Chapter 15: Blade Light in the Wind and Snow

The mountain wind howled with a ghostly wail, snapping many branches and whipping the snow from the forest floor into the air. It merged with the heavy, feather-like flakes falling from the night sky, turning the world into a vast, white blur.

Qin Ming trekked alone through the storm, arriving at the foot of the mountain where the Mountain Patrol Team had made camp.

He decided to use the captured bow and arrows. Although it was still a "soft bow" in his eyes, a weapon belonging to a Reborn was significantly stronger than the iron-core bow he had used before.

The fierce wind and snow beat relentlessly against his face. He was forced to squint as he changed out of his thick, warm clothes, donning light outer garments over his armor.

He buried his own bow and arrows along with his pack in a snow hole, weighing it down with heavy stones. Then, carrying four iron spears taken from the Mountain Patrollers, he began his ascent.

Qin Ming approached silently, gradually climbing the peak until he was only dozens of meters away from the flat clearing.

Had it not been for the heavy wind and snow, the Golden Mastiff—a creature as large as a tiger—would likely have caught the scent of a stranger long ago.

Even so, it seemed to sense something, pricking its ears, which were covered in dense golden patterns.

Inside one of the larger wooden huts, the glow of firelight flickered. Several shadows were cast against the window; in this frigid weather, they were drinking wine and eating steaming, fragrant yak meat from a copper pot over charcoal.

"The Fire Spring in the Blood Bamboo Forest is about to go out. It’s the perfect time to deal with that spiritual creature. We need to make arrangements in advance..."

The words drifted over with the wind. Qin Ming wanted to keep listening; it seemed some members of the Mountain Patrol Team had set their sights on a certain spiritual creature in the mountains to achieve their Second Rebirth.

Unfortunately, he could no longer scout. The Golden Mastiff had appeared outside the shack and was staring in his direction, its mouth opening to let out a roar.

He aimed at the window, drawing his bow toward the most hulking figure. One iron arrow after another pierced the night like lightning, whistling through the air and slamming into the wooden hut.

Muffled groans came from inside, and all the silhouettes immediately dropped to the floor. Moments later, the door and windows were burst open. Several figures rushed out, using tables and door planks as shields before diving behind trees and rocks, their eyes sharp as they searched for the hidden attacker.

The Golden Mastiff barked incessantly, its roar scattering the snowflakes in front of it. Its massive body exploded with terrifying power as it charged fiercely toward Qin Ming's position.

Qin Ming ignored the mutated Golden Mastiff for the moment. His iron arrows fell like a dense downpour, all directed at a single person—Fu Entao.

He didn't care about the other Mountain Patrollers. Only a practitioner of the Second Rebirth was truly dangerous; wounding him would be far more meaningful than slaying several others first.

Unfortunately, Fu Entao was only hit by one arrow, and the wound was minor. His specialized armor provided excellent protection, and the iron arrow only penetrated half an inch into his body.

After that, Fu Entao swept out with a long saber, severing most of the incoming iron arrows. Using the trees as cover, he began to close the distance rapidly.

Based on the force of the arrows, Fu Entao judged that his opponent had not yet achieved Second Rebirth and was not someone too difficult to handle.

It wasn't that Qin Ming lacked strength; rather, the Mountain Patroller’s hard bow could not withstand his thousand-jin force. In the end, he had snapped it in half.

The mutated mastiff, its body covered in gold and black stripes, reached him. It leaped into the air, pouncing toward Qin Ming. White mist billowed from its gaping maw, revealing razor-sharp fangs. Its roar shook the mountain forest.

However, its massive body suddenly stiffened mid-air, and its roar came to an abrupt halt. An iron spear flew at a terrifying speed, piercing through its skull and spraying blossoms of blood. Its ferocious eyes dimmed in an instant.

There was no denying it was a formidable Mutated Creature that could have caused trouble for a normal Reborn, but it was solved by a single, simple spear throw from Qin Ming. An instant kill!

With a heavy thud, it crashed to the ground five meters in front of Qin Ming.

In the distance, Feng Yi'an saw the Golden Mastiff’s corpse fall and cried out in distress, "Goldie!"

