Chapter 21: Iron-Hide Wild Ox
Zhang Ruochen rode his antelope horse, carrying his iron-thread bow, charging alone into King Mountain.
King Mountain was originally the royal clan's hunting grounds, with towering terrain, scattered with waterfalls, cliffs, deep valleys, and dense forests. Almost all the savage beasts in the mountain were first-rank, with only a few second-rank ones.
Forty-three young martial artists entered King Mountain like a handful of sand thrown into the sea. Before long, everyone had disappeared into the jungle.
"Whoosh!"
A white shadow flashed through waist-high thorny grass, crossing sixty meters of open ground in an instant and charging into the distant forest.
The speed of that white shadow was astonishingly fast. Anyone who hadn't trained in martial arts wouldn't even be able to see its form clearly.
Zhang Ruochen naturally saw it clearly—it was a savage beast that looked very much like a rabbit.
Ghost Shadow Rabbit, a first-rank lower-grade savage beast, extremely fast, with very sharp teeth and claws, but weak in defense.
Its strength was equivalent to a Yellow Extreme Realm initial-stage martial artist, and its speed matched a Yellow Extreme Realm minor-rank martial artist.
"It's just a Ghost Shadow Rabbit, not worth wasting a Thunderclap Arrow." Zhang Ruochen had already drawn his iron-thread bow into a half-moon shape, but then shook his head and didn't release the arrow.
The higher the rank of the savage beast killed, the better the score.
Among first-rank lower-grade beasts, the Ghost Shadow Rabbit was only considered a low-tier beast. Zhang Ruochen felt it wasn't worth wasting a Thunderclap Arrow on a first-rank low-tier beast.
"Swish!"
From another direction, the sound of an arrow breaking through the air rang out.
A Thunderclap Arrow, emitting a flash like lightning, struck the Ghost Shadow Rabbit's head with pinpoint accuracy.
"Pfft!"
The Ghost Shadow Rabbit's head was pierced by the Thunderclap Arrow. The lightning spirit crystal embedded in the arrowhead immediately exploded, turning into a fist-sized electric ball. The electric ball split apart, transforming into streaks of electric current.
The Ghost Shadow Rabbit died instantly, falling beneath a tree.
The Sixth Prince rode his antelope horse over. Without dismounting, he bent his waist, leaned his body toward the ground, grabbed the Thunderclap Arrow stuck in the rabbit's head with five fingers, and lifted the Ghost Shadow Rabbit.
"Ninth Brother, first time participating in the King Mountain Hunt, huh? What, afraid to kill a savage beast? As a man, you need to have some courage." The Sixth Prince held up the Ghost Shadow Rabbit, a mocking smile on his face.
In his view, Zhang Ruochen might indeed be a martial arts prodigy, but since it was his first hunt, being timid was normal.
Martial arts competition and killing were two completely different things.
The year-end assessment included the "King Mountain Hunt" segment, not just to test the martial artists' strength, but also to test their courage.
If someone didn't even dare to kill a savage beast, what use was their high martial arts cultivation?
The Sixth Prince was eighteen years old, with a cultivation at the minor-rank peak.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I just didn't want to waste a Thunderclap Arrow."
The Sixth Prince squinted his eyes and sneered, "If that's what you think, you're sorely mistaken. The number of savage beasts in King Mountain is very limited. Not everyone can use five Thunderclap Arrows to hunt five savage beasts."
With that, the Sixth Prince spurred his horse and disappeared into the forest.
"King Mountain doesn't cover a large area, and the number of savage beasts is definitely not high. I need to hurry."
Zhang Ruochen rode his antelope horse and charged in another direction.
In half an hour, Zhang Ruochen encountered three Ghost Shadow Rabbits, but he didn't shoot any Thunderclap Arrows, continuing to search for other beasts.
"Moo!"
A deafening cow bellow came from Zhang Ruochen's left.
Zhang Ruochen's heart leaped with joy. He immediately followed the sound and soon found three massive wild oxen by a stream.
