arrow, intending to shoot down a couple of wild chickens or birds to supplement the snake's meal.
However, as soon as he made a move, the little green snake swiftly slithered away.
"Still afraid of me, huh?"
Ji Xinghuo shook his head. Taming a spirit beast was no easy feat, and for now, the little green snake merely saw him as a source of cooked meals.
It would probably take some more time together before it would truly allow him to get close.
Ji Xinghuo hunted in the nearby area, returning to his campsite to cook. He ate half of the catch, giving the rest to the little green snake, which promptly devoured it.
As he watched the miniature snake, Ji Xinghuo couldn't help but wonder how much food its tiny body could hold.
Surely it hadn't digested all of yesterday's feast already?
"Time to get back to work!"
Ji Xinghuo checked the Wanxiang Xing Tong interface and noted that seven days had passed without any increase in spiritual source energy. His ether sensitivity remained at Level 3 (295/433).
Shouldering his backpack, he continued on his journey.
The little green snake, which had been hiding in the grass a dozen or so meters away, immediately followed suit.
At first, Ji Xinghuo slowed his pace, concerned that the snake might not be able to keep up.
However, he soon discovered that the little green snake was remarkably quick, easily matching his pace even when he ran. Occasionally, the snake would disappear for a moment, only to reappear shortly after.
Assured that the snake could keep up, Ji Xinghuo began his hunt.
Several hours later...
Ji Xinghuo stumbled upon a group of Shi Liamian. This particular group was quite large, numbering close to a hundred individuals. They were divided into two or three smaller groups, scattered along the riverbank, playing and drinking.
"Fifteen monster-level, two elite..."
"Wait a minute!"
"That leader isn't an elite!"
Ji Xinghuo hid on the opposite bank of the river, observing the leader of the Shi Liamian group from a distance. Its magnetic field intensity was similar to that of an elite monster, but upon closer inspection, the etheric energy reaction was even more intense.
This Shi Liamian was also significantly larger, sitting at over two meters tall.
Its four arms were thick and powerful, each tipped with stone claws resembling sickles.
"A Super-tier monster?"
Ji Xinghuo's eyes narrowed as he confirmed that it was indeed a Shi Liamian Jue.
However, compared to the Hong-level Shi Liamian Jue he had encountered before, this one was clearly inferior, lacking the terrifying oppressive aura of its counterpart.
"It must have recently evolved into a Shi Liamian Jue and hasn't yet reached its full potential."
"Perhaps I can take it on..."
Ji Xinghuo considered his options, unwilling to act rashly.
The last time, Ren Jie and her team had searched the Juefeng Valley for ten days, along with hundreds of hunting squads, and they hadn't been able to find the Shi Liamian Jue. Now, he had stumbled upon it alone.
If Ren Jie and her team were here, they would have jumped at the chance without hesitation.
But he was on his own.
It was difficult to accurately gauge a monster's strength, as it often depended on their abilities. Two monsters of the same level could vary in strength by a factor of ten or more.
Superior horde monsters surpassed their peers, gaining the ability to integrate with other species, just like intelligent races. They would also awaken one to three other species' bloodlines within themselves.
If a comparison were to be made, a Super Beast's strength would undoubtedly surpass that of most Super Cultivators, and the best of them might even give a Legendary Cultivator a hard time.
That was why Yi people usually hunted in teams, avoiding solo endeavors.
Moreover, this Shi Liamian Jue was accompanied by an entire group of subordinates. If he didn't take it out with a single blow, he would likely be overwhelmed by the hundred or so Shi Liamian surrounding him.
"Let's get a closer look."
Ji Xinghuo activated his thumb ring, entering a stealth state.
He moved along the riverbank upstream, eventually reaching a point directly across from the Shi Liamian Jue, about a hundred meters away, with the river separating them.
At this proximity, he could more clearly observe the distribution of etheric energy.
Etheric energy provided a more intuitive way to gauge an opponent's strength. The stronger they were, the more intense the etheric energy reaction, like whirlpools absorbing the surrounding etheric energy and creating ripples that grew stronger and spread wider. The more powerful the opponent, the more intense the ripples!
Ji Xinghuo compared the etheric energy ripples of the Shi Liamian Jue to those of the nearby elites and found them to be about three times stronger.
"It really has just recently evolved."
He made his assessment.
If this Shi Liamian Jue hadn't awakened an extremely powerful ability, there was a chance he could take it out with a long-distance sneak attack.
With that in mind, Ji Xinghuo lay still in the grass by the riverbank, keeping an eye on the monsters.
Suddenly, he turned his head.
The little green snake emerged from the fallen leaves nearby, only two or three meters away from him. Its eyes held a hint of fear, and it lifted its head, shaking it several times.
"Are you telling me to leave?"
Ji Xinghuo found the situation a bit amusing, but he was also touched.
It wasn't easy!
I've been feeding you for a few days, and now you're looking out for me. But, it was probably more concerned about losing its chef if he died.
Ji Xinghuo waved at it, signaling for it to keep its distance.
The little green snake turned and slithered back into the grass.
After it left, Ji Xinghuo remained still, his eyes fixed on the monsters across the river.
It was already evening when, after four to five hours of careful observation, Ji Xinghuo confirmed that this Shi Liamian Jue had not awakened the ability, "Earthquake Pulse."
This was both good news and bad news.
