"What's going on?"
Chu Qingyun used his Primordial Power to forcefully rein in his spooked horse. Frowning, he asked, "What's the matter?"
"Dismount. The horses can't go any further."
"An animal's sense of sll is far more sensitive than a human's. This is likely the territory of a Demon Beast. The scent is scaring them, so ordinary horses won't dare to go any further."
You Yun dismounted as she spoke. Her horse imdiately turned and galloped out of the forest.
Chu Qingyun did the sa. The two abandoned their horses and headed deeper into the forest on foot.
At the forest's edge, the trees were still quite sparse. But as they ventured deeper, the woods grew dense, and massive trees began to appear.
The path soon disappeared, forcing Chu Qingyun and You Yun to feel their way forward through the trees. The ground was covered in slippery moss, making for treacherous footing.
Chu Qingyun remained vigilant the entire way, his hand resting on his sword hilt, ready to draw it at a mont's notice.
"Don't be too worried. We've only just entered. In a forest teeming with Demon Beasts like this one, those on the outskirts are the weakest. So are just feral beasts. The deeper we go, the stronger they'll get. Of course, there are always exceptions…"
You Yun explained so of the basics of wilderness survival to Chu Qingyun as they walked.
It was no surprise. You Yun had left ho to explore the world at the age of six, so her knowledge in this area was far more extensive than Chu Qingyun's.
Soon enough, they encountered their first Demon Beast.
It was a massive python, as thick as a water bucket, coiled around a high branch with no end in sight. Its forked tongue flickered as its pitch-black eyes stared down at Chu Qingyun and You Yun, glinting with cold cruelty.
"The aura of a Tier One Demon Beast…"
The strength of a Tier One Demon Beast was equivalent to a human in the Martial Artist Realm. As a Martial Artist himself, Chu Qingyun released just a fraction of his aura, and the massive python imdiately turned and fled.
Demon Beasts generally have a powerful Spiritual Sense, especially for the auras of stronger beings.
"Good, you didn't attack recklessly. Rember, in a place like this, unless you've found your target, it's best to avoid fighting. If a fight is unavoidable, you must end it quickly."
"You never know what the commotion and the sll of blood might attract."
They walked single-file through the Mist Forest all morning. And then… they realized they were completely lost.
A thick fog surrounded them, obscuring their vision and making it impossible to get their bearings. The forest canopy was so dense that they sotis walked for an hour without a glimpse of the sun.
They encountered countless Demon Beasts along the way, so with appearances so bizarre they defied Chu Qingyun's imagination.
Yet they never once fought, as they hadn't encountered a single Ice-type Demon Beast. They saw a few with other elental affinities, but most were just ordinary Demon Beasts with no special attributes.
Finally, after finishing lunch, Chu Qingyun and You Yun encountered their first Ice-type Demon Beast.
It was a mutated Tier Two Demon Beast: an Ice-toothed Leopard.
The Ice-toothed Leopard had white fur with black spots. Its dark yellow pupils were fixed on Chu Qingyun, brimming with cruelty and bloodlust.
Its most striking feature was its four canine teeth. The fangs were transparent, as if ford from solid ice, and radiated a palpable chill.
"Ice-toothed Leopards are incredibly fast. Even a Fifth-level Martial Artist would have trouble with a full-grown one. It's all yours."
Before You Yun had even finished speaking, the Ice-toothed Leopard lunged.
It leaped onto a nearby tree, its sharp claws allowing it to bound between trunks like a white phantom as it shot straight toward Chu Qingyun.
Chu Qingyun's aura as a Martial Artist was a deterrent to Tier One Demon Beasts, but to a Tier Two creature, it was a provocation!
"Bring it on!"
"Gale Sword!"
Chu Qingyun barked, slashing his sword. A sharp, crescent-shaped Sword Aura tore through the air, hurtling toward the Ice-toothed Leopard.
But the Ice-toothed Leopard was no fool. It didn't try to block the attack head-on. In a flash, it leaped from one tree to another, easily dodging the blow.
BOOM!
The Sword Aura slamd into a tree, sending splinters flying. The massive tree, so thick it would have taken several people to encircle its trunk, groaned and creaked like a tripped giant as it slowly toppled, sending a shower of broken branches and leaves into the air.
Amidst the chaos, the Ice-toothed Leopard burst out from an unknown spot. It opened its maw wide and spat, firing a two-ter-long spear of ice that shot toward Chu Qingyun.
"This beast knows Soul Techniques!?"
Chu Qingyun hadn't expected the Ice-toothed Leopard to have more tricks than just sharp fangs and claws. Caught off guard, he fumbled and threw himself into a clumsy roll to dodge the attack.
"Idiot! Demon Beasts aren't like normal animals! They all have their own abilities!" You Yun shouted from the side.
'Then why didn't you say so earlier…'
The Ice-toothed Leopard was incredibly fast. After the ambush, it vanished again, only to reappear from another direction and fire another spear of ice at Chu Qingyun.
This ti, Chu Qingyun was prepared. He thrust his Longsword, unleashing the Sword Montum of his Gale Sword and shattering the spear of ice.
However, the Ice-toothed Leopard was not only swift but also moved without a sound, making it an extrely difficult opponent.
'Looks like the Gale Sword alone won't be enough to finish this.'
"Ten-Star Vine."
The Ten-star Vine Martial Soul flashed into existence before Chu Qingyun. Ten dark green vines erupted from his position, spreading rapidly across the ground in all directions.
Another spear of ice shot toward him.
As Chu Qingyun shattered the projectile, the ten vines exploded into action. The nearest ones shot up from the ground, closing in from two sides to ensnare the Ice-toothed Leopard.
The more distant vines rapidly converged on its position.
The Ice-toothed Leopard was, after all, only a Tier Two Demon Beast and lacked human intelligence.
Startled, it abandoned its cover and leaped out, attempting to fight off the vine that was lashing toward it.
With the Ice-toothed Leopard now exposed, things beca much simpler. One vine wrapped around its hind leg and dragged it out from behind its hiding spot.
The Ice-toothed Leopard struggled desperately, raking its sharp fangs and claws against the vine.
But the Ten-star Vine Martial Soul was already a Tier Three Martial Soul and possessed the Passive Soul Technique, Tenacity.
Therefore, although the vine was covered in gashes, it held fast to the Ice-toothed Leopard, sustained by Chu Qingyun's ceaseless flow of Primordial Power.
The other nine vines quickly closed in, binding the Ice-toothed Leopard completely. They even stuffed its mouth with a vine to prevent it from spitting any more ice.
Once the Ice-toothed Leopard was completely subdued, Chu Qingyun had his Ten-star Vine Martial Soul drag the beast before him and finished it off with a single sword strike.
The Ice-toothed Leopard's skull was tough, but his Black Iron Long Sword, empowered by Primordial Power, pierced it with a single thrust.
After killing the Ice-toothed Leopard, Chu Qingyun directed two vines to probe inside its head. After a mont of searching, they extracted a Demon Core, just as he had expected.
The Demon Core was snow-white, roughly the size of an egg. It radiated such a bone-chilling cold that the moisture in the surrounding air continuously condensed into flecks of ice.
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