Chapter 120

Great Heishan was pitch-black and profound, its boundaries unknown.

Elders from Xiancheng typically divided Great Heishan into three zones: Outer Mountain, Inner Mountain, and Shenshan.

The Outer Mountain of Great Heishan is where most hunter-killers hunt demonic beasts—few toxins, faint miasma, steep terrain but not utterly deadly.

The demonic beasts in the Outer Mountain are mostly mid first-grade, occasionally one or two late first-grade, though rare.

The Inner Mountain of Great Heishan is vastly different: perilous beyond measure, littered with toxins, thick miasma, and poisonous mists that confuse the mind.

The demonic beasts in the Inner Mountain are primarily late first-grade, occasionally even second-grade.

Cultivators at the Qi Condensation realm who encounter a second-grade demonic beast, if unable to evade in advance, are virtually certain to die. Thus, few hunter-killers dare enter the Inner Mountain.

As for Shenshan in Great Heishan, it is an absolute forbidden zone, prohibiting all cultivators from entering.

Mo Hua had never heard of any hunter-killer daring to enter Shenshan; Seeing Mo Shan had also told Mo Hua that anyone who enters Shenshan will surely die.

Mo Hua, with his low realm, knew his limits well.

He would not even glance at a forbidden zone like Shenshan.

He would not step a single pace into the perilous Inner Mountain.

Only the Outer Mountain—and specifically its outermost edge—was Mo Hua's designated hunting ground.

Mo Hua and the three Da Hu entered Great Heishan and halted at the Outer Mountain's edge.

Dense forests surrounded them, the mountain path twisted and rugged, the deep valleys hiding unknown threats, occasional eerie sounds echoing from within.

Faint miasma hung in the air, mingling with mountain breezes and an unknown fishy stench, unpleasant to breathe.

Occasionally, faint demonic energy lingered in secluded corners of the mountainside.

This was merely the edge of the Outer Mountain, yet Mo Hua already felt an inexplicable oppression.

If this were the Inner Mountain—or worse, Shenshan—he dared not imagine it.

"What do we do next?" Xiao Hu whispered.

All three turned to Mo Hua.

"Leave it to me," Mo Hua said.

Mo Hua had already planned everything.

He first judged the demonic beast's exit route by footprints on the ground, fur scraped on trees, bloodstains on rocks, and the faint demonic energy lingering in the air.

At a narrow mountain fissure along that route, Mo Hua set a trap.

The trap contained a Wood Binding Array, capable of restraining a mid first-grade demonic beast—but only for about ten breaths.

Around the trap, he placed five Earth Fire Arrays, each embedded with a spirit stone.

Mo Hua covered the trap with broken stones, placed several Bloodgrass plants atop it, and splashed it with bloodwater.

The Bloodgrass was gathered at Jiang Yi's request; the bloodwater came from leftovers of the eatery's cooked demonic meat.

Everything prepared, Mo Hua led the three Da Hu to hide behind a nearby cliff.

"Will this work?" Xiao Hu asked.

"Let's try," Mo Hua said, adopting a trial-and-error attitude.

He had rehearsed this plan in his mind for a long time—every detail of the trap, the Bloodgrass, the bloodwater, and what followed—he had considered it all; it should be flawless.

Hunting demonic beasts is dangerous; no oversight is allowed.

Besides, this was Mo Hua's first time participating in a demonic beast hunt, so he prepared thoroughly.

The four waited behind the cliff.

From dawn's first light, mist clinging to the mountains, until noon, when the mountain fog fully cleared, no demonic beast appeared.

"Maybe no beast will come," Xiao Hu grew restless.

"Shh," Mo Hua placed a finger to his lips and hushed:

"Setting a trap requires care and patience—this is what Uncle Chu said. Don't rush."

The three agreed, nodding.

Another hour passed; as the trees swayed, a demonic beast finally emerged.

Crimson fur, sharp fangs and claws, drooling saliva—it was a Claw-Tearing Wolf Demon!

Its strength was roughly mid first-grade.

Perfect for Mo Hua.

Mo Hua's spirits lifted; the three Da Hu went on full alert.

Claw-Tearing was no easy foe; they had suffered many defeats against it.

