Gou Zai Wudao Shi Lian Shen

The western ridge of Chixia Mountain is steep, with deep forests and heavy fog.

In spring, vegetation grows wildly, vines entwine ancient trees, and moss covers the slippery rocks. The sounds of insects and birds can be heard from time to time in the forest, but the deeper one goes, the fewer the sounds become, as if some ferocious beast is lurking in the forest, suppressing even ordinary wild animals from making a sound.

The people from Qianhe Martial Arts School split into three teams and searched the deep mountains from different directions.

One team was personally led by the chief disciple, Shen Fangzhou.

Shen Fangzhou was nearly forty years old, with a cold and stern face and a tall and thin figure. He was dressed in a gray and white outfit, and a token of the true teachings of the Qianhe Martial Arts School hung at his waist.

He is a peak-level Blood-Transferring martial artist and the leader of the Thousand Crane Martial Arts Academy's hunt for the alien beast.

The other two teams were led by Zhou Mingqi and Ma Chongshan, respectively, who were disciples of the master.

Both of them were masters of Blood Transformation and were considered prominent figures at the Thousand Crane Martial Arts School.

The strange beast that appeared in Xiling this time is said to resemble a mountain deer, with red stripes on its back, antlers like blood jade, and heat rising from its hooves when it runs, causing the grass and leaves to wither and turn yellow wherever it goes.

The essence and blood of these strange beasts are of great benefit to warriors who can move blood.

If they can hunt it down, it will not only allow several of the true disciples of the Thousand Crane Martial Arts School to make further progress in their martial arts studies, but it may even help Shen Fangzhou break through the Blood Refining Realm and advance to the Skin Refining Realm.

Therefore, Qianhe Martial Arts School is determined to win.

However, the beasts are cunning, and the mountains and forests are complex.

These martial artists are skilled at killing, but not at tracking.

As a result, the hunters in the nearby mountain villages suffered.

Several hunters were pushed and shoved, walking at the front of the group.

There was an old hunter from Qingshi Village, a herb gatherer from Laohuaigou, and Lu Qiao from Lujia Village.

Lu Qiao, with a slightly hunched back, sharp eyes, and straw sandals covered in mud, walked at the front of the group, occasionally looking down to check his surroundings.

"Old man, hurry up!"

Suddenly, a shout came from behind.

Zhou Mingqi kicked Lu Qiao in the buttocks.

This kick was fierce and heavy, with no restraint whatsoever.

Lu Qiao was thrown forward, his shoulder slamming heavily against the tree trunk, his face scraping against the rough bark.

With a ripping sound.

A gash was cut open on his face, and blood flowed down his cheekbone, quickly staining half of his face red.

Lu Qiao grunted, gritting his teeth and not letting out a sound.

"Stop dawdling!"

"Aren't you the most skilled hunter in Lu Family Village?"

"If I can't find any strange beasts today, I'll break one of your legs first, and then capture your son to feed the wild animals."

Anger flashed in Lu Qiao's eyes, and he clenched his fists but then relaxed them.

The martial arts masters in these county towns were arrogant and their fighting skills were far beyond what this old hunter could match. Even if he were willing to risk his life to fight them, he couldn't let his son suffer along with them.

A hunter nearby couldn't help but whisper, "Master, it just rained in these mountains, and many animal tracks have been washed away, so they won't be easy to find."

Snapped!

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhou Mingqi slapped him across the face.

The hunter screamed as he was slapped away.

"Who gave you permission to speak?"

Zhou Mingqi's eyes were cold.

"You peasants, you've been living in the mountains for so many years."

"Now you're making excuses just to show me the way."

"Do you really think my Thousand Cranes Martial Arts School is so easy to fool?"

The hunters turned pale with fright and dared not say another word.

"Hurry up! If we don't find any trace of the beast today, none of you will escape unscathed!"

Zhou Mingqi cursed loudly.

The hunters had no choice but to bite the bullet and search everywhere.

Before long, a hunter discovered the trail.

The crowd immediately gathered around.

On a patch of wet, soft mud, several strange hoof prints were clearly visible.

The hoofprint was twice the size of that of an ordinary mountain deer, deeply embedded in the mud, with the edges of the grass charred black, as if licked by flames. A trace of heat still lingered in the mud pit, and a faint, burnt smell could be faintly detected.

