chsdbacks Chapter 31 The Hunting Ground
Chapter 31 The Hunting Ground
After being shielded from the sun, Zhao Chen became much bolder.
The three high angels' search became aimless, no longer systematically narrowing the encirclement as before. He observed them from afar through the gaps, seeing them circling back and forth in the air, sometimes stopping to frown and sense something, sometimes chasing after the wrong direction for a long distance.
"efficient."
Withdrawing his gaze, Zhao Chen continued to dive deeper into the mountains.
The forest was much larger than he had imagined. The rolling mountains stretched as far as the eye could see, and the deeper he went, the denser the trees and the steeper the terrain became. Occasionally, he could see the figures of angels flitting overhead, but their numbers were noticeably fewer than on the outskirts.
"Right here."
Zhao Chen found a secluded valley and carved a shallow hole in the rock wall as a temporary shelter. Vines hung down outside the hole, providing complete cover, so even if someone passed by, they wouldn't notice it unless they looked closely.
As night fell, Zhao Chen set out again.
-
The first target was two humans searching the mountain together.
Zhao Chen didn't rush to make a move. He transformed into a bee and quietly followed behind, observing for about fifteen minutes. Both humans were at the Foundation Establishment stage, carrying crude weapons, and muttering complaints as they searched.
"We've been searching for so many days, that thing should have run away by now."
"Who knows? It says above that if you can't find it, keep searching until you do."
"We're just unlucky. Not only were we captured and forced to work as miners, but we also have to do this kind of death-defying work."
"Stop talking, or someone might overhear you."
Zhao Chen no longer hesitated.
The Immortal-Slaying Flying Knife shot out from a spatial fold, silently piercing the back of the first person's head. The second person had barely turned around when the knife returned, piercing his brow.
Two corpses fell, and he went forward and devoured them.
As flesh and blood entered his stomach, they were refined by his innate talent. A cool sensation surged into his mind, and Zhao Chen's thinking became clearer. Some combat techniques that he couldn't understand before suddenly gained new insight; the obscure operation of spells also seemed to become clearer.
Ah, "the human race in this universe..."
A glint of light flashed in Zhao Chen's eyes.
Angels provide divine energy, humans provide enlightenment. This discovery is crucial. Increased enlightenment means faster spell learning, a deeper understanding of combat, and the ability to survive longer in this dog-eat-dog world.
Transforming into a bee, Zhao Chen continued his search for his next target.
-
In one night, he killed twenty-three humans who were searching the mountain.
With each corpse he devoured, his comprehension improved slightly. When the last corpse was refined, he closed his eyes and carefully sensed its essence. Those methods that previously required repeated contemplation were now crystal clear in his mind. Zhao Chen tried circulating the technique of concealing the sun and found it much smoother than yesterday, with his true essence consumption reduced by half.
"continue."
He didn't stop, and before the night had faded, he found several more lone low-ranking angels.
The Immortal-Slaying Flying Knife pierced out silently, the corpse fell, and was devoured.
This time, the feeling was completely different. After the flesh and blood were refined, a faint, strange aura surged into his body along with the energy—it was neither true essence nor spiritual power, but something intangible and formless, drifting and merging into the depths of his soul.
That aura hovered quietly within the soul, like a faint wisp of golden light. The pure yang fire flickered slightly, resonating with it.
"Is this the divine aura of angels?"
He seemed to be deep in thought.
It's not energy, but more like something imprinted on the soul. The destiny of angels, the fate of angels, the very essence of what makes an angel an angel.
He looked inward into the depths of his soul, where the wisp of golden light remained quietly, neither increasing nor decreasing, neither dissipating nor merging. Each time the pure yang fire pulsed, it resonated with it, yet it never refined it.
"Let's save them up first."
Zhao Chen regained his composure and continued the hunt.
-
For seven consecutive days.
For seven days, he lived a nocturnal life, silently assassinating with his Immortal-Slaying Flying Knife. He would hide deep in the mountains during the day and emerge at night to hunt his prey. He killed over a hundred humans who were searching the mountains, and more than thirty low-ranking angels also perished.
Deep within his soul, over thirty strands of golden aura had accumulated, like a faint sea of stars suspended within. The Pure Yang Fire resonated with them at an increasingly higher frequency, and the color of the flames seemed to intensify slightly.
His comprehension had improved by at least three times compared to when he first entered the mountains.
On the eighth night, Zhao Chen finally ran into trouble.
At that moment, he was eyeing a lone Golden Core stage angel, and the Immortal Slaying Flying Knife had just been thrust out when he suddenly sensed a powerful aura rapidly approaching him.
It is one of those four high-ranking individuals.
Zhao Chen immediately retrieved his throwing knife, transformed into a bee, and burrowed into the bushes.
Startled by the flying knife, the angel roared and searched everywhere. The high-ranking angel arrived too quickly; Zhao Chen had no time to move.
Golden light descended from the sky, its aura enveloping an area of a thousand feet.
Zhao Chen held his breath and remained motionless.
The aura hovered above his head, sweeping across the mountains and forests inch by inch. Several times, he felt that the aura was about to sweep over him, but it always deflected.
The sun-covering device is really useful.
A quarter of an hour later, the high angel finally left.
Zhao Chen did not move immediately, but waited for another half an hour before quietly leaving the area.
"This can't go on."
He realized that although the occultation could obscure the deductions, the high-ranking angels had already begun to personally intervene, searching inch by inch in the most primitive way. The larger the area he moved in, the higher the risk of exposure.
We need to change our approach.
He looked up at the higher mountain peaks in the distance.
There is a ley line node there—the rock strata inside the mountain are relatively thin, making it suitable for traversing using earth-walking techniques.
"It's time to learn earth-based skills."
-
For the next three days, Zhao Chen did not go out hunting, but instead hid in the cave to study earth magic.
The benefits of improved comprehension are fully demonstrated at this time. Methods that previously required repeated contemplation can now be understood after a few readings; the circulation of true energy that previously required countless attempts to master can now be achieved in seven or eight tries.
On the third night, he successfully burrowed into the rock.
The feeling was strange—it was as if he had merged into the mountain, and the surrounding rocks were no longer obstacles, but a medium through which he could pass. Zhao Chen tried to move forward, and although the speed was slow, he was indeed moving forward.
An hour later, Zhao Chen emerged from another cliff, covered in stone dust, but with a joyful expression on his face.
"It's done."
-
With the help of the Earth element, his range of activities expanded countless times.
By day, he would disappear deep into the mountains, traversing the rock strata to evade all search parties. By night, he would emerge from the ground to continue hunting lone humans and low-ranking angels.
The humans searching the mountains had no idea that a hunter was lurking among the rocks beneath their feet, ready to appear at any moment.
Half a month later, Zhao Chen's soul had accumulated more than a hundred strands of divine aura, and his comprehension had increased by at least five times compared to when he first entered the mountain.
"Not enough."
Withdrawing his gaze, Zhao Chen continued to disappear into the mountain.
In the distance, the protective shield still enveloped the entire planet.
But he wasn't in a hurry.
One day, he will get out.