Chapter 351 - 348: Spirit Smelling Technique at Great Success, Demon Hunting
Chapter 351: Chapter 348: Spirit Smelling Technique at Great Success, Demon Hunting
He got up and went to the main house.
His parents were chatting idly, and his little sister, Fang Ying, was fiddling with the Jade Rabbit Pendant he had given her.
Fang Han joined them for a while. Seeing his family so peaceful and content, his heart softened.
’This is what I must protect.’
After resting for only half a day, Fang Han returned to his Quiet Chamber in the afternoon. He shut out the festive clamor of the new year and once again immersed his mind in cultivation.
The scriptures of the *Spirit Smelling Technique* flowed through his mind.
Supported by his sixty-four times Secret Technique Talent, the insights gained from days of arduous cultivation began to converge and collide like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, brewing a kind of transformation.
The faint scent of sweat and soapberries from a servant passing under the corridor; the subtle aroma of food wafting from the kitchen.
The mingled scents of the bustling market in the distance; the damp, earthy smell of snow slowly melting in a corner.
Even the extremely faint life auras of hibernating insects deep within the soil...
An endless torrent of complex information rushed into his senses like a surging tide.
Different auras were automatically categorized in his perception, distinguished by their strength, whether they were moving or still.
He could even faintly sense the strength of the being represented by an aura through its unique characteristics—
The strong had vigorous vitality, their auras scorching and robust.
The weak had fading life force, their auras faint and scattered.
Accomplished Martial Artists had pure Inner Qi, their auras condensed and carrying the unique essence of their attributes.
The auras of ordinary people, in contrast, were relatively loose and tranquil.
’The *Spirit Smelling Technique*... Great Success.’
A sharp glint flashed in Fang Han’s eyes.
At this moment, his range, precision, and analytical ability in perceiving auras had taken a qualitative leap compared to when he was at the Mastery level.
If before it was like holding a bright lamp to illuminate an area, identifying objects and finding his way;
then now, it was as if he resonated with the auras of the area themselves. Without needing to consciously "look," nothing in the area could hide from his perception.
He could even make a rough judgment of a being’s strength by faintly perceiving the "quality" and "momentum" of their aura.
Within his perception, aside from himself, there was one aura in the Fang Mansion far stronger than any other. This aura should belong to the Patriarch, Fang Lingyuan, who was at the Seventh Grade of Cultivation.
’With this olfactory perception, even if that Shadow Leopard is an expert at concealment, it won’t escape my senses as long as it’s within a certain range.’
Fang Han rose to his feet, gently stretching his slightly stiff muscles and bones from sitting for so long.
The Great Success Level *Spirit Smelling Technique* gave him more confidence in dealing with the potential threat in Black Cloud Ridge.
’I just don’t know if the Demon Hunting Team will succeed in killing the Shadow Leopard.’
If the Demon Hunting Team succeeded, then he wouldn’t need to act.
...
「Black Cloud Ridge」
Five Demon Hunters disappeared into the vast mountain forest.
They were all experienced Demon Hunters, and entering the mountains was like a fish returning to water.
Night Owl took the lead, his figure phantom-like, his gaze scanning every minute trace on the ground, tree trunks, and in the grass like a hawk’s—
broken grass stems, faint and nearly invisible claw prints in the mud, inconspicuous scratches on tree trunks, the extremely faint stench left in the air.
The others followed close behind, remaining vigilant of their surroundings and guarding against ambushes.
The group moved in silence and with great speed, like shadows merging with the forest.
"There’s blood."
Night Owl suddenly crouched before a thicket, his fingertips pinching a blade of grass stained with a small, dark, coagulated liquid. He brought it to his nose and sniffed lightly.
"It’s human blood."
His eyes searched, and behind a toppled bush, he spotted the tattered remains of some clothing and a severed arm, already stiff and blackened.
"Should be a hunter who entered the mountains earlier, or a Medicine Gatherer,"
Qing Man said in a low voice. There was little emotion in her tone; after years of Demon Hunting, she had seen such sights far too many times.
Tie Zhan gave it a silent glance, then waved his hand, signaling them to press on.
Following the trail of broken branches, deep claw marks embedded in the earth, and gnawed animal and human bones, they continued their pursuit.
"We’re almost there."
Night Owl’s voice dropped even lower as he pointed ahead to an area where the fog grew thicker and the ancient trees looked more menacing.
The group raised their vigilance to the highest level, concealed their auras, and moved forward slowly.
After passing through a patch of shrubs, the view suddenly opened up.
At the mouth of a cave half-hidden by vines, a few scattered, pale white animal and human bones were faintly visible.