Zhou Mingqi's eyes immediately lit up with ecstasy.

"Found it!"

Several disciples of Qianhe Martial Arts School also looked excited.

"It's a strange beast!"

"Senior Brother Shen is right, there really are strange beasts in Xiling!"

"Go, chase after them!" Zhou Mingqi commanded in a low voice.

The group followed the hoofprints deeper into the dense forest.

The grass on the ground began to show signs of scorching yellow, and several low shrubs were broken, with wisps of white smoke rising from the broken ends.

Soon, in a mountain hollow, they saw a crimson mountain deer munching on a blood-red spiritual herb.

It is several times larger than a common mountain deer, with flame-like red stripes on its back, and its four hooves are planted on the ground, with the surrounding grass slightly curled and charred.

The most striking feature is the pair of blood-red antlers on its head.

It was as clear as jade, yet it had a faint blood-red glow.

Zhou Mingqi's breathing instantly became heavy.

"Crimson Blood Deer..."

"It's a rare beast, the Crimson Blood Deer!"

These martial arts disciples had seen this kind of beast in the catalog of exotic beasts, so they recognized it at a glance.

This strange beast is ferocious in nature, runs like the wind, and its blood-red horn can shatter rocks.

Its essence and blood are intensely potent, capable of tempering muscles and bones, stimulating a martial artist's potential, and greatly benefiting martial artists at the Blood Transformation Realm.

Zhou Mingqi took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his excitement, and whispered, "Scatter, surround it."

"Don't let it run out of the valley."

The disciples immediately lowered their stance and quietly dispersed to both sides.

The hunters, however, were pushed to the front and given a wooden stick in their hand.

Lu Qiao looked at the crimson deer, his face extremely grim.

Having spent half his life hunting in the mountains, he knew at a glance that this thing was something that no human could easily withstand.

Let alone ordinary hunters like them, even blood-carrying warriors would suffer broken bones if they were hit head-on by it.

Zhou Mingqi coldly replied, "Go over there and drive it this way."

A hunter's voice trembled: "Sir, this...this is sending us to our deaths!"

Zhou Mingqi slowly turned his head, his eyes cold.

"Sending them to their deaths?"

"This is your chance!"

"It's your good fortune that you peasants can bring honor to Qianhe Martial Arts School."

He drew his long sword from his waist, its blade reflecting the cold light of the mountains.

"Go quickly!"

The hunters looked at each other, none of them daring to make a move.

They had no martial arts training and were armed only with wooden sticks, completely unprotected. Charging forward to face this beast, stronger than a tiger, would be tantamount to suicide.

"Um?"

When Zhou Mingqi saw that no one obeyed his orders, his face immediately darkened.

The next moment, he suddenly slashed out with his long sword.

puff!

Before one of the hunters standing in front could even scream, his chest was cleaved open by a knife, and blood sprayed onto the grass.

The hunter's eyes widened, he staggered a couple of steps, and collapsed to the ground with a thud. His body twitched a few times and then fell still.

The hunters were all startled by this.

Zhou Mingqi, however, acted as if he had casually slaughtered a chicken, coldly saying, "Now, who doesn't understand what I'm saying?"

Just then, the Crimson Deer seemed to sense the movement and suddenly raised its head.

Its beastly eyes were blood-red, staring intently at where the group was hiding.

The next instant, it let out a sharp, long cry.

"Yo—!"

The sound pierced the mountains and forests, causing the leaves to fall in a rustling sound.

The Crimson Blood Deer stomped its four hooves, causing the ground to explode, and the entire beast transformed into a crimson afterimage as it charged straight at the enemy.

"Oh no, we've been discovered!"

Zhou Mingqi cursed under his breath.

Instead of stopping them, he kicked a hunter in the back, sending him flying towards the direction the red-blooded deer was charging. He then darted to the left.

The hunter screamed in terror, but it was too late to escape.

The crimson deer, its blood-red antlers drooping, crashed down with a thunderous roar.

puff!

The sharp antlers pierced the hunter's abdomen, lifting him high into the air.

Blood and entrails were scattered all over the ground.

The hunter, hanging from the deer's antlers, screamed in agony, his voice so piercing it sent chills down one's spine.