Endless Ascension

Chapter 13: Fainted out of fright

"Truly splendid..."

A figure emerged from behind a towering tree, clapping their hands and sneering with a look of disdain in their eyes.

It was Qin Yang, the sole heir of Qin Kuang, one of the eight elders of the Qin Clan. At eighteen years old, he was a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist and a formidable contender in the Autumn Hunt Competition. Despite his seemingly harmless appearance, Qin Yang was cunning and strategic, often resorting to borrowing a knife to kill, earning him the favor of the Elders' Council.

"Qin Yang, what do you want?"

Qin Shan, one hand pressed against his chest, the other supporting him as he slowly rose to his feet, gazed at Qin Yang with a trace of fear creeping into his heart.

He had heard tales of Qin Yang's antics before—playing the role of the mantis while the sparrow waits in the wings was just one of his favorite tactics. Little did he expect that he would be the one in Qin Yang's crosshairs this time.

Meanwhile, Qin Niu coughed a few times, struggling to stand upright. He silently gathered his qi, preparing for a confrontation.

"Save your energy. Look at yourselves now. Do you honestly believe you stand a chance against me? Ha ha..."

Qin Yang strode over to the carcass of the Kingly Blaze Tiger, gazing down at the still-breathing beast with a cold smile. "This five points is mine."

With that, he drew his steel broadsword from behind his back and swung it with a swift strike.

Lifting the head of the Kingly Blaze Tiger with a smirk, Qin Yang reached for his Spatial Wooden Tablet. With a mere thought, the tiger's head vanished.

The Spatial Wooden Tablet was the most rudimentary form of storage on the Tianyuan Continent, boasting a cramped interior and crude craftsmanship. It required no blood oath for binding, making it accessible to anyone who possessed it.

Each participant in the Autumn Hunt Competition was issued one, facilitating the storage of beast heads. Additionally, it facilitated competition, as killing an opponent and seizing their Tablet would transfer ownership of all contents within.

The Spatial Wooden Tablet lacked serial numbers or signatures, ensuring that outsiders could not seek revenge based on its possession.

Qin Shan and Qin Niu watched in stunned disbelief as Qin Yang claimed his five points without exerting a single effort, their hearts simmering with anger at their own greed.

After collecting his points, Qin Yang didn't immediately depart but instead advanced towards Qin Shan, his face twisted into a grimace resembling that of a death god. "The Qin Clan has no use for weaklings."

"Qin Yang, what are you planning to do? Don't you fear..."

Qin Shan's words were cut short as Qin Yang swung his broadsword horizontally, the blade imbued with fierce qi, cleanly severing Qin Shan's head from his body.

After dispatching Qin Shan, Qin Ze turned his gaze to Qin Niu, who was frantically darting around like a madman. Qin Niu's cultivation level was merely at the fifth rank of martial artists, and he was heavily injured. How could he possibly be Qin Yang's match?

"Please, spare me this once. If you let me go, I'll immediately withdraw from this competition. Please..."

"Beg for mercy from me? Haha..."

"You're not even worthy of begging."

Qin Yang leaped forward, hovering mid-air for a moment before kicking off a branch, using its springiness to propel himself further. In the air, he grasped the hilt of his knife with both hands, his eyes bulging as he let out a maniacal chuckle...

"Puch!"

Qin Niu's body split in two, blood spraying everywhere, intestines spilling onto the ground in a grotesquely violent scene that churned Qin Ze's stomach in the shadows...

"Haha, I said it, Qin Family doesn't need trash."

Wiping the blood off his blade with a sinister smile, Qin Ze instantly stepped onto a branch and darted deeper into the forest at a breakneck pace.

"This is fucking sick." Qin Ze couldn't help but exclaim. Scenes like this were once only found in movies, and he hadn't felt much about such grotesque acts. But now, being there in person, he almost vomited if not for his ironclad control.

"Hey, why isn't this girl scared at all?"

Earlier, she had been terrified of colorful insects, yet this bloody murder scene didn't faze her in the slightest.

When he turned to look at Yun Man beside him, he was stunned.

Yun Man's head buried in her knees, motionless, like an ostrich hiding its head in the sand from danger.

"Hey, hey." Qin Ze softly called out twice, but Yun Man didn't respond in the slightest.

With no other option, Qin Ze nudged her with his hand, causing her whole body to collapse to one side, unconscious.

"Seriously, she fainted from fear?"

No wonder there was no sound. Qin Ze stared at the unconscious Yun Man, mentally cursing, "Fuck, I don't know what this system is thinking, making me bring her along. Isn't this just adding unnecessary weight?"

"Could it be to increase the difficulty of the game?"

"Mentoring a newbie?"

"Dammit..."

Qin Ze had no mood for contemplation. Now that they were in a team, he had to keep Yun Man by his side. Looking at her dazed yet somehow endearing state, Qin Ze shook his head and hoisted her onto his back, heading towards the outskirts of the Kunlun Mountains.

Since withstanding Qin Xiangtian's devastating attack, Qin Ze's accumulated qi-gong power, built up over months, had nearly been depleted. The qi pores he had accumulated in the slaughterhouse over the past three days barely reached 3,000, barely enough to unleash a few moves from the Dragon Elephant Grand Void Scripture. To Qin Ze, qi-gong power was precious, and he must make the most of it, wasting none.

His sole priority now was to hunt beasts to the fullest extent, swiftly replenishing his qi-gong power. Otherwise, encountering someone like Qin Kun or Qin Ze himself, who were twisted in their own ways, would be incredibly daunting.

As the sun set, nightfall loomed.

The darkness of night brought out the beasts' hunting instincts, making it even more perilous for them. Typically, during this time, all disciples within the grounds would seek a safe haven, awaiting dawn's arrival.

At the Martial Practitioner stage, a person's night vision extended no more than ten meters, whereas beasts' vision remained as sharp as during the day, if not better.

In the dead of night, silence was paramount. Besides vision, sensory abilities were crucial, and humans lagged far behind beasts in terms of sensitivity, not even reaching one-tenth of theirs.

Therefore, venturing out at night was highly discouraged, as one misstep could lead to death...

Darkness had fallen, and the faint moonlight barely penetrated the dense foliage.

A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves, producing a soft, sandy sound.

"Wooo... Arroo..."

A howl from a Blue Fang Wolf pierced the night sky, sending shivers throughout the forest.

It had begun. Their hunting hour had arrived.

"Huff..."

"Huff..."

"Huff..."

Among the treetops, a shadowy figure darted out swiftly, leaving behind a trail of whooshing sounds.

His eyes glinted with a chilling light, his brows furrowed, resembling a hunting eagle. As he sprinted, he kept a vigilant eye on his surroundings, as if he had become the master of the night.

He was Qin Ze, and in this moment, he was the Night Demon, the hunter.