West Peak Mountain was one of the branch ranges within the Demonic Beast Mountain Range. It was neither at the very edge nor too deep within, located in a central position.
Peaks stood in rows, dense forests stretched endlessly, and vines reached for the sky, covering the entire valley in a lush, vibrant green.
Atop the summit of a hundred-meter-tall towering tree, Ye Chen stood, his body as light as willow catkins, gazing blankly into the vast expanse of the Demonic Beast Mountain Range.
Old Yan floated in the void, asking, "Didn't you say you were leaving the Demonic Beast Mountain Range to go to Xia Feng Academy? Why haven't you set off yet?"
Ye Chen's gaze seemed somewhat distant. "I've changed my mind. I want to stay in the Demonic Beast Mountain Range a while longer."
"Why?" Old Yan was puzzled.
"Because I want to kill more Xiantian demonic beasts," Ye Chen said. "A terrible demonic beast turmoil is about to occur soon. At that time, Xiantian demonic beasts will become a major source of disaster. Although Luo Feng City is located at the edge of the Demonic Beast Mountain Range and is destined not to be greatly affected, I'm still worried that Xiantian demonic beasts might attack the city. I want to take action early to eliminate a portion of them, so I can feel at ease."
"Moreover, cultivating the Human Yuan Body Art requires a massive amount of heaven and earth spiritual energy. Xiantian demonic cores are rich in Xiantian energy, which is of great help in condensing the Human Yuan Golden Body, at least significantly shortening the process."
"The time to go to Xia Feng Academy isn't urgent either. There are still three months until Tian Du Academy's enrollment trials, so time is still relatively ample."
Old Yan didn't stop him, only saying, "You should still be careful. Although your minor achievement level in the Human Yuan Body Art is enough to rival the Xiantian realm, Xiantian demonic beasts are, after all, not easy prey. Lower-tier ones are manageable, but encountering high-tier Xiantian demonic beasts is still somewhat dangerous."
"I'm naturally clear about that," Ye Chen said indifferently. A pale white demonic bone spear appeared in his hand, forged from the Xiantian demonic bone of the silver giant wolf. Though crude, it was sharp enough to pierce Xiantian demonic beasts.
Among the eighteen types of weapons, his favorite and most skilled were spear-type weapons, which suited his personality well—unyielding, brave, and peerless.
Suddenly, his gaze shifted to a distant spot in the forest, his pupils instantly focusing to a point as he stared intently—
It was a giant crocodile, about five zhang long, lying on a patch of wetland, feigning sleep as it rested.
The nearby area was eerily silent, with not even the chirping of birds or insects, all intimidated by the giant crocodile's aura. Clearly, this was a Xiantian demonic beast.
"The hunt can begin." Ye Chen's entire aura underwent a change, becoming like a spear, poised and ready.
Whoosh—
At this moment, the spear was thrown, transforming into a white flash of lightning that instantly crossed a hundred zhang of empty space, stabbing toward the giant crocodile on the wetland...
In another direction within West Peak Mountain, a mercenary group had appeared, numbering over a hundred people. Each was tall and robust, spirited and alert, holding weapons and maintaining a vigilant guard, prepared for any suddenly appearing demonic beasts.
Snow Wolf Mercenary Group—that was the name of this mercenary group. It was a relatively large-scale group that entered the Demonic Beast Mountain Range year-round, making a living by hunting demonic beasts. Their overall strength was formidable; basically, demonic beasts below the Xiantian realm rarely escaped being hunted by this group.
Although all towns near the Demonic Beast Mountain Range had been under martial law for the past few days, with all mercenary groups and adventurers not daring to set foot in the mountains, and hundreds of thousands of troops stationed outside Zhenyao City, standing ready at all times, the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group was unaware of this.
Because every time they entered the Demonic Beast Mountain Range, they didn't stay for just a day. They would remain for ten days to half a month, and sometimes even over a month wasn't unheard of. Unless under extremely special circumstances, they would usually only leave the mountains after hunting enough demonic beasts. Therefore, they were unaware of the sudden martial law imposed just a few days ago.
Moreover, along the way, the entire mercenary group's harvest had been exceptionally bountiful. They had hunted a full two Houtian ninth-tier demonic beasts, seven Houtian eighth-tier ones, and quite a few sixth and seventh-tier ones. This equaled the combined harvest of three or four previous hunts, promising a substantial sum when sold. The journey had been very smooth, making many mercenaries in the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group unable to help but smile with joy as they traveled.
After walking for over half a day, the mercenary group leader looked at the sky, waved his hand, and ordered everyone to rest on the spot, eat dry rations, and replenish their strength. Several mercenaries left to stand guard and survey the situation.
Over a hundred people sat on the ground. Having rushed about for half a day, they were somewhat tired. Each took out dry rations and wolfed them down, appearing very rough and lacking any etiquette or refinement.
