Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 16: Chapter 15: The Hunt

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Chu Zhiyuan and thirteen others were all dressed in dark green combat uniforms, standing in front of a large rock, blending seamlessly with the surrounding mountain colors.

Chu Zhiyuan looked up.

Opposite was a towering peak, its half-top piercing into the low, dark clouds, making it indistinct.

The mountain haze was like smoke, the trees dark green.

On the rock stood Chu Qingfeng and thirteen middle-aged men, their expressions solemn, revealing a slight tension, completely different from the excited faces of Chu Mingxuan and the others.

Further out was over a hundred Forbidden Palace guards, each wearing Da Jing Dynasty’s standard armor—Bright Armor, shimmering with cold light, daunting to behold.

These guards formed a circle, with knives at their waists, hands on the handles, and eyes scanning the surroundings, watchful and stern.

”No need for unnecessary words,” Chu Qingfeng’s gaze swept over the princes and princely heirs: ”Only one thing, don’t risk your life for merit. If anything’s off, shout or send a signal, and someone will rescue you immediately!”

”You need to be alive to earn merit, you all know what’s more important. Don’t get reckless when fighting, especially since the roars of these demon beasts can stir your blood and make your eyes red. Stay in control!”

His gaze finally landed on Chu Zhiyuan: ”The demon beasts inside this Little Chixia Mountain should not be underestimated. Stay vigilant, it’s your first time here, don’t look to earn merit.”

”Yes, Uncle.”

Chu Zhiyuan stood among the princely heirs and bowed his fist.

”It’s noon now, when the mountain turns red, the bell will signal the end... enter the mountain!”

”Let’s go!”

”I’m coming too!”

”This time I’ll definitely take one down!”

...

Everyone’s eyes shone with excitement as they shouted loudly, but they moved cautiously, slowly approaching the forest at the foot of Little Chixia Mountain.

They spread out, each finding a direction to head into the forest.

Prey killed in cooperation didn’t count as merit, only solo kills did.

Chu Zhiyuan first circled around the mountain’s base without approaching the forest, seemingly hesitant to advance.

The mountain of roars and howls in the forest rose and fell one after another.

His Super Sense covered a range of a hundred meters, his footsteps shifting, eyeing Chu Zhitian and Chu Zhichuan.

A small beast like a squirrel transformed into a dark shadow, darting towards Chu Zhitian. Chu Zhitian didn’t react in time and was knocked ten meters away into a pine tree.

”Bang!” The pine needles rustled down like rain as he painfully stuck halfway up the tree.

Not far away, Chu Zhichuan also encountered a small beast, like a squirrel that turned into a dark shadow but skillfully dodged it and slashed with his sword.

The small beast swung its tail in the air, nimbly pivoted, and darted into the forest, vanishing from sight.

Chu Zhiyuan was thoughtful.

The speed of these small beasts was too fast, and without preparation, it was difficult to react. Chu Zhitian and Chu Zhichuan were obviously prepared, this was definitely not their first encounter.

”Hiss——!” Chu Zhitian gasped, grimacing as he slid down to the tree root, shaking his head.

A green shadow suddenly shot towards the back of his head.

”Bang!” He punched at the green shadow.

The green shadow twisted in the air and vanished into the distance.

It was a small snake, green and sparkling like jade, its eyes clear and bright, its head not fierce but agile and cute.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded, the Ninth clearly knew it would attack stealthily at this time.

This is the benefit of experience, and this kind of experience was likely bought with injuries.

Meanwhile, the scene of Chu Zhichuan was also unfolding in his mind.

Chu Zhichuan’s handsome face was tense, he shook his longsword, the sword light shimmered, and he stepped forward two steps, then slashed into the air.

”Ding...”

A white swallow suddenly appeared where the sword tip pierced, flapped twice, then wanted to fall.

It flipped over a foot down and flew up again, gliding skyward, slipping into the void, disappearing without a trace.

Chu Zhiyuan raised his sword-like eyebrows.

This white swallow had the ability to become invisible.

For those unaware, it would be almost impossible to avoid this swallow’s strike.

Little Chixia Mountain indeed lived up to its reputation.

Chu Zhitian and Chu Zhichuan continued upward, gradually leaving his Super Sense coverage range.

He circled around the forest again, observing the situations of other princely heirs.

They either encountered a green snake, a small squirrel-like beast, an invisible spirit swallow, or a snow-white rabbit.

This little white rabbit kicked, sending a princely heir flying, spitting out blood arrows in the air, then crashing heavily to the ground, unconscious.

A middle-aged master appeared like a wisp of smoke, carried him out, and ended this winter hunt.

Chu Zhiyuan clicked his tongue.

The kick of that snow-white, adorable little rabbit was no different than a strike from an Innate Master.

He suddenly felt: Winter hunting wasn’t their hunt for these demon beasts, but rather the beasts hunting them.

Looking at the performances of these princes and princely heirs, like a lamb amongst wolves, cautious, on edge, and jumpy. They were overly timid, vigilant, and ready to fight at the slightest noise, which was admittedly somewhat laughable.

He grew increasingly cautious and mindful.

After all, these princes and princely heirs were by no means weak; they had learned top martial arts and had been through training, far from comparable to ordinary martial artists outside.

Their wariness naturally stemmed from the fearsome nature of these demon beasts.

