Chapter 104 Exposed Tracks

  Dragging his soaking wet clothes, Qin Hao climbed back onto the shore. Having already grasped the entry point of Floating Light Flashing Shadow Body Method, there was no need to rush into things for the time being.

  Being too greedy will ultimately lead to the opposite result. He understands this principle better than anyone else!

  He sat on the ground, wrung out his clothes and then lay down on the ground with his arms around a pillow at the back of his head, closing his eyes to rest. After a night of hard training, even he couldn't help but feel a little tired.

  Before he knew it, Qin Hao felt his mind getting a bit fuzzy and fell asleep in a daze.

  ……

  After an unknown period of time, a powerful footsteps echoed from afar, causing the ground to vibrate. Qin Hao instantly woke up from his light sleep. His many years of training in his past life made him extremely sensitive to sounds.

  He flipped his body, his eyes scanning half a circle, fixing on a dense thicket of grass. As he stepped on the ground, his entire body suddenly darted into the thicket like a fish.

  Qin Hao slowed down his breathing, gathering all the dark energy in his body and hiding it perfectly. He only left a pair of eyes, staring steadily through the gaps between the branches at the direction where the footsteps were coming from.

  Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

  Four people came over soon.

  Qin Hao's eyes rolled around, sizing them up from head to toe. All four of them were wearing uniforms of the same color, with animal skin boots on their feet and a bulge on their calves, as if they had tied short blades like daggers.

  The four people's breathing was extremely steady, their footsteps were strong and powerful, one person walked in the front, the other three followed closely behind, all of them stepping to the same rhythm.

  Hunter's Union!

  Qin Hao made a judgment in his heart. In this area, there are often many warriors hunting beasts, but those who can maintain such momentum and rhythm, apart from the Hunting Alliance, it's hard to find another group like that.

  Qin Hao became even more cautious, his body not daring to make any slight movement.

  Among the four of them, the one walking in front was a man about twenty years old, with a slightly dark complexion and piercing eyes, clearly having been through many battles.

  From what others called him, Qin Hao knew this man's name was Hu Cun.

  "Hu Cun, it seems like there's no one here."

  After scanning several times, Hu Cunshen said firmly: "I've searched the nearby area several times, no need to waste time here."

  Hu Cun furrowed his brow, and his eyes also wandered back and forth: "It's strange that there's no movement around here. But it's also true that going to other places to search is the right way to go. Don't let other teams get ahead of us."

  Qin Hao's eyes were fixed on them, listening carefully to their words.

  A few people talked for a while, seemingly somewhat disappointed, turned around and slowly walked back in the direction they came from.

  Qin Hao remained hidden in the bushes and did not come out immediately. At this time, the words of those people were swirling in Qin Hao's mind.

  It seems that the people from Lie Meng have already searched in, and this place can't be stayed either. He really didn't expect that the people from Lie Meng would act so quickly.

  Remained motionless in the thicket for nearly an hour, until Qin Hao was certain that no one else would come by, before he crawled out from inside.

  Qin Hao unfolded the map of Wan Shou Valley, gazing at several directions on it, and then proceeded in that direction. It was very likely that he would start encountering third-tier demonic beasts, which were equivalent to powerful human True Profound Realm cultivators. With his current strength, if he encountered such a beast, even escaping alive would be extremely difficult, let alone fighting back.

  However, going out is also not possible. It seems that the Hunter's Alliance has already sent out many people, and if he is discovered now, he will be guilty of killing Ye Ling, and his situation will be extremely unfavorable.

  "It seems like we can only go around in circles along these few directions."

  Qin Hao pointed to several places on the map, making up his mind. Circling around this area, grasping the timing and avoiding the search parties of the Hunting Alliance would be the best choice. No matter how many people from the Hunting Alliance there were, it was impossible for them to cover the entire Beast Valley.

  Qin Hao put away the map and was about to stand up when he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, starting from the base of his neck and piercing into his heart.

  At the thought of it, Qin Hao's feet took a step back and he darted forward several meters.

  Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

  Just as he was about to make his move, four powerful gusts of wind shot straight at him from behind, exploding and kicking up clouds of dust.

  Qin Hao stopped and looked at the original position where he was standing, only to see that a huge pit had been dug out, with the handles of four daggers exposed in the pit, buzzing and trembling, while the blades were buried deep in the ground, invisible.

  With a few swift movements, four figures emerged and surrounded Qin Hao, vaguely encircling him in the center.

  "No wonder he was able to secretly calculate Ye Young Master."

  Hu Cun's palm patted lightly, with a smile on his face, but the words that came out were exceptionally cold: "However, since you've done something like that, you must have anticipated the possible outcome, right?"

  "How did you find me?" Qin Hao's expression didn't change, but in his heart he was slightly surprised. These four people were the ones who had found this place an hour ago. It seemed they hadn't left, but rather pretended to leave in order to lure him out.

  "Can't help but say, you hid very well." Hu Cun sneered: "The ability to hide one's breath is not much worse than ours, unfortunately, you forgot something."

