Chapter 22

Unicorn Scaled Lizard!

Zhou Zhong and his group immediately recognized that the fierce beast lying dead on the ground was a terrifying adult Unicorn Scaled Lizard.

The world has extremely strict standards for classifying beasts, dividing them into three categories: wild beasts, fierce beasts, and fierce beasts.

Animals like jackals, minks, foxes, and mongooses can only be considered wild beasts. Although they are ferocious, ordinary hunters can easily kill them.

Fierce beasts refer to animals like tigers, leopards, wild boars, wild oxen, and bears. When they become enraged, they can even kill cultivators who have just started their cultivation path.

Fierce beasts, however, are a different matter. These beings are the lords of the mountains, and many of them possess a certain level of intelligence. Even the weakest fierce beasts can easily kill cultivators at the True Martial First Realm, while powerful fierce beasts can even force True Martial Ninth Realm cultivators to flee in terror.

The Snow Leopard that Lin Xun and his group hunted earlier was a fierce beast.

However, compared to the Unicorn Scaled Lizard before them, the Snow Leopard could only be considered an ordinary fierce beast. This Unicorn Scaled Lizard could slaughter cultivators at the True Martial Fifth Realm, the "Unblocked" stage!

Zhou Zhong, with his years of hunting experience, knew how terrifying the Unicorn Scaled Lizard was, but this was the first time he had seen one of these fierce beasts in person.

Fortunately, this Unicorn Scaled Lizard was already dead; otherwise, their lives would have been in grave danger.

Lin Xun squatted down and carefully examined the wounds on the Unicorn Scaled Lizard.

This beast resembled a wild ox, with hooves like pillars and a body covered in dark green scales. A crescent-shaped horn grew from its head, but at this moment, the horn was clearly missing, leaving only a bloody hole.

There was also a blood hole the size of a baby's fist on its throat, with neat edges. Judging from the beast's posture at the moment of death, Lin Xun immediately concluded that the fierce beast had been killed by a spear-like weapon that pierced its throat, causing it to die instantly.

Thinking of this, Lin Xun was inwardly shocked. The combat power required to kill an adult Unicorn Scaled Lizard must be at least at the True Martial Fifth Realm, the "Unblocked" stage!

Could there be another powerful cultivator in this deep forest besides their group?

"This person who killed the fierce beast is much stronger than our village's guard commander, Lian Rufeng," Zhou Zhong and the others marveled.

"We need to leave," Lin Xun said decisively and quickly.

"Leave?"

Zhou Zhong and the others were taken aback.

"If my guess is correct, that cultivator must be extremely powerful, far beyond our ability to resist. He must have come to this deep forest for a specific purpose. If we encounter him, we might run into trouble," Lin Xun explained. "Of course, he might not harm us, but for safety, it's best to leave quickly."

Zhou Zhong and the others understood the logic and agreed immediately.

Before leaving, Lin Xun and his group took action, dissecting the Unicorn Scaled Lizard's body and packing everything into leather bags.

The Unicorn Scaled Lizard was a treasure trove, especially its scales, which were impervious to blades and were perfect for crafting armor. Selling them would fetch a high price.

In addition, its tendons and flesh were highly nourishing, and its teeth and claws were excellent materials for forging weapons.

Unfortunately, its most valuable horn had already been removed.

However, Lin Xun and his group were already very satisfied. Finding the body of a Unicorn Scaled Lizard was a significant windfall.

As for the herbs Zhou Zhong had planned to gather, they were no longer necessary, as the flesh of the Unicorn Scaled Lizard was far more effective for replenishing qi and blood.

Without further delay, they returned along the original path.

...

As Lin Xun and his group left, deep within the ancient forest, a series of thunderous sounds echoed. Towering trees were burned and toppled over.

A giant wolf with a body as red as fire was fleeing at full speed, not even bothering to dodge obstacles, crashing through the forest in a mad frenzy.

If Lin Xun were here, he would recognize this as a "Molten Giant Wolf."

This fierce beast not only possessed intelligence but also knew how to absorb the essence of the sun and moon for cultivation, capable of easily killing True Martial Ninth Realm cultivators!

However, at this moment, the Molten Giant Wolf was fleeing in terror, as if pursued by a terrifying enemy.

Clang!

Suddenly, a silver, star-like shadow appeared, streaking through the air at an incredible speed and vanishing in an instant.

Roar!

The Molten Giant Wolf, which had been fleeing at full speed, let out a piercing scream and crashed to the ground. The flames emanating from its body burned everything within ten meters, leaving the ground scorched black.