A surge of anger rose in Qin Ming's heart. In the eyes of people like this, the lives of the villagers outside the mountains weren't even as important as a vicious dog. To lose his composure and shout for such a thing...

Qin Ming’s right arm swung with violent force, hurling another iron spear. It let out a chilling whistle as it flew through the wind and snow toward Feng Yi'an.

The bearded Feng Yi'an was a Mountain Patroller on the verge of his Second Rebirth. His reactions were sharp; his sturdy body shifted sideways rapidly as he swung his long saber in a show of force, striking at the spear.

Accompanied by a piercing metallic clang and a shower of sparks, Feng Yi'an felt his entire arm go numb. His right hand trembled, nearly losing its grip on the saber.

He was horrified. Just how much power was behind that throw? The iron spear grazed his body and slammed into a wooden hut, shattering the thick door plank on the spot.

At that moment, Fu Entao, who stood nearly two meters tall, stomped through the snow. Great waves of white powder kicked up under his feet as he moved with incredible speed, closing to within ten meters of Qin Ming.

Waiting for him was a specialized iron spear of the Mountain Patrol Team. Like a venomous dragon swimming through the night, it shot toward him.

As one who had achieved Second Rebirth, Fu Entao’s perception was incredibly keen. He clearly tracked the trajectory of the spear.

Unwilling to waste a single ounce of strength, his tall body merely shifted slightly, allowing the spear to pass by comfortably. He didn't even pause his stride, charging toward his opponent amidst a gust of wind.

He avoided the cold gleam of the iron spear, but behind him, another Mountain Patroller was charging in pursuit, about a dozen meters back. This man became the secondary target.

This was intentional on Qin Ming's part. If Fu Entao had blocked it, so be it, but if he dodged, the spear would continue toward the man following him.

The Mountain Patroller behind him couldn't dodge in time. The distance was too short, and Fu Entao had been blocking his line of sight just moments before.

"Argh—!" He let out a shrill scream as the iron spear pierced his chest. Even his armor couldn't stop it; it shattered instantly, sending fragments flying.

However, the resistance altered the spear's path.

After veering slightly, the spear struck with a thud, pinning the Mountain Patroller to a tree as thick as a water bucket. Blood flowed down the shaft, staining the snow red.

He struggled in agony, but it was clear he wouldn't survive.

Behind them, Feng Yi'an and Shao Chengfeng felt a chill run down their spines, as if they were the ones pinned to the tree. They both instinctively took a few steps back.

Fu Entao knew what had happened behind him, his expression turning cold and stern. A distance of ten meters was nothing more than a single leap for him.

His curly black hair blew back in the freezing wind, and his beast-hide cloak snapped loudly. Standing two meters tall, he wielded a custom-made saber that was exceptionally wide and sharp. He brought it down in a vertical cleave that seemed capable of splitting a mountain, showing peerless ferocity!

Qin Ming was as still as a boulder one moment and as swift as a thunderbolt the next. With a slight sidestep, he evaded the terrifying blade. Holding the final iron spear in his left hand, he slammed it into the side of the saber, knocking it off course.

Fu Entao was inwardly startled. He realized this wasn't someone he could just crush at will; the boy must have achieved a second Limit Break.

He pressed down hard on his saber, trying to knock the spear aside and continue his powerful strike, but he met massive resistance.

Qin Ming kept the iron spear pressed against the flat of the saber, creating a shower of sparks as he held the blade away from his body. Simultaneously, he lunged forward, his wood-cutting saber in his right hand slashing toward his opponent's wide-open chest.

Fu Entao's pupils contracted. His heavy saber had actually failed to push back the iron spear. For the first time, he felt he had met a truly troublesome and powerful opponent.

He quickly raised his left arm, which was fitted with a Darkgold bracer engraved with Mountain Monster patterns, to block the wood-cutting saber that shone as clear as a spring. A piercing metallic clash rang out.

Fu Entao used the momentum to retreat rapidly, moving like wind and thunder and kicking up the snow as he escaped the slightly disadvantageous position of their first clash.

He shook his slightly numbed left arm and looked down. A crack had appeared on his bracer. It had nearly been sliced through—not just because the opponent's blade was sharp, but because the overwhelming force had shattered the metal.

