West Peak Mountain, one of the subsidiary mountain ranges within the Demon Beast Mountain Range, was neither on the edge of the range nor too deep into it but occupied a central position.
Craggy peaks rose one after the other, forests were dense, vines reached to the heavens, covering the valleys below. The greenery was lush and vibrant.
From atop a towering tree a hundred ters high, Ye Chen stood firm as a feather, gazing distantly at the vast expanse of the Demon Beast Mountain Range, lost in a trance.
Elder Yan floated in mid-air and said, "Didn’t you say you were going to leave the Demon Beast Mountain Range and head to Xiafeng Academy? Why haven’t you left yet?"
Ye Chen’s eyes were sowhat unfocused as he replied, "I’ve changed my mind. I want to stay in the Demon Beast Mountain Range for a while longer."
"Why?" Elder Yan didn’t understand.
"Because I need to kill more Innate Demonic Beasts," Ye Chen said. "A terrible rampage amongst the beast is imminent, and then, Innate Demonic Beasts will beco a significant source of disaster. Although Luofeng City lies on the edge of the Demon Beast Mountain Range and is destined to suffer less impact, I’m still worried about the possibility of Innate Demonic Beasts attacking the city, so I want to take action in advance to resolve so of it. That way, I can be at ease."
"Moreover, cultivating the Human Origin Body Technique requires a trendous amount of nature’s spiritual energy. Innate Demon Pills are rich in Innate Energy, which greatly aids in the condensation of the Human Origin Golden Body, and can at least significantly shorten the process."
"There is no rush to head to Xiafeng Academy at the mont. There are still three months left until the admission trials at Tiandu Academy, so there’s plenty of ti."
Elder Yan didn’t try to stop him but simply said, "Just be careful, as even though your mastery of the Human Origin Body Technique is enough to match the Innate Realm, Innate Demonic Beasts are by no ans benevolent. The low-ranked ones are manageable, but encountering a high-ranking Innate Beast can still be dangerous."
"Of course, I am perfectly aware of that," Ye Chen said calmly, with a frost-white Demon Bone Spear appearing in his hand. It was forged from the Innate Demon Bone of a silver giant wolf, crudely made but sharp enough to wound Innate Demonic Beasts.
Among the eighteen types of weapons, his favorite and specialty was the spear, matching his deanor, relentlessly straightforward, bravely invincible.
Suddenly, his gaze shifted towards a distant part of the forest. His pupils instantly focused, staring intently ahead—
There lay a giant crocodile, five zhang in length, lounging in damp marshlands, seemingly in light slumber.
All was quiet nearby, not even the chirp of insects could be heard, subdued by the imposing presence of the giant crocodile. Clearly, this was an Innate Demonic Beast.
"The hunt can begin," Ye Chen declared, his entire being undergoing a shift, as poised and ready as a spear about to be cast.
Whoosh—
In that mont, the spear was thrown, transforming into a streak of white lightning that snaked across the sky, aiming directly at the giant crocodile in the marsh...
Elsewhere, within West Peak Mountain, a rcenary group appeared, numbering over a hundred. Each mber was tall and robust, radiating vitality, weapon in hand, on high alert to guard against any sudden appearance of demon beasts.
The Snow Wolf rcenary Corps, such was the na of this group, a rather sizable rcenary outfit. They frequented the Demon Beast Mountain Range to hunt demon beasts for a livelihood. Their collective strength was formidable, making short work of any demonic beast below the Innate Realm.
Although all towns near the Demon Beast Mountain Range had been on high alert for the past few days, with none of the rcenary groups or adventurers daring to venture even half a step into the mountains, and with hundreds of thousands of soldiers stationed outside Demon Suppression City, ever ready for battle, the Snow Wolf rcenary Group remained oblivious to these developnts.
The reason being, their expeditions into the Demon Beast Mountain Range weren’t brief sojourns but would often last for ten days to half a month, sotis even longer than a month. They would typically not leave the mountains until they had hunted enough demon beasts, and thus, were unaware of the recent high alert situation.
Furthermore, along the way, the rcenary group had reaped a bountiful harvest, having taken down two Acquired Ninth Stage Demon Beasts and seven of the Acquired Eighth Rank, with nurous Sixth and Seventh Rank beasts besides. Their gains exceeded those of three or four previous hunts combined and promised a hefty profit. The journey thus far had been smooth, bringing smiles and pleasure to the faces of the myriad rcenaries of the Snow Wolf Corps.
After half a day’s trek, the group’s leader glanced up at the sky and gestured for a rest. They sat to eat their rations and replenish their strength, while a few rcenaries stepped away from the group to scout the surroundings.
Over a hundred people sat down on the ground, tired from the long day’s run, each wolfing down their food with voracious appetite, displaying a lack of refinent and etiquette.
