Chapter 19

The Hunter's Guild has always been the busiest place in every city.

To avoid drawing attention, Luo Xiu wore a hood and came here.

Many martial artists have peculiar habits or some unknown purposes, which is why they cover their faces. There are quite a few such people in the Hunter's Guild hall, so no one paid much attention to Luo Xiu.

Most hunters are often away for long periods. After so many days, Luo Xiu saw only a few familiar faces when he returned here.

He wore a one-star Hunter's badge on his chest and walked straight to the counter.

"Hello, Hunter. How may I assist you?" Jiang Shanshan, the first beauty of the Qingyun City Hunter's Guild, asked with a smile.

"I want to inquire about suitable places for Body Tempering Ninth Level hunting near Qingyun City," Luo Xiu said.

Jiang Shanshan's delicate brows furrowed slightly. For some reason, the voice of this hooded person sounded familiar, and there was a hint of... youthfulness?

However, Jiang Shanshan didn't think much about it and smiled, "If you want to buy a hunting map, it will cost you a thousand silver taels."

"Give me one." Luo Xiu took out a silver note and placed it on the counter.

In the past, a thousand silver taels would have been a fortune for him, but now it was insignificant.

Killing a single Level 1 monster could easily earn him tens of thousands of silver taels.

Jiang Shanshan naturally didn't think that the hooded person in front of her was the same young man who had teased her a while ago.

Spending a thousand silver taels, Luo Xiu obtained a map. The map covered the area centered around Qingyun City, with suitable hunting zones marked.

Among these, the yellow zones are suitable for Body Tempering Eighth Level and below, and Shuiwu Mountain is one of them.

The red zones are relatively dangerous, generally only entered by teams led by Qi Sea Realm martial artists.

The most dangerous areas are covered in black, even the high-ranking先天境 martial artists in Qingyun City dare not easily venture deep into them.

"Yamatai Mountain, mostly Level 1 monsters, with Level 2 monsters appearing deeper in, red zone."

Luo Xiu quickly locked onto a suitable area for himself. As long as he didn't go too deep, he could ensure his safety.

"Shanshan, give me six cups of Fire Wine!"

At this moment, a tall, muscular man wearing black armor, about eight feet tall, strode in and shouted boldly.

Behind this muscular man were five others, all looking weary and slightly battered, with their clothes and armor damaged.

However, Luo Xiu noticed that although these six people were tired, their eyes were filled with unhidden excitement.

Soon, six cups of Fire Wine were served. This wine is very strong, burning the throat like fire, hence its name. Many hunters who live on the edge and risk their lives enjoy the intensity of this wine.

"Zhou Long, it seems you had a good harvest," Jiang Shanshan asked with a smile.

This group of hunters was none other than Zhou Long and his team, including Guo Ang and the Ji twin sisters. There were also two unfamiliar faces, likely new members of the team.

"Haha, naturally, this time we got a big one!" Zhou Long laughed heartily, producing six low-grade Qi Stones and placing them on the counter.

Luo Xiu's eyes narrowed, noticing the silver bracelet on Zhou Long's wrist. This was a second-tier array device called a Storage Bracelet, which contained a spatial pocket for storing items.

However, such a second-tier array device is very expensive, costing at least five hundred low-grade Qi Stones. Luo Xiu could only look on enviously.

From the conversation between Zhou Long and Jiang Shanshan, Luo Xiu learned that Zhou Long had led his team into Yamatai Mountain and hunted a Level 2 monster, the Unicorns White Rhino. This monster has thick skin and is hard to injure.

Even though Zhou Long was a Qi Sea Realm martial artist, it took a lot of effort for the team to hunt this monster.

The value of a single Unicorns White Rhino is about four hundred low-grade Qi Stones, a price that made Luo Xiu whistle in amazement.

In Qingyun City, truly valuable things are not measured in silver or gold, but in Qi Stones.

Only ordinary items are traded with gold and silver.

At the same time, Luo Xiu learned that hunters can sell the materials they obtain from hunting monsters to the Hunter's Guild at fair prices, ensuring that hunters are not cheated, so many hunters are willing to sell to the guild.

Putting away the map, Luo Xiu left the Hunter's Guild without lingering.

According to the map, Yamatai Mountain is farther from Qingyun City than Shuiwu Mountain, taking more than half a day to reach by horse.

