Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Hunt

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The snow-capped mountains were visually magnificent, even dazzlingly brilliant. The sunlight reflected off the deep snow, making the forest so bright it could blind. Anyone traversing it had to wear protective goggles, and the biting cold demanded thick, insulated clothing.

There were no human traces or paths in the wilderness of the Void Realm. Each step sank deep into the snow. Apprentice hunters venturing into the Void Realm carried enormous packs and various weapons, weighing over fifty kilograms. Moving under such a burden through the mountain forest was a severe test for even the most skilled warriors.

The three brothers, Wan Cangling, Wan Cangyan, and Wan Cangsong, pressed forward along a raised line of hardened snow—a formation shaped by fierce winds and long sunlight, solid enough to support their weight. All three were experienced in snow travel, wearing snowshoes to conserve energy.

After two hours of arduous trekking, they crested the peak at midday, when the sun was at its strongest, descending onto the shaded slope, where the brightness dropped noticeably with their backs to the sun.

“Let’s stop here. The view is good, and below there’s a large stand of poplar and birch trees—the bark of which is winter food for herbivores. The wolf packs follow the herbivores... The target will come along this route and ultimately arrive here...” Wan Cangsong, the eldest and most experienced hunter, led the trio.

He eyed the locator in his hand, green dots blinking in and out. As an overseer for the Hunter Association, Wan Cangsong held the wireless identification codes of every apprentice hunter. These green dots let him distinguish each one.

Apprentice hunters wore wireless identification tags so they could be located in case of accident and rescued if necessary. The Void Realm’s source energy interference was intense; satellite positioning was impossible. They could only use the portable low-power radar they carried to search for specific wireless signals.

Wan Cangling’s pack contained a twenty-kilogram solid-state battery to ensure power supply.

“Brother Song, are we just going to wait here?” Wan Cangling asked, uneasy. “What if that kid doesn’t come this way?”

They had chased Gao Wu into the Void Realm, but if he completed his task early and left, all their effort would be wasted! The memory of Gao Wu’s smug expression after defeating his brother made Wan Cangling grind his teeth in anger. This time, no matter what, he would kill Gao Wu and vent his rage!

“Unfold the antenna, fix the tripod,” Wan Cangsong replied, ignoring Wan Cangling’s question.

The dense source energy of the Void Realm caused strong interference to wireless signals. Here, drones could observe no further than a hundred meters; only powerful radar could search for locator signals. The complex forest environment caused even more interference, requiring constant adjustment of the radar to lock onto their target.

Receiving no response, Wan Cangling dared not lose his temper with Wan Cangsong, a junior warrior far stronger than his own brother Wan Cangshan. He could only scowl and tinker with the radar.

Sensing the tension, Wan Cangyan forced a laugh, saying to Wan Cangling, “With Brother Song here, dealing with that kid will be easy.”

“I’m here to acquire Gao Wu’s body, not to vent your anger,” Wan Cangsong said coldly. Though both were from the Wan clan and of the same generation, their status and standing were worlds apart.

He, a warrior, had come to participate in the apprentice hunter assessment for one reason: to claim Gao Wu’s body.

During the Xue Tao Cup, Gao Wu had withstood Wan Cangshan’s attacks without injury, which made Wan Cangsong suspicious. Other sources confirmed Gao Wu had a unique constitution. Conveniently, Gao Wu had come to Yunling for the hunter assessment, and in the Void Realm, action could be taken easily. So Wan Cangsong followed Wan Cangling and the others.

Fresh organs might yield valuable genes or extractable antibody agents. Success would mean immense profit; failure cost nothing.

The Void Realm was rife with danger. Warriors going missing here was commonplace.

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Gao Wu had no background or connections. If he disappeared, no one would launch a major investigation. They had done this many times; Gao Wu was not the first unlucky soul, nor would he be the last.

As for Gao Wu defeating Wan Cangshan, it was trivial. Losing on the arena due to inferior skill was nothing worth discussing.

With nothing else to do, Wan Cangling scattered two pieces of meat as bait. The fresh meat’s bloody scent drifted on the wind, a potent lure in the icy, barren mountains.

Wan Cangsong, as a warrior, could sense the agitation of various creatures drawn by the scent through source energy. Winter brought few prey; for carnivores, the season was especially harsh.

In less than half an hour, three adult snow wolves were attracted by the smell. Standing 1.2 meters at the shoulder, with heads reaching 1.4 meters, bodies nearly two meters long, and weighing close to a hundred kilograms, their shaggy gray-white fur made them appear even larger.

Wan Cangling and Wan Cangyan each aimed their assembled recurve bows, using alloy limbs and composite strings with a draw weight of two hundred kilograms, fitted with heavy, one-pound, triple-edged alloy arrows.

Firearms were too loud, and crossbows often malfunctioned in the cold; bows were the best choice.

With their strength as advanced warriors, they shot arrows at an initial velocity exceeding fifty meters per second. Though slower than bullets, the massive arrow weight delivered far greater lethality.

