Chapter 36

It seemed that even this was not enough, as Big Black carefully placed some moss on the surrounding rocks, then called Bu Li to come down and pose before placing himself in position.

Thus, a stone that seemed to have withstood the vicissitudes of time and the ravages of wind and rain appeared at the foot of the mountain, indistinguishable from the other stones. If there was any difference, Big Black was even more like a stone than a stone.

Bu Li leaped onto a tree and waited quietly. Every hunter in the jungle had a strong sense of endurance. Perhaps, the strength of one's endurance marked how long a hunter could survive in the mountains and forests.

Big Black was fully focused on becoming a stone, and there was no snoring. Although he often short-circuited, Big Black was quite reliable when it mattered. While waiting for the others to arrive, Bu Li rested his spirit, feeling quite exhausted from Big Black's snoring the night before. Damn, should I find a time to give him a little surgery? Bu Li relaxed his muscles and thought about these things.

The surroundings were quiet, with only a few wild beasts occasionally foraging nearby, extremely alert. Apart from that, the over a hundred young people of the remnant tribes seemed to have vanished without a trace. Bu Li was not in a hurry, holding a leaf in his mouth and chewing it lightly. Whenever he felt a bit tired, the bitter sap from the leaf would linger in his mouth, immediately dispelling the fatigue. This was Bu Li's method of self-adjustment, one he had used for many years, accompanying him in silently hunting countless wild beasts.

The sun rose and set, and about seven or eight hours passed. Neither the black bear nor Bu Li moved. This low forest, being too small to hide in, was not a good place in some ways, but it was the best place.

The twenty-first leaf was in Bu Li's mouth, and he was still not in a hurry, his face calm and peaceful, like an old man who had seen through the world and was on the verge of death, waiting quietly. His endless patience seemed more powerful than the martial prowess he had used to defeat Yang Cance on the Heavenly Gift Platform. Many patterned warriors could defeat Yang Cance, but such formidable patience was rare even in the stories of future elite snipers.

Suddenly, in the dense forest far away, a few shadows darted out like arrows from a crossbow.

They're here! Bu Li was not excited; this was all as expected, nothing to be excited about. His eyes narrowed, and he focused on identifying the people who had appeared, as Hu Wu had described in the mirage.

The first person was covered in blood, tall and muscular, taking steps of about two meters each, with great flexibility. Despite his severe injuries, he still looked agile. Three people closely followed him, forming a triangle, blocking all the space behind him. It was clear that this was a well-rehearsed formation, not a spur-of-the-moment pursuit.

Bu Li's brows furrowed. Could it be that the Hateful Mountain Sect not only found a few tribes but also had them communicate and practice such a hunting method in secret? The situation was getting complicated.

That man is doomed. As Bu Li watched this predestined chase, he examined the surroundings inch by inch. If this was a sure-kill setup, something was missing, and what was missing was hidden in the forest around him.

"Lin Zidong, you've run for so long, you're going to die anyway, so stop struggling!" one of the pursuers shouted.

Lin Zidong did not speak, his face showing panic, and his movements becoming stiff. Bu Li knew that the young man named Lin Zidong was already in a panic, trying to run faster but unable to do so, which only led to faster exhaustion and slower speed.

Just before the low forest, a strong, bloody wind rose behind Lin Zidong, and a snake as thick as an arm and about a meter long shot towards his back like a bolt of blue lightning.

Bu Li knew this was a special kind of venomous snake from the Western Mountains—the Hundred-Flower Snake. The name "Hundred-Flower" referred to the snake's colorful body, which looked like many flowers in full bloom. Its venom was extremely potent, and Bu Li was very cautious about avoiding this creature in the forest. Even if he could detoxify himself after being bitten, it was still a painful and troublesome experience.

Using the Hundred-Flower Snake as a patterned beast was Gui Jian Shan of the Menba tribe. Like Yang Cance, he had only one patterned beast, which looked less impressive than Bai Liang, but he practiced pure patterned techniques, which were far superior to Bai Liang's. Moreover, Gui Jian Shan's Hundred-Flower Snake had reached the soul-entering stage and could break through to become a second-stage patterned warrior at any time.

Gui Jian Shan of the Menba tribe was just one of them, and Bu Li knew his suspicions had become reality. He watched the scene coldly, with no intention of saving Lin Zidong.

The colorful lightning shot straight at Lin Zidong's back, the strong, bloody smell spreading and forming a colorful mist. It was clear that even a small amount of the venom would enter the body. In such intense combat, being poisoned meant a certain death.

Lin Zidong sensed the threat behind him, roared, and leaned forward, his left arm glowing as a wolf fell to the ground. The wolf attacked the Hundred-Flower Snake, distracting it from attacking Lin Zidong. However, Bu Li was not focused on the attack between the two patterned beasts. The wolf, even if it were a wolf king, was no match for the Hundred-Flower Snake. Bu Li noticed a faint light on Lin Zidong's right arm, which then dimmed.

Indeed, this was interesting. A smile curled at the corner of Bu Li's mouth. Lin Zidong must have known he had no chance of escaping such an encirclement and was making a last stand. This battle was indeed worth watching.

"Kill!" Gui Jian Shan seemed to transform into a venomous snake, his slippery appearance making him look disgusting. If a girl had a Hundred-Flower Snake pattern, Bu Li could tolerate it, imagining her waist swaying like a willow in the wind. But a muscular man turning into such a hermaphroditic figure was hard for Bu Li to accept.

One in front and one behind, two figures rushed at Lin Zidong. The patterned beasts were entangled by the wolf, and Gui Jian Shan was not hindered, flying straight at Lin Zidong.

Lin Zidong was somewhat panicked, taking a step to the side as if he had tripped over something, stumbling. As he stumbled, he coincidentally dodged Gui Jian Shan's attack.

"Consider yourself lucky," Gui Jian Shan said, landing lightly on one knee, his white teeth gleaming like cold steel.