  Hu pointed to the pile of ash left over from starting a fire: "You forgot to clean this up."

  "There should be many warriors who can ignite fire in this Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts, how can you be sure it's me?"

  "These marks can tell that they appeared only in the past one or two days." Hu Cun's smile on his face became more playful: "You don't know, do you? Two days ago, Ye Shao had an accident, and Mu Zhang Lao ordered to seal off all roads leading into Wan Shou Gu. All warriors outside Wan Shou Gu were also withdrawn that day, and only reopened today."

  Qin Hao didn't ask any more questions. Since the road had been blocked, there were no other warriors in Wan Shou Valley who could leave traces over the past two days, except for those with extremely high strength who had ventured deep into the valley and hadn't retreated, and now only he was left.

  "The core disciple of Lie Meng is indeed much stronger than a nominal one." Qin Hao's tone seemed to be full of praise.

  A sinister smile floated onto Hu Cun's face, just as he was about to say something, Qin Hao's next sentence directly shut him down.

  "However, you can get out of here."

  "Hey, you're quite bold." Hu Cun's smile suddenly disappeared, his face clouded over: "I don't know what kind of trickery you used to secretly attack Young Master Ye, but at the time of registration, you were only a second-rate martial artist of the Lingxuan sect, yet you dare to be so arrogant?"

  "You don't know, do you?" Hu Cun's eyes gleamed with malicious intent: "You're already on the wanted list, ranked 30th. Dead or alive, bringing you back will get me two top-grade martial techniques."

  Qin Hao's heart skipped a beat. The Wanted List! This was the list created by the Hunting Alliance. Every person on the list was a target for pursuit, and not only would the disciples of the Hunting Alliance go all out to kill them, but most warriors would also actively hunt them down for the generous reward.

  In the country, due to the existence of Fengpuzong and Yinhuamen, these two behemoths, the Hunter's Alliance is unable to exert too much power. However, even so, those who have been put on the wanted list are destined not to have many peaceful days.

  But if they leave their home country, with the power of the hunting alliance, the outcome will be absolutely miserable. At that time, tens of thousands of warriors will hunt and kill, and even true Xuan boundary warriors will take action, making it a problem to survive.

  There was a martial artist of the tenth rank of Lingxuan, who had been put on the wanted list. In the end, he wasn't killed by anyone, but instead took his own life. He was always on guard, and even when eating, sleeping, or resting, he had to be on the lookout for someone trying to harm him in secret. The people around him seemed harmless, but at any moment, they could secretly do him harm. This kind of life would drive anyone mad.

  And his value also makes him unexpected.

  Two top-notch martial skills are enough to make a small family leap into a middle-to-upper-class family, and this temptation is enough to make even the most cautious warriors take risks.

  However, after the initial astonishment passed, Qin Hao's face returned to normal, and his lips moved slightly as he softly spat out a single word: "Get out."

  Hu Cun's face changed color, he didn't expect that his words would have no effect on the 16 or 17 year old boy in front of him.

  "Perhaps, Ye Ling young master wasn't entirely defeated by being ambushed and falling into his hands." This thought flashed through Hu Cun's mind. His hand even quietly reached into his bosom, where there was a jade stone that could send out a signal, and as long as he squeezed it, the warriors from other nearby groups would come over.

  However, thinking of the ultimate martial arts technique, Hu Cun gritted his teeth and pulled out his hand. If he really called someone over, the reward for the martial arts technique would have to be shared with that person. He was just a disciple without any background, but if he could master the ultimate martial arts technique, he would have the opportunity to become one of the core disciples in the future, or even an elder.

  He is a martial artist of Lingxuan Fourth Stage, while the other three are martial artists of Lingxuan Second Stage. With four against one, there's no way he can escape.

  Thinking of this, Hu Cun smiled and said: "Your mouth is quite hard, but I don't know if you'll be so spirited later."

  The other three also chimed in, laughing loudly and with mocking gazes. What kind of waves could a mere nominal second-rate martial artist like him stir up?

  "Get out." Qin Hao's eyes flashed with a cold glint, his tone also unusually chilly. This was his final warning.

  Hu Cun's heart was filled with rage, but his face showed a smile as he said: "Go on, show off now. You don't know that Mu Zhanglao has already sent people to investigate your background, and once they find your family, not only you, but your entire family will have to die together with you. From the moment you dared to attack Young Master Ye, you should have expected this outcome today."

  The three warriors behind Qin Hao also burst out laughing strangely.

  "I don't know, who was it that found his family and carried out the task?"

  "That was a big profit, last time someone offended Master Ye, Elder Mu ordered us to take action, how much did we gain? It's been almost a year since the last good thing happened."

  "I really don't know, if this kid has any pretty and clever little sisters at home. I love those elegant and clever women in the family, it's also fun to play with them, hehe..."

  While speaking, Hu Cun drew out a long sword, and the three people behind him simultaneously pulled out another dagger, all of which were aimed at Qin Hao. The group's mouths continued to spew forth obscene language without stopping.

