"Hm, hm hm~"
Han Xing did maintenance to maintain Jian's body. Fixing runes that had lost their efficacy, reinforcing parts that suffered visible corrosion from use of Qi, and assessing the vulnerabilities to make improvements.
"I guess this part needs to be replaced with a more flexible material. Is there rubber made from spiritual latex…? Maybe I can make muscle-like fibres too…"
Han Xing muttered to himself, recording his ideas in his journal, with a sketch of a puppet and labels on them.
After the maintenance, he checked his storage pouch to check the little puppets he had. A stack of 30 Enhanced Explosive Talisman was prepared. A roll of wire steel made of spirit alloy his father made for him would be useful to set traps and immobilise the wolf if needed. With Spiritual Thread covering the wire he would be able to control it.
Attribute enhancing talismans and the Earth grade spirit sword could be used if that wolf still lives after all that. He would dare to face it directly after sufficiently injuring and tiring it.
He had imagined the scenario countless times in his mind.
I can do this.
He got out of bed, then turned to his father who was cultivating unbothered as always.
"Dad, I am going out to the mountains."
"Hm." He responded.
As Han Xing went out, Han Yang opened his eyes, overlooking where he left. He could tell his son was going to hunt the wolf in that area. He could not help but feel a little happy inside. As long as Han Xing went out to improve himself, become strong, he could accept his path that was not as domineering as he would have hoped.
He believed his son could do it and patiently waited for the news.
Han Xing entered the forest fully prepared. Blending himself with concealment techniques and communicating with nature, he entered into a deeper part of the mountain, in the direction where he met that giant wolf.
He placed his hand on a tree next to him, asking for direction. He felt the tingling, the intention, and headed to where the wolf would be.
His excrement was still somewhat a spiritual substance, and the trees and grasses naturally know where he were. The place with the most rich patch of soil was finally found.
He was a little surprised when he sensed a small patch of grass the size of his palm seemed a little different. More vibrant, and felt spiritually richer. Maybe the wolf's shit was on the patch of land here.
"Spiritual grass…" Han Xing uprooted them along with their roots. He did not have any plan on them but he just hoard it since he saw it.
Han Xing continued his journey deeper, avoiding other Tier 2 beasts and headed straight to where the wolf was. He also took note of an escape route. Eh, he had an escape talisman and speed enhancing talisman.
A wolf lived in a pack, and that wolf seemed to be the leader. Once he fought it, he might call other beasts. He would need to take the wolf down quickly, and bring the wolf to a more secluded area.
That wolf should see himself as a prey, therefore…
Han Xing's eyes turned sharp and calculating. In his eyes, the wolf was already set in his trap.
He looked in the east, where the wolf was a few hundred meters away. It was now eating a demonic deer, unaware of Han Xing's presence so far.
"Back then, he was able to keep track of me from a far distance. His sense of smell must be good…"
Han Xing took out his pocket knife. He pricked his finger slightly, and stopped concealing his aura. He waited for the wind to carry his presence, a breath, two breaths…
In the forest, Kuang Lang was sulking. The past few weeks there had been no news over that kid. He already believed that kid was already out of this place entirely. And one of his subordinates, the black crow, never returned since yesterday.
Just at this moment, when he was munching on a deer bone, his pupils widened, a unique woody smell entered his nose.
"This smell…! That boy!"
His head snapped with a greedy expression to the west.
"Mine!"
***
Han Xing listened to his surroundings, and the wolf took the bait. He took out a speed enhancing talisman and boosted his speed. Coupled with Flowing River Movement Technique, his speed was almost as fast as the wolf himself.
He constantly listened to the whispers of nature, keeping track of wolf distance from him. He kept his speed slow enough for the wolf to keep chasing until they reached the outer area where he could retreat if needed and had weaker beasts around.
"This place is fine…" With a firm determination, he cut his palm, letting more of his blood come out. He splattered them on the dirt and the tree nearby. The cut was closed in a mere breath.
