Chu Zhiyuan and his thirteen companions, all clad in dark green martial attire, stood before a massive rock, blending seamlessly with the surrounding mountain scenery.
Chu Zhiyuan raised his head, gazing upwards.
Opposite them stood a towering peak, half of its summit piercing the low-hanging, dark clouds, obscuring it from view.
Mountain mists swirled like smoke, and the trees were a deep, dark green.
Standing atop the giant rock were Chu Qingfeng and thirteen middle-aged men, their expressions solemn, with a hint of underlying tension, a stark contrast to the excited and eager expressions of Chu Mingxuan and the others.
Further out were over a hundred Imperial Guards, each clad in the Great Jing Dynasty's standard armor—the Bright Light Armor—their bodies gleaming with a cold, imposing light.
These hundred-plus Imperial Guards formed a circle, their hands resting on the hilts of the sabers at their waists, their eyes scanning the surroundings with a fierce, hawkish gaze.
“I won't waste words,” Chu Qingfeng said, his gaze sweeping across the princes and sons of noble houses. “There's only one rule: don't be greedy for glory and take unnecessary risks. If something goes wrong, shout out immediately or send a signal, and someone will come to your rescue!”
“Wanting to achieve merit is fine, but you need to stay alive to enjoy it. You all know what's more important. Don't act rashly when fighting, especially since the roars of these demonic beasts can stir up your blood and make you see red. Keep yourselves in check!”
His gaze finally settled on Chu Zhiyuan. “These demonic beasts in Little Red Cloud Mountain are not to be underestimated. Stay focused. It's your first time here, so don't even think about achieving merit.”
“Yes, Granduncle.”
Chu Zhiyuan stood among the princes and noble sons, cupping his fist in salute.
“It's noon now. When the mountain turns red, the ringing of the bell will signal the end… Enter the mountain!”
“Let's go!”
“Here I come!”
“I'm definitely going to slay one this time!”
… …
Everyone's eyes gleamed, and they shouted excitedly, but their movements were cautious as they slowly approached the woods at the foot of Little Red Cloud Mountain.
They spread out, each heading in a different direction towards the forest.
Prey killed in a team doesn't count towards merit; only solo kills count.
Chu Zhiyuan first circled around the foot of the mountain, not approaching the woods, seemingly hesitant.
Roars and howls echoed through the mountain forest.
His extrasensory perception covered a hundred-meter radius as he moved, keeping an eye on Chu Zhiting and Chu Zhichuan.
A squirrel-like creature transformed into a black shadow and shot towards Chu Zhiting, who didn't react in time and was sent flying into a pine tree ten meters away.
“Bang!” Pine needles rained down as he painfully clung to the tree halfway up its trunk.
Not far away, Chu Zhichuan also encountered a black shadow formed by a squirrel-like creature, but he nimbly dodged it and thrust his sword.
The creature flicked its large tail in the air, deftly twisting and disappearing into the forest.
Chu Zhiyuan seemed thoughtful.
This creature was too fast; it would be difficult to react without preparation. Chu Zhiting and Chu Zhichuan were clearly prepared, so it certainly wasn't their first encounter.
“Hiss—!” Chu Zhiting sucked in a cold breath, grimacing as he slid down to the base of the tree, shaking his head.
A green shadow suddenly shot towards the back of his head.
“Bang!” He punched at the green shadow.
The green shadow looped in the air and quickly disappeared into the distance.
It was a small snake, green and translucent like carved jade, its eyes clear and bright, its head lacking any ferocity, instead appearing lively and adorable.
Chu Zhiyuan nodded slightly. The ninth prince clearly knew it would attack at this moment.
This was the effect of experience, experience likely gained through injury.
At the same time, the situation on Chu Zhichuan's side was also unfolding in his mind.
Chu Zhichuan's handsome face was tense as he shook his long sword. The sword light flickered as he took two more steps forward, then suddenly slashed at the air.
“Ding…”
A white swallow suddenly appeared in the space where the sword tip had struck, fluttering twice as if to fall.
Just as it fell a foot, it flipped over and flew upwards again, gliding lightly into the void and disappearing.
Chu Zhiyuan raised his eyebrows slightly.
This white swallow actually had the ability to become invisible.
Anyone unfamiliar with it would find it almost impossible to avoid the swallow's attack.
Little Red Cloud Mountain was indeed well-named.
With a kick, the white rabbit sent one son of a noble house flying, spurting blood in the air before crashing heavily to the ground and losing consciousness.
A middle-aged expert appeared gracefully and carried him out, ending his participation in the winter hunt.
Chu Zhiyuan clicked his tongue in amazement.
The power of that adorable white rabbit's kick was no less than a strike from a Connate expert.
He suddenly had a feeling: the winter hunt wasn't about them hunting these demonic beasts, but about the demonic beasts hunting them.
Watching the performance of these sons of noble houses and princes, like a sheep entering a pack of wolves, cautious and trembling, seeing danger in every shadow, their fear made them look rather comical.
He became even more vigilant and careful.
After all, these princes and sons of noble houses were not weaklings. They had all learned top-tier martial arts and had been tempered through training, making them far from ordinary martial artists.
Their fear was naturally due to the terrifying nature of these demonic beasts.
After watching for a while, and all the princes and sons of noble houses had moved beyond the range of his extrasensory perception, he finally began to walk into the forest.
Chu Qingfeng stood on the opposite peak, looking down, his eyes like an eagle's, seeing his every move clearly. He didn't urge him to move forward but simply watched him quietly.
