Chapter 146: Kuimu Wolf

Since he had already mastered the Golden Armor Array and crossed the threshold of first-grade nine-stripe,

all he needed to do henceforth was continue learning and practicing arrays as before.

Even Mr. Zhuang's insight affirmed that becoming a second-grade beginner array master would be easy for him, and Mo Hua's confidence surged.

But then he thought again: becoming a second-grade array master might be easy, but becoming a Foundation Establishment cultivator? That was hard…

For a lone cultivator, achieving Foundation Establishment was fraught with difficulties.

Mo Hua sighed.

Whatever, take it one step at a time.

Mo Hua took some time to visit the Armory Workshop and asked Master Chen to forge him a new vine armor.

Alchemists commonly use two types of armor: vine armor and iron armor.

Vine armor is made by soaking vines in water, air-drying them, then refining them by an armorer; its defense is mediocre, barely able to block attacks from mid first-grade beasts, and without the Iron Armor Array drawn on it, one easily gets wounded during beast hunting.

Iron armor is forged from refined iron and can withstand attacks from late first-grade beasts, but it consumes too much refined iron and is prohibitively expensive—most beast hunters can't afford it.

Most late Qi Condensation beast hunters ask armorers to mix refined iron into vine armor, fusing vine and iron together, thereby strengthening defense without excessive cost.

The vine armor Mo Hua requested Master Chen to forge was precisely this type used by late Qi Condensation hunters.

Previously, when Mo Shan entered the inner mountains to hunt beasts, he tangled with a troublesome beast, and its claws tore a crack in his vine armor.

Mo Shan refused to discard the cracked armor and still wore it.

Mo Hua saw this and wanted to forge his father a brand-new set of vine armor.

Because it was Mo Hua's request, Master Chen gave it his full attention—he refused to let Chen Dazhu or the others help, wielding the hammer himself, quenching, soaking, and handling every step personally.

And the amount of refined iron mixed in was generous.

Mo Hua offered Master Chen spirit stones, but Master Chen refused.

Mo Hua offered again, and Master Chen's already dark face darkened further:

"Do you look down on me?"

Mo Hua drew arrays for him and occasionally gave him mineral stones; though he never spoke of it, he remembered every favor.

Mo Hua finally brought him a few jin of beef, and this time Master Chen accepted without hesitation, delightedly taking it.

After bringing the vine armor home, Mo Hua drew a first-grade Golden Armor Array on it!

The first-grade Golden Armor Array is a true first-grade array containing nine array lines—suitable even for Qi Condensation ninth-layer cultivators.

With the Golden Armor Array drawn on it, the vine armor's defense would greatly improve.

Mo Hua didn't want his father, a beast hunter, to return home covered in wounds again.

A few days later, Mo Shan prepared to enter the inner mountains again; Liu Ruhua packed his gear with dried meat and rations.

Mo Hua gave him the new vine armor.

Mo Shan stared at the brand-new, exquisitely crafted vine armor, momentarily stunned.

"This is…"

"Master Chen from the Armory Workshop forged it for me—I helped him out, and he refused any spirit stones," Mo Hua smiled.

Mo Shan couldn't take his eyes off the armor, yet still protested:

"It's too valuable; my old one still works."

"That one's cracked—it's dangerous," Mo Hua said.

Liu Ruhua also smiled: "Accept it—it's Hua's heart."

Mo Shan finally took the armor; it felt heavy in his hands, and his heart warmed.

He tried it on—it was a bit heavier, but fitted perfectly—and immediately tried to take it off again.

Liu Ruhua frowned: "Aren't you wearing it?"

Mo Shan touched the armor, thinking of his son's gift, reluctant to part with it:

"It's still new—I'll keep it safe; I'm afraid I'll damage it."

Liu Ruhua snapped: "If the armor doesn't break, who gets hurt?"

Mo Shan paused, then chuckled sheepishly: "You're right."

Once packed, Mo Shan donned the vine armor Mo Hua had given him and entered the mountains.

The path was rugged, the beasts dangerous.

Wearing the vine armor, Mo Shan entered Great Heishan and suddenly felt invigorated—even if the road ahead was rough, he feared nothing.

