Chapter 43: Mutual Prey

Towering mountains stood tall under the night sky. Many people had already gathered in the dense forest, and their voices created a noisy din.

The Reborn from various villages were extremely indignant. Entering the mountains today was destined to be fraught with danger; once they stepped into a special Node, their lives would be at the mercy of fate.

"What are you shouting for? Who else dares to speak out of turn?" A Golden Chicken Rider appeared, his expression indifferent as he scanned the crowd with a cold gaze.

The Golden Chicken beneath him was fierce, letting out a high-pitched, piercing cry.

The Golden Chicken Rider barked, "You lot better behave yourselves. We’re just having you prospect some mines. What’s with all the nonsense? Shut your mouths and do exactly as you're told!"

The Reborn from the villages were fuming but dared not speak up. If it weren't for their wives and children, they would have truly fought him to the death. His words were hardly fit for a human to say. Even ordinary people now knew that within special Nodes, Sky Light would severely erode the body.

"Let’s move. But I’ll give you a fair warning: if anyone dares to cause trouble, don't blame me for being ruthless!" the Golden Chicken Rider threatened.

Beside him was a large group of men clad in armor and brandishing sharp weapons. They were all Reborn from Golden Chicken Ridge, and they led the crowd onto the path as if they were escorting prisoners.

They traveled in silence until they reached the outskirts of the Grand Canyon. Several other villagers were already waiting there, brought by members of the Three-Eye Cult. The two local organizations had indeed cooperated.

The Grand Canyon was vast, filled with ground fissures and areas where massive rocks were piled high. Vegetation was sparse, and a landscape of stone forests coexisted with deep ravines.

Few creatures usually frequented this place, as one could fall into a ground fissure with the slightest lapse in attention.

Golden Chicken Ridge and the Three-Eye Cult had brought a large force this time, having waited here for a long while. They had no intention of prospecting the mines themselves.

"Eh?" In the Grand Canyon, another Golden Chicken Rider spotted Qin Ming, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

He had once led a group to Old Man Liu's house, intending to force a purchase of the fiery-red grass. Qin Ming had reported it directly to Cao Long and Mu Qing, which resulted in this man getting slapped several times and losing a few of his right teeth.

"Keep a close eye on that boy later. Make sure he prospects a few extra earth-mines!"

He didn't dare act directly. After all, both Cao Long and Mu Qing had warned him, and they hadn't left yet.

However, this time the order had come from the Big Bandits of Golden Chicken Ridge and the local high-ranking members of the Three-Eye Cult to send these villagers into the Nodes. He could "adapt to the situation" and give a few casual orders that would torment a mere First Reborn to death.

Among the villagers, a grey-haired old man looked worried. He said, "I hope we find those so-called mysterious products quickly. Otherwise, over time, even as Reborn, we'll end up with permanent damage—or we might not even make it out of here alive!"

"Shut up! Did I give you permission to speak?"

With a sharp crack, the Golden Chicken Rider lashed out with his whip, sending the elderly Reborn staggering. The clothes on the old man's chest were torn, and a bloody gash was left where the whip grazed his face.

"Anyone who finds a mysterious product can leave immediately and will receive a substantial reward. Take note—it won't be Night Silver. You’ll be given Day Gold!"

The people from Golden Chicken Ridge and the Three-Eye Cult hadn't completely driven everyone to despair. At the very least, they provided a glimmer of hope and made promises.

An old man from Golden Chicken Ridge walked over and instructed, "Get underground. This area has been claimed by us and the Three-Eye Cult. Right now, every inch of land beneath the Grand Canyon is worth its weight in gold. Look carefully, every one of you!"

The territory occupied by Golden Chicken Ridge and the Three-Eye Cult was near the entrance, which wasn't a particularly prime location. After all, their strength couldn't compare to those from Crimson Cloud City.

Qin Ming followed the other Reborn underground. Everyone carried pre-prepared Sun Stones in their robes; otherwise, it would be far too dark within the ground fissures.

This was an underground cavern system with many tunnels branching out like a spider web in all directions. Some areas flowed with a faint light that became unbearable if one got too close, while others were relatively dark. Staying in those darker areas didn't cause any physical discomfort.

"Everyone, I don't think there's any need for us to ruin our health or lose our lives. Even if we enter those glowing areas, finding mysterious products is difficult. We might as well look for safe paths underground, enter the dark zones, and just wait it out..." an old man suggested.

In fact, many people had the same idea.