The good news was that without Earthquake Pulse, the Shi Liamian Jue was not as fearsome. It couldn't sense enemies through ground vibrations, and when on the ground, it didn't receive a boost in strength or exaggerated recovery abilities, making it a whole level weaker.
The bad news was that without the most valuable Earthquake Pulse, even if he killed this Shi Liamian Jue, he might not gain much.
Additionally, this Shi Liamian Jue had only recently evolved and had not yet fused with other species.
Its strength was comparable to that of a Super Beast.
"I can take it!"
Ji Xinghuo made his decision.
As night fell, the group of Shi Liamian gathered on top of a crag to rest. Three or four of them huddled together, some lying on the ground, others hanging from the trees.
Taking advantage of the darkness, Ji Xinghuo found the perfect spot to shoot from.
Next to the crag was a precipice with a protruding, irregularly shaped rock. It was bare and barren, with a deep gorge separating it from the Shi Liamian group. The height advantage provided an excellent shooting platform, several dozen meters above the monsters.
The only drawback was that it was a bit far from the Shi Liamian group, approximately 270 meters away.
The Dragon Falcon Eagle Bow's effective killing range was 300 meters. Beyond this distance, the lethality would gradually decrease, making it difficult to threaten the monsters.
Ji Xinghuo's archery skills allowed him to confidently shoot at a distance of 220 meters.
Anything further, and his accuracy would decrease.
Unless he activated Wanxiang Senluo!
Ji Xinghuo took a detour of several kilometers and, in a stealth state, climbed up the opposite cliff. Across the deep gorge, he observed the group of Shi Liamian. The Shi Liamian Jue was half-lying on top of a boulder, surrounded by four or five female Shi Liamian.
At that moment, it was vigorously mating with one of the females, pinning her beneath it.
"Do monsters do it in the silver position too?"
Ji Xinghuo's eyes lit up, not because he had some perverted fetish, but because this situation presented an excellent opportunity to shoot.
He turned to look behind him, and indeed, the little green snake had followed him up, hiding in a tree several dozen meters away, motionless.
The night was dark, and the stars were out.
It was the perfect time to hunt monsters!
Ji Xinghuo stuck a bunch of titanium-aluminum alloy arrows into the ground next to him, lining up over a dozen arrows in a row, with a few more in his palm. Then, he drew out a capacitor arrow and nocked it to his bow.
The Dragon Falcon's bowstring retracted like an eagle's wing.
His right eye's pupil flashed with a light circle.
In Ji Xinghuo's eyes, the world froze, filled with countless illusory lights and shadows, layer upon layer. A semi-transparent virtual line extended from the arrowhead, landing on the Shi Liamian Jue, which was vigorously thrusting. Its figure began to flicker and evolve, showing various possible future outcomes.
Wanxiang Senluo was only activated for a second to conserve star power and prepare for the upcoming battle, as well as to leave himself a way out.
At the same time, he released the arrow.
Under the amplification of the rotating magnetic field, the capacitor arrow had already reached near overload. In an instant, it transformed into a dazzling lightning bolt that streaked across the sky.
Initially, there was no sound.
But as it flew into the sky, a thunderous roar exploded, reverberating through the cliffs and gorges.
The speed of sound in the Star Realm was much faster than on Earth, reaching 1021 meters per second. Therefore, even though the capacitor arrow was accelerated by the Dragon Falcon Eagle Bow, the sound it produced still reached the Shi Liamian Jue's ears faster than the arrow itself, alerting it.
The Shi Liamian Jue, immersed in pleasure, was suddenly scared stiff by the thunderous roar.
It lifted its head and saw a lightning bolt streaking straight towards it. Ignoring the female Shi Liamian beneath it, it reacted swiftly, rolling off the boulder. Its entire body hardened, as if covered in a layer of rocky armor.
Crack!
A loud blast.
The capacitor arrow hit the rolling Shi Liamian Jue with pinpoint accuracy. If it hadn't reacted, it might have been fine, but this roll caused it to collide directly with the arrow.
The lightning bolt struck its only vulnerable spot at that moment.
Right in its crotch.
Its entire body was covered in rocky armor, except for that particular area, where its most important organ was left hanging, swaying back and forth.
"Aooww..."
A desperate, piercing howl echoed through the mountains and gorges.
The Shi Liamian Jue's crotch exploded, and its most important organ was blasted to smithereens, leaving a gaping hole of blood.
However, it did not die, nor did it lose its ability to move.
The Shi Liamian Jue climbed up from under the boulder, howling madly. Its bloodshot eyes scanned the area, and it immediately located the direction from which the lightning bolt had come, but it couldn't see anything.
Its eyesight was not exceptional, and it couldn't see far in the starlit night.
Swoosh!
An arrow appeared out of thin air, but its target was not the Shi Liamian Jue. It flew into the anxious group of Shi Liamian, exploding the head of a monster-level Shi Liamian.
Then came the second arrow, followed by the third...
Swoosh! Swoosh...
One arrow after another rained down, each one hitting a monster-level Shi Liamian. Even those that weren't shot in the head had their rocky skin penetrated, falling to the ground and writhing in their dying moments.
"Roar!"
The Shi Liamian Jue finally locked onto the enemy's position.
Its body swelled, and its bloodshot legs accelerated as it charged towards the edge of the peak. With a mighty stomp, it leaped into the sky, jumping across the deep gorge towards the opposite cliff.
(End of Chapter)
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