Han Xing concealed his presence in the next instance, then ten explosive talismans appeared and were taken out from his pouch, each turning into white butterflies and hiding in the ground and behind the trees and shrubs.
Han Xing moved away from the place, watching from 30 meters away perching on the tallest tree.
"Ha…" Each of Han Xing's fingers connects to each of the talismans through the thread. He spread his concealment through the thread, and through the talismans themselves to hide them further.
THUD, THUD, THUD!
The fast beastly footsteps shook the trees in the distance, and finally the 3 meters tall wolf appeared in Han Xing's vision. His body tensed slightly, but his calm returned seeing the wolf slowed down.
Kuang Lang sniffed the air harder, the boy's presence seemingly disappeared right at this spot! He was angry inside, wondering if the prey escaped like last time, disappearing instantly through some method.
But still, he sniffed. His eyes contracted with desire seeing the spots of fresh blood on the dirt and the tree. He kept sniffing, wanting to search for the trail.
"Damn it! Where did he-"
A white butterfly suddenly appeared in front of Kuang Lang's face. It fluttered in front of him gracefully, harmless, as if asking for his attention. Kuang Lang was just confused. He had never seen such a weird looking butterfly.
Without his notice, the 9 other white butterflies came out of their hiding.
Han Xing's eyes turned cold as he moved both his hands, sending massive spiritual power through the threads!
All the 10 talisman butterflies buzzed for a split second, and in the next moment-
Whoosh!
"What!?" The wolf turned ferocious, with a fast reaction he swung his claw toward the weird butterfly at his front.
Slice- The white butterfly was cut in half. The runes on its left and right wings sparked with red and blue.
The other butterflies already landed right all over his body. The wolf had its mouth wide open, his eyes widened in pure terror and shock. Before he could react, all of them detonated at the same time.
Boom, boom, boom! A crater of 5 meter radius created from the epicenter, blowing trees and dirt around obliterating them!
"AHHH!!!" The wolf howled as a blast of explosions swept across his body, burning his flesh and tearing at his bones. Blood oozed from his flesh, his body bulging with rage and pain.
Han Xing did not give it a chance to think or recover. He took out Jian, the black swordsman. Then a few rat puppets deployed alongside him.
"Go." Han Xing swung his arms, his fingers moving, Qi surged into the puppets rushing towards the injured wolf.
"Damned human!" The wolf saw the black swordsman rushing at him. He instantly assumed it was him. He rushed to the puppet, pouncing on it intending to crush it entirely.
The puppet raised its arm, shooting a hidden arrow from his arm. The wolf dashed left and right, dodging it, and with a pounce, the speed exceeded Han Xing's reaction.
I can't dodge. Han Xing's eyes did not move away from the scene. Without a second delay, he clasped his hand, chi poured crazily into the puppet before its demise.
As the wolf claw sliced the puppet body into pieces, unable to withstand the strength! The wolf's eyes contracted from confusion and shock. There was no blood, no feeling of flesh cut. They were wooden puppets!
The limbs were still midair from being torn apart. At that moment, runes flickered, sparks flew from the runes on them. The wolf barely saw them before those pieces of puppets exploded with a louder bang!
"AHH!" The wolf was pushed a meter back, falling to his side from the impact. He felt fear for the longest time in his life.
I need to run…! Chill creeping up his back. As if he had fallen prey to a more fearsome predator, like he was trapped in a web! Before he could even stand, hidden arrows shot from hidden corners piercing inch into his skin and body.
"Ah…! Who!?" His eyes glared left and right. He saw rats made of wood, their bodies were weirdly shaped. Hidden weapons were loaded in their bodies again.
"Damn it!" He pounced on one of the rats, destroying it. But more arrows shot from the other rats, sticking into his body.
"Ah! WHERE ARE YOU!" He howled, his nose raised trying to find the person behind them, but he just couldn't. The arrows barely pierced just an inch into his skin. It should be worth anything, until Kuang Lang felt his body sluggish and dizzy, his muscles weakening. Coupled with his injuries, a sense of death completely filled his entire being.