Their archery skills were average, but they both fired and hit two snow wolves at sixty meters. The arrows’ immense kinetic energy pierced through the wolves’ bodies. The wounded wolves howled, staggered a few steps, then collapsed into the snow, limbs twitching.

The third wolf fled in terror. Wan Cangyan and Wan Cangling fired several more arrows, finally killing it at a hundred meters.

As Void Realm creatures, snow wolves’ flesh contained source energy particles, but their meat was tough and foul-smelling, nearly impossible to prepare palatably.

Wan Cangyan and the others merely cut off the tails and photographed the carcasses; their assessment was complete.

The task was accomplished with ease, thanks to Wan Cangsong’s familiarity with the environment and snow wolves, allowing them to pinpoint their location.

At this point, others likely hadn’t even glimpsed a snow wolf.

Gao Wu was just so; despite having a map, he plunged into the mountains, unsure which way to go.

He’d played in the mountains as a child, but only nearby—climbing pine trees, hunting birds, at most catching a pheasant. He had no real hunting experience.

Fortunately, Song Mingyue had helped him prepare. He knew to seek out birch and pine groves, and during the day to stay on shaded slopes—the sunny side was too bright for any animal activity.

His advantage lay in his stamina and resistance to cold; he moved effortlessly through the snow with his heavy pack. If not for his agreement with Han Yang and Yang Ru to keep a certain distance, he would have already sped ahead.

By three in the afternoon, the sun was setting and the sky grew dim. Through the wireless communicator, Han Yang’s intermittent voice came: “It’s getting dark. We need to set up camp. Do you want to join us?”

“No need,” Gao Wu politely declined. With a sweet couple, there was no reason for him to intrude.

He wasn’t tired, but still found a large boulder, cleared the snow beneath it, and set up his tent.

In such low temperatures, camping required shelter from wind and danger. Wind protection preserved body heat; avoiding hazards meant choosing a safe, reliable spot, away from avalanches and falling rocks.

Seated before his tent, Gao Wu chewed through ten Dragon Power energy bars—a gift from Longteng Company, two large boxes totaling five thousand bars. It would be wasteful not to eat them.

To his taste, Dragon Power and Taiji energy bars were nearly identical in nutrition, differing only slightly in flavor.

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By the time he finished eating and drinking, it was nearly five in the afternoon. The western sky held only a trace of crimson; the forest was empty and silent, the cold wind whispering through the trees.

With nothing to do, Gao Wu considered practicing the Warrior’s Fist, but then heard footsteps crunching through the snow behind the boulder.

He tensed, first activating the monitor on his shoulder, then attaching his sword to his belt’s slot, and drawing his Thunder Eagle pistol with his other hand.

Turning around the boulder, Gao Wu saw three men a few dozen paces away.

At the front, Wan Cangsong wore crimson goggles, their cool red mask covering his nose and mouth, giving him a strange, dangerous appearance.

“What are you doing here?” Gao Wu shouted, raising his pistol.

Wan Cangsong answered gravely, “I am Wan Cangsong, an association overseer. Routine inspection.”

As he spoke, the three strode quickly toward Gao Wu, Wan Cangsong giving him a smile, “Your vigilance is high, but it’s unnecessary.”

Wan Cangling couldn’t help sneering, “Kid, that gun won’t help you!”

Wan Cangsong frowned slightly; such pointless remarks only heightened Gao Wu’s alertness—utterly foolish. Years of drug use had eroded Wan Cangling’s mind; nothing more could be expected from him.

“Stop, another step and I’ll shoot!” Gao Wu warned loudly.

He cared nothing for their credentials; three men approaching at night meant nothing good.

With barely twenty meters between them, Wan Cangsong dropped all pretense, focusing his mental energy to activate his lower dantian.

Like flipping a switch, source energy surged through his body, instantly increasing his speed and strength severalfold.

Wan Cangsong pushed off, snow exploding beneath his feet, and shot forward as a black shadow toward Gao Wu.

Even before he arrived, the gale he raised swept up clouds of snow and shook the branches.

With each stride, the snow erupted in a dense mist, an intimidating display.

Gao Wu’s heart raced; a warrior who could command source energy was truly terrifying—his speed now must be thirty meters per second.

The phrase “an arrow loosed” was not a metaphor for Wan Cangsong, but a literal description.

At this range, in less than a second, Wan Cangsong would be upon him.

Gao Wu reacted instantly, firing without hesitation. The Thunder Eagle’s muzzle flashed, roaring “bang bang bang,” tearing through the cold, dark forest.

All three shots struck Wan Cangsong head-on, but were absorbed by the faint aura enveloping his body. The steel-core armor-piercing rounds lost their energy and dropped harmlessly to the side.

Wan Cangsong, charging like an arrow, was already in front of Gao Wu. He raised his hand and struck at Gao Wu’s chest.

Thunder rumbled, waves surged—Wan Cangsong’s casual palm carried a force capable of sweeping all before it.

The life-and-death crisis sent Gao Wu’s adrenaline surging, suppressing all fear and anxiety, leaving only exceptional excitement and fierce courage!

(Third update, the fourth will come later~)