Becoming a Saint From the Iron Armor Skill

Chapter 380: Chapter 196: Human-Shaped Tiger Demon

The speaker was none other than the oldest member of the team, Liu Yongzhen, known as the Sun-Shooting Divine Arrow.

His hair and beard were already half-white, and he looked to be over fifty. On his back, he carried a bright silver Longbow.

However, his eyes were bright and full of spirit. He had a tall, powerful frame, a lean waist, and arms much longer than the average person’s.

He was like a fully drawn Strong Bow, ready to release an arrow at any moment, emanating a sharp, piercing aura.

This was a sign of his archery momentum manifesting outwardly, an indication that he was on the verge of comprehending the Bow and Arrow Realm.

When one comprehended a Realm associated with Bow and Arrow Cultivation Techniques, its power often became exceedingly formidable, in many ways even surpassing the Realms of blades like sabers and swords.

After all, a Realm’s power was unleashed by using one’s Qi Blood Power to mobilize the Power of Heaven and Earth Origin.

The closer the proximity, the stronger the Realm Power.

However, the Realm associated with Bow and Arrow Cultivation Techniques was unaffected by distance. In fact, in many cases, the farther the distance, the more formidable the Realm Power became.

The Bow and Arrow Realm was also exceptionally difficult to cultivate, and no one in Linji City had yet managed to do so.

The person closest to achieving this Realm was none other than Liu Yongzhen!

...

Evil Tiger Ridge was not a single mountain but an interconnected expanse of vast, deep forest spanning over a hundred li.

The woods near the main road were merely the outskirts.

In this year of drought, the outer forests had been significantly affected.

Many trees were withered and yellow, and several areas were even scorched black, likely from forest fires caused by the excessively dry weather.

This wasn’t surprising. Although the area was uninhabited, the ley lines of the earth often contained various kinds of ghost fire.

In such arid conditions, the ground surface became dry and cracked, allowing these ghost fires to surface more easily.

Furthermore, when wild animals died, their sun-bleached bones could crack open and ignite these same ghost fires.

The best way to track a Demon Beast was to slowly search the forest for traces of living creatures, then deduce whether the culprit was a common beast or a Demon Beast.

Tracking a Demon Beast that was deliberately concealing its trail often required a large team and could take several months.

Chen Cheng clearly didn’t have time for a slow pursuit; he could only try his luck.

And luck, as it turned out, was something one could influence.

Evil Tiger Ridge spanned over a hundred li. If he covered as much ground as possible, his chances of finding the Tier Two Tiger Demon would be much greater.

He didn’t even need to search the whole area. If he focused his search on the deepest parts of the ridge, he would have a very high chance of discovering the Tier Two Tiger Demon’s trail.

There were less than two hours until nightfall, so time was tight.

After a quick survey of the terrain, Chen Cheng took off at full speed, sprinting toward the tallest, densest section of the forest.

Using his Wandering Dragon Step, Chen Cheng moved like a roaming dragon, navigating the forest with considerable ease.

The deeper he went, the denser and darker the forest became. Often, the trees and thorny undergrowth were so thick that he couldn’t even find a place to set his feet.

This, of course, was no obstacle for Chen Cheng. With his Long Saber in hand, he executed the Wind Chasing Saber Stance. A faint breeze stirred as he moved with his blade, his saber chasing the momentum of the wind.

Chen Cheng’s figure was as elusive as a phantom, leaping high among the tree branches without the slightest impediment.

Although using the Wind Chasing Saber Stance to clear a path didn’t create much of a disturbance, it still startled countless birds and beasts hidden within the woods.

...

In the distance, members of Liu Ruofeng’s team were swinging their Long Sabers, clearing a path as they advanced.

Liu Ruofeng, meanwhile, had leaped to the top of a tall tree to survey the area.

He soon spotted an anomaly in the distant forest. Flocks of birds were soaring into the sky, and large sections of the woods were shaking violently, as if startled beasts were fleeing.

Instinct told Liu Ruofeng that only a vicious beast or a Demon Beast could cause such a commotion.

"Head southeast! There’s movement over there. It’s probably the Red-eyed Striped Tiger."

Liu Ruofeng acted decisively, speeding toward that section of the forest.

"Brother Liu, did we find a trail of the Red-eyed Striped Tiger already?"

Everyone on the team was overjoyed. They stopped clearing a path with their Long Sabers, leaping into the treetops to follow Liu Ruofeng as he sprinted across the branches.

...

Elsewhere, Wang Xiongzhang and his team had also noticed the disturbance in the forest.

