BXBX NOVEL Chapter 98 Victory!
"Sense Trainer Yao should've reacted faster and chopped at the beast's neck. They would've won in one fell swoop!"
"They had a better chance earlier. If the other two guys could also tie their rope around its tusks, that beast would be helpless with four Path Forgers holding it down."
After watching the fiasco of the Hu Clan, people began to wag their tongues. Even the ones who had no knowledge of hunting spirit beasts became pundits capable of spotting flaws in the Hu Clan's strategy.
Their chattering only stopped when Zhen Ya arrived at the Center again and activated the other two Crystals simultaneously.
On one of the screens, the Monstrous Flame Sect could be seen activating their Demon Subduing Formation. On the other screen, the Cloud Patterned Leopard could be seen stalking the unaware City Guards.
Ikasa's attention was drawn to the screen with Feng Yan. He held the trembling hand of Xin Ruo and gave it a gentle squeeze, reassuring her.
Tensions were high in all of the pavilions. Ikasa saw Mo Fan bite his nails with his eyes focused on the movements of the Leopard. Others were also on the edge of their seats.
In the seating area of the Sect, disciples were nervously murmuring.
"The Chimp is not even in the picture. Did they make a mistake by laying the formation so soon?"
"The One-Eyed Chimp is smart. I wonder if it will fall for the trap."
"If we had to hunt the Boar or the Leopard, our formation would've been the most effective."
After hearing their chatter for a while, Ikasa turned his gaze to the Hu Clan. Most of the members were watching the screens excitedly. The rest were praying for the failure of the two powers.
A shout drew his attention to the screens.
"Look, the Chimp is here! The Second Elder has lured the Chimp to the Formation!"
All eyes turned to the Monstrous Flame Sect's team. A thin man was running with an object like bananas in his hand. A black Chimp with a single large vertical eye on his face chased behind him.
Huo Zhu watched his steps once he reached the Formation. He crossed over without triggering it. He expected the enraged Chimpanzee to follow behind him blindly.
Much to the surprise of the Monstrous Flame Sect, the Chimp stopped right before the concealed formation lines. Its vertical eye glowed as he accurately mapped the Formation.
"Kuarak Guak Kurr!"
The Chimp roared, thumping its chest. It glared with burning hatred at the thief who had stolen his precious treasure. But it still did not step into the Formation.
Supporting its body on the four limbs it patiently waited for the thief to come out.
As the stand-off continued, people lost their interest and turned to the other screen. The scene of a patient hunter creeping up on its unknowing prey was much more thrilling.
As the Leopard approached closer, Ikasa grew confused. As far as he knew of his abilities, Feng Yan should've noticed the beast by now.
"Why isn't he preparing to fend off the attack?"
He muttered as his eyebrows furrowed. There was not a single sign that the team could defend if attacked suddenly. The Leopard had closed the distance, and the team entered its pouncing range.
Its greenish blue body hid well in the foliage of the trees. If not for its glowing yellow eyes, it would be very hard to spot in the jungle.
When the team was about to turn, it pounced on one of the men at the back. Coincidentally, that man was standing beside Feng Yan.
As soon as he saw the big cat in the air, he haphazardly swung his wooden staff. His actions attracted the attention of others in the team.
Two of the hunters readied their wooden bows and arrows and shot at will. Their wooden arrows bounced off the skin of the beast, without even piercing it.
There was a reason the other two teams had not prepared wooden bows and arrows; they were ineffective against the Spirit Beasts.
Thump! Crack!
The first sound came when the guard's staff hit the Leopard. The second was from the staff breaking on impact. Fear flashed in the guard's eyes as the big cat aimed for his throat and sunk its teeth.
Blood spurted as his lifeless corpse fell on the ground. But his sacrifice had earned time for his team.
Feng Yan closed in on the leopard and clung to its back. His superior agility due to [Wind the Way] enabled him to keep up with its speed.
Once his legs were securely wrapped around the Leopard, Feng Yan clung to its neck with his left hand while using Chop with his right.