Wild Ox, a first-rank lower-grade savage beast, with strength comparable to a Yellow Extreme Realm late-stage martial artist and defense comparable to a Yellow Extreme Realm minor-rank martial artist.
One ox-power referred to the strength of a single wild ox.
But someone had already arrived at the stream before Zhang Ruochen. She now stood opposite the three wild oxen.
The Ninth Princess, Zhang Yuxi, wearing a Imperial Sparrow Robe, sat on her antelope horse. Her jet-black hair hung down to her waist. She revealed a charming smile and glanced at Zhang Ruochen, saying, "Ninth Brother, you're too late. These three wild oxen are mine!"
"Moo!"
The three wild oxen, eyes bloodshot, stomped their iron hooves on the ground, striking sparks against the stones.
"Rumble!"
The three wild oxen charged at the Ninth Princess simultaneously.
The Ninth Princess grabbed three Thunderclap Arrows at once, nocked them on her bowstring, and drew the iron-thread bow into a full moon shape.
"Swish!"
Three Thunderclap Arrows flew out simultaneously, striking the three wild oxen between the eyebrows, piercing seven inches into their hides.
Electric light burst from the arrowheads. The three wild oxen died instantly, crashing heavily into the stream and splashing up large amounts of water.
The Ninth Princess put away her iron-thread bow, glanced at Zhang Ruochen standing in the distance, and smiled with bright eyes and white teeth, "Big Sister's 'Three-Part Return-to-Origin Arrow Technique' is a human-grade lower-rank martial skill, and I've fully mastered it. Ninth Brother, what do you think?"
Zhang Ruochen's gaze fixed on the water surface behind the Ninth Princess. His eyes narrowed, and he let out a sharp shout: "Watch out!"
The Ninth Princess also sensed danger. She turned around and saw a massive savage beast, twice the size of a wild ox, charging out of the stream water.
Its body was covered in metallic hide, with two sharp horns on its head. It lunged fiercely at the Ninth Princess.
"Boom!"
The antelope horse beneath the Ninth Princess let out a mournful neigh. Its bones were broken, and a bowl-sized bloody hole was pierced in its body by the horns. It crashed heavily to the ground.
The sudden change caught the Ninth Princess off guard. She fell to the ground along with the horse.
Terrified, the Ninth Princess rolled on the ground and immediately tried to stand up.
Suddenly, a huge shadow loomed over her. The massive beast raised its iron hooves and stomped down at her.
If that beast stepped on her, wouldn't her body be crushed?
"Bang!"
A Thunderclap Arrow flew from afar, striking the beast's neck and slightly deflecting its body.
Its iron hooves brushed past the Ninth Princess, landing on the ground beside her, creating two half-foot-deep craters.
"As expected of a first-rank middle-grade beast! Iron-Hide Wild Ox, its defense is too strong. The Thunderclap Arrow can't even pierce its hide!"
It wasn't just the Iron-Hide Wild Ox's strong defense; it was also because Zhang Ruochen was too far away, reducing the arrow's impact force.
Zhang Ruochen stood up on his antelope horse, kicked off with both legs, launched himself into the air, and charged toward the stream.
The Iron-Hide Wild Ox's strength was equivalent to a Yellow Extreme Realm mid-rank martial artist, and its defense matched a Yellow Extreme Realm high-rank martial artist. It was a formidable type among first-rank middle-grade beasts.
"Moo!"
Enraged by Zhang Ruochen's arrow, the Iron-Hide Wild Ox raised its iron hooves again and stomped down at the Ninth Princess beside it.
"Swish!"
Zhang Ruochen leaped four meters into the air, drew a Thunderclap Arrow, nocked it, and shot.
"Pfft!"
The Thunderclap Arrow struck the Iron-Hide Wild Ox's mouth with perfect accuracy. The lightning spirit crystal exploded in its throat, turning into an electric ball that shredded its throat.
The Iron-Hide Wild Ox staggered back two steps, blood streaming from its mouth in agony.
"Bang!"