"Poison…?!" Fear completely overwhelmed Kuang Lang.
"AWOOO! Human! Human here! Get him!" He howled to call for aid. He stood up and forced his limbs to move. Many beasts began to move. But all of them were tier 1 beasts in the area.
"Da Zhu! Da She!" He shouted with all his might to call for his subordinate while trying to run as fast as he could. But those two were too far and could not hear his pleading. The injuries he received were too much. A trail of blood left from each of his steps. The poison affected him, making his speed sluggish to a point Han Xing could chase him without much trouble.
Few rats and birds puppets appeared, hidden weapons shot left and right and slowed it further down. A white butterfly dove right below his feet then exploded right after!
The wolf howled in pain, his body fell with a thud sweeping dirt and dust as he lost his balance. His foot bled even more profusely.
"Damn it… damn it…" The wolf shakily tried to stand up again. But then he felt something slithered all over his body, as if a snake binding its prey. His breath turned erratic, he tried to move, but he was already too weak to get out of the binding of the steel wires covered with Qi.
Crunch. Crunch.
The sound of steps crunching leaves approached him. The wolf turned its head to his front, his eyes contracted in shock and fear.
"You… how come it's you…" He could not believe his eyes. It was that boy he had almost killed weeks ago.
Han Xing did not give it too much time to think. He was taught to not give space and chance now that he reached this point.
The spiritual power running through the wire increased to its limit, tightening the grip on the wolf. Han Xing held the sword on his waist with his free hand, his eyes cold.
"Domineering Sword, 1st Move…"
"No…! Human- Wait-!" The wolf opened its mouth, wanting to survive.
But Han Xing did not listen.
"Cleaving Earth." Slice-
The straight line of blood appeared under the wolf's neck. The head slid down, falling and rolled on the dirt.
Han Xing watched the still warm body and the head on the ground. He let out a breath he did not realise he held for so long. His body trembled slightly, from relief, ecstasy, and pride.
He crouched down and placed the corpse into his storage pouch before leaving quickly, afraid of being surrounded by beasts.
In the mountains, the demonic beasts inside were in an uproar. The leader of the East mountain was killed. The Demon King asked his subordinates to investigate, but strangely the place Kuang Lang died was in the area of Tier 1 beasts.
"He broke the rules? Is he killed by a Foundation Establishment cultivator?" The Ape King thought to himself. A peak Tier 2 beast was still a subordinate he did not want to lose. But it already happened.
"Investigate which human killed it! That person could not be unknown!" Ape King ordered his subordinate.
Meanwhile, Han Xing returned to the inn with expectation. He came in and called out to his father.
"Dad, I killed the wolf." He took out the wolf head, the expression filled with fear still plastered on its face.
Han Yang looked at the wolf's eyes, surprise flickered on his face. Not because of the fact Han Xing managed to kill, but rather the traces of lingering fear and horror could be felt from the corpse, arousing curiosity from the old man. What could his good son do to make the wolf so scared till its death.
"Xing'er, tell me how you kill it."
Han Xing explained how he first lured it to a more isolated area, baited it to chase him using his blood, set a trap beforehand, then wore it down little by little with his puppets, all while concealed.
Once he was sure the wolf was weakened enough he killed it with a sword.
"... Heavens. Are you really my good son?" Han Yang asked with disbelief, affirmation and also with unhidden pride in his voice.
"Eh? Of course I am a dad." Han Xing smiled with a grin.
Han Yang could not contain his smile. Only now he realised his son had his own strength he did not know. What domineering swordsman? What invincible strength? Han Yang's expectation of his son shifted.
His son was better this way. Cautious, smart, and thinking far ahead. Reading into the opponent, using their thinking to his advantage, luring them into traps, even considered enemy reinforcement. The way his son told his story, he could feel Han Xing's own confidence and firm heart that only those geniuses had.
"Good, good, good! Xing'er, let's eat outside today. We will have grilled wolf meat."
Han Xing nodded, happy his father praised him. His heart was clearer than before, setting his sight on his own goals and dreams, to be strong in his own way.