Chapter 22

Hu Cangya said, "A'feng, the digging is done, what else do we need to do?"

Lei Xingfeng replied, "No need, this is good enough. You all retreat first, leave the ones who came initially, and all of you climb up the trees."

Hu Cangya gave a few instructions, and a large group of hunters retreated, but he did not leave. He said, "I'll also climb up the tree." The old man was still not at ease.

Hiding on the giant trees, the danger was basically minimal. Lei Xingfeng nodded and said, "Alright, everyone climb up the trees. Once the herd comes, hold onto the trees tightly. If you fall, it will be a big problem."

Ke Dashan said, "A'feng, what are you going to do?" He also couldn't understand what Lei Xingfeng intended to do. This was understandable, as the hunters from Hucliff Fort had only ever gone as far as Baijiazhai, and their knowledge and experience were extremely limited. Their skills were passed down from their elders and learned through personal experience, which couldn't compare to the vast amount of knowledge Lei Xingfeng had from his previous life.

Lei Xingfeng smiled and said, "Everyone, don't come down from the trees. Hehe, I'll show you something exciting." He unslung the black bow from his back and tightened the bowstring. This time, he brought thirty specially made arrows, which was enough for him.

Ke Dashan hesitated for a moment, then turned and climbed up a giant tree, saying, "A'feng, be careful."

Lei Xingfeng waved the black bow and sneaked into the grassland. Everyone was immediately alarmed, as no one dared to enter the grassland. However, they soon relaxed when they saw that Lei Xingfeng did not actually enter the grassland but hid in the shrubs at the edge.

From the giant trees, everyone could clearly see the herd of wild bulls moving slowly. Each group of wild bulls had at least forty to fifty heads, and some had as many as several hundred. They leisurely grazed on the green grass, and some ate the tender leaves of the shrubs at the edge. Each wild bull was enormous, and the hunters on the giant trees were all red-eyed and hearts racing. One wild bull was enough to sustain a family through a harsh winter, and who wouldn't want to get one?

From the trees, they could clearly see the herd and Lei Xingfeng's figure sneaking through the shrubs.

Ke Dashan clenched his fists and said, "What is A'feng going to do?"

Ke Nanshan smiled bitterly and said, "Who knows?"

Suddenly, a hunter whispered, "Not good! Look!"

The location of these giant trees was advantageous, allowing them to see far. Several hundred meters away, a few figures appeared. Hu Cangya stared intently and whispered after a while, "Barbarians! Barbarian hunters! Everyone, be careful and stay hidden... Damn, who will go and warn A'feng!"

Ke Shi said, "I'll go!"

A hunter quickly climbed down the tree and sneaked towards where Lei Xingfeng was. This hunter was slim and agile, a famous hunter in Hucliff Fort, not because of his hunting skills, but because of his excellent stealth and reconnaissance. His speed was extremely fast, and in a few minutes, he had already reached Lei Xingfeng. Everyone on the trees could see clearly and relaxed.

Lei Xingfeng and the hunter quickly returned. At this moment, they absolutely could not alarm the herd.

Climbing up the giant tree, Lei Xingfeng said, "Why are there barbarians here?"

Hu Cangya was so angry that his hands were trembling. Last time, they encountered the Eagle Clan, and this time, they encountered the barbarians. His luck was simply the worst, and things were not going smoothly at all. He said, "Damn... What bad luck. Why would the barbarians come here, and there seem to be quite a few. A'feng, look over there."

The barbarians were tall and hard to hide in the forest.

Lei Xingfeng observed carefully and said after a while, "At least ten barbarians."

Everyone's faces turned pale. Once there were ten or more barbarians, it was definitely a large hunting party. With the barbarians' strength, one could easily take on five or six ordinary hunters. They were the top hunters in the forest.

This was the first time Lei Xingfeng had seen barbarians. He had always lived in Hucliff Fort and had no chance to go out, so he had never seen barbarians. However, he had heard countless stories about them, such as how they ate people, were crazy, and were extremely powerful. The hunters had a natural fear of the barbarians.

Hu Cangya whispered, "I hope they don't discover us..." He suddenly remembered something and said, "Who will go back and tell our people to stay hidden?"

A hunter responded and left. It was a joke, with a large group of people hiding in the dense forest. If they were discovered by the barbarians, they would become the prey. They had to hide well.

Lei Xingfeng frowned and stared into the distance. He said, "They are also targeting the wild bulls. Don't they fear the wild bulls' charge?"

Hu Cangya said, "Of course they do, but the barbarians are incredibly strong and have thick skin. If we were hit by a wild bull, we would probably die, but the barbarians might survive. Their bodies are much better than ours. As long as they are not continuously hit and trampled, they have a chance to survive."

