Chapter 97: Hunter and Prey (1)

Chapter 97: Hunter and Prey (1)

3 disciples with red robes were steadily speeding through the early morning air on their magic swords, seemingly looking down for something. On their chests was a large black hammer. This was the robe of the Black Hammer Sect, a subsidiary force to the Sword Union that specialized in weapon forging.

It was an unconventional sect where the most respected disciples were those managing to enter the forging department, followed by those from the array department, then the alchemy department and lastly the warrior department. The disciples of this last department had the reputation of being blockheads that only knew how to talk with their fists and to be fair, this assessment wasnt too far from the truth due to the sects methods of recruitment.

Those three disciples where on a mission for the Black Hammer Sect. A mission to hunt Magic beasts. While magic beast terrorized mortals and weak cultivators, for sects they also represented important resources.

When magic beast level up, they generally reinforce important part of their bodies with qi, making for excellent weapon materials.

However, trying to rear magic beasts was a very expensive, difficult and often fruitless task. It was much more profitable to let Magic Beasts develop in the wild and hunt them down. At the same time, for the Black Hammer Sect, it served as a training experience for its disciples.

Because it was so vital to its business, the sect had carefully categorized the areas with each tier of magic beast present and were frequently updating it.

Successfully hunting a rank 2 magic beast was a great honor for qi condensation disciples of the Black Hammer Sect but not all qi condensation disciple had the opportunity to do so. To minimize the casualties, those that were allowed to go on missions would be first selected, then would be grouped with disciples from different department.

With this strategy, the Black Hammer Sect boasted a great success rate. During the last couple of decades, it became one of the most prominent subsidiary sects to the titan that is the Sword Union, partly due to its expertise in weapons that was greatly sought after, and partly due its excellent disciple cooperation that started from a young age.

One of the 3 disciples on the hunting mission suddenly raised his hand covered in blisters, indicating to stop. He was the youngest looking of the three but had the sharpest eyes.

Do you sense that? In that direction?

His companions, a tall girl and a burly man looked at each other and shook their heads.

The young disciple closed his eyes in apparent concentration just as a distant roar was heard.

The girl squinted and the burly man started to warm up his wrists with a grunt.

Brother Yu really has a sharp perception. Can you tell what is happening over there?

There is no need to flatter me, Sister Xiang. Two beasts are fighting, one seems to be a Blood Panther, Im pretty sure I recognized the roar. As for the other one, Im not sure. But their level isnt too high, considering the distance, the faint qi fluctuations I can sense indicate that their power are barely at the late qi condensation realm.

The girl took out an array disk. Lets go take a closer look then.

The three quietly approached as they tried their best to hide their presence. They would be touching the jackpot if both beasts injured themselves or wasted their energy fighting one another. This situation rarely happened as magic beast at that level generally had their own territory and avoided each other while praying on the weak.

Reaching the scene, what the three disciples saw were dozens of uprooted trees, deep claw marks and lots of blood.

The battle ended quickly.

The young boy threw a pill and willed his qi. The pill suddenly exploded and a repulsive stench spread out.

He sheepishly backed away from the Blood Panther. If sister Xiang doesnt mind doing the dirty work. Ill go fetch the horns from the Crazed Warthog in the cave, the smoke should have dispersed already.

The young disciple glanced at their burly companion. He was sitting down, facing the forest looking for any threat approaching while the two others were collecting the spoils.

After entering the cave, the young disciple rapidly found the large carcass of the half-eaten Crazed Warthog. He slapped himself once, took out his knife and plunged it into the Crazed Warthog.

Taking the horns was actually a tricky endeavor. After nearly vomiting due to the Crazed Warthogs stench, the disciple began to deeply regret not continuing to skin the Blood Panther instead.

He had to find the bone of the Crazed Warthogs jaw to detach them and cut through its base. But it was a very hard material and the inexperienced disciple was making a mess.

Im not familiar with these ugly tasks. Perhaps, senior sister could show me how its done.

Sister Xiang, if you have finished taking care of the Blood Panther, could you come give me a hand?

The young disciple remained still and listened carefully for a couple of seconds after calling out, but no response came back.

Sister Xiang?

Ugh. I guess I took too long and sister Xiang wondered a bit further away while waiting.

The disciple exited the cave and couldnt help but notice the perfectly skinned Blood Panther without the female disciple at its side. The array flags were still in place though.

Brother Ping? Sister Xiang?

This time, the young disciple frowned after not receiving any responses. He took a couple of steps forward and froze in terror as he spotted the burly man laying on the ground, a puddle of blood next to his neck.

His instinctual reaction was to grab for his pills but the young disciple realized he couldnt move anymore. To his horror, he noticed that he was inside the array formation and it had just been activated.

His thoughts were racing as he couldnt understand what was happening.

Sister Xiang?

Suddenly the young disciple spotted movement ahead. A dirty youth stepped out from the shadow of the forest, a control disk in hand. The newcomer's robes were torn to shreds, covered in dried blood, mud, and other unknown substances. It would be hard to guess that it was originally spotless white.

The young alchemy disciple had never seen this dirty youth but he seemed to understand something and stopped trying to resist the array futilely for a moment. Then all sorts of grievances came crashing through his mind as a blade severed his head and his life began slipping away,

The dirt-covered youth was already crouched next to the body of the long dead burly man and picked the sword in his left hand. He murmured to himself:

Finally, with that sword, I will be able to fly and get quickly to my destination.

The eyes of the just beheaded young cultivator widened in horror and unwillingness, shock overwhelming his fading consciousness. Shortly after, the specter of death interrupted his thoughts.