"This is it."
Night Owl mouthed the words silently, a wary glint in his eyes.
Tie Zhan gave a hand signal, and the five of them quickly spread out. Using the trees and rocks for cover, they silently formed a circle facing the cave entrance.
Shi Feng unslung the Ghost Head Saber from his back, gripping it with both hands. His muscles bulged, ready to strike at any moment.
From a special pouch, Qing Man drew out a dozen or so fine, jade-green needles.
Yan Ling’s twin swords left their sheaths. She held one in a standard grip and the other in a reverse grip, her body slightly crouched like a nimble cat ready to pounce.
Tie Zhan, meanwhile, slowly drew a pair of heavy, dark Short Halberds.
Night Owl’s figure flickered and vanished into the shadow of an ancient tree on the flank. He was their best assassin, poised to deliver a fatal blow at the most critical moment.
’It’s a pity we’re too close. Not suitable for setting traps!’
Once the encirclement was in place, Tie Zhan took a deep breath.
His chest swelled slightly, and he abruptly opened his mouth, letting out a low, peculiar, yet extremely piercing whistle.
This whistle wasn’t an attack but a provocation. Infused with vibrations of Inner Qi, it was specifically designed to target the sensitive hearing and perception of a Demon Beast.
"ROAR—!"
From the depths of the cave, almost at the instant the whistle sounded, an enraged roar erupted.
The roar was deep yet carried an ear-splitting sharpness. A foul wind swept out of the cave first, making the surrounding vines rustle violently.
The next moment, a dark shadow shot out of the cave entrance like a phantom!
It had the shape of a leopard but was far larger than an ordinary one, over ten feet long with shoulders taller than a man.
Its fur was not pure black; in the dim light, it shimmered with a strange, mercury-like luster, allowing its form to easily merge with the environment in poor lighting.
Most terrifying were its eyes—scarlet as blood, filled with brutality and cunning—which were locked onto Tie Zhan, the one who had issued the challenge.
"Attack!"
Tie Zhan bellowed. Instead of retreating, he advanced. His Double Halberd swung in a cross-cut, creating two streaks of dark light that carried immense power as they chopped toward the Shadow Leopard’s head.
Almost simultaneously, Shi Feng roared and charged from the side, swinging his Ghost Head Saber in a wide arc. He slashed horizontally at the Shadow Leopard’s midsection with Mountain-Splitting Stone-Shattering momentum.
Yan Ling’s figure was agile, like a butterfly flitting through flowers. Her twin swords stabbed out, creating dozens of cold glints that enveloped the Shadow Leopard’s joints, eyes, and other weak points.
Qing Man’s slender hands flicked continuously, and several fine, jade-green needles shot out silently, arriving ahead of the others. They targeted the Shadow Leopard’s body, their tips coated in a potent poison designed to pierce a Demon’s flesh.
And Night Owl, like a true nighthawk, silently dove from the shadows of the canopy above the Shadow Leopard. The two black Short Blades in his hands stabbed straight for the junction of the beast’s hind neck and spine!
The five coordinated with flawless teamwork. Their offensive was like a torrential storm, instantly engulfing the Shadow Leopard, which had just rushed out of the cave and had yet to find its footing.
"CLANG! CLANG! THWACK! SQUELCH!"
The sounds of metal clashing and blades sinking into flesh rang out almost at the same time!
Tie Zhan’s Double Halberd struck empty air, only shattering the afterimage the Shadow Leopard had left behind.
The real Shadow Leopard had already shifted several feet sideways with unbelievable speed. Shi Feng’s powerful slash grazed its fur, cutting off a few black hairs.
Most of Yan Ling’s sword flashes missed. Only a few managed to break the Shadow Leopard’s skin, leaving shallow, bloody marks on its body of steel and bone.
Three of Qing Man’s poison needles hit their mark, but it was like stabbing into incredibly tough leather. They didn’t penetrate deep enough to cause the intended damage.
Only Night Owl’s long-prepared assassination strike seized upon the imperceptible pause in the Shadow Leopard’s dodge.
One Short Blade plunged deep into the lower part of the Shadow Leopard’s neck. Although the beast’s instinctive muscle contraction prevented the blade from reaching a vital point, it still sank several inches deep, and blood gushed out immediately.
"ROAR—!"
The intense pain of its injury fully triggered the Shadow Leopard’s ferocity!
It let out a deafening roar as the demonic qi around its body exploded, forming a visible wave of dark energy that violently threw off the nearby Night Owl.
At the same time, its long, thick tail swept out like a steel whip, moving so fast it left only a blurry black shadow in the air.
"Watch out!"
