Beast Pack! Encounter

Fang Yu, Bai Chen, and the others advanced along their route, deliberately steering clear of several water sources. Consequently, they encountered very few dire beasts, and even when they did, these were mostly low-level creatures that posed little threat to them. After parting ways with Zhang Tao and his companions, they pressed on for several more kilometers, drawing steadily closer to the space base. "Hmm?" Walking at the very front of the formation, Fang Yu suddenly caught a faint rustle in his ears. He shot Bai Chen and the others a subtle glance, then exerted a gentle burst of power through his legs and leapt. He sprang up into a massive tree. After several successive leaps through the branches, Fang Yu's eyes lit up. "Wait, a beast pack?" Several hundred meters away, beneath a cliff, a small waterfall churned into a pool. On the grassy ground near the water, dozens of dire beasts were frolicking and resting. Their coats were predominantly black with silver markings, and their pupils gleamed with a golden sheen. These were Thunder Sound Leopards, named for their roars that resembled rolling thunder. "Thunder Sound Leopards? So many of them?" Fang Yu was astonished. Among feline dire beasts, Thunder Sound Leopards were on the weaker side. An adult individual generally reached Level 19 or above, while those blessed with exceptional talent and luck could surpass Level 25. To have so many Thunder Sound Leopards gathered here made them an undisputed overlord pack in this region. Just as human martial artists had vast disparities in personal talent and strength, the same held true for dire beasts. Many beasts of ordinary bloodlines and genetics continued to grow and evolve, occasionally even reaching the level of great demons. Whoosh! Fang Yu darted back in a few swift motions, returning to his teammates' side. "Captain, it's a pack of Thunder Sound Leopards..." Hearing this, Bai Chen, Xia Yao, and the others brightened up and bounded into the trees. Martial artists possessed exceptional vision; standing atop tall trees, they could see clearly even across a distance of one or two kilometers. Once they had surveyed the scene, the group reconvened. "It really is a pack of Thunder Sound Leopards. Fang Yu's hearing is incredible, catching that from so far away," Xia Yao said in pleasant surprise. "I just took a rough look. At a preliminary estimate, there are three pack leaders, all likely around Level 22, at most Level 23. There are about twenty around Level 20, and the rest are cubs not worth worrying about." "With so many Thunder Sound Leopards and their strength generally exceeding Level 19—well above normal—this area must have nurtured a good number of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures," Xia Yao added solemnly. The others nodded in agreement. The reason Fang Yu had been thrilled at the sight of so many Thunder Sound Leopards was precisely because he guessed there had to be treasures nearby. Dire beasts gathered around Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures because they consumed them too, gradually increasing their strength by devouring such treasures. "Do we strike?" Bai Chen asked. "Let's do it," Xiong Meng said eagerly. "There aren't any exceptionally powerful beasts among them. We can definitely wipe out the majority. Before this, we couldn't even find this many weak intermediate dire beasts." "So many Thunder Sound Leopards will net us a massive haul of Primordial Points," Xia Yao said excitedly. "Xiong Meng, join the front line directly," Qin Yang said slowly. "I will aim to snipe two of the leaders in an instant." "Sounds good," Fang Yu agreed with a nod. The team reached a consensus. Over the past few days, the Level 20-plus dire beasts they had tracked were mostly solitary or in pairs, making them difficult to hunt down. When dire beasts gathered in packs, like the wire snakes, they were usually led by formidable creatures above Level 25. Fighting beasts of that caliber meant taking enormous risks. A pack where the beasts were generally around Level 20, with the strongest capping out at Level 23? Such an opportunity was exceedingly rare. Xia Yao and Xiong Meng set down their heavy packs. Soon, carrying only their weapons and under Bai Chen's direction, the members of the Scarlet Flame Squad crept through the tall grass, closing in on the large pack of Thunder Sound Leopards. A loose encirclement gradually formed. "Remember," Bai Chen whispered, "Qin Yang strikes first. Whether he lands a fatal blow or not, Fang Yu and I will hunt down the strongest pack leaders. "Qin Yang, follow up by targeting the ordinary adult Thunder Sound Leopards. "Xiong Meng, you focus on suppression and drawing attention. "Xia Yao, watch your own safety." "Understood," everyone responded in turn. Within the squad, although Xiong Meng possessed a slightly higher Life Level than Fang Yu, his physical technique had not achieved the Great Accomplishment of Entering the Minute. Thus, in a genuine life-and-death clash, he was no match for Fang Yu. The only ones capable of taking the brunt of the pack's frontal assault were Fang Yu and Bai Chen. "We move on the arrow!" Bai Chen commanded. The squad waited in silence. Qin Yang drew his heavy bow. The bow bent into a full moon! Whoosh! A metallic arrow shot forth like rolling thunder, howling as it tore through the air. In practically an instant, it crossed more than sixty meters and buried itself deep into the largest Thunder Sound Leopard leader. Thwack! A geyser of blood erupted from the leader's head. Its body staggered, stumbled forward a few steps, and then unsteadily collapsed onto its side. "Screeech! Screeech!" The Thunder Sound Leopards, which had been leisurely playing and resting, instantly erupted in chaos. Numerous adult leopards roared frantically, converging toward the leaders while