After watching for a while, when all the princes and princely heirs had moved beyond his Super Sense range, he finally started towards the forest.

Chu Qingfeng stood on a mountain peak opposite, watching from above, his eyes like an eagle’s. He observed his movements clearly, and did not urge his hesitation, just watching indifferently.

...

Little Chixia Mountain was covered in trees and wild grass, with various trees mixed, branches and vines entangled, crisscrossed, with only a few narrow paths opened by princes and princely heirs.

As soon as he stepped into the forest, the hair on his body stood up, warning him to retreat, as he was already within the danger range.

Under Super Sense, everything within a hundred-meter radius was clearly presented in his mind.

The sights, sounds, and sensations perceived through his skin, mouth, and nose formed a peculiar world of colors, sounds, scents, and touches.

This world was clearer, finer, deeper, vivid, and more wondrous than the world seen with his own eyes.

He walked slowly, suddenly thrusting out his sword.

”Squeak——!”

A wretched scream erupted from behind his head as the sword had already skewered a small squirrel, its slick brown fur like silk.

The sword tip pierced through its fragile throat, emerging from the back of its neck.

Through his Super Sense, he knew the weak point of this demon mouse, and the sword tip couldn’t pierce anywhere else.

He flicked the sword, hanging the demon mouse on a nearby tree branch.

The sword gleamed like new, shiny and chilling.

He pinched the sword technique with his left hand, gently wiping the sword blade until the tip, without leaving a trace of blood, only a faint sweet and metallic smell.

”One down!”

He continued deeper in.

After a few steps, he furrowed his sword-like eyebrows.

That one sword strike had formed a deterrent, with the spirit swallows flying invisibly in the void, observing.

No matter how strong he was, he couldn’t fly up and strike at them.

The green snake stuck on the treetop remained motionless, integrated with the branch, quite far away and with no intent to attack.

Not far away, a demon beast crouched, silently retreating.

This one sword had frightened them.

These demon beasts were extremely cunning, cautious and careful.

Chu Zhiyuan didn’t rush to chase and kill, quickening his pace a few strides forward, covering Chu Zhitian and Chu Zhichuan in his Super Sense range, while also covering the Eighteenth Prince Chu Mingxuan.

Chu Zhitian was hit by a golden lynx, sent flying, spitting blood arrows in the air, as the lynx turned into a golden light, following tightly to hit him again.

Chu Zhitian clenched his fists while spitting blood in the air, knocked away again by the lynx.

The lynx slowed its pace, then twisted in the air, landed between tree branches, and darted into the forest, disappearing.

Chu Zhitian landed with a ”Bang”, shaking the ground, wiped his mouth with his hand, and spat out bloody saliva with anger.

Chu Zhiyuan raised his sword-like eyebrow.

This Chu Zhitian had practiced the Horizontal Training Technique, with tough skin and thick flesh, and despite several hits, seemed unharmed.

Meanwhile, Chu Zhichuan, his sword light continuously formed a clean glow to protect himself, moving lightly, his Step Technique although not as swift as Near and Far Steps, was extremely refined, dodging sneak attacks skillfully, and counter-attacking naturally.

Chu Zhiyuan could see clearly that his sword light was continuous, and its power was insufficient.

Observing that his sword struck both a spirit swallow and a white rabbit, yet both easily escaped, revealed its power.

Each of these demon beasts had iron bones, to break their defenses and kill them, one must find their weak points and hit them.

The former they might know, as they had experience, or might have known from books or elders.

In this aspect, he was at a disadvantage, having no experience to speak of.

The latter, however, was not easy.

A common trait of these demon beasts was their incredible speed.

These demon beasts all guarded their weak points subtly, seen through the common eye but not to him.

Even knowing their weak points, hitting them required being faster than them.

His Great Snow Avalanche Sword Technique and Near and Far Steps excelled in surprise and speed.

He walked up about a hundred meters, suddenly turning right to circle along the mountainside, observing the experiences of other princes and princely heirs.

After circling once, he turned and walked back.

He discovered a pattern: the higher up, the stronger the demon beasts, while those below were easier to handle.

Once the princes and princely heirs stepped into the mountain, they grew exhilarated, excited, and high-spirited.

He found that if he loosened his right hand from the sword’s hilt, he too, would become exuberant, the blood surged with an urge to slay all demon beasts.

Once he gripped the sword hilt, clarity returned immediately.

This enthusiasm and lofty fighting spirit came from a special aroma lingering in the air.

The aroma was almost colorless and tasteless, coming from the wild grass on the ground.

He shook his head with a bitter smile, ’This is really a pitfall.’

Knowing a mountain has tigers, but daring to approach the mountain, he wasn’t so brave, naturally opting for the easier prey.

His figure flashed, immediately appearing before a peach tree, the sword gleamed, and a small greenish jade snake appeared on the sword tip.

The snake’s weak point was pierced, and the snake was already dead.

He gently flicked it, the green snake fluttered onto a tree branch, and he flashed away, appearing behind another tree, already stabbing into the underbrush with his sword tip.

When he retracted the sword, it had pierced a silver beast, shaped like a hedgehog, but with shimmering silver spikes.

Seeing those silver spikes made him shiver, hairs standing on end.

This silver beast was extremely dangerous, once it shot its spikes, his life would be in danger.

It had stealth capability, silent and deadly.

He flickered within the forest, with the sword gleam flashing occasionally.

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