The sound quickly faded, and the Molten Giant Wolf was dead. Upon closer inspection, a bone spear about ten feet long could be seen piercing its back, pinning it to the ground.

A small figure emerged from the depths of the forest, a girl no more than six or seven years old.

She had long black hair that fell to her shoulders, a slender body wrapped in an old leather skirt, and white, jade-like feet. She looked like a descendant of a primitive tribe.

Her face was clear and fair, with a delicate and extraordinary beauty. Her eyes, like two crescent moons, were deep and black, and her every movement exuded a serene and graceful aura that belied her age.

She approached the Molten Giant Wolf, her small, slender figure appearing tiny next to the massive beast. With a single leap, she landed on the wolf's back, reached out with her white, jade-like hand, and easily pulled out the bone spear, causing blood to spurt out.

The bone spear was entirely white, emitting a silvery glow like starlight, adding a mysterious aura to the young girl.

Clearly, the Molten Giant Wolf had been killed by this little girl!

If this scene were witnessed by other cultivators, they would be shocked beyond measure.

The girl bent down and felt around the wolf's wound, quickly retrieving a crystal the size of a pigeon's egg, entirely red like fire.

Seeing this, a smile appeared on her lips, a smile that was as beautiful as a flower blooming after the rain, a beauty that outshone all others, making the world seem dim in comparison.

Holding the fire crystal, the girl was about to leave when she suddenly sensed something. Her black, straight eyebrows furrowed, and her gaze turned toward the depths of the forest.

She felt a unique, faint aura from a distant place, an aura that made her soul feel a strange sensation.

It was not a feeling of rejection or disgust, but one of longing and joy, a very peculiar feeling that the girl had never experienced before. She stood there, her clear, deep eyes filled with confusion.

Boom! Boom!

Suddenly, the ground shook, and the ancient forest trembled. The fierce beasts hiding in the forest cowered in fear, trembling.

The girl was startled and turned to see a massive figure, over ten feet tall, approaching.

It was a massive black bear, moving like a small mountain, causing trees to fall and the ground to shake, a terrifying sight.

"Yi yi ya ya."

The girl seemed to remember something, gesturing with her hands and making incomprehensible sounds.

The black bear stopped and shook its head, seemingly refusing her request.

The girl looked disappointed but then gritted her teeth and leaped in the opposite direction, her small, slender body shooting forward like a straight arrow.

However, halfway through, she was caught by a massive bear paw and could not struggle free.

"Yi yi ya ya."

The girl shouted, but the black bear ignored her and turned to walk deeper into the forest, moving farther and farther away.

The girl was deeply disappointed, sitting in the bear's paw, staring at the distance, her face filled with confusion.

...

As they returned from the forest, a piercing, thunderous roar echoed from deep within, startling Lin Xun and his group, causing their hearts to tremble and their faces to change.

"Molten Giant Wolf!"

"Heaven! Could it be that the powerful cultivator who killed the Unicorn Scaled Lizard has now killed a Molten Giant Wolf?"

"That cultivator must be at the Spirit Gale Realm; otherwise, it would be impossible to achieve this!"

"Spirit Gale Realm? That's impossible. I've heard that even in the Qingyang Tribe, there isn't a single cultivator at the Spirit Gale Realm."

"The direction of that sound is where we were heading. Fortunately, we left in time."

Everyone was shocked and exclaimed in amazement.

Lin Xun also felt a sense of relief. If they had gone there, they might have met with a fatal disaster. However, he couldn't help but be curious about the powerful cultivator who had killed the Unicorn Scaled Lizard and the Molten Giant Wolf. Who was this person, and where did they come from?

"We should leave this place as soon as possible. Today's mission has been too unusual, and we shouldn't stay any longer," Zhou Zhong said worriedly. The others naturally agreed.

After a short while, Lin Xun and his group emerged from the forest, the sun high in the sky, and it was already noon.

"This time, we've had a significant harvest!"

"Let's go back to the village. We should share our good fortune with everyone else."

"Hehe, I bet you can't wait to show off, can you?"

"What's wrong with showing off? In my entire life, this is the first time I've brought back the bodies of a Snow Leopard and a Unicorn Scaled Lizard. Not everyone gets such an opportunity!"

Leaving the dark and dangerous forest, Zhou Zhong and the others visibly relaxed, their spirits lifted as they looked at the full leather bags on their backs.

Lin Xun turned and quietly gazed at the distant forest, thinking to himself, "What is hidden here that could attract a powerful cultivator capable of killing a Molten Giant Wolf? I must come back and investigate when I have the chance!"

Shaking his head, Lin Xun stopped thinking and walked with Zhou Zhong and the others toward Fiyun Village.

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