Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 199 Autumn Hunt (Part 2)

The Nanyuan Hunting Grounds were extremely large, covering an area of ​​several hundred li.

The outer area is mostly gentle hills and grasslands with relatively sparse trees, making it the main area for activities of most noble sons.

They gathered in small groups, calling out to their friends and companions, accompanied by large packs of servants and hunting dogs; it was more like an outing than a hunt.

Every now and then, the sound of bowstrings vibrating could be heard from the forest, accompanied by the barking of hunting dogs and the cheers of people.

Clearly, some people have already started to reap the rewards.

Chen Ye had already broken away from the main force and was riding alone towards the depths of Nanyuan.

The further you go in, the more treacherous the terrain becomes.

The towering ancient trees blocked out the sunlight, making the forest dim. The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, which felt soft and crunchy underfoot and exuded a musty smell.

All around was quiet, with only the soft rustling of horses' hooves on fallen leaves and the sound of my own steady breathing.

If it were one of those pampered young masters, they would probably have turned and run away in such an environment by now.

But Chen Ye remained calm, even showing a hint of enjoyment.

This environment, full of unknowns and dangers, only served to ignite his innate adventurous spirit.

He slowed his horse down, lay prone on its back, and scanned his surroundings with eyes as alert as a hawk.

His cultivation at the Sea Condensation Realm gave him a perception of his surroundings far beyond that of ordinary people; not a single rustling sound could escape his ears.

"rustle……"

Suddenly, a slight noise came from the bushes to the left.

Chen Ye's eyes narrowed instantly. He silently gripped the bow with his left hand, while his right hand drew a wolf-tooth arrow from the quiver. He then nocked the arrow, held his breath, and waited quietly.

A moment later, a bright red fox with glossy fur cautiously poked its head out from the bushes.

It cautiously looked around, seemingly finding no danger, and then prepared to dart across the forest path.

Just the instant it leaped up.

Whoosh!
An arrow shot through the air!

The fox didn't even have time to scream before it was pierced through the throat by an arrow and pinned to the ground, its body still twitching slightly.

One arrow, and he's dead!
Chen Ye slowly lowered the bow, his face showing no particular expression.

For him, this was just an appetizer.

He dismounted, walked over and pulled the arrows from the fox's carcass, then skillfully tied up the prey and hung it on the side of the saddle.

Although his target was the strange beast, it wouldn't hurt to hunt some wild game along the way.

After processing his prey, Chen Ye continued on his way.

Along the way, he shot and killed several wild rabbits and a silly roe deer, reaping a rich harvest.

His archery skills, capable of hitting a target from a hundred paces away, would probably make Hou En, Qian Yi, and others' eyes pop out if they saw them.

Is this really the good-for-nothing they knew who spent all his time indulging in debauchery?
This is clearly a seasoned and experienced hunter!
After traveling for about half an hour, Chen Ye finally arrived at the outer edge of the restricted area.

A bottomless canyon stretched out before us, like a natural barrier separating the two worlds.

The opposite side of the canyon has steep mountains, and wisps of pale blue miasma occasionally drift from the dark forest, making it look like a dangerous place.

Chen Ye reined in his horse and stopped at the edge of the canyon.

He didn't rush over, but first observed carefully.

Although the canyon is wide, it is not insurmountable.

Not far away, a naturally formed stone bridge connects the two banks.

However, the stone bridge looked very narrow and was covered with moss, making it extremely slippery and difficult for warhorses to cross.

Chen Ye frowned.

It seems we have no choice but to abandon the horse and walk.

So Chen Ye dismounted, tied his steed, Ta Xue Wu Zhui, to a big tree, and left it plenty of fodder and water.

He then checked his equipment, drew his longsword, held it in his hand, and began to walk cautiously toward the stone bridge.

Stepping onto the stone bridge, a cold, damp atmosphere hits you, mixed with a faint fishy smell.

The stones underfoot are slippery; one wrong step and you could fall into an abyss.

Chen Ye channeled his true energy into his feet, making each step extremely steady. He quickly and safely crossed the stone bridge and stepped onto the land on the other side.

