Mu Hongchou and Gu Nianjun saw it was a woman and laughed, saying, "Junior Sister Luo!"
At the foot of the mountain, there were already dozens of young heroes. Due to "Dew of Dawn" limiting age to before adulthood, this area was full of young disciples of the Sword Sect, so aged in their teens and twenties, and the younger ones, barely over ten.
Won from the Lake Mountain Sword Sect were prevalent, and their appearances were of superior quality, with laughter echoing sweetly and pleasingly.
Zhou Shijie and Gu Nianjun were surprised that yesterday’s temple festival had led to an alliance of the Five Sects. All felt the significance was extraordinary, and they were very happy, eting many young disciples of the Sword Sect one by one.
Zhou Shijie jokingly said, "With such a gathering, there are more people than beasts, so what’s the point of hunting?"
The Snow Dragon Mountain range undulated with steep and strange terrain. Looking afar, it stood majestically. Not to ntion dozens of people, even hundreds would barely make a ripple. The group chatted casually, their spirits like a bonfire, growing higher and higher, blazing vigorously.
Wang Dezhong said, "Why can’t we hunt? Not only can we hunt, but we should have a good competition!" Yang Wentian said, "Compete for what... compete to see who can hunt the Snow Mountain Spirit Fox?"
Wang Dezhong said, "This is too much dependent on fate; it’s aningless to compare. It’s better to first see who hunts the best beast." Mu Hongchou raised her eyebrows proudly and said, "We should add another rule: no Martial Arts can be used, only Archery."
The crowd laughed when they heard this. Hua Wu said, "It seems Little Sister Mu has quite the confidence in Archery." Mu Hongchou said, "Naturally, I started learning Archery before I learned to walk at three years old."
Zhou Shijie shook his fan and said, "Who here isn’t the sa? Before learning Martial Arts, who didn’t learn etiquette, Archery, literature..." Mu Hongchou confidently said, "So what if that’s the case? Hmph, I’m a master of Archery; do you think I’m afraid of you?" After saying that, she quickly drew her bow and shot. The arrow flew off the string, precisely stringing seven leaves together and pinning them to the tree trunk.
Gu Nianjun chuckled lightly, saying, "Alright, who is strong and who is weak, a competition will tell."
After chatting for a while, their enthusiasm was high, and they all polished their bow and arrows, eager to have a try. The champions agreed on a eting point and then ventured deep into the Snow Mountain, each relying on their skills to hunt the mountain beasts.
...
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anwhile, on the other side.
Among the jesting and laughter, Li Xian had already stepped into the Snow Mountain. The wind and snow howled, causing his long hair to flutter. The mask was securely fastened, preventing it from being blown off by the wind.
Li Xian exhibited the features of "Snow Stepping" and "Light Technique," stepping on snow without leaving a trace, moving lightly, searching for beasts to hunt in the mountains and forests. Observing the tracks in the snow, he searched for beast trails and quickly discovered tracks of a snow bear, following them to find a bear cave. The snow bear stood about two ters tall, with white fur like needles and sharp fangs, lying dormant in the cave.
Li Xian thought, "This bear is large in size, it’s not difficult for to hunt it. But I don’t have a Shrinking Flesh Bag to carry it with . Let it live a bit longer; finding the Snow Mountain Spirit Fox takes precedence!"
Knowing that the snow bear is quite valuable and the Snow Mountain Spirit Fox is elusive, not easily caught, he plucked a strand of hair and placed it at the cave entrance, rooted upon landing, to observe the cave’s movents.
Li Xian bypassed the snow bear’s cave and quietly went his own way, soon finding a cold spring. The tinkling sound of the spring was like music; Li Xian, feeling thirsty, drank deeply from the spring, finding it refreshing and invigorating.
The Snow Mountain Spirit Fox is unpredictable and finding it relies on luck. Li Xian was not impatient, searching along the mountain path. He utilized his talent in mountain patrol and hunting, tracking scents and trails, his keen vision making him a master of tracking. In the ti it takes to burn a stick of incense, he had already discovered several snow tigers and snow leopards.
Quietly lurking, he made simple drawings on animal skins at places he passed, using his skills in Feng Shui observation, geomancy, and mystical escape techniques to understand the terrain, potential distribution of mountain beasts, eliminating the location of the Snow Mountain Spirit Fox.
Step by step, he would surely find the fox’s trail.
However, the Snow Mountain is vast, complex, and not accomplished in a day, certainly not easily. Li Xian searched for half a day, still not finding any clues but had eliminated a section of the area, and as night fell, he remained calm, deciding to return first and search gradually.
Li Xian thought, "Having co here, I shouldn’t return empty-handed. On the way, I’ll hunt so beasts to bring back for money, then continue my gradual search." He traced back.
Snow Dragon Mountain range "wild" beasts are easy to hunt; "snow" beasts are difficult to find. Here, snow accumulates year-round, covered in ice and snow for much of the year, this special climate, unique terrain, scarce wind nurturing many strange beasts.
Those with snow-white fur are "snow" beasts. These beasts are larger in size, covered in snow velvet, making them easier to hide in the snow. Moreover, their strength, vitality, and destructive power are all formidable.
Li Xian dashed through the forest, leaving wild boars and chickens unnoticed. Without a "Shrinking Flesh Bag," he decided to hunt only three beasts: a snow bear, a snow tiger, and a snow ape.
Li Xian already knew the whereabouts of the "snow bear;" while traversing the mountains, he also discovered traces of the snow tiger and snow ape, having so idea of their general location but did not pursue them. Returning on the path, he hunted them along the way. The snow tiger was large, with white fur blending into the snow. It was cunningly deceptive, knowing how to lurk in the snow for ambush.
If attacked, it would also know to burrow into the snow to escape. If not killed with a single arrow, the snow tiger escapes quickly, becoming nearly impossible to find in an instant.
Li Xian first searched the area where he had earlier discovered the snow tiger’s trail, using this location as a base, starting to discern the trail and pursue. After pursuing for a while, he indeed made a discovery.
He found an area with very faint footprints, slling traces of blood, and thought, "This snow tiger is injured; it appears to have been targeted by so genius martial artist. Here, the snow covers up to the ankle, yet the footprint is extrely light, showing that the hunter’s Lightweight Skill is quite impressive."
"But though his arrow hit the snow tiger, it didn’t kill it, letting the snow tiger escape. Truly a pity. In mountain hunting, if you don’t have the ability to kill the tiger beast, then let handle it."
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