The thirty thousand silver taels he had initially spent on the Spirit Gathering Array device, along with Qi Stones and Qi Nourishing Pills, had left him with little money. Biting his lip, Luo Xiu spent another thousand silver taels to buy a horse, once again becoming a penniless man.

"You can't catch a wolf without risking a child. Although the money is spent, I can earn even more!"

Thus, one person, one sword, and a yellow-maned horse, Luo Xiu left Qingyun City and headed straight for Yamatai Mountain.

Near Yamatai Mountain, there is a village-sized outpost where martial artists come to rest and resupply before entering the mountain for hunting and training.

Half a day later, Luo Xiu arrived at the Yamatai Mountain outpost.

There were many people here, mostly martial artists, and many merchants were also stationed here, buying various materials and treasures from martial artists.

The outpost had a dedicated area for stabling horses, costing ten silver taels per day.

"Hmm?"

Luo Xiu had just stabled his horse when he suddenly saw a somewhat familiar figure, the Yuan Dashan he had encountered while hunting the Iron-Tailed Tiger in Shuiwu Mountain.

However, the people with Yuan Dashan had changed. After Wang Yun and Zhang Hun died, his hunting team disbanded, and he joined another team.

Yuan Dashan didn't notice Luo Xiu, and even if he did, with the hood, he wouldn't recognize him.

At this moment, the leader of Yuan Dashan's team suddenly looked at Luo Xiu, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips.

This was a tall middle-aged man, carrying an iron spear on his back and wearing light armor, with a fierce and murderous aura.

Under the shadow of the hood, Luo Xiu frowned. He didn't recognize this person and didn't understand his intentions.

"Brothers, that kid is our target this time. The Zhang family has offered five hundred low-grade Qi Stones for his life," the man in light armor said in a low voice.

"Brother, what's the kid's background that the Zhang family would spend so many Qi Stones to hire us?" Yuan Dashan asked in a low voice.

The man in light armor sneered, "Just a commoner kid. I heard he crippled the Zhang family's master's son, but that's none of our business. Just kill him and take the money!"

He then stared at Yuan Dashan and said in a stern voice, "This kid is a student of the Martial Hall. If word gets out, we'll be hunted down by the Martial Hall. You're new to the team, but you're an old hand in this business. You know the rules, right?"

Hearing this, Yuan Dashan's heart skipped a beat. The Martial Hall cultivates young people and naturally protects its students. In the Martial Hall, even if there is a deep grudge, once you kill someone, you're dead, regardless of your background.

However, if a Martial Hall student is killed outside, the Martial Hall won't intervene, but if it's discovered that it was a deliberate murder, it will be considered a violation of the rules, and the Martial Hall will hunt you down.

The Martial Hall of Qingyun City has existed for over eight hundred years, and many similar incidents have occurred, with powerful families being completely eradicated and their entire clans exterminated!

"Brother, don't worry, I understand the rules," Yuan Dashan quickly said. He knew that once he was on Chen Hu's boat, there was no turning back.

Chen Hu was the leader of this team, a Qi Sea Realm martial artist!

In the area around Yamatai Mountain, teams with Qi Sea Realm martial artists are top-tier hunting teams. A Body Tempering Realm Martial Hall student being targeted has only one outcome: death.

...

Luo Xiu didn't know he was being targeted. After all, he was only a fourteen-year-old boy, inexperienced and naive, thinking that wearing a hood would prevent others from recognizing him.

In fact, when he left the Martial Hall, the Zhang family had already secretly followed him.

"Roar!"

The forest of Yamatai Mountain occasionally echoed with the roars of beasts. Luo Xiu's figure darted through the trees, and in his perception, the number of monsters in this mountain forest was terrifyingly high.

During his training in Shuiwu Mountain, he sometimes wouldn't encounter a single monster for several days, but here, he could sense more than twenty monsters just within his perception.

This was the outer area of Yamatai Mountain, where Level 2 monsters generally don't appear, but even among Level 1 monsters, there are significant differences in strength. Some powerful Level 1 monsters can even kill Level 2 monsters.

Based on the life force he sensed, Luo Xiu roughly determined the strength of each monster. He finally locked onto a life force that was roughly equivalent to the Iron-Tailed Tiger he had killed in Shuiwu Mountain, comparable to Body Tempering Ninth Level.