The forest here is eerily quiet; you can't even hear a bird call.

The ground was covered with strangely shaped vines and slippery moss, so you had to be careful with every step you took.

Although the pale blue miasma looked frightening, Chen Ye was not afraid because he had the true essence of the Condensing Sea Realm protecting him.

As he walked, he carefully observed the ground.

Soon Chen Ye discovered a series of huge footprints on a muddy patch of land.

The footprints were shaped like plum blossoms, each one larger than Chen Ye's palm, deeply embedded in the soil, with sharp claw marks on the edges.

Judging from the shape of the footprints, it should be a large feline.

But ordinary tigers and leopards definitely don't have paws that big.

Chen Ye's eyes lit up.

found it!
Chen Ye then followed the direction of the footprints.

The footprints stretched deeper and deeper into the forest, and the surrounding traces also increased.

There were trees snapped in half, boulders torn apart by claws, and the remains of some animals.

Judging from these traces, this beast was extremely large and had a violent and aggressive temperament.

Chen Ye's heart began to beat slightly faster.

It's the instinctive excitement a hunter feels when he spots his prey.

He completely concealed his presence and moved silently through the forest.

After tracking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he finally spotted his target in a mountain hollow.

That was a magnificent tiger, its size comparable to that of a giant elephant!

Its entire body is covered in gorgeous black and yellow fur, and its limbs are thick and powerful, full of explosive power.

The most peculiar thing is that it has a single horn that is more than a foot long and looks like black jade on its forehead!

Lightning flickered faintly on the unicorn horn, emanating a terrifying aura that sent chills down one's spine.

At this moment, the one-horned giant tiger was lying on a boulder, dozing off. Its chest rose and fell slightly with each breath, each breath bringing up a gust of wind that made the surrounding trees rustle.

Beside it lay the carcass of a bison, mostly devoured, its flesh mangled and the scene extremely gruesome.

One-Horned Thunder Tiger!

The name of this strange beast came to Chen Ye's mind.

He had seen records of this strange beast in the books in his study.

The One-Horned Thunder Tiger is the king of tigers, born with the ability to control the power of lightning. Although it has a low intelligence, its strength is astonishing after it grows up.

I never expected that such a ferocious creature would be kept in this Nanyuan!
Chen Ye quietly retreated and hid behind a boulder, his brain starting to work at lightning speed.

First of all, bows and arrows are probably useless.

This level of beast has thick hide and tough flesh; ordinary wolf-tooth arrows probably couldn't even penetrate its skin.

Even if you are lucky enough to hit a vital spot like the eye, it may not be a fatal blow.

If you anger it and make it go berserk, you'll be in trouble.

So we have no choice but to get close!

Using his martial arts experience as a Grandmaster of Divine Realm, combined with his true essence at the Sea Condensation Realm, he might be able to put up a fight against it.

But that's too risky.

Chen Ye frowned, pondering a solution.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of some peculiar plants growing on the cliff face of the opposite mountain valley.

It was a blood-red vine, bearing fist-sized, heart-shaped fruits.

"Red Blood Vine and... Drunken Dragon Fruit?"

Chen Ye's eyes lit up.

He had seen it in the book "A Study of the Local Customs of Yunzhou". It is a kind of peculiar spiritual fruit that is not poisonous, but has a strong paralyzing effect.

It is said that even a tough-skinned elephant would get drunk on the spot if it ate one.

And this fruit happens to be one of the favorite foods of the One-Horned Thunder Tiger!

That's right, what this one-horned thunder tiger likes most is the feeling of being paralyzed and knocked unconscious, and it's even become addicted to it.

Thinking of this, Chen Ye instantly came up with a bold plan.

The plan was in place, but its implementation proved to be quite difficult.

Those dragon fruit plants grow on steep cliffs, at extremely high positions, with no footholds around them to climb.

What's worse, the one-horned thunder tiger was lying at the bottom of the ravine, and any noise he made could alert it.

Chen Ye hid behind the boulder, carefully observing the terrain.

The cliff is very high, at least 100 meters high by sight.