Tie Zhan shouted a sharp warning.
But it was too late.
The first to be hit was Night Owl, who had just landed and was still off-balance.
Though he tried desperately to twist away, the tip of the tail still caught him in the ribs.
"CRACK!"
A sickening crack of bone echoed. Night Owl screamed as he was sent flying, snapping a small, bowl-thick tree before tumbling to the ground, blood spraying from his mouth.
Without pausing, the Shadow Leopard kicked off the ground with its four paws, blasting four shallow craters in the earth. Its massive body turned into a black bolt of lightning, lunging straight for Tie Zhan at the front.
Tie Zhan roared, his Double Halberd spinning like a wheel to protect his entire body.
"CLANG CLANG CLANG..."
A string of ear-piercing clashes rang out, sending sparks flying.
The Shadow Leopard’s claws clashed madly with Tie Zhan’s Double Halberd. Each impact sent a massive jolt through Tie Zhan’s arms, churning his blood and qi and forcing him to retreat continuously.
’My arms feel like they don’t belong to me anymore.’
’The beast’s strength is beyond imagination!’
"SWOOSH!"
Shi Feng and Yan Ling attacked from the flanks, trying to relieve the pressure on Tie Zhan.
Qing Man, meanwhile, moved quickly to Night Owl’s side, took out an Elixir, and stuffed it into his mouth.
"THWACK!"
The Shadow Leopard suddenly abandoned Tie Zhan. Its body twisted bizarrely, and its claws shot out at an odd angle, piercing through Shi Feng’s ferocious Saber Momentum and leaving five bloody gashes on his shoulder, so deep the bone was visible.
Shi Feng grunted in pain, nearly losing his grip on the Ghost Head Saber.
Yan Ling took the opportunity to stab at the Shadow Leopard’s eyes with her twin swords. The beast tilted its head, and the sword tips grazed its cheekbone, drawing a spray of blood. But it also took the chance to swat one of the blades with its claw.
Immense force traveled up the blade. The webbing between Yan Ling’s thumb and forefinger split open, her twin swords flew from her grasp, and she was sent staggering backward from the impact.
"Formation!"
Tie Zhan knew they were in grave danger today. This Shadow Leopard’s strength far exceeded their estimates; it was likely infinitely close to the Upper Three Grades.
He unleashed a signature move from his Martial Technique. A dazzling electric light erupted from his Double Halberd, its power surging as he charged forward once more.
Shi Feng and Yan Ling, their eyes bloodshot, also attacked frantically, ignoring their injuries.
After placing Night Owl behind a large boulder, Qing Man also drew her Soft Sword and joined the fray.
But the Shadow Leopard was too fast, too strong, and its claws and fangs were not only sharp but also coated in poison.
Even with the four of them fighting together, they were no match for it.
"SQUELCH—"
Shi Feng took another claw to the chest, which became a mess of mangled flesh.
"SLASH—"
A deep gash was torn in Yan Ling’s left arm, deep enough to expose bone, and intense pain shot from the wound.
Tie Zhan, as the main attacker, bore the most pressure. His body was covered in wounds, and his Inner Qi was being rapidly depleted.
"Retreat!"
Seeing that continuing the fight would lead to their annihilation, Tie Zhan roared hoarsely. He forced the Shadow Leopard back with a halberd strike, then turned and lunged toward the heavily injured Shi Feng and Yan Ling.
"WHOOSH!"
Understanding his intent, Qing Man threw out a handful of pink powder. The powder ignited upon contact with the air, exploding into a large cloud of acrid smoke specifically designed to assault a Demon’s sense of smell.
It obscured the Shadow Leopard’s vision, causing the beast, which had never encountered such a tactic, to halt warily.
"SWOOSH!"
Tie Zhan grabbed the critically injured Night Owl, and the five of them used the cover of the smoke to flee for their lives back the way they came.
Behind them, the Shadow Leopard’s furious roars and the loud CRASH of breaking trees echoed.
"SWOOSH!"
The five pushed their Light Body Techniques to the absolute limit, throwing down more powder to hinder the Shadow Leopard’s pursuit as they fled.
After an unknown amount of time, the terrifying pressure and roars from behind finally began to fade into the distance.
By the time the five of them stumbled out of the mountain forest and back to the outskirts of Liangshui City, they were in a sorry state, drenched in blood.
Tie Zhan and Qing Man could still stand, but Shi Feng and Yan Ling had fallen into a semi-conscious state, and Night Owl’s breathing was as faint as a silken thread.
The city guards were aghast at the gruesome sight and hurriedly reported it up the chain of command.
The news spread like wildfire, quickly reaching every major family in Liangshui City.