… …
Little Red Cloud Mountain was covered in trees and wild grasses, a mix of various tree species, their branches and vines intertwined, crisscrossing in a chaotic manner, with only a few narrow paths cleared by the princes and sons of noble houses.
As soon as he stepped into the forest, the hairs on his body stood on end, warning him to retreat, indicating that he was already within a dangerous area.
Under the influence of his extrasensory perception, everything within a hundred-meter radius was clearly presented in his mind.
What his eyes saw, his ears heard, what his skin, mouth, and nose sensed, all combined to form a strange world of color, sound, smell, and touch.
This world was clearer, more detailed, more profound, more vivid, and more wondrous than the world he saw with his own eyes.
He walked slowly, suddenly thrusting his sword.
“Squeak—!”
A scream rang out from behind him, and his sword had already skewered a small squirrel, its brown fur smooth and lustrous like silk.
The sword tip entered through the vulnerable throat and exited from the back of its neck.
Through his extrasensory perception, he knew the demonic rat's weakness, and the sword tip wouldn't penetrate if he stabbed other parts of its body.
With a flick of his wrist, he left the demonic rat hanging on a nearby tree branch.
The sword's blade was as bright and new as ever, clear and cold.
His left hand formed a sword gesture, gently wiping the blade until he reached the tip, leaving no trace of blood, only a faint, sweet, and fishy smell.
“One down!”
He continued to walk inside.
He frowned after walking a few steps.
His sword strike had actually created a deterrent. The spirit swallow flying in the air, invisible in the void, was observing him.
No matter how powerful he was, he couldn't fly into the air to kill it.
The green snake clinging to the treetop remained motionless, blending into the branch, quite far away, with no intention of attacking.
Not far away, another demonic beast was crouching, quietly and silently retreating.
His sword strike had frightened them.
These demonic beasts were extremely cunning, cautious, and careful.
Chu Zhiyuan didn't rush to chase after them. He took a few quick steps forward, bringing Chu Zhiting and Chu Zhichuan back within the range of his extrasensory perception. At the same time, the eighteenth prince, Chu Mingxuan, was also within range.
Chu Zhiting was sent flying by a golden leopard cat, spewing blood in the air. The golden leopard cat transformed into a golden light and pursued him, slamming into him again.
Chu Zhiting punched in the air while spewing blood, but was knocked away again by the golden leopard cat.
The golden leopard cat's speed slowed slightly, then it twisted in the air, landed on a tree branch, and then leaped into the forest, disappearing.
Chu Zhiting landed with a “bang,” shaking the ground, reached out to wipe his mouth, and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva in resentment.
Chu Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow.
This Chu Zhiting had practiced horizontal training techniques, his skin thick and flesh tough. He had already withstood several strikes and seemed completely unaffected.
Looking at Chu Zhichuan on the other side, the sword light formed a continuous stream of light, protecting himself. His movements were light and agile. Although his footwork wasn't as swift as the '咫尺天涯步' (Zhi Chi Tian Ya Bu - "Close in the Horizon Step"), it was still extremely exquisite, avoiding sneak attacks in the nick of time and counterattacking.
However, Chu Zhiyuan could see that his sword light was continuous but lacked power.
Just by seeing that his sword had struck a spirit swallow and a white rabbit, and both had easily escaped, it was clear that his power was insufficient.
These demonic beasts all had copper tendons and iron bones. To break through their defenses and kill them, one had to find their weaknesses and then strike those weaknesses.
They might know the former, after all, they had experience, or they might have learned it from books or the elders in their families.
He was at a disadvantage in this aspect, as he had no experience.
The latter, however, was not easy.
These demonic beasts had a common trait: incredible speed.
These demonic beasts would subtly protect their weaknesses, which ordinary people couldn't see but couldn't hide from him.
Even if he knew their weaknesses, he couldn't strike them, as he needed to be faster than them.
His Great Avalanche Sword Art and Zhi Chi Tian Ya Bu excelled in surprise and speed.
He walked upwards for about a hundred meters, then suddenly turned right and began to circle around the mountainside again, observing the experiences of the other princes and sons of noble houses.
After circling around once, he turned back.
He discovered a pattern: the higher up, the stronger the demonic beasts, and the demonic beasts below were easier to deal with.
These princes and sons of noble houses looked excited and eager as soon as they stepped onto the mountain.
He found that if he released the sword hilt with his right hand, he would also become excited, his blood surging, wanting to kill all the demonic beasts.
Once he grasped the sword hilt, he would immediately regain his clarity.
The excitement and soaring fighting spirit stemmed from a special aura floating in the air.
This aura was almost colorless and odorless, coming from the wild grass on the ground.
He shook his head and smiled wryly, thinking that this was too unfair.
Knowing that there were tigers on the mountain, he still had to go, but he wasn't that brave, of course, he would choose the easiest targets.
His figure flashed, and he suddenly appeared in front of a peach tree. The sword light flashed, and a small emerald green snake was already on the sword tip.
The snake's seven inches (vital spot) were pierced, and the snake was dead.
He flicked his wrist gently, and the green snake flew onto a tree branch. He flashed and disappeared, appearing behind another tree in the next moment, his sword tip already piercing into the grass.
When he retracted his sword, it had already pierced a silver-colored creature, shaped like a hedgehog, but the thorns all over its body shone with a silver light.
He felt cold all over and the hairs on his body stood on end when he saw these silver thorns.
This silver creature was extremely dangerous. If he was shot by these thorns, his life would be in danger.
It had the ability to sneak, silently, and was extremely terrifying.
Afterwards, he flashed through the forest, the sword light occasionally flashing.