Hu Daniu whispered, "The barbarians' recovery ability is also much better than ours. I once hunted a barbarian with a dozen hunters. That guy was covered in blood, and I don't know how many times we hit him, but he still managed to escape. The barbarians are extremely hard to kill."

Many hunters whispered about the barbarians' strength.

Lei Xingfeng shook his head. With the hunters' mindset, they couldn't compete with the barbarians. They were already intimidated, and these were the most elite hunters from Hucliff Fort. The other hunters would be even worse. If they encountered the barbarians, they would surely be routed.

Hu Cangya said, "They are moving! So many people!"

Lei Xingfeng's eyes were sharper than anyone else's. Even before he started practicing, his eyesight was excellent. After cultivating the Thunder Wheel Force, he could see even further. He silently counted and soon said, "At least twenty-one barbarians. As for those I can't see... there should be a few more."

Hu Cangya drew a sharp breath. Over twenty barbarians, even if all the hunters from Hucliff Fort came out, it would result in massive casualties. No matter what, they couldn't face these barbarians. Even if this hunt failed, there would be another chance. But the loss of facing the barbarians was something he didn't even dare to think about.

One after another, the barbarians jumped down from the trees. The vanguard was four barbarians, followed by a dozen more, and more emerged from the trees.

Lei Xingfeng continued counting, "Six more, two more... Good grief, over thirty..."

Except for Lei Xingfeng, almost all the hunters' faces turned pale, including Ke Dashan. His face was pale, and he said, "Are the barbarians organizing a large-scale hunt?"

Hu Cangya smiled bitterly and whispered, "Dashan, you... might be right."

This year's winter was not going to be easy, and the prey during the warm season was scarce. If not for this, Hucliff Fort wouldn't have organized such a large-scale hunt. It turned out the barbarians were the same. They rarely hunted near human settlements because it could attract the experts from Baijiazhai, and they also feared the experts among humans.

Soon, the barbarians dispersed behind the giant trees, with only the four in front continuing forward. Each of them held a thick, long steel spear. With Lei Xingfeng's keen eyes, he could estimate the thickness of the steel spear, which was as thick as a small bowl and over three meters long, like a sharpened steel pillar, a terrifying weapon.

In addition to the thick steel spears, they also had huge axes. According to Lei Xingfeng's estimate, the axes were as large as half a door. Seeing the barbarians wield them effortlessly, Lei Xingfeng couldn't help but whistle. It was simply too terrifying. No wonder they were called barbarians; they were truly frightening.

Even though Lei Xingfeng was already a Thousand Wheel Master, he felt a bit intimidated by the barbarians, not because of their strength, but because of their monstrous appearance.

In front of the barbarians was a herd of wild bulls, about seventy to eighty heads. It seemed the barbarians had been eyeing this herd for a while.

Suddenly, one of the barbarians sprinted a few steps, roared loudly, and threw a steel spear like a steel pillar. Without looking at the herd, the four turned and fled.

Moo!

The steel spear pierced a giant wild bull, instantly penetrating its body. The bull staggered and fell.

Lei Xingfeng's pupils contracted sharply. At this moment, he understood why the barbarians dared to hunt wild bulls. The skin of the wild bulls was impenetrable to ordinary hunters, but the barbarians' steel spears easily pierced through, killing one instantly. This strength left Lei Xingfeng in awe. He estimated that his Wheel Force Armor might not withstand it, though he had never tried and dared not try.

The four barbarians ran in different directions, and Lei Xingfeng was once again amazed. He could hear the thudding of their footsteps from a distance. Then a wild bull's roar echoed, and the herd suddenly went mad, charging at the four. The sound of their hooves hitting the ground was loud and clear, even from a distance.

The four barbarians ran in different directions, and the herd also split, but the largest group still pursued the one who threw the steel spear.

Lei Xingfeng was even more surprised and said, "These barbarians are very smart!"

Hu Cangya said, "The barbarians are never stupid, especially in hunting. They are even smarter than us."

The barbarians ran frantically, knowing that if they were hit by a wild bull, their chances of survival were minimal.

The barbarian who had just killed a wild bull ran for several hundred meters, and the wild bull was less than ten meters behind him. Suddenly, he leaped and grabbed a hanging branch, swinging up and nimbly climbing the tree. The wild bull behind him couldn't stop in time and wouldn't stop, charging straight ahead.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The wild bulls collided with the giant tree. From a distance, Lei Xingfeng could clearly see the tree swaying violently. Even though the tree was thick, the strength of the wild bulls could still shake it. Countless branches were broken, and the thick trees could not withstand the impact of the wild bulls.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The sound of breaking branches and falling trees was deafening. Except for the giant trees, almost nothing could withstand the impact of the wild bulls. However, the speed of the herd's charge also slowed down.

Suddenly, a shout was heard, and the barbarians on the trees and behind the trees immediately attacked.