Chapter 23: Hunting the Azure Flame Deer
Before deciding to hunt the Azure Flame Deer, Zhang Ruochen had calculated carefully.
Given his current cultivation level, there was indeed a significant gap in strength between him and the Azure Flame Deer. Moreover, he could not use True Martial Treasures, as both the Flash Soul Sword and the Abyssal Ancient Sword were stored in the inner space of the Time-Space Crystal.
If he used them, the Time-Space Crystal would be exposed.
If it were any other first-rank upper-level barbarian beast, Zhang Ruochen would have no chance of victory.
However, the Azure Flame Deer was different. Its advantage lay in speed, while its attack power and defense were far inferior to other first-rank upper-level barbarian beasts.
Zhang Ruochen’s advantage was that he possessed spiritual power comparable to a Heavenly Extreme Realm Great Perfection martial artist and rich combat experience. He could pre-judge the Azure Flame Deer’s attack direction and make the most flexible countermeasures.
Thus, the Azure Flame Deer’s terrifying speed might not necessarily overwhelm Zhang Ruochen.
“Roar!”
Zhang Ruochen, as if provoking it, let out a loud roar at the Azure Flame Deer.
“Whoosh!”
Enraged, the Azure Flame Deer’s flames burned even brighter. It turned into a green blur, instantly charging to Zhang Ruochen’s front and ramming into him fiercely.
The moment before the Azure Flame Deer charged, Zhang Ruochen pushed off the ground with both legs, using the rebound to leap over seven meters into the air.
“Flying Dragon in the Sky!”
Surging true qi flowed rapidly through eleven meridians. A low, resonant dragon roar seemed to emanate from within Zhang Ruochen’s body. Mobilizing the strength of all his muscles and bones, he struck down with a powerful palm.
But the Azure Flame Deer’s speed was too fast. Zhang Ruochen’s palm missed it and struck the ground instead.
“Whoosh!”
A green shadow flashed, appearing before Zhang Ruochen. Its azure antlers aimed at his chest.
Zhang Ruochen struck out with another palm, clashing head-on with the Azure Flame Deer.
“Boom!”
A powerful impact force surged from his palm, and Zhang Ruochen’s right arm immediately went numb.
Zhang Ruochen quickly retreated, looking at his right arm. His palm was burned by the Azure Flame Deer’s flames, and even his sleeve had been reduced to ashes, exposing his wrist and forearm.
True qi circulated through his meridians, and the numb arm gradually regained sensation.
“Squeak!”
The Azure Flame Deer attacked again, appearing before Zhang Ruochen in an instant.
Just then, the Ninth Princess, standing at a distance, fired two Thunderbolt Arrows in quick succession, both aimed at the Azure Flame Deer’s eyes.
“Bang!”
“Bang!”
The Azure Flame Deer reacted extremely quickly, using its hard antlers to knock both Thunderbolt Arrows away.
“Barbarian Beast Charging the Ground!”
Zhang Ruochen seized the opportunity, rushing forward. Using the momentum of his charge, he struck out another palm, unleashing the power of sixteen oxen, and hit the Azure Flame Deer on the top of its head.
The Azure Flame Deer let out a mournful cry. A bloody crack split open on its head, and it suffered considerable injury, its reactions becoming sluggish.
“Pfft!”
Seizing the moment, the Ninth Princess drew her bow and shot the last Thunderbolt Arrow, accurately piercing the Azure Flame Deer’s left eye.
“Boom!”
The arrowhead of the Thunderbolt Arrow exploded, blowing apart the left side of the Azure Flame Deer’s head. Its eyeball turned into a cloud of blood mist.
Zhang Ruochen rolled over to the corpse of the Saber-Toothed Crimson Tiger, breaking off a half-foot-long fang from its mouth.
Severely injured, the Azure Flame Deer’s azure flames extinguished, and it turned to flee.
Zhang Ruochen grabbed the Saber-Toothed Crimson Tiger’s fang like a short blade. He stomped hard on a tree trunk, using its elasticity to leap into the air.
“Pfft!”
The sharp tiger fang plunged straight into the Azure Flame Deer’s brow, piercing through its skull.
“Thud!”
The Azure Flame Deer struggled twice before collapsing, gasping its last.
Zhang Ruochen pulled out the tiger fang and stabbed it into the Azure Flame Deer’s abdomen, ending its life completely.
The Ninth Princess hurried over, looking at the Azure Flame Deer’s corpse on the ground, still unable to believe what had just happened. “Ninth Brother… you killed a first-rank upper-level barbarian beast.”
Zhang Ruochen glanced at her, stood up, and wrapped his burned palm with a strip of cloth. “Not me. Us.”
The Ninth Princess knew she hadn’t contributed much. If Zhang Ruochen hadn’t struck the Azure Flame Deer’s head, slowing its speed, her Thunderbolt Arrow would never have hit its eye.
Still, she was overjoyed inside, having participated in hunting a first-rank upper-level barbarian beast—and succeeding.
