Endless Ascension

Chapter 20: Run!!

Killing humans is a no-no, but slaying demonic beasts, Yun Man is a pro.

Her attacks, her speed, both surpassed Qin Ze's by a few notches. Partnering up with her, Qin Ze had struck gold.

Initially, he had harbored resentment, resentful of the system's sudden introduction of a team-up system. But now, as the experience points and Qigong values in his mind constantly refreshed, he couldn't help but secretly rejoice.

Hunting demonic beasts was akin to battling monsters in a game, except leveling up was excruciatingly slow.

After an entire afternoon, he had only gained a sliver of experience. Looking at the seemingly endless experience bar, Qin Ze felt a sense of helplessness. Yet compared to others, he was practically a godsend.

For ordinary cultivators on the Tianyuan Continent, hunting demonic beasts was primarily about gaining practical experience, comprehending techniques through combat, or practicing techniques. It rarely aided in breakthroughs.

Cultivators' breakthroughs stemmed from physical advancements, repeatedly challenging limits, gaining insights, enhancing the perception of various organs, constantly fortifying the Dan Tian, and nurturing robust Qigong. Only when these two aspects combined could one achieve greatness.

No one was as fortunate as Qin Ze, who could simply break through by slaying demonic beasts.

"I'm so scared..."

"Ah... snakes!"

"Kill you, kill you..."

Yun Man chattered incessantly like a never-ending oriole beside Qin Ze. Though her voice was melodious, after listening to it for an entire afternoon, his ears did start to feel a bit calloused. Witnessing her sudden frights and ferocious attacks, the piles of slain demonic beasts lay there, unable to close their eyes in death, their eyes wide open in innocence. Qin Ze couldn't help but feel sorry for them.

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Despite her words of fear, her attacks were ruthless, her silk ribbons shooting out with nearly every strike being fatal. How could the fallen demonic beasts bear such injustice?

"Why did you participate in the Autumn Hunt Contest? You're not collecting the heads of these demonic beasts or earning points. What's the point of coming here?" Qin Ze, having severed the head a of Long-Armed King Kong, looked curiously at Yun Man, who was hiding far away, acting like a frightened little girl.

"Killing demonic beasts is fun," Yun Man replied weakly from her hiding spot.

Her answer made Qin Ze want to groan. He had no choice but to slay demonic beasts to level up; otherwise, he wouldn't bother participating. As for the rewards, Qin Ze merely entertained the thought, not placing much hope in them.

It's common knowledge that some disciples from prominent Qin families would bribe outer disciples before the competition, forming groups of four or five to hunt down beastly creatures, with all the points accruing to one individual. Hence, no matter how hard Qin Ze tries, he can hardly compete with the sheer numbers of others.

This is not considered cheating; for the sake of claiming first place and gaining the favor of the clan leader, they will resort to any means necessary.

After half an afternoon, Qin Ze calculated that he had accumulated roughly three hundred points, adding up to over nine hundred points from the morning and the previous night.

"Do you want to win first place?" Yun Man suddenly asked.

"Of course, who wouldn't? The rewards are quite substantial," Qin Ze smiled. It was only natural to strive for it; after all, they were all hunting beastly creatures, gaining experience, and the possibility of winning a reward made it all the more worthwhile.

"I want to win too. I want to enter the Library of Ancient Texts," Yun Man mumbled softly, looking down.

The 'Cloud-Soaring Force' she cultivated was chosen from the clan's Library of Ancient Texts upon reaching the fifth level of martial prowess. It's been two years since then, and besides some rudimentary attacks, she hasn't acquired a decent martial technique.

Martial techniques are strictly controlled by the clan. Apart from the prodigies, who receive endless supplies, it's exceedingly difficult for outer disciples to obtain even a low-grade technique, unless they make outstanding contributions to the clan. Otherwise, they may never get hold of a decent technique in their lifetime.