Climbing up without alerting the tiger is virtually an impossible task. It seems we'll have to find another way.

Chen Ye took out a small porcelain bottle from his pocket and poured out a few black pills.

This is the sleeping potion that Chen Ye brought with him before he came, specifically for setting traps when hunting.

However, it now has a greater use.

Chen Ye crushed the sleeping incense and, taking advantage of the wind, scattered it towards the mountain hollow.

After doing all this, Chen Ye held his breath and waited quietly.

In the mountain hollow, the one-horned thunder tiger seemed to have sensed something amiss. It twitched its nose and flicked its tail in annoyance.

But it didn't get up; it just changed its position and continued to lie there.

Clearly, this level of beast possesses an extremely powerful physique, and ordinary sleeping potions have no effect on it.

Chen Ye wasn't surprised; he hadn't expected this thing to be able to knock out a beast at the Sea Condensation Realm.

All he wanted was that one fleeting moment... an opportunity!
Just as the Thunder Tiger was becoming somewhat agitated by the sleeping incense and its attention was being diverted...

Chen Ye made a move!

His body shot out from behind the boulder like a fully drawn bow!

He tapped his toes on the ground several times, and his whole body turned into a blur as he rushed towards the other side of the ravine.

His speed was so fast that he reached the bottom of the cliff almost before the One-Horned Thunder Tiger could react.

"Roar!"

The Thunder Tiger finally noticed the uninvited guest who had trespassed into its territory. It suddenly leaped up from the ground and let out a deafening roar!

The entire valley trembled at the roar.

At the same time, its two copper bell-like tiger eyes were fixed on Chen Ye, and the single horn on its forehead began to flash with electricity.

However, Chen Ye didn't give it a chance to lash out.

He rushed to the bottom of the cliff without stopping, and stomped his right foot hard on the ground!
boom!
He stomped a deep hole in the ground, and with the force of the impact, he rose up and shot straight up the cliff!

He pushed his true essence at the Sea Condensation Realm to its limit at this moment!
His body defied the laws of physics, changing direction repeatedly in mid-air to avoid several protruding rocks.

He repeated this several times, moving swiftly up the almost vertical cliff in an incredible way.

And it all happened in the blink of an eye.

The Thunder Tiger below seemed somewhat dumbfounded.

It probably couldn't understand why this two-legged creature wasn't fighting it, but instead went to climb the wall.

By the time it realized what was happening, Chen Ye had already climbed to the halfway point of the mountain.

"Roar!"

Enraged, the One-Horned Thunder Tiger opened its blood-red maw and unleashed a thick bolt of lightning that blasted towards Chen Ye on the cliff face with destructive force!

Chen Ye felt the deadly threat in the air, and his scalp tingled.

He dared not be careless in the slightest, and with a sudden burst of strength from his waist and abdomen, he twisted his body at an angle in mid-air.

Boom!

The lightning grazed his body and struck the rock wall, blasting a huge crater and sending debris flying everywhere.

Chen Ye was shaken by the aftershocks of the explosion, his blood surging, and he was shocked by the terror of the strange beasts in this world.

Chen Ye dared not linger and continued to climb desperately, using both his hands and feet.

Seeing that its attack missed, the One-Horned Thunder Tiger became even more ferocious, unleashing bolts of lightning at Chen Ye as if they were free.

In an instant, lightning flashed and thunder roared throughout the valley, and rocks flew everywhere. Chen Ye dodged and weaved amidst this hail of bullets.

He was nearly struck by lightning several times, which was terrifying to watch.

Finally, Chen Ye successfully climbed the cliff and arrived at the place where the Crimson Blood Vine grew.

Before he could catch his breath, Chen Ye reached out and picked a few dragon fruits, stuffing them into his pocket.

Then he spotted the location of the one-horned thunder tiger below, picked up a Drunken Dragon Fruit, and threw it towards its gaping maw!
The red fruit traced a parabola through the air.

The Thunder Tiger below was tilting its head back, preparing to spew more lightning, when it saw a round thing fall from the sky, emitting a very familiar fragrance.