His first hit landed on the soft muscle near the feline's neck, not doing much damage. Even so, it sent the beast into a frenzy. It jumped and rolled, trying to dislodge Feng Yan from its back. But Feng Yan held on as his life was on the line.
Commander Lu Shao took this moment to disperse his troops and box in the Leopard. They poked and lashed at the Leopard's legs with their newest Low-Grade Staff technique, [How to Clean Up: A Janitor's insights].
With a beautiful sweeping motion, Lu Shao landed a hit on the Leopard's leg joint. One hit was nowhere enough to take down a Spirit Beast, but that bruise hindered its movements.
Taking advantage of this opening, other guards also aimed at the nearest leg joints and swung with all their might. Many of them soon broke their staves, but the damage was done.
The beast could no longer move freely, and its movements were slowed. It was time for Feng Yan to shine.
With his position stable, the Old Man began to execute Chop on the same spot on the Leopard's neck. It would've been better if he could reach the throat, but the side was okay as well.
His continuous strikes tore the muscles and veins, causing internal bleeding. He had probably hit an artery supplying blood to the brain because the beast started to sway and act dizzy.
Seeing its vulnerability, Lu Shao and the other guards rained down a quick series of attacks and retreated to a safe distance.
As the sky darkened, so did the Leopard's vision and it collapsed on the ground, unconscious.
Feng Yan still hit the Beast's neck without caring whether it was alive or dead.
As he brought his hand down with force, people were awed by the reddened eyes and the cruel smile on his face. His rage had a primal charm. It enchanted the people in his team and the spectators in the stadium alike.
"This is why they call him Red-Eye."
Ikasa came to realize how the Old Man had built his reputation. To date, he had never seen Feng Yan fight with his life on the line; Not even in the Ruins, when they were attacked by the Monkey King.
But right now, Ikasa could feel the intense killing intent in his actions. His every Chop was filled with the intent to kill.
Soon after, he heard a crack. The Leopard's neck had broken.
Feng Yan took a deep breath and glanced up at the guards.
"Now tell me, which bastard hit me with his staff?"
His question awakened the guards and people from the trance. The guards shuddered and ratted out the bastard who had missed his mark.
Lu Shao shook his head at their antics and ran to check the beast. He couldn't feel its breath. There was no pulse either.
"No way!"
He couldn't believe it. He triple-checked the pulse and breath.
"It is dead." He murmured. And then the meaning of his words registered in his mind. He joyfully shouted, "The Beast is Dead! We have accomplished our task!"
It took the guards a moment to come to terms but they cheered with their Commander. Everyone looked at Feng Yan with reverent gazes.
The callous Old man poured water over their happiness.
"We haven't won yet. Take the beast and our comrade and let's hurry back to the stadium!"
Zhen Ya ended the transmission for the City Guards team here. They may not know, but the spectators here knew the results. So far, they were the only ones to kill their target.
The crowd exploded as soon as they realized the tournament may have a winner! Even though the rules stated that whoever brings the head back first will win, the City Guards had a huge lead.
And it was all because of one man.
"Did you see how that Old man grappled the Leopard? Truly marvelous!"
"I am more interested in his Battle Techniques. He managed to keep up with the Cloud Patterned Leopard!"
"And those strikes to the neck? Not anyone can break the neck of a Spirit Condensation Beast with their bare hands!"
"It must be because he is a Sense Realm Expert!"
"No! If it was the power of Sense Realm, the other two teams would not be suffering humiliation from their beasts."
People fervently discussed the Battle Techniques and powers of Sense Realm Expert. The stadium turned noisy due to their excited chatter.
Nonetheless, these exuberant praises brought a smile to one face.
In the City Lord's Pavilion, Xin Ruo's vice-grip on Ikasa's wrist loosened. She shed tears of relief and joy. For the entire fight, she had been anxious and fidgety.
In the end, everything turned out for the better. Her father had come out unscathed from the ordeal. She smiled with pride when she heard people praise her father.
Nonetheless, the roller coaster of emotions had exhausted her. Awaiting the triumphant return of City Lord's team, she rested her head on Ikasa's shoulder.