Yet within the vast ranks of the Snow Wolf rcenary Group, a dozen or so stood out, handso n and beautiful won clad in fine armor, exhibiting exceptional deanor that betrayed their extraordinary origins.
Upon hearing the command to rest from the corps leader, these individuals ford their group, unpacking fine delicacies and even demon beast at, to fully restore their physical energy.
Despite this, the many mbers of the Snow Wolf rcenary Group held no resentnt, for they understood the difference in status. These individuals were not mbers of their group but people with significant backgrounds. They had paid a hefty price for the corps’ protection on this excursion into the Demon Beast Mountain Range, undergoing the trial of this adventure as wealthy patrons.
"Young Master... Miss Vivian, when do you think we will complete our mission and return to the Academy?" A handso young man suddenly turned his attention to the beautiful girl at the center of the group, his gaze carrying a subtle intensity and admiration.
As the most outstanding girl among them, Vivian was only about seventeen or eighteen years old, but she had blossod into a tall and slender beauty, exquisitely lovely—a stunning young girl with both looks and figure.
Although the other girls were similarly attractive, compared to Vivian, they seed sowhat overshadowed.
Even the other rcenaries occasionally cast admiring and covetous glances toward the young girl.
A beauty, no matter where she is, is a pearl that stands out among the flock. Especially a woman with such looks and figure, she was indeed dazzling and eye-catching.
Another girl nodded in agreent, "I think it’s quite difficult—after all, what we’re hunting this ti is not just any demon beast, but an Innate Demonic Beast!"
The Innate Demonic Beast, that’s far more terrifying and difficult to deal with than an Innate Expert. To think of hunting one was really hard.
Hearing this, almost all the youths sighed with a sense of resignation.
They were all elite students from Xiafeng Academy, assigned such a task by the academy, but it was just too hard. They needed to understand that even just surviving under the claws of an Innate Demonic Beast was already quite difficult, let alone hunting it down.
"Maybe so, but as long as we all work hard, success is inevitable."
In response to the clear and pleasant voice, it was Vivian who spoke, her fair hand brushing aside the locks of hair falling over her forehead, her tone carrying a different charm, "I hope everyone doesn’t lose heart, after all, this ti it’s not just us facing the Innate Demonic Beast, we also have the aid of the Snow Wolf rcenary Corps."
Hearing her words, all the young n and won nodded, none daring to underestimate the girl. In terms of strength, Vivian was the strongest among them and also the smartest, with many strategies up her sleeve, the leader of the group.
They were all noble children, not ordinary people, each with power and influence, outstanding disciples. But this ti they were out for training, undertaking this mission to hunt an Innate Demonic Beast in the Demon Beast Mountain Range.
While the Snow Wolf rcenary Corps were indeed hunting in the Demon Beast Mountain Range, in reality, they were rcenaries hired for a significant sum to assist in dealing with the Innate Demonic Beast when the ti ca.
"Let’s eat quickly, so we have more ti to rest, and gather our strength." Seeing that the other rcenaries had already finished eating and only they were still eating slowly, Vivian glanced with her elegant brows lightly furrowing and spoke up.
Upon hearing this, each of the noble child hurriedly finished their dry rations to fill their bellies.
"Everyone’s well-rested, so let’s set off then," said the leader of the rcenary Corps, waving his hand after a rest of about an hour.
Instantly, everyone got up. Having eaten dry rations and taken a break, they all seed much more spirited. The group of over a hundred rcenaries started moving deeper into the Demon Beast Mountain Range.
The half-day journey went smoothly; they encountered no particularly fierce demon beasts. The common ones were eliminated, becoming trophies for the Snow Wolf rcenary Corps.
Still, no one dared be careless; they all remained highly cautious.
But the further they traveled, the more unusual it beca. Vivian felt a growing unease, because as they walked, the forest of West Peak Mountain suddenly beca much quieter. It was silent enough to hear a pin drop, with no sound of bird or beast; only the disorderly footsteps of their rcenary Corps and the rumble of the vehicles could be heard.
A girl’s intuition is often very accurate.
Rumble—
Suddenly, a terrifying noise echoed through the tranquil forest, rising rapidly.
Roar—
A fearso roar from a demon beast tore through the silence of the forest suddenly, putting everyone on guard.
Then, from the dense Miasma Forest, a huge figure burst forth, a giant crocodile at least forty feet long covered in dense black scales, rapidly breaking out of the forest. Its limbs slashed through, easily cutting down the trees around and sending them crashing to the ground, roaring as it charged toward the Snow Wolf rcenary Corps.
"It’s an Innate Demonic Beast!"
The leader’s face changed as he shouted aloud in alarm!
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