"Looks like there’s a Demon Beast over there! Everyone, keep up with me."

Wang Xiongzhang called out and led the charge toward that section of the forest.

The others followed close behind, their faces alight with excitement.

...

On a high mountaintop, Chen Cheng paused atop a large tree, observing the surrounding terrain.

He noticed faint movement in two areas of the forest behind him. A jolt of pleasure went through him. ’My luck isn’t half bad. Charging blindly into the forest like this actually seems to have attracted a Demon Beast’s attention.’

However, his brow quickly furrowed.

The two sources of movement didn’t seem to be a Demon Beast, but rather members of the Demon-slaying Teams rushing forward.

And their target was none other than his current position!

Chen Cheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "You’ve got to be kidding me," he muttered. "Liu Ruofeng and Wang Xiongzhang... don’t tell me they’ve mistaken me for the Tiger Demon?

’Then again, if I saw this kind of commotion in the forest, I’d probably make the same assumption!

’Forget it. Rushing around like this clearly won’t work. I can’t have Liu Ruofeng and his crew hunt me down like some Human-Shaped Tiger Demon!’

Chen Cheng shook his head, and with a flicker of his body, he descended from the treetop and slowed his pace.

He also focused on concealing his aura, trying not to startle any of the forest creatures.

As a result, his passage through the forest no longer created any disturbance.

A short while later, Chen Cheng appeared on another distant mountaintop, holding a pigeon in his hand.

When people insult someone for being dull and slow, they often call them a "Huan Pigeon," referring to this very species of bird.

Their reactions were remarkably slow. After concealing his aura, Chen Cheng had simply swept past the top of a large tree and casually snatched this Huan Pigeon.

Once caught, the dopey bird didn’t even know how to struggle. It remained completely still.

"Go on, you silly thing!"

The bird had barely any qi or blood, so Chen Cheng casually tossed it back onto a branch.

Surprisingly, it didn’t fly away. It just stared blankly at Chen Cheng, its eyes holding a look of pure innocence.

"I have no idea how a bird like you has managed to survive this long!"

Chen Cheng chuckled, and a sudden realization dawned on him.

Evil Tiger Ridge was right beside the main road, yet for years, the Tiger Demon had never been successfully hunted by any Demon Hunting Team. It clearly had some special method of self-preservation.

’Whether I charge around recklessly trying my luck or wander around aimlessly with my aura concealed, I probably won’t find a trace of it.

’Forget it! Hunting demons is a matter of fate, after all. There’s no need to force an encounter with the Tiger Demon.

’I’ll just catch a regular beast for dinner and call it a day.’

Having come to this conclusion, Chen Cheng changed his objective and focused on finding traces of other beasts.

The Huan Pigeon had also taught Chen Cheng another lesson: every animal in the mountains has its own way of surviving.

’The Huan Pigeon, for example, can stay safe just by foolishly finding a spot and staying put.

’The places they stay are usually free from danger, which means no fierce beasts are around.

’As the saying goes, "Settle on level ground, walk on open roads." Perhaps where the fierce beasts lair, no other animals dare to roam.

’To find a beast, I should look specifically for those deep, quiet places!’

Finding such isolated spots was actually much simpler than it sounded. Most areas in the vast forest teemed with hidden life.

After crossing a few more peaks, Chen Cheng had gathered several arm-thick wooden clubs.

He continued to move through the forest with his aura concealed. Whenever he saw a suspicious-looking area, he would casually fling one of the clubs to strike the bushes from afar, creating a disturbance.

Any given patch of forest was bound to have some form of life in it, so throwing a club a few times would usually flush something out.

Conversely, if a large section of the forest remained utterly silent, then that was a place Chen Cheng needed to investigate thoroughly.

Others might try to kill two birds with one stone, but Chen Cheng was doing the exact opposite—he was beating the bushes just to see what would flee.

...

In the end, Liu Ruofeng’s and Wang Xiongzhang’s teams inevitably ran into each other.

The two groups stared at each other, utterly dumbfounded.

Then, they parted ways, each heading in a different direction, for their common target had vanished.

...

「Nearly an hour later.」

Liu Ruofeng’s team had ventured deep into Evil Tiger Ridge and successfully hunted a large wild boar, weighing over three hundred pounds and sporting sharp tusks.

For ordinary mountain hunters, this would have been a great prize.

But for a Demon Hunting Team, it was clearly not enough.

"Light the Beast-Attracting Incense!" Liu Ruofeng said to his younger sister as he descended from a large tree.

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