However, when Luo Xiu killed the Iron-Tailed Tiger, he relied on a method that could directly damage life meridians. If he relied solely on his own strength, he would have been no match for the Iron-Tailed Tiger.

But now, with his cultivation at Body Tempering Seventh Level and the mastery of the Pure Yang Technique, his strength had greatly increased, so he wanted to find a monster to test himself.

"Thud!"

His foot lightly stepped on a tree trunk, and Luo Xiu leaped up, heading towards his target.

Luo Xiu was already accustomed to the forest environment, moving agilely like a leopard. He quickly reached the destination, hiding behind a bush and squinting his eyes.

This was a wolf-like monster, but its body was covered in black scales, which shimmered with a cold, dark luster in the dim light of the forest.

The Black-Scaled Wolf, a standout among Level 1 monsters, was far more formidable than the Iron-Backed Wolf from the hunter's test.

At this moment, the Black-Scaled Wolf was pressing down on a bloodied prey with its paws, tearing and devouring it.

"The Black-Scaled Wolf excels in speed and sharp claws. Let it be my first sparring partner in Yamatai Mountain!"

With this thought, Luo Xiu's back slightly arched, and he darted out of the bush with a swift movement.

"Awooo!"

The Black-Scaled Wolf raised its head and howled, its blood-red, fierce eyes locking onto the human figure charging towards it.

Suddenly, the Black-Scaled Wolf pounced at Luo Xiu, its speed so fast that it left a faint afterimage in the air. Its claws, which suddenly extended, were like sharp knives, gleaming with a cold, sharp light.

Luo Xiu didn't dare to face it head-on and quickly dodged to the side. At the same time, he struck out with the Dragon Tiger Fist's Tiger Form, attacking the Black-Scaled Wolf, which was in mid-air and couldn't dodge.

But at that moment...

"Whoosh!"

A cold light swiftly cut towards Luo Xiu's neck.

"Such speed!" Luo Xiu quickly dodged using the perfected Inch Step technique. The Black-Scaled Wolf couldn't dodge in mid-air, but its claws were too fast.

"Rising Dragon Form!"

Luo Xiu immediately changed his move, delivering a powerful strike that knocked the Black-Scaled Wolf away.

This strike didn't use the method to damage life meridians, but even so, if a martial artist were hit, they would break bones and fall to the ground. The Black-Scaled Wolf, however, was unharmed.

"Such tough scales!" Luo Xiu coldly snorted and drew his longsword from his back.

Although he hadn't practiced sword techniques, with the support of inner qi, his attacks would be far more powerful than his fists.

The Black-Scaled Wolf pounced again, and Luo Xiu used the perfected Inch Step technique to dodge, his inner qi-enhanced longsword clashing with the wolf's claws, the sound of metal ringing through the forest.

The Black-Scaled Wolf growled, its claws digging into the ground, and it pounced like an arrow.

Feeling the approaching stench, Luo Xiu's lips curled into a cold smile. After their initial clash, he had a good grasp of the monster's moves.

Monsters, after all, are monsters. Although they are smarter than wild animals, their fighting techniques are mostly based on instinct, lacking any form.

Luo Xiu bent his legs, almost lying flat on the ground. As the Black-Scaled Wolf pounced over him, he suddenly thrust his green sword at the wolf's neck.

"Thrust!"

The inner qi-enhanced green sword had strong penetration, and hot blood spurted out. The Black-Scaled Wolf landed three meters away, collapsing with a thud, its life force rapidly fading.

The red blood flowed, quickly staining the ground around the wolf's corpse.

This was the advantage of weapons. Without the green sword, Luo Xiu would have had to exert a lot of effort to kill the Black-Scaled Wolf with his fists.

The green sword was just an ordinary weapon. If it were a battle-grade weapon, even a low-grade human-grade battle sword, it could easily kill a Level 1 monster without the support of inner qi.

The most valuable parts of the Black-Scaled Wolf were its claws and fangs. The black scales could also be sold, but collecting them was too troublesome, so Luo Xiu gave up.

Putting the collected materials into his bag, Luo Xiu suddenly frowned. In his perception, several human martial artists' auras were approaching in a fan shape, forming a包围圈.

In fact, from the beginning of entering Yamatai Mountain, Luo Xiu had noticed these people. However, since there were many martial artists training and hunting in Yamatai Mountain, he didn't pay much attention.

But these auras had been lingering nearby and were now approaching in a surrounding formation, which made him suspicious.