The Claw-Tearing walked slowly, glancing left and right, eyes gleaming with malice, extremely wary; occasionally it scraped its paws against tree bark, or licked its dark red claws.

As it walked, it reached the trap.

It smelled the stench of Bloodgrass and the rot of bloodwater, eyes glinting with greed—but still cautious. It circled the trap several times, then finally stepped inside.

The trap triggered; the Wood Binding Array emitted pale green spiritual chains, binding the Claw-Tearing in place.

The Claw-Tearing struggled desperately; within a few breaths, it would break free.

Mo Hua peered out from behind the cliff, fingers extended forward, summoning a fireball that flew straight, arcing through the air—but missed the Claw-Tearing, exploding beneath its feet.

"Missed?"

The three Da Hu, surprised Mo Hua could cast Fireball Art, stared in shock.

But since the Fireball Art had not struck the Claw-Tearing as expected, they felt a pang of disappointment.

"No, it hit," Mo Hua smiled calmly.

He had not aimed at the Claw-Tearing—he aimed at the spirit stone beneath its feet.

The fireball shattered the spirit stone; spiritual energy spilled out, flooding into the buried Earth Fire Arrays.

The array runes flashed crimson; three breaths later, all five Earth Fire Arrays detonated.

Boom—a deafening crash, and the mountain rocks shattered.

Mo Hua and the others were also shaken, their ears ringing.

When the thick smoke cleared, the ground was littered with broken stones and charred marks everywhere.

The Claw-Torn Wolf Demon was covered in wounds, half its fur blackened and burnt, its gaze venomous, but its aura already faint.

Strike while it's weak!

Mo Hua waved his hand, "Attack!"

Brother Da Hu and the other two snapped out of their shock from the Earth-Fire Array's explosion; hearing Mo Hua shout "Attack," they immediately charged out, forming a pincer formation to surround the Claw-Torn.

Mo Hua still hid behind the rock ledge, only exposing a small head to watch the show.

He wasn't a body cultivator, didn't excel in close combat or melee—he wouldn't get in the way of Brother Da Hu and the others.

Brother Da Hu and the two others had decent body cultivation talent; after honing through beast hunting, their dao techniques and martial arts were now executed with skill.

Brother Da Hu used fist techniques, Double Tiger used sword techniques, and Little Tiger used leg techniques.

The three moved with discipline, entangling the Claw-Torn; soon fists whipped through the air with force, legs swept like wind, and sword shadows upon shadows filled the battlefield.

Fire and earth spiritual forces intertwined, clashing against the Claw-Torn's dark red demonic energy.

After dozens of rounds, the Claw-Torn, already severely wounded, could no longer hold out—Double Tiger slashed its lower back with one stroke, and it died.

All three bore wounds, their bodies splattered with blood, but none were serious.

They stood where they were, barely believing it.

Did this Claw-Torn just die?

To hunt a mid first-grade Claw-Torn Wolf Demon, their hunting team needed one or two Qi Condensation late-stage hunters to oversee, at least five or six Qi Condensation mid-stage hunters to take turns battling the beast.

Several cultivators would also stand guard on the perimeter to prevent the Claw-Torn from escaping.

Only after many Zhou Zhe, and under ideal conditions without mishaps, could they kill the Claw-Torn.

Now Mo Hua had merely set one trap, arranged a few arrays, thrown a fireball—and the Claw-Torn was already critically wounded.

The three of them surrounded a severely wounded, dying Claw-Torn—and took it down with ease…

This was far too easy, much simpler than they'd imagined.

Brother Da Hu and the other two looked at Mo Hua, remembering the power of the Earth-Fire Array's explosion, still shaken.

A mid first-grade beast, with such a formidable body, had been blown to the brink of death…

Without anyone noticing, Mo Hua had somehow learned to draw such a powerful array!

The way the three looked at Mo Hua had changed.

Mo Hua then poked his small head out from behind the rock ledge, glanced at the Claw-Torn, and asked, "Is it dead?"

Only then did the three snap back to reality.

Brother Da Hu nodded. "Dead!"

"Good!" Mo Hua perked up, clutching the jade vial, and ran out from behind the rock ledge.

He was going to use Blood-Siphoning Technique.