However, within the large Snow Wolf Mercenary Group, there were over a dozen people who stood out—all handsome men and beautiful women, wearing superior armor, with extraordinary bearing. One glance told they were of no ordinary origin.
Upon hearing the mercenary group leader's order to rest, this group of people formed their own circle, taking out exquisite, high-quality food, even including demonic beast meat, which could replenish physical energy to the greatest extent.
Despite this, the many members of the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group harbored no complaints, because their statuses were different. These people were not members of their mercenary group; they had significant backgrounds. This time, they had followed along after paying a hefty price to request protection for their personal safety, entering the Demonic Beast Mountain Range for training. They were big spenders.
"Mi... Miss Vivian, when do you think we'll be able to complete the mission and return to the academy?" a handsome young man suddenly asked, looking toward the beautiful young lady at the center, his gaze subtly carrying fervor and admiration.
Vivian, the most outstanding young lady among them, was only about seventeen or eighteen years old, but she had blossomed into a graceful figure. Her skin was fairer than frost and snow, delicate as congealed fat, pure and exquisite, with outstanding beauty. Her figure was enchanting and well-proportioned, with full, upright peaks, a slender willow waist—a beautiful young lady possessing both looks and figure.
Although the other young ladies were also quite attractive, compared to Vivian, they paled considerably.
Even the other mercenaries occasionally cast glances at the young lady, filled with amazement and admiration.
A beauty, no matter where she was, stood out like a crane among chickens, a bright pearl. Especially a woman of such beauty and figure, she was even more dazzling and eye-catching.
Another young lady also nodded in agreement. "In my opinion, it's difficult. After all, what we're hunting this time isn't an ordinary demonic beast, but a Xiantian demonic beast!"
A Xiantian demonic beast—that was even more fearsome and troublesome than a Xiantian expert. Hunting one would truly be hard.
Hearing this, almost all the young people sighed gloomily.
These people were all elite disciples of Xia Feng Academy. This time, the academy had assigned them such a mission, but it was just too difficult. One must understand that merely surviving under the claws of a Xiantian demonic beast was already quite challenging, let alone hunting one.
"Perhaps, but as long as everyone works hard, success is inevitable."
The crisp, pleasant voice belonged to Vivian. She gently brushed aside the black hair falling before her forehead, possessing a unique charm, and said softly, "I hope everyone doesn't lose heart. After all, this time, even if we face a Xiantian demonic beast, it's not just us. We also have the help of the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group."
Hearing this, all the young men and women nodded. No one dared to look down on this young lady. In terms of strength, Vivian was the strongest among them. Moreover, she was intelligent and had numerous strategies, making her the leading figure among them.
They were all noble youths, not ordinary individuals. Each had power and influence, outstanding disciples. This time, they had come out for training, accepting this mission to enter the Demonic Beast Mountain Range and hunt a Xiantian demonic beast.
Although the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group was entering the Demonic Beast Mountain Range to hunt, they were actually mercenaries hired by these nobles at great expense to help deal with the Xiantian demonic beast.
"Let's eat quickly, so we have more time to rest and conserve our energy." Vivian glanced at the other mercenaries who had already finished eating, while they were still eating slowly. Her delicate brows slightly furrowed as she spoke.
Hearing this, the noble youths all hurriedly finished their dry rations, filling their empty stomachs.
"Everyone's rested up? Then let's set off." After resting for about an hour, the mercenary group leader waved his hand and shouted.
Everyone immediately got up. Having eaten and rested for a while, each appeared much more energetic. The mercenary group of over a hundred people began advancing deeper into the Demonic Beast Mountain Range.
They walked for half a day, very smoothly, not encountering any particularly powerful demonic beasts. Some ordinary demonic beasts were exterminated, becoming trophies for the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group.
However, no one dared to be careless, remaining very cautious.
But the further they walked, the more unusual it became. A feeling of unease surfaced in Vivian's heart because as they walked, the forest of West Peak Mountain suddenly became much quieter—so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Not a single bird call or beast roar could be heard; there were only the chaotic footsteps of their mercenary group and the rumbling of carts.
A young lady's intuition was always quite accurate.
Rumble—
A terrifying sound suddenly echoed through the peaceful forest, quickly growing louder.
Roar—
Suddenly, a dreadful demonic beast roar pierced the silent forest, putting everyone on alert.
Immediately, from within the dense, miasma-filled woods, a massive figure charged out. It was a giant crocodile, about four zhang long, covered in dense black scales. It rushed out of the miasma woods rapidly, its limbs scraping the ground, sharp claws easily snapping the surrounding trees, causing them to collapse with a crash as it roared and charged toward the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group.
"It's a Xiantian demonic beast!"
The leader's face changed, and he urgently shouted!