Mo Hua watched his father leave, feeling a tinge of regret.

He'd drawn a first-grade nine-stripe Golden Armor Array inside the armor.

A true first-grade array.

If his father asked, he could have proudly boasted a little.

But since Mo Shan didn't ask, Mo Hua couldn't bring himself to brag on his own behalf.

Still, with the new vine armor and the Golden Armor Array, Mo Hua felt somewhat more at ease knowing his father would hunt beasts again.

Afterward, Mo Hua continued studying other arrays.

Meanwhile, in the inner reaches of Great Heishan, Mo Shan gathered with his fellow beast hunters.

This time, they were to hunt a late first-grade Kuimu Wolf beast.

The Kuimu Wolf beast stood over two zhang tall, with black-green fur, sharp claws and fangs, and carried faint green demonic energy.

The Kuimu Wolf's demonic energy was poisonous and of the Wood element; once it pierced the flesh, the poison would spread and multiply, making it extremely hard to eradicate.

After agreeing on a strategy, the hunters set out to track the Kuimu Wolf's trail.

Since opening their eatery, Mo Shan had gained extra spirit stones for cultivation and had decent luck—he was now a Qi Condensation ninth-layer cultivator.

Mo Shan and several other Qi Condensation ninth-layer hunters led the advance, walking through the forest, searching for the Kuimu Wolf's aura.

A burly demon hunter glanced at Mo Shan and exclaimed in surprise:

"Old Mo, you actually switched to the vine armor?"

"My son gave it to me."

Mo Shan's tone was calm, yet a trace of uncontainable pride lingered in his expression.

The other demon hunters nearby felt a pang of envy and irritation.

"Enough already."

"If you want to laugh, just laugh—we won't hit you."

"You'd have to be able to land a hit on him first."

The group chuckled for a while.

Mo Shan suddenly stiffened. "We're almost there."

All the demon hunters tensed, their smiles vanishing as they went on full alert.

Crouching low, they crept forward through the dense undergrowth, finally spotting the Kuimu Wolf Demon beside a babbling stream in the woods.

The Kuimu Wolf Demon drank from the stream, its cruel eyes scanning everywhere.

Mo Shan lowered his voice: "Same as always—I strike first. Stay alert. Don't let its claws get you!"

Everyone nodded.

Taking advantage of the Kuimu Wolf's distraction, Mo Shan surged forward with swift footwork, his fist whipping through the air like a gale, wreathed in flame, aimed at the beast's ribcage.

Mid-punch, the Kuimu Wolf sensed danger and twisted its body—the fist struck only its back.

The Kuimu Wolf recoiled several steps, its black pupils flickering deep green, the cruelty in its gaze intensifying.

The other demon hunters erupted from all sides, surrounding the Kuimu Wolf.

The ambush began.

Ambushing a demon beast is time-consuming, exhausting, and mentally draining.

Demon hunters must remain utterly vigilant, fighting the beast at close range without the slightest lapse—otherwise, the beast will seize an opening and bring disaster.

Demon beasts possess formidable bodies and far deeper blood qi than cultivators, so it takes time, slowly wearing them down to death.

This process is long, testing cultivation, Dao arts, patience, and experience alike.

Only seasoned demon hunters dare hunt within the Inner Mountains.

Mo Shan's team was no exception.

They moved with perfect coordination, striking decisively; if the situation turned dire, they never hesitated to retreat, and when an opening appeared, they never held back.

Time passed slowly.

During the hunt, Mo Shan was even more cautious than usual, pushing his footwork to its limit, his shadow upon shadow, avoiding every strike by the beast, determined not to leave a single scratch on the vine armor.

After roughly an hour, the Kuimu Wolf's breath weakened, and finally it collapsed slowly to the ground.

None of them approached; they remained on guard.

One burly demon hunter stepped forward, carefully inspecting it, then sighed in relief: "Dead."

The big man finished speaking and turned toward Mo Shan.

Mo Shan's peripheral vision caught the beast—his alarm flared instantly. "It's not dead!"

Before the words left his mouth, the fallen Kuimu Wolf opened its eyes.