Finally, the Iron-Hide Wild Ox crashed heavily to the ground.
The Ninth Princess let out a long sigh of relief. Her legs weak, she stood up. It had been too close a call. If Zhang Ruochen hadn't shot the Iron-Hide Wild Ox, she might have died under its iron hooves.
Zhang Ruochen walked over and glanced at the Ninth Princess, "Are you alright?"
The Ninth Princess shook her head gently, "If you hadn't arrived in time, it would have been serious. Ninth Brother, how is your archery so skilled? The Iron-Hide Wild Ox is a first-rank middle-grade beast, with defense comparable to a Yellow Extreme Realm high-rank martial artist, and you killed it with just two arrows!"
Zhang Ruochen looked at the Iron-Hide Wild Ox's corpse on the ground, "Whether it's a savage beast or a human, everyone has weaknesses. Attack those weaknesses, and even if your strength is inferior, you can still kill it."
Humanity's greatest advantage was their high intelligence—they could use weapons and tools, and analyze a beast's weaknesses.
That was why human martial artists could kill beasts stronger than themselves.
If the Iron-Hide Wild Ox hadn't caught her off guard, the Ninth Princess, with her strength, would have had a chance to kill it without being so humiliated.
The Ninth Princess slung her iron-thread bow over her shoulder and put away her quiver, which now held only two Thunderclap Arrows, "Each of our Thunderclap Arrows has a special mark. The guards will come to collect the prey later; we don't need to carry them out ourselves. Let's go!"
With that, the Ninth Princess walked toward Zhang Ruochen's antelope horse.
Zhang Ruochen frowned slightly, "What are you doing?"
The Ninth Princess curled her lips and smiled, "My antelope horse is badly injured. Now I have to ride yours. Ninth Brother, you wouldn't make your sister walk to hunt, would you?"
The Ninth Princess wore a fitted Imperial Sparrow Robe, outlining her curvaceous and beautiful figure—round buttocks, slender waist, every inch of her skin as white as snow, emitting a faint fragrance.
She pressed her hand lightly on the antelope horse's back, and her body immediately sprang up gracefully, landing on the horse's back.
"Ninth Brother, hurry up and get on! If we don't go soon, the beasts will all be hunted by those guys!" The Ninth Princess blinked her eyes and extended a jade hand, making an inviting gesture.
In the end, Zhang Ruochen walked over, grasped the Ninth Princess's soft jade hand, used it for leverage, flipped over, and landed on the horse's back.
The two rode together, charging deeper into King Mountain.
"With our strength, if we cooperate, we can hunt first-rank middle-grade beasts." The Ninth Princess's eyes showed a hint of anticipation. Even if they only hunted one first-rank middle-grade beast, it would earn a decent score in the King Mountain Hunt assessment.
The scoring method for the King Mountain Hunt was: one first-rank upper-grade beast equaled five first-rank middle-grade beasts.
One first-rank middle-grade beast equaled five first-rank lower-grade beasts.
That meant, although Zhang Ruochen had only killed one Iron-Hide Wild Ox, it was equivalent to hunting five first-rank lower-grade beasts.
Not everyone could hunt a first-rank middle-grade beast. It required at least a Yellow Extreme Realm mid-rank cultivation to have a chance.
Moreover, first-rank middle-grade beasts were very fast and had astonishing defense. Even with mid-rank cultivation, hunting one wasn't easy.
Although Zhang Ruochen was only at the minor-rank peak, his strength surpassed many mid-rank martial artists, allowing him to successfully kill the Iron-Hide Wild Ox.
Zhang Ruochen's eyes were sharp, "If only we could hunt a first-rank upper-grade beast."
"How is that possible? Every first-rank upper-grade beast's overall strength is comparable to a Yellow Extreme Realm Great Perfection martial artist. If we really encountered one, it would be a disaster. Even escaping would be hard!"
The Ninth Princess added, "In the past ten years of year-end assessments, only the Seventh Prince has successfully hunted a first-rank upper-grade beast. As for this year's assessment, no one has the strength to hunt one."