A middle-aged man spoke up, "We'll split into two groups. One group will pretend to look for mysterious products, while the other group quickly finds an exit—look for those deep tunnels that might lead outside the Grand Canyon. I suspect these factions might end up in a free-for-all. Different powers will likely clash and start a bloodbath over the special Nodes."

"Right, let's prepare early!" Everyone nodded in agreement.

Qin Ming had originally intended to suggest that they hide first, but he realized that these people, who made their living on dangerous mountains, already had very strong survival instincts.

He then began to act on his own, wandering through the underground caverns in search of any potential mysterious products.

An hour later, the outsiders hadn't clashed with each other yet, but another powerful force intervened, leading to a bloody incident on the surface.

In the Grand Canyon above, apes howled and tigers roared. Various mutated creatures began to appear, and many birds of prey began to dive from the sky.

"The Heteromorphs are attacking!" a Golden Chicken Rider guarding the canyon entrance shouted.

Mutated creatures had appeared earlier and there had been clashes, but never in such numbers or with such organization. This was completely different.

A giant white bear leading the charge stood five or six meters tall. It was unclear if it had just woken from hibernation, but it was incredibly violent, snatching up two Reborn and tearing them apart instantly.

On the other side, a giant golden bull breathed flames from its nostrils, rampaging through the area. It gored many Three-Eye Cult members with its horns, tossing them into the air.

There were many such Heteromorphs. Though they were of different species, they didn't fight each other; instead, they all charged toward the humans.

The mutated birds of prey in the sky provided support. A massive silver eagle swooped down, tearing off the scalp of a Second Reborn on the spot.

"Earlier, there were only a few Heteromorphs, and they didn't appear on a large scale. They were waiting for us to enter. They’re hunting us deliberately."

An elder from Golden Chicken Ridge spoke and leapt up, grabbing an Eagle-owl that had undergone Rebirth twice out of the air and snapping its neck.

"What do we do now?"

Many people were panicking because the entrance to the Grand Canyon was blocked by a massive number of Heteromorphs charging into the valley, and birds of prey were monitoring from above.

...

"Something's wrong. Chaos has broken out on the surface. Quick, hide! Block those hidden tunnels with rocks and conceal our escape routes."

In the underground world, the hunters from the various villages heard the commotion. Highly sensitive to danger, they acted immediately.

Qin Ming noticed it right away. He was fearless; he could retreat toward the paths where Sky Light overflowed. Neither the people from Golden Chicken Ridge and the Three-Eye Cult nor the Heteromorphs could venture deep into such places for long.

On the surface, the large forces of Golden Chicken Ridge and the Three-Eye Cult gathered together for defense. Panic was spreading as Heteromorphs were everywhere.

"High-level Entities wouldn't likely join the fray personally. After all, they promised the upper echelons of Crimson Cloud City that they wouldn't hunt in secret. But letting a few mid-to-low-tier Heteromorphs through is certainly no problem for them."

This made the situation very serious. Everyone understood: the Heteromorphs had been wanting to strike for a long time and had been waiting for the right opportunity.

The Blood Snakes, silver camels, and fiery-red grass in the mountains held incredible value for those from outside, containing dense Spiritual Matter.

To the Heteromorphs in the mountains, certain Two-legged beasts with deep foundations were equally coveted. To them, these humans were "Spiritual Herbs" rich in spirituality.

"So, a horde of Heteromorphs has come, not just for the mysterious products, but to hunt us? They view us as spiritual creatures?"

"Exactly!"

Instantly, the faces of the Reborn from Golden Chicken Ridge and the Three-Eye Cult turned incredibly grim. Their territory was right at the mouth of the valley; weren't they the first in line to be hit?

"The High-level Entities deep in the mountains wouldn't dare let their Heteromorph subordinates wipe out everyone who entered. That would completely enrage City Lord Ling Xu and the others, leading to cold-blooded retaliation. But reducing the number of Reborn here by a fifth or a quarter probably wouldn't mean much."

For a moment, everyone turned pale. If things continued like this, it would be a disaster. Many were destined never to leave the mountains alive.

"Retreat into the caverns. We can't stay on the surface. The two of our groups combined are no match for these Heteromorphs!" an elder from the Three-Eye Cult said.

"Go! Get underground, now!" They moved immediately.

They used the narrow tunnels for defense; being easy to hold and hard to attack, it was difficult for the Heteromorphs to break through.

