Only seasoned veterans, with years of experience on missions and extensive survival skills, could accurately predict the lairs of Demon Beasts based on the subtlest of clues.
Although Chu Bai had undertaken several hunting missions before, they were mostly on plains or in abandoned villages. As for the rules of survival in these deep mountains and ancient forests, he was admittedly a bit rusty.
For the first fifteen minutes or so, he spent most of his time moving through the forest, occasionally encountering and easily dispatching lone Demon Beasts. His efficiency wasn’t particularly high.
’I’m still lacking a dedicated reconnaissance technique.’
Chu Bai stopped on the branch of an ancient tree, frowning slightly as he looked down at the empty clearing below, which was covered in nothing but dead leaves.
Although his Magic System was already taking shape—complete with offensive, defensive, burst, and recovery capabilities—the one area where he was somewhat lacking was scouting and enemy detection.
He had considered shoring up this weakness before, but a person’s energy is finite. In preparation for the Immortal Official Examination, he had been forced to focus on offensive techniques that would more directly increase his combat power.
’Fortunately, besides dispelling illusions, my Golden Eye Shattering Illusion is also quite sensitive to the flow of Qi.’
A golden light flashed in Chu Bai’s eyes and was gone in an instant as he scanned his surroundings.
In his vision, he could faintly make out several wisps of grayish-black energy flowing deep in the distant forest—a sign of converging Evil Qi.
’And besides...’
He glanced down at the crimson Fire Ring at his feet, a small smile playing on his lips.
’As long as I run fast enough to cover enough ground, even a crude method can become an effective one.’
Since he lacked the eyes of a hawk, he would compensate with the speed of a cheetah!
BOOM!
With a flash of fire at his feet, Chu Bai’s figure vanished, leaving behind only a crimson afterimage and a swirl of dead leaves caught in the ensuing heatwave.
With the Fire Element Ring at full power, he darted through the forest like a bolt of lightning, crossing hundreds of meters in the blink of an eye.
As he continued his search, venturing deeper into the forest, Chu Bai soon noticed a pattern.
’It seems the higher I go, the thicker that unsettling Evil Qi becomes.’
He looked up at the mountain peak shrouded in clouds and mist, a sharp glint in his eyes.
’Demon Beasts are territorial, and the strong always take the high ground. That place must be a gathering spot for them. If I can wipe out an entire nest, it’ll be far more efficient than hunting them one by one.’
With that thought, Chu Bai made his decision instantly. He changed direction and shot straight up the mountain.
The mountain was steep and craggy, but with the aid of the Fire Element Ring, Chu Bai moved as if on level ground. His speed didn’t drop in the slightest; he looked like a streak of fire flowing upstream against gravity.
Sure enough!
Before long, Chu Bai came to an abrupt halt, stopping behind a massive boulder.
Through the vision of his Golden Eye Shattering Illusion, he saw a mountain hollow up ahead where an incredibly dense mass of Evil Qi had gathered, so thick it was almost a solid entity.
Looking closer, he saw five enormous boar-like Demon Beasts, their bodies clad in thick iron armor.
They were chewing on some unknown Spirit Plants, and their oinks and grunts carried a vicious undercurrent.
’Five Iron Armor Pigs...’
Chu Bai’s gaze sharpened as he quickly assessed the group’s strength.
The two largest ones had powerful auras; they were clearly at the Qi Cultivation Third Layer. The remaining three, slightly smaller pigs, were at the Qi Cultivation Second Layer.
This was a standard Iron Armor Pig herd.
These Demon Beasts were known for their incredibly tough hides and astonishing defensive power. Once provoked, they would fight to the death.
The force of all five charging at once was like that of a thousand-man cavalry charge, enough to trample anything in their path into a bloody pulp.
This lineup was even comparable to the despair-inducing Shadow Beast Swarm from the freshman competition half a year ago.
Back then, he had faced them with a team; now, he was on his own.
Were it any other competing student—even an elite at the Qi Cultivation Third Layer—they would likely choose to avoid a direct confrontation with such tough opponents, or simply find a way around them.
After all, even if they could win, getting bogged down in a drawn-out fight would consume too much Spiritual Power. Getting injured would be even worse, putting them at a severe disadvantage for the remainder of the examination.
But Chu Bai was different.
He watched the Iron Armor Pigs, who were completely oblivious to their impending doom. There was no trace of hesitation in his eyes, only the excitement of a hunter spotting its prey.
’Their defense is high. If I get bogged down in a long fight, I’ll waste a lot of Spiritual Power.’
’If efficiency is the goal, then... I’ll end this quick!’
The next instant, Chu Bai moved.
No probing attacks. No flanking maneuvers.
His body streaked like a meteor, and in an instant, he was at the entrance to the hollow. He then plummeted from the sky like a falling star, landing right in the middle of the herd.
The Iron Armor Pig leader had just let out a roar mixed with alarm and fury when it felt the sky above it suddenly go dark.
"Essence-Bearing Tripod!"
Chu Bai shouted, thrusting his right hand down.
VMMMM!
The quaint Small Tripod floating behind him shot forward, expanding in the air until it was the size of a millstone. Runes swirled across its surface, releasing a supreme pressure that felt as if it could crush mountains and rivers.
Crush!
The might of an Upper Grade Dharma Artifact was on full display.
Even though Chu Bai could only unleash a fraction of its true power, using it against this group of non-sentient Demon Beasts was nothing short of a Dimensional Strike.
A deafening CRASH resounded, like thunder striking on a clear day.
A terrifying wave of Gravity instantly enveloped the entire hollow.
The three weaker Iron Armor Pigs at the Qi Cultivation Second Layer didn’t even have time to grunt. Their vaunted iron armor, as if made of paper-mâché, was instantly obliterated by the terrifying pressure, and their bodies simply exploded!
POP! POP! POP!
Three clouds of blood mist burst forth, transforming into three dense streams of Evil Qi that were instantly absorbed by Chu Bai.

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