  They said these things they had done at this time, also with a different intention.

  This is their usual trick. A martial artist, in the heat of anger, acts solely on a fiery impulse and easily reveals an opening. Therefore, provoking their opponent is not something they do for the first time.

  However, if they knew that Qin Hao was furious and the more he was enraged, the more ruthless and calm his actions would be, it's unknown whether they would regret this approach.

  As expected, as soon as these words were spoken, Qin Hao's face suddenly turned cold. In his eyes was an undisguised intent to kill.

  "Want to enrage me? Fine, you succeeded."

  Qin Hao's fists crackled with a loud slapping sound, and the Xuanqi energy bursting out of his fists tore through the air with sharp whistling sounds, making people's eardrums numb.

  Qin Hao took out the hunting alliance seal with his right hand and pinched it into powder in his palm.

  "From today on, I will no longer show any mercy to those in the Hunter's Alliance."

  As soon as his voice fell, Qin Hao took a step forward, but his body shot out several feet in an instant. It was the Floating Light Shadow Step technique.

  This martial art, although it was just the beginning, but when it was applied, its power was extremely astonishing. At this moment, Hu Cun couldn't even see Qin Hao's figure clearly.

  Hu Cun's face changed greatly, his previous words successfully provoking the other party's anger, but the result was completely different from what he had imagined. In a hurry, he placed the sword in front of his chest and activated a protective aura around his body.

  Qin Hao let out a cold laugh, his five fingers clenched into a fist, containing a mighty force that blasted forward.

  Ding!

  The sword and fist intersected, the long sword suddenly broke into pieces, Hu Cun's protective Xuan Qi collapsed instantly. His body was shaken by a massive force, and he couldn't help but retreat several steps back.

  The remaining three warriors' faces changed greatly, and they quickly rushed over to support him. The three daggers also flew out of their hands at the same time.

  Qin Hao's body spun around half a circle, his right palm swung out, and he struck out with three invisible forces, sweeping the dagger to one side. Then, he took a step forward, moving several meters in an instant, and shot straight to the front of the three people.

  Three warriors' faces changed greatly, and they hastily retreated while condensing their vital energy in front of their chests to protect themselves from harm.

  Qin Hao remained expressionless, striking out with three consecutive palms, each one containing a shocking force.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  That shockwave was extremely powerful, causing the three people's protective aura to disperse instantly. Their internal organs were shattered in an instant, and they continuously spat out blood. Their pupils also quickly dispersed.

  At just one touch, the three people's bodies went soft and fell to the ground, looking like they had lost their breath.

  "How is this possible?" Hu Cun's mind was greatly shocked, and he felt his legs go numb, his gallbladder about to burst. Those three people were all martial artists of the Lingxuan Second Realm, with extraordinary actual combat experience, yet they were killed in an instant, just by facing him once. What kind of monster was this person in front of him?

  From his previous pride and arrogance, to his current fear and panic, in just a short moment, Hu Cun's heart had completely turned upside down.

  At this moment, he almost had the idea of running away. Hu Cun let out a loud shout, and his body instantly transformed into a suit of mysterious armor.

  Xuan Qi transforms into form, this is the sign of ability above the four heavy Ling Xuan. At the same time, Hu Cun's hand reached into his bosom, took out a piece of jade stone, stretched out two fingers and pinched it to pieces, a bright light suddenly rose into the sky, exploding at dozens of feet high.

  "As long as I can hold on for this period of time, help will arrive." Hu Cun kept telling himself in his heart, forcing himself to calm down.

  He let out a hysterical roar, and his entire body burst with dark energy from all sides.

  "Beast Charge."

  As his loud shout fell, the dark energy around his body suddenly fluctuated, wrapping him in it. The dark energy near his head transformed into a rotating sharp horn, while the dark energy near his hands condensed and extended forward, resembling the claws of a demonic beast.

  His entire body was like a ferocious beast with sharp fangs and claws, rushing forward crazily, its momentum overwhelming.

  "Flat-tier high-level martial skill?"

  Qin Hao let out a burst of laughter, his feet stepping out one by one, not touching the ground, as his entire body revolved around Hu Cun, like a flowing light. Each step was based on the foundation of floating and swift footwork, yet it wasn't stiff or rigid, but rather extremely agile, with rapid changes and variations.

  Hu Cun's heart skipped a beat, his body crashing everywhere like a headless fly, bumping into everything. The trees he crashed into were all shattered into several segments, with splinters flying everywhere; the land he trampled on was all overturned, forming pits and sending dust flying.

  However, he didn't even touch a hair on Qin Hao's head, as if he had deliberately avoided him.

  "Have you had enough fun?"

  Suddenly, Qin Hao's figure flashed behind Hu Cun, his right hand directly tore through his armor and grasped his neck.

  Hu Cun's pupils suddenly contracted: "How can this be..."

  The sound of the second half, all into his throat. Qin Hao used force, Hu Cun's neck was crushed instantly, and his legs twitched twice before he stopped moving.