However, the underground tunnels were like a spider web. Some Heteromorphs naturally adapted to subterranean combat were searching for a way to lead other mutated creatures around and flank them.

For a time, chaos reigned both above and below ground.

Many Reborn from Golden Chicken Ridge and the Three-Eye Cult rushed into different tunnels, hoping to find a path leading out of the Grand Canyon.

After all, this was the exit area.

...

"What a coincidence." Qin Ming spotted a familiar face—the Golden Chicken Rider who had tried to force a purchase of Old Man Liu’s Spiritual Matter and had shown him malice earlier at the canyon entrance.

"It's you?" The Golden Chicken Rider had already abandoned his mount and was wandering alone through the underground tunnels, searching for an escape route.

"Come here!" He beckoned to Qin Ming. "Have you found any mysterious products? Also, you heard the commotion above. Tell me in detail about the terrain here."

Qin Ming didn't bother responding and simply walked over at a leisurely pace.

"Are you looking for death? Move it! I'm asking you a question!" The Golden Chicken Rider’s eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

His malice was obvious. Earlier, he had wanted to arrange for someone to force Qin Ming into prospecting more mines, intending to let the Sky Light erode him until he died. Now, he felt that killing him right here wouldn't matter—who would know? He could just blame the Heteromorphs later; there would be no witness to prove otherwise.

Thus, he stopped hiding his intent and even lashed out with his whip. He guessed that it must have been this youth and Old Man Liu who had complained to Cao Long and Mu Qing, as they were the only two involved.

Qin Ming naturally wasn't going to let the whip hit him. He used his Long-handled Darkgold Hammer to parry.

"You dare resist?" The man’s eyes turned cold as he prepared to strike again.

Qin Ming was not in the habit of being passive. How could he tolerate this man repeatedly crossing the line? Faster than a lightning bolt, he thrust the heavy hammer forward.

With a thud, the Golden Chicken Rider saw stars as a wave of unbearable pain washed over him. The Darkgold hammer had made intimate contact with his mouth and nose. His front teeth were knocked out and his nose collapsed. His head spun, and he nearly tumbled to the ground.

"Sorry, it was a hand-slip. I didn't grip the handle tight enough," Qin Ming said.

"I... cu-nt!" With his teeth missing, the Golden Chicken Rider’s speech was slurred. In his fury, he couldn't even swear clearly.

Enduring the pain in his face, with tears and snot streaming down, his rage reached a boiling point and his malice surged. He drew his long saber, intending to cut the youth down.

As a Second Reborn, he naturally believed he could easily handle and kill a kid who had only undergone Rebirth once.

However, before his saber could swing, a tearing pain erupted in his right hand. It was struck by the Long-handled Darkgold Hammer, turning his flesh into a bloody mess. The saber fell directly to the ground, and his entire right hand went into spasms, twisting after the bones shattered—looking very much like the talons of the Golden Chicken he rode.

"You used this hand to hit Old Man Liu with a Yellow Clay Palm, didn't you? Then you should taste my Darkgold Fist." Qin Ming didn't waste any more time. He swung the Long-handled Darkgold Hammer several times, each blow landing on the man's face. In an instant, his face was flattened into a bloody mess, his frontal bone was crushed inward, and his corpse slumped to the ground.

Before he died, the Golden Chicken Rider couldn't believe it. How could this be so absurd? He was a Second Reborn; how could he be slower and weaker than that boy? As his consciousness faded, he realized: the boy had already undergone his Second Rebirth and was far stronger than him!

Qin Ming dragged the corpse into a very open area. Sky Light flowed here; relatively speaking, it was very safe for the moment.

"Hmm?" He suddenly spun around and saw an old man emerging from another tunnel, silently approaching him.

"Who are you, and what are you doing?" the old man asked, his face grim.

"I'm with the Three-Eye Cult. I just saw this man get eroded by Sky Light and collapse, so I'm trying to save him," Qin Ming replied.

With a boom, the old man's foot shattered the hard ground as he lunged forward. A faint white light radiated from his body—Body Sky Light. He was clearly a Third Reborn.

He wasn't easily fooled. Sensing something was wrong, he struck immediately. Even against a youth, he used a lethal move.

Qin Ming knew he had met a formidable foe. This was an unprecedentedly powerful opponent; he had never fought a Third Reborn before.

"I'll give it my all. If I kill a powerful Third Reborn like you, I might even be able to wipe out the entire Golden Chicken Ridge force here!" Qin Ming steeled himself, deciding to go all out to slay the old man.