Due to his initial misjudgment of the iron arrows' power, he had intended to kill the hidden archer instantly. Instead, he had been stymied right from the start. He began to seriously scrutinize the figure across from him.

Qin Ming looked at his wood-cutting saber; the edge was damaged, showing a visible notch. Although it was made of refined iron, it certainly couldn't compare to the equipment of the Mountain Patrol Team.

He was well aware that while his strength surpassed his opponent's, he was slightly lacking in speed. The Second Rebirth focused on flexibility and speed. He needed to make the opponent believe they were in the same realm of Rebirth so he could engage in close-quarters combat, neutralizing the advantage of the opponent's hit-and-run speed.

"Who are you? Why are you targeting us?" Fu Entao spoke. Seeing how young the opponent looked, he had initially thought it was just an impulsive, hot-blooded youth and planned to cripple him before interrogating him about his background.

In the face of such strength, he calmed down and treated Qin Ming as an equal—perhaps even with some apprehension. After all, the boy was so young. Could he be a scion of some noble family from Crimson Cloud City? But his clothes didn't look the part.

Qin Ming didn't answer. He pointed the iron spear forward and raised his wood-cutting saber slightly, closing in step by step. He was calm and composed; despite his youth, he possessed a powerful aura.

Fu Entao frowned, becoming increasingly suspicious of his identity.

As Qin Ming stepped out from the dark forest into the area near the Fire Spring, Feng Yi'an and Shao Chengfeng recognized him.

The silhouette had looked familiar before, but now that the firelight illuminated his face, they were completely stunned.

"You're... Qin Ming from Twin Tree Village?!" Feng Yi'an couldn't believe it. He had seen this youth several times. Hadn't he only just recently achieved Rebirth?

Qin Ming remained silent. His footsteps were steady as he approached. Then, he suddenly accelerated, his spear thrusting out like an icy serpent turning into a dragon. It let out a terrifying boom as it broke the air, causing the falling snow to explode and the ground's accumulation to blast upward.

"Surround him! Don't let him escape! I want him alive!" Fu Entao barked as he swung his saber.

His eyes flashed like cold lightning, projecting an air of confidence. He was mainly worried that Feng Yi'an and Shao Chengfeng would be too afraid to fight, so he was trying to bolster their morale.

"Join the hunt! End this quickly!" a stout Mountain Patroller shouted, drawing his blade as he moved in slowly. He wasn't planning to charge in recklessly; he just wanted to put psychological pressure on Qin Ming from the periphery.

Seeing this, Feng Yi'an and Shao Chengfeng also moved in to block any escape, taking up critical positions and preparing to strike at any moment, subtly influencing the battle.

The exchange between the two in the center was terrifying. The iron spear, leaving afterimages like a dragon or snake in the sky, clashed against the whistling blade light that looked like lightning on a rainy night. The battlefield rapidly expanded.

The expressions of Feng Yi'an and Shao Chengfeng shifted drastically. This youth named Qin Ming was so aggressive—could their captain really suppress him?

Qin Ming and Fu Entao fought their way from the Fire Spring back into the dense forest. The three onlookers were forced to follow, cautiously maintaining the perimeter.

The two combatants tore through the woods. Trees that had been perfectly intact moments ago suddenly groaned and snapped, branches showering the snow, and even thick trunks came crashing down with a roar.

Suddenly, in the dim forest, a silvery-white shadow pounced down from a large tree, attempting to ambush Qin Ming.

Qin Ming was in the middle of a clash with Fu Entao, his back turned to that direction. The Snow Ape raised by the Mountain Patrol Team had made its move without warning, lunging from above with lethal intent.

It was a Mutated Creature with claws capable of tearing apart wild beasts. It was currently at its most ferocious and violent, swiping at Qin Ming's neck with blinding speed.

Qin Ming had known the Snow Ape was there long ago. He had scouted its position secretly after coming up the mountain and had been on guard against all potential threats.

His feet seemed to glide on the wind as he moved with exceptional agility, evading the Snow Ape's pounce. At the same time, he swung his saber backward in a mid-air arc. With a wet squelch, the wood-cutting saber sliced the ferocious Snow Ape clean in half at the waist!

Ape blood sprayed everywhere. It let out a pitiful wail as the two halves of its body fell one after the other into the snow. It twitched briefly before falling completely still.