Chapter Eighteen: The Dragon-Blooded Lizard

That day, the last of the beast meat at home had been consumed. Yi Tian slung his quiver over his back, filled with thirty refined iron arrows and five armor-piercing arrows, took up his blood-patterned bow and heavy tungsten sword, and prepared once more to enter the mountains.

This time, he had arranged to set out together with Yi Feng, Yi Shan, and Yi Li. Having just broken through to the first tier, Yi Feng and the others were eager for action, their spirits high as they headed into the mountains.

Yi Tian did not stop them. Now, his cultivation had advanced greatly, reaching the third tier. He had mastered the ninth level of the Wave Stacking Secret Technique, though he could only unleash a fraction of its power. Even so, his strength had skyrocketed to a fearsome level, enough to roam the outskirts of the Fulong Mountains unchallenged.

The four of them entered the mountains once more. Along the way, they encountered many fierce beasts, but those bold enough to attack them were easily shot down by Yi Feng, Yi Shan, and Yi Li. For first-tier warriors of the Yi tribe, ordinary beasts posed no threat.

With their skill in archery, Yi Feng and the others could defeat most second-tier fighters and even threaten those of the third tier. If their swordsmanship reached the ninth level of the Wave Stacking Secret Technique, they could kill third-tier warriors outright, becoming nearly invincible among their peers.

Traversing the outer ranges, Yi Tian and his companions moved with ease. When they had journeyed over fifty li into the mountains, their demeanor grew serious. Here, dangerous beasts began to appear.

Suddenly, two hundred paces to their right, a shadow leopard sprang out from behind a massive boulder. It was three zhang long and moved silently, a blur rushing toward them at incredible speed.

The sound of leaves swirling caught their attention. As soon as the shadow leopard emerged, Yi Tian and the others noticed it.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Three arrows shot through the air, aimed at the leaping shadow leopard.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The arrows pierced its slick fur, driving deep into its body, leaving only a small portion of the shafts exposed. The wounded shadow leopard nearly collapsed, but the attack had not struck a vital point. It quickly steadied itself, let out a furious roar, and charged at them even more madly.

However, its injuries slowed it, giving Yi Feng and the others time to nock another arrow. The second volley whistled through the air, striking its head and neck.

Boom!

The massive shadow leopard finally fell, crashing to the ground.

"I actually took down a dangerous beast!" Yi Feng grinned widely.

He remembered how, in the past, they had nearly been devoured by a dangerous golden python—a perilous encounter. But this time, the situation had reversed; dangerous beasts now fell under their arrows.

Yi Shan cheerfully rushed forward to begin skinning the creature.

Yi Tian did not join in, observing the situation calmly. He said, "Don’t get careless. If you faced the shadow leopard alone, you might not have killed it before falling prey yourself."

Indeed, with the strength of Yi Feng, Yi Shan, and Yi Li, they could not reliably target the shadow leopard’s vital points. Killing such a resilient beast with a single arrow was difficult. If they failed, they would be in grave danger.

Their strength was still somewhat lacking. This was why hunting teams from the tribe always worked together. For large beasts and ferocious creatures, if they could not kill them in the first strike, cooperation was essential to avoid casualties.

A second-tier warrior from the tribe had roughly equal odds against a dangerous beast; a third-tier warrior could kill one with a single arrow.

After skinning the shadow leopard, they pressed onward. The creature was either insufficient for their needs or not to their liking, and carrying it would have been a burden.

As they moved deeper into the outskirts, encounters with dangerous beasts became more frequent, and sometimes perilous. Yi Feng and Yi Shan failed to kill them a few times.

At a critical moment, Yi Tian acted. His arrow pierced the approaching Moonshadow Black Bear, yielding a pair of bear paws, a bear gall bladder, and a Moonshadow Black Bear pelt.

Only then did Yi Feng and the others truly realize Yi Tian’s strength surpassed theirs by far. From that effortless shot, which pierced the formidable defenses of the Moonshadow Black Bear, they glimpsed the tip of Yi Tian's power.