Yun Man is a case in point. If she hadn't broken through to the fifth level of martial prowess at the age of thirteen, she wouldn't have been eligible to enter the Library of Ancient Texts to select a martial technique.

Observing Yun Man's pensive expression, Qin Ze thought to himself, "If I can win first place, I'll see if I can pick a better martial technique for her."

Yun Man had contributed significantly to their success, killing numerous beastly creatures.

"The sun is setting. Let's return to the cave. I'm starting to feel a bit scared..."

Yun Man walked over, gazing at the setting sun that painted her face crimson, making her look exquisite.

As the sky gradually grew darker, Qin Ze finished collecting his spoils and didn't want to stay any longer. At night, the forest transformed into a different realm, where beastly creatures' carcasses would be torn apart within half an hour, leaving nothing but bones.

"Roar..."

Suddenly, a muffled thunderous sound erupted from the forest, akin to a massive object collapsing, followed by a heart-rending scream that echoed loudly, deafening everyone around.

Qin Ze's brow furrowed instantly, and his mind flashed back to the fifth-order demonic beast that had burst out of the Kunlun Mountain Range last night. Without hesitation, he grabbed Yun Man's hand and barked out coldly, "Run..."

Yun Man didn't have time to react, her heart filled with fear. The sound that had just echoed was incredibly daunting, surpassing any demonic beast she had ever encountered. Could it be a beast beyond the fourth order?

The Autumn Hunt Contest grounds were on the outskirts of the Kunlun Mountains, mostly inhabited by low-order demonic beasts. It was rare to encounter fourth-order beasts, and fifth-order ones had never been seen before. That's why the Qin family had no concerns about the possibility of a fifth-order demonic beast appearing on the grounds.

One must understand that a fifth-order demonic beast, with its condensed crystal core, could sweep through all the participants with ease.

Truly terrifying.

"Roar..."

Dust swirled through the forest like a bomb explosion, creating a maelstrom.

A fierce wave of dust-laden air slammed into them, and Qin Ze continued to drag Yun Man's delicate hand as they ran, the sound behind them growing ever closer.

"The aura of a fifth-order demonic beast is overwhelmingly powerful," Qin Ze thought to himself. Even from several kilometers away, he could feel the beast's fury raging, as if it were right beside them.

"What's behind us?" Yun Man, feeling the same intense aura, asked fearfully.

"It's probably a fifth-order demonic beast with a condensed crystal core," Qin Ze replied.

"A fifth-order demonic beast?" Yun Man echoed, her eyes wide with shock.

"I'm afraid so. Don't think too much, let's just get out of here," Qin Ze said anxiously, worried about Yun Man's fear.

Facing a fifth-order demonic beast, one that could easily crush a Gathering Spirit Realm cultivator, they were mere ants in the grand scheme of things, stuck in the Warrior Realm. Their only chance was to flee; otherwise, death was inevitable.

"Roar..."

"It's going berserk! Everyone scatter! Remember, don't get too close!"

The bearded man, gripping a massive hammer, leaped onto a towering tree and then sprinted across the canopy, covering dozens of meters in a single bound, his powerful Qigong aura shielding him like a cocoon.

Not far from him, two middle-aged men also erupted into motion, desperately dodging the enraged Violent Golden Gorilla in its berserk state.

Of the original team of thirteen, only the three of them remained.

For this fifth-tier beastly creature, they had suffered heavy losses. Now, with the gorilla heavily injured, they were confident that within three days, they would surely be able to slay it. A single crystal nucleus would be more than enough to recoup their losses.

"Ah!"

A bloodcurdling scream echoed as one of the two middle-aged men was mercilessly crushed by the Violent Golden Gorilla, unable to offer any resistance.

"Dahu..."

"Yantian, run!!!"

The bearded man roared again, his heart wracked with agony as he watched his brother being crushed alive by the gorilla. It felt like his heart was bleeding.

The team of thirteen had dwindled to just two.

Facing the Violent Golden Gorilla with its divine abilities, their confidence dwindled further...