Starting as a stray dog, I embarked on a journey of cultivation.

"It really was that stray dog ​​playing tricks!"

The two hunters were both shocked and furious, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Brother Zhao, you were absolutely right!"

Brother Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and sneered, "I knew it was this beast who was behind this!"

"To be toyed with by a stray dog ​​and trapped for days is utterly despicable!"

A fierce glint appeared in someone's eyes, and they gritted their teeth, growling, "Kill it! Today is the perfect day to slaughter this beast and taste dog meat!"

The three instantly reached an agreement, their killing intent palpable, determined to tear the wild dog that had fooled the entire hunting team to pieces.

They have been hunting on the outskirts of this mountain range for many years and are well aware of the strength levels of the monsters in the area.

In the common perception, wild dogs in the mountains are the weakest of the beasts, and lone dogs are even more vulnerable and easily manipulated.

Even the king of dogs is only mediocre in strength; at most, he can only pose a slight threat by relying on the sheer number of his pack.

"You beast, die!"

Brother Zhao moved with practiced skill, his longsword covered with a thin layer of spiritual energy, and slashed straight at Gou An with a strong wind.

His moves were crisp and clean, showing the style of a veteran.

At the same moment, Gou An suddenly leaped forward and charged at the enemy.

In the blink of an eye, Gou An's figure suddenly swayed, and three afterimages instantly split off.

Zhao Ge didn't have time to examine the figure closely; relying on instinct, he slashed at the figure in the center with his sword.

The blade fell, but only struck a phantom image. The afterimage flickered slightly and vanished into thin air in an instant.

Taking advantage of this brief opening, Gou An's main body had already lunged forward, its sharp fangs snapping shut and precisely biting down on Brother Zhao's arm that was holding the knife.

Click!

Bones fractured, and excruciating pain instantly swept through the entire body.

He could no longer hold the hilt of the sword, and the long sword slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.

"What are you all standing there for! Come and help!"

Brother Zhao was in so much pain that cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and he roared angrily.

The other two hunters then came to their senses and attacked from the left and right, each wielding a weapon.

Gou An did not choose to confront them head-on. He immediately retreated, using the agility of a fourth-tier demon beast to easily avoid the two's combined attack.

As it retraced its steps, it opened its mouth and spewed out a thick, dark mist that instantly enveloped the entire forest, obscuring all vision.

Black fog filled the sky, so thick that one could not see their own hand in front of their face.

The three hunters hurriedly gathered together, back to back, their spiritual energy taut, and they warily scanned their dark surroundings, their minds completely on edge.

"Something's not right... this yellow-haired stray dog ​​is definitely not normal!"

A hunter's voice trembled, filled with astonishment and doubt.

"Yes! I've never seen such a fast and unpredictable wild dog!"

With his arm covered in blood, Brother Zhao grimaced in pain and said in a deep voice, "This is definitely not an ordinary wild dog. Its strength is at least at the level of a fourth-tier demonic beast!"

Upon hearing this, the other two panicked instantly: "What do we do now?"

Just as the three were frantically discussing and their minds were in complete disarray.

Amidst the thick black fog, countless tiny dog ​​shadows swayed and weaved, blurring the lines between reality and illusion, so dense that it sent chills down one's spine.

"It's a pack of dogs! We've run into a pack of stray dogs!"

The two hunters were completely panicked, at a loss, and filled with nothing but fear.

They were completely unaware that these dog-like shadows shrouded in black mist were not a pack of dogs at all, but rather illusions created by Gou An using his afterimage assault magic.

The extreme darkness and unknown threats constantly eroded everyone's psychological defenses.

Finally, one of the hunters couldn't hold back any longer. He roared and turned to flee in one direction.

And this is precisely the flaw that Gou An has been waiting so desperately for.

The man had only taken a few steps when a yellow shadow flashed past with incredible speed through the black mist. After a short, piercing scream, the forest fell into complete silence, without a sound.

That person is obviously dead!

Only Brother Zhao and another young hunter remained on the field, back to back, desperately defending their position, their minds reeling.

"Let's charge out together!" Brother Zhao suddenly spoke in a deep voice, his words coming out very quickly: "I can see that the monster's physical body isn't particularly powerful, otherwise it wouldn't have gone to such lengths to deal with us using these methods."

After saying that, he patted his companion on the shoulder and said in a deliberately calm tone, "You lead the way, and I'll bring up the rear. We'll break through together!"

The young hunter, without a second thought, nodded immediately, gritted his teeth, and charged swiftly in one direction.

Brother Zhao followed closely behind him.

Just as the two were halfway through their breakout and about to escape the black mist, a ruthless glint flashed in Brother Zhao's eyes. He raised his hand to gather strength, and with his left hand, he slashed his long sword fiercely at the hunter's hind leg!

A sharp pain shot through him, and the young hunter screamed as his legs buckled and he collapsed heavily to the ground.

Without even glancing back, Brother Zhao pushed off with his feet and ran for his life without looking back.

The Monster Mountain Range has always been like this.

When encountering powerful monsters, sometimes it's not necessary to run faster than them.

As long as you run faster than your teammates, you can fight for a chance to survive.

This is a survival rule that Brother Zhao has learned from years of wandering in the Monster Mountain Range.

But he never expected that he was facing a dull-witted monster that had never been enlightened.

Rather, it is merely a life of complacency with a human soul.

Gou An saw through his selfish and despicable scheme at a glance.

Ignoring the hunter's groans as he fell to the ground, now no longer a threat, he flashed forward and chased after Brother Zhao, who was fleeing in panic.

In an instant, it caught up with its opponent, leaped forward, and slammed him to the ground. Its sharp fangs pierced his neck, ending his life.

Having dealt with the most cunning Zhao Ge, Gou An returned to the Black Mist and calmly stepped forward.

The remaining person naturally did not escape Gou An's clutches either.

Once he confirmed that the three men were completely lifeless, Gou An prepared to loot the three corpses.

Not long after, he dug the fifth-tier demon core of the Blazing Bear out of Brother Zhao's arms.

In addition, he also found a bulging money bag containing a lot of small silver and copper coins.

At the bottom of the bag lay two milky-white crystals, each the size of a fingernail. They were translucent and, upon closer inspection, shimmered with a faint fluorescent white light, their spiritual energy contained within.

Could this be the spirit stone used by cultivators?

Gou An was suddenly jolted, unable to hide his excitement.

Without hesitation, he gathered up the demon core, spirit stones, and silver coins, stuffing them all into the storage space inside his mouth and storing them carefully.

Just as Gou An was preparing to quietly leave the place, he suddenly caught a strange scent at the tip of his nose.

It seems that Brother Zhao is hiding something inside the wristband he's wearing.

He immediately leaned closer to smell it, then gently tore it off with his sharp teeth, revealing a piece of paper with a firm and tough texture hidden in the inner layer.

The paper was flat and covered with neat handwriting.

Could it be a cultivation technique?

Gou An suddenly became interested.

Although it's unknown whether demonic beasts can cultivate, it's still good to see.

Without hesitation, he opened his mouth and swallowed the entire sheet of paper into his storage space, intending to study it carefully later.

After confirming that there was nothing else of value at the scene, Gou An turned and left.

I'm going to find another secluded and safe corner to take stock of my spoils this time.