Overcome with excitement, the Ninth Princess immediately threw herself at Zhang Ruochen, hugging him.
“Ninth Brother, we’re the perfect battle partners! Our coordination was flawless!”
Her soft jade-like arms tightly wrapped around Zhang Ruochen’s neck, and her pair of elastic, full breasts pressed against him, nearly knocking him to the ground.
Zhang Ruochen raised an arm, pressing against the Ninth Princess’s shoulder to keep some distance. He said flatly, “We should head back.”
Seeing Zhang Ruochen’s cold demeanor, the Ninth Princess stomped her foot and frowned. “I’m your sister, you know. I’m not going to eat you. Do you have to look so disgusted all the time?”
Zhang Ruochen walked out of Tiger Howl Slope, mounted the antelope horse, and glanced at the Ninth Princess. “Let’s go.”
The Ninth Princess rolled her eyes, placed her hand in Zhang Ruochen’s, and settled behind him. She wrapped her jade arms around his waist, resting her delicate, beautiful face against his back. Teasingly, she said, “Oh Ninth Prince, please take your beautiful sister away from this place full of slaughter!”
Zhang Ruochen shook his head lightly, urged the antelope horse forward, and immediately charged out of the dense forest, heading toward the Royal Clan Martial Ground.
…
Of the forty-three young martial artists participating in the hunt, twenty-six had already returned to the Royal Clan Martial Ground. Only seventeen had yet to come back.
Those who hadn’t returned by now had either unfortunately died in a barbarian beast’s jaws or had yet to hunt one down.
“Min’er, how was your harvest this hunt?” asked Fifth Prince’s birth mother, Consort Huo.
The Fifth Prince wore a confident smile. “Rest assured, Mother. In this Royal Mountain Hunt, no one has done better than me!”
“That’s for the best.” Consort Huo nodded with a smile.
Lin Fengxian also cast an inquiring glance at Lin Ningshan. “Shan’er, this is your first Royal Mountain Hunt. You must have faced many difficulties, right?”
Lin Ningshan shook her head, equally confident. “The Royal Mountain Hunt was easier than I imagined. No difficulties at all. I’m confident I’ll make the top ten in this round of assessment.”
Lin Ningshan glanced toward Royal Mountain. Seeing that Zhang Ruochen still hadn’t returned, she grew even more smug. She thought to herself, “Looks like he hasn’t hunted any barbarian beasts yet. After all, he’s only been training in martial arts for three months. Taking heavenly materials and earthly treasures can boost strength quickly, but it can’t improve one’s combat experience.”
At that moment, Consort Lin also grew tense, staring intently toward Royal Mountain.
One by one, the young martial artists who had participated in the hunt returned.
Most of those returning now wore grim expressions, looking dejected. Clearly, they hadn’t managed to hunt any barbarian beasts in Royal Mountain.
“Why haven’t the Ninth Prince and Ninth Princess returned yet? I hope nothing’s happened.”
Everyone began to worry. In previous Royal Mountain Hunts, young martial artists had been killed by barbarian beasts.
The Cloudwu Commandery King frowned slightly and was about to send people into Royal Mountain to search for the Ninth Prince and Ninth Princess.
Suddenly, a voice rang out from the crowd. “They’re back! The Ninth Prince and Ninth Princess are back together!”
Consort Lin, Lin Ningshan, and the other princes and princesses all turned their gazes toward Royal Mountain. There, the Ninth Prince and Ninth Princess were riding the same mount, galloping in from afar.
Returning to the Royal Clan Martial Ground, Zhang Ruochen and the Ninth Princess dismounted from the antelope horse and walked toward the Cloudwu Commandery King.
“Greetings, Your Majesty!” said Zhang Ruochen.
“Greetings, Father!” said the Ninth Princess.
The Cloudwu Commandery King laughed heartily. “Ninth child, why are you and Xi’er riding the same mount?”
The Ninth Princess spoke up first. “Father, Ninth Brother and I were attacked by an Iron-Hide Savage Bull in Royal Mountain. My mount was severely injured, so I had to ride with Ninth Brother on his antelope horse.”
The Cloudwu Commandery King’s gaze fell on Zhang Ruochen. “Ninth child, is that so?”
“Yes,” Zhang Ruochen replied.
The Cloudwu Commandery King nodded, then looked at Zhang Ruochen’s injured right arm. “Ninth child, this is your first Royal Mountain Hunt, your first battle with a barbarian beast. And you only awakened your Divine Martial Mark three months ago. Even if you didn’t hunt any barbarian beasts, don’t be too discouraged.”
“I understand.”
Zhang Ruochen didn’t explain further, merely speaking flatly.
The Ninth Princess’s lips moved as if to say something, but in the end, she held back.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen’s injured state, the Sixth Prince and Fifth Prince were overjoyed.
Lin Ningshan’s lips also curled slightly. In the previous round’s strength assessment, Zhang Ruochen had indeed stolen the show. But when it came to actual combat with barbarian beasts, he still had a long way to go!