The Dead Soul Mountain Range was a ten-day journey from Shishui City.
Fortunately, with his 300,000 Gold Coins, Hong Yu was feeling quite wealthy. He bought a prized, swift steed that was incredibly fast.
In just five days, he reached the Dead Soul Mountain Range.
"Any further and I'll be in the Dead Soul Mountain Range proper. There are plenty of Desolate Beasts in there, so it's not wise to take the horse any deeper. Looks like I'll have to go the rest of the way on foot!" Hong Yu dismounted, gazing somewhat helplessly at the endless, rolling mountain range.
He removed the saddle and tack from the black horse, letting it roam free, and then stepped into the dreaded Dead Soul Mountain Range.
The Dead Soul Mountain Range had treacherous terrain and was home to many powerful Desolate Beasts. Countless powerhouses had met their end within it, and it was their lost souls that gave the range its name.
ROAR!
Hong Yu had been in the mountain range for barely an hour when he was attacked by a Desolate Beast.
It was a Tier One Low-Level Desolate Beast: a Tusked Demon Pig.
Desolate Beasts were divided into nine tiers, each with low, medium, and high levels that corresponded to the cultivation realms of human Martial Artists. This Tusked Demon Pig was ferocious and possessed immense strength. Its most dangerous move was its "Snout Charge," executed with its two massive tusks. This simple-sounding attack was not to be underestimated; a Tusked Demon Pig's charge could easily shatter a boulder weighing thousands of pounds!
"You damn beast! I'm going to skin you alive!"
Hong Yu laughed heartily and attacked.
Dealing with a Tusked Demon Pig was no longer a difficult task for him.
His fists rained down like boulders, each blow generating a howling wind that sent the nearby saplings rustling. Combined with his extensive combat experience, it only took a few exchanges for Hong Yu to break the ferocious Tusked Demon Pig's tusks and beat it to death.
"The foreleg of a Tusked Demon Pig is a true delicacy, and I happen to be hungry. I'll have it for dinner!" Hong Yu deftly sliced off the Tusked Demon Pig's foreleg, set up a campfire with a roasting rack, and placed the leg on it to cook.
Before long, a SIZZLE filled the air as the fat began to render.
The adult-sized pig leg turned a beautiful golden brown, glistening as fat rolled across its surface, and the mouth-watering aroma of roasted meat drifted through the air. Hong Yu's own mouth watered. He carved off a piece to savor it, and before he knew it, half the leg was already in his stomach. Wiping the grease from his lips, he sighed with satisfaction. "Absolutely delicious. If only I had a few beers to go with it, this would be perfect!"
Unfortunately, beer was obviously not something he was going to find here.
There was no beer, but that didn't mean there was no trouble.
Just as Hong Yu was about to finish off the other half of the pig leg, several surprised voices drifted from the bushes behind him. "Huh? That smells incredible. Is someone roasting meat over there?"
"Hahaha, perfect timing! I'm starving. Let's go take a look!"
The voices were accompanied by the sharp whistle of figures cutting through the air.
'Someone's here?'
Startled, Hong Yu pulled a mask from his robes and put it on.
He had grown accustomed to operating under the identity of Luoo.
After all, as a Hunter, he often had to assassinate targets for missions, and it was inevitable that he would make enemies. In such situations, a false identity was crucial.
Just then, the figures drawn by the aroma of the roast finally appeared.
It was a party of five, all of them middle-aged men. Each wore the tight-fitting black attire of a Martial Artist. The five men stood shoulder-to-shoulder, exuding a ferocious aura that gave them the air of a "Black Society" gang on an outing. One of them, a skinny man with shifty, weaselly eyes, caught sight of the fragrant roasted pig leg and swallowed hard. He then turned to Hong Yu. "Hey, kid! We're the Demon Blood Squad of the Underground Alliance. If you know what's good for you, hurry up and bring that roast over here."
'The Demon Blood Squad?'
Hong Yu froze.
He and the Demon Blood Squad had quite a history.
Back when Hong Yu was still a Bronze Level Hunter, someone had stolen the fruits of his labor right out from under him during a mission. The ones who did it were none other than the Demon Blood Squad.
And Hong Luàn was the captain of the Demon Blood Squad!
'Enemies really are bound to cross paths,' Hong Yu thought.
He grumbled to himself. As much as he wanted to settle things with the Demon Blood Squad, completing his mission for the Restoring Yin Grass was more important right now. Ignoring the man's yelling, Hong Yu rose to his feet and picked up the half-roasted pig leg. He started to walk in the opposite direction, saying over his shoulder, "If you want to eat, cook it yourself!"
"Damn it, that kid is arrogant!"
"Heh heh, I guess his skin's itching for a beating!"
The weaselly man gave a sinister laugh. "Kid, a moment ago, I just wanted that roasted piece of pig leg you have. But now, I've changed my mind. Not only are you going to hand that over, but you're also going to obediently roast the rest of that Tusked Demon Pig for us. Otherwise, you're not leaving here today!"
...
Hong Yu felt helpless. 'Did I step in something? Why is everyone trying to bully me today...'
Seeing Hong Yu remain unmoved, a cold glint flashed in the skinny man's eyes. Two short daggers appeared in his hands, shimmering with a dark green light—they were clearly coated in a deadly poison. The skinny man flicked his scarlet tongue over his lips, a bloodthirsty look on his face as he sneered, "Kid, are you going to do as you're told, or are you going to put up a futile struggle? Your choice."
"I choose my ass!"