It instinctively opened its mouth to catch it.

Gudong.

The dragon fruit slid down its throat.

The one-horned thunder tiger smacked its lips, seemingly not yet tasting the flavor.

Then it raised its head in confusion and looked at Chen Ye on the cliff.

When Chen Ye saw it eat the fruit, a smile appeared on his lips.

He ignored the foolish tiger and turned to slide down the other side of the cliff.

When he returned to the ground, the one-horned thunder tiger in the ravine was already swaying unsteadily.

The medicinal effects of the dragon fruit have kicked in.

It felt dizzy and the scene before its eyes began to blur. It staggered and tried to stand up, but its four legs were like noodles and wouldn't obey its commands.

“Roar…Woo…”

It let out a weak roar, and then with a thud, its massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Become!

Chen Ye let out a long breath. The series of operations he had just performed seemed easy, but in reality, they were extremely dangerous and had been a huge drain on his true energy and physical strength.

After resting for a while, Chen Ye got up, picked up his knife, and carefully walked into the ravine.

Arriving beside the One-Horned Thunder Tiger, looking at this enormous creature that resembled a small mountain, Chen Ye felt a surge of intense accomplishment.

Instead of taking action, he first walked around Lei Hu to make sure it was really fast asleep.

After tapping its head hard with the hilt of his knife and finding that it didn't react at all, Chen Ye finally felt completely relieved.

Then Chen Ye raised the hundred-refined longsword in his hand and poured his true essence into it.

In an instant, a faint white light appeared on the blade.

"Don't blame me for being heartless, blame yourself for being too stupid."

He silently recited those words in his mind, and then Chen Ye thrust out his knife.

With a soft thud, the longsword pierced precisely into the heart of the one-horned thunder tiger.

The tiger didn't even get to utter a mournful cry before its life ended in its sleep.

……

Meanwhile, the atmosphere at the main camp of the Nanyuan Hunting Grounds reached a climax.

After a day of hunting, the young men gradually returned to the camp.

Everyone carried some prey, their faces beaming with excitement and pride.

The open space in the center of the camp was filled with all sorts of wild animal carcasses, including wild boars, elk, gazelles, and even a few black bears and leopards, piled up into small hills.

The civil and military officials gathered around, commenting on the spoils of war and occasionally uttering exclamations of admiration.

On the high platform, the Empress watched all this with great interest from behind the beaded curtain.

"Your Majesty, the prey of the young masters has been counted."

An official in charge of recording stepped forward with a booklet and reported loudly.

"This year's harvest has been quite bountiful, with Prince Zhao Heng of the Wuyang Prince's Mansion taking the lead by hunting a wild boar king weighing a thousand catties!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Heng in the crowd straightened his chest, his face full of pride.

Although he didn't find the tiger, he was lucky enough to shoot and kill a wild boar king that came out to hunt for food, which made quite a splash.

"Hmm, not bad." The Empress's cool yet authoritative voice came from behind the beaded curtain. "Reward."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Zhao Heng was overjoyed and immediately knelt down to express his gratitude.

Just when everyone thought that the winner of this year's competition had been decided.

A captain of the Imperial Guards, responsible for guarding the entrance to the hunting grounds, suddenly ran over in a panic.

"Your Majesty! Young Master Chen Ye of the Chen family has returned!"

Upon hearing this name, most of the people present were taken aback.

Chen Ye?

That good-for-nothing is back, so what's the big deal?

However, what the captain said next shocked everyone present.

"He...he hunted down...a one-horned thunder tiger!"

Did Chen Ye hunt down a one-horned thunder tiger?
Is this some kind of joke?
Just then, a noise came from afar, and everyone's eyes turned to look in that direction.

In the afterglow of the setting sun, a tall and upright figure was slowly walking towards them.

It was Chen Ye.

His black outfit was stained with blood and dust, making him look somewhat disheveled.

But he stood ramrod straight, walked with a steady gait, had a calm gaze, and exuded an indescribable powerful aura.

Behind him, there really was a magnificent tiger, as big as a small mountain, dragging along!
(End of this chapter)