Yi Feng and Yi Shan were invigorated; having such a powerful brother made them proud. Yi Li regarded Yi Tian as a target to strive toward.

"Let’s go. This time, we hunt an extremely dangerous beast—otherwise, we’ll waste our trip," Yi Feng declared, brimming with confidence in their formidable group.

Yi Tian neither agreed nor disagreed. As long as they encountered a ferocious beast, he was confident. Of course, if they hunted an extremely dangerous beast, the entire tribe would be stirred like never before.

At that point, they would attract the attention of the tribal leaders, which was not necessarily a good thing. This troubled Yi Tian somewhat.

Later, Yi Tian devised a plan—a ruse. If they hunted an extremely dangerous beast, they would only bring back its meat, leaving everything else behind. That way, others would believe the meat came from ordinary or merely dangerous beasts.

When Yi Tian explained this to Yi Feng and the others, they agreed. Yi Tian did not wish to attract the leaders’ attention too soon, as it involved his secrets. Yi Feng, Yi Shan, and Yi Li sensed that Yi Tian held secrets, a mysterious air about him, but did not probe further.

They ventured more than eighty li into the outskirts, encountering many dangerous beasts. By then, it was nearly afternoon.

They paused briefly to eat their provisions—dried grain, meat—filling their stomachs before pressing onward.

Suddenly, as they advanced, Yi Tian’s group heard the sounds of battle ahead—beasts roaring. But soon, the beast’s cries were silenced entirely.

"Let’s go!"

Yi Tian and his companions cautiously approached.

When they came near, they saw, six hundred paces ahead at the base of a thousand-zhang cliff, a five-zhang-long lizard tearing into a seven-zhang-long wild elephant, devouring its prey bite by bite.

Not far behind it was a cave ten zhang high and three zhang wide, likely the wild elephant’s dwelling.

"That’s a Dragonblood Lizard!" Yi Tian whispered to Yi Feng and the others.

Startled, Yi Feng and the others took a closer look at the immense lizard gnawing at the wild elephant. Sure enough, they saw scales on its head and legs, and a pair of golden eyes flashing coldly. Its sharp claws scored the ground, slicing even hard stone, easily tearing the elephant’s thick hide.

The Dragonblood Lizard was an extremely dangerous beast, just one step away from entering the ranks of ferocious monsters. It was said that a trace of diluted dragon blood flowed within it and that it could eventually grow into a terrestrial dragon—a savage beast indeed.

Yi Tian immediately decided that this Dragonblood Lizard would be their target.

"I’ll take the lead; you support from the flanks." Yi Tian instructed.

Yi Feng and the others agreed and began seeking their positions. They drew their bows, arrows aimed at the Dragonblood Lizard, which was still feasting.

At that moment, the Dragonblood Lizard turned its head, gazing toward Yi Tian and his group’s hiding spot, sensing danger from their direction.

They had been discovered.

Yi Tian’s eyes sharpened. In a flash, his arrow shot forth like lightning, unleashing the seventh level of the Wave Stacking Secret Technique, with a faint glow of fire along its shaft.

Thud!

The arrow streaked two hundred fifty paces, striking the Dragonblood Lizard’s head. It hit, but only barely penetrated; the damage was minimal.

At the same time, Yi Feng and the others unleashed their arrows, which struck but only managed to pierce the lizard’s skin. Where scales covered it, the arrows could not penetrate at all.

What!

Seeing this, Yi Tian and his companions felt their hearts sink.

The Dragonblood Lizard’s defenses were formidable, exceeding their expectations.

"Use the armor-piercing arrows!" Yi Tian immediately called out.

He quickly nocked an armor-piercing arrow, channeling his fiery true energy along a mysterious path, surging in waves, each layer building upon the last.

The Dragonblood Lizard, enraged by their attack, let out a roar like a dragon’s cry, its powerful limbs pounding the earth as it charged at them with astonishing speed. Its massive body did not slow it; it was nearly as swift as the shadow leopard.