snapping their gazes in the direction from which the arrow had flown. Almost in the very same breath— Schwing! Another sharp whistle of metal tearing through air rang out as a second arrow struck home in another leader's body. However, though the interval between Qin Yang's two shots was extraordinarily brief, that split-second difference meant this arrow only struck the leader's hind leg, inflicting a wound that was far from fatal. And with that, Qin Yang's position was fully exposed. "Roaaar!" "Screeech!" Both remaining leaders were thoroughly enraged, releasing earthshaking roars. In an instant, more than twenty adult and sub-adult Thunder Sound Leopards joined in the fury, their bellows booming like claps of thunder across the wilderness. Then, transforming into streaks of black and silver light, they surged toward Qin Yang's position. Thud! Thud! Thud! The ground trembled beneath their paws. "Move!" Bai Chen bellowed. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! The four of them blurred into afterimages, charging straight into the incoming horde of Thunder Sound Leopards. "Die!" Xiong Meng roared. Leaving his shield behind this time, he wielded a pair of war hammers, swinging them wildly to relieve the pressure on Qin Yang and shield him from harm. Whoosh! Bai Chen was the fastest. A swarm of Thunder Sound Leopards lunged at him, attempting to surround him. "Die!" Bai Chen swept his spear. Swish! The spear was as swift as lightning, thrusting out repeatedly. Every strike drew a spray of scarlet into the air, blossoming like gruesome red petals. The Thunder Sound Leopards tried to resist, but under the onslaught of Bai Chen's Dark Force, their pelts and claws were completely useless. Squelch! One thrust plunged straight through a leopard's eye socket, piercing completely through its skull before retracting in an instant, striking with the unpredictable venom of a viper's tongue. Bai Chen's mastery of the spear was on full display. Yet as the two leopard leaders joined the fray, Bai Chen quickly found himself in peril. Even an ordinary Level 20 Thunder Sound Leopard could deliver an impact of several thousand kilograms in a single blow, posing a severe threat to him. And they were simply too numerous. "Die!" Fang Yu, trailing just slightly behind, finally arrived. Holding his shield in one hand, he crashed through like an armored truck, his battle saber shrieking through the air as it cleaved heavily toward the wounded leader. "Roaaar!" The massive leopard leader swerved aside, swiping a claw in an attempt to deflect the blade. Schrrrk! With an explosion of Dark Force, Fang Yu's instantaneous strength surged to an astounding five thousand kilograms. That terrifying force transferred into the saber, carving a gaping wound into the leader's forelimb. Blood sprayed violently! Bang! Slash! Squelch! Unleashing his Dark Force, Fang Yu reached an astonishing level of speed and power. His Flowing Light Saber Technique descended in a seamless barrage of strikes, each blow flowing into the next. Not only did he hack the wounded leader to death, but he also forced the final leader into a desperate retreat. Even while surrounded and facing two pack leaders at once, Fang Yu held the absolute upper hand. The sight galvanized the rest of the Scarlet Flame Squad. Fang Yu was truly terrifying in battle. Whoosh! Whoosh! Metal arrows continued to streak through the air, piercing into the leopards that failed to dodge in time. Even when the shots missed vital organs, they inflicted heavy wounds. *** Less than a kilometer away, in another patch of mountain forest, the squad to which Fan Xing belonged was traveling along. "That squad earlier really didn't know what was good for them," a tall, slender youth laughed. "Still, Fan Xing, you were decisive enough. The captain told you to chop, and you chopped. You've got potential." "With both legs broken, he can withdraw from the Primordial Star and avoid dying here," Fan Xing said, shaking his head. "Just like the captain said, I did it for his own good." The others chuckled. Ruthless as they were, they rarely delivered outright killing blows to fellow martial artists—not out of mercy, but because killing a martial artist carried a heavy penalty, deducting a substantial number of points. As long as the victim was merely crippled and didn't die in the end, it wouldn't affect them. Suddenly, the black-robed youth who served as their captain twitched his ears. "Wait. Something's happening. Sounds like a fight. Follow me." Whoosh! Whoosh! The squad darted toward the sound. Soon, gazing through the trees, they spotted the Scarlet Flame Squad several hundred meters away, already nearing the end of their battle against the beast pack. "A pack of Thunder Sound Leopards?" The black-robed youth's eyes lit up. "With this many of them, there must be treasures nearby." "It's Fang Yu." A glint of murderous intent flickered across Fan Xing's eyes. "Bai Chen? Qin Yang?" A burly man carrying a battle axe on his back also recognized two of the figures. "You know them?" the black-robed youth asked. "Captain, that saber-wielding expert is the senior freshman I told you about—the one whose coefficient score is closest to mine on the freshman rankings," Fan Xing said in a low voice. "Captain," the burly axe-wielder added, "Bai Chen and Qin Yang are both elite students." "Three elite students?" The black-robed youth narrowed his eyes. "Quite a capable squad. No wonder they could slaughter the pack of Thunder Sound Leopards I had my eye on so early. "However..." "If they dare slaughter my prey, they will have to pay the price. "Follow me." The black-robed youth turned into a streak of light and charged straight out onto the wilderness. Fan Xing, the burly axe-wielder, the tall, slender youth, and the rest quickly followed suit. They knew their captain was about to steal the kill.