His patience exhausted, Hong Yu spun around and shot the man a ferocious glare.
This was the first time they had truly come face-to-face.
"What? It's you?"
"I knew that silhouette looked familiar. So it was you, kid."
"Heh heh... Luoo, you little punk. You were fast enough to get away last time, so we couldn't take an arm. Looks like this time you're planning on leaving your whole life behind!"
The members of the Demon Blood Squad all recognized Hong Yu. Sneering, the five of them moved as one, surrounding him.
The Demon Blood Squad's combat prowess was nothing to scoff at.
Aside from their captain, Hong Luàn, who was at the Peak of the Ninth Layer of the Essence Realm, the other five were all experts at the Seventh Layer of the Essence Realm or higher. The exceptionally burly giant among them was even at the Early Ninth Layer of the Essence Realm. Having spent years living dangerously on the edge, the five of them together were strong enough to kill even a Peak Essence Realm expert, despite Hong Luàn's absence.
Faced with the Demon Blood Squad's all-out pincer attack, Hong Yu remained calm and composed.
A cold light flashed in his eyes. He spun, lashing out with a vicious kick that generated a gale powerful enough to make one's eardrums ache. His opponent clearly hadn't expected Hong Yu to dare fight back under these circumstances and was caught completely off guard, taking the full force of the kick to his face.
The man was only at the Peak of the Seventh Layer of the Essence Realm. The sheer force of the kick caved in one side of his face. He spat out a mouthful of blood and shattered teeth as his body was sent flying backward.
"You damn kid! You dare hurt my brother? I'll take your life!"
The burly giant roared, his massive, bear-like frame stirring up a vicious gale as his hammer-like fist came crashing down.
This punch was fueled by rage, containing the giant's immense power. Combined with his Innate Divine Strength, it was not a blow that could be blocked head-on.
A glint appeared in Hong Yu's eyes. Tapping his feet against the ground, he spun away like a top, narrowly dodging the giant's seemingly unavoidable punch. For all his immense strength, the giant lacked agility. Punching empty air sent him stumbling forward, nearly toppling over. Hong Yu seized the opening, turning back and smashing the half-eaten pig leg against him.
Even though he had eaten most of it, the remaining leg was still as long as a man's thigh. Including the heavy bone, it weighed over a hundred pounds. It landed on the giant's back with a resounding THUD.
"Gah!"
The giant let out a muffled grunt as he was smashed to the ground.
"My god, when did this guy get so strong?" the skinny, weasel-faced man stared, dumbfounded.
He distinctly remembered that during their last clash not long ago, the boy had only been at the Sixth Layer of the Essence Realm. Forget the giant; even he, a Seventh Layer cultivator, would have been more than enough to wear him down. 'But in just a few short months, he's actually grown this strong?'
'This kid's potential is too great. We have to eliminate him before he becomes a bigger problem.' A cold light flashed in the skinny man's eyes. He crept closer to Hong Yu and thrust his poisoned dagger forward. "Die, kid!"
"Hahaha, sneak attacks are Skinny's specialty! That kid is dead for sure!"
"Going up against our Demon Blood Squad is a death wish!"
Seeing this, the other men's faces lit up with ecstatic glee.
Skinny's role in the squad was that of an assassin. With one of his sneak attacks, even the giant at the Ninth Layer of the Essence Realm could be killed if caught off guard.
They could already picture the dagger sinking into Hong Yu, who would then collapse and die from the poison.
However...
Just as the dagger, glinting with a black light, was about to strike Hong Yu, the masked youth's lips curved into an icy smirk. He swung the half-eaten pig leg up again. SQUELCH! The dagger plunged deep into the meat. Without a moment's pause, Hong Yu unleashed the full power of the Peak of the Eighth Layer of the Essence Realm, smashing his fist into Skinny's face.
"No—"
A look of terror crossed Skinny's face, but he was too slow to dodge.
CRUNCH!
The punch landed squarely on his face.
Skinny's features were instantly crushed together as his entire face caved in. A gruesome mixture of red and white flowed from his eyes, nose, and mouth. He collapsed, dead.
"What? Skinny's sneak attack failed?"
"This kid's too tough! Quick, signal the captain!"
The two remaining men hastily retreated, putting distance between themselves and Hong Yu as one of them launched a signal flare soaring into the sky.
'Not good, they're calling for backup,' Hong Yu's heart sank.
This wasn't his first run-in with the Demon Blood Squad; he knew exactly what that flare was for.
Hong Yu focused his senses and felt a potent aura rapidly approaching from the distance. His expression changed. 'That must be Hong Luàn. I'm no match for him right now. I need to avoid him for now!'
He shot an indifferent glance at the grim-faced members of the Demon Blood Squad, snorted coldly, then turned and bolted deeper into the Dead Soul Mountain Range.
Ten breaths after Hong Yu disappeared, a lithe, cheetah-like figure arrived on the scene.
It was a cold-eyed young man dressed in fine, embroidered robes. He glanced at his squad—one dead, two injured—and the chilling light in his eyes intensified. "Who did this?"
"It was Luoo!"
The giant answered, having recovered his senses.
"That bastard again..."
The young man snarled, his killing intent surging.
This was, of course, the captain of the Demon Blood Squad, Hong Luàn!
Hong Luàn's gaze swept over Skinny's body, and the flames of rage in his eyes burned even brighter. His voice was laced with a chilling killing intent. "Well done, Luoo. Heh heh... To provoke this young master's authority time and time again... I will make sure your death is slow and rhythmic."